27/8/23
Your weekly update from the Benwell & Scotswood Team
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Services this week
Sun 3 Sep
9.30am - St John's Holy Communion
9.45am - St Margaret's Holy Communion
11am - Hub service at St James (Parish Eucharist)
Thurs 7 Sep
10.30am - Ven Bede Holy Communion
News
Benstock 2023!
Here are some images we have shared to social media of the awesome night that was Benstock 2023
A huge thank you to everyone who has made Benstock happen! With special mention to Echo Garratt. It has been an amazing event that has brought people together, celebrated music and community, and raised money for the Something Wonderful project.
Sunday Worship
Sunday 3rd September 2023
13th Sunday after Trinity
Proper 17
Green
Sermon
Anyone recognise this symbol?
Nike of course It is associated with sportswear and success being a winner. Do you know what the word means -Nike Greek (Nikeh or Nika) a word for Victory Part of Christian vocabulary in early church you see symbol IC XC NIKA Jesus Christ Victor
Last week’s reading was all about Peter’s life- changing discovery. Jesus asked, ‘Who do you say I am?’ and Peter came out with a confession of faith. ‘You are the Christ the son of the Living God’. The Christ, the Messiah, the one long expected to come and bring God’s Victory. Jesus in turn tells Peter this is not from flesh and blood but my Father in Heaven and, ‘you are the rock on which I will build my church’. A great vision of Triumph opens, and Peter must have felt on top of the world.
And now, poor Peter-it is hard not to feel sorry for him Hero to Zero. Not the tick for victory but L for loser.
In today’s Gospel Jesus tells him ‘Get behind me Satan you are a stumbling block’ Harsh words, ‘Satan’, ‘stumbling block’ the Greek word is skandalon, a scandal. No longer is Peter voicing a divine revelation he is a tool of the devil. So, what went wrong?
Peter won’t listen to Jesus as he tells him what will happen, as he predicts his coming suffering Again true to form Peter jumps in without thinking ‘this will never happen to you’. What Jesus is describing doesn’t sound at all like the promise of victory, rather the bitterness of defeat and Peter is having none of it. He is not ready to hear what Jesus has to teach, not ready to receive what is the heart of what Jesus is really about. Not willing to understand Jesus’s way to Victory. As Jesus puts it, Peter is setting his mind on human things not on divine things, thinking the way humans think and have always thought, not allowing his mind and heart to be transformed, in order to understand God’s way.
How do we measure success? What are the goals we have in life? What do we think it means to be a winner? This week I happened to be visiting in Darras Hall big houses, smart cars, clean streets, they say it is where the footballers and the WAGs live. All the trappings of success, wouldn’t it be great to join them? But is that really what we should aim for, what we should envy if we don’t have? is it what brings true joy? That is not how Jesus sees it, you can have all those things and still be miserable, missing what is really important. For Jesus, finding life, means being prepared to lose life, the disciple like the Lord, must take up the cross- be prepared to brave what looks like defeat, to embrace shame and failure and find the hidden victory concealed in these bitter things.
This difference, between God’s way to Victory, and the human natural way makes it hard not just for Peter, but for all of us. It is a challenge in every age, and not just for individuals, but for the whole church.
Jesus calls his followers to be like him and the church too is meant to mirror his life. Sadly, as we know this isn’t always how it is, when the church becomes concerned only for its own life, unwilling to lose life to find it, it too becomes a stumbling block, a scandal.
But it doesn’t need to be like that, these things are not beyond our reach the whole point of Jesus walking the way of the cross is that it is for us. His victory is our victory. It is not always easy, but the gospel message is that the cross is the means by which Jesus overcomes sin and death, and holds out not an impossible task, an unbearable burden, but forgiveness and a new hope. It is a message of grace. God’s gift of life in Christ, sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.
So, what would it mean for us to take up the cross? It is not at all about being miserable, suffering for the sake of suffering, looking down on all the things that bring joy and happiness, a kind of death cult. No, it is a life affirming teaching, our first reading spelled out well what it really means to take up the cross. It is a kind of prescription, a breakdown of how to follow Christ, how to walk the path of Victory.
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. .. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Is that so dreadful? Is it really beyond us? What would we be like, what would our church be like, if we took all these simple things to heart? Gods’ way to Victory, aren’t these things we can say yes to? Our tick to His cross.
Amen .
Intercessions
Prayers for others:
Maria Hawthorn
George Snowdon
Herbert Agbeko
Ellis Nelson
Pauline Nelson
Michell Wilson
Peter Wilson
Alan Taylor
Maureen Tayor
Irene Foskett
Lorraine Atkinson
Diana Humprey
Rest in peace
George Grant
If you would like to add someone to the prayer list please email church@benwellscotswood.com
The name will stay on the list for 1 month unless requested to be long-term.
Collect
Almighty God,
who called your Church to bear witness
that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself:
help us to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may be drawn to you;
through him who was lifted up on the cross,
and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
or
Almighty God,
you search us and know us:
may we rely on you in strength
and rest on you in weakness,
now and in all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Readings (Related):
Romans 12.9–end
9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. 11Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.* 12Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;* do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God;* for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ 20No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Reading
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. All: Glory to you, O Lord.
Matthew 16.21–end
21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ 23But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
27 ‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. 28Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord. All: Praise to you, O Christ.
Post Communion
God our creator,
you feed your children with the true manna,
the living bread from heaven:
let this holy food sustain us through our earthly pilgrimage
until we come to that place where hunger and thirst are no more;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.