Sunday service for 14 July 2024

Sunday 14 July 2024
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson
Manse: 632143 
Email Teri: TPeterson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk
Email Charlene, Parish Assistant: CMitchell (at) churchofscotland.org.uk

Prelude Music (praise band)

Welcome & Announcements

*We Gather As God’s Family (As the Bible is brought in, we stand and sing)
A family gathered in love,
striving for justice and joy,
blessing the broken-hearted,
and sharing the hope of God’s kingdom.

Call to Worship
1: Believing God made and loves the world, we gather.
2: Following Jesus who surprised the world with grace, we gather.
3: Trusting that the Holy Spirit has planted gifts within each of us to serve God’s world, we gather.
All: Let us worship God, who is Love, together.

*Sanctuary Hymn 481: Jesus is the Name We Honour (praise band)

Prayer
Loving God, you made us in your image
and you planted your word within us,
you pour yourself out for us and give us all we need.
You reveal your will for the world
stretching out your arms to gather us in
breathing life into all creation
calling again and again and again.
We give you thanks for the boundless riches of your grace,
continually making all things new,
shining light that the shadows can never overcome.
We confess that we have obscured your image and distorted your word,
making it hard to see you in us,
and we confess that we have not looked closely enough to see you in one another.
We have chosen to see only what we want to see,
or what we have always known,
rather than what you are showing us now.
We find it difficult to accept that you love without limits,
that you love even us,
and more to the point,
that you love even those we find unworthy or beyond what’s reasonable.
We admit that we have sometimes looked at other people
and refused to see them as someone you love.
We admit that we have sometimes looked at other parts of creation
and refused to see them as your delight.
We admit that we have sometimes looked at ourselves
and refused to see what you see.
Forgive us, Lord.
Forgive us for putting up boundaries as fast as you tear them down.
Forgive us for hardened hearts and closed minds.
Forgive us and help us to live as you created us to live,
rooted and grounded in your love,
built on your firm foundation so that we can share your grace,
always only for your glory.
We call on your Holy Spirit to pray in our weakness,
trusting that you will strengthen us to serve you with joy,
in Christ’s name. Amen.

Online Hymn 481: Jesus is the Name We Honour

Sanctuary Children’s Time 

Introducing Tamsin
I am Tamsin Munro. I am just entering my third year as a candidate for full-time ministry of word and sacrament and my third year of university. This will be my third of four placements. My previous placements have been in a priority area and with the Navy. I also have former church experience as a youth worker in a rural parish. But I ask you to still go easy on me and be gentle as I am still a student and learning… Learning an awful lot.

Now, I will never take criticism. However, I will always take feedback. I am happy to hear what you think is good or not so good and even if you would prefer I pray in a different way, or speak a little slower. I can’t guarantee I will action all feedback as some aspects of how I am in ministry is just because it’s a part of who God has made me to be. Although I always appreciate the feedback as it is so important to helping me grow in my understanding of what people value in their minster.
As a slightly younger member of the church, I understand the extra struggles people may face. As a female I have experienced discrimination and one of the things that God has placed on my heart is working to ensure that those who have traditionally been marginalised by the church are made aware of their value, worth and how loved they are by God.

One of the ways in which I have been trying to contribute to not only a more inclusive church but a church that actively seeks to repair the damage experienced by many known as church trauma is through my work within the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion group.

This is all very well and good, but ultimately, I am here to contribute to the ministry of your church. So, what am I bringing to the table?

As a former youth worker, I am very much looking forward to the holiday club and have a catalogue of games to help keep the young people entertained and active.

As a woman in a same-sex marriage, I have first-hand experience of juggling the issues placed upon those who identify as LGBT within the church. I may not have wanted this to become a niche that I find myself in, but due to lived experience, it is an area that I have become focused on. From supporting those throughout coming out, to helping grandparents understand what this means for their grandchildren and having open conversations with some who are strictly opposed to my identity.

