Sunday service for 19 March 2023, fourth Sunday in Lent

Sunday 19 March 2023, NL1-34, 4th Sunday in Lent
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson
Manse: 632143 
Email: tpeterson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk

Prelude Music

Welcome and Announcements

Call to Worship
One:  Keep alert for Christ coming among us.
All:   We come with eyes open to see.
One:  Looking for ways to love our neighbour,
All:   We come with hearts open to receive.
One:  Ready to let your light shine,
All:   We come with hands open to serve.

Sanctuary Hymn 543: Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness

Prayer
Sovereign God, all time is in your hand,
and yet we confess that we want you to work to our timetable.
We recognise that the world is not as it should be
and we long for your coming to make things right,
yet we delay and slow down because justice is not profitable or comfortable.
We pray for you to change things now, when we want them fixed,
yet we make excuses about how we are not ready to change.
Forgive us, Lord, for our lamps are going out,
and we have stumbled in the shadows as we sought our own way.
Forgive us, and let your forgiveness fill us to overflowing that we may have light to share,
and so include others in the work you set before us each day.
Re-ignite our passion for your kingdom,
and guide us to faithfully walk with you whenever, and wherever, you lead,
for however long it takes to see your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Awaken us to your presence,
and enliven us with your possibility.
Give us even a glimpse of your foolishness that is wiser than human wisdom,
for we hear your coming and we want to be ready
to be part of the next chapter of your story.
We ask in the name of Jesus the Christ,
who comes to fulfil your kingdom among us.
Amen.

Online Hymn: Shine Jesus Shine

Sanctuary Children’s Time

Reading: Matthew 25:1-13 (New Revised Standard Version)
‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” 7Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” 9But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” 10And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” 12But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” 13Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

For the word of God in scripture,
for the word of God among us,
for the word of God within us,
thanks be to God.

Sermon: community lamps
This week I heard a shocking statistic that approximately 1/3 of Church of Scotland ministers are off sick just now, and a large proportion of those are off with stress or burnout. Last week a Church of England minister just two years older than I am took her own life, and her story is being shared all over clergy social media groups. It’s the same in other professions too — nurses and doctors and teachers and charity workers and hospitality staff and even political leaders like Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand stepping down because she felt she was too depleted to continue giving her all to leading the country. There’s a lot of exhaustion, frustration, a sense of being undervalued or taken for granted while also facing unreasonable expectations…and there’s no time or resources to re-fill those empty lamps.

These stories of Jesus are so provocative because they invite us to find ourselves inside them.
Some of us may well recognise ourselves in the bridesmaids who trusted that the day was going to run to schedule, and so when they had to actually go on for longer than expected, didn’t have the resources. It happens to most of us at some point — when expectations change midway through a task, it can be hard to adapt. For some, that might mean that a job changes, we need to learn to do things differently or to take on new responsibilities within our role, and the thought of learning new skills or retraining ourselves for a different way of working is just too much. For some it’s a death of a family member changing our roles and relationships and sense of ourselves. We see it in the church, too, as the culture and world change and the church keeps trying to be the same, but we look into the lamp and see there’s not much left and the light is flickering. Change can be scary and threatening and it feels like we’re running on empty. What do we do if it isn’t immediately obvious how to replenish, or if the resources we need aren’t available and no one seems willing to offer support?

Some of us may recognise ourselves in the bridesmaids who packed extra oil, and probably snacks and a change of clothes too. They were ready for anything, even if it meant the groom was unconscionably late. And when they were asked to share, their first reaction was “but then there might not be enough for us!” Most of us know that scarcity mindset well. We have been taught to take care of ourselves, and only if we have something leftover do we share it. For generations we have learned to save for a rainy day, to be self-sufficient and to insist that others are self-sufficient as well, to do everything we can to avoid having to ask for help and to respond to others asking for help with a little bit of help and maybe also a little bit of patronising. Like if they had just been as careful as we were, they wouldn’t need that help, but for now here’s a little something we can spare…or not, as these bridesmaids decided. I have seen this in institutions and churches and individuals and nations — the idea that we just have to take care of ourselves and everyone else should do that too, and if they can’t then that’s their own problem, not our problem. That is the wisdom of this world but God calls it foolishness, in his kingdom where the last will be first and where Jesus came that we might have abundant life. This same mindset is the one that keeps churches from growing, because we plan our mission around the resources we currently have, which means always doing the same or less…which is the wisdom of this world’s budgeting strategy… rather than saying we have a new vision or want to do additional ministry and now we need to ask for support for it, however foolish it may appear to ask in the midst of everything else.

