Welcome
Welcome to our website!
St John’s is a congregation and parish within the Church of Scotland. As such, we seek to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all in as faithful and friendly a way as we can. As a fellowship, we endeavour to encourage one another and provide the means whereby we can grow in Christian grace and faith.
During this time of global pandemic, the church is not meeting in person, but that does not mean that church is cancelled! Rather it means that we have moved to a variety of different ways of supporting each other, building community, nurturing faith, and participating in God’s mission in the world.
Our Sunday service is now online — you can find it here each Sunday morning. We also have regular video devotions on our Facebook page, and some on our YouTube channel as well. In addition there is a weekly devotional email, which you can subscribe to by clicking here.
The children’s time, geared for children age P2 and younger, that normally happens in the middle of a Sunday service is currently happening via Zoom on Sundays at 11. If you would like the login information, please contact Teri.
Our elders and members are building community and deepening relationships through phone calls, cards, and emails. If you or someone you know is in need of some support through a friendly phone call or a neighbour who can help with essential tasks, please contact the minister and she will make connections.
Christmas Window Competition 2020: Christmas Carols!
Gourock Schools and Churches Together is sponsoring a Gourock Christmas Window decoration competition! The theme is Christmas Carols — choose a carol and decorate a window in your house on that theme! Be sure to choose a window that faces the street, because a panel of judges (from each of the four churches, the schools, and the Council) will begin judging on the 11th of December, and prizes will be awarded sometime the following week.
We may not be able to gather for our usual carol service, but we can still share the joy of Christmas carols with the whole town! I can’t wait to go for a walk and see everyone’s decorations!
You can enter online here, or you can get an entry form from church or from selected shops around Gourock.
If you’d like to see the Gourock Clergy’s efforts at decorating a window, you can see ours at the main entrance to St. Ninian’s….and soon in the Telegraph and on Facebook! I hope you can figure out which christmas carol we chose!
Sunday Service for 22 November 2020, Christ the King Sunday
22 November 2020, Christ the King Sunday
Worship prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson,
St. John’s Church of Scotland, Gourock
Contact: tpeterson at churchofscotland dot org dot uk
Hymn 449: Rejoice the Lord is King
Prayers, Reading, Sermon:
Hymn: Lord, Reign in Me (lyrics below the video)
Lord, reign in me, reign in Your power
Over all my dreams, in my darkest hour
‘Cause You are the Lord of all I am
So won’t You reign in me again
Lord, reign in me, reign in Your power
Over all my dreams, in my darkest hour
‘Cause You are the Lord of all I am
So won’t You reign in me again
Over all the earth you reign on high
Every mountain stream, every sunset sky
But my one request, Lord my only plea
Is that you’d reign in me again
Lord reign in me, reign in your power
Over all my dreams, in my darkest hour
You are the Lord of all I am
So won’t you reign in me again
Over every thought, over every word
May my life reflect the beauty of my Lord
You mean more to me than any earthly thing
So won’t you reign in me again
Lord, reign in me, reign in Your power
Over all my dreams, in my darkest hour
‘Cause You are the Lord of all I am
So won’t You reign in me again
Lord, reign in me, reign in Your power
Over all my dreams, in my darkest hour
You are the Lord of all I am
So won’t You reign in me again
Teach me how to pray
And teach me what to say
Remind me of your power
Every day and every hour
Lord help me trust in you
Cast all my cares on you
I want to live for you,
Obey in all I do
Lord, reign in me, reign in Your power
Over all my dreams, in my darkest hour
You are the Lord of all I am
So won’t You reign in me again
You are the Lord of all I am
So won’t You reign in me again
~~~~~
Call to Worship and Opening Prayer
God’s word is for us —
wherever we may be.
In our familiar places,
and outside our comfort zones,
in the tangible things of our tradition
and the liminal space of this time,
God’s living word is within us.
So come, let us worship,
seeking an encounter with the One
whose love can never be thwarted,
who calls us God’s people.
Let us pray.
You are a persistent God,
speaking new truth through ancient words,
and putting new songs of eternal truth on our lips.
In your faithfulness, we learn trust.
In your life, we learn love.
For You are our God and we are your people,
and we thank you for your voice, always calling us to your way.
We confess that when we hear your voice alongside the voices of others — leaders, friends, ourselves —
we often cannot decide which to follow.
If we’re honest,
we find it easier and less trouble to be silent in the face of wrong,
allowing misdirection, lies, and hateful words to take root and spread,
because we want to be liked so we don’t speak up.
And we admit that sometimes we join the powers of this world
in believing we can simply ignore
or even cut out the word we don’t want to hear —
both yours and others.
Chisel into our hardened hearts, O God,
with your word of justice and peace.
Forgive us, come close once again,
and write your grace into our very being.
Show us what it means to commit our lives to you
in the midst of this world’s competing voices,
and lead us in your Way, Truth, and Life.
Transform our hearts this day
and give us courage to embody your word,
that your truth might be read from our lives.