I also have a strange hidden talent for resource finding. If there is anything you are struggling with that Teri or I can’t help you with, I will very likely be able to find the right people and help you get in contact.
One of those most endearing factors about myself is my dog. So, if you happen to be having a bad day and cats aren’t your thing, just ask about my dog and I will happily start showing photos of my fluffy princess Paige.

You will have plenty of opportunities to get to know me more over the coming weeks as I will be around full-time. I am so looking forward to getting to know you all better very soon.

*Sanctuary Hymn: Goodness of God (praise band)


Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3.5-19
In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

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: Comprehend
Sometimes it can feel like reading letters like this is really difficult. Not only because we so rarely write letters anymore, but also because even when we did write letters they were mostly newsy, right? We wrote to each other about what was going on in our lives, what we thought about things that happened in the world, and sometimes even sharing our feelings in ways that led to romantic relationships down the road. The letters written to the early church don’t feel much like that, and especially Ephesians, since it is not written for a particular circumstance but rather as an encouragement to a church that has been doing well and just needs a boost to support them through upcoming challenges. It’s not so personal, and doesn’t talk about specific issues or situations or people, it’s a reminder of what God has done in creating them as the Body of Christ, and what to focus on if they want to faithfully live up to what God made them for.

But in another way it is actually kind of about what’s going on in life. At the start of today’s chapter we got this bit of news: something that our ancestors didn’t know about has now been made clear. All those who came before us and worked so hard to build up their families and communities did so without a pretty major piece of information. And isn’t that how life really is? Every generation does the best we can with what we have…and when we have more, whether that’s more knowledge or more resources, we shift and do something differently. We learn something new that our grandparents never got to know and it changes us. The first thing that I think of when I think of that is actually about vegetables! Previous generations had pretty limited options of vegetables, and they mostly boiled them down to almost mushy. I know that was true even just 40 years ago when I was a child! But we have learned a lot that our forebears didn’t know about…like the wonders of roasted broccoli, or sautéed asparagus, or glazed carrots, not to mention the things we have access to now that they couldn’t have dreamed of. So silly but still true: in previous generations, they didn’t know how delicious and more nutritious their veggies could be. But somewhere along the way, new information was learned and passed to the next generation and now look where we are! Imagine what might be possible even just a couple more generations into the future!

The mystery that has finally been revealed, according to this letter to the Ephesians, is that Gentiles are actually members of the same Body of Christ, heirs of God’s promise along with the Jews. No one knew before, but now we do know: we’re actually all one family. Indeed the writer says farther down in today’s reading that every family on earth takes their name from the same one God.

At the time this letter was written, the idea that all humanity was actually one family, not subdivided by tribe or religion, was preposterous. Of course the chosen people and the gentiles are different and don’t belong together. There’s a reason it’s called a mystery — the truth was shrouded, not visible to the human eye. But to God’s eye it was clear, and God chose to reveal it to us.

And then throughout history we have chosen not to see. How often have we humans continued to believe that we don’t belong together, that we aren’t responsible for one another, that some people are unworthy and on the outside while the rest of us are welcome and loved? We’ve declined the opportunity to enter real reality, and chosen instead to cling to the shroud that keeps the truth hidden. Even though in Ephesians it says the mystery is revealed: that in Christ, all of us are members of the same Body, regardless of where we’ve come from before.

No wonder then that the prayer the Body of Christ needs to really receive this news is “to be strengthened in your inner being, that Christ may dwell in your hearts, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.” It takes some fortitude to be willing to lay aside the ways our forebears have seen and understood the world, and take on a new set of lenses, and make adjustments to the way we think and act. Tradition can be a powerful thing, but hopefully God’s truth inviting us to enter a bigger picture is even more powerful.

Then comes the last verse of today’s reading, a sentence that I think is one of the most confusing prayers in all the Bible…at least in English. “I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

How on earth are we supposed to comprehend something that surpasses knowledge?

Something about this phrase, though, sort of tickled my memory…and I realised it’s the word COMPREHEND.

