Service for Sunday 9th August, the 9th Sunday after Trinity.

Hymns, Songs, Readings and other links for 9th Sunday of Trinity –

5th Sunday of Re-opening – A New Church for a New Society:

Week 1 of 3 Looking at the Values we have adopted as a
NEW Church:

“Be Kind: giving in or a spiritual discipline?”

Sunday 9th August 2020

Bible Readings:

Key Bible Readings:

Matthew 20:1-16 read by Nottage Family (Video)
And, if you would like to look up the reading for yourself – click the link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/…

Set Readings for today:

1Kings 19:9-18 – The great meeting between God and Elijah, God in the power of the silence.

Romans 10:5-15 – Paul great speech of faith and how this faith needs to be shared with the whole world, Jew and Gentile alike.
Salvation in Paul, is not merely that one’s place is assured in heaven, great though that certainly is. It’s more to know “heaven on earth,” to know what one’s destiny looks like, hence why He can say one “is saved.” “Our lives are already hid with Christ IN God” (Colossians 3:3). And Jesus says pretty much the same as part of the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, ON earth as it is in heaven.”
Why this is important is because, without meaning to, “Salvation” as we have come to understand it can become a ‘marker’ for those only who are going to heaven, and assuming therefore everyone else isn’t. Whereas, according to Paul and to Jesus’ teaching, the ‘saved’ are those, like the first fruits, who discover and understand the ‘Promise’ in advance, in this life, and so are willing to share it, in love and trust, in the belief that it is there for all in the life to come. This helps to understand the full impact of Paul’s teaching after years that the Jewish people thought that heaven was just for their own as God’s ‘chosen’ people. Paul’s speech was dynamite.

Matthew 14:22-33 – One of the great stories of an experience with Jesus, and one that we will look at next week when we look at Prayer – in order to walk with Jesus you have to be willing to get out of the boat, to embrace vulnerability and to open your heart and trust. Wonderful stuff.

Hymns and Songs for 8th Sunday after Trinity:

Traditional:

1. “Make me a channel of your Peace” – Songs of Praise with Lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daGWdbrSGBM

2. “Jesus is Lord” – by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty – with Lyrics – wonderful meaningful words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLJFpxOcGKk

3. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God” with Lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsBpM9IcBts

4. “How deep the Father’s love for us” by Selah, with lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKDujmtyAVk

5. “I, the Lord of Sea and Sky” – Songs of Praise, with Lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgLwH5RdtPk

Great song to sing with Children:

6. “Jesus hand were kind hands” with Lyrics – wonderful version of children singing during Lockdown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g2VKLOOTfU

Music for Reflection (during Communion):

7. “Chanson de Matin” by Elgar – with some beautiful paintings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4Zdl4D0a1o

Modern:

8. “Broken Things” by Matthew West, with Lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdUu6ZsdVfM

9. “Today” by Kirk Franklin, with great Lyrics (the distorted music in the background at various points is part of the song not due to a bad recording). Great to tap your feet to or dance to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkwNGhFSirk

10. “A God like you” by Kirk Franklin – signature tune to Michelle Obama’s film “Becoming” – her story in her own words. Apparently, she listens to Kirk Franklin as part of her workout Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch…

11. John Waller “While I’m Waiting” feat. scenes from FIREPROOF – sent in by members of the Youth Group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6X71sXagUY

Further Videos

12. “Hesed” Love = Redemptive, faithful Love = Kindness – great little video explaining through image and song the power, strength and importance of spiritual Kindness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8lw0bwlEjs

13. “Covenants” by the Bible Project – the idea of the faithful partnership of God with humanity working together in, with and for the renewal of Creation in and through Jesus. A great summary of the power of “Hesed” love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ferLIsvlmI&t=27s

Books:

“The Shadow of the Galilean” by Gerd Theissen – a creative fictional story based on much historical research about a businessman from Galilee blackmailed to spy on Jesus by the Roman authorities. Great background insight into first century Jewish life, especially in Galilee. Very readable. Available from Eden, Amazon or on ebook via Kindle.

“Jesus Plan for a New World” by Richard Rohr – the first third of the Book of the contains a lot of background about first century Jewish life and culture and of the reach and impact of Rome upon it in terms of power. Richard Rohr then goes on to show how Jesus’ teaching and life, death and resurrection offer the world an alternative path along which to travel. The Book contains a brilliant chapter on “The Beatitudes.” Also available from Eden, Amazon and on ebook via Kindle.

TV and Films:

“Becoming” – the story of Michelle Obama in her own words (based on her International Bestselling Book of the same name) – you can find “Becoming” currently on Netflix. Here is a lady who reached the very pinnacle of American culture and political life, and who, as her brother says in the film, is known literally, “by the whole world.” And yet she keeps her feet firmly rooted on the ground and her faith intact in her heart (she opens the whole Netflix documentary with Kirk Franklin’s “I want to be like you.” Thinking about kindness, one of Michelle Obama’s most famous lines from book and film is, “when they go lower, we go higher.” And yet she, and her husband, had to put up with so much at the hands of others. Quite remarkable to allow such love, conviction, passion and grace to win out.

And if you are interested in looking further into Contemplative Prayer “The Prayer of the Heart” a bit deeper:
A short practical guide by Lawrence Freeman from the World Community of Christian Meditation (WCCM): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaVMTJXoCS0

– See also a great talk given by Richard Rohr in Norwich Cathedral in 2015, “Becoming Stillness” – (recommended a couple of weeks ago). Although an hour long, it is one of the best talks to help us understand why Prayer is both so valuable and so important: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TGS-JD80nE

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