Whatever the challenges before us,
and however the powers respond,
may we bear witness to Christ our King,
who taught us to pray together:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
for the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Reading: Jeremiah chapter 36 verses 1-8, 21-23, 27-28, & chapter 31 verses 31-34
King Josiah was the last good king in Jerusalem, presiding over a generation of reforms that took down idols and restored the Temple, pointing the people to God’s presence and commandments. He was killed in battle in 609 BCE, and his son Jehoiakim took his place. He was not like his father. He not only encouraged idol-worship, he also maintained his own lifestyle and his position with the kings of other nations by force, sometimes taking lives, other times taking resources from the people of the land, thus subjugating his own nation for his personal safety and glory. The prophet Jeremiah spoke against this practice, insisting that following God’s law involved not only correct worship—which wasn’t happening—but also actions like caring for the poor, honoring the land, and shepherding the people in peace rather than taking advantage of them. For his preaching, Jeremiah was banished from the Temple, and eventually imprisoned. In the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign, 605 BCE, the Babylonian army swept through the region and defeated all the other nations, including Egypt and its large army. At that point, Jehoiakim paid Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, to save Jerusalem: he sent gold, furnishings from the Temple, and several members of the royal family as hostages. We pick up the story of Jeremiah and his secretary Baruch in chapter 36, then hear some of what was written on the scroll from chapter 31. I am reading from the New Revised Standard Version.
~~~
In the fourth year of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. It may be that when the house of Judah hears of all the disasters that I intend to do to them, all of them may turn from their evil ways, so that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
Then Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at Jeremiah’s dictation all the words of the Lord that he had spoken to him. And Jeremiah ordered Baruch, saying, ‘I am prevented from entering the house of the Lord; so you go yourself, and on a fast day in the hearing of the people in the Lord’s house you shall read the words of the Lord from the scroll that you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the people of Judah who come up from their towns. It may be that their plea will come before the Lord, and that all of them will turn from their evil ways, for great is the anger and wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people.’ And Baruch son of Neriah did all that the prophet Jeremiah ordered him about reading from the scroll the words of the Lord in the Lord’s house. Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary; and Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king. Now the king was sitting in his winter apartment (it was the ninth month), and there was a fire burning in the brazier before him. As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a penknife and throw them into the fire in the brazier, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.
Now, after the king had burned the scroll with the words that Baruch wrote at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which King Jehoiakim of Judah has burned.
(31.31-34) The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
Sermon: Book Burning (Becoming God’s People 10)
Every time I read this story, my first thought is “poor Baruch.” Writing in those days was painstaking work, and it was still not a terribly common skill outside the priestly class. He spent many years as Jeremiah’s secretary, writing down visions, sermons, diatribes, and stories, taking dictation from a cranky prophet.
When Jeremiah told Baruch to go read the scroll, I wonder if he was surprised that he was told to go to the Temple during a time when lots of regular people would be there, traveling in from the countryside for a ritual. It would be a crowded place, full of everyday peasants and artisans, people who followed rather than led. Jeremiah’s prophecies were only tangentially about them—they could, of course, work to be more faithful themselves, but the real target of Jeremiah’s preaching were the leaders who followed their own self-interest and led people astray.
Baruch took the scroll to the Temple and read it out loud, and the people listened. But we don’t know how they reacted, because the scene shifts to the king’s advisor, who heard Baruch reading and realised the king needed to know about this, ASAP.
It’s probably too strong to say that the advisor was a spy, but it certainly has that feel about it—someone reporting the words spoken at a religious service, knowing that the king won’t like what he hears.
And he didn’t. Jehoiakim sat in his palace, which had different wings for different seasons of the year, in front of his enormous fireplace, and calmly tore up and burned the word of the Lord instead of tearing his garments in grief and repentance. He didn’t even look anxious about it, just taking a piece of scroll every few minutes and throwing it into the fire in one of history’s first recorded book burnings.
But really, it was too late. The days are surely coming, says the Lord…The word had already been read, and heard. It was already out there, wiggling its way into people’s minds and hearts, taking on life throughout the city and the surrounding countryside. Jehoiakim burned page after page that painted him in an unfavourable light, that reminded him of his responsibility as a shepherd to guide the people in faithfulness, to take care of the immigrant, the orphan, and the widow, to protect the poor and to care for the land. He didn’t want to hear it, but the message was burning its way through the hard hearts of the people, and God was at work. The word of God can’t be destroyed, even if it makes us uncomfortable, or reminds us of things and people we purposely put aside. And it certainly won’t be constrained by the desires or policies of the people in power.
Today is Christ the King Sunday, which was instituted in 1925, as many nations in Europe were experiencing increasing militant nationalism. In the midst of a culture that disapproved of difference, and leadership that demanded unwavering loyalty, the church was called to proclaim that our allegiance is not to a nation or a leader, but to Christ. We are citizens of the kingdom of heaven, along with everyone else God chooses to invite to the feast. It’s the same message that Jeremiah and Baruch got when they were called to write the whole scroll a second time: a reminder that the king, or his upper class advisors and friends, are not God. And God has a much bigger picture going, with people from every nation and language, every time and place, youngest to the oldest and the least to the greatest, all knowing the new covenant because it is written on our hearts, not just on paper.
The thing is, a covenant written on paper can be torn up and ignored. We can’t destroy the ideas, of course, but the book can be easily put out of sight, out of mind. A covenant written on our hearts, though…the only way to ignore it is to destroy ourselves. To turn away from the new covenant God has so carefully written inside each and every person is not only to turn away from a world in need, retreating into the winter palace while our sisters and brothers work themselves to the bone for our benefit…it is to turn away from being human, to turn away from our hearts, to put aside our belovedness and seek our own gratification alone, creating our own law along the way. We have to forget who we are, and where our loyalty lies.
