ACT OF WORSHIP

After we had sung ‘I the Lord of sea and sky’, Reverend Kate read from the Bible - 2 Timothy 4:1-8. Reverend Kate said that yesterday, inspired by Mr Ward running the London Marathon this coming Sunday, students in Years 7 and 8 ran a Mini Marathon, raising money for the Queenswood House Charity, Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice.

Reverend Kate said that some of us may imagine that a hospice is a sad and desperate place and, of course, this may sometimes be true. However, we are to be assured that the money we raise through House Suppers and events like the Mini Marathon, enable Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice to help babies, children, and young people make the most of every day and to enjoy life.

Congratulating students in Years 7 and 8 - and all of us - for everything we have done this year to raise money for Noah’s Ark, Reverend Kate wished Mr Ward all the best for his race on Sunday!

Reverend Kate told us that in our Bible reading this morning, the Apostle Paul describes his life as a race: a race which he has nearly finished and during which he has ‘fought the good fight’ and ‘kept the faith’. In other words, a life during which he stayed true to, and trusted in, God for whom he lived.

This week, we have heard tributes to Pope Francis who died on Easter Monday. Reverend Kate said that like the Apostle Paul, Pope Francis was also a man who lived his life for God and who ‘fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith’. During his life, Pope Francis spoke extensively about the Christian imperative to care for those in need in our society - including the sick, young children and the poor - and in death is remembered for doing in his life what the Apostle Paul implores followers of Jesus to do: he ‘preached God’s word (v2); he corrected, rebuked and encouraged people (v2), and he faithfully discharged the duties of his ministry’ (v5) which reached more than 1.5 billion Catholics around the world, with whom we stand today in mourning.

In his 2015 book, Pope Francis wrote: ‘The world tells us to seek success, power and money; God tells us to seek humility, service and love.’ So, Reverend Kate invited us to ask ourselves: what would it mean for us to live today in humility, service, and love?

Reverend Kate wondered if:
Living in humility might involve listening more than speaking - or feeling grateful rather than entitled.
Living in service might mean noticing what people might need and acting without being asked - or standing up for those who may feel unable to speak.
Living in love might involve asking for forgiveness when someone is hurt - or creating a space where others feel seen, heard, and safe to be themselves.

Reverend Kate told us that in living in humility, service, and love, we do not have to be perfect; we simply need to make small, everyday choices that show we are living our life for something greater than ourselves…….just like those who ran the Mini Marathon and raised money for Noah’s Ark - not for glory, medals, or applause, but in humility, service and love for those in need, so that, at the end of the day, we too might look back and be able to say ‘I fought the good fight. I finished the race. I kept the faith.’

Reverend Kate prayed:

Loving God,
You call us to run our race with courage,
Not for recognition, but for love.
Teach us to walk in humility,
To serve without being asked,
And to love without expecting anything in return.

Thank you for the examples of faith we see in scripture,
In leaders like Pope Francis, and in the quiet kindness of those around us.
Help us, in our own way, to fight the good fight,
To finish each day with faith,
And to live for something greater than ourselves.

Bless all who ran, and will run, for others this week,
And may their steps be a sign of hope.
Amen.