Sunday Service 20 September 2026

 
3 God is speaking by the Spirit,
speaking to our hearts again;
in the age-long Word declaring God’s own message,
now as then.
Through the rise and fall of nations
one sure faith yet standing fast:
God abides, the Word unchanging,
God the first and God the last.
 
Prayer for Illumination
 
Gracious God, 
as we come to listen to your Word found in Jonah
may these words challenge us, may these words comfort us, 
may these words, and our reflecting upon them together, 
make us more like Christ, the one in whom we trust and place our lives. 
May we hear your voice 
through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 
 
Reading            Jonah 3:10-4:11
 
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.  He prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.  And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’  And the Lord said, ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’ Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city. The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush.  But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, ‘It is better for me to die than to live.’ But God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?’ And he said, ‘Yes, angry enough to die.’ Then the Lord said, ‘You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labour and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.  And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?’
 
Hymn       I, The Lord of Sea and Sky 
© 1981, Daniel L Schutte, New Dawn Music OCP.  One Licence  # A-734713  Sung by the Sunday 7pm Choir  at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Ajax, Ontario Canada and used with their kind permission.
 

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
my hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
 
Here I am, Lord.  Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
 
2 I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them.
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my words to them.
Whom shall I send?
 
3 I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will send the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide
till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?

Sermon    Jonah, Nineveh, and God
 
Let us pray….
 
Lord, open your word to our hearts and our hearts to your word. Amen. 
 
“I will go, Lord, if you lead me, I will hold your people in my heart…” are words we don’t hear from the mouth of Jonah! Indeed, in the 1249 words contained in the whole book of Jonah, these words we have just sung don’t resemble God’s Prophet, Jonah! He neither goes or holds in his heart the people God calls him to prophesy to.  The Jonah narrative is one that challenges us as people of faith. It may even make us feel uncomfortable and perhaps that is no bad thing as it challenges us about where our heart and our attitude is.  I want to explore these verses under three different headings today, and hopefully, we will all be challenged and comforted by what God says to us through them. The first heading is:
 
1. Obedience and Disobedience of Jonah and Nineveh 
 
One of the great challenges of this story is that the pagan City of Nineveh, known for its brutality, was more responsive/obedient to God’s Word and teaching than God’s own prophet, Jonah! And the people of Nineveh were not part of Israel, God’s chosen people!  In the opening verse of the whole book, we read:  “The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”” (Jonah 1:1&2 NIVUK)  God didn’t say: “Your mission if you choose to accept it.” God commanded/instructed Jonah to go to Nineveh. But he ran, or more accurately, sailed in the opposite direction.  But, God stopped him in his tracks.  At the start of chapter 3, God commands Jonah again: “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”” (Jonah 3:1&2 NIVUK)
 
The people of Nineveh responded immediately to God’s warning spoken through Jonah. The response of the Ninevites was three-fold: they listened // they believed // they repented. They put on sackcloth which was a symbolic act representing repentance, humility, and mourning.  A nation that had a reputation for being brutal/violent/wicked – on hearing the word of God spoken through Jonah – turned and repented and believed God.  Compare that action with the action of Jonah, the one who knew God, believed in God, and was chosen by God to be a prophet. The one who when called, was found lacking.  And yet we see an image of an infinitely patient God. God gave Jonah a second opportunity to go to Nineveh.
 
Application/things for us to reflect on:
 
*God can break into the hardest of hearts. Those we sometimes judge to be so sinful, so wicked, so far from God…and yet no one is further than God’s reach or embrace.
 
*God is patient because He loves us. God could have allowed Jonah to be in the belly of the fish for a longer period! But God called Jonah a second time to “go” and Jonah went. 
 
