大象传媒

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This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast.

It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflect current events.

大象传媒 Radio 4. It鈥檚 ten past eight. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have called for 鈥榓 great wave of prayer across the land as the season of Pentecost approaches.鈥� That鈥檚 taken up in Sunday Worship now which comes live from Holy Trinity Church, Platt, in Manchester. The service is introduced by the church鈥檚 Associate Minister, the Revd Dr Paul Mathole.

Paul Mathole
Good morning and a warm welcome to Manchester. It鈥檚 the week before Pentecost 鈥� when the early church burst into life with the joy of the resurrection.

Our church is one that was built in a hurry. In fact it was a bit of a competition. A man called Thomas Worsley wanted the church completed before another in the local area. It was a race to get to the top of the tower! Little did he know that one hundred and seventy years later it would be surrounded by universities, hospitals, part of the thriving activity around Manchester鈥檚 city centre. Our congregation comes from all corners of the world and spans generations, with an average age in the early thirties. We feel very privileged to provide a spiritual home to so many young lives.

Leading the service with me this morning is our Youth and Children鈥檚 minister Sarah Bradley. We begin by singing Isaac Watts鈥� hymn calling all creation to praise our God.

鈥�
MUSIC: FROM ALL WHO DWELL BENEATH THE SKIES

Sarah Bradley
Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are Lord over our whole world; thank you that all who dwell on earth can look to you as king. And we pray those words you taught us, 鈥渢hy kingdom come鈥� - that all the world might share in the hope and blessing of your kingship. Amen

We鈥檙e really excited to be part of an initiative from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to pray for the evangelisation of our nation. And it starts today! Let鈥檚 hear from Archbishop Justin Welby now:

RECORDED INSERT
As Christians there鈥檚 nothing more important than our relationship with Jesus Christ. When that flourishes it overflows to the world around us, to our friends to our family to those we work with to everyone we know. And when the church is full of the presence of Christ, we overflow and transform society in the most beautiful and wonderful way. That overflowing starts with our prayer lives individually and together as we pray and meet with Christ in prayer. That鈥檚 why this Pentecost the Archbishop of York and I are asking churches [cut England] to pray for a renewal of their expectancy in the abundance and the overflowing of Christ in their lives together so that people right across the country see who Jesus is and are drawn to faith in him.

Sarah Bradley
鈥淭he overflow of Christ in our lives鈥� - as a church that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e passionate about. [?Our congregation comes from all corners of the world and spans generations, with an average age in the early thirties. We feel very privileged to provide a spiritual home to so many young lives.]

In our songs, our Bible teaching, in our midweek groups, we鈥檙e trying to reach the coming generation with the good news of Jesus. Our music today is directed by Olly Hamilton, with professional musicians, music students and other talented performers drawn from our congregation. Our next song reminds us what a joyful story we have to tell because of what Jesus has done for us: When I was lost you came and rescued me.

MUSIC: WHEN I WAS LOST

Paul Mathole
Our first reading is from the gospel of Luke, chapter 24 starting at verse 36. It鈥檚 just after the crucifixion. Two disciples, heading out of Jerusalem, met a man on the road. When they broke bread with the man, they suddenly came to recognise it was the risen Lord Jesus! They鈥檝e rushed back to the city to tell the others...

鈥�
Reader 1: Mez
聽36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 鈥淧eace be with you.鈥�
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, 鈥淲hy are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.鈥�
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, 鈥淒o you have anything here to eat?鈥� 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44 He said to them, 鈥淭his is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.鈥�
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, 鈥淭his is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.鈥�

Paul Mathole
The disciples had a story that had to be told! We鈥檙e going to hear now from Alex McGowan with her own story of how Jesus has changed her life

Alex McGowan: Personal Testimony

At 25, I was a feature reporter for News of the World when the paper suddenly closed. Redundant, I had to face the fact that I'd been living a double life, concealing a daily cannabis habit. I was using drugs to try and get rid of the empty feeling, but it didn't work.

After I was made redundant, my using increased. I was desperate, but didn't know what to do. One day, while I was smoking, I had a profound experience with God for the first time, which I definitely wasn't looking for.

It was as if He confronted me personally, and I saw myself as I was through His eyes...totally lost, and as far from Him as I could be. It shook me to the core and life hasn't been the same since.

The experience propelled me into 12 step recovery meetings similar to AA, where I subsequently heard the gospel. My faith in Jesus means I wasn't at war with God any more. This has given me peace.

Knowing Jesus means I don't have to fight to prove my worth anymore, because my identity is in Him, not my accomplishments or failures. I love Jesus because even though my life was such a mess, he met me where I was and pulled me out of it; for me, my desire to use drugs vanished.

