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[Music] jesus [Music] we will go away [Music] grace mercy and peace from god our father and the lord jesus christ be with you all i welcome you here today i hope you've had a good week i hope you've had a sense that god is with you and today as we as we worship together it is my hope that you have a sense that god is is real and with you and today that you know your church and you are loved today we will break bread and we will have an act of spiritual communion although we are separated by distance we are still united in christ before we we start that i'm going to hand over to brian and to alistair who are going to share a few thoughts particularly for some of our younger viewers and family who might be here today so brian alastair over to you hi everyone and welcome to our old age sloth today we're going to be looking at a couple of verses from first corinthians and i'm going to read them for you now now concerning food sacrificed idols we know that all of us possess knowledge knowledge puffs up but love builds up anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge but anyone who loves god is known by him shortly we're going to have a bible quiz it's going to be the bible quiz of the century and joining me will be brian and micah good afternoon and welcome to the big bible quiz and the contestants we have today are brian and michael welcome guys welcome to the big bible quiz so if i turn to you first micah how are you feeling about this big quiz today good brilliant brian how are you feeling i'm really really pumped i'm so ready to win oh okay how are you feeling about that are you confident super confident how do you respond to that ryan well we're going to see what's our answer these questions okay let's get ready for our first question what is the name of the disciple who betrayed jesus oh i don't i don't that's fine it's judas well done correct yeah [Applause] and for our second question how many disciples did jesus have i know micah go ahead it's 12. welcome [Applause] and for our third and final question what is the name of the prayer that jesus taught to his disciples i'm gonna have to rush it i know i know it's the lord's prayer well done crying you are the winner i won micah i'm sorry brian guys thanks for coming to the big bible quiz today it's been great having the two of you as contestants so from our big bible quiz today i think we can see who had the knowledge and that gave that person power so if we take the knowledge and we put it on the scales i think we see what happens it's not very balanced and that's what paul was saying that you haven't got the essential knowledge you haven't got all the knowledge you need something to balance the knowledge out so brian had the knowledge and he had the power but without something else he was lacking something he was puffed up he was full of his knowledge and that gave him a sense of self-importance and pride and arrogance in the way that he behaved towards his component to poor little micah so he had a know-it-all attitude so he was puffed up but he didn't build up micah he didn't build up his component so he lacked love and he needed the love to balance things out the final verse in the scripture that we read earlier on was but whoever loves god is known by him if we look forward in scripture to 1 john chapters 4 to 7 we read dear friends let us love one another for love comes from god everyone who loves god everyone who loves has been born of god and knows god so therefore having having knowledge on its own is a dangerous thing we need something to balance it out and the balance is love and the only way that we learn to love is to love god amen thank you alistair thank you brian let's take a few moments and confess our sins to god our loving and our forgiving father as we say together heavenly father we have sinned against you and against our neighbor in thought and word and deed through negligence through weakness through our own delivered fault by what we have done and by what we have failed to do we are truly sorry and repent of all our sins for the sake of your son jesus christ who died for us forgive us all that has passed and grant that we may serve you in newness of life to the glory of your name amen almighty god who forgives all who truly repent of mercy upon us pardon and deliver us from all our sins confirm and strengthen us in all goodness and keep us in eternal life through christ our lord of heaven the collect of the day god of compassion you've shown us in christ that your love is never ending enable us both to love you with all our hearts and to love one another as christ loves us grant this through our lord jesus christ who lives and reigns with you in the holy spirit one god forever and ever amen hear the gospel of our lord jesus christ according to mark the disciples went to capernaum and when the sabbath came jesus entered the synagogue and taught they were astounded at his teaching for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes just then there was in the in the synagogue a man with an unclean spirit and he cried out what have you to do with us jesus of nazareth have you come to destroy us i know who you are the holy one of god but jesus rebuked him saying be silent and comment of him and the unclean spirit throwing in him into convulsions and crying with a loud voice came out of them they were all amazed and they kept on asking one another what is this a new teaching with authority he commands the unclean spirits and they obey him at once as fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of galilee this is the word of the lord thanks be to god so like so many people at the moment i imagine a fair number of you julia and i have been watching and the crying on netflix it's