Standing on the shoulders of Giants

Please Note:

This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast.

It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflectcurrent events.

Opening Announcement

BBC Radio 4. At ten past eight, it’s time for Sunday Worship which comes from Seymour Street Methodist Church in Lisburn. The preacher is the Rev Dr Janet Unsworth and the service is led by Rev Dr Edmond Mawhinney. It begins with the Grosvenor Chorale singing SS Wesley’s “Lead me Lord”

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Introit: Lead Me Lord (S S Wesley)

Good morning and welcome to this service. On Friday we will come to All Saints’ Day when we remember those who have gone before us. It gives us the opportunity to think about those biblical giants of the faith as well as the many other heroes of faith: those whose stories are well known across the world, who might even be commemorated in stained glass windows themselves, as well as the un-sung heroes: the people who have provided us with shoulders to stand upon, as we have made our own journey of faith.

Hymn – Ye holy angels bright (Darwall’s 148th)

Prayers of Adoration, Thanksgiving and Confession

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we worship you as part of the family of sisters and brothers across the world and across the generations who rejoice in your steadfast love and faithfulness.

We thank you for the rich inheritance of the saints into which we have entered, for the great cloud of witnesses which surround us – leaders and thinkers, people of faith and commitment who influenced our lives and all those who have run the race before us and encourage us by the way they kept the faith.

We give glory to you, Lord our God, for you created the heavens and the earth and formed us in your own image. We thank You for revealing your love to us in Jesus Christ, your Son; for his life, death, resurrection and ascension through which you promise the forgiveness of sins and for the gift of the Holy Spirit to us and all whom you call.

Heavenly Father, only you know how much we need forgiveness and only you can forgive us.

We humbly confess our sins.

We know that we are far from being perfect. Despite our words about commitment we have been weak, disobedient and self – centred; we are content to live as we have always lived; our service is often half – hearted and we have been more concerned with our own interests than those of others.

Yet, flawed and sinful as we are, we want to be the people you would have us be. Lord God, forgive our many sins and help us to draw closer to you and learn to know you better.

Lord, help us to continue to follow in the steps of those who have gone before us so that we gain insight and inspiration for life now and find vision and courage for the future.

May we may run the race with perseverance and be a good example to future generations.

For the company of your people and our place within it, we thank You, Lord.

We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Our first reading is taken from the Letter to the Hebrews. In Chapters 11 and 12 the author recalls some heroes of faith but also reminds us of their impact on our lives.

1st Reading Hebrews 11:27-34; 11.39-12:3

By faith Moses left Egypt, unafraid of the king’s anger; for he persevered as though he saw him who is invisible.By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.

And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 

 Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, without us, be made perfect.

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hymn – For all the saints (Sine Nomine)

Our Gospel reading is taken from the Gospel of St. John 15: 1-11. Jesus speaks to his disciples to give them comfort and assurance. But the words are also urgent words, spoken by Jesus during his farewell conversation with his disciples, on the night when he was betrayed, the night before the Crucifixion.

Gospel: John 15:1-11

 ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

 ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 

Hymn - Let saints on earth in concert sing (French)

Sermon

If you look at the reverse side of a £2 coin, you’ll find the images of four concentric circles which trace the story of technological development representing from inner to outer rim, the Iron Age, the Industrial Revolution, the Computer Age and the Internet. This design backs up the inscription which is found on the edge of the coin. It is taken from a letter written in 1676 by Sir Isaac Newton to his fellow-scientist Robert Hooke. He says: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”. With that he acknowledged the debt he owed to other scientists, whose work had paved the way for his discoveries. 

But that phrase – “standing on the shoulders of giants” - was not Newton’s own. As early as the 12th century, John of Salisbury quoted his teacher, Bernard of Chartres, who taught that “Sitting on the shoulders of giants, we see more, and things that are more distant, than they did; not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up, and by their great stature add to ours." 

