Sunday Service for 14 February 2021, Transfiguration Sunday
Worship Service for 14 February 2021, Transfiguration Sunday
Prepared by the Rev. Teri C Peterson, Gourock St. John’s
Manse phone: 632143
Email: tpeterson (at) churchofscotland (dot) org (dot) uk
To hear an audio recording of the service, including music, phone 01475 270037. please share this number with your friends, neighbours, and family members who don’t have easy internet access!
Full Sunday Service Video (despite what the email says, this week is not the Moderator, it’s all home-produced! If you missed the moderator-hosted service last week, you can find it in the previous post!)
Thanks to Stephen Henry for the 4th, 10th, and 11th photos, and Derek Reid for the 5th. The rest of the photos are by Teri, unless otherwise noted.
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Opening Prayer
Today I invite you to join in a journey to see and hear Jesus, as the disciples did on the mountain.
Take in a deep breath, and let it out slowly.
Breathe in God’s grace…and breathe out with gratitude.
Breathe in God’s love…and breathe out with peace.
Breathe in God’s mystery…and breathe out with hope.
Look around the room where you are sitting.
It may be a place you spend a lot of time,
but really look at it, rather than looking past.
What do you see?
What colours…what furniture…what artwork or photos…
where are the windows? what is the light like today? Where are the shadows falling?
What can you smell? Lunch in the oven, washing drying, a scented candle, lingering hand soap?
What do you hear? The boiler humming, neighbours talking, wind rushing outside?
How do you feel here?
…
Now close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Let it out slowly.
Hear the call, a whisper: “come away.”
Come away…with Jesus.
Come away…from all that is familiar and ordinary.
Come away…to follow.
Imagine footsteps on the ground in front of you,
and do your best to put your feet into them as you picture yourself walking.
Keep your eyes on the footprints & set your own feet into them as you go.
Listen for his voice, and watch his path.
…
When you look up, you find yourself on top of a hill. Look around and take in the view.
Can you see houses? What style are they? How about trees? Water? How far up are you?
How does it feel to be above the fray of regular busy-ness for a bit?
Take a deep breath here…
and in the clear air, look over at the One who called you here.
What does Jesus look like today?
How tall is he? What colour eyes …and hair …and skin does he have?
What is he wearing?
What is beautiful, or quirky, or notable about his appearance?
…
Keep your eyes on him, and listen.
Jesus has things to say—to pray, to teach, to heal—
so just take this time, away with him, to listen.
Listen as he speaks to God…as he speaks to the prophets…as he speaks to you.
…
…
…
We aren’t the first disciples to have trouble being still and paying attention,
difficulty staying awake…
so busy, working so much, trying so hard.
God knows how that feels.
Focus your eyes on Jesus
as light shines through him…
as he becomes brighter and brighter,
burning an image of God’s glory into your mind.
It is good to be here.
Listen To Him.
…
what do you hear?
…
what do you see?
…
what do you feel, as he speaks?
…
what would you like to say to Jesus, as his light shines on you?
Speak to him now, honestly—whatever comes to mind,
whether you have questions,
or requests,
or ideas,
or just things you want to talk about.
…
…
…
Look into Jesus’ eyes—see the light, and the love.
And see where he turns his gaze next.
Follow him again, each of your steps in one of his footprints,
step by step, as close as you can.
Keep that bright image in your mind
even as you look at each next step.
…
When you are ready, slowly open your eyes and look around at your familiar place.
With the light of the world as your lens,
how does your space feel now? What is the same? What looks different?
How are you different, now that you have seen his glory?
…
What is Jesus saying to you in this ordinary place?
What is Jesus calling you to do in this regular life?
Picture his shining eyes, and follow his gaze…
Let his words sink into your ears:
God is Love.
You are loved.
Love your neighbour as yourself.
I will show you the way.
Now you have seen the light, let it shine, wherever you are.
…
May it be so. Amen.
Hymn 448: Shine, Jesus, Shine
Scripture Reading: Luke 9:28-45 (Common English Bible)
Jesus has been out and about in cities, villages, and countryside, healing people with illnesses and who are possessed by demons, teaching in parables, calming the sea, and feeding the crowds. He sent his disciples out into the villages to heal and teach as well. When they returned with stories of all the Spirit had done through them, Jesus took them away to a deserted place so they could rest and pray. While there, he asked them “Who do people say that I am?” and then more importantly asked them “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered “you are the Messiah.” And then Jesus told them, for the first time, that he would suffer, be killed, and be raised on the third day, and that we all must take up our cross and follow him. That’s where we pick up the story in the gospel according to Luke, chapter 9, beginning at verse 28. I am reading from the Common English Bible.
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About eight days after Jesus said these things, he took Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes flashed white like lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with him. They were clothed with heavenly splendour and spoke about Jesus’ departure, which he would achieve in Jerusalem. Peter and those with him were almost overcome by sleep, but they managed to stay awake and saw his glory as well as the two men with him.
As the two men were about to leave Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it’s good that we’re here. We should construct three shrines: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—but he didn’t know what he was saying. Peter was still speaking when a cloud overshadowed them. As they entered the cloud, they were overcome with awe.
Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my chosen one. Listen to him!” Even as the voice spoke, Jesus was found alone. They were speechless and at the time told no one what they had seen.
The next day, when Jesus, Peter, John, and James had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. A man from the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to take a look at my son, my only child. Look, a spirit seizes him and, without any warning, he screams. It shakes him and causes him to foam at the mouth. It tortures him and rarely leaves him alone. I begged your disciples to throw it out, but they couldn’t.”
Jesus answered, “You faithless and crooked generation, how long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” While he was coming, the demon threw him down and shook him violently. Jesus spoke harshly to the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father. Everyone was overwhelmed by God’s greatness.
While everyone was marvelling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, “Take these words to heart: the Son of Man is about to be delivered into human hands.” They didn’t understand this statement. Its meaning was hidden from them so they couldn’t grasp it. And they were afraid to ask him about it.
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: Brutiful
Sometimes it feels like more of our lives are spent in the second day of this story than in the first. We know what it is like to be surrounded by illnesses we don’t understand and cannot solve, to feel helpless in the face of a loved one’s pain, to be bewildered and overwhelmed when we look at the world. Jesus had given his disciples the power to heal, yet when the moment arrived for their first unsupervised clinic and they were faced with the full truth of illness, they couldn’t do it. The weight of expectation — of the crowd, the desperate father, of Jesus, and even their own expectations of themselves — was too much and all they could do was look helplessly on like everyone else. They didn’t have the confidence in the power Jesus gave them to actually use it when they needed it. No wonder Jesus was a bit exasperated with them!
I don’t know what stood out to you most when hearing the Scripture read today, but the thing I keep noticing is how many times it tells us that the people around Jesus were overwhelmed. On the mountaintop we heard that they saw “heavenly splendour” and glory…that they were almost overcome by sleep…that they didn’t know what they were talking bout, they were overcome with awe, they were speechless. At the bottom of the mountain everyone was overwhelmed, marvelling, didn’t understand, and were afraid to ask him about it.
And they told no one. The three who were on top of the mountain didn’t tell anyone about their experience…and the ones at the bottom didn’t ask any questions about their failure or what to do differently next time. Everyone just tried to move on.
