St Ursula's Church
Berne, Switzerland
A Church of the Anglican Communion, welcoming all who seek the Lord Jesus Christ
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| St Ursula's Church A Church of the Anglican Communion, welcoming all who seek the Lord Jesus Christ | ||||||||
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Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you
and also with you.
1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation;
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation:
all ye who hear,
now to his temple draw near,
joining in glad adoration.
2 Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
shieldeth thee gently from harm, or when fainting sustaineth:
hast thou not seen
how thy heart's wishes have been
granted in what he ordaineth?
3 Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend thee:
ponder anew
what the Almighty can do,
if to the end he befriend thee.
4 Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the Amen
sound from his people again:
gladly for aye we adore him!
J Neander, tr. Catherine Winkworth
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The light of Christ has come into the world,
the light of Christ has come into the world.
The grace of God has dawned upon the world through our Saviour Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself for us to purify a people as his own.
Let us confess our sins.
Lord Jesus, illuminate the darkness in our hearts:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, open our eyes to your saving love:
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, unstop our ears to hear your living word:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Almighty God,
who caused the light of the gospel
to shine throughout the world
through the preaching of your servant Saint Paul:
grant that we who celebrate his wonderful conversion
may follow him in bearing witness to your truth;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah.
4The word of the Lord came to me saying, 5'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.' 6Then I said, 'Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.' 7But the Lord said to me, 'Do not say, "I am only a boy"; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you, 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.' 9Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, 'Now I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.'
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
1Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' 5He asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' The reply came, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.' 7The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, 'Ananias.' He answered, 'Here I am, Lord.' 11The Lord said to him, 'Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.' 13But Ananias answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.' 15But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.' 17So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' 18And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, 'He is the Son of God.' 21All who heard him were amazed and said, 'Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?' 22Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.
1 Let all the world in every corner sing,
my God and King.
The heavens are not too high,
his praise may thither fly:
the earth is not too low,
his praises there may grow.
Let all the world in every corner sing,
my God and King.
2 Let all the world in every corner sing,
my God and King.
The church with psalms must shout,
no door can keep them out;
but above all the heart
must bear the longest part.
Let all the world in every corner sing,
my God and King.
George Herbert
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
Glory to you, O Lord
27Peter said to Jesus: 'Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?' 28Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.'
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ.
Today we celebrate the Conversion of St Paul. This festival actually falls on the 25th of January, but we have brought it forward a day to this Sunday.
For many Christians, Paul is something of a closed book. We may recognize the story we have just heard of Paul's blinding and life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. We may also recognize some of Paul's more famous passages, such as the description in 1 Corinthians 13 of love (or charity in the Authorised Version) that is read at countless weddings. But the reality is that Paul can be tough to get into. He hardly ever tells a story; he engages in rather complicated arguments; and his tone is sometimes a little harsh.
So if you've found Paul a bit impenetrable, you may be comforted to know that it's not just you. In fact the second letter of Peter (3:15-16), within the New Testament itself, acknowledges that in the letters of 'our beloved brother Paul' there are things that are 'hard to understand'. But those who make the effort to grasp Paul's message and to open their hearts to it have often experienced its transforming impact on their lives. It's striking how many great Christian leaders and thinkers (such as St Augustine, Martin Luther, and Karl Barth) have testified to a turning-point in their lives that came through reading Romans, the most influential of all Paul's letters.
If I had to summarize Paul's message in one word, it would be 'grace'. The greeting at the start of all his letters is some form of the phrase: 'Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ'. 'Grace' is Paul's first word, and it is also the theme running like a gold thread through his writings, the clue to understanding God and our relationship to God. But what did Paul mean by 'grace'? He didn't mean 'elegance'; he didn't even mean a prayer before eating a meal; grace, for Paul, means God's love for us which comes before any response we might make to God, even before any thought we might have about God. And for Paul the love of God is bound up with Jesus and what we see of God in him. So God's grace is about God coming to us in Jesus, in humble and patient love, in suffering love, when we do not deserve it, when we are not interested in it, when we might even be actively hostile and resistant to the very thought of God and the name of Jesus.
Grace was the heart of Paul's message, and we can see why. The grace of God in Jesus Christ was imprinted on Paul's heart and mind on the Damascus Road, and in the events that followed, as described in our second reading today. When this story begins Paul (or Saul, another of his names, by which he is known in this story) loathes the very name of Jesus. When the early Christian movement began and the apostles proclaimed that God had raised the crucifed Jesus from the dead and that he was the true Messiah of Israel, Paul was among those who opposed this new thing and saw it as a betrayal of the Jewish people and blasphemy against God. So Paul is bitterly hostile to the followers of Jesus. Recently he was standing by, approving, as a crowd murdered Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Now Paul is on the way from Jerusalem to Damascus to round up Christian disciples and throw them in prison.