We humans have made a pretty good effort at this. But the fact of the word remains: even when we lose our way, or turn away, God is love, Christ is Lord, and the Spirit provides word after word, scroll after scroll, chance after chance for us to remember who we are and who God is, and to re-align our actions and words with the community of Christ’s kingdom — where people come from north and south and east and west to share a feast where there is enough for everyone, no matter what their earthly status might be. The word is already out there, and in here, working its way into us and through us into a world desperate for good news, a word of love and justice that cannot be contained, a word that calls us to live as if it is true, even when it contradicts the powers of nation and economy and culture. The days are surely coming, when we will know and act like we are God’s people, children of the covenant, sealed by the Spirit, belonging only to Jesus Christ, forever.
May it be so. Amen.
Prayer
Faithful God, you give and ask us to use your gifts for your purpose.
You plant your goodness within us:
we bear your word in our minds and hearts,
we carry your life in our bodies,
we breathe your breath,
that we may reveal your love to the world.
We pray you would take our gratitude and turn it into a way of living.
We ask for the blessing of committing ourselves to your call,
not just spiritually but tangibly too,
and we dedicate our resources —
time, energy, money, and attention —
to your kingdom’s truth.
It sometimes feels in this world as if truth is hard to come by,
while all around us people are in need,
the earth groans,
the world stage is more fragile than we realised,
and it’s easy to think there’s nothing we can do.
So we turn to you, our rock, our refuge and strength, our help in every trouble.
We turn to you, creator, redeemer, and sustainer.
We turn to you, ruler of the nations and hope of all creation.
We ask for your help for those who are suffering, in body, mind, or spirit.
May those living with illness know your healing presence.
May those living under restrictions
know your comfort and light in these shadowed days.
May those serving as your hands in
hospitals, homes, research labs, and other essential work
know your strength and compassion.
We ask for your help for people who live each day with fear,
especially in places of violence and war.
May those for whom home is not a safe place find a refuge.
May those who hear guns and bombs
finally experience the deep breath of a quiet night.
May those who choose violence come to know
new ways of living and thriving.
May your peace fill our hearts, our homes, our world.
We ask for your help for our leaders,
that they may seek the good of all, not just some.
May all in positions of power be
thoughtful and courageous in doing what is right.
Send your Spirit of justice and imagination
to those who sit in decision-making places,
in government, in business, in church, in community.
We ask your help for ourselves,
that we may be faithful bearers of your image
here in our parish, in our work and at home and online.
May all who see us recognise your work.
May our community be strengthened,
our hands reach out to help and our hearts to include.
Heal all division and inspire us to love one another,
as you have loved us.
We ask these and all things in the name of Christ.
Amen.
Benediction
Friends, go into your week ready to bear God’s word that is written on your heart, in order that all may read the truth of God’s love from your life. And as you go, may the Spirit of God go above you to watch over you; may the Spirit of God go beside you to be your companion; may the Spirit of God go before you to show you the way and behind you to push you into places you might not go alone; and may the Spirit of God go within you, to remind you that you are loved more deeply than you can possibly imagine. May the fire of God’s love burn brightly in you, and through you into the world. Go in peace. Amen.
Benediction Response
Words and tune (Gourock St. John’s): John L Bell
Now may the Lord of all be blessed;
Now may Christ’s gospel be confessed;
Now may the Spirit, when we meet,
Bless sanctuary and street.
Announcements
* Young Adult Bible Study meets on Zoom at 1pm (BYOPizza). We are reading chapters 8-9 of Revelation today! If you’d like login information, contact Teri.
* Today is the last day in our series on Becoming God’s People — next week Advent begins, and worship will be on the theme of “The Blessings of an Impossible Christmas.” You may want to have a candle handy when you worship at home during Advent, so you can join in the Advent Candle Lighting.
* The Gourock churches are sponsoring a Christmas Window competition for those who live in Gourock! The theme is Christmas Carols — so choose a carol, decorate a street-facing window in that theme, and send in your entry form by 10 December! The judging begins on the 11th and prizes will be announced later the following week. We may not be able to sing together at a carol service, but we can have a visual carol service as we walk around our neighbourhoods, so let’s make the whole town festive together! You can enter online here, or you can get a paper entry form and either snap a photo and email it in, or return it to the manse.
* Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Youtube, and to sign up for our email devotions! Midweek you can watch Wine and the Word on Youtube, pray with video devotions on Facebook, and consider a new angle on something with a devotional email. Feel free to share with your friends, too!
* If you would like to attend in-person worship in the sanctuary, you will need to book a place as we can only safely accommodate 35 people at a time under current distancing guidelines. Please phone Cameron (630879) on a Friday morning between 10-12 or Anne Love (07904 617283) on a Saturday morning between 10-12 to book in for that Sunday. If we reach our capacity, you’ll be given the first seats the following week.
Inside the church: face coverings must be worn, you may give your offering at the door rather than by passing it through the rows, we will ask you to sit in a particular seat to ensure everyone’s safety as there is a one-way system in place, and the service will be around half an hour with no singing but with instrumental music. Families are welcome, and children should stay in the service for the whole half hour — there will be a children’s time for them though! If you’ve been out of the area in the past 2 weeks, or if you have any symptoms that could be covid, please plan to worship online rather than in person.
