Home Service 13th July 2025

Prayers of Approach

O Lord, you are our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph; the God of Moses, the Prophets and Psalmists; the God of Priests, Levites and Samaritans; the God of Disciples and Apostles; the God of Jews and Gentiles; the God of the good, the bad and the ugly. Oh Lord, you are our God, you are my God, and your promises to us are immense – beyond our imagining, beyond what we deserve. You are our God, and we adore you for all you are and for all your ways and for all your love, this and every day.

God of encouragement, you bless us by calling us by name: we are encouraged by your living Word. You bless us by inviting us to serve you, and we are encouraged by your living Word. You bless us through the lives of others, and we are encouraged by your living Word. You entrust to us the ministry of blessing others, that they may be encouraged by your living Word. Lord, help us know what it is we are called to do and help us listen and act. As we gather today, may we hear your encouragement and share it with others.

Amen.

Hymn Your words to me are life and health (R&S 321)

Readings: Colossians 1:1-14

Luke 10:25-37

Introduction

In response to a question by a lawyer – Who is my neighbour? – Jesus tells a parable about a man who needs help. Of those who had the opportunity, only a Samaritan did so, despite the enmity between Samaritans and Jews. By his actions, the man showed that he was not only a good Samaritan but a good neighbour. Jesus says to the lawyer, ‘Go and do likewise.’

We often think of this story in terms of the men who didn’t ‘do the right thing’ and the one who did. But the overall story starts with the lawyer who asked for a deeper understanding of ‘doing the right thing’, and Jesus’ parable and its challenge to his assumptions is the answer. Jesus treated the lawyer’s question seriously and praised him for his response before expanding on who is to be regarded as ‘neighbour’. How does this story help us to re-examine our assumptions and responses?

At the start of his letter to the Christians at Colossae, Paul commends them for their faith in Jesus, which is bearing good fruit. He prays that they may continue to build up a community of love and mutual encouragement where everyone’s needs are met. Encouraging words are so important for ensuring people have the confidence to do the things that are asked of them.

Hymn When I needed a neighbour were you there?

Sermon

If we were asked to give examples of neighbourliness, we would probably all be able to do so without much trouble. Perhaps our minds will go back to the pandemic, when there were so many stories of people shopping for strangers who were self-isolating, or posties taking the time to ask, ‘Everything OK?’ as they handed over the latest online order. Or perhaps we have stories of how generous the community has been to the local foodbank, or the appeal for the homeless shelter. Or whatever it is.

But do we ever ask ourselves about our motives for doing – or not doing – something? In Jesus’ parable, the priest and the Levite were both good men. They knew the law, and they knew that godly men kept it! That is how you build and reinforce a godly community – even though it sometimes meant drawing a rather hard line around the community. So, they did not help the man who had been attacked, who needed help, possibly because helping him would have brought them into contact with blood, or worse still death, which would have made them ‘unclean’.

You probably think ‘we wouldn’t do that today!’ there’s no reason why a good, socially conscious Christian would not feel obliged to help an injured and dying man. We can’t imagine ourselves being as rule-bound, as apparently uncaring to the injured man, as those two good Jewish men were. And further, we can’t imagine ourselves being put off because a person in desperate need is from another culture, or another religion, or looks

different, speaks with a different accent or language. Or would we…?

The question that the lawyer asked Jesus was: Who is my neighbour? Jesus’ answer was to ask: Who showed neighbourliness? Go and do likewise. Our challenge is not to know who our neighbours are so we can help them. It is to ask ourselves if we are being good neighbours, showing God’s mercy to anyone and everyone who needs it.

Hymn Brother, sister, let me serve you (R&S 474)

Prayers of Intercession

God of all: we pray for places where neighbouring peoples and countries are at war, asking that a just peace will overcome deep-seated fear and hatreds. We pray for the Middle East where neighbours are driven by historic mistrust and deepening violence; for decisions that improve lives across all the nations of the United Kingdom; for dialogue leading to lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine; for co-operation between nations on the biggest challenges facing us all in our world, including climate change, asylum and migration.

We pray for our relationships with our friends, our families and our colleagues at work that we would show your love in daily acts of kindness. May we be generous in our opinions of others. May we break down barriers and see beyond narrow expectations of other people and may we be prepared to go beyond the limits of our own patience and care, trusting in the resources of your Holy Spirit.

We pray for all on the edges of our communities: local and national; for people whose voices are sometimes not heard and whose opinions are overlooked. May we hear the voice of people of all ages, nations, races or gender, and from every background.

We pray that our mission would always be rooted in the basics of caring for others and may our plans, budgets and actions put the needs of others before our own. May we be renewed for more generous living and equipped for more open-hearted attention to those in need. We pray for wisdom for all in local and national government as they make decisions that affect people who are in need, especially decisions relating to child poverty and provision for special educational needs in schools.

We pray for people who are suffering from sickness or distress of any kind; for bereaved people, remembering especially the flood disaster in Texas; for all people fleeing war and conflict and for all victims of bullying, racial hatred, violence and injustice. May we have the holy imagination to see the pain in our world and be prepared to respond to it with whatever resources we have.

We pray today for people who work at the frontline of caring: medical staff; first responders; social workers, teachers, parents; and people whose life ministry is about binding up the wounds that life inflicts; and we place into your hands the people we know who are in need of your healing today.

We pray for your peace and grace to guide our actions and for your love to shape us as we walk day by day with you. May we be strong, patient and joyful in serving you and faithful in loving our neighbour.

We turn to you, O Lord. Fill our hands with gifts to share. All: Send us out to share your love.

Hymn Will you come and follow me (R&S 558)

Blessing

Lord, as we go out, help us to look for the good in our neighbours. Help us to recognise that neighbourliness goes two ways. Make us gracious as well as generous, receptive to the ideas and perspectives, as well as the needs, of others, remembering that as we meet them, we meet you. Amen.