Sunday Service for 12 July 2020, seventh Sunday of Pentecost

12 July 2020: 7th Sunday of Pentecost
Service prepared by the Rev. Teri C Peterson,
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Contact: tpeterson@churchofscotland.org.uk

Welcome and Announcements
Though we cannot be together in person, we can be together in spirit! Please note the following announcements:

* Coffee Fellowship Time will happen today on Zoom! The room will be open from 11:45 – 12:45 for you to drop in for however long you wish, so grab a cup of tea or coffee (or juice or whatever you prefer!) and maybe a biscuit, and come have a chat! We look forward to seeing you!

* 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!

* The theme for worship this summer is “Postcards of Faith” — we’ll be getting some postcards from God’s people throughout scripture, following their journeys with God and each other.

* This summer we are taking a Church Family summer trip! We’ll be journeying together from Shore to Shore — the shores of the Clyde to the shores of the sea of Galilee, to the hometown of St. John the Evangelist. Keep track of how much time you spend in prayer, reading the Bible, serving others, or going for a walk. For every 10 minutes, you move us 1km along the journey! Then each week send Teri a note, text, or phone call saying how far you “traveled” this week. So far we have made it to Homs, Syria! Homs was a beautiful city that was essentially destroyed during the Syrian civil war, but the people of the town are compassionate and generous. As we virtually pass through, we can pray for the people of Syria to experience justice and peace.

* Children’s Time happens each Sunday morning at 11am on Zoom. If you would like the login details, please contact Teri. 

* Young Adults (age 15-25ish) gather for Bible Study (it’s now BYOP – bring your own pizza) at 1pm on Zoom. If you would like login details, please contact Teri. We are finishing the book of Acts today and deciding what to do next!

* 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 our “Fuzzy Parish” (now called CONNECT). Tonight’s service will be led by Karen Harbison, beginning around 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.

* Sign up to our YouTube Channel so you never miss a video. Don’t miss “wine and the word” — an occasional series during the 5pm hour that helps us transition from one part of the day to the next, via reflections similar to those that would normally have been in the “God’s Story, Our Story” take home inserts given out each week. 

* Mid-week there is a devotional email, which is also printed and included with the following Sunday’s sermon distribution to those without internet access. You can sign up for the email here.

* Also mid-week there is often a facebook live video devotional or a Virtual Tea Break on the St. John’s Gourock Facebook page. 

* If you or a church member you know is in need of friendly phone calls or help with anything while they self-isolate, please contact Teri. Elders are already in contact with people in their districts as well, and you can pass information to them! We are hoping to continue and even deepen our connections to one another, building up the Body of Christ even when we can’t be in the building.

* Inverclyde Family Contact Centre are looking for volunteers who can spare an hour or two on a Saturday once a month or so, in order to re-open post-pandemic. If you might be able to help, please contact them: Tel: 07918965154 or email mfoggie@familycontact.org.uk

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If you prefer to read rather than worship by video, you can find the script after the second hymn.

Hymn: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Prayers, Reading, Sermon

Hymn: Never Once

Call to Worship and Opening Prayer(adapted from Spill the Beans issue 13)
Hear these words from the prophet Isaiah:
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.
You are precious in my sight,
and honoured, and I love you.

Let us pray.

God of the present,
God of the past
and God of the future,
the continuity of all things is in your hands.
Your hand of love, in all its creative energy,
stretches far back into the history
of our lives, our families, and your church.
Sometimes, God, it is easy to think that who we are, 
and what we are is all down to us, and us alone.
We forget the roots of our lives
and those who have helped us grow.
We forget that others have been here before us—
striking out in faith and building a community
that now is ours to care for and enjoy.
We forget that we are a product of many generations,
of the interplay of genetics and the twists and turns of chance, and of choice, and of culture.
We forget the full story
of those who have gone before us,
often preferring a simple version
that skips over the hard parts.
Sometimes, God, we isolate ourselves
from both the past and the future.
We live only in the present
and forget what has gone on before
and give little thought to what is to come.
We live in ignorance of many things
that have paved the way for what exists now,
and we ignore the reality that we are creating
the foundations of a future we will never see.
Merciful God, it is not right for us
to be caught between times
as if neither the past nor the future matters.
Your hand is upon all of time,
so help us appreciate the continuity of creation.
While not glorifying the past
let us recognise the contribution
it makes to the present.
While not wishing away the present,
help us recognise that your dreams for the future
inspire our living now.
We pray all these things in the name of the One
in whom your fullness dwells,
who was, and is, and is to come:
Jesus the 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.

