COCU51A

Readings
Genesis 32: 22-31: Jacob spends the night on the banks of the Jabbok River where he wrestles with a man until dawn. In the fight, Jacob is injured, leaving him with a limp, but he is also blessed and his name is changed to Israel. (Note: Resources below specifically based on the Jacob wrestling with the angel reading are noted with an asterisk and the letter *J)
Psalm 17: 1-7, 15: A prayer for God to listen to and rescue the psalmist, who affirms his commitment to follow God’s ways and be faithful, and to trust in God’s willingness to answer his prayer.
Romans 9:1-5: Paul expresses his love and concern for his Jewish brothers and sisters, and celebrates the covenants, promises, law – and the Christ – that the Israelites received from God.
Matthew 14:13-21: Jesus tries to get some time to himself after hearing of John’s death, but the crowds find him, and end up, late in the day, in a remote place and without food. Jesus instructs the disciples to feed them, but they object that they only have few resources. Jesus then feeds the crowds with the disciples’ food, after which baskets of leftovers are gathered up.
(Brief summary by John van de Laar, Sacredise. John’s global and local application also worth checking out on the same link).

(Readings in a double sided landscape format –COCU50A.RCLReadings.PDFversion)

Resources
Textweek
Church of Scotland Weekly Worship
Singing from the Lectionary

Carolyn Winfrey Gillette – Carolyn’s Hymns
David MacGregor’s Together to Celebrate

Prayer based on Matthew 14: 13-21 Loaves and Fishes
Jesus, you looked on the crowds with compassion.
You saw their hurts and heartaches.
You understood their suffering and sadness.
You felt their longing and need.
And in contrast to imperial brutality and systemic inequality,
you offered kindness and respect with no thought of reciprocity.
Teach us your way.
Teach us your way.
Jesus, you told the disciples to feed the crowds.
You encourage them to change their assumptions.
You challenged them to serve.
You empowered them to act.
And in comparison, to “lone ranger” leadership and pedestal posturing,
your disciples became your hands and feet,
feeding the hungry.
They comforted the afflicted as the Body of Christ.
Show us your way.
Show us your way.
Jesus, you made manna out of five loaves and two fish.
You believed in abundance.
You trusted in God’s bounty and blessing.
You had faith in possibility and promise.
Despite the evidence of scarcity and meagreness,
you allowed the miracle of sharing to prevail.
You fostered the mystery of communion.
You took, blessed, broke, and gave the bread of heaven.
Surprise us with such manifestations of your realm.
Open us to the fullness of life.
Bless us with your continuing love. 
(Diaconal Minister Ted Dodd, United Church of Canada, July 2020)

The struggle is where the blessing begins by Jan Richardson.

‘Struggle and blessing’ – reflection by Jan Richardson. (use of the image info here)

Rev Sarah Agnew’s reflection on ‘struggle and blessing’.

Acknowledgement of land

On your way (Genesis 32:22-31)*
Jacob was left alone,
he wrestled a man, faced God,
was wounded and blessed
In the Eucharist
gathered yet alone we come
face to face with God
We bring our demons,
our woundedness, our failings,
we come as we are.
In this mystery
new light dawns on our wrestling;
our wounded self blessed.
We depart in peace:
One by whose wounds we are healed
walks the way with us.
(Source: Jeff Shrowder, 2020 The billabong)

Prayer of approach
Lord God, this coming to worship is serious business.
The world is out of joint, and our lives are out of joint.
Generally we do our best,
but you see what we are really like.
Sometimes we know very well we have gone wrong,
sometimes we just know that your holiness is beyond us.
And yet your compassion is over all you have made.
Have mercy on us.
Forgive what is wrong,
strengthen what is right,
and guide us in the right way,
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Lord God, this coming to worship is glorious business.
All creation is made for your glory,
and we voice that now.
Your Spirit plants hints of glory in our hearts,
and we delight to offer you our praise and worship.
Help us in our song to give you honour,
in our silence to wait for you to speak,
through Jesus Christ, your living word.
Lord God, this coming to worship is hopeful business.
We come with our concerns and our fears,
with people on our hearts,
stalked by troubles and worries.
Open your generous hand,
to satisfy our desire,
to renew our faith that you are kind,
and close to all who call upon you,
as we do,
trusting in Jesus
who bears our burdens, and carries our sorrows.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end,
Amen
(Source: Jock Stein, Church of Scotland)

