St Thomas Methodist Church, Exeter
Weekly Worship Resources
January 2025
12 January – Meeting in the waters
This is the first time in Luke’s Gospel that we meet the adult Jesus, as he comes forward for baptism. John’s call to repentance made people wonder if he was the promised Messiah. However, John makes it clear that the Messiah is still to come and will baptize with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit comes on him and God’s voice names him as beloved – a true sign of who Jesus is.
This week we explore God’s promise to be with us as we ‘pass through the waters’. We reflect on meeting Jesus and each other in the water of life’s challenges, and remember significant times of ‘crossing over’.
Lectionary Bible readings for RCL Baptism of the Lord Year C
Isaiah 43.1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 8.14-17; Luke 3.15-17,21-22
Luke 3:15-17 [CEV]
15 Everyone became excited and wondered, “Could John be the Messiah?”
16 John said, “I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. He will store the wheat in his barn and burn the husks with a fire that never goes out.”
Luke 3:21-22 [CEV]
The Baptism of Jesus
21 While everyone else was being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. Then as he prayed, the sky opened up, 22 and the Holy Spirit came down upon him in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.”
Thought for the week
‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ What had Jesus done to merit this praise from God at the end of today’s Gospel reading? If you look at the reading, you will see that these words come in the middle of the third chapter of Luke’s story of Jesus’ life. In the first two chapters, Jesus is either not yet born, a baby, or a 12-year-old staying too long in the Temple. The first part of chapter three is about John the Baptist. The first appearance of the adult Jesus is in verse 21 where he presents himself for baptism and prays. In the following verse he receives God’s loving approval. It seems as if he is being applauded for just being there and for being who he is. We don’t often think of Jesus as having feelings, but if he was fully human then he must have done. It’s part of human nature to have anxieties and doubts and to need support and encourage-ment, especially when facing challenges. The baptism scene marks the beginning of Jesus’ public profile. In the next chapter he will go three rounds with the devil in the wilderness, and then the long journey to Calvary and the Easter tomb will begin, with many more rounds to fight. He surely had the wisdom to know what was coming. And he must have been anxious. God’s words of support and love must have done wonders for his self-confidence.
We know the strength we can draw from positive comments – especially those that value us just for being who we are. In a world that values achievement, it can be an enormous relief and encouragement to be told that we are loved for who we are – not for how we look, our exam results, how much we’re paid, what designer clothes we can afford. I wonder how Jesus would have scored on his achievements: he seems to have given up a decent job to roam the countryside depending on handouts; he angered the authorities, and his local community wanted to throw him over a cliff; he got himself arrested and executed. Not much of a CV. Oh, and he healed a few people, but he kept doing it when he wasn’t supposed to; and he taught, but his lessons were subversive. I wonder what social media would have made of him. The kind of social media stories that usually make the headlines today underline its potential for crushing judgementalism. However, social media also gives opportunities for the kind of unconditional positive regard that God gives to Jesus by the waters of the Jordan. An oppressed community was gathered at the waters and Jesus showed his solidarity with them. Social media gives great opportunities for supportive communities to form round those who find themselves in turbulent waters – for people to be there for each other, to be pleased with each other, and to say that they are loved just for being who they are.
A prayer of adoration
Epiphany God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we adore you.
Parent God, you care for us, tend to our wounds and swaddle us with love: we adore you.
Lord Jesus Christ, you were born for us, lived for us,
suffered for us, died for us, raised for us: we adore you.
Holy Spirit, you were poured out upon us at baptism and beyond, poured out for our blessing and our faith: we adore you.
Epiphany God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we adore you. Amen.
19 January – Unexpected abundance
Jesus performs his first miracle while he and his mother Mary are at a wedding celebration and the wine runs out. Jesus is encouraged by Mary to solve the problem and instructs the servants to fill six jugs with water. Much to everyone’s astonishment, as the liquid is poured out of the jugs, what comes out is the finest wine.
Today’s readings speak of God’s abundant provision, and in the story of the wedding at Cana the quantity and quality are both unexpected. We consider what this tells us about God’s loving generosity, how we experience it in our own lives and how we might respond.
Lectionary Bible readings for RCL Epiphany 2 Year C
Isaiah 62.1-5; Psalm 36.5-10; 1 Corinthians 12.1-11; John 2.1-11
John 2:1-11 [CEV]
Jesus at a Wedding in Cana
2 Three days later Mary, the mother of Jesus, was at a wedding feast in the village of Cana in Galilee. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited and were there.
3 When the wine was all gone, Mary said to Jesus, “They don't have any more wine.”
4 Jesus replied, “Mother, my time hasn't yet come! You must not tell me what to do.”
5 Mary then said to the servants, “Do whatever Jesus tells you to do.”
6 At the feast there were six stone water jars that were used by the people for washing themselves in the way that their religion said they must. Each jar held about 100 litres. 7 Jesus told the servants to fill them to the top with water. Then after the jars had been filled, 8 he said, “Now take some water and give it to the man in charge of the feast.”
The servants did as Jesus told them, 9 and the man in charge drank some of the water that had now turned into wine. He did not know where the wine had come from, but the servants did. He called the bridegroom over 10 and said, “The best wine is always served first. Then after the guests have had plenty, the other wine is served. But you have kept the best until last!”