That’s not so different from today. I know people who have had amazing mountaintop experiences, when they have seen or heard God so clearly, but they are afraid to talk about it because they don’t want people to think they’re crazy. And I know people who have had incredible grief, or who are going through really difficult times, and they are afraid to talk about it because they think no one will understand.
And some of those people sit next to each other in church, live in the same street, ride the same buses, have met up at the same cafe or pub on the same day for years, and don’t know any of it.
Sometimes life is overwhelming — both overwhelmingly difficult and overwhelmingly fabulous. Or, as one writer (Glennon Doyle) puts it, life is both beautiful and brutal — it’s brutiful. And Jesus calls us to see his truth in both ends of that spectrum, and everywhere in between.
It’s easy enough to see God when Jesus is shining on top of the mountain, chatting to the prophets of old. But how can we see God when our child is desperately ill and no one can do anything to help? Or when everything is just the same, day after day — when we haven’t left the house in a year, and we have to decide what to make ourselves for dinner, alone, for the 300th day in a row?
I think one of the ways we adjust our vision to see God in such a wide variety of situations — and in the everyday — is to share our experiences with each other. Perhaps we expect we ought to keep these things private, but Jesus confounds our expectations! When we share the beautiful mystical moments, when the presence of God is so clear it’s practically blinding, then we’re better able to carry that into other times, rather than just tucking it away in our memories as “that strange thing that happened once a long time ago but didn’t affect my faith or life.” What if the disciples had spoken together of what they saw and heard on top of the mountain…would they have been better able to understand what Jesus said at the bottom of the mountain, and learned the lessons he was trying to teach them about who he was and who they were? The same is true in reverse — it matters that we share the brutal experiences as well as the beautiful, as well as the mundane — because together we can help one another see God at work in all of it, even when it feels like we are in it alone. That’s what it means to be people of faith: to be looking for God so that we can join in God’s work in every aspect of this brutiful life. After all, how can we join in God’s work if we can’t see it? And how can we see it if we don’t have fellow Christians helping us discern and process and act?
I attended a virtual seminar this week in which one of the speakers said that there are two kinds of churches — churches that do interesting things, and churches whose spirituality is inside their walls. This story seems to give us exactly that: the disciples on the mountain are so dazzled by seeing the full glory of Christ that they want to stay there. But at the bottom of the mountain are people who need them to act like the ones that Jesus empowered to do interesting things — to heal, to restore, to bring life. But the thing is, being followers of Jesus requires that we carry that mountaintop vision of the shining light down into the shadowed valley, and the challenges of the valley with us when we go up the mountain. If we always keep them in their separate places, tucked away in private memories, quiet behind the sanctuary walls, then how can the light shine in the darkness? We are the Body of Christ — bearers of the light of the world. And the brutiful world needs us to do all those interesting things Jesus empowered us to do.
May it be so. Amen.
Hymn 543: Christ, Be Our Light
Prayer
Holy One, you call us up the mountain to pray,
to come apart and let your holiness dazzle us.
You bring us to these moments,
overwhelming our senses
and lifting us out of ourselves for a moment.
In the midst of our tiredness and our uncertainty,
in the flash of understanding and the wonder,
the Spirit is at work, even now,
on the mountaintop and in the valley.
We give you thanks for revealing yourself,
for your light so bright,
for your grace so amazing,
for your wonders so beautiful.
Carrying our gratitude, holding on to your light,
we turn our eyes back to the world you so love,
praying that we might see your glory there as well.
Show yourself to us in this time set apart,
and again in the work you lay before us,
and again in the wonders of your creation,
and again in the face of our neighbour.
We lift our prayers this day
for those who need a glimpse of your goodness —
for those who are ill, undergoing treatment, or waiting for test results…
for those who care for others in body, mind, or spirit…
for those behind the scenes of our everyday lives — in the health service, in the shops and delivery vans, in the post office, in the council, in social care…
for those who are lonely and isolated, longing for a phone call or a note that tells them they are not forgotten…
for those who carry the weight of leadership in these times, seeking the good of all and the best use of resources, and navigating the complicated relationships between and within our nations and communities…
for your Church, commanded and empowered to be your Body on earth, bearing your light and doing your work.
Guide us, O God,
as we seek to hold the mountaintop experience
and the walk through the shadowed valley
together in one faithful life.
We ask in the name of the One 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.
Benediction
Friends, whether your week holds a shining mountaintop or a shadowed valley, may you see God’s presence and join in God’s work together. 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.
Announcements
* All worship is online (or on the phone at 01475 270037, or in print) until further notice — the building is closed during the government’s lockdown and during level 4 restrictions. We will let you know when in-person worship begins, and whether any new procedures will be in place at that time.
* 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!
* The theme for worship during the season of Epiphany is “Confounding Expectations.” We will be considering how Jesus and his ministry are beyond, around, beneath, outside, blowing-open, confusing, and generally…confounding, compared to what we expect!
***The coffee money that we normally send on to the school in Venda has been exhausted. If you would like to contribute to keep our donations to the school going, please contact Rab & Eileen for bank details for donations, phone 634159.
* 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!
* Evening Prayer with Connect will be led by Karen Harbison this evening. Join us on the Connect Facebook Page at 6:58pm.
Sunday Service for 31 January 2021
31 January 2021
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson, Gourock St. John’s
email: tpeterson (at) churchofscotland (dot) org (dot) uk
To hear the audio recording, including music: 01475 270037
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Call to Worship
Christ calls us by name,
to come with him and learn,
and to go out with his good news.
Christ calls us by name,
from all sorts of places, tasks, and backgrounds.
When it feels like things are changing faster than we can adapt,
when our inner thoughts are a struggle,
when our emotions swing and we don’t know how to respond:
Christ calls us by name
to worship, and be transformed by mercy and grace.
Hymn: As We Gather
By Resound Worship
Reading: Luke 6.1-16 (New Revised Standard Version)
Last week we heard about Jesus teaching from Simon Peter’s boat, and then miraculously guiding him and his business partners through the largest catch of fish anyone on the Sea of Galilee had ever seen. Once they got the fish to shore, Jesus called them to follow him. Jesus and his new disciples then went throughout the towns of Galilee, and Jesus healed people in ways that began to make other people, including religious leaders, suspicious — including by touching a man with leprosy, and by forgiving sins before telling a paralysed man to get up and walk. Then Jesus called another disciple, Levi, who was a tax collector, and went to his house for dinner, causing yet more scandal among the other teachers and leaders — and causing consternation when he tried to teach them that new wine and old wineskins don’t mix well.
We pick up the story today in the gospel according to Luke, chapter 6, verses 1-16. I am reading from the New Revised Standard Version.
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One sabbath while Jesus was going through the cornfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. But some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ Jesus answered, ‘Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?’ Then he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.’
On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come and stand here.’ He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?’ After looking around at all of them, he said to him, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Sermon: Present Tense
These are the kinds of stories that many people stereotypically associate with Jesus — conflict with the Pharisees over their understanding of God’s law. Too often, our interpretation of these stories leans toward anti-semitism, as we forget that Jesus was Jewish and that in many ways these disputes were a family argument about tradition. When we read about the arguments, we need to remember that everyone back then was doing the same thing we all are doing now: trying to determine how to put God’s word into practice in everyday life, and they didn’t always agree about the best way to do that.
