St John the Evangelist, Kingston Sunday 18 September Sacred Space. Pilgrimage. Welcome to anyone who is new to St John s.

Transcription

1 St John the Evangelist, Kingston Sunday 18 September 2016 Sacred Space Pilgrimage Welcome to anyone who is new to St John s.

2 Opening Sentence I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord'. Hymn: Guide me O thou great redeemer Guide me, O thou great redeemer, Pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak, but thou art mighty, Hold me with thy powerful hand; Bread of heaven, bread of heaven Feed me till I want no more; Feed me till I want no more. Open now the crystal fountain Whence the healing stream doth flow; Let the fire and cloudy pillar Lead me all my journey through: Strong deliverer, strong deliverer; Be thou still my strength and shield; Be thou still my strength and shield. When I tread the verge of Jordan, Bid my anxious fears subside; Death of death, and hell's destruction Land me safe on Canaan's side: Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to thee; I will ever give to thee. Children are invited to go for activities. They gather at the front and the minister says a prayer before they leave.

3 Introduction Bible Reading Psalm 121 I lift my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not suffer your foot to stumble; he who watches over you will not sleep. Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord himself watches over you; the Lord is your shade at your right hand, so that the sun shall not strike you by day, neither the moon at night. The Lord shall keep you from all evil; it is he who shall keep your soul. The Lord shall keep watch over your going out and your coming in from this time forth for evermore. Thanks be to God

4 Responses The hand of God encircles us: God of our beginnings holding us firm. The feet of Christ walk before us: God of our journeying showing us the way. The wings of the Spirit lift us up: God who is our company, our energy, our joy. Hymn: He who would valiant be He who would valiant be 'gainst all disaster, let him in constancy follow the Master. There's no discouragement shall make him once relent his first avowed intent to be a pilgrim. Who so beset him round with dismal stories, do but themselves confound - his strength the more is. No foes shall stay his might, though he with giants fight: he will make good his right to be a pilgrim.

5 Since, Lord, thou dost defend us with thy Spirit, we know we at the end shall life inherit. Then fancies flee away! I'll fear not what men say, I'll labour night and day to be a pilgrim. Pilgrimage? There's no discouragement shall make him once relent his first avowed intent to be a pilgrim. A what? Sounds very high church, pretty doubtful, really; an example of extremism, fanaticism I'm moderate, measured, middle of the road, sound. Yes, sound. I certainly don't believe in shrines and walking till your feet blister. And look at the lot who travelled through the pages of Chaucer to Canterbury - hypocritical, greedy, immoral. Pilgrimage is a hotbed, a breeding ground for trouble. So unsuitable for moderate, measured, middle-of-the-road me.

6 But where are you going? What are you seeking? Are you sure it's safe, and sound and sound? I'd quite like to travel on as well: it's not quite my 'avowed intent' but maybe I'll take a step or two. Only let's not call it a pilgrimage. It's just a journey, my journey. And I'm seeking, going towards but keeping in the middle of the road, just in case. Carolyn Morris Talk Affirmation We believe in God the maker and shaper of our pathways; who sent Jesus to show us the narrow way, and who is the beginning and end of our travelling. We believe in Jesus Christ the sharer of our flesh; who entered and experienced the human journey, and who walks beside us on the road.

7 We believe in the Holy Spirit the midwife and nurturer of our potential; who drove Jesus out into the desert, and who calls us now to cast off from the shore. We believe in Father, Son and Holy Spirit the shaper, sharer and stirrer of our journeys; and we recommit ourselves to following their Way. Hymn: Father, hear the prayer we offer Father, hear the prayer we offer: not for ease that prayer shall be, but for strength that we may ever live our lives courageously. Not for ever in green pastures do we ask our way to be; but the steep and rugged pathway may we tread rejoicingly. Not for ever by still waters would we idly rest and stay; but would smite the living fountains from the rocks along our way. Be our strength in hours of weakness, in our wanderings be our guide; through endeavour, failure, danger, Father, be thou at our side.