Call to worship
Jesus wanted to be alone,
to mourn the loss of his cousin,
but the people followed him.
When Jesus saw the crowd
he was filled with compassion.
His own needs were put to the side.
Jesus spent the day healing the sick
and by evening the people were hungry.
So, Jesus blessed what they had,
five loaves and two fish,
and everyone shared together
with twelve whole baskets left over.
We gather today as people
who are in need of healing and
who are hungry for God’s word.
Let us worship our God
who is extravagantly generous
to all people.
We have gathered here: to meet Jesus.
We have come seeking: the one who can heal us.
We are hungry: for the word of God
that satisfies and gives us life. Amen.
(Source: Spill the Beans 2014)

Opening words
On a winter’s morning on this first Sunday in August,
it is a good morning to be together!
Drawn by the warmth of faces familiar and new,

to the welcoming space of this sacred place.
It is a good morning to be together.
For this is a place where truth, love, and challenge meet.
(Source: B Cheatham, adapted)
Here, in this time, we can remember the ways God has graced us:
here, in these moments, we are reminded
God is with us, always!


Here are gathered those daring enough to step out of comfort
into the unknown:
here, in this faith space, we will find the courage
to recognize our need.

For we have gathered here in community,
in company with each other,
in company with God.
There is a safe place for each of us.
In our gathering, let us be open to new understandings,
reassurance and hope.
Let what we say and do here be both real and honest,
thus preparing ourselves for the life of the world. Amen.

Call to worship (*J)
The day breaks
And God does not let us go.
The hour calls
And God does not let us go.
When evening falls
God holds us fast.
Let us turn to God in worship
God, who never turns from us.

Gathering Prayer (*J)
Leader: God, you see us.
East: You see our struggles.
West: You see our difficulties.
East: You see our possibilities.
West: You see our promise.
East: Soften the hard spots with your blessing.
West: Call us in our wandering to hear you say our names.
All: For you are a good God, a God present in the scramble,
And in the end, you always, always have a blessing.
Leader: For this and so much more, we give you thanks!

(*J) In her book Scarred By Struggle, Transformed By Hope, the Benedictine nun and writer Joan Chittister uses the Jacob story as a paradigm for a “spirituality of struggle.”
In Jacob’s story she identifies eight elements of our human struggle:
change, isolation, darkness, fear, powerlessness, vulnerability, exhaustion, and scarring.
But with each human struggle there is a corresponding divine gift:
conversion, independence, faith, courage, surrender, limitations, endurance, and transformation.
“Jacob does what all of us must do, if, in the end, we too are to become true. He confronts in himself the things that are wounding him, admits his limitations, accepts his situation, rejoins the world, and moves on.”
The end result of the nocturnal struggle for Jacob, the cheater and liar, was God’s blessing: “God blessed Jacob there” (32:29).
(this could be offered during prayers of confession/prayers of who we are, followed by a time for quiet reflection).