If the government Tiers or regulations change, that could affect our services. Should that happen, we will contact everyone who is booked in for a service, and will use all our regular communication channels to advise of any new restrictions or procedures or plans.
Online and audio recording-by-phone (call 01475 270037 to listen to the service) worship will continue, and the print version will continue to be available on request.
* The Boys Brigade is again meeting in the large hall — if you know any boys from P1 – S6 who would like to explore what it’s all about, please contact Alan Aitken: alanandrewaitken at gmail dot com. There are spaces available in all sections (Junior Section on Mondays at 7pm, Anchor Boys on Tuesdays at 5:30pm, Company Section on Fridays at 7:30pm). The Guides are working on their plans and hope to start up after Christmas. For information, contact Gillian Dick: gndick at hotmail dot com.
No other organisations or groups are currently using our halls, so that we have time to adequately clean and ensure the space is safe for everyone. This will be reviewed after Christmas.
* The Kirk now has online giving! If you have not already set up a standing order in order to facilitate your spiritual discipline of giving, or if you would like to make an extra gift to support the ministry St. John’s does in our parish, you can give online. If you would like to set up a standing order, please contact Peter Bennett, our treasurer, or Teri and she can give you his details. You can also send your envelopes to the church by post or with a neighbour who is coming to in-person worship and we will ensure they are received. Remember: no one is coming to your door to collect your envelopes, so please stay safe!
* Teri is doing the Time For Reflection to open the Scottish Parliament this week on Tuesday at 2pm. You may be able to watch online on the scottishparliament.tv website.
Sunday Service for 15 November 2020
15 November 2020
Worship prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson,
St. John’s Church of Scotland, Gourock
Contact: tpeterson at churchofscotland dot org dot uk
Church Announcements can be found at the end of the manuscript.
Hymn 111: Holy, Holy, Holy
Prayers, Reading, Sermon
Hymn 250: Sent By the Lord Am I
~~~~~~~
Call to Worship
Holy, holy, holy!
The whole creation proclaims God’s power.
We come to join our voices with the chorus of heaven and earth,
praising God’s name and seeking God’s way.
Let us worship God together.
Prayer
You are holy, Lord, and we long for just a glimpse of your glory.
We stand in awe, uncertain of our place but certain of your grace.
Meet us again today, overwhelm us with your presence,
and make us ready to respond to your call.
For we know, Holy God, that we have not lived up to your vision for us. Our hearts are often hard, our minds closed to things we do not understand, our self-awareness limited. We confess that we have chosen the path of least resistance, thinking of our comfort rather than of justice for your future, not realising that was the way of destruction rather than peace. We admit that we often come into holy places seeking to justify ourselves, yet we find instead that your holiness shakes us to our core. We know you can make us worthy to stand in your presence, so we offer our confession and pray for your mercy. Reach out with the fire of your love to cleanse and heal us this day, that we may faithfully respond “Here I am” and join in your kingdom work: wherever you would have us go, whatever you would have us do, however challenging the message may be. We pray in the name of Christ, who taught us to pray together:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
for the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Reading: Isaiah 6.1-8 (New Revised Standard Version)
The prophet Isaiah lived in the 8th century BCE, when the Assyrian empire was expanding, conquering the northern kingdom of Israel and destroying much of the southern kingdom of Judah. Isaiah lived in Jerusalem, the only city relatively unharmed in this war, and he spoke primarily to the kings, priests, and their wealthy advisors. Isaiah insisted that being God’s people involved not only worshipping the One God, but also behaving in ways consistent with God’s plans—and that God’s concern was primarily for those outside the halls of power, without wealth or connections. Much of the first section of Isaiah is about God’s vision of justice and righteousness, and how the leaders of the nation fall short of that vision, and therefore both oppress their people and lead them astray. In today’s reading from Isaiah chapter 6, the king has died and the nation is in turmoil. We hear about Isaiah’s vision of a visit to the throne room of God, where heavenly beings worship and where Isaiah receives the difficult grace of confession and call. I am reading from the New Revised Standard Version.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
4The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’
Sermon: A New Call For a New Time (Becoming God’s People 9)
I love the prophet Isaiah. It’s my favourite book in the entire Bible, in part because of the beautiful language. Isaiah paints pictures with words. He’s the one who gives us the peaceable kingdom, where the wolf will dwell with the lamb, the calf and the lion, the little child shall lead them. He shows us God’s vision of the mountain where all people from every nation come and feast together and hear God’s word throughout the world, where swords will turn into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. Isaiah writes about every valley lifted up and mountain brought low, about the desert springing into life, and about God’s justice breaking yokes of oppression. And even when he is writing about the consequences of the people’s sinfulness, he does so with such lovely poetic language!
Today we get one of his famously beautiful word-paintings about an encounter with God in the Temple. He saw, with his own eyes, a God so overwhelming that only the skirts of his robe filled the whole temple, and the heavenly worship literally rocked the house. In a flash, Isaiah realised he was in over his head — and he said so. He didn’t pretend that he was worthy, or that he understood, or that he was certain he was in the right place. He didn’t assume that he was seeing this vision because of his great faithfulness or as a sign of favour. Just as we offer a prayer of confession near the beginning of a worship service, the first thing Isaiah did on entering this heavenly worship experience was admit his failings. He knew that a face to face encounter between humans and God could be dangerous, because close proximity to such holiness burns — as it did for Moses, and as it did for the disciples on the Emmaus Road, and for many others throughout scripture and history.
