Liturgy

Create a throne room for yourself here,
O Christ, but let it be the empty seat beside the anxious
the lonely chair next to the confused
the vacant pew next to the hungry
and reign as sovereign over the forgotten
May your reign be a mockery to the world
but good news to those who seek out truth
and may we join them in the search
finding you walking the streets
or breaking bread
or sitting by bedsides
May we find you in border areas on the edge of things
crossing over with the foreigner
May we find you on the wrong side of the tracks
going where you should not
and finding a place to lay your head among the lost
May we find you singing our songs of justice and peace
and removing your crown to do so
May we find you with a word that lives in the hopes of the afraid
and a comforting peace for those who are broken
May we find you laughing at the powerful,
unnerving what folk think so secure
while welcoming those who have nothing into your throne room
Jesus, reigning in the world with your upside-down kingdom
may we find the faith to stand with you
sovereign of life and servant of all
We pray this in the name of
God, Mother of the Poor
Christ, our Servant King
and Holy Spirit, our constant companion in works of justice
Amen
(Vox Prayer Team, Adapted from Roddy Hamilton)

Scripture Reading

We invite you to hear from the Gospel according to Matthew 25:31-40
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him,
then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be
gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the
sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are
blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world, 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was
thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you
welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and
you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you
hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38
And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked
and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in
prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you,
just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,
you did it to me.’

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
The grass withers and the flower fades,
but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Amen.

Homily and Reflection

Homily Podcast: Indivisible From Justice For All

Where are you struggling to see God at work in our divisive, violent, over consumptive, and destructive world?

When you long for God to be at work the world, what values or actions do you hope for?

How might our hunger for justice reshape our baggage of images of God’s judgment?

Benediction

Christ the footwasher and the friend of sinners is our only King;
therefore no menial service for others is beneath our dignity
and no individual is unworthy of our concern and respect.
Let it be so, dear Lord, let it be.
We cannot be mini-Christs to everyone who is in trouble
but we can be Christ’s agent for some.
Therefore I charge us in the name of Christ to keep our eyes and hearts
open, and we will recognise those
in whom Christ comes to us for mercy.
Let it be so, dear Lord, let it be.
The love of Christ Jesus ever enfold us,
the love of God ever encircle us,
the fellowship of the Spirit ever enrich us,
now and evermore,
Amen
-written by Bruce Prewer

[Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann]