28th June 2020

"The Sacrifce of Issac" by Michelangelo Merisi da |Caravaggio (1571-1610)

Call to Worship

Trust in the unfailing love of God Let our hearts rejoice in God’s calling of us. God does not abandon us though we wrestle with doubt and sorrow. God does not turn away and hide instead God’s light shines in the darkness. God shields us from all threat and lifts us when we fall. Trust in the unfailing love of God Let our hearts rejoice in God’s calling of us. Let us sing to God for God is good. Amen.

From: https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/66448/28_June_4_Sunday_after_Pentecost.pdf

Prayer of Confession

Loving and Sustaining God,

You call us to obedience,

to follow you in all things;

to give up the things we cling to,

and to give ourselves wholeheartedly to your purposes.

We confess that we don’t always find this easy to do.

We confess that it is often very difficult to let go of the things we love.

But we also know that you never ask more of us than what is possible,

and that you stand ready, at all times, to sustain us,

and to provide everything we need.

Give us courage to faithfully follow your leading,

even when we cannot see the outcome,

even when the path you call us to seems impossible to comprehend.

Help us to trust you in all things,

to let go of everything that would stand in the way

of whole-hearted obedience to you.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray.

Amen.

From: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2011/06/prayer-of-commitment-genesis-22.html

God’s gift of eternal life has been given in Jesus Christ, who offers us forgiveness from our sins, and welcomes us to the way of holiness. Amen
Alleluia! Amen.

From: https://holdfasttowhatisgood.com/liturgy/prayer-of-confession/

Bible Reading:        Genesis 22:1-14

"Le Sacrifice d'Isaac" by Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674)

After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ² He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” ³ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. ⁴ On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. ⁵ Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” ⁶ Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. ⁷ Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” ⁸ Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

⁹ When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill^[a] his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ¹² He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” ¹³ And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”;^[b] as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

Reflection:

This is a gripping story that has captivated its readers throughout the centuries because it is as shocking as it amazing. And unthinkable act is brought together with an unshakeable faith. The near death of a child is put alongside a life of trust. Some may call Abraham’s obedience ‘blind faith’, which is another way of saying that he was perhaps too naive. After all, Isaac was God’s answer to years of prayer. He was provided by the Lord. He was literally Abraham’s hope for the future and the embodiment of every promise that the Lord had given to him. And yet, when God said: ““Take your son … Isaac, whom you love …and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you” (v.2). All the promises of God, the hope for the future seemed to hang in the balance. What sense did it make to murder the son of the promise through whom God had promised to bless the earth? It was as if God was contradicting himself, going back on his promises in asking for the sacrifice of Isaac. How could a loving God require anyone to sacrifice a child? How could Abraham go along with this and not object? Surely, there had to be other ways of proving faith? And the questions we could direct to this passage are endless.

This poignant story involving the test of love of a father of his beloved and only son, must be read within a culture of sacrificial worship which is quite foreign to us. We realize then that it was not so abhorrent, at a time when people sacrificed all manner of animals to the gods, and in some societies, even children were sacrificed.

*The Sacrifice of Isaac"
by Rembrant (1606-1669)

In the midst of all this, is the story is a profound obedience to and trust in God in all circumstances on the part of Abraham. Abraham’s faith has always been celebrated in the scriptures, as later readers of this passage too struggled to understand God’s difficult request. So the author of the letter to the Hebrews writes: “It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead” (Hebrews 11:17-19). In other words, if by trusting God implicitly Abraham could let his son go into God’s hands then he would dramatically receive him back again as the true evidence and testimony of God’s love.

But the first clue to understanding this difficult passage is found early on: “After these things God tested Abraham” (v.1). “What things?” we might ask. There is a string of events that lead up to this point, all of which Abraham is present with situations that he cannot understand or that just do not make sense: God’s call to Abraham to go to a land he has never seen; God’s promise to Abraham that he will be the father of a great nation; the long years of Sarah’s barrenness; the birth of Ishmael; and at long last, the impossible birth of Isaac. In all of these events, in the end God proves himself to be faithful So this event needs to be set against that background. In the light of the series of seemingly impossible situations that Abraham was presented with and where he witness again and again the good purposes go God, that’s when  “after all these things”, God decides to further ‘test’ Abraham. While on the one hand, the word ‘test’ in this context means that God wanted to Abraham to prove / to show / to reveal his commitment, on the other hand, it is not so much about Abraham, but is about God revealing his great presence and provision to Abraham – as he had done in the past.