I love that the response of the seraphim, the heavenly attendants who are flying about and singing, is to say “we can solve this problem.” God doesn’t kick Isaiah out, instead they reach out and make Isaiah ready. A burning coal to the lips sounds like a nightmare to me, but remember that fire cleanses but also heals. It can be used to purify…and it can be used to cauterise and close up a wound. Isaiah is strangely made whole, made clean, made ready to stand in God’s presence, and he lives to tell the tale.
This encounter with God was both an experience of overwhelming majesty — of smoke and singing and painful beauty — and also an intimate experience, being noticed, and touched, and spoken to. It’s that experience that was still tingling in Isaiah’s mind and heart when he heard God ask the heavenly court “who will go” and it’s that burning desire to serve this overwhelming God that caused Isaiah to speak up and say “here I am, send me” even though he had no idea what he was saying yes to. God didn’t say “I need someone to go to this place, do this thing, and say these words” — Isaiah answered a call based only on his relationship with God, not based on whether he thought he could do the task. He had already experienced God making him ready to stand in the holy presence, so surely God would also be able to equip him for the work ahead.
At this point, I think we need to know that Isaiah began his life as a prophet in the last year or so of King Uzziah’s 40 years on the throne. Even though things around the kingdom were changing and disintegrating and while other empires were rising and encroaching, this had been a long period of relative political stability with the same leader…but now it was over, and it wasn’t really clear who would succeed Uzziah or what sort of king they would be. The world must have felt upended and uncertain, as many periods of political transition feel. The people he would speak to were not following God’s ways, the society was unjust and people were suffering. A prophet’s job is to tell the king things he often doesn’t want to hear, so Isaiah must have wondered what sort of relationship he might have with the next ruler, and whether he would be more or less receptive to seeing things God’s way.
I love that we get this story of Isaiah’s encounter with God a few chapters in to his book. Usually call stories are right at the beginning, but the way this book is written, it feels as if the prophet was already following, already faithful, already working, and in the midst of that life and work came this moment of awe and wonder and confession and compassion and a renewed sense of purpose.
I wonder if we who are in the middle of our own faith journeys, who are experienced Christians and church-goers, still expect to encounter God when we come to worship, the way those who are new to the faith do? And if we did, would we be focused on explaining the ways we think we’ve gotten it right, or on admitting we need God’s help to make us holy, or just soaking up the beauty and wonder? Are we open to a mid-life correction, to a new call from God that might take us in a different direction than we’d been going before…and that might burn a little bit? And would we answer that call before we even knew for sure what it would entail?
So often I think we are prone to simply doing what we’ve always done, believing what we’ve always believed, praying how we’ve always prayed. We forget to notice beautiful things, and even when we do, we don’t let them soak in and transform us, which makes it harder then to put that beauty back out into the world. We think that if it hurts to let go of something, that must be a sign that we’re supposed to hold onto it — forgetting that sometimes the old has to be burned away. We forget that learning and growing and changing is a part of life, and we chastise politicians who change their positions over time, or mock people who adjust their behaviours as they learn new information. But from the simple things, like how we have learned the value of face coverings over the past eight months when initially they weren’t thought to be important, to big things like shifting our views and actions of colonialism or white supremacy or sexism, we all learn and grow and change.
How much more, then when it comes to God? We know that the love of God is never changing, but we also know that God’s call to us is for particular times and places…and that can change as the context we live in changes, even if that means we need a burning coal to the lips to make us ready for the new thing.
In Isaiah’s time, the political leader was changing, the world stage was in some disarray and it wasn’t clear how it would shake out, and the prophet needed to both be reminded of God’s unchanging power and majesty and also hear a new call for a new time.
Honestly, that sounds a bit like it could have been written today, doesn’t it?
So perhaps we ought to be ready for an encounter with the Holy…to soak up God’s glory and to listen carefully for what new thing God might be calling us to do in this new time. Like Isaiah, we may be overwhelmed by God’s greatness in the face of all the uncertainty around us, or we may cry out when we realise we can’t keep going on the same path. But also like Isaiah, we can trust that God will equip us with whatever we need for the days ahead, and our relationship with God will carry us, even into the unknown — and so we say, Here I am, send me.
May it be so. Amen.
Prayer
We cry Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord,
for you are beyond our comprehension,
beyond our imagination,
beyond our human-ness.
Our gratitude is all the offering we can make
for your mercy and justice that brings us close and sends us out.
We long to be gathered to your side,
finding comfort amidst the skirt of your robe,
for you are far bigger than the structures we have built.
The world shakes, and the ways we have known have ruptured.
There is so much bad news, we hardly know where to turn.
Yet with you, there are always seeds of hope.
And so we lift our prayers for those who despair,
for those who have come undone and can see no way forward;
for those who are living with illness;
for those who suffer, especially at the hands of others.
Brief silence
May your holy healing touch bring peace.
We lift our prayers for those in positions of power in this world,
for those tasked with leading our community,
for those who make decisions that affect many.
Brief silence
May the lamp of your holy wisdom shine brightly in their lives.
