Sunday Worship 13 July 2025

July 13, 2025 colind

Off

Today’s service is led by Emma Howarth

Introduction

Emma Howarth is the Training and Development Officer for the Mersey Synod

On this Sunday in July, an ordinary Sunday, a summer’s day, we come to worship God. Today we leave busy lives and, perhaps, our troubles behind as we focus on a gracious and generous God who loves us. Our readings today look at the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan and we explore the compassion of the Samaritan and the goodness of a God who sees suffering and wants to make a difference. As we lift up our eyes to Jesus, we think about the God who loved the world so much he wanted to help mend it so He sent His Son to carry the pain and the trouble for us.

Call to Worship

Praise God, everybody! Applaud God, all people! His love has taken over our lives; God’s faithful ways are eternal. Hallelujah! And the people cry: Hallelujah!

Hymn When I Needed a Neighbour
Sydney Carter © 1965 © Stainer & Bell Ltd. (admin. Hope Publishing Co.) OneLicence # A-734713 Sung by Frodsham Methodist Church Cloud Choir and used with their kind permission.

When I needed a neighbour, were you there, were you there?
When I needed a neighbour, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter,
were you there?

I was hungry and thirsty, were you there, were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter,
were you there?

I was cold, I was naked, were you there, were you there?
I was cold, I was naked, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter,
were you there?

When I needed a shelter, were you there, were you there?
When I needed a shelter, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter,
were you there?

When I needed a healer, were you there, were you there?
When I needed a healer, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter,
were you there?

Wherever you travel I’ll be there, I’ll be there,
wherever you travel I’ll be there.
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter,
were you there?

Prayers of Approach & Confession

Hear the words of the Psalmist:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger for ever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Jesus says, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’ So let us turn away from sin and turn to the Lord, confessing our sins in penitence and faith.

In a dark and disfigured world we have not held out the light of life:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

In a hungry and despairing world we have failed to share our bread:
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

In a cold and loveless world we have kept the love of God to ourselves:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

God of mercy, we acknowledge that we are all sinners. We turn from the wrong that we have thought and said and done, and are mindful of all that we have failed to do. For the sake of Jesus, who died for us, forgive us for all that is past, and help us to live each day in the light of Christ our Lord. Amen.

Absolution

May God our Father forgive us our sins and bring us to the eternal joy of his kingdom, where dust and ashes have no dominion. Amen.

Prayer for Illumination

Lord, open our ears that we may hear your Word. Lord, open our eyes that we may see your world. Lord, open our hearts that we may be stirred into action for you. Amen

Reading Deuteronomy 30: 9-14

And the Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all your undertakings, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, just as he delighted in prospering your ancestors, when you obey the Lord your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are written in this book of the law, because you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.

Hymn Goodness of God
Jason David Ingram / Brian Johnson / Edmond Martin Cash / Benjamin David Fielding / Jenn Johnson © 2018 Bethel Music Publishing (ASCAP) OneLicence # A-734713 Sung by Anthem Lights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOzuB1Lytd8

I love You Lord for Your mercy never fails me.
All my days I’ve been held in Your hands.
From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head,
I will sing of the goodness of God

All my life You have been faithful.
All my life You have been so, so good.
With every breath that I am able
O I will sing of the goodness of God.

Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me.
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me.
With my life laid down I surrender now; I give You everything.
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me.

All my life You have been faithful.
All my life You have been so, so good.
With every breath that I am able
O I will sing of the goodness of God.

Reading St Luke 10: 25-37

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’ But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

Sermon

Jesus used parables to illustrate or explain theological detail to ordinary people. He would use items and scenarios that would have been familiar to his listeners and that were relatable to their lives. A common description of a parable is that it is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus told many parables; in fact, at least for a time in His ministry, Jesus relied heavily on allegory and narrative. In Mark 4 33 and 34 we read: “With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.” There are over 30 parables recorded in the Synoptic Gospels but there are none in John’s Gospel. We often can dismiss the parables as being stories, that is nice tales or simple children’s anecdotes. Indeed, in Sunday School you and I will remember the parables of the sower, the lost coin and so on. To this day, this will be the case in Junior Church or Sunday School or whatever your church calls it. Why is this so? Well, for a start they are really easy to understand the face-value meaning and the illustration is a visualisation of the scenario and this helps children understand. For many it may be their only introduction to Jesus and so we should not dismiss this experience. If, however, we dismiss parables as just nice stories or children’s tales, then we risk missing the crown jewels of Jesus’ teachings.

In the UK in 2025 it is difficult to imagine a homogeneity of society. Where everyone looks, sounds, behaves the same. Where we all have one way of doing things and any deviation from this is seen as subversive and rebellious. There would be no-one from other cultures or countries. We would all follow one religion. If you have read or seen such things as A Handmaid’s Tale or Stepford Wives or more recently Don’t Worry Darling (excellent film, would highly recommend) this is the kind of conformist society suggested. There have, of course, been attempts in history to create this, most horrifically and notably by Adolf Hitler. Thankfully and vitally, we are blessed to live in a country which grows ever more varied in experience and encounter, and richer and stronger because of its diversity. There is still massive injustice, and there are factions of society that are intolerant and downright dangerous however, in principle, the law of the UK upholds a society of diversity and inclusion if not always full equity.