So with that in mind, we approach God’s horrifying demand: “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go³ to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you” (v.2). The horror of the proposed sacrifice of Isaac is made worse by emphasizing the relationship: “…your only son, whom you love…”. Yet, despite all this, we meet Abraham the next morning exhibiting an almost matter of fact obedience: “So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him” (v.3) We can only imagine the sort of night Abraham must have spent – sleepless and dreading the break of day. But we have no indication of any refusal or protest on the part of Abraham. God said go and Abraham went, indicative of the trust that he had displaced at every stage of his left since his first encounter with God in Genesis 12. As irrational as God’s demand seemed, it is evident that based on his previous experiences with God, he knew that all things would work out for good as is evident in the response to Isaac’s inevitable question: “Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (v.7). Abraham said: “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” (v.8).

And while it’s easy to celebrate Abraham’s implicit trust and his faith in God,  we are nevertheless shocked that he had every intention to carry out this horrific act: “When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son” (vs.9-10). But it is important to see that God intervened; he did not allow Abraham to proceed; he brought Abraham to the edge but did not push him over: “But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ¹² He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” (vs.11-12). And God provided for Abraham “And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns” (v.13), just as Abraham believed he would (v.8a).

The focus of the story then at that point becomes about God’s miraculous provision, and not about the horrific note on which the story started (v.2); it becomes a story about God’s intervention when Abraham thought it was an impossible situation. It began on a horrific note, it ended on a hopeful note. It began with Abraham’s plight, it ended with God’s providence: “So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (v.14).

Even the longest and darkest nights come to an end. They are followed by the light of day. God challenged Abraham to embrace the absurd, the irrational and the illogical. He acted with no guarantees or clarity, knowing that he might be horribly wrong. We can take from this event some truths that can help us in our own lives:

In life’s journey, we are sometimes confronted by situations that make absolutely no sense when we experience them.

Like Abraham, we are challenge to embraced the absurd, the irrational and the illogical, with no guarantees or clarity.

All we can do at such times is to trust in the goodness of a good God, knowing, hoping and believing that God’s presence is constant and his provision is unfailing.

And then the light will down and we will know in our hearts that the Lord will provide because he is always present with us. Or as St. Paul says: “ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).

Amen

Prayers of Intercession

Oh Lord Who Provides, awaken the spark You created within us to seek the heart of Abraham by accepting and working through, rather than fearing, each test of faith in this life, trusting in Your saving help.
O God of Grace
We trust in Your Mercy

Oh Lord Who Provides, ignite the hearts and souls of the leaders of this Country, this Community, and this World, with extra grace and strength of character, to act upon Your will and wisdom for all Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O God of Grace
We trust in Your Mercy

 

Oh Lord Who Provides, restore hope and health to those who struggle with continuing illness, isolation, or homelessness, and stamina for all who give support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

O God of Grace
We trust in Your Mercy

Oh Lord Who Provides, to Your Everlasting Arms, we lift up all who have exchanged this earthly life to flourish in the peace of eternity with You.  

O God of Grace
We trust in Your Mercy

~ Oh Lord Who Provides, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, … add your own petitions

O God of Grace
We trust in Your Mercy. Amen

 

 From https://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/ by  Christina Brennan Lee 

Blessing

May the grace of God thrill your hearts, the mercy of God transform your minds, the peace of God flood your souls, and the love of God flow through your lives…and the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy spirit be with you this day and evermore, Amen.

From: https://www.firstdonaghadee.org.uk/first-worship-sunday-28th-june-2020/

21st June 2020

Call to Worship

God has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? 

Let’s pray:

It is good to be together, God,
on these screens, with these people,
together listening for your voice,
united by your Spirit.
In this time of worship
tell us about your kingdom of kindness
so that we can seek it.
Show us your justice.
We want to walk with you,
humbly, closely, daily.

Amen.

From: https://carolpenner.typepad.com/leadinginworship/prayers-call-to-worship/

Prayer of Confession

Holy God, we open our hearts to you this day, and offer the truth of our lives:
The fear that stifles us,
The prejudice that blinds us,
The ignorance that limits us,
The doubt that plagues us.
Help us, we pray, that we will
Find courage in unlikely place,
See the world with new and gracious eyes,
Move to those places where love is needed,
Have faith that you are with us.
This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hear the Good News: we are forgiven! We are set free to go out into the world and be the loving, gracious, hopeful people of God!
Alleluia! Amen.