Peace meal
A meditation on Matthew 14.12-21
They went and told Jesus that John had been beheaded.
– All of what is about to happen
is in a context of violence, oppression, trauma, and fear.
[…Holy One: grant me your peace…]
When Jesus heard this, he withdrew
but the crowds followed him.
– The Spirit helps us balance service and solitude.
[…Holy One: grant me your peace…]
Seeing the crowd, he had compassion for them
and cured their sick.
– Despite people’s anxiety
Jesus acts only out of compassion.
[…Holy One: grant me your peace…]
The disciples said, “Send them to buy food.”
But he said, “You give them something to eat.”
– We always face what we don’t have. It is not relevant.
[…Holy One: grant me your peace…]
They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”
– What if the power, the grace, is within you?
What if your small offering is enough?
[…Holy One: grant me your peace…]
He took the loaves, blessed and broke them.
– Jesus does not internalize the world’s violence
or the disciple’s anxiety.
His response to evil and trauma is blessing.
[…Holy One: grant me your peace…]
He gave them to the disciples.
– Before you act, your gift is taken out of the world’s hands,
brought into Christ’s care, blessed and broken
(you do not know the infinite grace of this blessing),
and only then given back to you to give.
[…Holy One: grant me your peace…]
The disciples gave them to the crowds.
– All that you have is placed in your hands for the sake of the world.
[…Holy One: grant me your peace…]
All five thousand ate and were filled, with twelve baskets left over.
– There is enough grace to spare for the tribes of Israel.
Soon there will be seven baskets, enough for all Creation (Mt.15.37).
Expand your hope.
[…Holy One: grant me your peace…]
(Source: Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Unfolding Light)

Jacob’s Blessing (*J)
If this blessing were easy,
anyone could claim it.
As it is,
I am here to tell you
that it will take some work.

This is the blessing
that visits you
in the struggling,
in the wrestling,
in the striving.

This is the blessing
that comes
after you have left
everything behind,
after you have stepped out,
after you have crossed
into that realm
beyond every landmark
you have known.

This is the blessing
that takes all night
to find.

It’s not that this blessing
is so difficult,
as if it were not filled
with grace
or with the love
that lives
in every line.

It’s simply that
it requires you
to want it,
to ask for it,
to place yourself
in its path.
It demands that you
stand to meet it
when it arrives,
that you stretch yourself
in ways you didn’t know
you could move,
that you agree
to not give up.

So when this blessing comes,
borne in the hands
of the difficult angel
who has chosen you,
do not let go.
Give yourself
into its grip.

It will wound you,
but I tell you
there will come a day
when what felt to you
like limping

was something more
like dancing
as you moved into
the cadence
of your new
and blessed name.
(Source: © Jan Richardson, janrichardson.com, from the book The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief)

Psalm 17:1-7
Hear my plea for justice, O LORD, and attend to my cry.
Listen to my prayer, which does not come from deceitful lips.
Let my judgement come from you;
may your eyes see my integrity
Examine my heart, come to me in the night,
test me with fire; you will find no idolatry in me;
my mouth does not speak against the works of your hands.
I have held fast to the command of your lips.
I call upon you, because you will answer me, O God.
Turn your ear to me, and listen to my words.
Reveal the wonder of your lovingkindness, O Deliverer.
by your right hand muzzle those who rise up against us.
(Source: Jeff Shrowder, 2020 The billabong)

Thanksgiving
It is good, Lord God,
for us to live with thankful hearts.
But now we voice our thanks,
together as your praising people.
We sit pew-bound,
but our hands and hearts are lifted in reverence and awe,
our throats are pulsing with your praise,
our eyes are wide open to the wonder of who you are.
Thank You, God,
for giving us what we need to live in this world –
food, shelter, conversation,
family, friendship, warmth, purpose.
Thank you for giving us a gospel worth sharing with others.
Thank you for the hope of a life which is not snuffed out by death.
Thank you for the sciences with which we explore the universe, and for the arts which help us to appreciate its wonder.
Thank you, God,
for the challenging times,
when we have had to struggle through alone,
when we have had to keep listening for your voice a long time,
when we have had to come to terms with who we really are.
Thank you for all who have helped us along life’s journey,
not least those lost to our earthly sight,
who share the splendour and joy of heaven.
Thank you God,
for the gift of Jesus, the gift of the Spirit, the gift of faith. Amen
(Source: Jock Stein, Church of Scotland)

