Shropshire & Marches
Methodist Circuit

Reflection on Circuit Online Worship Sermon June 28 2026
Delivered by Superintendent Minister Revd. Richard Hall.

Drawing from Bible passages:

Romans 6: 12-23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Reading: Matthew 10: 40-42

...whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.

In this week’s Online Worship Service, Revd. Hall considered the importance of our small acts.

In the passage from Romans, Paul speaks about sin, righteousness, slavery, freedom, death and eternal life – big  themes. In the Gospel reading Jesus speaks about mission, rejection, persecution… about division and taking up the cross – strong, demanding language which can put us off.

In the Gospel reading, we hear Jesus speaking about a cup of cold water. Not a grand gesture not some heroic sacrifice, not a lifetime's achievement, just a cup of cold water. Jesus says that such a small act will not be forgotten by God.

Revd. Hall asked worshippers to “pause on the grace of small things. To stay with the simplicity of the giving of a cup of cold water. With the possibility that this simple act of welcome can be the receiving of Christ himself. Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me.” Welcome is more than politeness. It’s not good manners at the chapel door. It’s not simply being friendly, although friendliness and good manners come into it, and matter, but Jesus gives welcome a deeper meaning. To welcome the disciple, the prophet, the righteous one, the little one, is to welcome Christ.”

Revd. Hall pointed out that Jesus highlights the smallest act of hospitality saying, “Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones   …” and that this, a cup of cold water is not much to ask, not costly, doesn’t require great learning, great wealth or great spiritual maturity. It simply requires that we notice one another’s need and respond.

He went on to say, “So much of love begins with noticing. Before one can give water you first have to see the thirst. Before the welcome is offered, you have to notice the stranger. Before the word of encouragement is spoken someone has to recognise the weariness or despair in someone else’s face. Before the lonely are included, someone has to notice that they are standing on the edge. The grace of small things begins with paying attention.

We often think about the sacraments, baptism, communion and so on as outward signs of inward grace. Ordinary things through which God meets us – water, bread, wine… simple things, but not trivial things. God takes the ordinary and fills it with promise.

Jesus is teaching us to see welcome as sacramental. A cup of water remains a cup of water, a greeting remains a greeting, a seat offered, a name remembered, a door opened. A cup of tea made and placed into somebody’s hands… none of these things look impressive but in all these things, grace can become visible. Jesus can be received and met. The Kingdom draws near.”

In the verses taken from Romans, Revd. Hall explained Paul’s use of language that is uncomfortable for us. “Do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies.” “Present your members to God as instruments of righteousness.” Paul speaks of slavery. “But at the heart of this passage” Revd. Hall said, “is the question that still presses on us: What are we giving ourselves to or probably better who are we giving ourselves to? Paul know that we are not neutral creatures, we’re shaped by what we serve, we’re formed by our habits, our loyalties, our fears, our resentments. We may like to imagine that freedom means having no one to answer to, no claim on us, no direction beyond our own choosing but Paul suggests true freedom is not belonging to nothing, true freedom is belonging to God. And if we belong to God the whole of ourselves belongs to God, our hands, our voices, our homes, our time. We become in Paul’s phrase, instruments of righteousness. It sounds really grand in Paul's terms but translate it into the words of Jesus in the Gospel and it becomes a hand offering water, a door being opened, a stranger being welcomed, a tired person being noticed, a child being taken seriously. These small acts can be sacramental acts.”

“They are not small because they are unimportant but small because they are available to all of us. These are the ordinary places where our discipleship becomes real… the small gesture offered in the name of Christ.