Even as I read those five bridesmaids that way, though, I can hear and feel another side too. I recognise myself in those bridesmaids who did their best and then found it still wasn’t enough. The demands are endless and the reserves are not, no matter how hard we try to do the good works that Jesus says are the light we shine. There’s always someone else needing or wanting something, and for all the effort we put in to being adaptable to any potential situation and resilient in the face of change or challenge, sometimes we also reach the point when we have to protect ourselves a little bit, like putting on your own oxygen mask first in the airplane safety instructions.

Of course, there’s no story here at all if not for the groom who was ridiculously late for his own wedding! His lateness creates a rift among the community of bridesmaids, so that ultimately only half of them are able to come to the celebration…which probably also creates a rift with the bride! While of course we aren’t responsible for other people’s feelings and relationships, we can at least spare a thought for how our behaviour impacts on the community as a whole. How often have we acted in ways that dismiss the people who aren’t right in front of us at the moment we decide to look? Or that harm people with fewer resources than we have, simply because they couldn’t keep up with our expectations? Or how often have we assumed uncharitable things about the people who weren’t there, when really they just needed a minute to replenish themselves so they could shine all the brighter for us?

And then there’s also the reality that often things just take longer than we think they should. We want a quick fix. We want to make a decision and have the solution instantly. And the truth is that the transformation of the world into the kingdom of God is just taking a lot longer than we want it to. Our glimpses of the kingdom seem few and far between, and the glimpses we do get sometimes actually scare us off so we close our eyes. Our hopes and dreams for the church often feel as far off today as they did when we first had them, but now we have fewer resources to try to put them into action. We keep waiting, but sometimes it seems we are too depleted to respond when the call finally comes, and sometimes it feels like all we have to offer is the same old way we’ve always done it even though now the time is different than when we originally started… and sometimes we’re the ones shouting “it’s coming!” only for people to scatter in a million directions instead of focusing!

This parable gives us a lot of places to find ourselves, and our church, in the story. The characters are all relatable in one way or another, and I’m pretty sure I’ve been all of them, or encountered all of them, at one point or another! I suspect that’s true for most of us, and it’s definitely true for the church. (I wonder — what character do you think the church is most like right now?)

The sticking point remains, though: what are we to do, having seen ourselves in this story Jesus told?

As we read from the end of Matthew’s gospel today, it would behoove us to remember the beginning, in Jesus’ very first teachings, because the two make bookends for the gospel. Back in the sermon on the mount, 20 chapters ago, Jesus said: let your light shine before others. No one lights a lamp and hides it or hoards it — the purpose of a lamp is to give light to all in the house, the purpose of the city on a hill is to be a beacon that shines out for all to see.

Often, we are tired from waiting for God to do something…or from doing the same old same old until we just can’t anymore. Sometimes, our lamps may be going out. Sometimes, we may want to keep our light to ourselves. Sometimes, we need a break from serving past our capacity so we can be refreshed and renewed, and sometimes we need help adapting to changed circumstances we just did not foresee. In those moments, there is someone else in the community who has plenty of light to shine on the path so we can take the next step, there is someone else in our community who calls us out of that isolation back into relationship, and leaning on our community means we can rest or be resilient. Perhaps a strong sense of belonging together and caring for each other…and a willingness to be cared for, too… is one way of keeping our lamps filled.