2. Neat Theological categories don’t confine God 
 
Jonah, it seems, had an understanding, one might call a theological understanding, of who deserved God’s mercy – and Nineveh was not on that list for Jonah.  Nineveh had a reputation. At this point it wasn’t the capital of Assyria, that came later, but it had a nasty/bad reputation. People wanted to avoid them as they had caused suffering to the people of Israel. Hence Jonah’s attitude towards them and his response to God’s call to go and preach against it. Jonah quotes one of the most powerful verses about God being gracious and compassionate  (taken from Exodus 34:6) but somehow Jonah uses it as a criticism of God rather than using it as a way of praising God.  The story of Jonah reminds us that God refuses to be boxed into what “we believe” or what “we think God’s nature” is. For Jonah, Israel are God’s people (absolutely), and Nineveh are God’s enemies; therefore, Nineveh should be judged. But God was, is, and always will be gracious and compassionate. Of course, confession and a turning to God is required, but no one is beyond God’s reach and God’s embrace.  God’s view is through a wide lens; Jonah’s view is through a narrow lens. 
If God’s concern, God’s grace, God’s embrace, extends to a foreign, violent, pagan city, then how much more does God’s grace extend to others? And Jonah totally misses this point and totally misunderstands God’s character.  The grace of God is undeserved. As John Newton in his famous hymn wrote: “Amazing grace – how sweet the sound – that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.” 
(from the hymn CMP31)
 
Application/things for us to reflect on:
 
*God mercy and grace surprises, disturbs, and challenges our assumptions about who belongs and who can be forgiven, changed and transformed. 
 
*God’s view is long and wide. The final question of the book, God asks:  
 
“And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left – and also many animals?’” (Jonah 4:11 NIVUK)  Reveals God’s wider perspective and Jonah’s narrow one. 
 
3. Avoiding Spiritual Pride
 
“Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.” (Jonah 4:5 NIVUK)  This verse always conjures up in my mind someone who is stroppy, going and plonking himself down, waiting and watching to see what God will do. A sort of “I told you so” moment.  Jonah feels so right in thinking that Nineveh didn’t deserve God’s grace, God’s forgiveness, God’s transformation. He sits there waiting to see how God’s judgment will unfold on Nineveh. And God shows the errors of Jonah’s ways not by fine arguments but by using a plant, a worm, and the scorching heat to teach Jonah about pride.  Jonah was angry and upset about a plant, that offered comfort for a moment, and then it was gone so quickly. Jonah was more bothered about a plant than about a whole City that listened, believed, and repented and turned to God. 
 
The contrast between Jonah and God is quite stark:
 
*Jonah mourns a plant.
*God mourns a city.
*Jonah values his comfort. 
*God values a people.
 
Jonah seemingly was angered by the Ninevites turning to God and by God’s grace and mercy offered to the people of Nineveh. Jonah is more concerned about being proved wrong than about the forgiveness/salvation of a whole city that turned to God. 
 
Application/things for us to reflect on:
 
*We all stand before God by grace, not by merit. 
*Rejoice when others encounter God’s forgiveness and transformation. 
*Prayer for God’s heart of compassion to shape our attitudes towards others. 
 
May the God who transforms lives continue to transform us so we become more like God through knowing His Son, Jesus Christ, and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 
Let us pray….
 
Gracious and compassionate God, 
we thank you for your mercy, your love, and your grace. 
We thank you that you love us more than we can ever fully understand. 
May we learn from Jonah about your grace 
that extends further and wider than we sometimes think it does. 
We pray for those who have turned, repented, and come to faith. 
Walk with them on their journey. 
When we are tempted to judge others, 
may we recognise the log in our own eye 
before we see the speck in someone else’s. 
 
For we ask it in and through the name of Jesus, Amen.
 
Hymn       Psalm 23 (The Lord’s My shepherd)
Tune and text: © 1996 Getty Music Hymns and Songs (ASCAP) (admin Capitol CMG Publishing) / ThankYou Music (PRS) All Rights Reserved. OneLicence  # A-734713  Sung by Gareth Moore of the Isle of Man Methodist Church.
 

The Lord’s my shepherd,
I’ll not want;
He makes me lie in pastures green.
He leads me by the still, still waters,
His goodness restores my soul.
 