From: https://holdfasttowhatisgood.com/liturgy/prayer-of-confession/

Bible Reading:        Deuteronomy 8:1-11

This entire commandment that I command you today you must diligently observe, so that you may live and increase, and go in and occupy the land that the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. ² Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments. ³ He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.^[a] 4 The clothes on your back did not wear out and your feet did not swell these forty years. ⁵ Know then in your heart that as a parent disciplines a child so the Lord your God disciplines you. ⁶ Therefore keep the commandments of the Lord your God, by walking in his ways and by fearing him. ⁷ For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, ⁸ a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, ⁹ a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. ¹⁰ You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.

¹¹ Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. 

REFLECTION

Over the last few weeks, the world is slowly trying to get back to normal. There is a glimmer of hope as more and more businesses and shops and other parts of society that had been forced to close by the coronavirus pandemic begin to open. And as we emerge into what is increasingly being described as the ‘new normal’, we are eager to move forward, picking up what we can of life as we know it to be, recognizing that COVID-19 has cast its shadow over every aspect of our lives. There is a sense of determination to put it all behind us and start again. We stand with the rest of the world at the threshold of a new phase of our existence. There are fears, but yet there is hope. The past stands behind us and yet it shapes our present and our future.

Recall the Past

The people of Israel found themselves in a similar situation. They had wandered through the barren wilderness for forty long years. But their wandering was about to come to an end. They stood within touching distance of the promised land. They stood on the threshold of a new beginning. They were eager to leave the past behind and enter into their new future. And exactly at that point, Moses speaks to the words of God to the people: “Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness…”(v.2a). They were told to recall the past. While the future marked a new beginning, it was their wilderness experience that had shaped them. The ‘long way’ that they had travelled was filled with hardships, challenges and scarcity of resources. They were also told to remember these experiences were: “in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments” (v2b). The hardships and difficulties were are testing ground for the people of Israel – not so much to see how capable they were of handling the challenges, but rather to see whether they would trust in the faithfulness of God. Specific examples of God’s faithfulness are then provided: “He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (v.3a). God never left them without providing for them. God never leaves us without providing for us. No matter how hard or difficult things have been, God has been with us, by our side, leading and guiding us. Or another example of God’s faithfulness: “The clothes on your back did not wear out and your feet did not swell these forty years” (v.5). Think about it. Their clothes remained good for 40 years! Their feet did not swell with 40 years of walking! The point here is that God provided for them in extraordinary ways, when they thought they could go on any further. The one constant factor in all of their challenges for the forty years they wandered through the desert was the constancy and faithfulness of God. And so, at a time when they were about to begin a new phase in their lives, when a new future awaited them, they were told to recall the past and to remember the faithfulness of the God who was with them and who promised to be with them at all times.

Consider the Future

We are provided with a detailed description of the land the people of Israel were about enter. It was a land of plenty; it was a land that abounded with resources and mineral wealth. Very different from what they had experienced for the last forty years in the wilderness. There is first of all the promise of water: “flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills” (v.7). This was to people who had just come out of a dry and arid desert with hardly any water available at all! Secondly, there is the promise of food in abundance: “a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, ⁹ a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing” (v.8). For people who for forty years had had only quails and manna to eat, while this was provided by God, there was not much variety for the last forty years! Add to these whatever meagre resources the desert had to offer. And thirdly, their final destination was a land full of mineral resources: “….a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper ” (v.8b). This meant that they could live a settled life, mining and selling the resources of the land – after forty years of an unsettled, nomadic existence scratching out a pitiful existence what they could from the barren desert in order to be able to trade with those they came into contact with.

The scarcity of the past was radically being transformed to a future of abundance. And so God call them to consider the future. And they knew that this was possible because of God’s faithfulness to them in the past.

We stand at the threshold of a new future, a ‘new normal’. Rather than fearing it, we are asked to consider it as future God offers to us. He as been with us through the lockdown. His faithfulness has not changed. The world may be different but the constancy of God is the same.