But Jesus is seeking Paul out, and finds him, meeting him powerfully at the height of Paul's furious opposition to him. There is a strong note of rebuke in the words of Jesus: 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' This encounter is hardly a comfortable moment: Paul is blinded, disorientated; his life is completely overturned, his direction reversed. But Paul would soon understand that within this shattering experience, this 'no' from Jesus Christ, stopping Paul in his tracks, condemning his present way of life, within this 'no' the deeper reality is the gracious, forgiving 'yes' of Jesus Christ, turning Paul round, freeing him, opening his eyes, opening him up to a new life. That is the grace of God in Jesus Christ. And Paul's experience of this grace is the foundation on which the rest of his life is built.
Paul also learnt another important lesson on the Damascus Road. Jesus doesn't ask him 'Why are you persecuting my disciples?' but 'Why are you persecuting me?' In persecuting the disciples, the Church, Paul is persecuting Jesus himself. This realization of the presence – and the suffering – of Jesus in the Church became fundamental to Paul; in his letters he will often tell the Christians he addresses that they are 'the body of Christ'. Jesus Christ is identified with his people as a person is identified with his or her body. So in encountering Jesus and coming into relationship with him, Paul was also encountering the Church, the community of Christians, and, whether he wanted this or not, he was now also in relationship with them. Soon Ananias, a disciple in Damascus, a member of the Church, the body of Christ, will come to Paul to underline this truth. Jesus does not give himself to us as isolated individuals but as members of his people, the body of Christ.
Of course Paul knew that he had encountered Jesus in a unique way, which was perhaps necessary to turn him round and launch him on his unique mission. Other people wouldn't come to believe in Jesus in the same dramatic way. Paul knew that. But in his Damascus Road experience there was an underlying pattern relevant to all people. For us, as for Paul, it's not a case of us seeking God in our goodness or holiness, but of God seeking us out in grace. As Helen said last week, everything begins with God: God knows, God loves, God calls us before we begin to know, love and respond to God. This is the way grace works.
And there's a very important way in which Paul's experience of grace is reinforced. As he lies in bed, overwhelmed by what has happened, he is visited by Ananias. Ananias is one of the Christians Paul was coming to round up and stick in prison. Imagine what this must have been like for Paul: what could he expect from the people he was treating so harshly? But Ananias calls him 'Brother Saul', lays hands on him, prays for him, and heals him. In a gentler way, this must have been almost as significant for Paul as his dramatic encounter with Jesus. Just as the Jesus whom Paul despised came to him to establish a new relationship of love, so a Christian – one of those Paul had regarded as scum – embraces Paul as his brother. This too was grace, and it showed Paul that God generally makes his grace known in the world not through zapping people directly, but by sending people like Ananias, people prepared to take the risk (at times a very frightening risk) to love in a Christlike way, so that God's grace is made real, embodied for other people.
So Paul experienced grace, both in his encounter with Jesus, and in his meeting with Ananias. And this happens to Paul not in the end for his own good - though it certainly is for his own good - but rather for the good of others. When Ananias is reluctant to go to Paul, the Lord says to him: 'Go, for [Paul] is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.' The grace of God has come to Paul for a wider purpose; Paul is to make known the name of Jesus Christ among all people. He is to be an instrument, a channel, with God working through him to bring his grace to other people. And the pattern for Paul, and for all of us as we seek to let our lives be shaped by the grace of God, will be the life of Christ himself, who was the suffering servant of God.
So, to conclude, what would Paul want to say to us today?
He would say what he always said: 'Grace to you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ'. He would want us to share in his experience of grace (and the peace which it brings), the experience which began so dramatically on the Damascus Road and continued in a different way through the behaviour of Ananias. Paul would want us to know that although we are hostile, disobedient, indifferent to God, God reaches out to us in grace in many ways. We hear the message of God's grace in the words of Scripture, and in the unfolding of God's word through Bible studies, through lectio divina, even sometimes through sermons. It's good also to remember at this time when we cannot celebrate the eucharist together that another means of grace is the sacramental bread and wine, the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus. We long for the day when we can again celebrate the grace of God as we share in the bread of life and cup of salvation. We also know God's grace through the love of others, as Paul did through Ananias, and we pray that we may be channels of God's grace to others. As St John writes: 'Nobody has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.' (1 John 4:12)
On this day when we thank God for St Paul, he would want for each of us and for us as a church that we should know ourselves to be embraced by God's grace, and for that grace to be shaping our life as a community. But Paul would also prompt us to be outward-looking, to be concerned for those who do not share in this fellowship; for those who might think themselves unworthy of any grace; for those who have never heard of the grace of God in Jesus Christ, or who might long ago have heard those words but have forgotten them or have come to look down down on them as irrelevant or childish, or as totally discredited by the shameful failures of the Church. Paul would have a concern for them all; and he would encourage us to ask ourselves how, day by day, we might more fully share with those around us the reality of the grace of God in our Lord Jesus Christ.
David Marshall
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
In the power of the Spirit and in Union with Christ let us pray to the Father.