What they did agree on was that it was important, and that the community needed to hold everyone accountable to living up to God’s call. There was a sense that each person’s choices had an impact on the whole community, or even the whole nation. They were bound together and what one did affected them all.
So when it looked as if Jesus and his disciples were flouting the sabbath rules by harvesting and processing grain on a day when you weren’t supposed to do any work, some of the Pharisees had to speak up.
It seems as if the owner of the field had followed the law, in that he left he edges of the field unharvested so that those in need would be able to harvest some and so not go hungry. But for a person who was not in immediate danger of starvation to do that harvesting on the Sabbath was a no-no. Naturally some Pharisees were concerned about the slippery slope — if you can harvest and shuck a quick snack on the sabbath, then what else can you do? But they were also concerned about divine consequences. They prided themselves on knowing their story as God’s chosen people, and that story included consequences that still felt like yesterday, though it was hundreds of years ago.
It’s that same concern they have in mind when they’re at synagogue another week. There’s a member with a disability — notice the text doesn’t tell us anything about him and doesn’t say it was unusual for him to be there. He’s one among them, a part of the congregation. Yet his disability was the first thing some of the scribes and pharisees thought about when they saw Jesus make his way down the aisle. It betrays the probably subconscious truth that they didn’t think of him as “George who sits halfway back, next to Sue, he works at the shop.” They thought of him as “the man who has something wrong with him.” So even though he hadn’t come specifically looking for Jesus, and he didn’t ask for anything — he was just in his usual pew like any other Saturday morning — when his fellow members saw Jesus, their first thought was to keep an eye out and see if Jesus was going to do something about it so they could get a good argument.
When Luke tells us that Jesus knew what they were thinking, I always wonder if he simply means that Jesus could tell they were looking for a fight, or if he means that Jesus could tell that they thought of their neighbour as a condition to be cured rather than as a person. The way Jesus asked them “is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath” and then asked the man to hold up his hand — notice that Jesus didn’t touch him, didn’t say anything to him, didn’t do anything you might expect for a healing. It’s almost as if it happened while he was talking to those people who could see nothing but the hand, instead of the living, breathing, beloved person made in God’s image.
No wonder they were furious. Jesus had shown them up and brought their secret thoughts into the open, while doing something they were fairly certain he should not do… but in a way that meant they couldn’t pin down exactly what was wrong. Of course you can do good on the Sabbath, right? It’s always been a clear Jewish teaching, from the earliest days of Torah interpretation. But where is the line between doing “good” and doing “work”? It didn’t fit into their telling of God’s story.
Back in the fields, Jesus had referenced a pretty obscure moment in the life of David. He talked about a time, after David had been anointed by Samuel but while Saul was still king. David and his friends were fleeing from Saul’s rage, and they came to a holy place where they allowed the priests to believe they were on official king’s business. They convinced the priests that they had kept all the holiness rules and so should be allowed to eat the bread, since there was nothing else available. In that moment, from God’s perspective David was king and so he was, technically, anointed and on the king’s business. The priests didn’t know that, though. Their understanding of the story had not yet caught up to the changed reality of the world around them.
Isn’t that often what happens to us? The ways we tell God’s story sometimes don’t keep up with the reality of what God is up to, and we get caught in old ways that no longer meet the needs around us. Some of the Pharisees were having trouble seeing that Jesus was a game-changer, that he brought God’s story into the present tense rather than always being something from the past that they needed to figure out. Because discerning how to live God’s word in our own lives, here and now, is important. But we can’t do it if we think the story is all in the past. God is still writing the story all around us and within us and through us, if only we will pay attention to the true reality of God’s kingdom rather than simply the assumptions we have made about “the way things are.”
How do we, as a community, figure out what faithfulness means in our modern lives? What does God’s word have to do with real situations, not just long-ago far-away ones? And how does our responsibility to each other look now that we may not be arguing about what counts as work on the Sabbath, but instead about what is right to do or not do in the midst of a pandemic?
The question about what one could do on the Sabbath wasn’t about what was good or even felt important for the person who was doing it. It was about what was good for the whole community, and the impact that one person’s actions would have on public health. Isn’t that the same question we are asking right now? Not just “can I do what I want” but “what affect will my choice have on others?” It’s the question for things that want to be open, but the impact on the whole community needs to outweigh their desire. It’s the question for the gatherings we wish we could have, and the holidays we wish we could book, and so much more. And we have seen the devastation that comes to the whole when we act as if our one area or sector or day is different, so it makes sense that we, as a community, would need these same kinds of conversations the Pharisees were having with Jesus, holding each other accountable to the common good. And hopefully we will come down where Jesus does, as he challenges the old interpretations of the story in light of new reality…can we challenge the old story we have told about economics, politics, social life, and what is essential? And then join Jesus on the side of doing good even if it isn’t what we would prefer, recognising and caring for the full humanity and value of others even if it’s not convenient or profitable for us, and putting our feelings of compassion for others into actions of mercy that offer abundant life for all.
May it be so. Amen.
Hymn #609: Come, living God, when least expected
Text: Alan Gaunt. Tune: SUNSET
1 Come, living God, when least expected,
when minds are dull and hearts are cold,
through sharpening word and warm affection
revealing truths as yet untold.
2 Break from the tomb in which we hide you
to speak again in startling ways;
break through the words in which we bind you
to resurrect our lifeless praise.
3 Come now, as once you came to Moses
within the bush alive with flame,
or to Elijah on the mountain,
by silence pressing home your claim.
4 So, let our minds be sharp to read you
in sight or sound or printed page,
and let us greet you in our neighbours,
in ardent youth or mellow age.
5 Then, through our gloom, your Son will meet us
as vivid truth and living Lord,
exploding doubt and disillusion
to scatter hope and joy abroad.
6 Then we will share his radiant brightness
and, blazing through the dread of night,
illuminate by love and reason,
for those in darkness, faith’s delight.
Prayer
God of community, Three in One, make us again today in your likeness. Show us how to live together, teach us how to work out your word together, and lead us past division toward doing mercy together. As our hearts join in prayer, may our lives join in your service. As we grieve together so many lives lost, and so many more changed, may we be renewed in our commitment to caring for our neighbour.
Holy God, you call us into community that both nurtures and challenges us to live as your Body. We confess that we love to be fed and comforted by your word and your Church, but we don’t want to be challenged. Forgive us when we have tried to apply your law to others without knowing it well enough to live it fully ourselves. We pray this day for those who have been hurt by organisations, the church, or their government; for those who have been excluded and treated unjustly; and for those who long for comfort but face only hostility. May they know the truth of your grace that draws us all into your embrace.
Merciful One, you invite us to grow in every encounter with your Living Word. We confess that sometimes our questions are not asked in good faith, but rather as a self-righteous display. Forgive us when our desire to justify ourselves leads us to make others into props in our story, rather than seeing them as fully human made in your image. We pray this day for those who have been seen as an issue rather than a person, for those whose bodies have defined them in the eyes of others; we pray for all who are living with illness or disability, and those who care for them; and for those who grieve when healing does not come the way they would like. May they know your compassion and care.