Responsibility in the Present

After inviting the people of Israel to recall the past from which they have emerged and to consider the future that they are about to embrace, they are given a responsibility for the present time: “Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today” (v.11). And it is here that the past and future come together in the present. As they were about to embark on a new beginning, a fresh start, a start filled with huge potential, there was the very real danger that they would press on, forgetting all they had been through, forgetting their struggles, their forty years in the wilderness, and most importantly, the God who was with them in the desert at every stage of the way. Human nature is such that we can adapt without even realizing that we have adapted. That is the resilience of the human spirit. But if at all they had got to the point where they now were, it was not because of their own efficiency; it was purely because of God who accompanied them and led them and provided for them and protected them each step of the way. And so they are told not to forget the Lord. And how could this happen? It was possible to ‘forget the Lord’ by failing to keep his commandments. And what were these commandments? While the specific details of the ‘commandments’ are not spelt out. We must note that the laws and commandments were interspersed through the whole of Deuteronomy (literally, ‘Deuteronomy’ means ‘second laws’ or ‘additional laws’, the first set of laws and commandments being found in Exodus 20). However, the means of keeping these commandments are stated earlier on in the passage: “Therefore keep the commandments of the Lord your God, by walking in his ways and by fearing him” (v.6). ‘Walking in [God’s] ways’ implies a conscious decision. ‘Fearing [God]’ implies revering God, honouring God and recognizing God as the one who has brought them to this place. So the responsibility in the present, when seen in relation to recalling the past and considering the future is of utmost importance. For in looking back, it was possible to get stuck in the past, focussing on the hardships and the struggles of the desert and become bitter, complaining and unable to see the good future that God has in store; equally, in focussing only on the future and all the potential it hold, the people of Israel could have become self-sufficient, forgetting all that they had come through, and thereby forgetting the grace and goodness of God. And this could be us as well. We can either focus on how difficult life has been in the last three months of lockdown or equally, how well we have coped and will continue to overcome our struggles by our own strength – thereby forgetting God. And so the responsibility in the present is for us be dependent on God, praising him for all that is past, and trusting him for all that is to come.

Amen

Prayers of Intercession

Lord God,

I pray today in Jesus' name that you will help me to be careful to follow every command you give us. May we walk in your ways and revere you. I ask you to bless us so that we may lack nothing. And when we have eaten and are satisfied, I pray that we will praise you and bless you and be careful not to forget you.

May our hearts never be lifted up and become proud. Keep us from ever saying in our heart that our own power and the strength of our hands are responsible for our success. Instead, may we always remember you, and remember that you are the one who gives us the ability and power to produce wealth.

May we humble ourselves before you when you test us to see whether we will keep your commands. I pray that we will recognize that your purpose in testing us is only to do good to us in the end.

I pray that your testing will reveal to us what is in our heart, and I pray that we will keep your commands even during the time of testing. Above all, I pray that we will learn that we do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from your mouth.

We acknowledge that because of your goodness we as a nation have eaten and become full and have built good houses in which we live and our wealth has multiplied in our hands. But we confess that we have forgotten you and have not kept your commandments and statutes. Our hearts are lifted up in pride and we have said in our hearts that it is our own power and the might of our own hands that has gotten us our wealth.

Please bring about a great spiritual awakening in our lives that we may remember you and obey your voice, and never forget that you, the Lord our God. Amen.

* From Focal Point - Bryan Fischer

Blessing

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13)

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Be with us, always.

Amen

14th June 2020

An order of Service 

"And God created Man" by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1566)

Call to Worship

Inspire us by a vision of your glory, dear God. Cleanse us by the forgiveness of your grace. Empower us to speak the words of benediction that a hurting world needs to hear. We pray these things in the name of Jesus, your Good Word who lived among us, Amen.

From: https://day1.org/weekly-broadcast/5d9b820ef71918cdf2004250/david_hull_benediction

Prayer of Confession

O God, we confess to you that we are a people of unclean lips:

we have complained aloud;

we have spoken harshly to others;

we have used sarcasm.

*

Forgive us, Merciful God.

We know that our lips reflect our hearts.

*

O God, we ask that you create us to be people of grateful hearts:

let us rejoice aloud;

let us speak kindly to others;

let us use patience.

*

Thank You Merciful God

for your patience;

for your kindness;

for your joy.

Amen.

 Bible Reading     Isaiah 6: 1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. ² Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. ³ And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” ⁴ The pivots^[a] on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. ⁵ And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” ⁶ Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. ⁷ The seraph^[b] touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” ⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

A Reflection 

The Character of God (vs.1-4)

a.   Presence

The precise historical reference in the opening sentence of this chapter sets the context for the remainder of chapter 6: “In the year that King Uzziah died” (v.1). We know that this is when Isaiah saw his vision of God in the temple. But why is the reference to a dead monarch relevant to what follows? In the ancient world, a monarch is the visible representative of the nation. To have a king on the throne means stability for that nation.  It also signifies security, because in the ancient world the king was the one who led the nation into battle. Conversely, not to have a king meant instability, and the possibility of lawlessness. There was no security of the nation without their visible representative. Therefore, the death of a king would have caused panic and chaos. Such a situation would have instilled fear and dread in the hearts of the subject. Who would lead them? Who would ensure their security, peace and stability they had enjoyed? Everything that was familiar would have fallen apart before their eyes.