We pray for the worldwide Christian Church in all its diversity, bringing the elements of different cultures into their worship and in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Great God of glory, you called Saint Paul to preach the Gospel to all nations. By the power of the Gospel he preached, draw all peoples to yourself, through Christ our Lord.
Hear us now as we pray for the church throughout the world and in this country Switzerland.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We pray for our chaplain Helen, her husband David and their family. For Archana and her family.We pray for the diocese of Europe; for all who minister to your people in the name of Christ. Guide with your wisdom our Church Council, and all those who give their time and talents so generously to build your Kingdom here.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Loving Father,
We give you thanks, for Paul and his witness,
help us to know our identity to dedicate our being to you.
Renew us in will and deed to work together with you
Great is your compassion, breathe a new spirit into us and make all things new to bear witness to your love and to cling to your vision.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
God of creation and Lord of life, you entrusted us to care for our environment, but in many parts of the world we have failed. Help us to realise how fragile and unstable our surroundings are, because we are not looking after creation. We need to be true stewards and to understand how the most insignificant little flowers, and the tiniest insects, each creature and individual people are all part of a wondrous whole.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Almighty God, guide our leaders and all in positions of influence that the right decisions will be made for the good of the people and that at all times Christian values will be upheld and promoted.
We pray for the USA, for President Biden and Vice-President Harris, and their spouses and families as they take on these new roles.
Father we ask for your guidance and protection in all areas of conflict and confusion, pour out your wisdom on all who bear the burden of leadership in the world.
When nations have lost their way, their sense of human worth or their integrity we pray that you would nourish them with your love and guide them with your wisdom.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We pray for all those places struggling to combat COVID-19 with limited healthcare and financial resources and for those whose livelihoods are threatened by the pandemic.
Generous God,
you have called all your children to be members of one family.
Bless our world with your gift of kindness,
and grant that those who have much may support those who have little,
and those who are strong may uphold those who are weak,
so that, through working together,
our whole world would be brought healing and relief
from the pain and suffering caused by COVID-19,
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Let us pray for the sick and for those who suffer, for all in nursing homes and for those who are housebound. We remember all who are sick; we name them either out loud or in the silence of our hearts...
We pray for Bishop Hans Gerny, a former Bishop of the Old Catholic Church, who died recently... We pray for his family
We pray for Esther, for Cecily, for Martin, for Mary, for John Eze and for David Winfield.
Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit.
We give you thanks for the missions we support and we ask that you be with them and their work.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Gracious God be with all of those who mourn and may they know the tender compassion of your love. May the hope which you supply sustain all those who are troubled by grief, that it may never overwhelm those who call upon you.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Faithful God, we rejoice in your call to belong to the Church, to believe in the Gospel, and to be united with the successors of your Apostles. Send us out into the coming week ready to demonstrate our calling in all that we do and say.
Merciful Father
Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
Our Saviour Christ is the Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there shall be no end.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
1 God of mercy, God of grace,
show the brightness of Thy face;
shine upon us, Saviour, shine,
fill thy Church with light divine;
and thy saving health extend
unto earth's remotest end.
2 Let the people praise Thee, Lord!
Be by all that live adored;
let the nations shout and sing
glory to their Saviour King,
at thy feet their tribute pay,
and thy holy will obey.
3 Let the people praise Thee, Lord!
Earth shall then her fruits afford:
God to man his blessings give,
man to God devoted live;
all below, and all above
one in joy, and light, and love.
Henry F Lyte
As our Saviour has taught us, so we pray
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 for ever.
Amen.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praises,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up ourselves to your service,
and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honour and glory throughout all ages.
Amen.
Almighty Father,
whose Son our Saviour Jesus Christ is the light of the world:
may your people,
illumined by your word and sacraments,
shine with the radiance of his glory,
that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed
to the ends of the earth;
for he is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen.
God of glory,
you nourish us with your Word
who is the bread of life:
fill us with your Holy Spirit
that through us the light of your glory
may shine in all the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 Father, Lord of all Creation,
Ground of Being, Life and Love;
height and depth beyond description
only life in you can prove:
you are mortal life's dependence:
thought, speech, sight are ours by grace;
yours is every hour's existence,
sovereign Lord of time and space.
2 Jesus Christ, the Man for Others,
we, your people, make our prayer:
give us grace to love as brothers
all whose burdens we can share.
Where your name binds us together
you, Lord Christ, will surely be;
where no selfishness can sever
there your love may all men see.
3 Holy Spirit, rushing, burning
wind and flame of Pentecost,
fire our hearts afresh with yearning
to regain what we have lost.
May your love unite our action,
nevermore to speak alone:
God, in us abolish faction,
God, through us your love make known.
Stewart Cross
Christ the Son of God perfect in you the image of his glory
and gladden your hearts with the good news of his kingdom;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you
and remain with you now and always. Amen.
We have seen his glory, the glory revealed to all the nations.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
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