Peter was invited to Caesarea to share the good news of Jesus. Up until that point he had assumed that the good news was only for Jewish people. He had his eyes opened to see that the good news of salvation in Jesus was for non-Jews too – for all who put their faith in Jesus. As we face the prospect of significant change in the Church both locally in Montrose and nationally let’s ensure the needs of unchurched people to hear the good news come before our faith in past traditions.
Call: Tradition has its uses. Many of us have been well served by its framework but it can only take us so far. Come also with faith in the risen Lord Jesus, be open to the Spirit who like wind blows where God wills. Come ready to reach out to those who don’t darken our doors. Come to worship and serve the Lord who loves all people.
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Listen to the 1st Prayer
Pray : Lord God, sometimes we imagine that you are remote and distant, interested but too far away to be of much use to us. While our feelings are important bring home to us the fact that your promises are even more significant. Time and again Jesus promised that he would be with us always, that we would be given the power of your Holy Spirit to enable us to do all that we’ve been commanded to do, that we would never be alone. Open our eyes to see that you ARE always with us, that we HAVE the power of your Spirit in our midst and that you DO equip us to everything that you have called us to do. We may not be strong as the world measures strength but we can be strong in you, in the power of the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. There are challenges ahead. It isn’t easy to be a christian these days but you have called and you want to equip and together we CAN be witnesses for Christ, ambassadors, advocates, co-workers with your Son in the gospel of salvation. “Do not be afraid.” Heavenly Father, deal with our doubts and fears. Sort out everything in our lives that gets in the way of us being truly effective disciples. Forgive us, renew us and live among us in grace and love that we know your power and presence and live in it, eager to praise you in word and action. Draw near to us today, be with all who would dearly have loved to have been here and join us together in love, in your dear Son, Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together saying: Our Father…
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Thought- Our passage this morning has Peter invited to share the good news in Caesarea among non-Jewish people. He had been more of a traditionalist than Paul and was still inclined to stick to the food restrictions and rituals and I suspect had simply assumed that the gospel was limited to Jewish people or those who would take on the whole ceremonial law. He had his eyes opened to the Holy Spirit’s movement among the whole population in Caesarea. There is a marvellous quote about the people being ready for whatever he had to teach them. And they did welcome not only Peter but his message, pleading with him to baptise them into their new found faith. It does raise questions for us. Are we at times too thirled to our traditions and practices that they are standing the way of our reaching the majority of our land who aren’t interested in church. How adaptable are we? How ready are we to look for touching points with our largely secular society? Do we believe that Spirit can work miracles and bring people to faith nowadays? There is a lot of change ahead for the church – locally and across the country. It will involve feelings of loss, memories and upset. Yet, things can’t remain as they are. How much better our view of the future would be if we could grasp afresh God’s keen commitment to us to equip us to play our full part in reaching out to those outwith our fellowships with the transforming power of the good news of Jesus.
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Listen to the 2nd Prayer
Pray: Lord, prayer is a wonderful gift. We are glad of it though most of us would have to acknowledge that we don’t pray as much as we should. Thank you that you accept our prayers anyway and that you make up for our shortcomings. We ask you to make us more ready to use the wonderful gift of prayer and to know its blessings. But we also want to rely, not on our efforts, but upon your grace and mercy; it is YOU who works your miracles of grace for us, through us and around us. Show us how to make full use of our faith, our gifts AND to depend wholeheartedly upon your love and grace. We pray for those around us in the town and its hinterland – for happy and sad, for those we feel that things are going well for them and those who know that life is very tough. We pray for those who have lost loved ones, those who are sick, those caring for a relative, those sitting exams, those troubled about their future, those who find themselves arguing a lot, those looking for work, or over the top at work, those finding their faith rather a struggle. Lord, draw near to each and every one, meet their needs, meet our needs and enable us to know your compassion and comfort. As we face significant change in the Church, keep us alert to your call to meet the clamant needs of those NOT in our congregations, equip us for outreach and grant us your empowering that we might go forward into the future with confidence, not in ourselves, but in your strength. In our prayer walk this week we remember those who live or work in Union St, Place & Row. In a moment of silence prompt us to remember those most in need, bless also those unknown to us who need your touch. SILENCE
Lord Jesus, we believe that these prayers – spoken and unspoken are matters you would wish to deal with. Take them and answer them for your kingdom’s sake. Amen.
Blessing - May the Lord bless you. Amen.