A Simple Song for the Road…

It’s the summer of ’26, and we’re on a journey through the Psalms of Ascent. This is the second sermon in the series, and in this message, Peter helped us unpack Psalm 121 – another of the 15 Psalms potentially compiled by King Hezekiah and King Josiah, for the physically demanding pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate the key festivals of Passover, Shabbat & Sukkot. With the city sitting at 800m above sea level, it is significantly higher than any city in the UK, and would make the journey a genuinely difficult, uphill trek over multiple days.

“Picture This”…

You’ve spent weeks getting ready for this moment – planning a route, stockpiling provisions, arranging someone to look after your vineyard & garden. You’ve finally assembled your family members and now you’re about to set off. What emotions might you be feeling in this moment? What ‘thrills you’ and what ‘chills you’ as you start the journey?

The dangers you’ll face on the journey are real – scorching heat, treacherous terrain, dark nights, wild animals, thieves and exhaustion – and that’s the abridged list!

“I Lift My Eyes to the Hills”…

The weary traveller stops…they look up… giving their eyes time to scan the horizon; their gaze rising to the mountains ahead of them…

“…the psalmist is looking away from the dangers they [the mountains] may hold, and beyond the safety they may promise, to the Lord who made them, for the keeping power of God the Creator is the theme of the psalm.” ^*1

A study published in 2020^*2 , found that the internal dialogue of competitive athletes greatly affected their performance, with ‘positive self-talk improving effort, value, fun, interest, and competence’ to a statistically significant degree. But the opening verses of this Psalm (Ps 121:1-2), aren’t just the positive self-talk of a tired hill walker, or the manifesting mantra of a self-help guru – It’s a faith-filled declaration of truth.

In life, there are often challenges that loom large, dominating our immediate horizon and filling our minds. In those moments we must remind ourselves of what is true. Our help... “comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven & Earth!”

“He Will Not Let Your foot Slip”…

The Hebrew word שָׁמַר (šâmar) appears in this Psalm six times and is translated as either ‘watch’ or ‘keep’.

Imagine the horror and helplessness experienced by an American homeowner earlier this month when their security system alerted them to a break-in. They watched, shocked and powerless, as they witnessed the live footage of burglars breaking into their home, wandering through the rooms and stealing their belongings! ^*3

In the sermon, Peter pointed out that the ‘watching’ mentioned in Psalm 121 isn’t a passive, after-the-fact monitoring; like you might sign up to with a security camera company. God watches over us with the active, attentive gaze of a loving father who is committed to the on-going protective care of His precious children – you & me!

The Sun Will Not Harm You…Nor the Moon”…

In the 1999 hit song ‘Everyone’s Free’, the words written by Mary Schmich urge the listener;

“Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists
whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering experience.”

The words of Psalm 121 are not based only on the psalmists ‘meandering experience’. We considered a few of many dangers that would have stalked the Jewish pilgrims on their journey to Jerusalem - this was no ‘stroll in the park’! The scorching sun overhead and the deep darkness of evening would provide a constant reminder to the traveller of their vulnerability – yet the Psalm provides comfort (Ps. 121:5-7), The Lord is a shade, our constant protection and eternal shelter!

In this life we are surrounded by threats – some are seen, recognised and felt; others are hidden, unknown and mysterious. (Rom 8:35-39) Trials, hunger, sickness, poverty, violence or war can …and some will… affect us physically, emotionally and/or spiritually. Troubles accompany the Christian pilgrim. The Apostle Paul writes that we are viewed ‘as sheep to be slaughtered’, and yet in the middle of all these dangers he says we are ‘more than conquerors’ through Jesus!

It is because our help comes from ‘the maker of heaven & earth’ that nothing ‘in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’.

The apostle Paul , in his second letter to Timothy, urges his young friend to ‘fan into flame’ his gift (2 Tim 1:6-8). Like the lighting of a campfire on a dark night, this is done to dispel fear and reveal the ‘power and love and self-control’ that come from God. This is why Peter urged us to keep moving forwards, to refocus on God’s promises, and to learn to always rely on God.