If anyone was at the Longest Night service last Christmas, you might remember that we talked a lot about that word, because in John’s gospel, chapter 1, in the older translations, it says “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.”

And that word, comprehend, is not in fact a knowledge word, despite how we use it in English today. The Greek word used there means something like “claimed for myself” — often in a sort of forceful way. Took it and made it my own. So the light shines in the darkness and the darkness could not make the light its own.

And here in this prayer for the church, we have: I pray that you may have the power to take possession of this and make it your own: the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.

Imagine if we took possession of that truth and made it our own. Not so that we can enforce the boundaries we think God’s love should have — which is a temptation the Church has fallen to far more often than we should, especially given how many times this letter has used words like “boundless” and “immeasurable”!
Rather the letter gives us the reason for us to making this truth our own: so that we can be filled with all the fullness of God — other possible translations for that word “filled” is “flooded” or “completed” — so not just filled like how we might fill a glass of water, but actually all the way full to overflowing…with the full breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love.

Previous generations didn’t know…it was a mystery, just what is the height and breadth and length and depth of God’s love. But now it has been revealed: in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we see there is no height or depth God will not go, no length beyond God’s reach. In the immeasurable grace of God, it turns out there’s just one human family, not some in and some out. Our predecessors did the best they could with what they knew, and God has revealed more and more boundless love to the next generation of the Body of Christ so that we too can do the best we can to comprehend: to seriously and purposefully claim and take hold of this truth, this love that stretches beyond every boundary we can imagine, and make it our own — so that there is no other way to live. No other way but to reach out, to go out, to share, to let love overflow outside of our own hearts, our own building, our own group, because it’s who we, the Body of Christ, are made to be. Let’s take hold of the truth and live it as our own.

May it be so. Amen.

Online Hymn 622: We Sing A Love

*Sanctuary Hymn 722: Spirit of God, Come Dwell Within Me

Sanctuary Offering : choir to sing

*Sanctuary Offering Response: We Are An Offering
We lift our voices; we lift our hands;
we lift our lives up to you:
we are an offering.
Lord, use our voices; Lord, use our hands;
Lord, use our lives; they are yours:
we are an offering.
All that we have, all that we are,
all that we hope to be,
we give to you, we give to you.
We lift our voices; we lift our hands;
we lift our lives up to you:
we are an offering;
we are an offering.

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer: Tamsin
Almighty God, parent of all,
See our hearts and know our gratitude,
Gratitude for your glory and sacrifice,
For all our sake,

We thank you that no matter our struggles you are near,
Remind us today when we feel alone in challenging times,
That you are near and you love us,

When we feel weak,
remind us that we can lean on your strength.

As we ground ourselves in your love,
Help us to share that love with others who need to know their value.
May we bring you those in prayer who can’t pray with us today,
Because of business,
Because of insecurity,
Or because of stress.

God be with those in our hearts, near and far,
Both on earth and in heaven,
Release us into peace with you,
Reduce the suffering of our family,
Biologically, adopted, chosen and through your family of all people created.

For those under stress that we cannot understand,
Provide them rest,
Provide them strength,
Provide them resilience,
Feed those who hunger,
With food,
With love,
And with faith.

Move the clouds that surround our community,
The ones that overshadow joy,
The clouds that hinder growth.
But where possible God,
We ask that these clouds rain down your blessings,
Especially to those most in need.

God, we ask you turn your hand to the newly established government.
Let your will be known and followed as they bed into the new ways of working,
Assist those grieving for their loss to accept those newly elected,
And God let us see more positive changes for all people across our nation.

Whilst we ask for your strength God,
We pray for strength for your church,
May we see our siblings in Christ freed to worship you in all ways,
May we see your church grow in confidence to challenge injustice, just as Jesus would.
May we know our siblings in Christ who are struggling in faith can re-root themselves in your love,
God, we pray that all people of your church may be filled with your fullness,
We pray this for others as it has been prayed for us in Ephesians.