Gracious Spirit, you show us a still more excellent way. We confess that we want you to conform to our way instead, for the way of love and justice demands too much of us. Forgive us for confining you to our expectations. We pray this day for those whose minds and hearts have been constrained by circumstance, who cannot look beyond this moment because they do not have the luxury of imagination; we pray for those living in poverty and simply trying to survive one day at a time; for those who are oppressed or afraid, waiting for justice and peace to be politically popular so that they can finally live freely; for those who have come to believe they are not worthy of love. May they see your goodness in the land of the living, and may they be surrounded by the support of your Body, working for your kingdom on earth.
May your forgiveness guide our repentance, that we may turn once again to your way of life in all its fullness, for the whole creation. May your love guide our faithfulness, that we may serve you with joy. We ask in 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.
Benediction
Friends, as we work together to live God’s word today, let us above all do good to and for one another. And as you do, 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.
Announcements
* All worship is online (or on the phone at 01475 270037, or in print) until further notice — the building is closed during the government’s lockdown and during level 4 restrictions. We will let you know when in-person worship begins, and whether any new procedures will be in place at that time.
* 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!
* The theme for worship during the season of Epiphany is “Confounding Expectations.” We will be considering how Jesus and his ministry are beyond, around, beneath, outside, blowing-open, confusing, and generally…confounding, compared to what we expect!
***The coffee money that we normally send on to the school in Venda has been exhausted. If you would like to contribute to keep our donations to the school going, please contact Rab & Eileen for bank details for donations, phone 634159.
* 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!
* Evening Prayer with Connect will be led by Teri this evening. Join us on the Connect Facebook Page at 6:58pm.
Sunday Service for 24 January 2021
24 January 2021
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson, Gourock St. John’s
email: tpeterson (at) churchofscotland (dot) org (dot) uk
~~~~~~~~~
Call to Worship and Prayer
Today Christ calls us to make room for unexpected amazement—
in our schedules, in our places, in our minds, in our hearts.
Whatever our situation,
wherever we find ourselves,
however we are feeling today,
God is with us,
making all things possible.
Come, let us worship.
Let us pray.
God of surprises, you are always doing a new thing. Even when we are tired, even when we are curious, even when we are sure and when we are anxious, you call us to trust you. We admit that we often think we know better, and find it difficult to follow where you lead. We confess that we don’t want to go through the deep water, however much life might be found there amidst the danger. And we confess that when we do receive the riches of your providing, we would prefer to keep it for ourselves. Yet you call us to turn our amazement into discipleship, to leave the profits and the spectacle and follow your way. Forgive us our hesitancy, our unwillingness to let go of the things that define and secure, our fear of what others might think. Forgive us, and help us to put our words of faith into actions of trust. We ask in the name of Jesus, 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.
Hymn #189: Be Still, for the presence of the Lord
Reading: Luke 5.1-11 (Common English Bible)
Last week we heard Jesus give his first sermon, in his hometown of Nazareth. It started well but by the end people were quite upset. He went on from there to Capernaum, where he was again teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath when a demon who was possessing a man shouted out his identity for all to hear. Jesus cast out the demon and healed the man, and people began to talk about him even more than before. After synagogue, Jesus went to Simon’s house, where he healed Simon’s mother-in-law, and then once the sun went down and the Sabbath was over, the whole town came to the door to ask for healing. That night, Jesus went out and prayed, and decided it was time to go preach in new places, even as word about him was spreading. We pick up the story today in Luke chapter 5, beginning at verse 1. I am reading from the Common English Bible.
~~~~~
One day Jesus was standing beside Lake Gennesaret when the crowd pressed in around him to hear God’s word. Jesus saw two boats sitting by the lake. The fishermen had gone ashore and were washing their nets. Jesus boarded one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, then asked him to row out a little distance from the shore. Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he finished speaking to the crowds, he said to Simon, “Row out farther, into the deep water, and drop your nets for a catch.”
Simon replied, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and caught nothing. But because you say so, I’ll drop the nets.”
So they dropped the nets and their catch was so huge that their nets were splitting. They signalled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They filled both boats so full that they were about to sink. When Simon Peter saw the catch, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Leave me, Lord, for I’m a sinner!” Peter and those with him were overcome with amazement because of the number of fish they caught. James and John, Zebedee’s sons, were Simon’s partners and they were amazed too.
Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on, you will be fishing for people.” As soon as they brought the boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.
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: Open
One day…just an ordinary work day like any other. Morning chores were in process, merchants were setting up their stalls, day labourers were congregating and waiting for work, children were running underfoot on their way to get water from the town well, fishwives were gathering up the night’s meagre catch to sell — not from Simon’s boats, though, since they had caught nothing — and fishermen were cleaning nets to prepare for the next night instead. Everyone else’s workday was gearing up, but theirs was winding down.
Jesus had been visiting synagogues in all the villages, but this was a work day, not a Sabbath day, so he was out doing what normal people did on an average weekday morning. Perhaps he was out waiting to buy fish beside the shore, or talking to day labourers, or waiting for the baker to get fresh loaves from the ovens. People recognised him though, and started to gather round, hoping to hear him say something profound. When the crowd got to be a bit too claustrophobic, he hopped into Simon Peter’s boat. Jesus clearly could not handle the boat himself, he asked Peter to push away from the shore — a task that actually would have required the crew of 4 or 5 men to stop their net-cleaning and get back into the boat.
Once Jesus finished everything he had to say that morning, he ask them to go out into the deep water and go fishing.
The deep water…where anything can happen. It’s away from the crowds, and it’s the most dangerous part of the lake, where you can’t see what’s down there and where squalls could rise quickly and without much warning. It was also the place where, at that time of day, there might be more fish than closer to the shore. Life and danger together summed up in one phrase: the deep water.
These men were tired, they’d worked all night…perhaps they didn’t even have the energy to resist their new friend who was brought up inland. Even though a tired crew out on the deep water was likely an extra layer of concern, they humoured him — “if you say so, I’ll drop the nets.” The nets they had just cleaned, for the record, as their last work task before finishing their shift. It’s like when the tables are wiped and the machine is cleaned and the floor is mopped and with one minute before closing time someone comes in and orders a cappuccino.
But they did it — they dropped the nets. And the result was so far beyond their imagining they didn’t even have time to think. Pretty soon they had so many fish that two boats were sinking — and each boat at the time could have safely held nearly half a ton of fish! With a literal ton of fish, they struggled — an exhausted crew working overtime on the biggest catch they’d ever experienced, they probably were barely even able to hum a sea shanty as they rowed their sinking boat to shore. Once they were safely on land, though, the truth hit: this was the best day in their small business owner lives! Nothing like this had ever happened before. Even after taxes, this was a huge windfall for them and their families.
Peter’s first reaction, though, was to worship. In awe, he sank to his knees and recognised that he was in the presence of something, someone, so great he could never deserve it. This man had power over the deeps, and though he wasn’t a fisherman he knew the fish better than anyone. They had experienced his teaching and healing but now they saw something else, something cosmic that could control creation.