If we follow the wisdom of the world and send others away to fend for themselves so we can just focus on ourselves, we will ultimately find the half-attended party bittersweet and the light thin and weak.
If we foolishly decide to leave the community to try to fill ourselves up in the marketplace, we’ll miss the opportunity to join God’s kingdom together.
We may not always be able to share oil. But if we will not share our light, then what is that oil for, anyway?
If we face the challenge together instead of putting the whole burden on a few,
if we support each other through those dark valleys rather than just demanding people do more and more with less and less,
if we look for creative ways to share the light even when it feels like God is taking forever in coming,
we’ll be prepared and strong for whatever lies ahead.

May it be so. Amen.

Online Hymn 694: Brother, Sister, Let Me Serve You
Sanctuary Hymn: O God, prepare your children (Words: Michael Morgan (1948 – 2023))

Offering 
Sometimes standing here and inviting us all into a spiritual practice of generous giving feels a little bit like asking to share the oil in your lamps. The reality is that we have budgeted only for what we currently do, not even everything we actually feel God is calling us to do to serve our community, and that just what we currently do costs more than our regular offering income, let alone what we think God is asking us to do. Is there oil enough to share the light of Christ with more people and in more ways? We trust that our generous God who gives abundantly will also inspire us to be like him, and give us what we need to be like him, so that the kingdom of heaven may flourish here in this place. If you give by standing order, thank you so much for that consistent generosity that allows us to make plans. If you haven’t reviewed your standing order in a while, this is a good time to do so — I revised mine last week to account for the increase we have heard we need. If you give with envelopes, thank you so much for your generosity that keeps us going week by week. If you give online, thank you so much for those special gifts that give a boost to our ministry! If you give regularly but also feel moved to give a special gift in response to God’s goodness or God’s call, thank you for digging deep and being willing to share what you have with those in our community whose reserves feel depleted. We trust that when we stick together as a community, and when we let our light shine as a beacon of blessing to all, there will be enough for everyone.

Your morning offering will now be received.

Sanctuary Offering Response 680 v. 4 (tune: Picardy)
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.

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Your wisdom is beyond us, O God, but we still try to understand.
Your timing is different than we would prefer, but we still try to be both patient and prepared.
Your justice turns our sense of fairness upside down, but we still try to carry out your will.
We thank you for the reminder that you are God and we are not,
and we pray you would help us to be faithful in what you give us, Lord, to do.
We hold in your light today those who have waited long for justice,
whose hope wanes and spirits faint.
May your day come, and soon, when they hear good news.
We hold in your light today those who must navigate the world on their own,
who have no one to advise or nurture or challenge them.
May your beloved community enfold them in grace and growth.
We hold in your light today those who have been shut out,
and those who have closed doors, for safety reasons and for selfish ones.
May your healing welcome expand and transform their lives.
We hold in your light today those people and places
where violence, hunger, and climate change make it impossible to look forward or plan,
those whose lives must be lived moment by moment
with fear and grief seeming to have the upper hand.
May your peace fill each corner of the earth and each heart.
We hold in your light today those who have followed you faithfully
and yet grow weary as the day and years go on and progress seems far off.
May your day come, and soon, when your will is done on earth.
Loving God,
you are the perfect parent,
guiding and nurturing, calling and challenging,
teaching and caring.
We give you thanks for the love that has passed from generation to generation,
love received from you and shown to others,
and we celebrate those who have nurtured us with your mothering spirit.
We give you thanks for the way you call us all your children,
making us sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles,
parents and grandparents, cousins and neighbours
with the whole world.
When we use the phrase “our children” or “our mothers” too narrowly,
open our hearts and minds to see as you see.
We pray today for the mothers who weep for their children,
lost to violence, to fear, to hate, to indifference;
living with homelessness, going hungry,
lost to broken systems and selfish blindness.
Remind us that if one part of the body suffers, all suffer together with it. …
We pray today for the many people who find days like today hard,
even as we celebrate the many blessings you have given to us
through people who have helped us grow in your love over the years.
May all your children be comforted, supported, nourished, challenged, healed, and renewed.
Reveal yourself, loving God,
as the One who creates a new thing,
starting from today and moving us forward into the future you intend.
We ask these and all things in the name of Christ, in whom your fullness dwells,
and 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.

