Sunday service for 27 August 2023, fourth Sunday in the season of prayer

Sunday 27 August 2023 — Season of Prayer 4
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson
Manse: 632143 
Email: tpeterson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk

Prelude Music

Welcome & Announcements

Call to worship
(Ann S) Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5.16-18)
(John L) And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5.14)
(Alison B) Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord. (Jeremiah 29.12-14a)
(Mhairi G) First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone. (1 Timothy 2.1)
(Eileen G) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6.18)
(Graham G) Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8.26-27)
(David W) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4.6-7)

Hymn 716: Come and Find the Quiet Centre

Prayer
God you are ever-present, source of compassion, love that underlies all things.
We come with thanks for your care and your grace that meets us in our need.
We confess that we sometimes find it difficult to let go of the things we bring you.
Somewhere deep down we think we can handle it,
and we don’t want to let go of control.
We are afraid that you might have other ideas,
and we admit that we want you to answer our prayers according to our plan and desire,
rather than according to your will.
And we confess that sometimes we don’t bring ourselves to you at all,
because we don’t know all the right words
and we can’t understand how it works anyway.
Forgive us when we don’t trust you to get it right, O God.
Forgive us for holding so tightly to what we want and what we know
that we can’t see you answering prayer in other ways.
Set us free from the burden of managing you,
and let your love turn us round to follow your way instead.
We ask these things in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Sanctuary Hymn 718: We Cannot Measure How You Heal

Online Hymn: When Our Songs(Resound Worship)

Sanctuary Children’s Time
(Lord’s Prayer: kingdom come / daily bread, Song: O Lord, hear my prayer)

Scripture Reading: James 5.13-18 (New Revised Standard Version)
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up, and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth yielded its harvest.

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: Prayer is Powerful
What does it mean to you to pray? When you think about praying, what sorts of prayers come to mind?

For many people, the answer is this kind of prayer that all these different verses we’ve heard so far talk about: praying for someone, or for something…by which I mean asking God for something, or the fancy words for that are intercession — asking for something on behalf of someone else — and supplication — which just means humbly asking for something from someone more powerful than yourself.

When we say “I’ll pray for you,” we are promising someone we will ask God for something on their behalf. When we have a problem we bring before God, we are asking God — who is more powerful than we are — for help with that situation. When we pray for peace in the world, we’re asking God to do something. In the letter of James it says that those who are sick should call on the church to pray for them, because the prayers of those faithful members of the Body of Christ are powerful.

Powerful how, we might wonder?

When we’re talking about the power of prayer, sometimes it can sound like magic. Or it can be confusing because we talk about God being unchanging and yet about prayer somehow causing God to act in a different way, and about God being all-knowing yet we come and tell God things that are going on that need God’s attention. And sometimes people get frustrated or angry when they pray for things that don’t happen — especially when they hear scripture like James saying “the prayer of faith will save the sick” but then the person they’re praying for so fervently doesn’t get better. Does that mean they didn’t have enough faith when praying? Or that God just wasn’t listening, or worse that God didn’t want to answer them? It can be a real challenge to faith sometimes, when we are praying so hard but still not getting what we want, and I don’t think we should minimise that challenge. Sometimes we pray desperately and we are so attached to the outcome we want, and when it isn’t what happens, it can be tempting to give up on God altogether.

The writer Parker Palmer once said that “prayer is the practice of relatedness.” It’s because we are in a relationship with God who is Love, a relationship where we can trust that God cares and is interested and wants us to flourish, that we can bring all the stuff of life into the conversation. I’m sure most of us have had those relationships where we don’t feel like we can talk about what’s really going on with us, because it isn’t really safe, or we think the other person is too busy or too overwhelmed themselves, or for whatever reason we just don’t trust them with our story. That isn’t true with God. There is nothing we can do to make God love us any less, or any more, and God promises to be with us always, even in the valley of the shadow of death, even at the closed tomb, even when we can’t get out of bed or when everything is falling apart or when all we can say is please please please without even really pausing for breath. Prayer is a practice of trusting God with everything — because God cares and loves us through it, whether we feel it in the moment or not. Even when we are tempted to give up on God, God never gives up on us.

As our relationship grows, as we bring God all the stuff of our lives and ask for help, and as we learn to listen and recognise that help in whatever form it comes rather than only the form we thought we wanted, we will also find that we are growing more into alignment with God’s will, which in turn changes how we pray. Remember that Jesus was ultimately able to pray “not my will but yours be done.” And he taught us to pray “thy kingdom come” which, as Richard Rohr reminds us, means also being willing to say “my kingdoms go.” Sometimes this is called a prayer of detachment — which means not being too attached to the outcome, not trying to control how God is going to answer. When we are detached from that control, then we are free to receive what God is going to do…and that freedom brings peace we would not have expected when we were busy holding onto our attachment for how God should act! In Philippians it was promised: peace that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ. That peace comes from bringing it all to God and leaving it there.

