Sunday service for 26 September 2021

26 September 2021, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Uncovered 3
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Service prepared by the Rev. Teri Peterson
Manse phone: 632143 
Email: tpeterson(at)churchofscotland.org.uk

To hear the audio recording of this service, please phone 01475 270037. It’s a local landline number so minutes should be included in your phone plan.

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Prelude Music

Welcome/Announcements

Call to Worship
One: Turn aside and see,
God is trying to get our attention!
1: God sees us as we are,
in all our faithfulness and our failure.
2: God calls us by name,
to recognise this place as holy ground.
All: And God gives us all that we need to answer: here I am.

Prayer
God of our ancestors,
God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,
God of Sarah and Hagar and Rebecca and Rachel and Leah and Bilhah and Zilpah,
you speak to unexpected people,
in the most unexpected of places,
and turn everyday places holy.
You reveal yourself to us,
yet you cannot be pinned down.
We want to get a firm grip, yet you slip through our fingers,
determined that you will be who you will be.
We confess that we find your infinite freedom too difficult,
and so we shrink you to something more manageable.
That way you cannot ask too much of us,
or lead us beyond our comfort.
For we are often unwilling to take the risks your way requires.
Forgive us, O God.
Give us ears to hear you this day,
and hear us too
as we work our way toward the courage to answer your call.
Set us free once again, and give us courage to speak your full truth,
even when our voices may falter.
We ask in the name of One who embodied your very Being, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Music
Online: Hymn 189 Be Still For the Presence of the Lord
In-Person:

Children’s Time

Reading: Exodus 2:23 – 3.15, 4:10-17 NRSV

Last week we heard about Abraham and Isaac. When Isaac grew up, he married Rebekah, and they became the parents of Esau and Jacob. After Jacob schemed his way to his brother’s birthright and his father’s blessing, he ran away and found himself employed by a distant cousin. There he met and married Leah and Rachel, as well as their maids Bilhah and Zilpah, and with these four wives he had twelve children. The eleventh of those was Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his older brothers. Enslaved in Egypt, Joseph rose to power through God’s gifts of dream interpretation and administrative skills. Joseph skilfully led Egypt through a famine, and people came from abroad to buy food, including Joseph’s brothers. The family was reunited and settled in Egypt. After many years, a new pharaoh arose over Egypt, who did not remember his history, and he was afraid and jealous of the Israelites living in their midst. He ordered them to be enslaved, then for their children to be thrown into the Nile. The pharaoh’s daughter found the infant Moses floating on the river and brought him up as her own son…but as an adult, Moses saw an Egyptian beating and Israelite and he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. When he was found out, he ran away to the Sinai to make a new life for himself. We pick up the story there today, at the end of Exodus chapter 2. I am reading from the New Revised Standard Version.
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After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.’
But Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you”, and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I am has sent me to you.” ’ God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you”:
This is my name for ever,
and this my title for all generations.

(Moses made several excuses to God, and God answered them all.)

But Moses said to the Lord, ‘O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.’ But he said, ‘O my Lord, please send someone else.’ Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, ‘What of your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak fluently; even now he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you his heart will be glad. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. He indeed shall speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him. Take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.’

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.

Meditation: Turn Aside To See
Today we will walk in the footsteps of Moses,
using our imaginations to put ourselves in God’s story.
In invite you to close your eyes.
Put your feet flat on the floor, sit up straight, and be comfortable.
Take a deep breath in, and let it out slowly.
Take a deep breath in, and let it out slowly.

Picture yourself doing something you do every day.
Where are you?
What is around you?
What sounds do you hear?
What do you smell?
What colors do you see?
How do you feel in this everyday place, doing your everyday task?

In the midst of the ordinary, everyday-ness of your place, glance to one side.
There is something there—you can’t quite make it out, it seems out of place.
Are you curious?
Look harder—can you see it?
Will you leave your busy-ness, your schedule, your plans to step off your beaten path?
What’s stopping you from stepping out of the rush, from turning aside to see?

Go ahead—turn aside to see.
The colors are dancing,
heat is coming off in waves,
sparks are flying,
but the bush is not burned up—it’s still there, green as ever, with berries ripe for the picking.
What are you thinking?
What are you feeling?
Are you curious?

Suddenly you hear something—faint, at first, but definitely coming out of the flames.
Listen closely, what is it saying?
names…
your name.
Will you answer?
It seems silly to talk to a bush, especially one on fire.
But the voice is compelling.
What will you say?
Moses said, and Samuel said, and Mary said, “Here I am.”
What will you say?

Again, the voice:
take off your shoes—this is holy ground.
Go ahead—if you can reach, take off your shoes and then close your eyes again.
This is holy ground.
Holy.
Ground.
Feel it—solid, cool in spite of the heat coming from the bush.
Feel it—shifting as flames speak and you know something big is coming.
Feel it—holy, sacred, made by God for this moment.
Holy Ground.