So for Isaiah the prophet, in the year when the king died and the nation was leaderless and the throne was empty, he says: “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty…” (v.1b). So, was the throne empty? No it wasn’t! The king’s throne had been occupied by the Lord! The Lord is King! (Ps 93:1). And this assures us that we are never leaderless – even when we think we are. The Lord is in charge of our nation, our communities, our church, our families, our lives. God is on the throne. Isaiah goes on to describe what he saw: “and the hem of his robe filled the temple” (v.1c). This signifies the majesty and the glory of God that fills everything. When we feel a void, when we feel an emptiness, remember, “the hem of his robe filled the temple.” Our God is an all powerful God, supremely exalted, confidently in control. His presence fills every aspect of our lives and our empty places.

bb.    Holiness

As Isaiah continues to describe his vision, having started with the Sovereignty or Kingship of God, he goes on to talk about worship in the heavenly court: “Seraphs were in attendance above him” (v.2). We assume that these ‘seraphs’ were angels. Literally, the word “Seraph” means ‘burning ones or fiery ones.” In the letter to the Hebrews, the author says of the angels: “He makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire” (Heb 1:6-7). The angels are described as “flames of fire” – hence “Seraphs” or Burning Ones. Isaiah’s vision therefore serves as the background for the angelic worship described in the letter to the Hebrews. These burning ones are fearsome to behold: “each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew” (v.2a). They covered their faces out of reverence; they covered their feet because feet were seen to be unclean; the last pair of wings was for flight or movement.And while the description of the angels might be strange, their song of praise is all too familiar: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory” (v.3). The threefold repetition of the word “Holy” is popularly understood as worship directed to the Trinue God. However, the ancient Hebrew way of emphasizing a concept was to repeat it; so, in other words they are emphasizing the holiness of God, stressing that God is incomparably holy.

2. Our Response to God (vs.5-7)

a. Called

And then there is a shift in emphasis: if the first four verses were about God, the next section focuses on Isaiah and his reaction. Let’s begin by looking at second part of Isaiah’s response, what has often been described as the ‘call and commissioning’ of Isaiah (v.8), before we return to the first part of his response (vs.5-7). V.8 is often used in commissioning services because it reflects our response to God’s call, a call to obey and serve God. What needs to be noticed here are two things: (a) God’s invitation: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”” (v.8a) and (b), Isaiah’s response: “And I said, “Here am I; send me!” (v.8b). Isaiah is enthusiastic and ready to be of service. But this attitude did not immediately flow out of his vision of the glory and majesty of God. In fact, when he first encountered that glory, he was filled with terror and dread: “And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips…!” (v.5a). He was filled with a sense of his own insignificance and smallness and sinfulness. Have you ever noticed that the brighter the sun, the more pronounced are the shadows? Isaiah experienced a sense of worthlessness when confronted by the glory of God.

b. Equipped

Between his initial reaction of dread stemming from an acute recognition of his sinfulness and then his enthusiastic willingness to ‘go out’ for God, something significant happened to bring about this radical change in attitude, something that completely transformed him. It is therefore very important to note that Isaiah is not left wallowing in his worthlessness and sinfulness. That situation is transformed by the action of the Seraph: Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph^[b] touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out” (vs.6-7). This act of cleansing, forgiveness and restoration was completely initiated by God. Isaiah had nothing to do with it. God transforms us out of the abundance of his grace and out of his immeasurable love for us and makes us worthy, makes us ready.

And the crucial point for us to note is that when God calls us, he always equips us. He just doesn’t expect us to do things for him and leave us to work out whether we are capable or not. He gives us a glimpse of his glory so that we know that our power and strength comes from God because he has equips us: As we are reminded by God: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness…. for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:9a, 10b).

Amen

Prayers of Intercession

In this time across our county and country we pray for the following, for the:

Leaders of our government at national and local level.

Agricultural community, for farmers and farm workers and all who produce our food.

National Health Service and all who work in it and all other key workers.

Care Homes, their staff and residents.

Airlines, and all who work in travel, hospitality and deliveries.

Schools, colleges and universities, pupils, teachers and students.

Homes of our loved ones we cannot be with at the moment

Isolated and the lonely and the unwell.

Remembering of those we have lost.

Encouragement as we emerge from this in a better shape to be servants of the gospel.

Gracious God, we offer these and all our prayers in the name of Jesus. Amen.

(by Rev. Paul Davis, Chair of Lancashire Methodist District)

Blessings

May the Holy God be present in our lives

May the God who is worshipped by angels cleanse our lives and make us worthy

May the God who equips us and calls us to his service

Send us forth in his power:

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Be with us, always.