2 He guides my ways 
in righteousness,
and He anoints my head with oil,
and my cup, it overflows with joy,
I feast on His pure delights.

And I will trust in You alone,
and I will trust in You alone,
for Your endless mercy follows me,
Your goodness will lead me home.
 
3 And though I walk the darkest path,
I will not fear the evil one,
for You are with me, and Your rod and staff
are the comfort I need to know.
 
Prayers of intercession
 
Loving God,
We pray for our nation 
and for all who lead and serve within it.
At a time when public debate is often marked by division and anger, 
we pray for wisdom, integrity, and compassion
among politicians, community leaders, and all who shape public life. 
Help us to seek understanding rather than hostility, 
and truth rather than fear. 
We remember those affected by crime and violence, 
and pray for justice, healing, and reconciliation 
in communities across our land. 
 
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
 
We pray for all who are anxious about the economy,
rising costs, employment, and financial security. 
Give wisdom to those making economic decisions 
and grant hope to those who struggle 
to provide for themselves and their families.
Strengthen charities, churches, foodbanks, 
and community organisations that support those in need. 
 
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
 
We pray for the National Health Service, for doctors, nurses, carers, 
and all who work to bring healing and comfort. 
Sustain those who are weary, 
encourage those facing difficult decisions, 
and bless all who care for the sick, the elderly, and the vulnerable. 
We remember especially those waiting for treatment 
and those living with long-term illness. 
 
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all affected by extreme weather and environmental change. We pray for those living in parts of the world 
where flooding is an everyday reality, 
and where homes could be submerged in the not-too-distant future. 
Give us wisdom to care faithfully for your creation 
and courage to act for the good of future generations. 
 
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
 
We pray for refugees, migrants, and all seeking safety, 
opportunity, and a place to belong. 
Grant wisdom to governments as they shape immigration policies, 
and help us to welcome one another 
with dignity, fairness, and compassion, 
recognising in every person the image of God.
 
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
 
We pray for the nations of the world, 
especially where there is conflict, instability, disease, 
or humanitarian crisis.
Guide world leaders in the ways of peace 
and strengthen all who work for justice, 
reconciliation, and human flourishing. 
May your Church, Lord, speak up for those often silenced in our world. May there be a fair sharing of the world’s resources 
so people don’t go hungry and thirsty. 
Where diseases easily cured in parts of our world and not in others, may see fairness. 
 
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
 
We pray for the Church across the world. 
We pray that it would be a place of 
welcome, restoration, worship, and outreach. 
Help us to continue reflecting upon the themes in Jonah. 
May the message of the Gospel, the Good News,
be shared in word and action in and through our churches 
and the mission that takes place in them. 
May we recognise your call on our lives 
and may we be faithful in following when you, Lord, lead us. 
 
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
 
Finally, we remember those known personally to us who are in need of comfort, healing, or support… 
 
Silence 
 
Into your loving hands, O God, we commend them, 
trusting in your unfailing mercy and grace.
 
Offertory 
 
We give in many ways; with our money in church in the collection, directly to the bank, to various charities and good causes.  We also give of our time and talents, supporting and building community and institutions; we give of our love and our lives and so we give thanks; let us pray:
 
Loving God, we come with these offerings today. 
May they be used to further your kingdom here on earth. 
Along with these financial offerings 
we also offer ourselves, our time, and the gifts you have blessed us with. We offer them all as part of our worship and praise. 
Use them and use us to transform lives. 
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
 
Hymn       Amazing Grace
John Newton (1779) Public Domain BBC Songs of Praise
 

Blessing  
 
May God the Father, whose mercy is wider than our understanding
and whose compassion reaches to all people,
fill you with wonder at the depth of his love.
 
May God the Son, who calls us from disobedience into faithful service,
teach you to walk in his ways with humility, grace, and joy.
 
May God the Holy Spirit,
who softens hard hearts and leads us into repentance and renewal,
help you to rejoice in God’s mercy for others as well as for yourselves.
 
And the blessing of God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.