One little turn off the beaten path and we’ve ended up here, barefoot on holy ground.

The voice again:
I’m God.
Not just any god, but God—the God of your ancestors, the God who created all this, the God who called people and blessed them, the God who called people to be a blessing to others.
What will you do now?
Moses, shoeless Moses, hid his face—afraid to look at God.
What will you do now?

The burning bush is not God—it is an instrument of God.
Look into it—stare into the flames.
See the shapes, the life, the passion, the swirl of color.
You turned aside to see—now, see.
You took off your shoes to feel God’s holy ground—now, feel.
What will you do?

You can turn away.
You can hide your face.
You can go back to your daily life and keep a secret.
You can go back to your daily life with a great story.
You can put on your shoes and walk.
Or you can stand on this holy ground,
wondering
hoping,
listening.

God’s voice, yet again…
I have plans.
For you.
For my people.
For the world.
I need your help.

Your help.
What is your first thought?
What is your second thought?
How can you help God?
Why you?
What does God mean by “help” exactly?
Are you feeling a little crazy?
Wondering if you should be listening to a plant or a fire?
Looking around to see if anyone has noticed?
Hoping you’re hearing voices or that this is all a dream?

God’s voice, again…
Yes, you.
You are the one I have chosen.
You, standing here on this holy ground.
You, who turned aside to see.
You, who can do far more than you realize.
You, the one staring at your feet and thinking you aren’t good enough.
You.
And then God says:
I will go with you.
My name is I AM—and I will always be.
I’m not just a thing, not just a person, not just a verb—I AM.
I AM God.
I AM the God of your ancestors.
I AM the maker of all things.
I AM the One who called you.
I AM love.
and I WILL go with you.

Listen again—
God is telling you what you have been chosen for.
God is calling you…to what?

Your hands,
your heart,
your ears,
your eyes,
your feet…
made holy,
made for a call,
made for carrying good news.

Will you turn aside
to stand on holy ground
to hear the blessing
and to hear the challenge
and to hear the promise,
and then to go out into the world with holy bare feet?

When you are ready,
take a deep breath, let it out slowly
and look down at your feet.
Open your eyes to see the holy ground.
Then turn and see your holy neighbors,
companions on the way,
fellow workers in God’s world.

Thanks be to God.
Amen.

Hymn 189: Be Still, for the Presence of the Lord

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
You are, and you will be…
You, God, cannot be contained in our language or our ideas or our structures.
We give you thanks that you are always the author and actor,
beyond our comprehension, reaching out and doing a new thing and calling your people.
You are the beginning and the end,
and here in the now we offer our gratitude for your all-encompassing love.
Trusting in your mercy that knows no bounds,
we call out on behalf of those who suffer,
who carry a weight that is more than they can bear.
For those who are oppressed and exploited,
for those who are surrounded by violence,
for those with nowhere to turn,
we lift our voices and beg you would turn your powerful attention.
Bring justice and peace and healing to your people, O God.
Trusting in your promised presence, and in your patience and loving-kindness,
we call out in our fear and our frustration,
for we know you need us to act in faith.
Give us courage to take risks for your kingdom,
to use our privilege to speak truth to the powers of our day,
in your name.
We ask through the power of your Spirit and the name of 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.

Online Hymn: Build Your Kingdom Here

Benediction
Friends this week, may you turn aside to see what God is doing and listen for God’s call to 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.

Postlude Music

Announcements

* The theme for worship in this Harvest season will be “Uncovered” — we’ll be looking at things God is calling forth that we didn’t know we had in us.

* All worship is online (or on the phone at 01475 270037, or in print) and we also meet in person, subject to the usual protocols for distancing, hand hygiene, mask wearing. We can now welcome up to 85-100 people for worship with 1m distancing between households. No booking will be required. Masks are required at all times inside the building, including while singing. If you are able, please enter by the front door in Bath street, and only those who need step-free access, and families with children, should use the back door.

* Tonight we will gather with Christians across the nation for evening prayer on the Connect Facebook Page, led tonight by David. Log on at 6:58pm to join in.

* 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. Remember: no one is coming to your door to collect your envelopes, so please stay safe!

* 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!

* Our Harvest Communion service will be on 3 October. We will also be having a special gift day as part of the Church of Scotland’s National Day of Giving — both 3 and 10 October will have special gift offerings, which will be divided between Mind Mosaic Child and Family services and Belville Community Gardens, both of which are local charities that have been doing and continue to do incredible work during the pandemic, helping families and young people and older people with mental health, food support, combatting social isolation, and more. Please give generously to support the work of these two groups!