Welcome and
Call to Worship
Hymn: 33 Now thank we all our God
Prayer and
the Lord’s Prayer
We share in the baptism of Miles
Finding the Way
A Hy-Spirit song
Offering and
Dedication
Following the Way
Acts 9:1-2 and
24:14-16
STL 39 Come let’s travel the way of
the Lord
Prayers of Concern
505 Go forth and
tell
Words of Blessing
Acts 9:2 – belonged
to the Way
Acts 16:17 –
proclaiming to you a way of Salvation
18.25 instructed in
the Way
19:9 spoke evil of
the Way
19.23 concerning the
Way
22:4 I persecuted
this Way
24:14
24:22 well informed
about the Way
1 Corinthians 16;6 and 11 wend him on his way in peac
Names are special – sometimes easy to come by, sometimes
difficult to find.
But once chosen they
stick. Miles is now Miles. Jessica is Jessica. Say the name in the family and the person immediately comes to mind.
Names of organisations, names of things you belong to are
similar. If you have ever had to think
of a name for something it’s hard – but once looked for it sticks.
When we started our children’s club the children who
belonged looked for a name – and
they came up with the name Transformers – quite a good name really and it’s stuck … so far, but watch this space.
The youth group – Hy-Tec – Highbury Youth the Eternity Club
– a brand of trainer at the time –
the name has stuck – and next year
sees the twenty-fifth anniversary.
Today at a Baptism service we have all come together here in
what we think of as our ‘church’ – it then has a couple of other words added on
– Congregational to identify the idea that it’s the people who meet
together who shape the life of the
church and Highbury given that name
right at the outset back in 1827 by the people who came from Highbury in
Islington North London and were
belonged to the Highbury college there. Church goes all the way back to the first century.
The name sticks – it’s known. We know it.
Christianity, a Christian – the name sticks.
But intriguingly go back into the earliest accounts of the
people who followed Jesus and there
were a number of names they were referred to as.
Christian was coined as a nickname by people opposed to them
– they are Christ – ians – almost sneering – not used much.
Church – body of Christ – disciples – saints –
But very early on one of the most popular names is one I
think is worth re-discovering.
Very early on in the story of the church Saul who is
incensed at the followers of Jesus and
he persecutes them – he hounds them out of Jerusalem
and then tries to track them down in
Damascus .
Acts 9:1-2
Meanwhile Saul, still
breathing threats and murder against
the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and
asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any
who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
The chapter goes on to tell of the encounter Saul has with
Christ and the change it brings into
his life.
What’s interesting is that through the account of Paul’s
travels on a number of occasions the followers of Jesus are described as The
Way.
Paul talks of the Way of Salvation
There’s talk of people being instructed in the Way, people
speak concerning The Way, those opposed to Jesus and
all he stand s for speak evil of The
Way. Paul himself recalls the time he
persecuted The Way.
It’s an intriguing picture for the church and I think one that’s very powerful.
As we celebrate a Baptism service we are making something of
a statement about little Miles as we did for Jessica – we are identifying a Way
for them to find.
Growing up they will be presented with all sorts of choices,
decisions to take. They will be
presented with all sorts of differing sets of values.
Maybe the task you as Parents take on board today, and the task we have as a church is to help people
find the way.
Share things with them … but then in the hope of a
commitment they make – and say this
is for me – so they come to the point at which they feel this is the way for me
to take.
A point of decision – As children growing up, as they come
to make up their mind, in decisions they take later on.
Our hope and
prayer is that this way is a way to follow.
And the remarkable thing is that at any point they can take
up their quest and find that way –
unlike that experience of stopping to ask the way and
being told I wouldn’t start from here – bit like the Sat nav – wherever you are
you can start from here.
It’s a way of wonder, a way of discovery, a way of life.
But what’s it like.
It is as we come towards the end of the story of |Paul that
he has been put under arrest – and
goes through a series of hearings that stretch out over a number of years.
In Acts 24 he is brought before Felix , the Governor, who
gives Paul an opportunity to speak for himself.
Intriguingly we learn that Felix was rather well informed about the Way.
He gives a defence of all that he stand s
for, of the decisions he has taken, of the Way he has followed.
Indeed he says as much
Acts 24: 14-16
14But this I admit to you, that according to the Way, which
they call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors, believing everything laid
down according to the law or written in the prophets. 15I
have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a
resurrection of both the righteous and
the unrighteous. 16Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience
towards God and all people.
14But this I admit to you, that according
to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors,
The spiritual
dimension to life – the value of worship – it is good to worship – to
believing everything laid down according to
the law or written in the prophets.
A faith that is
informed by the Word of God in the Scriptures as we enter into the conversations that are going on among all those writers of the Scriptures from so long ago, touched as we are by the very Spirit that was at work with them.
15I
have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a
resurrection of both the righteous and
the unrighteous.
A hope that
looks to resurrection – life not bounded by death – but life which has as part
of its experience resurrection
Value of a
world view
16Therefore
I do my best always to have a clear conscience towards God and all people.
Love for God and
love for others.
The Way is centred around worship
And finds its focus in Faith, Hope and
Love
It is not just that Jesus maps out the way for us to follow.
He’s there with us every step of the way – there to bring us
back if we go off – a bit like the Satnav wherever we are pointing us in the
direction.
We need to venture on to the journey – and find the difference it makes.
I think there’s something exciting on offer here …
The Way
A way?
The Way?
One way?
Many ways?
Our way?
God’s Way
No comments:
Post a Comment