St Thomas Methodist Church, Exeter
Weekly Worship Resources
September 2024
01 September – Actions speak louder than words
In the first chapter of his practical letter, James reminds us that all good gifts come from God. Those who receive them should acknowledge this in the way they live their lives, putting their faith into action by being doers of the Word and not merely hearers.
James writes to dispersed Christian communities, giving everyone clear directions about what to do when hearing Scripture: pay attention and imitate the way of Jesus. James brings us the same challenge today – we explore and practise the best way for us to respond as individuals and as a Church.
Lectionary Bible readings for RCL Proper 17 Year B
Deuteronomy 4.1-2,6-9; Psalm 15; James 1.17-27; Mark 7.1-8,14-15,21-23
James 1: 17 – 27 [CEV]
17 Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing. 18 He wanted us to be his own special people, and so he sent the true message to give us new birth.
Hearing and Obeying
19 My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. 20 If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things God wants done. 21 You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message planted in you to save you.
22 Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it. 23 If you hear the message and don't obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror 24 and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. 25 But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don't just hear and forget.
26 If you think you are being religious, but can't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is useless. 27 Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil.
Thought for the week
Love is a verb: but the how and the why may change
Do we know why we do certain things? Some traditions in family or community life carry on without knowing why or how they came into being, the original reason lost. For example, a woman cuts the legs off the chicken before cooking. Why? Because her mother and grandmother did so before her. But then the great grandmother explains that she did so because she only had a small cooking pot!
New church ministers are often challenged because they do things differently from those who have gone before them. But James and Jesus both challenged traditions. Do we need new and different ways of doing things?
What response does God want from our reading of Scripture today? James is clear, ‘Be doers of the word and not just hearers’. The response required is not to leave the word of God on the page, but to re-read it and reflect upon it until it is written on our hearts and then to seek grace and guidance on putting it into action (Think: page, heart, action). This involves both opening our doors and praying for people to come in but also going out and meeting the needs of a hurting world.
- Could you make a ‘Prayer walk’ in your local area, offering to pray for those you meet?
- Could you visit shops and places of work and find out about their concerns, offering to leave a prayer card on their noticeboards?
- Look for places in the community that can become ‘prayer stations’.
- a crossroads – for people travelling;
- cul-de-sacs – a quiet place to pause off the busy road or place we may pray for people finding no purpose in their lives;
- playgrounds – giving thanks for times of recreation.
- Can you think of others in your community?
Let us live and pray in a purposeful way, always having the example of Jesus and his teaching before us, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’.
A prayer of confession
Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole being.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
Forgive us, O God, for our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Restore to us the joy of your salvation, and renew a right spirit within us. Help us to be doers of the Word, and not just hearers. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who died for us and rose again. Amen
Assurance of forgiveness
Loving God, we thank you for your forgiveness, which sets us free from sin and guilt. Thank you that you do not treat us as our sins deserve, but as your beloved children. Thank you that you do not remember our sins anymore, but cast them into the depths of the sea. We receive your forgiveness with gratitude and joy. Amen
08 September – Favouritism forbidden
James continues his letter by giving a vivid example of people being treated differently in the worshipping community, with the rich and important being favoured over the poor and needy. He is stark in his declaration that showing partiality in this way falls short of God’s standards. This passage also contains his famous pronouncement that faith without works is dead.
This is a compelling reminder that God is merciful and we should do the same in our lives and our communities. Do we need to review our own practice of inclusion in worship and in our outreach? Who are we excluding and why?
Lectionary Bible readings for RCL Proper 18 Year B
Isaiah 35.4-7a; Psalm 146; James 2.1-10 (11-13) 14-17; Mark 7.24-37
James 2: 1 – 10; 14 – 17 [CEV]
Warning against Having Favourites
2 My friends, if you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you won't treat some people better than others. 2 Suppose a rich person wearing fancy clothes and a gold ring comes to one of your meetings. And suppose a poor person dressed in worn-out clothes also comes. 3 You must not give the best seat to the one in fancy clothes and tell the one who is poor to stand at the side or sit on the floor. 4 This is the same as saying that some people are better than others, and you would be acting like a crooked judge.
5 My dear friends, pay attention. God has given a lot of faith to the poor people in this world. God has also promised them a share in his kingdom that he will give to everyone who loves him. 6 You mistreat the poor. But isn't it the rich who boss you around and drag you off to court? 7 Aren't they the ones who make fun of your Lord?