Sung Prayer #159 (words: Timothy Dudley-Smith, tune: Lord of the Years by Michael Baughen)

Lord, for ourselves; in living power remake us,

self on the cross and Christ upon the throne;

past put behind us, for the future take us,

Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

Scripture Reading: Joshua 3.14-4.9 (NRSV)

When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people. Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing towards the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho. While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.
When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua: ‘Select twelve men from the people, one from each tribe, and command them, “Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you camp tonight.”’ Then Joshua summoned the twelve men from the Israelites, whom he had appointed, one from each tribe. Joshua said to them, ‘Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites, so that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, “What do those stones mean to you?” then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial for ever.’
The Israelites did as Joshua commanded. They took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord told Joshua, carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there. (Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.)

Sermon: Standing Stones (Postcards of Faith 4)

Can you imagine the what the Israelites’ journals and diaries would have been like as they made this journey from Egypt to the Promised Land? Imagine for a moment that it was a literate society and that paper books and pens existed…

There would have been entries from the oasis at Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy date palms, where they finally experienced abundance after years of slavery and had a chance to reflect on that journey walking through the Red Sea. There would be pages grainy with dust from Mount Sinai, detailing the commandments God had handed down and the experience of standing trembling before the mountain. There would be space for them to process the sorrow and amazement as they learned how to rely on God to provide manna and quail and water in the wilderness. There would be the quickly dashed-off note about that incident with the snakes, maybe even a drawing of the serpent on the pole, but don’t worry it’s okay now. There would probably be quite a few days that just said “well, we’re still walking…” There would be the pages that included tributes and obituaries and memories as the first generation who left Egypt began to die and the youngsters grew up to leadership of the families and tribes and nation, taking on the journal for themselves.

And then there’d be the pages standing at the shore of the river Jordan, their new home so close they can almost taste it. But it was also full of spring rains, bursting the banks, rushing fast as they looked on.

This was the moment that they needed to draw on their memories. Not their own physical memories, but institutional memory, the stories handed down from generation to generation. Forty years ago, their parents and grandparents had stood on the shore, freedom so close they could taste it, but dismayed at the challenge ahead. There seemed no way to safely bring everyone across. And God had done an amazing thing, pulling back the waters and leading them through on dry ground. Since that day, God had led them, provided for them, taught them, listened to their complaints, brought them back from the brink of self-destruction, and stuck with them through it all.

Standing on the banks of the flooded Jordan, recalling all that God had done, the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant, the big chest that held the tablets of the law, and a jar of manna, the piece of art and furniture that symbolised God’s presence with them, did the only thing they could do: they took one step into the water, and then another. And a miracle happened: they were the only ones whose feet got wet.

Once again, God brought the people across — on a stony riverbed and the legacy of their ancestors’ stories.

Now that they’d entered the land that would be their home, they knew this sort of experience was unlikely to be repeated for their children and grandchildren. They knew they had received a great gift, to be able to re-live their people’s history just this once, to have passed through the waters to freedom from slavery and now passed through the waters to freedom for faithful living. But they didn’t want to forget, they didn’t want their children not to know the story. So they took up some stones from the river and stood them up in the camp.

Maybe it was like a stone circle, or maybe it was like a cairn. Whatever the case, it was built to prompt discussion — not to stand silently on its own, but to point the way to both the past and the future. Joshua says “when your children ask what this means…” because he anticipates that these stories will be passed down, that they are a crucial part of forming a people.

Every family has those stories — the ones that we look back on and laugh about during holidays, or at weddings and funerals. The ones that we carry with us and that make us who we are, as individuals and as a family. Sometimes we even have objects that remind us — a dish, or a piece of art, or a hole in the wall, or a knick knack on the shelf. Whenever someone new comes into the house and asks about it, we get to tell this story over again, and it strengthens our ties to each other and our history…and the best of these stories give us something to draw on when we face the road ahead.