We lift our prayers for those who work for change,
for those doing behind-the-scenes tasks for justice,
for those who have left the familiar in search of safety or a better life,
for those who teach and organise, welcome and care, tell their stories and protect their children.
Brief silence
May they be filled with your holy courage and persistence.
We cry holy, holy, holy, Lord —
as we pray for your holiness to spill over into your world, through our lives.
And when you call for someone to join the work of the angels,
we pray for your Church, that we will be ready and willing to say “send me.”
Through the power of your Holy Spirit and in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray.
Amen.
Benediction
Friends, as you go into the world bearing the image of God, reflecting the beauty of God, and listening for the new call of God, may the Spirit of God go above you to watch over you; may the Spirit of God go beside you to be your companion; may the Spirit of God go before you to show you the way and behind you to push you into places you might not go alone; and may the Spirit of God go within you, to remind you that you are loved more deeply than you can possibly imagine. May the fire of God’s love burn brightly in you, and through you into the world. Go in peace. Amen.
Benediction Response
Words and tune (Gourock St. John’s): John L Bell
Now may the Lord of all be blessed;
Now may Christ’s gospel be confessed;
Now may the Spirit, when we meet,
Bless sanctuary and street.
Announcements
If you would like to attend in-person worship in the sanctuary, you will need to book a place as we can only safely accommodate 35 people at a time under current distancing guidelines. Please phone Cameron (630879) on a Friday morning between 10-12 or Anne Love (07904 617283) on a Saturday morning between 10-12 to book in for that Sunday. If we reach our capacity, you’ll be given the first seats the following week.
Inside the church: face coverings must be worn, you may give your offering at the door rather than by passing it through the rows, we will ask you to sit in a particular seat to ensure everyone’s safety as there is a one-way system in place, and the service will be around half an hour with no singing but with instrumental music. Families are welcome, and children should stay in the service for the whole half hour — there will be a children’s time for them though! If you’ve been out of the area in the past 2 weeks, or if you have any symptoms that could be covid, please plan to worship online rather than in person.
If the government Tiers or regulations change, that could affect our services. Should that happen, we will contact everyone who is booked in for a service, and will use all our regular communication channels to advise of any new restrictions or procedures or plans.
Online and audio recording-by-phone worship will continue, and the print version will continue to be available on request.
The Boys Brigade is again meeting in the large hall — if you know any boys from P1 – S6 who would like to explore what it’s all about, please contact Alan Aitken: alanandrewaitken at gmail dot com. There are spaces available in all sections (Junior Section on Mondays at 7pm, Anchor Boys on Tuesdays at 5:30pm, Company Section on Fridays at 7:30pm). The Guides are working on their plans and hope to start up after Christmas. For information, contact Gillian Dick: gndick at hotmail dot com.
No other organisations or groups are currently using our halls, so that we have time to adequately clean and ensure the space is safe for everyone. This will be reviewed after Christmas.
The Kirk now has online giving! If you have not already set up a standing order in order to facilitate your spiritual discipline of giving, or if you would like to make an extra gift to support the ministry St. John’s does in our parish, you can give online. If you would like to set up a standing order, please contact Peter Bennett, our treasurer, or Teri and she can give you his details. You can also send your envelopes to the church by post or with a neighbour who is coming to in-person worship and we will ensure they are received. Remember: no one is coming to your door to collect your envelopes, so please stay safe!
Sunday service for 8 November 2020: Remembrance Sunday
8 November 2020
Service prepared by the Rev. Teri C Peterson
Gourock St John’s Church of Scotland
Contact: tpeterson at churchofscotland dot org dot uk
Though we cannot yet be together in person, we can be together in spirit! Please note the following announcements:
* We have received permission from Clyde Presbytery to open our church buildings on a limited basis. Youth organisations will have access to the large hall beginning tomorrow. Sunday services will begin next week. Click here to learn more and see how to book a place for worship. If you are able to volunteer to help with door duty / stewarding on a Sunday, or with cleaning the sanctuary on a Thursday, please contact Anne Love.
* Coffee Fellowship Time will be on Zoom at 11:45.
* An act of remembrance led by all the Gourock Clergy will be online on Wednesday, 11 November.
* The Kirk now has online giving! If you have not already set up a standing order in order to facilitate your spiritual discipline of giving, or if you would like to make an extra gift to support the ministry St. John’s does in our parish, you can give online here! If you would like to set up a standing order, please contact Peter Bennett, our treasurer, or Teri and she can give you his details. You can also send your envelopes to the church by post and we will ensure they are received. Remember: no one is coming to your door to collect your envelopes, so please stay safe!
* We also now have an audio recording of the service available on the phone! Simply dial 01475 270 037 to listen to the most recent service. Please share this number with your neighbours, friends, family, and fellow church goers who don’t have the internet, so they can listen in!
* Children’s Time happens each Sunday morning at 11am on Zoom. If you would like the login details, please contact Teri.
* The Young Adult Bible Study (BYOPizza) meets today via Zoom at 1pm, reading chapter 6 of the Book of Revelation! If you’re aged 15-25 and would like the login details, please contact Teri.
* Churches across Scotland are calling people to join together in prayer on Sunday evenings at 7pm, placing a lit candle in the window and spending time in prayer for others. Our Sunday evening prayer services will be shared across CONNECT. Tonight’s service will be led by Karen, beginning at 6:57pm on the Connect Facebook page, and be sure to like / follow it while you’re there!