The power of God is unmistakeable; the changes He's brought about could never have been produced by human will power. Jesus came and found me when I wasn't even looking for Him and I love Him for that.
He is all powerful, but so tender and kind, all at once. Who wouldn't want a friend like that?!

Now I work as a funeral celebrant - a lay person sharing the gospel on a daily basis in a predominantly secular environment. It's more successful than you'd think because, religion aside, everyone knows deep down they are searching for something, but who are we to stand in the presence of God? What a joy to explain to people that through Christ, anyone, no matter who you are, can call on His name and know his amazing grace.

Paul Mathole
It鈥檚 by the grace of God alone that we can stand in his presence. We sing of that now.

MUSIC: GRACE UNMEASURED,

Sarah Bradley
聽Our second reading is from the opening of 1 Peter - his words of wonder at the hope we have in Jesus.

Reader 2: BJ
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God鈥檚 power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith鈥攐f greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire鈥攎ay result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Sarah Bradley
In a moment, our Rector the Revd Steve James will come and speak to us about that passage. But first we sing - I heard the voice of Jesus say

MUSIC: I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS SAY

TALK: Steve James
Many years ago, just after I鈥檇 come to faith, I wanted to give my grandfather a bible. .. He had been a Welsh miner at the coalface for many years and a Welsh Baptist as well.. But.. What to write in the front of that bible聽 that would capture how I felt as a 19 year old about my new found faith?
I chose the verse we鈥檝e just read .鈥漌ithout having seen Him you love Him鈥�. It seemed to capture the radical craziness of believing in Jesus聽 in a secular world.. To love someone we鈥檝e never seen!
Now the Archbishops have called the churches to pray for the evangelisation of the nation.. Every Christian would say Amen to that!!
But what a challenge in our material world!? Its an invisible kingdom and an invisible King! In fact the only thing that IS visible, are Christians.. But it鈥檚 when these Christians overflow with love, and faith and hope in some of the toughest circumstances, that people begin to take notice.
Peter, in his letter, is full of praise for what God has done for us. By his mercy he has secured our future.. he has given us a living hope.
Hope is an invisible thing, but it makes such a difference. The Chinese Philosopher, Carver Yu said of our world.. we have technological optimism.. and literary despair- Everything to live with, nothing to live for.

Peter speaks of this hope as a heavenly inheritance that can never perish
spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you. So there鈥檚 ultimately a good purpose to all that we go [ the Christian goes]聽 through in life-聽 God wants to bring us to a place where our deepest hopes and longings will finally be met.
And that鈥檚 such a contrast to life today 鈥� which perishes, spoils or fades.
I had a clergy friend who was a vicar of a church in Fontanbleu, just south of Paris. He鈥檇 arranged for us to stay the night in a chateau. It was delightful! But when we had breakfast with the owners in the morning, they explained what happened in a chateau, when someone in a generation died. The property would be divided, and then divided again in each generation.. Its French law, or at least allegedly it was, and so they saw this wonderful聽 inheritance simply diminishing before their very eyes!
Well, not so with our living hope!
But what鈥檚 this future hope based on?聽 It鈥檚 based on an event in the past 鈥� in history - the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Much has been written on the evidence for the resurrection, but here鈥檚 one small but significant detail.
If you visit Jerusalem today, you鈥檒l find there鈥檚 a debate over the exact location of the tomb of Jesus. Now there鈥檚 a good contender or two, but the reason we鈥檙e not exactly sure where His tomb lay, is perhaps because, to the early Christians, it wasn't that important.
As the apocryphal story goes of Joseph of Arimathea. . the man who gave away his family tomb聽 for Jesus鈥� burial - - speaking to his wife he says 鈥撯�� I鈥檝e given the family tomb away to the preacher from Galilee鈥�. And his wife says, 鈥漛ut why? I鈥檓 going to be buried there, you will be buried there, all our family will be buried there?! 鈥溌� 鈥淥h鈥�, says Joseph, 鈥渄on't worry 鈥� He only wants it for the weekend!鈥�
The New testament tells that after His resurrection, 鈥渇or 40 days, with his disciples, which included Peter, he walked around, talked ate and passed
through walls and finally ascended into heaven in order to demonstrate that He was in no way bound to the old order of things.. Since then, this old world of ours has never been the same.鈥�
This future hope based on that past event affects how we live in our present trials and tribulations. Peter writes this strange line.. .. in this hope you rejoice, even though now you have had to suffer grief through various聽 trials.. Joy and grief in one sentence!?
鈥�
2 years ago we got that phone call everyone dreads..the police saying..your daughter has been airlifted to hospital.. brain injury.. she鈥檚 in theatre now.. you rush to a and e.. you鈥檙e taken to one side into a nice room with free tea and coffee and Kleenex.. and you know it must be serious..
And it really was.. life and death..4 times they told us she might die.. and in the few hours and days afterwards we got聽 that blinding clarity that only comes in the furnace of suffering. We found ourselves saying. Thank God??,聽 she has an inheritance that can never perish spoil or fade..
Now this is a story with a happy ending.. through prayer and the wonderful NHS, she鈥檚 back at work.. And we all know it doesn't always work out that way. We have experienced the grief of death here in our congregation too. But here鈥檚 the strange thing. In the midst of difficulties, despite the circumstances, there is a living hope, indeed, there is a Living Lord, who is an island of certainty in a sea of uncertainty.