The stones pulled from the river were a reminder that God had brought them to this place, had removed obstacles, provided everything they needed, and taken care of them. God could be trusted, therefore, to be their guide and help in times to come. There were twelve stones, for the twelve tribes, because the whole community did things together, for all of them were God’s people. These stones provoked memories and invited people to tell stories, and they also pointed the way to the future: together, trusting in God, they could flourish and be whole.

I wonder what stories we tell of our own community that form us in this way? When someone asks about what an object or a building means to us, or why we do things the way we do, what do we say? What connections do we see between our ancestors in this place and ourselves? How are we still living out the story they left for us?

There is a moment in the musical Hamilton when two of the characters speak to their newborn children, and each of them says, referencing the fact that the children were born at the same time the nation of the United States was, “if we build a strong enough foundation, we’ll pass it on to you…” I have been reflecting for the past week or so that in many ways, the USA is indeed still living out the story of that foundation, but unfortunately it was flawed and that always leads to cracks in the house. The foundation needs fixing, but that’s hard work. That’s true for a nation, or a church, or a community, or an individual. We need to dig deep and do some uncomfortable work if we’re going to heal and build something stronger for everyone.

Jesus taught that those who hear his words and put them into action are like those who build a house on stone — the house will stand through any storm. And those who hear his words and do not put them into action are like those who build on sand — the house slides away at the first sign of trouble.

Perhaps it’s time for us to consider the stories we tell as a family of faith, and ensure that they make us into the people we are called to be. To read through their journals of their journey with God and learn the lessons they once learned. To look back at the stones our ancestors set up, and to ask “what does this mean?” and listen to the whole story, and determine if that is a story we want to build on. And then to use them the way a cairn was meant to be used — not only as a marker of the past, but a pointer to the future. It shows us that God brought us this far through every kind of obstacle, and calls us to trust that God will lead us onward, no matter what challenges we might face. Sure, we don’t stand on the banks of the Red Sea or the flooded Jordan, feeling cut off from the promise of life in all its fullness, unable to move. But we do stand at the threshold of something we don’t yet see, and the obstacles seem insurmountable…yet we know that nothing is impossible with God. So we are able to remember the stories of God’s faithfulness, and then turn our faces forward, knowing we do not go alone.

May it be so. Amen.

Hymn 680 verses 1 & 4 (Words: Ruth Duck; Tune: Regent Square)

You are called to tell the story,

passing words of life along,

then to blend your voice with others

as you sing the sacred song.

Christ be known in all our singing,

filling all with songs of love.

May the One whose love is broader

than the measure of all space

give us words to sing the story,

move among us in this place.

Christ be known in all our living,

filling all with gifts of love.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession (adapted from Spill the Beans issue 13)
Loving God,
with thankful hearts we come before you.
Thankful for those who made your church
more than just a far-fetched dream
but who brought it to life
and established it within this community.
Thankful for those who have served, worshiped,
and who have cared for others
and so built up
the community of God’s people we call home.
Today we are mindful that flowing on
from a legacy of the past
we have responsibility for the present and the future.
Help us channel our faith into action.
Help us learn from your eternal story
of presence and interaction
how we too can facilitate that presence
in our world today.
Help us learn to be peacemakers in a fractious world,
care-givers to the poor and vulnerable,
seekers of justice for those who
cannot find it for themselves.
Help us to learn how to care for the grieving
and give encouragement to the young.
Help us look beyond thoughts of self
and recognise what we can do for others.
Lord, you ask us to be loyal to your ways.
Teach us your ways;
unveil in the stories of scripture
the God who we must serve.
Let us catch a glimpse of you
as we live out our daily lives.
Continue to teach us
and show us how to best serve You.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Benediction


Now friends, as you go out into your week, wherever you find yourself, may you recall that you are a part of a bigger story. May you live with the faithfulness of our God who calls us. And may you know that wherever you go: the Spirit of God goes above you to watch over you; the Spirit of God goes beside you to be your companion; the Spirit of God goes before you to show you the way, and behind you — to push you into places you might not go alone; and the Spirit of God goes 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.

Sung Response (tune: Gourock St. John’s, words and tune by 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.