usually addictive viewing my favorite bits of the crown um series four is are the head-to-head scenes between the queen played by olivia coleman and margaret thatcher played by julian anderson two amazingly wonderful actors and in the episode in particular that i want to reference today i think it might be the last episode there's this tense head-to-head scene between these two matriarchs and they're talking about power and the background is that margaret thatcher has had a revolt in her um cabinet and she is facing um a leadership challenge and she's trying to work out how she might get out of this challenge and one solution that she puts before the queen or she discusses is the possibility of dissolving the government of all dissolving the cabinet and she says to the queen i have the power of the power is within my title in in doing so and the queen olivia coleman in in a wonderful way and i can't even attempt to do the wonderful queen accent she she says you have the power to do so but should you exercise power simply because it's yours to use power is nothing she says without authority in other words she says you might have power to do something but do you have the authority in our gospel reading today mark mark is exploring the complex and coveted nature of what authority actually means i'm going to recap the story just a little bit it's the sabbath and we're in the synagogue where the scribes would normally teach but in this occasion jesus is teaching and it says that the gathered the the congregation the people the crowds are amazed because jesus spoke as one with authority and this is where mark does a little jab he says and not like the scribes it's an ouch moment for the scribes because and as he teaches something on what he says must trigger someone in the crowd and the text said this person has an unclean spirit and the person pipes up and says to jesus have you come to destroy us but jesus rebukes him and casts the spirit away and the onlookers are amazed and again here pops up that authority word the automakers say what is this a new teaching with authority here's the question today what made jesus teaching so different from the scribes because like preachers like religious teachers today the scribes had symbols of power and preachers today we often have two we have one the pulpit which we don't particularly use at least in the online format but there is the pulpit which is it's very much for the preacher a symbol of power my early churches did not have pulpits it's likely it evolved from the the ambu with us where the scriptures were read and somewhat elevated but the pulpit became a symbol of power because it was elevated the assumption was that whatever is spoken there needs to be heard the second symbol of power that preachers have are are our vestments by nature of what we wear there is an assumption that there might be some sense of power or authority the scribes would have likewise had symbols of power but they have no authority so what can we say about authority from the text first thing is this authority has little to do with rank or little to do with entitlement authority is not something that can be demanded as a result of wealth or as a result of position genuine authority comes from somewhere else second thing we might say is this genuine authority can be threatening authority does not pander to the whims of the crowd authority is not and it never has been popularism but authority is honest and that honesty can be difficult the third thing is this authority does not bind people up but it sets people free a second question how does the church speak with authority today does it in recent years the church has struggled with evolving and changing culture with the rise of secularism but perhaps most most challenging the church has struggled with scandal after scandal and of course this month the church has been been rocked by the research report into the mother and baby homes and the manga laundries in northern ireland and even just this week the primate of ireland our archbishop has had to has had to acknowledge the shame that members of the church of ireland own where we stigmatized women and children in ways which were far removed from our christian principles the only way we as a church can find any authority today is a return to those words of jesus i do not warrant any authority by nature of this color i have around my neck bishops do not warrant authority by the size of the miters or by their crook authority is not our own but authority comes from christ it does not come by clinging to power quite the opposite authority actually comes from letting go of power that is the authority i think that is the journey i think that we are on as a church and it's a hard journey with lots of really hard lessons ahead the challenge for us is are we willing to take that journey knowing that none of us has any genuine authority outside of christ and any authority as a church that we may have in the future will not be found in our power or entitlement or symbols but it will be fined in following the one which leads us amen so we'll take a moment just to be silent to bring before god our own prayers and to prepare our hearts for meeting him around his table today let us pray almighty god your son jesus christ has promised that you will hear us when we ask in faith receive the prayers we offer jesus holy one of god your teaching is down to those in the synagogue we pray for your church throughout the world and for all who preach your word we pray especially for rob and aleister as they minister among us may they continue to inspire us lead us and help us to grow in faith as we reach out to those in need in our community and in our world lord in your mercy hear our prayer jesus holy one of god your authority awakened