All of them were overcome with amazement. Imagine realising that such power and holiness had left the sanctuary and the synagogue and come down to the shore in the midst of all the people and work and commerce, and plopped itself down in your business. That’s not how the world works! God is supposed to be safely in the holy places, not in the middle of the workweek, visiting our shops and offices and turning everything upside down!
It’s no wonder Jesus has to say “don’t be afraid.” Think of the other times human beings have encountered the presence of God — Isaiah in the temple seeing the hem of God’s robes and the seraphim singing Holy Holy Holy…the people at the foot of Mount Sinai, with the pillar of cloud and fire quaking with God’s voice…Samuel in the temple, uncertain where that voice is coming from…Elijah on the mountain hearing God in the silence…even when the people of God faced the moment with courage, they were nervous. Because meeting God is dangerous, for two reasons — first because human beings can’t handle or comprehend the fullness of God’s holiness, we’re made to be “a little lower” as the psalmist says. And second because all of these encounters end with God sending the people out to do something that they would likely not have chosen to do on their own. Isaiah and Samuel and Elijah all had to go proclaim a message that the kingdom would not want to hear.
What would come next, for these fishermen who understood they were experiencing something beyond them?
Jesus said: come with me to fish for people. And they left everything and followed him.
They left everything. Their boats. Their nets, which now needed to be re-washed and mended. A literal ton of fish, the catch of a lifetime. Their families and friends. The life they knew and were comfortable in, even though it was hard work. They left it all and followed Jesus. His invitation, to be close to that level of holiness and power and grace all the time, was more compelling than their social network, than their massive income boost, than their exhaustion at the end of the work day — more compelling than anything else.
So they left everything and followed him.
Whatever they expected that day, it wasn’t that. The crowd that pushed and pressed and begged to hear the word…the tired fishermen that humoured this itinerant preacher when he tried to tell them how to do their jobs…then found themselves overcome with wonder and amazement, falling on their knees and then getting up to follow. That was not how they thought their day was going to go when they got up that morning.
But when it happened, they were open to it. When their expectations were shattered and confounded, they adapted to the new situation. When God showed up, they recognised and responded.
It’s easy to get caught up in all the tasks of a day, and in what we think is and is not possible in our situation, and our own sense of our expertise compared to others. Simon Peter and his business partners and their crew could have said “it’s the end of our shift, we’re done for the day” and just laid their nets out to dry and clocked off. They could have said “we’re professional fishermen telling you that there are no fish to catch today” and rowed back to shore. But they had enough space in their spirits to recognise when something divine happened, even unexpectedly in the middle of their everyday life.
Wherever we find ourselves — at home whiling away hours, or working more than ever before without the usual boundaries between work and home; managing home learning, or never getting even a moment’s break from our family members; walking the dog half a dozen times a day for an excuse to go out, or relishing the time to get a break from the hectic pace — what would happen if God turned up? Can we make space within our minds and hearts for God to do something…and then to leave what we know and follow him?
May it be so. Amen.
Hymn #509: Jesus calls us o’er the tumult
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, you walk right in to everyday life:
in the middle of the work day,
in the middle of our families and friends,
in the middle of the things we know all about and the messes we have made.
You come bringing holiness out of the sanctuary and into the street,
drawing us into your powerful grace.
Your voice reaches us wherever we are,
at work and play, through screen and silence,
in the endless ordinary days,
even when we are numb to the possibility that we might be called
to belovedness and belonging.
Your call is so urgent, so clear
to leave what we know
to discover that what seems impossible~
justice, mercy, love, equality~
is your dream for your kingdom here on earth,
and we can be a part of it as we follow You.
We lift up to you, O God,
people who live each day with violence and fear,
for our neighbours who can’t see their way through the system,
for our friends who do not see how they hurt or how they could help.
We pray, O Christ, for those suffering in mind, body, or spirit.
For those awaiting the research that could bring relief,
for those eagerly anticipating their vaccine appointment and those who are nervous about it,
for those awaiting the day when every tear is wiped away,
and for those who work each day to save lives and heal people.
We remember, O Spirit, those who have no heart or hands or will
except our own, as your disciples.
Give us courage to speak up, to work, to care, and to go out
on behalf of those you love.
We give you thanks for those who make our world, our nation, our community, our church work:
those who serve in office, and those who hold them accountable to our highest ideals,
those who work behind the scenes, and those who are at the forefront of the news.
Give them wisdom and courage to seek the good of all people and of your earth,
and to do what is right.
We pray…
for our world.
for our country.
for our earthly home.
for our children and our children’s children to the seventh generation,
for the sick and lonely,
the disengaged and angry.
Help us to remember
that we belong to You,
and you are Love,
and we are beloved.
Gather us up as your disciples,
Bind us together in peace,
Claim us so completely that we give all we have
to be healers of the breach,
offerers of grace,
a voice of hope.
In the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Benediction
Friends, as you go about your everyday lives, be open and alert to what God is doing, and allow yourself to be drawn by the compelling love of Jesus that calls us to follow. 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.
Announcements
* All worship is online (or on the phone at 01475 270037, or in print) until further notice — the building is closed during the government’s lockdown and during level 4 restrictions. We will let you know when in-person worship begins, and whether any new procedures will be in place at that time.
* 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!
* The theme for worship during the season of Epiphany is “Confounding Expectations.” We will be considering how Jesus and his ministry are beyond, around, beneath, outside, blowing-open, confusing, and generally…confounding, compared to what we expect!
* The coffee money that we normally send on to the school in Venda has been exhausted. If you would like to contribute to keep our donations to the school going, please send your donations to Rab & Eileen Gowans.
* 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!
* Evening Prayer with Connect will be led by David this evening. Join us on the Connect Facebook Page at 6:58pm.
Sunday Service for 17 January 2021
17 January 2021
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson, Gourock St. John’s
email: tpeterson (at) churchofscotland (dot) org (dot) uk
To hear the audio recording, including music: 01475 270037 (let your friends, family, and neighbours without internet access know!)
Call to Worship
Listen! The good news of God’s grace is all around.
Even now, the Spirit is fulfilling God’s word in Christ —
and we are the Body of Christ.
Listen beyond your amazement
and hear the truth of Emmanuel
weaving between the lines
and beneath the shallow pride
and behind the pieces we understand.
Come, with hearts and minds open,
and meet the Word made flesh.
Hymn 757: Come All You People
Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
your vision of good news is broader than we can see.
We pray this day that you would move us
past our expectations and entitlement, toward our proper place
in the story of your grace transforming the world.
May we not simply speak well of you,
but follow your way of liberation and healing for all.
For we love to praise you, to proclaim your wonders and count our blessings.
We are so grateful for all you have done for us.
We confess that is what we want: for you to do things for us.
And when we hear that your good news prioritises
those who need your tangible justice-creating grace,
more than our desire to feel good about ourselves,
we confess that we don’t like that very much.
We admit that, if we’re being honest,
we’re a little uneasy about the mission you state,
worried that our privilege might be in danger
as you lift up and heal and set free in this world, not only in spirit.
Forgive us for our self-centred view of your work
that tempts us to join the crowd headed toward the cliff.
Open our hearts and minds,
and turn our lives to embody your good news for the poor.
We ask in your holy name, and we join our hearts to yours,
praying as you taught us:
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.