Hip Surgery
No holds barred
as Jacob wrestled with the stranger. He who grabbed the heel of Esau,
did a deal with God at Bethel,
got a feel for Laban’s wealth
and lovely daughters, how
he’s pinned at Peniel, and limps away a humbler man.
No fix barred
as now we wrestle with the danger of our easy days, and take our ageing hips to orthopaedic surgeons,
get our broken limbs well pinned, our fat flesh tucked and thinned
so for a price one walks away
a fitter man.
No space barred
to those who wrestle with the range of figures that we conjure from the dark. Before we cross the Jabboks of our age, God, give us some such journey mark as put the hip of Jacob out of joint
but left him humbler, fitter, and
a greater man.
(Source: Jock Stein 2017, Church of Scotland)

The prayers of who we are (*J)
God is present to us, but we don’t always feel it.
God is good to us, but we can’t always accept it.
Fact is, there are things within and around us that attempt to step between us and our relationship to God’s goodness.
Sometimes our senses are dulled to the possibility of finding God in unexpected places and people.
Sometimes there are things that we think, things that we do,
that act to separate us from God. A time for silent reflection

Words of assurance (*J)
God is present!
God is with us! Thanks be to God.

Prayers of who we are – a quiet reflection (*J)
Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak…
Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day is breaking.’
But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go, unless you bless me.’ Genesis 32.24, 26

The angels you’ll have to wrestle with most often
are no strangers:
they’re your anger, fear, control, defensiveness,
your despair, blame, insecurity, avoidance.
You won’t get away without a fight.

They may also be God’s forgiveness,
the Beloved’s absolute acceptance,
God’s serenity in the face of your betrayal,
God’s accompaniment in your troubles.
You won’t accept them without a fight.

You’re not wrestling with what’s happening;
you’re wrestling with your feelings about it:
not the problem but its difficulty,
not the suffering but how you take it personally.
The angels are not your world, but your self.

So wrestle. Grab them firmly.
Feel their breath on your neck,
their body against yours,
the weight of their intent.
Let your sweat mingle.

Learn their moves.
They’re your sparring partner,
not out to destroy you
but to shove you into the face of God.

Who knew divine intimacy
could be so hard?
(Source: Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Unfolding Light)

The reflection below could be incorporated into a Prayer of Confession/Prayers of who we are, based on the Gospel reading
The disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away;
you give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14.15-16)
You want to send them away,
the moment’s multitudes,
demands that throng,
the insurmountable.
You do – don’t you sometimes? – want to send them away.

You want to send away the crowds, the others
whom you can – can’t you? – ignore.
But you are to feed them.
You are here for their sake.

Where does that voice come from
that says, “Hopeless,”
that says, “The vault of God is empty?”
It is not from the Beloved.

The universe branches out in you.
Unseen as the salt of the ocean, the heat of the day,
the power of God looms inside the air before you,
abides in your seemingly empty hands.
Open them.
You can channel the abundance of God.

You are a door.
You can trust, though you can hardly imagine,
what lies behind you.
(Source: Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Unfolding Light)

In the face of it all
(for Prayers of who we are, or quiet reflection)
In the face of it all –
the beast of destruction that threatens to undo
all that makes me feel safe,
the piercing wounds that burn my soul
until pleasure feels like a distant, delusional dream,
the unrelenting whys
that leave my mind drunken and hollow with their echoes…

In the face of it all I am drawn to despair
certain that God cannot be
or if God is, then evil;
But, something, somewhere will not allow me that resolution
In some forgotten cavern of myself is an angel
that insists on wrestling my dark certainties to the ground

God, seemingly so distant, forgive me
that I too often choose simple unbelief
over the struggle of faith
And keep disturbing my heart
so that the demons of fear and faithlessness are always shaken loose.
Amen.
(Source: John van de Laar, Sacredise)