8 You will do all right, if you obey the most important law in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves. 9 But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.
10 If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all.
Faith and Works
14 My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show you really do have faith? Can this kind of faith save you? 15 If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, 16 you shouldn't just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? 17 Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!
Thought for the week
Here is a story from a church that met every Sunday in the local primary school. For several years, the church had been set out in traditional rows of seating with the altar up on the stage. One Holy Week, to enable foot washing to take place on Maundy Thursday, this layout was changed so that the chairs were in a circle and the people, including the priest, sat in the round. The altar was brought down to the level of the people. After a little discussion it was decided to leave the church in this layout for the Easter celebrations. Then a vote was held on whether to keep it permanently. It was overwhelmingly carried.
A little while later, an eight-year-old member of the congregation came to speak to the minister at the end of the service. Mark was crying, so the minister asked what was wrong. Mark said, ‘My mum said that I had to come and tell you that I put two votes in for the “cuddly” shape.’ ‘Oh, Mark,’ the minister replied, ‘I am so pleased you like the new layout in church. So did everyone else! Perhaps they put extra votes in too!’
So often children can put into words what others are feeling too. Well done to that congregation for trying a new shape of church that made people feel ‘cuddled and held in God’s love’.
Does the layout of our church enable newcomers to feel welcomed and seen? What are we doing well in terms of welcome and where is there room for improvement? What would a ‘mystery worshipper’ report about us? (This might be a useful exercise to carry out – invite someone from outside the church to attend a service and to share their thoughts. This could then form the basis for an action plan.)
A prayer of adoration
Holy God, you show no favouritism but welcome all into your kingdom – all have a place with you.
Your heart is for the poor and those on the margins – you embrace the weak and needy.
Your compassion is everlasting and your mercy never fails.
We adore you, O God, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Amen
15 September – What comes out when you are squeezed?
James uses a succession of striking images to illustrate the power of the tongue, the impact of which can be used for both good or ill, going well beyond its small size. Nobody is perfect, but this state of affairs does not befit followers of Jesus.
James is brutally honest in asking if we are really in control of our bodies. Our actions and speech have the power to bring life-changing harm or grace. Together, we discover ways to train ourselves to be more effective instruments of God’s peace and grace.
Lectionary Bible readings for RCL Proper 19 Year B
Isaiah 50.4-9a; Psalm 116.1-9; James 3.1-12; Mark 8.27-38
James 3: 1 – 12 [CEV]
The Tongue
3 My friends, we should not all try to become teachers. In fact, teachers will be judged more strictly than others. 2 All of us do many wrong things. But if you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body.
3 By putting a bit into the mouth of a horse, we can turn the horse in different directions. 4 It takes strong winds to move a large sailing ship, but the captain uses only a small rudder to make it go in any direction. 5 Our tongues are small too, and yet they brag about big things.
It takes only a spark to start a forest fire! 6 The tongue is like a spark. It is an evil power that dirties the rest of the body and sets a person's entire life on fire with flames that come from hell itself. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures can be tamed and have been tamed. 8 But our tongues get out of control. They are restless and evil, and always spreading deadly poison.
9-10 My dear friends, with our tongues we speak both praises and curses. We praise our Lord and Father, and we curse people who were created to be like God, and this isn't right. 11 Can clean water and dirty water both flow from the same spring? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives or a grapevine produce figs? Does fresh water come from a well full of salt water?
Thought for the week
What do you need to run a marathon? If you’ve ever done so, you no doubt had an intensive training schedule and plan to enable you to make it to the end of the race. Similarly, life can be a marathon. How can we prepare spiritually for its challenges? James calls for discipline and formation, mindfully bringing God’s grace into every aspect of life. Let’s look at a few starting points.
A daily running schedule Do we have a daily plan of Bible reading and reflection to guide our living? There are helpful guides and Bible reading notes available. Perhaps some of you were given a Gideon’s New Testament and Psalms when you were at school? It has a helpful two-year reading schedule of the Psalms and New Testament.
A running partner We all need support when facing a challenge. Have you thought about joining a prayer or Bible study group? These all bring support and a deeper understanding of Scripture. It can also be helpful to find someone who can offer one-to-one support, such as a spiritual guide or friend.
Be prepared for ‘hitting the wall’ When an athlete ‘hits the wall’, they physically run out of energy. It often happens around the 18-mile mark in a marathon but can be avoided by eating the right foods before and during a race. How do we prepare for those stress points in life when we feel like giving up?