8 Prayer: the journey Lord, we know not where this journey will lead, but you do not leave us unguided. Thank you for those whose lives, by word, deed or example, have become signposts for us. Lord, we know not where this journey will lead, but you do not leave us in solitary joy. Thank you for those whose lives have overflowed to mingle with ours in the celebration of your love. Lord, we know not where this journey will lead, but you do not leave us uncomforted. Thank you for those who, in love and compassion, have met us in our brokenness and brought healing. Lord, we know not where this journey will lead, but you do not leave us unchallenged. Thank you for those whose words and questions have sent us out to search for you. Lord, we know not where this journey will lead, but you do not leave us to walk alone. Thank you for those who, in the sharing of their lives, have become our companions on the way. Lord, we know not where this journey will lead, but it is enough that you are its beginning and its end, and that you travel with us. Amen. Pat Bennett

9 Quiet Reflection : Food for the Journey You are invited take some fruit and nuts to eat from the altar and to reflect quietly in your seat on what nourishes you for the journey. The Lord s Prayer Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen. Hymn: One more step during which a collection is taken for the work of the church and the children return from children s church. One more step along the world I go, one more step along the world I go. From the old things to the new keep me travelling along with you. And it's from the old I travel to the new, keep me travelling along with you.

10 Round the corners of the world I turn, more and more about the world I learn. All the new things that I see you'll be looking at along with me. And it's from the old I travel to the new, keep me travelling along with you. As I travel through the bad and good, keep me travelling the way I should. Where I see no way to go, you'll be telling me the way, I know. Give me courage when the world is rough, keep me loving when the world is tough. Leap and sing in all I do, keep me travelling along with you. You are older than the world can be, you are younger than the life in me. Ever old and ever new, keep me travelling along with you. Brief notices about our community life Blessing You are invited to place your right hand on the shoulder of the person next to you for the Blessing. God of our pilgrimage Thank you for your friendship. Be the fire leading us, Be the star guiding us,

11 Be the Good Shepherd calling us. May the Holy Spirit strengthen us for all that lies ahead. May your holy angels surrounding us watch, defend and protect us against all evil. Amen. Archbishop of York's pilgrimage prayer, 2015 You are invited to stay for refreshments after the service. A pilgrimage walk The tradition of pilgrimage links the outward, physical walk with the inward and spiritual journey deeper into God. Why make a pilgrimage? To express the desire for a deeper commitment to Christ To seek discernment: what does it mean for me today to follow Christ? To have space to come to terms with a life changing event To re-view one s life and priorities in the light of relationship with God As an expression of repentance: that is, desiring to turn away from an old way of life that is deadening and destructive and to follow a new path that is creative and life-giving. To escape convenient comforts that limit our capacity for life and love. In simple terms because the journey draws me and who knows what might happen along the way?

12 What is it about pilgrimage that makes it such a powerful experience? It is intentional: The one choice is to make the journey. Everything we experience moment by moment and day by day flows from this. In this sense pilgrimage mirrors Christian discipleship: we choose to follow Christ along the Way, though the stuff of life. One person described it as a holiday from freedom. Paradoxically the choice we make and renew each day to walk the path liberates us from being slave to every whim and passing desire. Journeying disturbs us out of set patterns and enables us to review our life and priorities Events happen along the way that we don t anticipate some we welcome, others we find challenging. We are brought into a more raw, honest place where we become able to recognise our dependence on God. We learn from fellow travellers and from strangers we meet along the way We regain a spirit of adventure We come to a place that has spiritual significance for us Though we might start with a fixed idea about what the pilgrimage will bring, the experience is likely to surprise us: the outcome will not be as we imagined. A pilgrimage to where? A place of commonly recognised spiritual significance for example, a local church, a historical site associated with prayer A place of personal spiritual significance perhaps linked with our past story and with previous encounters with God. The following are taken from Bare Feet and Buttercups, Wild Goose Publications, copyright 2008 Ruth Burgess: Pilgrimage?, Affirmation, The Journey.