prepared by Rev. Rosemary Mutopo – 7th June 2026
Call To Worship
Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow me,” and Matthew rose and followed him.
Today, Christ calls us too; not because of where we are, but because we belong to him.
Whether gathered in a church building or worshipping at home, we are welcomed by God’s mercy and held in God’s love.
Let us open our hearts to the presence of Christ and worship the Lord with gladness and thanksgiving. Amen.
STF 20 Be still , for the presence of the Lord
1 Be still,
for the presence of the Lord,
the Holy One is here;
come bow before Him now
with reverence and fear;
In him no sin is found-
we stand on holy ground.
Be still,
for the presence of the Lord,
the Holy One, is here.
2 Be still,
for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around;
he burns with holy fire,
with splendour he is crowned:
how awesome is the sight-
our radiant King of light!
Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around.
3 Be still,
for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place;
he comes to cleanse and heal,
to minister his grace:
no work too hard for him-
in faith receive from him.
Be still,
for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place.
David J. Evans (b. 1957)
Prayer
Holy and gracious God, we come before you with thankful hearts. We praise you for your mercy that reaches beyond all barriers and for your love that welcomes all people into your presence. We thank you for Jesus Christ, who called Matthew from his tax booth, inviting him into a new life of discipleship and service. We rejoice that your Son did not turn away from those whom society rejected, but sat at a table with sinners and outcasts, revealing the depth of your compassion and grace.
You are the God who sees beyond appearances and looks upon the heart. You call each of us by name and invite us to follow you. Your mercy is greater than our failures, your love stronger than our fears, and your grace sufficient for all our needs. We worship you, for in Christ we see your welcoming heart and your desire that all may know the joy of belonging to you.
Merciful God, we confess that we have not always followed where Christ leads. We have been quick to judge others and slow to show compassion. We have built barriers where you have offered welcome. We have chosen comfort over discipleship, self-interest over service, and criticism over mercy. We have failed to love our neighbours as you have loved us, and we have not always recognized Christ in those whom the world overlooks. Silence
Forgive us, loving God. Renew us by your grace and transform us through your Spirit. Teach us to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, showing mercy rather than judgment, welcome rather than exclusion, and love rather than indifference. Give us courage to rise and follow Christ wherever he may lead, trusting in the power of your redeeming love. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who came not to call the righteous, but sinners, and who welcomes us all into the embrace of your mercy. Amen.
Gospel reading: Matthew 9: 9-13- The Calling of Matthew
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’
STF 250 Jesus calls us! O’er the tumult
1 Jesus calls us! O’er the tumult
of our life’s wild restless sea,
day by day his voice is sounding,
saying: ‘Christian, follow me.’
2 As of old apostles heard it
by the Galilean lake,
turned from home and toil and kindred,
leaving all for his dear sake.
3 Jesus calls us from the worship
of the vain world’s golden store,
from each idol that would keep us,
saying: ‘Christian, love me more.’
4 In our joys and in our sorrows,
days of toil and hours of ease,
still he calls, in cares and pleasures:
‘Christian, love me more than these.’
5 Jesus calls us! By your mercies,
Saviour, may we hear your call,
give our hearts to your obedience,
serve and love you best of all.
Cecil Frances Alexander (1818–1895)
Reflection
Grace is one of the most familiar words in the Christian faith, yet it remains one of the most radical. We sing about it, preach about it, and pray for it, but if we are not careful, we can lose sight of how shocking God’s grace truly is.
Matthew’s story reminds us. As Jesus walks along, he sees Matthew sitting at his tax booth and simply says, “Follow me.” There is no interview. No probationary period. No requirement to prove his worthiness. No demand that he first put his life in order. Jesus calls him just as he is.
To understand how surprising this is, we need to remember who Matthew was. Tax collectors were despised by their fellow Jews. They were often seen as collaborators with the Roman occupiers and were widely regarded as dishonest and untrustworthy. Matthew was not the sort of person people expected a holy teacher to associate with, let alone call into discipleship.
Yet Jesus sees something others do not see. Where others see a sinner, Jesus sees a disciple. Where others see failure, Jesus sees possibility. Where others see someone beyond redemption, Jesus sees someone worthy of love and grace.
