Croeso! Bore da! Welcome to you all.
Please do make yourself known to me if you are popping in or if I can help in any way.
+Yn enw'r Tad, a'r Mab, a'r Ysbryd Glan. Amen
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN
Our opening hymn is: Praise my soul the King of heaven
Heavenly Father,
we have sinned in thought, word and deed,
and have failed to do
what we ought to have done.
We are sorry and truly repent.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ
who died for us, forgive us all that is past,
and lead us in his way
to walk as children of light. AMEN
May God our Father,
who by the Lord Jesus Christ
has reconciled the world to himself
and forgives the sins of all who truly repent,
pardon and deliver us from all our sins,
and grant us the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. AMEN
The Collect for the fifth Sunday of Lent (Passion)
Most merciful God,
who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world:
grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may triumph in the power of his victory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. AMEN
Jeremiah 31. 31-34 NRSV
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt - a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
Psalm 51. 1-12
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgement. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.
The Gospel of Christ according to St John
Glory to you. O Lord.
John 12:20-33 NRSV
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour. 27 “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people[a] to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ.
Homily
Today marks the beginning of a two week period in the church which we call Passiontide and leads us to the bottom of the Cross. Last week on Refreshment Sunday, Mothering Sunday, we had the opportunity for that tiny break in our Lenten practises to ready ourselves - mentally, physically and spiritually - for this epic walk with Our Lord to his death. It is a challenge for us all.
Have you ever been on a diet and all is going well, the weight is coming off steadily and sensibly and then your summer holidays loom. You feel, I will press on as I want to enjoy my new clothes, being in my swimsuit, or whatever. All is good, but already, weakness is creeping in. Suddenly you find yourself getting fish and chips or a meal out the night before you go. And then on holiday, well, I might as well relax and enjoy it. I can after all return to the diet when I am home. But somehow, still in holiday mode, all good intentions go from us so often and slowly, slowly the weight can go back on! The intentions are honourable our desires good but .... , and sometimes I feel this happens with Passion Sunday. Last week we had that tiny bit of personal respite and the moment can fail us, especially with the warmer weather, colourful gardens, signs of Spring, the thought of family, Easter eggs for the children, nice food on the table for Easter Sunday.
In the Gospel St John sets out the way that Jesus will have to walk. I believe that Jesus, the Son of God knew the way ahead would end in his death, but didn’t, and couldn’t really, know how exactly it would all pan out. He knew this was why he came and this is the way he is too walk. Although He knew the rawness of the truth, it is still is challenging and in the Gospel, as also in the Garden of Gethsemane. The writer of John’s Gospel knew that the cross was central to the message of the Gospel and that it was for Jews and Gentiles. Jesus also knew that although He was Jewish, He had come for all Gentiles as well as Jews and His message was that of love, the love as demonstrated completely upon the cross. St John with this passages shows that Jesus is no longer dealing with Israel, but that the Greeks at the beginning of the passage show He is moving to be universal in his speaking with Jews and non Jews alike.
Very many years ago I was invited to be involved with the British Council of Christians and Jews. I went for a few sessions over about a year, but found it all very uncomfortable and full of one upmanship. The Jews were anxious to prove in every situation they were right, after all, they were the chosen ones! Then the extremely evangelical Christians simply spent their time just trying to convert the Jews. I really didn’t like it and felt that there was no respect between the two faiths and certainly no love for all God’s people. Love can’t have barriers it is bigger and beyond all of that - after all if a Muslim marries a Christian out of love, or a Jew offers a kidney to a non-Jewish friend because it is a near match that is an act of love, or a Hindu invites a Buddhist to pray, eat and share together is showing a love which is beyond the things we hold dear, all are showing signs of love and mutual respect. No, Jesus came to show the love of God for his people and that love was truly a sacrificial love above all.
Love doesn’t count the cost and is giving of itself. There is a tale of young lovers who's gift to each other is all about true self giving. The man, a talented woodworker, sells his tools that he used for his employment and with the money buys his bride beautiful hair ornaments for her long dark hair. The bride on the other hand, sells her long dark hair, to buy her beloved, a special tool for his work. Then, at the wedding they discover the nature of love in what they had given and given-up for the other. An old story yes, but it does illustrate the very essence of self-giving love.
Christ has to die if He is hold the divine nature forever. So too, will the disciples have to offer their lives in an act of love, sharing death with the Lord and then in His resurrection. The way each disciple walks, following Jesus Christ, will in time take them to the place where Christ is. In our serving of Jesus is to know the honour of the Father and to be made shown in the praise and worship of the Son.
Prayers of intercession and the Lord's Prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, we hear the words of Jeremiah that you would be our God and we your people.
We are people of the new Covenant and bring before you our concerns for this, your world.
Lord in your mercy:Hear our prayer
We pray for all areas of the world where there are hostilities, through selfishness and power games. We remember the leaders of nations that they may be given wisdom, courage and insight at this time of darkness and fear. Lord in your mercy:hear our prayer Comfort, with your presence, all those who are fearful and uphold them with your love. Embrace all who not know which way to go in life and whom they can share concerns with. Lord in your mercy:hear our prayer Generous God,we pray for all families and who face the normal joys and sorrows of family life in different ways. We pray too for all single, bereaved and divorced people Lord in your mercy:hear our prayer We bring before you our Ministry Area and all its churches, for all the Team, Alison, Edwin, Craig, Rhian, Penny, Keith, Hazel, Sue and BiIl, that we will each live out the Good News of Jesus, with honesty, courage and sensitivity and share that faith in the communities where we are. Lord in your mercy:hear our prayer We pray for the sick, both at home, in hospital, or hospice. We think of the elderly, the housebound and those in care homes. And we pray for all those who tend to their needs, both from within the family and from the professional and voluntary services. Lord in your mercy:hear our prayer We remember before you living Lord, all who face the pain of grief and the 'often unanswered' questions that follow the loss of a loved one. Help us to support all who mourn both in our prayers now and in the months to come. Thinking too about those whose anniversaries fall at this time. May the souls of the departed rest in peace and rise in glory. Lord in your mercy:hear our prayer As Christ faced his darkest hour with faith help us to seek no less than that same faith when we are faced with tough decisions.
Merciful Father,accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our closing hymn is: Lift high the cross
The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and ever more. AMEN
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Ewch mewn tangnefedd i garu a gwasanaethu'r Arglwydd.
If you would like to donate £5 to the overall work of the 12 churches in the parish, please carefully text: GIVE5 to 70970. Thank you, diolch yn fawr.
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