As Christians we are called to see beyond race, religion, and social status. The second commandment is “love your neighbour as yourself” as we know. Who is our neighbour, everyone. Our faith is not just words. Our faith is a living, breathing, example-giving, expression of Jesus. The parable known as the Good Samaritan is laden with example of those who were the same as the traveller who ignored him in his plight. Those who held position and status who ignored him. Finally, it was the one who was different to him, the one who had absolutely nothing in common with him, the foreigner, the man from Samaria. Samaritans were absolutely hated by the Israelites. They were originally Jews, seen in these times as a mix of already spiritually corrupt Israelites and pagan foreigners who created a religion for themselves that the Jews considered heresy. The Samaritan’s actions challenge us to redefine “neighbour” as anyone we show love and compassion to, regardless of geography, race, religion, or social status. We often limit our help to those similar to us, but true love crosses boundaries and includes everyone, even those society labels as enemies or outsiders. For instance, stepping in to defend someone being bullied or harassed, even if they are not part of your social circle, exemplifies the Samaritan’s message of standing up for others regardless of societal labels.

Compassion is the driver behind this. The definition of Compassion in Collins dictionary is “a feeling of distress and pity for the suffering or misfortune of another, often including the desire to alleviate it”. So it is not just seeing someone is having a hard time and feeling bad about it. It is being stirred to do something to help. Compassionate is a word we often use about Christ. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This is the compassion of God. He sees the suffering and he has the desire to do something about it.

I said before about our faith not being just words. As Christ followers we are called to follow him and try to be Christ in the places that we are, the encounters and the experiences that we have. We need people to be able to see and think “that’s a different way. I want some of that.” If we want to be more like Christ we need to closely examine ourselves and get rid of the bits that don’t work or are not aligned to him. We need to study Jesus and learn his ways. This is being a disciple. Disciples are dedicated to learning from their mentor’s teachings and often strive to emulate their example. Learning to become more confident in sharing our faith stories and talking faith to others is a critical step on that journey. It is something that many find hard or struggle with and that is ok. We often are fearful of getting it wrong, saying the wrong thing or upsetting people. For the past two years in Mersey Synod we have been looking at Talking Faith and how to encourage people to do just that. One of the things that we heard time and time again is what if I am asked something that I don’t know, what if I get a really hard question. People are worried that they will say the wrong thing or just not know the answer. I feel like that too! What we learned is that there is no real right or wrong way to address this fear, what we also learned is that the more you practice telling your faith story or talking about Jesus, the easier it becomes. This year we have moved the theme on to Living Faith. Of course we care carrying on Talking Faith, but Living Faith is about encouraging people to live out their everyday lives as Christ would. Becoming more like Christ each day in our everyday activities. I genuinely think that compassion fits securely into the Living Faith bracket. If you are familiar with the song Hosanna by Brooke Fraser there is the line “Break my heart for what breaks Yours, everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause”, this sums up compassion well. We are moving into a phase of such close dwelling with Jesus that we feel his pain and his joy as he does. We want it because we want to do it for God and the heavenly kingdom.

Compassion and living faith require sacrifice. The Samaritan who showed radical love in action gave his time, money and possibly in his society his reputation. How far will we go? One thing that I love when I hear about the roots of the United Reformed Church is the uncompromising daring brave stance that people have taken over their faith. They are truly non-conformists and will not be told what to do, rather they see what needs doing and act upon it. In 1972 it was a brave and bold leap of faith taken by the Presbyterian Church of England and the Congregational Church in England and Wales. And again in 1981 and 2000. And again when, whatever your personal view, the decision in 2016 to allow churches to offer same-sex marriages. Big and bold and beautiful moves that demonstrate compassion and faith in a God that is bigger and bolder than society’s rules and norms. To do the things that God required of the spiritual mothers and fathers of this denomination meant that they sacrificed much including their lives in some cases. Jesus was a disrupter and so were these people.

What does this mean for us now? We have been equipped to do and speak the name of Jesus. Deuteronomy 30:14 “No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” So go, friends, talk faith and live faith. Do it with compassion and passion. Speak Jesus and act Jesus. Be a disrupter and a non-conformist and moves into action for Christ.

Hymn We Are One in the Spirit, We Are One in the Lord
Peter Scholtes, 1938–2009 © 1966 F.E.L. Publications (admin. The Lorenz Corporation) OneLicence # A-734713 Performed by the Beyond the Walls Choir and used with their kind permission

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord;
we are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord;
and we pray that all unity may one day be restored:

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love;
yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand;
we will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand;
and together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land:

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love;
yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

We will work with each other, we will work side by side;
we will work with each other, we will work side by side;
and we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride:

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love;
yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

We are called to make choices, we respond with our love.
We are called to make choices, we respond with our love.
And together with Wisdom, she’ll connect us all as one.

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love;
yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

The Apostle’s Creed

Do you believe and trust in God the Father, source of all being and life, the one for whom we exist? We believe and trust in him.

Do you believe and trust in God the Son, who took our human nature, died for us and rose again? We believe and trust in him.

Do you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the people of God and makes Christ known in the world? We believe and trust in him.

This is the faith of the Church.
This is our faith. We believe and trust in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Intercessions for the World

Almighty God, we come to you in prayer and petition.
We pray for our communities where we live, work and rest.
We pray that Your light may shine in the darkest corners,
illuminating where we need to bring Your Word.
We pray for a softening of hearts and a turning of minds towards You. We pray for your justice and mercy to flow out into our communities.