Remember, Jesus often went apart to pray and be with God at the difficult times, to ask for wisdom and grace in his teaching or to face the many challenges in his ministry. How can we ‘fuel up’ in prayer and being close to God?
Mindfulness moments What comes out when you are squeezed? Blessings or curses? It again depends on pondering these things long before and having the experience of living through the ‘smaller’ challenges with God along the way.
Be aware of the pressure points in the diary and pray through the day and ask others to pray for you. Pray through possible responses and build yourself new ways of preparing and responding to challenges, failures, etc. Remember there are water stations along the marathon route. Take that refreshment and take a slower pace to drink before returning to speed.
Take a break The final advice in preparing for a marathon is to take a two-day break from training each week and do something restful. Just before the event, runners are advised to stop training and to rest for a week. Regular retreats are essentially ‘a Holy sabbath,’ a chance to withdraw from the pressures of the world and to draw closer to God’s presence. Taking such moments of holy rest can prepare us for the challenges ahead when we return to the world.
Intercessory prayer
We pray for all who bear the responsibility of working with words: for lawyers and journalists, novelists and poets – give them wisdom, for wisdom reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and orders all things well.
We pray for all who are victims of words ill-used: for those bullied by rumours, those belittled by ridicule, those befuddled by complex instructions or the words of unsympathetic officials – give them wisdom, for wisdom reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and orders all things well.
Lord, make us sensitive to your wisdom as we exercise whatever responsibilities are given to us, give us wisdom – give them wisdom, for wisdom reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and orders all things well. Amen
22 September – Choosing God, choosing wisdom
James outlines the qualities of a wise person, which come from above, while the qualities of the world (envy, selfish ambition) cause disorder and conflict in the Church and beyond. The solution is to submit to God.
This week we are challenged to check the choices we make about how we live, that they may result in good fruit being seen in our lives. Jesus used a child to compare greatness and humility: even we, with wisdom, can sow a harvest of righteousness and draw near to God.
Lectionary Bible readings for RCL Proper 20 Year B
Jeremiah 11.18-20; Psalm 54; James 3.13-4.3,7-8a; Mark 9.30-37
James 3: 13 – 4: 3; 7 – 8a [CEV]
Wisdom from Above
13 Are any of you wise or sensible? Then show it by living right and by being humble and wise in everything you do. 14 But if your heart is full of bitter jealousy and selfishness, don't brag or lie to cover up the truth. 15 This kind of wisdom doesn't come from above. It is earthly and selfish and comes from the devil himself. 16 Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things. 17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. 18 When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.
Friendship with the World
4 Why do you fight and argue with each other? Isn't it because you are full of selfish desires that fight to control your body? 2 You want something you don't have, and you will do anything to get it. You will even kill! But you still cannot get what you want, and you won't get it by fighting and arguing. You should pray for it. 3 Yet even when you do pray, your prayers are not answered, because you pray just for selfish reasons.
7 Surrender to God! Resist the devil, and he will run from you. 8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you.
Thought for the week
Choosing wisdom will never be easy: in our media-connected world there are more pressures than ever for all ages to conform, to follow a trend, to adopt a cause.
What is the source of our wisdom? To submit to God and to draw near to him, by following the example of Jesus and the teaching of the Bible, is quite different from submitting to human wisdom. Whether the oppression of a government or the persuasive words of a media influencer, that ‘wisdom’ is unlikely to lead to actions that bear fruit of benefit to others.
How can we possibly be wise all the time? Sometimes there are no right decisions. In the novel The Shack by William P Young, while Mack saves his son from drowning in the lake his daughter is abducted from the shoreline: should he have acted differently? There are more everyday dilemmas, such as when the latest ‘wisdom’ on how to care for a newborn baby is contrary to the advice of a grandparent.
The mark of God’s wisdom is the focus on others, which requires us to resist the selfishness of the world. In the words of The Message version of James 4:2-3, ‘You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.’ Our focus is to be on what God wants, for all his children, to be our own best self for the good of others.
There are plenty of motivational speeches online. There is even one entitled, ‘Focus on yourself, not others’. There are pressures from every side. On social media or in the real world, how much influence can we have on those around us, particularly our young people who are overwhelmed by so many products, fake news items and bewildering life choices?
Blogs gather a following of like-minded readers. Do we follow Jesus with such avid devotion? 
