prepared by Deacon Nigel Perrott – 1st March 2026
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer of approach and adoration
Lord – We come to you at the start of another week to worship you,
our Alpha and Omega, our beginning and end.
You guided, protected, strengthened and blessed us this past week, even though times may have been tough, you promise to walk with us. So, we thank you and praise you.
There’s no one like you. There’s no one who loves us like you do;
no one who knows us like you do; no one so good and so strong, so powerful and compassionate as You. We worship you in glory.
You bind us one to another – each of us to you and all of us to each other. Together you make us your family, marking us with the same Spirit. Lord, we thank you.
You show us your way, give us your truth and impart your life to us in Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord – the one who we trust. Bless you, God our Saviour.
Prayers of Confession & Lord’s Prayer
You asked for my hands,
that you might use them for your purpose.
I gave them for a moment, then withdrew them,
for the work was hard.
You asked for my mouth
to speak out against injustice.
I gave you a whisper that I might not be accused.
You asked for my eyes
to see the pain of poverty.
I closed them, for I did not want to see.
You asked for my life,
that you might work through me.
I gave a small part that I might not get too involved.
Lord, forgive my calculated efforts to serve you—
only when it is convenient for me to do so,
only in those places where it is safe to do so,
and only with those who make it easy to do so.
Father, forgive me,
renew me, send me out
as a usable instrument,
that I might take seriously
the meaning of your cross. Amen.
We celebrate Lord, that when we confess we are indeed forgiven for the sake of Jesus who taught to pray
The Lord’s Prayer (Modern Form)
Our Father, who is in heaven,
Hallowed be your name……
Amen.
Song: STF 72 – Father God I wonder
| Father God, I wonder how I managed to exist without the knowledge of your parenthood and your loving care. But now I am your child, I am adopted in your family, and I can never be alone ’cause, Father God, you’re there beside me. | I will sing your praises, I will sing your praises, I will sing your praises forever more. I will sing your praises, I will sing your praises, I will sing your praises forever more. Ian Smale (b.1949) Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 72 Words and Music: © 1984, Thankyou Music. |
Please Read John 3:1-21 – Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d]
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[e] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[g]
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
Reflection –
“The natural mind cannot comprehend spiritual things”
So here we have that famous passage, the one we will have heard many times. Setting the scene: we see Nicodemus visiting Jesus at night. Presumably so that nobody would know of the visit. After all, Nicodemus was known as a wise Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin. His Greek name means,” Conqueror of the people. This is a very well respected and intelligent man. Being a man of learning, he still couldn’t understand everything that Jesus had done but knew that it had to be something of God.
I think he knew that he needed Jesus, he knew he needed something more, maybe even something transformative. I also think that is a little like us. We don’t always want others to know that we need something, we don’t want to admit that we are needy! We try to keep up appearances we are self-sufficient; we are the image we project to the world. On the inside there is a need for something, something more, more than our own strength. We need to trust in something that we don’t understand. Jesus is trying to help Nicodemus to understand.
In a couple of months we will be thinking about Trinity Sunday, the day we think about our God in three, father, Son and Holy Spirit. We try to understand what it is. The trinity is something we have wrestled with for centuries. I could write here for hours explaining about the early church, how our doctrines came about.
I still have nightmares about doing Christine doctrine essays at college!
To use a more acceptable phrase…it gives my head wind!
Of course, it valid, it’s important and will continue to be a subject of debate for more years to come. Jesus was trying to simplify what God was about….as if that were possible!
I am a Deacon, I spend a lot of time trying to help people understand, to find ways to translate church jargon into things that people can understand. I will leave the in-depth teaching of Doctrines to my Presbyteral Colleagues!!
Part of my calling is to preach the Gospel, preach the Gospel not only through words but through practical actions. That well known sentence that says, “preach the Gospel, use words if you have to”
In some ways we are ALL called to the same. ….
So back to Nic!
Poor old Nic, you see everything that Jesus was teaching about God was countercultural. When we think about the things Jesus taught, it flew in the face of the culture of the day.
How can it be that a widow can put one penny in a pot and it be more than someone putting in ten? How can it be that the adulterous women can be forgiven a sent away to sin no more? What do you mean I should love my enemies, what on earth is that about?
Then comes the big one, you must be born again! . What on earth do you mean, how on earth can that make sense?
When we try to make sense of God, we become unstuck. We cannot put the nature and character of God in a box. God is so far from our understanding.
Paul writes in romans…
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and[i] knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?”
35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
God is certainly beyond our understanding; However, this passage contains one of the best-known quotes of the Bible:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”.
In all the wonder and mystery of God comes a clear message. It’s God’s road map to salvation:
God creates his world, God rescues the world through his Son, and God maintains his world through his spirit. Showing and demonstrating the glory and wonder of his kingdom. When we are born again with knowledge, God character stats to be revealed and we can live the full life that Jesus promised us.
Amen
STF 82 – O lord my God
| O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the works thy hand hath made, I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed: Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee: how great thou art, how great thou art! Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee: how great thou art, how great thou art!When through the woods and forest glades I wander and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur, and hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze: | And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, he bled and died to take away my sin:When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation and take me home — what joy shall fill my heart; then shall I bow in humble adoration, and there proclaim: my God, how great thou art: Stuart K. Hine (1899–1989) vv. 1, 2, 4 based on O store Gud 1885byCarl Gustaf Boberg (1859–1940) Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 82 Words and Music: © 1953 The Stuart Hine Trust. |
Prayers for others
Father God,
on this Lenten journey you call us to follow your son, on the path of trust, surrender, and transformation. Hear us now as we pray for your world, your church, and all your children.
For your Church:
- Strengthen all who seek to walk faithfully in the way of Christ.
- Give courage where faith feels fragile, and hope where discipleship feels costly.
- Shape us into a people who listen for your voice and respond with willing hearts.
For the world you love:
- Where nations are torn by conflict, sow peace that outlasts fear.
- Where leaders carry heavy responsibility, grant wisdom rooted in justice and compassion.
- Where creation groans under strain, inspire us to protect and cherish the earth.
For those who suffer:
- Hold close all who are ill, anxious, grieving, or worn down by life.
- Surround the lonely with companionship, the weary with rest, the fearful with reassurance.
- Bless all who care for others with patience, strength, and tenderness.
For our communities and homes:
- Guide us in our daily choices, that we may reflect your kindness.
- Deepen our compassion for neighbours, strangers, and those we find difficult to love.
- Help us to notice small signs of grace that break through even in hard seasons.
For ourselves:
- In this Lenten time, draw us nearer to the heart of Christ.
- Teach us to let go of what harms and to take up what heals.
- Shape our lives by your mercy, that we may walk in trust and joy.
Holy God,
you are faithful to your promises and generous in your love. Gather all our prayers, those written here, and those of our hearts, and hold them in your redeeming hands,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Blessing
May the Goodness of God go with you
May the love of Jesus live within you
may the Holy Spirit remind you
Father Son & Holy Spirit
Amen.
