大象传媒

This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors.

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.

Rev. Canon Ann Easter -聽

Good morning! This Thursday, April 29th, marks the tenth anniversary of the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; such a lovely occasion. I've no doubt that Her Majesty the Queen will remember that day, with Prince Philip beside her and she may think of her own Wedding Day too 鈥� family occasions can be very poignant when one person isn鈥檛 there.

The anniversary gives us an opportunity to think about marriage and some of the many other relationships that we enjoy, especially this past year. As a wife, mother and grandmother, not to mention associate priest with a congregation, interfaith commissioner and member of charitable trusts, I'm used to seeing lots of people every week and we've had to find new ways of being together.

But now, as restrictions lift, we can look forward to seeing people in real life, shaking hands with them and hugging them. We might be able to mend relationships that have fallen away and there will be new friends to meet too.

So today we thank God for those around us and for how we may glimpse God's kindness and faithfulness in those relationships.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽

Our first hymn is the beautiful Love Divine all Loves excelling and we're going to hear the recording of it as it was sung at the Duke and Duchess's wedding in Westminster Abbey聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽

Music 鈥� Love Divine
Tune: Blaenwern
Author: Charles Wesley
Performer: Choir of Westminster Abbey
Album: The Royal Wedding 鈥� The Official Album

Ann 鈥� Almighty God, You saw that it was not good for us to be alone and you give us all sorts of relationships to enjoy. Help us to love and serve all our sisters and brothers and to see something of your love in every encounter. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who loves us all. Amen.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽

God is Love and whatever we know about love, we know about God; in our relationships with partners, family, friends, colleagues and even our pets, we can experience something of the glory of God.

Today we'll be hearing from three pairs of people in three different types of relationship 鈥� a grandmother and grandson, a husband and wife and two friends; they talk about their relationships this past year and how they've seen something of God at work in them.

First we join housemates Annabelle and Sarah sitting in their home in Manchester, having a cup of tea, talking about how they became friends in the pandemic.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽

Testimony - Annabelle and Sarah

Music 鈥� Grateful Response
Author and performer: Orphan No More
Album: Death Died

Ann - Now we hear from Linda and her 16 year old grandson Zeke, sitting in their local park. Zeke is one of Linda鈥檚 13 grandchildren. The pair share a special connection of being members of the same church.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽

Testimony 鈥� Linda and Zeke

Ann - Our bible readings today celebrate another kind of relationship 鈥� siblings. The passages are read to us by brother and sister, Caspar and Fliss.聽 Our readings are from Genesis 1 verses 26 to 27, but before that the first letter of John, Chapter 4, from verse 7.

Bible Reading - 1 John 4: 7-12

Music -聽 If Ye Love Me
Author: Tallis
Performer: John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers
Album: A Double Celebration Disc 1

Bible Reading 鈥� Genesis 1:26-27

Ann -
Our sermon is from Dr Krish Kandiah whose work with people stretches from the international聽 -聽 by currently working alongside the government to welcome Christians moving to the UK聽 from Hong Kong - to the intimately domestic, in his fostering and adoption charity, Home for Good.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽

Sermon 鈥� Dr Krish Kandiah 鈥�

I love the neighbours on the cul-de-sac where I live. There鈥檚 the Greek family next door with the infectious laugh I can hear through my walls. There are the ten-year-old twins who leave toy nerf-gun bullets on my front lawn. There are swimmers, marathon runners, enough musicians for a makeshift band on Christmas Eve, and there鈥檚 Alastair, who has the exact right tool for every occasion.

I had a different experience in my previous neighbourhood. For some reason people treated me with suspicion. Perhaps it was part of being in a city. Perhaps living on a dual carriageway had something to do with it. Or maybe it was because I had become the local church pastor. Whatever the reason, nobody accepted my repeated invitations to come round for coffee.

Then one day, when I tried to start my car it made a weird noise and smoke started to billow from the engine. I popped the hood and began poking around hopefully but pointlessly with a spanner.聽

Suddenly, to my surprise, the man from next door joined me under the bonnet. This was the neighbour who had only ever spoken to me in one-word sentences through a three-inch gap in his doorway. Together we scratched our heads, poked the engine some more and contemplated the problems in the world. We soon discovered we had more in common than a deficient knowledge of car mechanics and the fence between our homes.聽
He never did come round for coffee, and we never spoke face-to-face until the day I moved out. But we ended up getting on perfectly well in our front gardens side by side - pruning trees, changing tyres, complaining about dual carriageway drivers.聽聽

That neighbour taught me a lot about human relationships and how working together side by side can break down barriers.