* Feel free to share this with others, with the attribution information at the top. If you know someone who does not have access to the internet and who also does not receive the tape ministry, you can either print this service out and share it with them, or let Teri know via email or phone call and we will be sure they receive a printed copy.
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Processional w/piper (Highland Cathedral) & colours
Call to Worship
Some days, we hear God’s call and we answer faithfully.
Some days, we would rather run and hide.
Some days, we hear God’s call and we wish it was for somebody else.
Some days, we wonder if God misspoke.
Wherever you are today, whatever the state of your spirit,
come to encounter the living God,
who calls us into transformative Holy relationship.
Let us worship God together.
Let us pray.
God, you do not confine yourself to one place or one people.
You are the God of heaven, earth, and sea,
and your care extends beyond our boundaries.
We thank you for your compassion,
and we pray for the grace to hear and respond to your call to new life.
May your word enter our hearts and bear fruit in our lives,
immediately and forever.
For you are merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.
Holy God, you call us to lay aside our ways of destruction, selfishness, and violence.
You long for our repentance, for us to turn around and face a new direction.
We confess that we do not know how to change our ways.
We are so enmeshed in systems of injustice, we cannot envision a different world.
And if we are completely honest,
we don’t always want something different for “them”, only for us.
We confess that we find it easy to say we are sorry and we want your way,
but we find it difficult to put our repentance into action,
especially if we can’t see immediate benefit for ourselves.
Yet you insist on the value of all people and all creation,
so you continue to call us to transformation.
Forgive us, God.
You know our faults and our failings, our desires and our disconnects.
Forgive us and turn not only our hearts but also our everyday lives to your way of grace,
and help us to trust your vision for the world.
We pray in the name of Christ, who taught us to pray together:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
God’s compassion is for all, even for “them” and even for you. Now let that compassion fill you and overflow into your life, that you may live as Christ’s holy people, forgiven, loved, and free. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Reading: Matthew 5.1-16 (NRSV)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Poem: The Dead by Rupert Brooke
These hearts were woven of human joys and cares,
Washed marvellously with sorrow, swift to mirth.
The years had given them kindness. Dawn was theirs,
And sunset, and the colours of the earth.
These had seen movement, and heard music; known
Slumber and waking; loved; gone proudly friended;
Felt the quick stir of wonder; sat alone;
Touched flowers and furs and cheeks. All this is ended.
There are waters blown by changing winds to laughter
And lit by the rich skies, all day. And after,
Frost, with a gesture, stays the waves that dance
And wandering loveliness. He leaves a white
Unbroken glory, a gathered radiance,
A width, a shining peace, under the night.
Piper: Lament
Call to Remembrance / The Tryst
Today we remember the colourful, frail and human lives
cut down in time of War
especially those known to us
and loved by us.
Let us ask for God’s blessings
that we might work for peace,
pray in Hope
and be the reconciling presence
which this world
and every home and community
so desperately needs.
With one minute we look back
in sorrow and gratitude
and with the second we look forward
dedicating ourselves to God’s future of peace,
and in so doing we hallow this space
to remember and to give thanks
and to honour those whose ultimate price
contributed to the freedoms we claim as ours today.
“They shall grow not old,
As we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them.”
Last Post
Two Minutes Silence
Reveille
Poem: In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Wreaths laid
Prayer (from Common Order, for Remembrance Day)
Let us pray.
God of power and love,
bless our country and commonwealth.
Give wisdom and strength to the Queen,
govern those who make the laws,
guide those who direct our common life,
and grant that together we may fulfil our service
for the welfare of the whole people
and for your praise and glory.
Bless all members of the armed forces.
Defend them in danger.
Give them courage to meet all occasions with discipline and loyalty.
So may they serve the cause of justice and peace,
to the honour of your name.
Bless our young people.
May they never see the flames of war,
or know the depths of cruelty to which men and women can sink.
Grant that in their generation they may be
faithful soldiers and servants of Jesus Christ.
Bless our friends and those who were our enemies,
who suffered or are still suffering from war.
Grant that your love may reach out
to the wounded, the disabled, the mentally distressed,
and those whose faith has been shaken
by what they have seen and endured.
Comfort all who mourn the death of loved ones,
and all who this day miss the comradeship of friends.
Bless those who are homeless,
those who are refugees,
those who are hungry,
those who have lost their livelihood or security.
Help us to pledge ourselves to comfort, support, and encourage others,
that all may live in a world
where evil and poverty are done away
and where human life reflects the radiance of your kingdom.
Bless those in authority in every land,
and give them wisdom to know and courage to do what is right.
Encourage those who work for peace,
who strive to improve international relations,
who seek new ways of reconciling people
of different race, colour, and creed.
Bless your Church throughout the world.
By your Holy Spirit,
draw the scattered flock of Christ into a visible unity,
and make your Church a sign of hope to our divided world.
Grant that we who bear your Son’s name
may be instruments of your peace,
bringing peace to our homes, our nation, and our world.
And now, rejoicing in the communion of saints,
we remember those whom you have gathered
from the storm of war into the peace of your presence,
and give you thanks for those whom we have known,
whose memory we treasure.
