Sunday service for 26 March 2023, fifth Sunday in Lent
Sunday 26 March 2023, NL1-35, 5th 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 (praise band)
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship
Teri: We gather in the presence of Christ, who calls all people to himself.
1: Not to escape the world he calls us to serve;
2: not to gloat about our goodness;
All: but to re-focus ourselves on his priorities.
Teri: We gather in the presence of Christ, the king.
3: He is preparing a place for us, in this world and the one to come;
4: and he is among us, preparing us for his kingdom,
All: in moments large and small, he shows us the way.
Teri: We gather in the presence of Christ, head of the Body,
All: to worship and be made faithful.
*Sanctuary Hymn: Lord, Reign in Me (praise band)
Prayer
Creator God,
who from the very beginning brought order out of chaos,
and in your Son made visible your power of life and love,
we give you thanks for your constant work and care.
You have said, Lord,
that your followers would always be in community
with those the world despises and overlooks.
You have said, Lord,
that we can see your face
in the faces of those around us.
You have said, Lord,
that to follow you is to leave behind our status, and the status quo,
to take up the cross instead.
We confess that we hear you but we sometimes wish we didn’t.
We are trying our best, O God,
or at least we want to claim we are.
We help those in need when we have extra to spare,
we serve when we have time,
we only look away when we just can’t face one more problem,
we only withhold generosity when we think it’ll be misused.
We confess, too, that sometimes we want our faith in you to be enough,
without needing to bring our way of life into it.
Forgive us, God,
for your way asks much of us and we haven’t quite managed it yet.
Forgive us when we have judged rather than loved,
when we have taken it upon ourselves to sort people into “us” and “them”,
when we have turned our eyes away from even one of your beloved children.
Forgive us
and change our habits so our first instinct aligns with your love for all.
As you build your kingdom here,
may we stand on the firm foundation you have laid in Christ,
who brings to fulfilment your promise that goodness is stronger than evil,
and may we live that reality in all we say and do,
through the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Online Hymn 259: Beauty for Brokenness
Sanctuary Children’s Time
Reading: Matthew 25:31-46 (New Revised Standard Version)
‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” 37Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” 40And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” 44Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” 45Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’
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: If Anyone is in Christ
I know I have spoken before about how fascinating I find it that neither the sheep nor the goats seem to have any idea what Jesus is talking about in this parable — that the king says they did these things to him, or that they did not do these things, and their response is “did we really? I don’t remember that, when did I see you and help or not help?”
In other words: the experience was not remarkable, it was just who they are. They were just living according to their nature, doing what came naturally…and for some of them, when they saw a person in need, their instinct was to help, and they did. And for others, their instinct was to ignore, and they did.
I wonder what our instinct is. What comes naturally to us?
Every week I say something about how if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation — because when we are in Christ, we behave differently in the world, and that change in our choices and actions and words creates a change in our community, and that change ripples out. And lately I’ve been involved in a lot of conversations at Bible study and Lent study and other places where I’ve found myself talking about how Paul says that we are not simply set free from bondage to sin, but rather that we become bound by grace instead. In other words, to be in Christ, to be bound by grace, is to have our nature changed, so that our instinct is different.
In this story Jesus tells us pretty clearly what is distinctive about those who are in Christ: they see someone hungry and they feed them, they see someone thirsty and they give them something to drink, they see someone naked and they give them clothes, they see someone sick and they take care of them, they see someone in prison and they visit them. In other words: they SEE the person, and the need, and they address it, without asking whether the person deserves to be helped, without creating a whole system to justify helping some and not others, without judging why the person is in the situation. What makes a Christian different from the rest of the world is this: they see people as fellow human beings and they care for them. They see people in need and do whatever they can to help, whether that’s immediate practical and tangible support or also working to change the system that makes people hungry in this world of abundance. They see the image of God in the faces of their neighbours and treat every person like they could be Christ.