I know how easy it is to bring things to God and then pick them up again on our way out, and how hard it can be to leave that burden in God’s hands and trust that God can handle it better than I can.
That’s why Parker Palmer said it’s a practice of relatedness. Sometimes we need a lot of practice before we can trust the relationship…when we do, we can experience a lightness and peace that frees up our hearts and minds and energy to walk more courageously into God’s future, knowing we are not alone. To ask God for help also forces us to listen and be more open to what God is doing, to look more closely at how that answer might come unexpectedly, or how we might even participate in God’s answer.

At the beginning of the service we heard God’s promise in seven different verses, all boiling down to this: when you call to me, I will hear you, says God. When you seek me, you will find. Keep praying, and I will be there. God will be present and with us and whatever we face, we face it together. The Holy Spirit even promises to pray on our behalf when we can’t form the words. And not just sometimes, but in every circumstance, on every occasion, for everyone, all people, for all kinds of requests, be bold: God is listening.

Think of all those Old Testament heroes who argued with God on behalf of other people — Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Rahab, Rebecca, Deborah — and all those New Testament followers of Jesus who called on his power to change people’s lives — Peter, Paul, Lydia, Priscilla, Phillip. The conversations they had with God changed things — though not always exactly the things they asked for! Their prayer changed them, making them more aware of God’s presence and power and purpose, better able to be conduits of God’s grace, and more willing to go where God sent them. It changed others, opening possibilities no one had ever thought of before. It changed the community, bringing healing and restoration between people and opening doors that had long been closed.

In other words: prayer is powerful. When we pray for others, for the world, and for ourselves, our relationship with God changes, and that humility and vulnerability also changes our empathy and therefore our relationship with other people, which ripples out in the community and the world. When we pray consistently for others, for the world, and for ourselves, we become less attached to getting our particular way and more attached to seeing God’s way at work around us and answering God’s call to serve. Perhaps most obviously, when we pray for others, for the world, and for ourselves…and when we learn to trust that relationship so we can leave those concerns with God rather than insisting on carrying them ourselves…we experience more peace. And when we experience the peace of Christ that is beyond our understanding, the peace we can never create for ourselves and would never have thought possible from something so seemingly simple as praying, then that peace also ripples out into the world.

Prayer isn’t magic, and it isn’t about us convincing God or controlling how God will answer…but it is powerful and effective, for us and for the world. When we come and pray, God will hear us, and the Spirit will intercede for us, and all will be changed.

May it be so. Amen.

Sanctuary Hymn 721: We Lay Our Broken World

Online Hymn 547: What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Sanctuary Offering

Sanctuary Offering Response Hymn 497 v. 1 & 5
Almighty Father of all things that be,
our life, our work, we consecrate to thee,
whose heavens declare thy glory from above,
whose earth below is witness to thy love.

Then grant us, Lord, in all things thee to own,
to dwell within the shadow of thy throne,
to speak and work, to think, and live, and move,
reflecting thine own nature, which is love.

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Prayer booklet now available!…At the end of this prayer I’ll conclude with today’s prayers from the booklet, except that the prayers specifically for St John’s are on a 7 day cycle which seemed a good idea at the time until I realised it meant Sundays would always have the same one, so I’ve shifted that one sentence from tomorrow’s… the next edition of the prayer booklet will have an 8 day cycle instead!

God of every present moment,
we trust that you see us where we are,
and care for us even when we are not feeling cared for.
We come today carrying griefs and frustrations, hopes and dreams,
and we are anxious for you to do something.
Reveal your power,
to heal, to correct, to comfort.
Though we do not understand how you work,
we trust that you are at work, even in us, even now.
We call out to you, O God.
Hear us, we pray,
for this world in need.

We lift into your loving light those who long for comfort, yet find none.
Send the Spirit to be their advocate,
and may your presence with them bring relief.

We lift into your loving light those who long for justice,
whose voices ring out in the street
and whose work feels never-ending.
Send the Spirit to be their advocate,
and may your presence strengthen and encourage.

We lift into your loving light those who live in places where violence is commonplace,
those whose grief comes in waves without a chance to catch their breath,
those who come out of hardship and trauma to find everything changed around them.
Especially today we remember before you the people of Ukraine and Russia, Syria, Yemen, Niger, the people of Hawaii, Pakistan, and so many places that are in the news.
Send the Spirit to be their advocate,
and may your presence bring peace that passes all understanding.

We lift into your loving light those who do not know themselves beloved,
those who have been so hurt that it feels impossible to be whole again,
those who are isolated and lonely,
those who have been overlooked, silenced, forgotten.
Send the Spirit to be their advocate,
and may your presence be a constant and healing companion.

We lift into your loving light those who are still learning empathy,
who shut down when they can’t fix a problem,
who find it easier to deal with statistics than stories.
We pray for the grace to pay attention,
and to stay in the hard moments,
and so to find new life together.
Send the Spirit to be their advocate,
and may your presence be a guide and teacher.

