Worship

Welcome to our service this week. Consider the words of this brief song as you bring yourself into the presence of God.

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me;
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me;
Break me, melt me, mould me, fill me;
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me;

A paraphrase of Psalm 13.

O Lord, sometimes I think you have forgotten me –
When I suffer pain that doesn’t go away;
When things appear to get worse instead of better;
When I am alone and no-one seems to care.
It’s as if you hide yourself away from me,
And I feel weak, bereft and defeated.
And yet, O Lord, you have been good to me.
All my life you have been beside me.
Through troubles and misfortunes
You have upheld me.
I rely on your constant love and care.
You will strengthen me and save me.
I will rejoice and be glad.
Isabel Bala

Sermon on the mat: Genesis 22 v 1 – 14: Do we trust God to provide?

My father-in-law would tell of the time when, as an 8 year-old schoolboy, he was taken to the top of a hill by his mother to await the end of the world. His mother, along with a large group of people, had accepted the teaching of a preacher who considered himself a prophet and had foretold that Jesus Christ would return on this particular day. I’m not sure how the lack of the sight of Jesus returning in glory was explained to the child, or even the adults as they made their way down the hill at the end of the day, but the experience stuck with him all his life. It was part of the reason why my father-in-law did not follow his mother in faith.

I often wonder what effect the incident recounted here in Genesis had on the young boy Isaac. The long, 3 day trek into the wilderness with a father who was probably wrapped up in his own thoughts. The further journey to the chosen place, just his father and him carrying the wood for the fire. This was followed by the building of an altar, the placing of the wood on that alter and then his own father taking him and tying him up and placing him on the unlit fire. Did he see Abraham’s hand raised with the knife about to strike his throat, or did Abraham think to cover his eyes? It must have been terrifying.

Did this experience scar him for life? What did Abraham tell him about it – did he ever explain how he felt called to believe that God wanted him to travel out into the desert to sacrifice his son? It wasn’t just that Isaac was a miraculous child – born to Sarah in her old age after she had been barren for so long. It was also that Abraham had been told that it was to be through Isaac that he was to be the father of a nation – that his descendants would be so many that they couldn’t be counted, like the grains of sand or the stars in the sky. Did the fact that Abraham was obviously willing to sacrifice him despite this make Isaac afraid of his own father? Or did he learn the true meaning of faith that day?

And what of Sarah? Did she ever learn of what Abraham had set out to do? Did Abraham tell her before setting out on the three day trek? I bet he didn’t. Having made the decision to follow God’s commands he didn’t want anybody to try to stop him. Did this incident mean that Sarah felt she could never trust Abraham or did she share his faith that, whatever God calls us to do, we must act in love and obedience and trust in His almighty plan?

Abraham is lauded for his faith and this incident must be counted as the pinnacle of that faith. The phrase that jumped out at me when reading through the passage is found in verse 8, ‘God will provide the lamb for the sacrifice.’ This was in response to the boy’s query when he noted that they had the fire, the special knife and the wood for a sacrifice but not the central element itself, the animal to be killed and burnt or the grain or oil to be burnt as an offering. Was Abraham expecting God to substitute an animal for Isaac, or was he expecting that God would bring the boy back to life? We don’t know, but we do know that Abraham was willing to carry out the instructions that God had given him.

How deep is our faith? How willing are we to do whatever we hear God calling us to do, even if it doesn’t make sense? Even if it will bring us suffering? How willing are we to believe that God cares for us and will look after us, whatever happens?

The phrase is repeated in verse 14, after the tension has been broken and the ram caught in a bush nearby has been sacrificed instead of Isaac. Abraham called the place ‘the Lord will provide’. Thus the story would be remembered by everyone who passed that way.

Over the past few years I have become more and more aware of how God has answered my prayers for myself and Christ Church; how he has cared for us and provided for us, especially when things have seemed uncertain.

I’m sure that you can also think of times when your prayers have been answered and can proclaim with me that:
Wherever we are and whatever our needs GOD WILL PROVIDE.

Prayer
God of grace
May the blessings of faith be ours
May the happiness of obedience to you be ours
May the peace you bestow through your sacrificial love infect us and change us
That our lives may be a blessing to others near and far. Amen

Please pray for –

• The bereaved as they face their grief amid the current restrictions.
• The government and leaders of industry and commerce, that they may seek to serve the good of all people and the planet.
• For school children and school staff as they try to have some contact time before the summer holidays. And for parents as they continue to care for their children amidst the changes and uncertainties.