Reading: Luke 4.14-30, New Revised Standard Version
Last week we heard about John the Baptist preaching at the Jordan River, and baptising people, including Jesus, who then heard God’s voice proclaiming him God’s beloved Son. After his baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days, where he experienced several temptations — to turn a stone into bread, to worship Satan in exchange for the glory of the kingdoms of the world, and to demonstrate his specialness by throwing himself from the top of the Temple. Having resisted all these, he then returned home, where we pick up the story today in the gospel according to Luke, chapter 4, beginning at verse 14. I am reading from the New Revised Standard Version.
~~~~~~
Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.”’ And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Sermon: Beyond and Beneath
Can you imagine the scene that day in the synagogue? This hometown boy has been away for a few months, listening to John the Baptist and then going on that wilderness prayer retreat, and he’s been making his way home — they’re hearing glowing reports from every village along the way and can’t wait to welcome him back, to hear all about his experiences and what he’s learned about God and the scriptures, and to celebrate that one of their own is rising to prominence as a preacher.
New archaeological evidence suggests that Nazareth was a bigger town than previously thought, maybe having a thousand or so people. The scholars think that there may have been a number of priestly families living there, and that on the whole the town was more stringently devout than some other places — archaeologists have found evidence that they followed tighter rules and restrictions than some neighbouring towns did. If that’s the case, how much more proud would they be that this native son was becoming a teacher and healer, following in the footsteps of John the Baptist, encouraging people to repent and turn to God’s way? The buzz about Jesus was growing, people were talking about him at home, in the streets and marketplace, and in the synagogue.
His first weekend home, of course he was invited to the front to speak. It happens to everyone training for the ministry! Just come up and say a few words, we’re so proud and excited to hear from these young people who have grown up in our Sunday School classes, we just know they’re going to do great things and be a credit to us and all the time we invested in them.
Jesus stood and was handed the scroll for the week’s lectionary reading — Isaiah. Isaiah is a long scroll, 66 chapters, so unrolling it would take some time, carefully finding the spot for chapter 61, near the end, before reading out a passage we heard just a few weeks ago during Advent. All eyes were on him as he rolled and rolled, then found the right place, and finally read out: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” Then when he finished reading, he rolled and rolled until the scroll was carefully put away. Only then did he start a sermon.
Already after the first sentence, people were thrilled. He spoke so well, especially for a workman’s son. They murmured to each other and swelled with pride for being the place that this great man came from, the neighbours who looked after him and changed his nappies, the friends who studied with him, the people who taught him and who bought their furnishings from his father — they knew him before he was famous, in fact it was probably their help in his upbringing that made him this way! They would definitely get a mention in his award speech.
And then Jesus kept talking. He didn’t stop where they were happy and leave them wanting more. He didn’t quit while he was ahead. He had read what was to become the mission statement of his own ministry, and now he was going to tell them what that meant in practice.
The truth is, he said, the good news is for the people who are beyond you — outside your circle of holiness, like the gentile widow that Elijah fed during the drought. And the good news is for people who are beneath you — like the enemy general that Elisha healed of leprosy. God’s grace is good news to the poor, the captive, the blind, the outcast, and the oppressed.
And the people of Nazareth, who were careful and observant about correctness and holiness and purity, who were priests and small business owners and tradesmen, were furious. They are not the poor, the captive, the blind, the outcast, or the oppressed. Or at least, they don’t see themselves that way, aside from the situation with the Romans. So what does that mean for them, and their expectations for how their hometown celebrity Jesus will treat them?
In essence, Jesus said to them: not everything is about you.
That doesn’t mean God doesn’t love you and care about everyone. It just means that God’s world does not necessarily revolve around me.
And Jesus’ mission was for those who never had their moment in the sun: those that the people of Nazareth assumed were beneath them or beyond their bounds. Too often, we expect that everything God says and does is for us — by which I mean the “us” that is in our comfortable circle. Us in our nation, or our language, or our skin colour, or our religion, or our socio-economic status. But if the way we interpret something is not good news to the poor, the captive, the blind, the outcast, and the oppressed, then it is not actually Jesus’ good news. It’s just our expectations, reinforced by some pretty words.
No wonder the people of Nazareth were furious enough to try to throw Jesus off a cliff. He pointed out their privileged position, and said his mission was to people who needed him more — and then gave examples that suggested that his work would challenge their position, hold them accountable to a vision of God’s kingdom that was more just than the world in which they lived. Their response suggests that they would prefer the status quo rather than the work of God as described by the prophets, or even by Jesus’ mother in her magnificat.
The thing is, if it isn’t good news for the poor, it isn’t good news for anyone. And, despite what the people of Nazareth and down through the ages think, if it is good news for the poor, it will also be good news for the rest of us, no matter how uncomfortable it feels at first. As Emma Lazarus wrote, and later Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said, “until we are all free, we are none of us free.” Our welfare is bound up with each other, and — like the word I mentioned last week, kuleana — we have a responsibility to one another. So as long as we think some people are beyond us, outside the bounds, or as long as we think some people are beneath us, then none of us have truly received the good news.
So what would be good news to the children who received such paltry food parcels for their lunches this week?
If it isn’t good news to hungry children, it isn’t good news for anyone, no matter how happy we might be to hear it.
What would be good news to the person fleeing their home because they can no longer live in the midst of war or famine or abuse or lack of opportunity?
If it isn’t good news to the person standing on the beach at midnight trying to decide whether to get into the overloaded raft, it isn’t good news for anyone, no matter how good it makes us feel about God or ourselves.
What would be good news to the immigrants who serve as carers, working for private companies or councils rather than the NHS, wondering about their immigration status and their place in the immunisation priorities, and paying for their own PPE from their minimum wage?
If it isn’t good news for the invisible members of society, it isn’t good news for anyone.
Jesus reads this passage from Isaiah, a passage about God’s kingdom being a kingdom of jubilee, of justice that creates equity, and then says it is fulfilled in him, this is his mission. In his person, in his very being, by his presence among us, these words become true in our present reality. Throughout Luke’s gospel we will see him bringing this about — he is anointed for this purpose, to make God’s kingdom visible here and now, and that will be good news for the poor, the captive, the blind, the outcast, and the oppressed. We may well join the people of Nazareth when we realise the good news is not targeted just to us — indeed, that it is actually targeted to “them.” But only when it’s good news for the least can it be true good news for the greatest. Anything else is just shallow empty words…or even idolatry, a god made in our own image. And the good news of Jesus Christ is so much more than that, so much deeper, so much wider. He challenges us to follow him beyond our comfort zone, so that all people, even “them,” can hear good news and experience God’s kingdom, here and now.
May it be so. Amen.
Hymn 710: ‘I have a dream,’ a man once said
Prayer
God of mercy and justice,
we lift our hearts and voices in praise,
for you have done wondrous things.
You provide for your creation and your people,
You heal and teach,
Your gift of freedom is for all.
In gratitude we come,
amazed and hopeful.
We bring our prayers for those who long for good news —
for those awaiting test results,
for those living with illness, pain, and treatments,
for those in poverty even in our own community.
May your word be fulfilled today.