Prayers of who we are
This reflection could also be read, followed by a time for silence
Plenty
How did it happen, God?
How did we come to believe in scarcity?
In “not enough to go around;”
In “you gotta look after yourself”?
How did we miss the plenty bursting out around us?
How did we fall for the deception that what we can grasp in our hands
would ever be enough?
How did we grow so blind and so foolish,
that we would allow so much beauty and life,
joy and laughter,
sharing and love,
to pass us by unnoticed?
How poor we have become, and how poor we have made others,
simply because we forgot your infinite, overflowing abundance;
because we allowed ourselves to think
that sharing and giving
leaves us with less;
because we nurtured appetites that are never satisfied
unless they have far more than is needed,
thinking our gluttony would silence our fear.
A time of silence for reflection on these words for our own lives
Forgive us, and teach us about your generosity again;
remind us that you are able and willing
to do far more than we can imagine;
and open our eyes to the plenty we enjoy,
the plenty we can share,
and all the plentiful goodness in our world
that cannot be owned, but can enjoyed by all. Amen.
(Source: John van de Laar, Sacredise)

Prayers of who we are
Similarly, this reflection could be read as part of prayers of thanksgiving leading into prayer of confession/prayers of who we are.

Shared Blessings
Your generosity is extravagant, Jesus;
your grace and mercy so freely given,
your love and presence so readily available,
your Spirit and strength so reliable.
We are so grateful for all of these blessings that we enjoy,
and for the goodness they bring into our lives;
we praise you for your always coming Kingdom,
and the abundant life it offers.
But, Jesus, we are also fearful,
that your gifts may not be enough,
that things may change
and we may find ourselves in need,
and so we hoard your goodness,
and separate ourselves from others.
A time of silence to reflect upon these words for ourselves
Forgive us for our little faith,
and our selfish grasping;
forgive us for our failure to understand
that your blessings are always meant to be shared;
teach us to stay always awake to your coming,
and always ready to invite others in
to the blessings you so freely share with us.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
(Source: John van de Laar, Sacredise)

Prayers for Others (see also Prayers for Others on this website)
It’s a simple choice, really,
one that should be easy.
Do we create need –
Building our lives around a void
that we feed and feed,
but is never satisfied;
Storing more than we will ever use,
to silence our fear,
while ignoring the cries of those we have left empty?
Do we create plenty –
Finding satisfaction in enough,
finding joy in what can’t be owned
and life in what is not for sale;
Seeking to share life and joy and food and wealth,
so that these blessings are multiplied,
and celebrated.
Teach us, Jesus, in our homes and families,
our communities and neighbourhoods,
our countries and continents,
to always make the simple choice
to create plenty
wherever and however we may.

We offer our prayers for the people of the world….
(prayers are offered)

The prayers of the people
Loving God, healer and bringer of wholeness,
there are days when we wonder
why life is the way it seems to be:
give courage to the weak and the lonely,
bring healing to those weighed down with grief,
rejoice with those who are glad
and be company for those whose troubles are known only to you;
that all may know your peace …(The Prayers of the People continue)
(Source: Jeff Shrowder, 2020 The billabong)

Intercession
Hear us now as we pray for others in the name of Christ:
For those who are bowed down, that God may lift them up.
For those who are hungry,
that they find food and the nourishment they need.
For those who choke on bad air or water,
that the policy and practice of governments and others in charge may change.
For those who are sick,
and those in the caring professions.
For those who call for help, that they find You near at hand.
For those who cannot find paid work,
and those who take decisions which affect patterns of work.
For those who struggle with God,
that they find themselves, and find God.
For those enduring violence,
that they find relief, and the blessing of peace.
For the Middle East and its peoples, that truth may prevail over lies, and peace over warfare.
God, whose Son endured shame and torture,
and the violence of those who misunderstood Your will, work a wonder in the hearts of angry people,
that hatred may turn to gentleness,
bitterness to calm,
and fear to faith,
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord,
who taught us to pray,
Our Father…
(Source: Jock Stein, Church of Scotland)