May the example of their devotion inspire us,
that we may be taught to live by those who learned to die.
And at the last, grant that we, being faithful till death,
may receive with them the crown of life that never fades;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Benediction
As you go forth, carrying the light of memory and the commitment to peace, may the Spirit of God go above you to watch over you; may the Spirit of God go beside you to be your companion; may the Spirit of God go before you to show you the way and behind you to push you into places you might not go alone; and may the Spirit of God go within you, to remind you that you are loved more deeply than you can possibly imagine. May the fire of God’s love burn brightly in you, and through you into the world. Go in peace. Amen.
Recessional – piper
Church building opening soon!
Dear friends,
It has been a long time since we saw each other in-the-flesh! These past months have been challenging in so many ways. I am grateful that we have continued on being the church of Jesus Christ through it all — reaching out with phone calls and cards, worshipping and learning and having fellowship through the internet, and supporting each other with various kinds of tangible help. Thank you for your faithfulness!
The building works that began last September are finally drawing to a conclusion, after more than a year that has included delays for lockdown and for intensely windy storms, and thousands of man-hours of work to restore and repair the stonework. The glorious new stained glass window has been installed, various repairs have been made in the sanctuary and the large hall, new screens have been fitted in the sanctuary to better enable our worship, the Loop system has been improved, and soon the bell will ring again. The organ has been serviced, the building has been professionally cleaned, and we are moving toward using our physical space for both worship and youth organisation
We are doing our best to ensure that it is safe to gather in the church building, which means that some things will be different. And, of course, if at any time the situation changes, we will respond appropriately. If you would like assistance in assessing your own risk status, we are enclosing a “score sheet” that the Church of Scotland has developed to help individuals discern what they feel comfortable doing. If you have any concerns about the safety of gathering in the building, please contact either me or Cameron.
We currently hope to have our first in-person Sunday worship service at 11am on Sunday 15 November.
Under the current guidelines, we can welcome 33 people into the sanctuary, plus the minister, organist, A/V operators, and people on door duty. If you would like to attend a service, you will need to phone ahead: you can call Cameron Melville on Fridays between 10am-12noon (-630879-), or Anne Love on Saturdays between 10am-12noon (-07904.617283-) to book a place for the coming Sunday. When our capacity is reached, they will let you know and ask if you would like to be first on the list for the following week. If you book a place and then are not able to come after all, please contact Anne so she can offer the places to others who might be waiting.
Please bear in mind the regulations that help us keep each other safe. If you have been abroad in the past 14 days, if you are awaiting a test result or have been exposed to someone with Covid symptoms, or if you have any symptoms yourself, please join in our online or telephone recording service instead. Don’t hesitate to phone Anne and cancel a booking if you don’t feel well!
On Sundays, doors will open at 10:45. When you arrive, please enter on Bath Street unless you have specified when booking that you need step-free access. An elder will ask that you use hand sanitiser, check your details for Test and Protect (those sheets will be kept for four weeks and then destroyed), and then show you to your seat. There will be a one-way system in place in the sanctuary—the gallery will be closed—and we ask that you sit where the steward indicates, so that we can safely gather. If at any time you need to go out to the toilet, please note that only one person can be in the corridor/toilets at a time. If you feel unwell during the service, the person on duty by the side door will be able to assist.
The worship service itself will be shorter than usual, around half an hour, and will not include any singing, but we will include instrumental music, readings, prayers, a sermon, and perhaps some responses or some visual elements on the new screens. Children are welcome, though they will need to stay with you through the service rather than going out — but if they are present, we will have a moment just for them! No orders of service can be given out, and there are no hymn books or Bibles, everything will be on the screens, which are bright and sharp and far more readable than the old one! For the offering, we ask that everyone drop their envelopes into the plates at the entrance or exit, and/or speak to Peter about setting up a standing order for your spiritual practice of giving.
The same sermon and prayers will continue to be available online for those who do not yet feel comfortable joining in the sanctuary, so that we can encounter God’s word together as a community, though it will be posted slightly later, closer to the time when the in-person service happens rather than in the wee hours of the morning!
The audio recording of the online service will also continue to be available by phoning 270037, and those who wish to continue receiving a print version of the manuscript may do so.
At the end of the service, you’ll be guided out, and we ask that you please safely make your way home, rather than congregating in the grounds or the street.
A face covering must be worn at all times in the building, and because we need to have some fresh air ventilation, I suggest wearing a warm coat! We also ask that everyone take care to maintain appropriate physical distance. It goes against the grain to stand apart and to not be able to chat and hug and shake hands and share a coffee, but right now the best way we can love our neighbour is by protecting each other!
We will be looking for volunteers willing to help with Sunday door duty and volunteers to join the cleaning team that cleans the sanctuary during the day on Thursdays (the sanctuary will be closed for 72 hours after worship so that it’ll be safe for the cleaning volunteers). If you are willing to help out, please let Anne Love know. All cleaning will of course be carried out in compliance with the regulations on the number of people that can meet up, etc, and PPE and cleaning supplies will be provided.
I know it sounds like a lot to remember and a very different experience. I trust that we will be able to worship God, love our neighbour, and enjoy being together even in this very different and careful way. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, and we will praise God and pray together. I look forward to being with you, whether you choose to come in person or join in online.
Take care, love God and love your neighbour, and peace be with you!
peace,
Teri