If you can’t beat them, join them! There are Christian websites and blogs, although discretion needs to be exercised in using some of them. This could be a project to follow with a young person.
Submitting to God’s love, not to other pressures, gets easier as we draw nearer to him. Can we, by trusting in God and living contrary to the world’s expectation, be made great though humility?  
A prayer of approach
God of wisdom and peace, we come to you in worship and prayer, seeking your guidance and grace.
We thank you for your Word, which teaches us how to live in harmony with you and with one another.
We ask that you would make us wise and understanding, gentle and humble, pure and peaceable.
In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen
29 September – Right person, right place, right time
Esther, a young Jewish woman who has become queen, has learnt of a plot by her husband’s adviser, Haman, to wreak revenge by murdering her people. Risking her life, she courageously stands up for herself and her fellow Jews. Haman is duly punished. The feast of Purim is established as an annual celebration of this deliverance.
We are challenged to recognise God-given opportunities to work with him in saving all people, both in spiritual and practical ways. Rather than putting obstacles in the way, we are called to act boldly and to speak up.
Lectionary Bible readings for RCL Proper 21 Year B
Esther 7.1–6,9-10; 9.20-22; Psalm 124; James 5.13-20; Mark 9.38-50
Esther 7: 1 – 6, 9 – 10; 9: 20 – 22 [CEV]
Haman Is Punished
7 The king and Haman were dining with Esther 2 and drinking wine during the second dinner, when the king again said, “Esther, what can I do for you? Just ask, and I will give you as much as half of my kingdom!”
3 Esther answered, “Your Majesty, if you really care for me and are willing to help, you can save me and my people. That's what I really want, 4 because a reward has been promised to anyone who kills my people. Your Majesty, if we were merely going to be sold as slaves, I would not have bothered you.”
5 “Who would dare to do such a thing?” the king asked.
6 Esther replied, “That evil Haman is the one out to get us!”
Haman was terrified, as he looked at the king and the queen.
9 Then Harbona, one of the king's personal servants, said, “Your Majesty, Haman built a gallows 22 metres high beside his house, so he could hang Mordecai on it. And Mordecai is the very one who spoke up and saved your life.”
“Hang Haman from his own gallows!” the king commanded. 10 At once, Haman was hanged on the gallows he had built to hang Mordecai, and the king calmed down.
The Festival of Purim
20 Mordecai wrote down everything that had happened. Then he sent letters to the Jews everywhere in the provinces 21 and told them: Each year you must celebrate on both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of Adar, 22 the days when we Jews defeated our enemies. Remember this month as a time when our sorrow was turned to joy, and celebration took the place of crying. Celebrate by having parties and by giving to the poor and by sharing gifts of food with each other.
Thought for the week
In the Second World War, Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist and member of the Nazi party, was used by God to save the lives of many Jews. While benefitting from his official position, his conscience moved him to use his business as a means of rescue for Jewish workers otherwise destined for concentration camps. His story was featured in the film Schindler’s List. God can choose anyone to be his right person, at any time, in the place where they find themselves.
The story of Esther is set in Susa, on an important trade route. The Jews of Esther’s community are those who did not return from Babylon to Judah but stayed and created their own fairly secure enclave. The lectionary verses miss out so many of the ‘good bits’ of this action-packed account! Read the whole book of Esther (or her story even further expanded in Additions to Esther in the Apocrypha) to find out why the King of Persia included in his royal palace a young Jewish girl, who became his queen, and her cousin who had saved his life. Then add in ‘the baddie’, Haman, who plotted against the king and against all the Jewish people and the scene is set for God (the un-named pivotal character in the story) to act on behalf of his people. Knowing of Haman’s plot, Esther risked her life by appearing before the king without invitation. She did so with the support of those praying and fasting for her. She also knew that she was the only one who had a chance to make an appeal to the king, and her courage changed the course of history.
Like Joseph, many centuries earlier, Esther was there for ‘such a time as this’. It could be that your church is so placed for God to use at this time: could a day be set aside for prayer and fasting, to review where the church is going and if you are living as God’s ‘right people’? 
A prayer of praise and thanksgiving
God of our deliverance, thank you for sending those who have been in the right place at the right time to help us in our hour of need. Thank you for all those people of courage who risk their lives to serve others. Help us too to be brave and to be people who take a stand for truth and grace. For your name’s sake. Amen
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