Sanctuary Hymn 694: Brother, Sister, Let Me Serve You

Benediction
Friends, go to live each day ready for Christ’s call, letting your light shine that all may see God’s love in and through you.
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.

Sung Benediction Response (John L Bell, tune Gourock St John’s)
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.

Sanctuary Postlude Music

Announcements

* We worship in the sanctuary on Sundays at 11am, and all Sunday worship is also online (or on the phone at 01475 270037, or in print). If you are able, please enter by the front door in Bath street, and only those who need step-free access should use the back door. If you feel unwell, please worship online, to protect both yourself and others in our community.

* The choir rehearses in the sanctuary immediately after the service, and finishes before 1pm. All who enjoy singing are welcome!

* St John’s is hosting the Easter Code for Primary school pupils on Monday, 20th March and Tuesday, 21st March and we are looking for volunteers to assist. If you can help, please see Teri after the service.

*We are looking for a new Property Convenor — the role mainly involves keeping track of contracts (ie utilities/works) and contacting and following up with contractors to get works done in accordance with the Kirk Session’s instructions, plans, and budget. The administrative/reporting duties have thus far been done entirely using Microsoft Word, so no particular technological skills required. If you might be interested in volunteering for this role, please speak to Cameron, Donald (the current convenor), or Teri to learn more. 

* Did you know that it costs us about £10,500 per month to do the ministry we currently do at St. John’s? That includes heating and lighting the building and keeping it in good repair for church and community groups, programming, events, and pastoral care for people of all ages, our contribution to minister’s stipends, and other ministry costs. 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 by clicking 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 or the manse by post and we will ensure they are received. 

* 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!

* Wednesday Evening Bible Study meets in the manse at 7:30pm. All are welcome as we continue reading through the Bible in somewhat more than a year!

* Young Adult Bible Study meets in the manse on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at 7pm for a meal and discussion of the gospel according to John. Everyone in their 20s is welcome!

*The Contact Group meets on Tuesday 21 March at 2pm for their Annual General Meeting.

* Our Lent study is with all of Connect, meeting in the Lyle Kirk on Thursday evenings. We gather at 7pm for tea and coffee and then start at 7:30pm. We are studying “Another Story Must Begin” based on the musical Les Miserables. All are welcome, no experience necessary.

* The Stated Annual Meeting of the congregation will be held immediately after morning worship TODAY. The minute of last year’s meeting is available in the sanctuary. You can download a copy of the Annual Report by clicking here.

* March 2023 marks the 125th anniversary of the 2nd Gourock Boys’ Brigade. Our anniversary Grand Charity Ball will be Saturday 9th September 6.00 for 6.30pm in Greenock Town Hall. Tickets priced £50 or £500 for a table of 10 will be available soon. The benefitting Charities have been selected and will be announced shortly. We are delighted to announce that every penny raised from ticket sales and our charity auction on the evening will go directly to our chosen charities. This event is open to all so please spread the word, book your table, put the date in your diary and look forward to what we are sure will be a Second To None evening of enjoyment and celebration.

* Free period products are available in the church toilets for anyone who might need them, thanks to Hey Girls and Inverclyde Council.

* Greenock Philharmonic Choir’s Spring Concert will be on Saturday 25th March in Lyle Kirk, Union Street, Greenock at 7-30pm.  They will perform ‘Elijah’ by Mendelssohn. The conductor is Andrew McTaggart, and the choir will be accompanied by the Glasgow Chamber Orchestra. Soloists are Catriona Hewitson, Penelope Cousland, William Searle, and Ross Cumming. Tickets, priced £15, including refreshments, are available from Calum Harbison on 07847 250529,  or by emailing  info@greenockphilharmonic.co.uk.