In the lancets below the South Rose Window in the Cathedral in Chartres, where John of Salisbury was Bishop there is a lasting visual reference to the shoulders of giants. The windows shows the four major Old Testament prophets - Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel as giant figures, and on their shoulders sit the much smaller figures of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – a reminder that those evangelists were building on the tradition and the truth set out by their predecessors. 

All Saints Day gives us the opportunity to think about those biblical giants of the faith as well as the many other heroes of faith: those whose stories are well known across the world, who might even be commemorated in stained glass windows themselves, as well as the un-sung heroes: the people who have provided us with shoulders to stand upon, as we have made our own journey of faith.

A couple of weeks ago the Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchog became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours and a few days later in the Chicago marathon, another Kenyan, Brigid Kosgei broke the 16 year old world record set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003. As those marathon runners ran towards the finishing post, crowds gathered to cheer them on.

In the chapter 11 of the letter to the Hebrews, the writer lists a remarkable roll call of faithful people: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, and so the list goes on: great men and women of faith whose lives provide an example for us.

And then in chapter 12, the writer depicts these men and women as a crowd of witnesses cheering on the competitors in the race.

The analogy is clear - they are the giants who have completed the race and have made it to the finish line themselves; those who have kept the faith, those whose perseverance and endurance is an example for us to follow. 

And it is reassuring to note that the giants of faith which the writer lists were not all paragons of virtue.

Most of them made mistakes as they ran their race, and some went badly off course.

When challenged to believe the amazing promises of God,

Abraham laughed and Jacob wrestled, Moses despaired and Samuel was afraid.

And yet, they held on to their faith in the God who had called them and who was sustaining them; they persevered and overcame many difficulties, to finish their race.

Like the writer of Hebrews, each of us, if we thought about it, could probably put together our own “roll call” of giants: people who have touched our lives in a special way, people whose example we can learn from, as we run our race of faith.

Celtic spirituality speaks of the “thin places” - places where we experience a deep sense of connection to the divine, places where we find that we hear God’s voice more clearly and feel a connection to those who have gone before. One of those places for me is our Chapel in Edgehill House – the place where I work and teach.

Part of the reason for that lies in its history.

For over 80 years, that Chapel has been a place of worship and gathering for students training for ministry. 

In the scheme of church history, 80 years isn’t that long, but when I am there I have a sense of that cloud of witnesses – those giants of faith – my own father included – men and women who in that place have brought their joys and sorrows, their excitement and their frustration as they have prepared to serve God in the mission of his church.

However, another part of the reason is found in the fabric of the room itself – the stained-glass window which is the central feature of the south-facing wall.

Unlike the south rose window in Chartres, one simple image and some writing spills across the coloured glass – a vine and the words – “I am the true vine.”

In those words Jesus captures the relationship we are talking about –

the interconnectedness between us, the giants of old, upon whose shoulders we stand,

and the men and women of faith who we journey with each day – people whose courage and perseverance hasn’t been immortalised in stained glass windows and won’t be retold in the pages of history books, but who journey alongside us and encourage us in our faith. 

The connection between us comes because we are all rooted in Jesus,

the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, Jesus, the true vine.

When Jesus describes himself as the true vine, he is telling his disciples that he is genuine, real, authentic, strong, rooted and grounded in what is right and good. There are many other things, many other people, who we will find to be false: but Jesus is truth personified; 

Jesus is the true vine, and as that true vine, he promises to abide in us, as we abide in him. 

The challenge for all of us is to remain joined to that true vine, day by day; to abide in him, and as one of his branches, to be joined together with others who have followed in the past and who follow him today: each connected to one another and joined in faith to Jesus himself.

Jesus’ words are words of comfort and of instruction about how to carry on his mission – how to stand on his shoulders.

“Abide in me” is not an instruction to a community at rest, settling into business as usual.

It is an instruction for a community who are to be ready for mission, a community who are willing to grow, a community who are willing to follow Jesus, wherever his Spirit leads us.