And those who have not yet allowed their lives to be transformed by grace don’t see. They look away. They have reasons, which could also be excuses. But the main issue is that it is not their nature, their instinct, to help. They have to think about it and sometimes they decide not to. And the hardest part about this is that the king says “just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” ONE of the least of these. Even ignoring one fellow child of God in need betrays that our nature is not yet fully in Christ. I don’t know about you but I am certain I have ignored, brushed off, made excuses, or even pretended not to notice people in need before. I have made choices that I know perfectly well have negative effects on people who I will never see — people who work in sweatshops, who suffer from climate change, who are treated poorly at work, who are hungry and thirsty for both food and for justice. And every one is an indictment, a reminder that I am not living fully in response to the grace I have received, that my life does not reflect the fullness of God’s love and passion. Just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. I suspect all of us have, at one time or another, ignored Christ in this way.
Of course as human beings, we falter and fail. We are always an imperfect reflection of God’s image. And yet Jesus promises that with God, all things are possible. The transformation into people whose first instinct is to see our neighbour and to love them is possible with God. It’s still a work in progress, yes. And we don’t do it in order to earn our way in — remember the sheep and the goats are both just doing what comes naturally to them, they are acting based on who they are. So then the question is: who are we? If we are a beacon of blessing, our first instinct will be to bless others. If we are truly forgiven, loved, and free, we will not be enslaved by the need to deliberate the pros and cons, before we serve those in need. If we are in Christ, then we will live in response to what he has done in our lives, every single day. And if anyone is in Christ, their transformation changes not just them, but the world…which begins to look more and more like the kingdom of God, come on earth as it is in heaven.
May it be so. Amen.
Online Hymn: God of Justice
Sanctuary Hymn 273: Beauty for Brokenness
Offering (Sanctuary only)
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.
Sanctuary: Commissioning and Blessing Lorna Veal for her volunteer trip to Ghana
Sanctuary Hymn: Whatever You Do (text: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (c) 2008; tune St Denio)
Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
You are with us always, Lord Jesus Christ,
even in the places and people where we never thought to look.
We call to mind today those among your beloved children
who have been dehumanised, objectified, or used as pawns in a political or economic game.
For women, men, and children who are treated as nothing more than fulfilment of a fantasy;
for people whose lives are at risk because of our fear of anyone who is different;
for those reduced to headlines and buzzwords rather than human beings;
we pray for wholeness, for acceptance, for freedom.
And we pray, too, that we who live with privilege we don’t even see
would be open to recognising the humanity of our neighbours near and far,
and learn to treat all people with dignity and respect.
We call to mind today those among your beloved children
whose tummies are empty and throats parched,
in this world of abundance where yet people starve and clean water seems a pipe dream.
For children who go to school hungry and see their friends waste food,
for parents who go without so their children can have a few bites,
for communities where the water is the problem and the help sent never reaches its destination,
we pray for enough —
that the riches of this world may be shared instead of hoarded,
that the creation may be well tended and so provide,
that we who have an abundance may learn to be satisfied so others can live.
We call to mind today those among your beloved children
who suffer in body, mind, or spirit.
For those living with illness, and those at the end of their journey;
for those waiting for test results or treatment,
for those whose lives are confined to a ward or a cell or a single room,
we pray for healing, for hope, and for the love of a community surrounding them.
May their visitors be without judgment,
may those who care for them be compassionate and creative,
and may they know that they are not alone, whatever their days may hold.
Loving God,
we are bold today to pray for ourselves, too,
that we may be people whose habits of heart, mind, and hand
reflect your intention for the world.
Bless us with the grace of not needing to deliberate before we choose what is right,
because it is just who we are and what we do.
Make us, once again, into your Body,
loving, serving, and caring for the world.
We ask in the name of Christ our Lord
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: God of Justice (praise band)
Benediction
Go into the world today and have courage. Hold on to what is good. Return no one evil for evil. Honour all of God’s children. Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words: Go forth and may your first instinct be to be the people God created you to be.
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 (praise band: Hosanna)
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!
* 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 the ministry we do at St John’s costs about £2700 per week? Everything we do is funded by your generous giving — all our support for young people, older people, bereavement care, community outreach, worship, study, spiritual growth, and community work is because of your offering. If you would like to 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 about a year and a half! We are now reading John’s gospel.
* Young Adult Bible Study meets in the manse TONIGHT and 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!
* 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.
* The next Bowl & Blether in St John’s is also a coffee morning for the Ardgowan Hospice! Join us on Monday 3 April: doors will open at 1030am for coffee and cake, and soup will be served from noon onwards as usual. All are welcome — invite a friend or neighbour!