11 This was Jesus' first miracle, and he did it in the village of Cana in Galilee. There Jesus showed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
Thought for the week
Have you ever had to organise a wedding or other large celebration – a big anniversary, a retirement do or an award presentation? I wonder what quantity of beverages you had to order? Or, if you have never had that duty, I wonder what volume was consumed at the last wedding reception or celebration you attended? In the well-known Gospel story of the Wedding at Cana it is possible to miss the sheer volume of extra wine created by transforming the six jars full of water. We are told each stone jar held 20 or 30 gallons, which equates to 91 to 136 litres, or 160 to 240 pints. I wonder if the guests at the wedding or celebration you organised or attended could have drunk another 240 pints after already having consumed all that had been provided. And, of course, this extra wine was of the highest quality at a stage in the partying when most guests might have been past noticing. It all adds up to Jesus going above and beyond the call of duty – and it wasn’t even his duty to watch over the wine supply! We are told by the Gospel writer that the miracle at Cana was the first of Jesus’ ‘signs’ – demonstrations of his nature – and it tells us something very important about him. It is surely significant that top of the list of these signs was one indicating Jesus’ abundant generosity of spirit.
We believe that in Jesus we also learn about the nature of God. And today’s reading from Psalm 36 gives us extravagant metaphors for God’s overflowing abundance, high as the heavens, towering like a mountain, deep as the ocean, flowing like a river, gushing like an inexhaustible fountain. These natural images, and the assurance that God saves ‘humans and animals alike’ makes us think of the abundant riches of creation. And perhaps the presence of a ‘steward’ in the story of the Wedding at Cana might make us think of humanity’s role as stewards of the earth. Was the wedding steward at fault for not making adequate provision for those present – perhaps being stingy with the family’s resources? Or perhaps the fault was in not overseeing consumption attentively and justly – maybe some guests had greedily consumed far more than their fair share and should have been restrained. As stewards of the earth we have a responsibility only to take what we need – to make sure our consumption is sustainable. And those with official responsibilities for provision and distribution must make sure that the resources God has given are made available, not hoarded, and that they are shared out fairly and equally. Sadly, that is far from the case at the moment – our stewardship is failing. However, we can take heart that the failings of the steward at Cana were put right by Jesus. God provides more than enough for the world’s needs, and with God’s help the failing feast may yet be restored.
A prayer of confession
We confess to you our moments of doubt, of inaction, of falling short of what we know we can be; moments when we have been unwilling to help others because it was easier not to or we couldn’t be bothered.
In this moment of silence, we reflect on our failings and seek your forgiveness …. Lord God Almighty, forgive us we pray.
Assurance of forgiveness
The Lord hears our prayer, never falters or wavers, but forgives us our sins, our failings, our faults and sends us on our way as forgiven people. Thanks be to God. Amen
26 January – Good news for everybody
After being tempted in the wilderness, Jesus returns in the power of the Spirit to Galilee and goes to his home synagogue in Nazareth. He reads out some verses from the scroll of Isaiah to the people present and tells them that this Scripture is coming true today.
Jesus speaks about his mission to bring God’s kingdom into being in a way that is good news for all kinds of people who are currently struggling: the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, the oppressed. We are called to join in with Jesus’ mission to share this good news with all.
Lectionary Bible readings for RCL Epiphany 3 Year C
Nehemiah 8.1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12.12-31a; Luke 4.14-21
Luke 4:14-21 [CEV]
Jesus Begins His Work
14 Jesus returned to Galilee with the power of the Spirit. News about him spread everywhere. 15 He taught in the Jewish synagogues, and everyone praised him.
The People of Nazareth Turn against Jesus
16 Jesus went back to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as usual he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. When he stood up to read from the Scriptures, 17 he was given the book of Isaiah the prophet. He opened it and read,
18 “The Lord's Spirit
has come to me,
because he has chosen me
to tell the good news
to the poor.
The Lord has sent me
to announce freedom
for prisoners,
to give sight to the blind,
to free everyone
who suffers,
19 and to say, ‘This is the year
the Lord has chosen.’ ”
20 Jesus closed the book, then handed it back to the man in charge and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue looked straight at Jesus.
21 Then Jesus said to them, “What you have just heard me read has come true today.”
Thought for the week
‘Strivers versus skivers’ is a political phrase that is sometimes used to try to separate out those who are believed to be contributing to society in the UK from those who are regarded as a burden on it. It echoes a wider trend in our society that values people according to what they do. A church leader in London tells a story about a member called Erin who suffers from chronic pain, uses a wheelchair and is not able to speak so uses a text-to-speech device to communicate. Erin has many stories of how she has been wheeled out of someone else’s way or spoken to loudly and slowly as if she were deaf. For several years, Erin planned all of the children’s work at this church, producing craft materials, story ideas and ways of praying for the different services every Sunday. When Covid hit, Erin organised a kids’ church session online, planning activities, games and prayers for someone else to lead. Yet very sadly, despite producing all of this, Erin was not valued by the wider congregation because she wasn’t seen at the front of church. Ultimately, the pain and frustration of this lack of recognition caused Erin to step back from her work and ultimately from worshipping regularly with that congregation.
In churches we can think that the ongoing running of the church is the most important thing and that can cause us to value the people who can fill certain jobs more than others. In the passage from Corinthians, Paul’s words speak of giving honour to those parts of the body that seem weaker. Certainly, if we believe that Jesus came to save everybody and that all have a place in God’s kingdom, it follows that God might have gifts for the church in people that have been overlooked up until now. Are we open to seeing God work through every person in our church? Do we value people for who they are and what we see of Jesus in them or only for what they are able to do? If the Church is to reflect Jesus to the world around it, we need to show that all are loved and needed. This is the good news for everybody.
A prayer of thanksgiving
We give thanks, O God, for the magnificence of your creation, its vibrant diversity, its provision for us.
We give thanks for the rich cultures of the world and all they add to the mix of life.
We give thanks for each other, with all our differences and quirky ways.
We give thanks for your recorded Word through the ages.
We give thanks for the life of Jesus, supreme example to us of the outworking of your love.
We give thanks for the outpouring of your Holy Spirit to comfort, warm and guide us.
We give thanks for all this good news, in the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
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