We bring our prayers for the captives —
those in prison and those working their way through the justice system,
those imprisoned by injustice, greed, or selfishness,
those bound by expectations, broken relationships, or their past.
May your word be fulfilled today.
We bring our prayers for those who cannot see clearly —
whose vision is narrowed by their own desires,
whose sight is clouded by certainty and pride,
whose lenses do not allow them to look toward the full truth.
May your word be fulfilled today.
We bring our prayers for those who do not believe they are worthy of your favour,
who have come to believe the lies about who is deserving of love,
who have found themselves tethered to old stories.
May your word be fulfilled today.
Gracious God,
grant that your Church may be anointed with your Spirit
to be a tangible, living embodiment of your grace that changes the world.
May our life together be good news for the poor and release for the captives.
May our witness point people to your love.
May our praise translate into faithfulness to your story
that is farther-reaching than anything we can imagine.
We ask in the name of the One who brought your Word to Life, Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Hymn: God of Justice (Tim Hughes)
Benediction
Friends, go into the world today to be the living embodiment of God’s word for the world — to live as the Body of Christ, anointed to bring good news for all people, for all creation, even. 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.
Announcements
* All worship is online (or on the phone at 01475 270037, or in print) until further notice — the building is closed during the government’s lockdown and during level 4 restrictions. We will let you know when in-person worship begins, and whether any new procedures will be in place at that time.
* 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!
* The theme for worship during the season of Epiphany is “Confounding Expectations.” We will be considering how Jesus and his ministry are beyond, around, beneath, outside, blowing-open, confusing, and generally…confounding, compared to what we expect!
* The coffee money that we normally send on to the school in Venda has been exhausted. If you would like to contribute to keep our donations to the school going, please send your donations to Rab & Eileen Gowans.
* 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!
* Evening Prayer with Connect will be led by both David and Teri this evening. Join us on the Connect Facebook Page at 6:58pm.
Sunday service for 10 January 2021, Baptism of the Lord Sunday
10 January 2021, Baptism of the Lord Sunday
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson, Gourock St. John’s
email: tpeterson (at) churchofscotland (dot) org (dot) uk
Call to Worship
In a new year, with change on the horizon,
yet still carrying the year past,
we come.
Amidst all the ways we mark time—
calendar
clock
administration
liturgical colours
age
God breaks in with a new thing.
Beloved, come and see,
and allow the Spirit to re-orient us to a new way of being.
Let us worship God together.
Hymn #757: Come All You People
Let us pray.
God of Love and Justice, you reveal yourself in ways we do not expect. Just when we thought things had settled down, you come reminding us that we cannot rely only on the past to carry us into the future. We confess that we find your words hard to hear. After all the gift giving and heavy-laden holiday tables, the instruction to give away all we do not need sounds harsh in our ears. We do not like to be vulnerable, so can’t imagine having only just enough. Letting go of our extra stuff and our carefully constructed self-image at the same time feels too much to bear. Forgive us for holding on to things that offer only the illusion of security, even as you reach out to hold us in your hand. Turn our hearts and minds, and then our lives, to your way. We ask in the name of Jesus the Christ, who is the Way, Truth, and Life, 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.
Reading and Sermon: Kuleana (Luke 3.1-22)
Today’s reading may be a familiar story to some of us, but this is one of those times when our familiarity makes it easy to gloss over some of the details in the way Luke tells the story. But those details are important, because they tell us things about how God is working, who Jesus is, and what the Holy Spirit is doing in and through us as God’s people. So today, rather than reading all 22 verses at once and then talking about them, we’re going to read and discuss bit by bit. The reading today is from the gospel according to Luke, chapter 3, verses 1-22, and I’m reading from the New Revised Standard Version. We’ll begin with just verses 1-6.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”’
We are familiar with this quote from Isaiah — usually we hear it during Advent, and it calls up memories of Handel’s Messiah. Isaiah wrote to people who were in exile, waiting for God to come and take them home. To hear God’s promise accompanied by the call to prepare the road on which God would travel to rescue the people meant that they should be hopeful because it would happen soon, they should get ready! Luke uses that same passage to describe what John the Baptist was doing — preparing the way of the Lord, because he was coming soon, so people should both be hopeful and get ready. Now, what John thought that would mean is unclear, we don’t know what he expected the Messiah to do or how he would act, we just know that he was preparing the way.
Usually that’s all we read for this section, but actually we really need to back up to the beginning! All those names and places seem so easy to skip over, but they are there for a reason. Luke tells us that all these things took place during a particular time and in a particular location. They didn’t have a calendar like ours where you could just say the month and year…but that isn’t he only reason he describes that time and location by referencing the important people of the day: the emperor, the governor, and the client kings, and then the high priests of the Jerusalem Temple. These are the people who defined the age, the ones who controlled the politics, economy, culture, and religion. While ordinary people would not interact with any of these leaders, the fact is that even if they didn’t think about it all the time, their lives and options were affected by those leaders’ choices and actions. Their images were on coins and buildings, their movements could ease or disrupt business, their rulings changed how people ate and worked and worshiped, and they were generally just the backdrop to life.
Against that backdrop, we have John, son of a priest, out in the wilderness — unsupervised, in other words — preaching and baptising outside the institutional and liturgical structures of the time. So after naming all the people who have power in the empire in one way or another, who define our lives, suddenly Luke changes focus, drawing our attention away from all those things that have consumed our energy and around which we have oriented our worldview. The word of God is in the wilderness. Out on the margins, away from the centre of earthly kingdom power, the kingdom of God is breaking in, and it will change the way we see. It will change the way we mark time. It will change what we think is important, and what will define our lives and actions and options.
All those imperial powers are still there, but they are no longer the star of the story or the defining characteristic of the age. Instead, we tear our eyes away from their antics and we are drawn toward something happening out at the edges, where we have the space to re-orient our worldview around God’s kingdom instead of the empire.
Unlike some other gospel writers, Luke does not tell us about John’s clothes, he only tells us about his words. He was pointed in his preaching, as we hear in verses 7-14:
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptised by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’
And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax-collectors came to be baptised, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’
It doesn’t seem that John is interested in winning people over with charm — it’s hard to imagine many people would love being called a brood of vipers! He wants people to realise that the fact that their name is on the roll of the chosen people is good and all, but that’s the beginning, not the end. They can’t rely only on their past to carry them into the future — how we live as God’s people matters. After all, the psalms tell us that all creation sings the glory of God in its own way — including the stones. So if all God wanted was names on the roll, the rocks would suffice. But we are meant to bear good fruit for the kingdom of God — this kingdom that is breaking through the world’s ways and drawing us out.
What then should we do? The people stand at the waters edge, dripping wet, receiving God’s grace and wondering how to live in response. How will their everyday lives reflect the change they have undergone in the river?
If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn’t have any. That way everyone in the community has a coat.
If you have two servings of your meal, give one to someone who doesn’t have any. That way everyone in the community has enough to eat.
If you have a position of power, don’t use it to enrich yourself, but rather to serve others.
Now tax collectors, who were Jewish but also collaborated with the Roman Empire, augmented their wage by inflating the amount people owed. That way they could keep the extra and so live more comfortably themselves. And soldiers were Romans, an occupying force meant to keep the peace, but they did so by terrorising people into submission.