The radical nature of God’s grace is that it does not wait for us to become worthy. Grace comes first. Jesus does not say to Matthew, “Change your life and then follow me.” He says, “Follow me,” and Matthew’s life begins to change. The invitation comes before the transformation.
The scandal deepens when Jesus sits down to eat with Matthew and his friends. In the culture of the time, sharing a meal was a sign of acceptance, friendship, and belonging. Jesus is not merely tolerating these people; he is welcoming them. He is creating a community with those whom others have excluded.
The religious leaders are troubled by this. “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” they ask. Jesus responds with words that still challenge the Church today: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Then he quotes the prophet Hosea: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” In other words, God’s heart is not focused on maintaining boundaries that keep people out; God’s heart is focused on extending mercy that brings people in.
This passage invites us to consider whether we have truly grasped the radical nature of grace. It is often easier to accept grace for ourselves than to extend it to others. We may quietly believe that some people are beyond God’s reach, beyond forgiveness, or beyond belonging. Yet Jesus consistently moves towards those whom society pushes away.
The good news is that Matthew’s story is also our story. Every one of us has heard, or is hearing, Christ’s invitation: “Follow me.” None of us comes because we have earned a place at the table. We come because grace has invited us. And having received that grace, we are called to become people of grace ourselves—people who offer welcome instead of judgement, mercy instead of condemnation, and hope instead of exclusion. The Church is at its best when it reflects the table fellowship of Jesus: a place where people encounter not perfection, but mercy; not rejection, but acceptance; not barriers, but grace.
Matthew rose and followed Jesus because grace found him where he was. And the same grace finds us today.
Amen.
Prayers of intercession
Gracious God, we thank you for the mercy shown to Matthew, for the grace that called him, and for the love that welcomed him. As Jesus sat at table with those whom others rejected, so may your Spirit draw us into your compassionate heart as we pray for the world you love. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for your Church throughout the world. Where we have built walls, teach us to build bridges. Where we have been quick to judge, teach us to show mercy. Where we have become comfortable and inward-looking, call us again to follow Christ into places of need and hope. May the Church reflect the welcome of Jesus, so that all people may discover a place at your table. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for our world. We remember those who are excluded, overlooked, or treated as unworthy. We pray for refugees and migrants, for those who live in poverty, for those who face discrimination, and for all who feel they do not belong. May leaders and nations seek justice, compassion, and peace, recognising the dignity of every human being. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for our communities. Bless those who work to bring healing, support, and reconciliation. Strengthen carers, healthcare workers, teachers, volunteers, and all who serve others. Help us to see our neighbours through the eyes of Christ, not as labels or categories, but as people loved by God. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are burdened by illness, grief, loneliness, or anxiety. We remember especially those who are housebound, those in hospital or residential care, and those who feel forgotten or isolated. May they know the companionship of Christ, who comes alongside us in every circumstance and invites us into the fellowship of his love.
A moment of silence may be kept. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, you call us by name, welcome us by grace, and transform us through love. Accept these prayers, and those known only to our hearts, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven,…
STF 608 All Praise to Our Redeeming Lord,
1 All praise to our redeeming Lord,
Who joins us by His grace,
And bids us, each to each restored,
Together seek His face.
2 He bids us build each other up,
And, gathered into one,
To our high calling’s glorious hope
We hand in hand go on.
3 The gift which He on one bestows,
We all delight to prove;
The grace through every vessel flows,
In purest streams of love
4 Even now we think and speak the same,
Any cordially agree
Concentered all, through Jesu’s name,
In perfect harmony.
5 We all partake the joy of one,
The common peace we feel,
A peace to worldly minds unknown,
A joy unspeakable.
6 And if our fellowship below
In Jesus be so sweet,
What height of rapture shall we know
When round His throne we meet! Amen
Charles Wesley (1707 -1788)
Blessing
May the God of grace who calls us by name, the Christ who welcomes us to his table, and the Holy Spirit who transforms our lives, bless us and keep us, today and always. Amen.
