Sunday 14 April 2024
Third Sunday of Easter
Welcome!
We know not everyone who is part of Westwood Church is able to be in church on Sunday morning however, we thought it would be good to offer some excerpts from the Sunday morning service. Where we can, we offer parts of the service in text and audio, whichever works best for you. If you want to plug in headphones to your computer, tablet or mobile phone now is a good time to do it ! If you want to offer some comment or feedback just use the comment box at the end of this post.
Scripture
Acts 3: 1 – 20
Praise – Peter and John
Prayers
Loving God, how thankful we are that You hear us when we call to You.
When troubles come, You give us strength.
When our distress seems never-ending, You are our quiet our frantic minds and bring stillness to our soul.
When injustice rages, You offer Your peace.
When nights seem endless, You still our frightened hearts.
When we feel weak and lame, You raise us up to new life in You.
You put gladness in our hearts, You give us a hope and a future.
Loving God, our sight is limited; we cannot always make sense of Your purposes.
But that doesn’t mean You aren’t at work. The way may be hidden, the path may appear dark, but sometimes when You seem far off You are at Your most near.
Teach us, we pray, never to despair, however bleak it may seem.
When injustice seems all around and peace far off, help us to hear Your words of promise.
Forgive us when our journey is not humble, or faithful, or just.
Forgive us when we do not take heed of Your words.
Forgive us when we do not notice Your presence.
Forgive us when we don’t recognise You working in our midst,
Forgive us when we fail to give glory to Your name.
Come into our weakness and fill us with Your renewing power.
Even if we were like Peter and John, and had no silver or gold to offer, we can still bring our willing hearts, our voices lifted in praise, our willingness to speak of your love and bring Glory to your name. Glad as we are to offer our gifts, You Lord can do so much more through us as we offer ourselves into your service. Receive then all that we place before you.
Hear us as we join in the words of the Lord’s Prayer saying…
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 debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.
Address
One day… Yes, the timeline in the book of Acts can be a little vague on occasion. Maybe what day or month this happened on doesn’t matter a great deal. The fact that it happened is what matters.
In the aftermath of Pentecost, the community of believers is growing rapidly. Thousands in one day might be added to their number. Just how they coped with the administration of that is beyond me. Well, I suppose the reality is that they didn’t cope with it. In that place where believers sold their land and possession so that everyone could be supported according to their need a point arrived where division grew up. Those from a Gentile background felt their widows and orphans were being neglected in the daily distribution of funds. Sudden and substantial growth in any community is hard to prepare for; it is in one way exciting and wonderful and in another way demanding and stressful. It takes on a life and direction of its own, it can’t really be controlled.
None of this caused the Apostles to stop their preaching, teaching or performing miracles. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were emboldened by it. The message they preached was sinking home with people. People were changed; the Apostles were changed people.
We know from the Gospels that Peter was an impetus, unpredictable man. I think he had a genuine desire to be like Jesus but was not blessed with the same calm confident character that Jesus comes across as being. Famously, we know of Peter’s doubting and sinking below the waves when Jesus walked on water, we know of Peter’s denying Jesus three times when Jesus was arrested; Peter was a frightened nervous man. We know how the disciples gathered behind locked doors fearful of the authorities, fearful for their lives. But the Peter we see now in the Book of Acts is not just inspired by the Risen Christ, not just a bit more confident, he was totally transformed, almost unrecognisable.
The healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate is in itself a wonderful event. It is the kind of miracle of healing that we could easily attribute to Jesus. A miracle that comes with the same authority, mystery, impressiveness of any of Jesus miracles. Peter and John are keen and careful to deflect any adoration away from themselves and on to Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I reckon for the lame man who was healed, his ability to walk and jump and run restored, this was pretty much the best day of his life.
For Peter and John however, the miracle was secondary to the preaching. The lame man walking and jumping and praising God was the sermon illustration to end all sermon illustrations. The beggar who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate, who was recognised by everyone there served to arouse curiosity, arouse interest in what Peter and John were about to say or do. At three in the afternoon as people gathered for prayer Peter, John and one lame beggar absolutely stole the show. We might think that Peter and John were simply being mindful of their religious duties to be at prayer, maybe in fact, their plan was to capitalise on a busy Temple courtyard, upset the apple cart so to speak. They deliberately went to the Temple at three in the afternoon because there would be an audience to hear the preaching and witness the miracles that are part of the Kingdom of God.
Like I say, Peter is a transformed man. He knows exactly what he wants to say, he has a message to communicate and he does so without fear or favour. He doesn’t even try to win people over with kind words or flattery or cheap promises. ‘This miracle was done in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth the one whom you rejected and handed over to Pilate. He was holy and good and you rejected him and this was due to your ignorance.’
Peter just told the truth, the plain, straightforward cold hard truth that is the foundation of the Christian faith. You can accept it, you can reject it, but the message does not alter. And even though Peter and John were arrested for preaching, their message clearly regarded as subversive; another two thousand were added to their number.
Praise – The Head that once was crowned
Prayers for Others
All-loving God, we bring our broken, unjust and warring world to You today.
Our hearts are heavy but our desire remains strong for the world we live in to be a better place. We long to see people flourishing wherever they may be, free from harm, free from violence, free from fear.
We pray for all those who are in positions of power, our duly elected leaders, dictators and oppressors; we pray for the impossible that they find common ground, a united way forward, a desire to establish peace that does not rely on military threat, or greed, but on mutual respect and the acknowledgement that all people are equal. May the wellbeing of all be their goal.
We pray for those who strive to have their voices heard; those who stand on picket lines, those who are silenced and diminished by the burden of debt they carry, those who are fragile and gentle spirits who seem not to matter yet they are your children too Father, they matter to you. We pray for those who call out for justice too often silenced by corruption, lies and secrets.
We pray for all who endure physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Behind closed doors in the privacy of the home, in institutions and organisations where attitudes and behaviours go unchecked. We pray for women who live in fear of violence in their own homes, for children who experience abuse instead of love,
for young people who live in fear of violence on the streets.
In the sometimes overwhelming darkness of this world, we thank You for all those who use their knowledge and power for good. For those who stand up and speak truth to power. Those who live as light in the darkness, those who risk their own lives to help others in distress, those who gently, quietly lift the fallen, heal the broken hearted and mend the shattered spirit.
For this is Your vision Lord, of what our world should be, strengthen that vision even within us that we may infect the world with your love and hope and grace.
Lord, in Your mercy hear our prayers…
Lord Jesus, may our prayers be your prayers and your prayers be ours; one in heart and mind and spirit as followers of the way that is Christ. AMEN.
Praise – How Deep the Father’s love
The Grace
And now… May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and all whom you love, now and for evermore. AMEN.
A very moving service lots to think about.