If you’ve ever camped in a tent, you’ll know how easily a sleep deprived mind falls victim to an overactive imagination. The gentle breeze quickly becomes the sniffing of a wolf… The distant moon traces out a waiting assassin… A falling branch betrays a nearby threat. The fears of life can overwhelm us in a similar way; yet an enormous perceived threat is ultimately revealed to be a trivial thing once we are able to factor God into the equation.

In his first letter John (1 Jn 4:17-19) wants his readers to understand that the love of God is foundational to all this – ‘we love because He first loved us’. Once we have experienced the perfect love of God it ‘casts out fear’.

‘Eyes on the Prize’…

Just as God faithfully watched over and protected the pilgrims on their difficult journey to Jerusalem, he watches over his people just as constantly and personally through every step of life's journey — so we can set our eyes on him rather than our troubles and trust him completely.

Questions...

Psalm 121 describes God as the "maker of heaven and earth" who "will not slumber."
What does this tell us about God, His power to create and commitment to keep watch over us?
The Hebrew word for "watch" ( שָׁמַר - šâmar) describes active, attentive care - not like a security camera that just records after the fact.
Read Psalm 121:3-8 again - how does this change the way you picture God watching over you?
An overactive imagination can cause our fears can grow bigger than they really are.
Looking at Psalm 121:1-2, why does the psalmist choose to look "to the hills" and to God rather than dwelling on the dangers themselves?
Think of a "mountain" or challenge currently looming large in your life.
What would it look like this week to lift your eyes to God as your help, rather than staying fixed on the problem?
There are troubles - seen and unseen – that may still accompany a Christian, yet nothing can separate us from God's love. Where do you need to trust God's constant, personal care for you right now?

Footnotes:

*1 – NIV Bible Speaks Today: Notes (2020). London: IVP, p. 820.
*2 – Park SH, Lim BS, Lim ST. The Effects of Self-Talk on Shooting Athletes' Motivation. J Sports Sci Med. 2020 Aug 13;19(3):517-521. PMID: 32874104; PMCID: PMC7429435.
*3 – https://youtu.be/f5CQ2yh6WsY
*4 – https://worderist.com/2020/11/27/sunscreen/

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New to Church?...

A brief introduction to 3C Community Church.

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Sunday Worship...

This is an overview of a typical Sunday morning service so that you'll know, beforehand, what to expect when you visit.

Where and When

We meet in the Chapel (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you'll be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Accessibility

There is wheelchair access via a paved ramp, and T-loop packs for anyone who needs them. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There is an accessible toilet in the community hall.

Our Service

The service begins at 10:30am with a warm welcome from one of our members. This is usually followed by a time of sung worship, led by our band. We typically have 3 or 4 songs lasting approximately 20 minutes. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. Sometimes people share things that they believe God is saying to the whole church family. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Créche (0 months to 4 years). Parents/carers of younger children are welcome to use our créche facilities but they must remain with their child at all times.
Trailblazers (4-11 years)
Young people (11+ years) Stay in the service

It's best to register your children for their groups before the service begins - just speak to a member of our welcome team. Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the appropriate time someone will announce that our younger members will now go to their various groups. Whilst you are dropping your kids off at their groups, we may pause to take time to chat to someone sitting near or next to us, giving folk a chance to come back before the sermon begins.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Your children will be brought back to the chapel at the end of their session.

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Getting Connected...

Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some mornings and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join. We can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make sure things run smoothly, you'll need to talk to one of the leaders about joining a team.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Men's Ministries
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Crafting club
Warm Space
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A Note from Phil, our Pastor...

Phil, Becks, Alice & Martha

Becks, Alice and I joined 3C in 2018. Since then Martha has been born, there's been a global pandemic and we've finally moved into the neighbourhood. I work full time for the church whilst Becks works as a music teacher at a secondary school in Gloucester during the week. We know that God led us to 3C and this ministry. He's been shaping us as individuals, a couple and a family to serve Him here in Cam.

Becks uses her musical gifts to serve God and the congregation as part of the music ministry team. She is also heading up the Sunday morning kids ministry - 'Trailblazers'. I lead the church eldership team along with some of our ministry teams. Though I've recently enjoyed a major church building maintenance project, my deepest joy is found in sharing the Word of Life with God's people.

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Every Blessing,

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