As people who are joined to Jesus, and joined to all those other disciples of every age, we abide in him, not so much to be comforted, but more to be empowered.

As we join ourselves to him, we receive his strength and we begin to bear fruit, the fruit of that abiding, in every aspect of our lives and our relationships. 

As we join ourselves to him, we are empowered to continue that mission which he began and which has been continued by those giants and companions in faith, whose memory we honour and give thanks for today. 

And so, let us take a moment to pause and reflect: 

To know the peace and the power of abiding in Christ ……. 

To know ourselves joined to him and joined to those who have walked alongside us and those who have gone before us, those who have helped us to see further and to reach higher, as we seek to follow Christ. 

Let us abide with them, and abide in him …. Amen. 

Anthem: Abide with me (Moses Hogan)

Voice 1 Let us pray

God of every age and time,

The one who is the same yesterday, today and for ever,

Thank you that you come alongside us in Jesus Christ,

Entering into history and entering into the messy reality of this world.

Thank you for the invitation to be joined to him,

To draw strength and grace from the one who is the true vine.

Grant us the help of your spirit, as we come to pray for the needs of the world,

As we seek to make his love real to all who are in need.

Bidding: Lord hear us,

All Lord graciously hear us.

Voice 2 As we thank you for all the giants of faith, on whose shoulders we can stand,

We pray for all who share in the ministry of your church today.

We pray for preachers and teachers, pastors and mission partners,

And the many thousands of disciples who live out their faith and bear witness to your love, in their homes, in their workplaces, and in their communities,

all across this world.

Grant them power and peace which comes from your Holy Spirit,

that we might faithfully serve you in the church and in the world.

Bidding: Lord hear us,

All Lord graciously hear us.

Voice 1 As we look back to learn, help us to look forward in hope.

Give us wisdom to draw on the lessons of those who have gone before

And grant us insight, to apply that learning to this time and this place.

In a time of uncertainty and challenge, give new light and new vision to all who must exercise leadership, thinking especially of those who take important decision’s about our nation’s future.

And grant to us and all your children, new faith, new wisdom and new hope,

That we might move forward together, seeking the common good.

Bidding: Lord hear us,

All Lord graciously hear us.

Voice 2 As we seek to abide in Christ, and to know the peace and assurance

that he gives,

We pray for those who are troubled and distressed,

Those who, for whatever reason, do not have any sense of peace or wellbeing in their hearts at this time.

We remember those who struggle with pain: physical, mental or spiritual;

Those who are weighed down with sorrow and grief,

Those who feel cut off and abandoned.

Living Lord Christ: our healer, our comforter, our saviour, our friend,

Reach out in love, to all who are in need,

Through the power of your spirit and the presence of your people.

Bidding: Lord hear us,

All Lord graciously hear us.

Voice 1 We offer these prayers in faith and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

The true vine,

The beginner and perfecter of our faith,

The Lord of yesterday, today and tomorrow,

Amen.

Lord’s prayer

Hymn - Ye servants of God (Laudate Dominum)

Blessing

Remember all God has done.

Rejoice in all He is doing.

Receive all He shall yet do.

Put your trust in the God of past, present and future

Walk with Him wherever He may lead

Knowing that He will walk with you, this day and always.

The blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit rest upon us and on our lives and worship now and for evermore. Amen.

Closing Announcement

Sunday Worship from Belfast came from Seymour Street Methodist Church in Lisburn. The preacher was the Rev Dr Janet Unsworth and was led by Rev Dr Edmond Mawhinney.

The Grosvenor Chorale was directed by Edward Craig and the organist, Stephen Hamill.

 The producer was Bert Tosh.

Next week hospice chaplain the Revd Dr Steve Nolan asks what the Book of Wisdom’s expression ‘their hope is full of immortality’ means for those experiencing death or bereavement today. That’s Sunday Worship for the season of All Soul’s from Old Royal Naval College Chapel, Greenwich at the usual time of ten past eight here on Radio 4.