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Home Worship on 10th March
A short act of worship and daily devotions at home
10th March 2024 Lent 4: Mothering Sunday
Opening Prayers
Use the following words to help centre yourself in the moment. Say them out loud, or speak them in your mind:
Jesus, open my heart I listen for God’s voice, calling me to serve others and love radically Jesus, open my heart. Hold the joys, regrets and frustrations from the week, and look ahead to the opportunities next week will bring Jesus, open my heart. Hold the people you share your life with, and the challenges that come with relationships and friendships Jesus, open my heart.
Rest a moment in the quiet. End by saying “Amen“.
You may now wish to say the Lord’s Prayer in a version or translation with which you are familiar.
Reading: John 3:14-21
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised
14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’
Footnotes
- John 3:15 Some interpreters hold that the quotation concludes with verse 15
- John 3:21 Some interpreters hold that the quotation concludes with verse 15
Responding to the reading.
This next portion is in the first person singular: please read it thus:
This Mothering Sunday, so let me remember God the parent, for it is God’s presence in my life that gives me absolute assurance of forgiveness, restoration and hope. With God, I have a relationship that should inspire me in how I relate to those with whom I share this world. Parenting and parental figures can take countless forms in my mind: family; teachers; those who cared and were cared for; guardians; siblings; friends. There is such joy in being able to say that I have people in my life who worried, and who still worry about me, care for me, nag me a little now and then, and who check in on me, provide for me, and give me a soft place to land when the world gets too much. I would argue there is even greater joy in being that person for someone else, whether I am related by blood or not. There is such power in knowing that I don’t have to be terrified of making mistakes. By having life in all its fullness, I will stumble, and I know that I will hurt people, forget important things and act carelessly.
A powerful, yet intimate relationship:
Having this powerful relationship with God, and (in turn) people around me who embody that spirit of unconditional love, is a reminder that there is always hope. When I make a mistake, all I need to do is have the humility to acknowledge that, and I find myself running into the outstretched arms of a God who welcomes me home with a party.
Today’s gospel reading includes a verse that is often used to summarise the whole of the Christian gospel: John 3:16 – “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 verse is an invitation into a warm, close relationship with God, through Christ Jesus, and that relationship changes my relationship with the other people in my life, with myself, and with the whole of creation.
So I strive to create relationships with those around me. Whether those relationships are, or were with parents, children, students, grandchildren, friends or colleagues, may I recognise the life-changing power they had, and have, for me.
This is from Pastor Tim Baker:
May you remember that a relationship based on forgiveness and renewal is not the same as one based on shame. May you practice the unconditional, forgiving, renewing, understanding, patient love of a parent, and may you cherish the people in your life from whom you receive that love.
Pause for a moment to give thanks that you are part of a global community of people who worship a God whose love for each and every one of us – whether we consider ourselves in that community or not – is so immeasurably vast as to give the gift of Jesus, who made us that we might have eternal life.
You may wish to pray a prayer of thanks that God so rich in grace, mercy and love, that each of us can be inspired to share as much of it as we can with the world around us and the people you meet this week.
Hymns:
421 STF – Empty, broken, here I stand, Kyrie Eleison – YouTube 440 STF – Amazing grace – how sweet the sound – YouTube2 Either can be halted, stopped, as you may decide. STF= Our hymnbook: Singing the Faith
Blessing
Take a breath, and look around you, and then try to hold this space in your heart and mind so that, as you head out into this week, you might know the Spirit of God travelling with you as you go about your day-to-day activities. Take the memory of this moment and these people with you into a world in need.
Amen.
Prayers and Prayer-Pointers for the Week Ahead
Monday 11th March
Thank you Lord, for you are a God of abundant blessings,
Thank you for all you have given to me.
I pause for a moment to return something of those blessings to you and to your service.
Lord, put my life to use in building a world of justice, joy and peace, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Tuesday12th March: An Anniversary:
On this day in 1989 Tim Berners-Lee submitted his proposal for an information management system, which eventually became the world wide web, the Internet. Today, we pray for all who work in digital space – all who are responsible for making social media, websites and other digital tools safe for all who use them. May sense and safety reign over capitalism and exploitation in key decision making, we pray.
Wednesday 13th March
Loving Jesus, you take my confusing tangle of thoughts, worries and questions You take the feeling that overwhelm which can sometimes come with experiencing and witnessing so much sorrow, discomfort, conflict and need.
May I feel you taking a seat beside me Sharing in the pain, sorrow and discomfort Weeping and raging with me this day. Amen.
Thursday 14th March
Justice-seeking God, today we pray for peace. It can seem difficult to know how to pray for peace when we know there is still so much violence and conflict in our world, but we bring all that to you today, knowing that the world is not ‘as you would have it.’
Come, Prince of Peace, come to a broken world in need, we pray.
Amen.
Friday 15th March
Today, the Ides of March, marks the day that in 44BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senators in Rome. We know that political violence and intimidation continues today in many places around the world, and you may choose to pray for safety for officials to do their duty in peace and with justice. You may even wish to look up recent outbreaks of civil unrest around the world and pray specifically for the countries and places affected.
Saturday 16th March
Hear the invitation to “be still” today. To hold a moment of quiet and reflect on the week just gone, to ‘check in’ with yourself and how you are doing, and to listen to the still small voice of God. Perhaps try to position yourself where you can see a tree or bush or some flowers, and just hold the stillness as you watch and pray.
“Come, Lord Jesus“. “Amen“.
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