All of these people — those with an extra coat, those collecting taxes, even the soldiers — are normal everyday people, the middlemen of the empire. They’re not the leaders, but they’re also not the poorest of the poor. They’re people with more than enough. People like most of us. And John tells them that what they ought to do if they want to live according to the grace they have received is to take responsibility for one another.
Having two coats and giving one away might make us feel vulnerable. What if I need that coat tomorrow? But in this kind of community, that moment would be met by someone else giving their extra one to me. It’s a way of life that is both generous and dependent at the same time.
Last week I learned a new word from a friend who lives in Hawaii. The Hawaiian language has a word, kuleana, that’s hard to translate, but basically it means reciprocal responsibility. So for example, Hawaiians say they have a kuleana to the land, to care for it and respect it, and in return the land has a kuleana to us, to feed and provide. I think this word perfectly encapsulates this sense of responsibility to one another that John is preaching: I have a responsibility, as someone with more than enough, to give away that excess to those who do not have enough. And when I am in a vulnerable position, those with more than enough have a responsibility to give their excess to me. And so as a community, we depend on one another, in a constant give and take. No one is hedging against future vulnerability by storing up for themselves, like you would do in the imperial worldview, but rather by being part of a community of reciprocal responsibility. We have a kuleana to each other in the kingdom of God.
This was such a radical idea — remember that the word radical means “root”, and John said that the axe was lying at the root of the trees, changing things by going back to the very foundations, and his preaching was really bringing people back to the very beginning of how God’s creation was meant to work, in kuleana to each other from the ground to the animals to the humans made in God’s image! It drew people in and re-focused them, and they wondered…as we hear in verses 15-22.
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptise you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison.
Now when all the people were baptised, and when Jesus also had been baptised and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
For those who have never been to a threshing floor — chaff is the outer husk of wheat, and when the grains of wheat are agitated to loosen the chaff and then tossed into the air, the chaff separates and blows away. But it is very dangerous — even the tiniest spark of electricity can ignite that cloud of chaff and the fire can burn the whole field.
Each of us will have chaff that needs separating…and every community does too. Those practices that are dangerous and can easily ignite a fire of bad behaviour that destroys the community need to be separated and blown away. It may not be pleasant, but it is important.
Sometimes I think we forget that John said this right after giving those instructions about the kuleana of life in the kingdom of God, so we tend toward reading it as if there are bad people who are going to be burned away. And that may be one possible reading, but when we read the whole story together, it sounds to me more like the chaff is those ways of living that John was asking us to leave behind, to repent of — repentance literally means to turn around 180 degrees, to change the way of living and thinking. Chaff is a protective husk — and John has just asked us to shed our protections and entrust our welfare to the whole community of reciprocal responsibility. And chaff floating randomly in the air can be dangerous — we have to fully let it go, because grasping at those unhealthy old ways can destroy that community of care.
Perhaps that is one reason that baptism is the symbol of entering into this community — because the water washes that chaff away and we live differently in response. Isn’t it fascinating that Luke tells us that Jesus was just baptised with everybody else — he’s part of this community. Yet he’s also, of course, different: he sees the heaven opened and hears God’s voice proclaiming Love. He is one who does not need the chaff washed away himself, but he will still be in this community of kuleana, and so he shows us from the very beginning how to live in ways that bring God pleasure and delight. It will be a different way of life than the one defined by those important guys at the beginning of the chapter — we will need to turn 180 degrees and put that behind us if we are to instead focus on God’s kingdom living, here and now. This is what it means to be baptised: to live differently because we have experienced God’s grace and now can’t help but act on it.
May it be so. Amen.
Traditionally on Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we recall our own baptisms, that moment of meeting God at the water and encountering overwhelming grace that leads us to a new way of life.
Martin Luther famously repeated “I am baptised!” whenever he was in distress. In the face of all that is going on in the world and in our lives and our community, it is an important reminder that the powers that serve as the backdrop to daily life are not in fact the defining realities of life in the kingdom of God. And in the midst of a year when we have learned to wash our hands, what better than to repeat “I am baptised” as we make use of the gift of water?
Water is indeed a gift. In the beginning it flowed over creation, carving mountains and valleys. Throughout history it has nourished the earth, and so nourished life. We who are used to clean water coming from taps inside our homes find our thirst quenched, our bodies cleansed, our cooking and cleaning easy.
God brought our ancestors through the chaos of the Red Sea, and drew them to the banks of the River Jordan. Today God calls us to the water again — remembering those stories of faithfulness but not taking them for granted. God calls us to the water again that we may take our place in the story, living Christ’s way that others may count us among their cloud of witnesses. In each of our places, from near and far, the Spirit gathers us into Christ’s Body, and every drop of precious water we encounter is a reminder of this gracious summons to abundant life.
Having heard anew this call to embody God’s generous mercy, caring for our neighbour, recognising our place in community, and sharing our resources, let us re-commit ourselves to live for God’s delight.
I invite you to answer these questions, honestly in your hearts and truthfully with your lives:
*Do you reject sin,
and confess your need of God’s forgiving grace;
And, believing the Christian faith,
do you pledge yourself to glorify God
and to love your neighbour?
*At your baptism we proclaimed that you will always have a place in the family of God.
Do you commit yourself to that family,
this Christian community of reciprocal responsibility —
to depend on the grace of God,
to serve the Lord,
and to continue in the fellowship of the Church
all the days of your life?
*Do you renew your commitment to be faithful
in studying scripture,
in prayer,
in giving a proportion of your time, talents, and money
to the work of the Church in the world,
and to serving Christ in your daily work?
Let us pray.
Out at the edge of our understanding you speak, O God.
Through the voices of those pushed to the margins
we hear your call to mutual responsibility and vulnerability,
your call to be our neighbour’s keeper.
Through the voices of those beyond our controlled structures
we hear your call to a way of life that is more than
just a name on the roll.
Through the voices of those ordinary people just like us,
seeking to be faithful,
we hear your call to humility and a teachable spirit.
Out at the edge of our understanding you speak, O God.
May we turn aside to see,
and find our hearts opened and lives changed
as we remember our baptisms — your grace, both gift and call.
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Hymn 336, verse 2 (tune: Highland Cathedral)
Christ is our love! baptised that we may know
the love of God among us, swooping low.
Christ be our love, bring us to turn our face
and see you in the light of heaven’s embrace.
Next time you wash your hands, sing this hymn (it takes 25 seconds!). Touch your wet fingers to your forehead and remind yourself “I am baptised!” with all that means about God’s love for you and God’s call for your life to reflect God’s kingdom. Amen.
Hymn #706: For the Healing of the Nations
Benediction
As you go to live according to the Kingdom of God even against the backdrop of the kingdoms of the world, 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.
Announcements
All worship is online (or on the phone at 01475 270037, or in print) until further notice — the building is closed during the government’s lockdown and during level 4 restrictions. We will let you know when in-person worship begins, and whether any new procedures will be in place at that time.
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!
The theme for worship during the season of Epiphany is “Confounding Expectations.” We will be considering how Jesus and his ministry are beyond, around, beneath, outside, blowing-open, confusing, and generally…confounding, compared to what we expect!
* 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!