people we pray for our troubled world for its people and for all in authority we remember all those whose lives are affected daily by war violence and hatred give wisdom and discernment to all leaders and governments that they would work to bring peace and justice to our world we pray too for the ongoing fight against the coronavirus pandemic and for all governments and their health authorities as they take appropriate steps for the good of their people lord in your mercy hear our prayer jesus holy one of god your healing sparked amazement we thank you for our health and strength we pray for your help and healing wherever people ache with pain sorrow loneliness or fear bless all who suffer with your healing presence give them courage and hope ease their pain and bring them peace lord in your mercy hear our prayer jesus holy one of god you bring life to all in the shadow of death we remember those who have departed this life in faith we pray for those who grieve at their passing and ask you lord to surround them with your love to strengthen them in their faith and to comfort them with the assurance that those who have gone before them are safe in your loving care lord in your mercy hear our prayer finally lord we pray for ourselves as we start the week ahead we ask that in all we do we may walk more closely with you at our side safe in the knowledge that your fatherly love and care knows no bounds lord in your mercy hear our prayer merciful father accept these prayers for the sake of your son our savior jesus christ amen so we enter into our spiritual communion together be present be present lord jesus christ our risen high priest make yourself known in the breaking of bread amen christ our passover has been sacrificed for us therefore let us celebrate the beast and the lord is present his spirit is with us lift up your hearts we live let us give thanks to the lord our god it is right to give our minds and grace almighty father almighty and ever living god at all times and in all places it is right to give you thanks and grace so with all your people with the angels and archangels with all the company of heaven we proclaim your great and glorious name forever praising you and saying holy holy holy lord god of power and might heaven and earth are full of your glory hosanna in the highest blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord hosanna and allies blessed are you father the creator and sustainer of all things you made us in your own image male and female you created us and even when we turned away from you you never cease to care for us but in your love and in your mercy you freed us from the slavery of sin even your only begotten son to become man and suffer death on the cross to redeem us you made it there the one complete and all sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world he institute and in his holy gospel commanded us to continue a perpetual memory of his precious death until he comes again and the night that he was betrayed he took bread and when he had given thanks to you you give it he broke it and gave it to his disciples saying take each this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me and in the same way after supper he took the cup and when he had given thanks to you he gave it to them drink this all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant which you share for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me therefore father with this bread and with this cup we do as christ your son command it we remember his passion and death we celebrate his resurrection and ascension and we look for the coming of this kingdom except through him our great high priest this our sacrifice with praise and thanksgiving and as we each and drink these holy gifts grant by the power of the life-giving spirit that we may be made one in your holy church and partakers of the body and blood of your son that you may dwell in us and we in him through the same jesus christ our lord by whom and with whom and in whom in the unity of the holy spirit all honor and glory are yours almighty father for ever and ever amen so as our savior crisis taught us we are bold to say our father who art in him hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is 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 the bread which we break today is a sharing in the body of christ so we say today our act of spiritual communion and wherever you are i invite you to say along with me the words that are in our order service loving god in union with christian people throughout the world and across the centuries gathered great bread hearing your holy word and receiving the precious body and blood of your dear son i offer you praise and thanksgiving even though i am exiled from tasting the bread of heaven and drinking the cup of life i pray that you will unite me with all the baptized and with your son who gave his life for us come lord jesus dwell in me and send your holy spirit that i may be filled with your presence [Music] he broke [Music] is [Music] is [Music] as we finish our service today i am mindful that we press stop or pause on whatever device that we are using and all of a sudden we are back we are home we are where we perhaps began and i pray that as you reflect on that you do have a sense that god has been with you and that god continues to be with you and may god be your peace and your inspiration in the weeks ahead let me leave you with the words of god's blessing the peace of god which passes all understanding keep your hearts and keep your minds in the knowledge and love of god and of his son jesus christ our lord and the blessing of god almighty the father and the son and the holy spirit be with you and those who you love this day and forever [Music] so [Music] so [Music] so [Music] you