Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.‘O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever.’ (Ps.107:1)Hymn: Lead us, Heavenly Father, lead us...Psalm 107:23-32The Lord who stilled the storm has the power to still our restless hearts. Let us now confess our disobedience to him: Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Prayer for the day: Eternal Father, whose Son calmed the raging seas and threatening waves, help us through word, action and prayer to bring peace and hope to our world, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Mark 4:35-41‘And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:41)Please see the message from the minister.Let us pray:We pray for St Peter’s Church and the Church throughout the world, for the strength and courage to share God’s love;We pray for the world, for reconciliation where there is conflict, for justice and peace;We pray for our communities, families and friends - for relationships to flourish;We pray for all who are sick or suffering, for healing in mind, body and spirit;We pray for people who have been bereaved, for comfort in their grief.Let us pray for the coming of God’s kingdom in the prayer that Jesus taught Peter and all of us: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.Hymn: Eternal Father, Strong to Save ...May the Spirit, who hovered over the waters when the world was created, breathe into us the life he gives; and may the blessing of God Almighty, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon us, and remain with us always. Amen.Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.
This weekend is always a busy one in the church. The tradition of ordaining Priests and Deacons on the feast of St Peter and St Paul means as well that there are big services at cathedrals all around the world, to ordain new ministers in the church. We also have lots of services like this one when we give thanks for landmarks and anniversaries.Iain is being ordained Deacon this weekend and we give thanks for his calling. We wish him well for the ministry that stands before him, beginning with a curacy in this place. And as Iain sets out on his first days of ordained ministry, we give thanks today for a ministry which is somewhat more mature…Andrew was ordained a mere fifty years ago!We give thanks for his long and varied ministry, and for his continuing work here in Sheringham. And here in particular, this weekend is all the more significant because of the dedication of this church.In my group of 9 parishes, I have one dedicated to St Peter and a further 2 dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, so if I weren’t on sabbatical at the moment, this would not be a weekend for me to be away, with patronal festivals to be observed in Oulton, Heydon and Haveringland.And St Peter isn’t only a popular dedication here in Norfolk. In England, there are well over 1300 churches dedicated to St Peter… that makes him the third most popular dedication for English churches, after All Saints in 2nd place and St Mary in pole position.So Peter is one of the most well known saints. We can also infer that he’s one of the best loved saints. And I think his popularity is down to one big factor…Peter is relatable. He’s not highly educated, he’s a manual worker - a fisherman.He’s not wealthy; he doesn’t have status in society.In fact, you could argue that Peter is a nobody! In his world, a world of Roman occupation with it’s military structures and strict hierarchy,Peter is virtually non-existent. In the Jewish world with it’s strictly ordered temple culture,and inherited status, Peter has no status and little credibility.But the fact that Peter is a ‘nobody’ is really quite important. His selection by Jesus to be the rock on which the church would be built, the keeper of the keys of heaven, is absolutely counter-cultural!Peter’s selection by Jesus shows us that ministry in God’s kingdom is not like the Roman world or the temple tradition. Nor is it like 21st century British culture.In God’s kingdom, we can all have a call to be ministers, regardless of our station or lineage, regardless of our wealth or experience. Anyone might be called to a particular rolewithin that Kingdom. We see evidence of this each year at this time, as the diocese gives us biographies of the new deacons and priests. We see that some of them are young and fresh out of college, whereas others might have had a career already, and those careers and their experiences will vary widely.My point is, all those who are called to ordained ministry are just regular people from regular and diverse backgrounds. Without wishing to be rude, we’re all ’nobodies’ like Peter. There isn’t a single ‘type’ for ministry in the way some might think.In our gospel reading, we see a pattern that will be familiar to all who have witnessed an ordination service. First, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say the son of man is?”Then he goes on “Who do you say that I am?” And Simon (at this stage he’s still Simon) is the first to answer “You are the Messiah, the son of the living God.”Peter makes his proclamation that Jesus, his friend, his mentor, his teacher, is also the Messiah, a figure who has been long awaited by the people of Israel. This is a big deal!To claim Jesus as the Messiah! It was outrageous then and it’s still regarded as outrageous by many today!In an ordination, the candidates have to confess the faith which has brought them to this point. Essentially they are asked, “What is it that you feel called to proclaim?”And the answer for them (amongst lots of other detail!) is the same as it was for Simon:“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the son of the living God.”And then Jesus brings about a change in Simon, and this change is signified with a change in name. In the biblical record, there are several examples of this…Abram becomes Abraham, Saul becomes Paul, and here, Simon becomes Peter.The change in name represents a real change in the person, just as in ordinationthere is a fundamental change. With the laying on of hands by a Bishop, a candidate changes… they become a Deacon or a Priest.The dog collar is worn. A new title is used. And life changes for ever! And the final parallel with ordination is that Jesus commissions Simon Peter, and he gives him authority. He tells him that he is to be the foundation of the church and that the things he says and does will be honoured and upheld.Even Peter, this simple fisherman who’s prone to mistakes and ill-considered outbursts.Authority and responsibility are given to him, even though he’s not perfect!And it’s precisely the same in ordination. Our clergy are given authority to administer the precious sacraments, to hear confessions and to absolve sins. And they are given the HUGE responsibility of