You are Love, and so we dare to hope —
that though you never take us backward,
you hold the future in your loving care.
We pray for your Church:
restore us, renew us,
and remind us of our calling to live in your mystery, not to explain it away.
Give us strength to hold together as your Body,
to cherish one another,
even in the messy parts of life.
Send the Spirit to be our advocate,
and may your presence reveal your mercies, new every morning.

And on the 27th day of the month we join our hearts together as your church family to pray:
*For St Ninian’s Primary School — for the children, the teachers, the staff, and the families. Bless them with bright minds and open hearts and willing spirits, with friendship and laughter and the graciousness it takes to be in community together. May the school have the resources it needs and the families the support they need to ensure the children grow in mind, body, and spirit.
*For those who use the building at St John’s — may they encounter your grace in our hospitality — and for the volunteers who keep the building clean and in good repair.
*For the land, people, and governments of the nations of Dominica, Guadeloupe, Antigua & Barbuda, St Kitts & Nevis, the US and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the British Overseas Territories of Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, and Montserrat.
May peace and justice abound and grace prevail,
and may all people together share in the hope of your kingdom.

We pray these and all things 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.

Sanctuary Hymn 547: What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Benediction
Phillips Brooks, the author of the carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, once wrote: Pray the largest prayers. You cannot think a prayer so large that God, in answering it, will not wish you had made it larger. Pray not for crutches but for wings.
Go from this place to pray without ceasing — the largest prayers — trusting the relationship you build with God is powerful and life-changing.
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. Amen.

Sung Benediction Response (John L Bell, tune Gourock St John’s)
Now may the Lord of all be blessed,
Now may Christ’s gospel be confessed,
Now may the Spirit when we meet
Bless sanctuary and street.

Sanctuary Postlude Music

Announcements

* We worship in the sanctuary on Sundays at 11am, and all Sunday worship is also online. 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.

* Starter Packs are short of Washing up Liquid, Bathroom/Kitchen Cleaner, Kitchen Towels, Ladies Shampoo, Toothpaste, Children’s Shampoo, Baby Bath. 
The FoodBank are short of biscuits, UHT milk, soup, tinned fish, and tinned meats. You can bring donations to the church and place them into the boxes in the vestibule. Thank you!

* Did you know that the ministry we do at St John’s costs about £2700 per week? Everything we do is funded by your generous giving — all our support for young people, older people, bereavement care, community outreach, worship, study, spiritual growth, and community work is because of your offering. If you would like to set up a standing order in order to facilitate your spiritual discipline of giving, or if you would like to make an extra gift to support the ministry St. John’s does in our parish, you can give online by clicking here. If you would like to set up a standing order, please contact 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 new 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 resumes this week, on Wednesday 30 August at 7:30pm in the Manse. If you’d like a copy of the study book, or more information, or if you’d like to participate but the stairs of the manse are a problem, please contact Teri!

* The Kirk Session will meet on Thursday 7 September at 7:30pm.

* It’s only two weeks to the Boys’ Brigade 125th anniversary Grand Charity Ball! Saturday 9th September 6.30 for 7pm in Greenock Town Hall. Tickets priced £50 or £500 for a table of 10 are available now from BB leaders. The benefitting Charities have been selected and will be announced shortly. We are delighted to announce that every penny raised from ticket sales and our charity auction on the evening will go directly to our chosen charities. This event is open to all so please spread the word, book your table, put the date in your diary and look forward to what we are sure will be a Second To None evening of enjoyment and celebration.

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

* Youth organisations are starting up for the new session! Young people are invited to come along to the Junior Section of the BB on Monday evenings at 7, Anchor Boys on Tuesdays at 5:30, Brownies and Guides on Wednesday evenings at 6pm and 7:30pm respectively, Smurfs on Thursdays at 6pm, and Company Section of the BB on Fridays at 7. For more information on the Boys’ Brigade, email: 2ndgourock@inverclydebb.org.uk , for more information on the Smurfs (pre-Brownies), email Lyn at lyn41185@hotmail.com, and for more information on the Brownies/Guides, visit https://www.girlguidingscotland.org.uk/for-parents/register-your-daughter .

* Flower Fund: If you would like to donate to the Flower Fund in memory of a loved one or loved ones, then please contact Elsie Arthur or place your donation in the box inside the front vestibule. This can be done anonymously if you wish.

* The Church of Scotland has a new online learning platform called Church of Scotland Learning (more info here). The first set of modules is now available, and are designed with members of local congregations in mind and will help to grow faith, stretch minds and explore possibilities. They are set at an introductory level and accessible for all. We hope this will ignite people’s interest in learning more. Currently available topics include Vows for Elders; Vows for Ministers; Conversations in Discipleship, Exploring Discipleship, Talking About Your Faith; New Ways of Being Church; Knowing You Knowing Me (Learning to understand more fully where God is and what God is calling us to do); Theological Reflection for Everyone; Equality Diversity and Inclusion; and Unconscious Bias and Me. More modules will be added periodically, so sign up today by clicking here!

* The next Bowl & Blether is on Monday 4 September, between 11:30 – 1:30. See you there for soup, toasties, and friendly banter. Invite a friend — all are welcome!