Do we deserve this inheritance? Of course not! But that鈥檚 the joy of it! There are so many reasons to keep us out of heaven, why should he let us in? And yet He is dying to let us in. It's a gift .. of his grace. A pardon, if you like.. and it answers that nagging feeling that we sometimes call 鈥渋mposter syndrome鈥� 鈥� the feeling that one day the boss will find you out. He has found you out! But he has covered your shame and bought your forgiveness.. As the old Good Friday hymn says :- 鈥� He died that we might be forgiven he died to make us good that we might go at last to heaven saved by his precious blood鈥�.

鈥�
You can鈥檛 see him, or at least you weren鈥檛 around to see him all those years ago, but Peter saw, and wrote this for every generation to read聽 including my grandfather. I imagine him marvelling with wonder as he says 鈥淲ithout having seen Him, YOU, in the 21C love him!
Some聽 years ago.. as 19 year old.. I began looking into the Christian faith. I鈥檇 been going to church all my life.. but after one evening service a lovely girl asked me if I鈥檇 like to come to the youth group.. I said yes, not really knowing the kind of holy huddle I was letting myself in for.. It was great, actually! Guitars.. good songs-聽 and then she said.. lets pray. I looked around for the vicar.. he was the only person I鈥檇 ever heard pray out loud.. but she prayed.. and as I watched her peeking thru my fingers.. I saw her talking to someone I couldn't see, and that she loved him. And at that point I felt myself going bright red, dying of embarrassment, but I knew
she had something I didn't have.
Today, people can鈥檛 see Jesus.. but they can see you and me. You know, we often talk about faith as something cerebral..something you need to understand, something you hold to.But can I ask you.... do you love Him? That鈥檚 real Christianity..
And people catch what other people love.. It is the Christian faith in a nutshell.. Without having seen Him, you love Him. Amen

鈥�
MUSIC: ALAS! AND DID MY SAVIOUR BLEED,

Sarah Bradley
Alexandra Frazer singing Alas And Did My Saviour Bleed. Our prayers are led by Deborah Primrose, a member of the congregation here at Platt.

鈥�
Prayers: Deborah Primrose
鈥漌ithout having seen Him you love Him鈥�
Our Heavenly Father as followers of Jesus we do love him and we have not yet seen him.

We thank you for those who shared the truth of Jesus and his love, mercy and forgiveness with us. We ask that in turn we may pass on this Good News to others so they may know they are loved and forgiven too.

Give us confidence to speak of you, Sensitivity to walk with others on their journey, And love to inspire us to reach out to others. Most of all, give us a passion to see your Kingdom come, That we might take risky steps To be your witnesses to your world. Through your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

When your followers walked the Emmaus road, Wondering what was true and what was not, You came alongside them and revealed yourself Through opened word and broken bread. Come alongside those we know and love Who wonder and seek at this time. Especially we pray for our neighbours, friends and families. Reveal yourself in your love, make us ready to walk alongside them too, Until they see your face and know your presence. Amen.

Let us also silently pray for those we may know in need of relief from pain, sadness, worry and hardship. [count 5 seconds]

Let us pray for those countries of the world torn by war and division - we ask for simple acts of bravery, kindness and love to change situations through the power of the Holy Spirit. [count 5 seconds]
As Bishop Tom Wright wrote 鈥渨e are praying, as Jesus was praying and acting for the redemption of the world; for the radical defeat and uprooting of evil and for heaven and earth to be married at last, for God to be all in all and if we pray this way we must be prepared to live this way鈥�

And now A Prayer of St Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)

Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits which you have given us,
for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us.
Most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother,
may we know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly,
day by day
Amen.

Sarah Bradley
We say the Lord鈥檚 Prayer together:

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 forever.
Amen.

Paul Mathole
Without having seen him, you love him. It鈥檚 a love that cannot help but overflow. As our final hymn puts it, 鈥淭hen sings my soul鈥�: How great thou art.

MUSIC: O LORD MY GOD!

Paul Mathole: Final Blessing

MUSIC