being part of the building of the Church in this time and place. So St Peter gives us a basic template for what it is to be commissioned and ordained as a minister in God’s church. But I’m afraid those of you who aren’t Bishops, Priests or Deacons don’t get off that easily! This passage about Simon Peter and Jesus should also be stirring and motivating for all of us.Let me ask you what Jesus asks…Who do others say Jesus is?A nice guy, a prophet, a leader of a positive social movement…Someone we should emulate, a moral leader…These are all the things you might hear today.But then, who do you say Jesus is?If your answer is the same as Simon’s, that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of the living God, then I’m afraid we can’t leave it there!If that’s what you truly believe, then, even if you’re not keen on the idea of becoming a vicar, something has to change! You have to respond to that fact with changes in your life,changes in your priorities. Yes, living a life which honours and respects others. Being a good human being is important, but there’s more! If we believe Jesus to be the Messiah, the son of the living God, then we must engage with the life of his church… the same church of which St Peter was the foundation. We must come often to worship with others, we must commit to reading the scriptures more, we must commit to praying more, we must commit to giving more of ourselves - our time and our money to the furtherance of God’s kingdom, and we must seek to transform society to make it a fairer place for all.If you truly believe Jesus to be the Messiah, then even if you’re not going to be ordained,there will be a change in you.And today, as we celebrate St Peter, the “nobody” who would become the first leader of the Church, I pray that each of us might commit to the next stage of our journey as Christian people: whether that’s stepping out into a new ordained ministry, giving thanks for fifty years of ordained ministry, or simply working out what we do next in response to our own faith in Jesus, the Messiah. Let’s use the example of St Peter, this normal man, with more than his share of human imperfection to show us that each of us has an important role to play in the ministry of God’s Church, no matter who we are, or where we’re from!On this Feast of St Peter, let’s follow Peter’s example, and commit ourselves to the taskof prayerfully considering what that role might be within the life of the church: how we are being called to continue to build the kingdom.Amen.The Revd Andrew Whitehead
Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Jesus said “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church”.Hymn: Amazing grace, how sweet the sound...Acts 12:1-11; 1 Peter 2:19-25Jesus said to his apostles, “You are my friends if you obey my commands.”Let us now confess our disobedience to him:Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Prayer for the day: Almighty God, who inspired your apostle Saint Peter to confess Jesus as Christ and Son of the living God: build up your Church upon this rock, that in unity and peace it may proclaim one truth and follow one Lord, your Son our Saviour Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.Matthew 16:13-19Please see the Message from the Minister.Let us join in prayer asking for blessings upon St Peter’s Church as we enter another year serving God, serving Sheringham; for blessings of peace and justice in the world, and protection of the environment;for blessings of joy on our neighbours, families and friends;for blessings of healing and wholeness on people who are sick or suffering;for blessings of comfort on those who mourn the loss of loved ones.Eternal God, in your Son Jesus Christ you reveal your love for the world, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit you give us the strength to share his mission in Sheringham. Help us, by the example of St Peter, to proclaim your good news through word and action and to draw others to know you, through the love and care we show to our local community and to the world in which we live. Amen.Let us pray for the coming of God’s kingdom in the prayer that Jesus taught Peter and us:Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.Hymn: Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven...May the Lord bless us and keep us; may the Lord make his face shine upon us, and be gracious to us. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace. Amen.Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.
The biblical story of John the Baptist, the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah, begins even before his birth. His leaping in his mother’s womb is seen as a great alleluia in anticipation of the birth of his redeemer, and this good news of Jesus Christ is related in all four gospels as beginning with John as Christ’s forerunner, or as the Benedictus puts it:The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) Luke 1 vv76 & 7776: And you, child, (John the Baptist) shall be called the prophet of the Most High, ♦ for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,77: To give his people knowledge of salvation ♦ by the forgiveness of all their sins.John’s ministry of Baptism was to wash away peoples’ sins, so that they could be drawn closer to their God. In his ministry he was quite clear that he was not the Messiah or Christ but that he was pointing the way. Salvation was not about offering sacrifices in the temple but about examining the way we lived and treating those around us by caring for them not taking advantage of them and using them for our own gain. John stood in a long line of prophets who all made the point that serving our God was about how we treated the alien, the orphan and the widow. They were the people who lived on the edge of society and were often ignored, as they still are today. John also had the courage to stand up to the rulers of his day and challenge them when they were doing immoral things. In Herod’s case marrying his brother’s wife and, of course, for pointing this out John was executed by Herod. Yes, John may have pointed to the coming of the Messiah but he only saw the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. We like the Gospel writers have the wonderful gift of hindsight, we can look back at the lives of John the Baptist, Jesus and the disciples, but for John his ministry was based on pure faith that he was carrying out the will of God and as such is a wonderful human example for us all. He walked in faith even though he never saw the completion of the act of Salvation in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.Let us give thanks for the birth and life, albeit so short, of John the Baptist. His task was to point the way to Jesus and so may we follow in the way that he has shown us.Andrew SSL