And on this 14th day of the month, we join our hearts as your church family to pray:
For all who live and work in the Cardwell Bay and upper Cardwell Bay areas.
We pray for the youth organisations of St. Johns; for the anchor boys, junior section, and company & senior section of the boys brigade, for the smurfs, Brownies, Guides and Rangers, and for the Exploratorium holiday clubs. For their leaders, volunteers, young people, and families. May they grow in faith, hope, and love together.

For the land, people, and governments of the nations of Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Comoros.

We lean our personal prayers of gratitude and concern on you, Our strength and sustainer. And we take time in the silence to remember those on our hearts today God

We pray according to the riches of Jesus’ glory, may you grant us strength and power through the Holy Spirit and that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith, keeping us rooted and grounded in love. We ask to deeper understand the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filled with all the fullness of God.
We pray these and all things, 
in the name of our Lord Jesus 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.

*Sanctuary Hymn 622: We Sing a Love

Benediction
Friends, today may you comprehend, may you take on and live out the truth of God’s immeasurable and boundless love in Christ. There is no height or depth or breadth or length that God will not go, and we are made in the image of God, made and called the Body of Christ, filled with all the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Go to comprehend and so to live. 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

* We worship in the sanctuary on Sundays at 11am, and Sunday worship is also online. If you are able, please enter by the front door in Bath street, and only those who need step-free access should use the back door. If you feel unwell, please worship online, to protect both yourself and others in our community.
The Sunday evening service is TONIGHT, and on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. We’ll have toasties and sandwiches together from 5:30 and the service will start at the back of 6. All are welcome for this simple meal and time of worship. The Sunday evening service is informal and reflective, with guitar-based music, Bible readings, and prayer for our parish. Come along and discover practical ways to apply the word to your life, in a chilled vibe that fosters connection and reflection.

* Starter Packs are in need of Washing Up Liquid, Kitchen Towel, Bathroom/Kitchen Cleaner and Shaving Foam.
The FoodBank are in need of diluting juice, cereal (but not porridge), tinned potatoes, pasta sauce & tinned meat. You can bring donations to the church and place them into the boxes in the vestibule. Thank you!

* Teri is off from 16-23 July. If you have a pastoral need, please contact Charlene or Cameron.

* Did you know that the ministry we do at St John’s costs about £3000 per week? Everything we do is funded by your generous giving — all our support for young people, older people, bereavement care, community outreach, worship, study, spiritual growth, and community work is because of your offering. If you would like to set up a standing order in order to facilitate your spiritual discipline of giving, or if you would like to make an extra gift to support the ministry St. John’s does in our parish, you can give online by clicking here. If you would like to set up a standing order, please contact Teri and she can give you the treasurer’s details. You can also send your envelopes to the church or the manse by post and we will ensure they are received. 
It is also possible to donate to the work of the parish assistant, speak to Anne Love about how to go about directing new donations to that new item in the budget.

* Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Youtube, and to sign up for our email devotions! Midweek you can watch Wine and the Word on Youtube, pray with video devotions on Facebook, and consider a new angle on something with a devotional email. Feel free to share with your friends, too!

* Wednesday Evening Bible Study has a very sporadic summer schedule….our next meeting is likely to be Wednesday 31 July, but check with Teri about possible dates!

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

* Join us at “God’s Kitchen Table” for the summer exploratorium, the week of the 29th of July! Registration for this holiday club for children entering P1 – P7 is now open on the church website. If you’d like to volunteer please speak to Teri, Charlene, or Graham Bolster.

****WE ARE IN NEED OF SOME ITEMS for the Exploratorium. If you have flat white bed sheets (the bigger the better) that you don’t need back, could you bring them to church please? Also the tube from inside toilet rolls, and large glass jars with openings big enough to get a hand inside — clean and labels removed, please! 
We are also asking for donations of food for lunches and snacks: pick up a post-it note or two of items and bring them back to church by Sunday the 28th, if you’re able! Thank you!