This truth can be found in the Bible too. God always intended meaningful and lasting connections to be forged and sustained through humanity鈥檚 common mission in the world.

When the Bible describes the origins of life, and the universe in the book of Genesis, it is apparent from the outset that relationships are the core of God鈥檚 purposes for human flourishing. In the story of the creation we are told repeatedly that things are good. Over and over God creates things out of nothing: light, land, animals, birds and fish and each time he concludes with the remark: 鈥淎nd God saw that it was good.鈥�

But when it comes to the creation of human beings God says something very different, as we heard in our reading earlier.聽聽

There are three important things to note:

Firstly God creates human being to resemble him 鈥� three times in two short sentences we are reminded that human beings are in the image and likeness of God. This resemblance is not physical. We mirror God not in how we look, but in how we look after one other. Because we all resemble him, every single person on the planet has intrinsic value, dignity and worth.

Secondly God creates human beings to have responsibility 鈥� as God鈥檚 image-bearers we are God鈥檚 representatives. God has entrusted to us:聽 鈥渢he fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.鈥澛� Here is our common task: planet Earth is the bonnet we have our heads under. We are not only to look after one other but our environment too. Together we are to use our power, resources, skills and abilities to make sure we are looking after our world.

Thirdly God creates human beings to reach out for him 鈥� the first humans were blessed by God and told 鈥淏e fruitful and increase in number鈥�. They were to pass on their mission to the next generation.聽 Through marriage and the birth of children, God鈥檚 rule was supposed to continue so that his creation would be cared for.聽

The book of Genesis is not like a romantic movie with two lovers staring into each other鈥檚 eyes as the sun goes down behind snow-capped mountains. No, the book of Genesis portrays the first two lovers standing side-by-side 鈥� partnering together on a shared adventure. They have a job to do together - equal in worth and dignity and purpose - to take care of God鈥檚 world.

How much more important this job was to become as the world began to fracture.

Today we all experience brokenness in one form or another whether it is racism, oppression, abuse, disadvantage, poverty, political polarisation, family breakdown, or the effects of chronic ill health perhaps brought on during the pandemic. When we look at our relationships we all can see some brokenness, Christians included. But it is vital for us to stand side-by-side, remembering that God has made us in his image to reflect his nature, to take responsibility and care for those who are most vulnerable, and to spread his message and live out his mission of love and compassion.

Perhaps this is what inspires the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in their marriage and their public service together.

Perhaps it can inspire us to work in partnership with God, our family, spouses, colleagues, friends, siblings, and communities to ensure that the lonely receive love, children are cared for, the hungry are fed, the stranger is welcomed, and the planet is preserved for future generations.

I wonder who lives on your street. A single mum with young children? Someone who has been bereaved during Covid? Someone who works night shifts alone and connects with few people? Someone who is struggling to understand British customs?

Too often we view our homes like castles built to shield ourselves from the worries of the world and the problems of those around us. Perhaps a better way is to see our home like a mechanic鈥檚 garage, or a hospital - where we can work side-by-side to care with and for one another.聽

In the challenging days ahead as we seek to rebuild our nation and our world after the ravages of the pandemic there will plenty for us to do together.

May those things bring the peace of God to the globe but also draw us closer to one another.

Music 鈥� Hallelujah
Author and performer: Celtic Worship
Album: Homeward

Ann 鈥� We now join husband and wife Philip and Eileen. Philip grew up in Japan, and Eileen is from Germany, and they鈥檝e been living in England for a couple of years . We join them at their home with their 3 year old daughter playing in the background.

Testimony 鈥� Philip and Eileen

Music 鈥� Be Still My Soul
Author: Kathrina von Schlegel
Performer: Joyful Noise

Intercessory Prayers 鈥�
Ann 鈥� Those we鈥檝e heard from today now join me in leading our prayers.

Music 鈥� How Great Thou Art
Author: Carl Boberg
Performer: Choir and Congregation of Methodist Central Hall

Final Blessing