Words to conclude Prayers for Others and/or Lord’s Prayer (various versions)

Dedication
Thank you, God, for the generosity that enables us to share. We are rich in many things. We offer these gifts as a portion of that which you have given us. Help us to empty ourselves of pretense, even as we pour out gifts of gratitude. We dedicate our offerings and ourselves to shaping the community you intend, in the spirit of Christ. May this act of giving bring about change: change in our lives, change in the lives we touch, change in the systems that harm. Amen.

Offering prayer
Gracious God,
we offer our diverse gifts and our lives,
that, inspired by your Spirit of grace,
we may bring your realm close
to those who hunger for justice and freedom. Amen
(Source: Jeff Shrowder, 2020 The billabong)

Benediction
God’s peace: carry, keep and hold you.
God’s love: nourish, bless and enfold you.
God’s spirit: inspire, lift and mold you.
Amen.

Blessing
May your mouth speak the praise of the Lord,
your mind think the wisdom of the Lord,
your hands and feet do the will of the Lord:
and the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you
and remain with you for ever, Amen
(Source: Jock Stein, Church of Scotland)

Sending
Jesus gave us his all.
It is now our turn to give our all to him.
Having been filled
and refreshed once again,
we can go and do the task he set.
Strengthened by his sustaining word,
we can go and do the task he set.
Made whole by his endless love,
we can go and do the task he set.
So go and do the same for others
and may the blessing of God rest with you all. Amen.
(Source: Spill the Beans Resource Team 2014)

MUSIC
“Faith Has Set Us On A Journey” (Tune: Venture) 14 FFS
Faith has set us on a journey
past the landmarks that we know,
taking risks with no insurance
but the Word that tells us “Go!”
Friend or job or home or lover
we may need to leave behind,
outworn truths and ways of thinking,
baggage to the past consigned.

Some are swags of easy conscience
who with others hitch a ride,
some are tourist-package Christians,
dollar-safe, with Book and guide.
There are others on this journey –
those who long and pray and search,
heave the stones to free the structures,
love the Christ and leave the Church.

We are this unlikely people
in the Body knit as one,
company of clowns and cripples –
some are wise and some can run.
Prophets are our travel agents,
gospel-makers lay this road:
to the place of peace and promise
faith will take us into God.
(Words: Shirley E Murray)

Where Is Bread?
ABBOT’S LEIGH 8.7.8.7 D (“God Is Here!”)
“Where is bread?” the great crowd murmured –
Thousands strong, yet all in need.
“Where is bread?” your people wondered,
Faced with such a crowd to feed.
Who, Lord Jesus, could have guessed it?
One small boy brought food to share.
Taking what he gave, you blessed it;
All were fed, with much to spare.

Where is bread? We know their yearning;
Every day, we wish for more.
God, in time, we’re slowly learning:
All we own can make us poor.
Our possessions can possess us,
Leaving hunger deep inside.
Christ our Bread, come now and bless us;
At your feast, we’re satisfied.

“Where is bread?” the call is rising;
Millions cry who must be fed.
God, your answer seems surprising:
“You, my Church, you give them bread.”
Bread to fill each hungry spirit,
Bread for hungry stomachs, too!
Give us bread and help us share it.
Richly blest, may we serve you.
(Words: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette)
Copied from Songs of Grace: New Hymns for God and Neighbor by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Upper Room Books, 2009).
Email: carolynshymns@gmail.com New Hymns: www.carolynshymns.com/

Beauty for Brokenness TiS

2017 9.30am Pilgrim UC service, COCU50A.2017.DRAFT.930am

About admin

Rev Sandy Boyce is a Uniting Church in Australia Minister (Deacon). This blog may be a help to people planning worship services.
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