Sunday service for 7 May 2023, fifth Sunday of Easter

Sunday 7 May 2023, NL1-43, Fifth Sunday of Easter, (Coronation Weekend)
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson
Manse: 632143 
Email: tpeterson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk

Prelude Music

Welcome and Announcements

Sanctuary Hymn 127: O Worship the King, All Glorious Above

Call to Worship
Teri: To all God’s beloved in Gourock: grace and peace to you!
1: May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ guide us in faithfulness,
2: may the peace that passes all understanding guard our hearts and minds,
All: and may we all, together, hear and follow the Spirit’s call to be saints.

Prayer
You share yourself with us, O God —
your love, your life, your vision.
You have committed yourself to your creation and to your people,
and called us to commit ourselves in return.
Set us free from our fear of what other people think,
and empower and encourage us to respond to your faith in us
with faithfulness to your way.
As you have changed the world with resurrection,
may we too be transformed into new life.
For you have made us your own,
given us a people to belong to and a purpose to pursue,
and your faithfulness makes our faith possible.
We confess that we aren’t very good at belonging together in community.
We admit that we find mutuality difficult because we don’t like to be vulnerable,
so we end up either isolated or in competition.
We admit that encouragement is not our first instinct,
and instead our expectations lead to disappointment.
We admit that we rarely think of how to nurture our own spirits, let alone those of others,
so the Body grows weak as we keep our faith to ourselves.
Forgive us, O God.
Forgive us for missing opportunities to build up one another, and so be strengthened ourselves.
Forgive us when we bristle at the thought of being captive to your will rather than our own.
Forgive us when we think faith is our achievement rather than your gift.
Remind us of our responsibility to one another,
and renew our faithfulness with yours,
that we may live.
We ask in the name of the One whose power is revealed through resurrection, Jesus the Christ.
Amen.

Online Hymn 127: O Worship the King, All Glorious Above

Sanctuary Hymn 429: Alleluia! Jesus is Risen!

Sanctuary Children’s Time

Reading: Romans 1.1-17 (New Revised Standard Version)
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish — hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, ‘The one who is righteous will live by faith.’

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: a letter to the church

Paul wrote to the fledgling church in Rome when it was still a small community in the middle of the empire’s biggest city. Rome had many religious communities, including a small Jewish community, and also many expectations that everyone would participate in the religious rituals that were at the heart of society. Those who didn’t were also missing out on networking and business and friendship opportunities. Rome was of course the centre of the political world, the cultural world, and the economy. The small community of Jesus-followers, some of whom were Jewish and others new converts, wondered how to be relevant in the midst of that place, and how to grow when they were so often looked down upon as silly for their faith.

Paul’s letter to the Roman church was meant to be read by Phoebe, one of Paul’s co-workers in the gospel, and she would be the one to lead the discussion and answer the questions of this small church in the midst of a big city with lots of challenges round about them. So today I have imagined the letter we might receive, and I will take the role of Phoebe…

To all God’s beloved in Gourock, called to be saints:

I am so grateful to God for you. You are a blessing to so many — to those nearby who encounter you in the town, on the train, in school, and in the hospital; to those who come here to be fed in body, mind, and spirit; and to those far off who see the beacon standing tall on the hilltop welcoming them home. You have already been learning and living the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, offering hospitality and hope, community and creativity.

I pray for you every day — by name individually and for the whole church together — and I trust that God is answering prayer in and through you. I pray for healing and wholeness, for energy and imagination, for God to increase our capacity for faith, hope, and love.

God created and invited us to join in creating, God promised and keeps promises, God walked among us in the flesh in Jesus, and still today God is with us by the Holy Spirit. So many times in history, hope seemed lost…when the people were enslaved in Egypt and their masters demanded the impossible…when they stood at the shore of the Red Sea with certain death both before and behind…in the wilderness when they were hungry and thirsty and lost and scared…at the shores of the Jordan with opposition ahead…when the leaders turned away from God and the people followed…when society disintegrated and the poor and marginalised were sold out for the prospering of the few…when the people went into exile and lived for generations in a land they did not choose…when empire after empire swept through and brought new rulers, new taxes, new oppression, new religion…when the sun went dark as Jesus hung on the cross…when the tomb was shut.

But even in the face of lost hope, even in when there was opposition, even when the foundations of society shook, even when we were afraid, even when we looked around and didn’t recognise the world anymore, even when the institutions rose and fell…even when the tomb was shut and it seemed everything was indeed finished, over, lost, pointless. Even then: God worked for life.

Even then…even now…God workS for life.

In Christ who was raised to new life, we have received grace upon grace — an abundance of life. And not only grace, but apostleship. In Christ, God set us apart to join him in this work for life. Not that we would never experience the hopelessness or opposition or confusion or worry or death, but rather that we would be set apart in how we respond. Through God’s faithfulness, we are given faith…faith that trusts God’s goodness that perseveres through hard days to bring life where all seemed lost.

It is my prayer that we might therefore remind one another of this truth: that God is good all the time, that despite all appearances, Christ is alive, and that the Spirit is filling us even now with good news to share with the world. I pray that we might build up one another, encouraging each other instead of making demands or worldly expectations. I pray that God’s love and loyalty may be matched by our own, that God’s generosity may be visible in our own generous hearts and hands, that God’s life may be lived in our bodies and in this Body.

We are indebted to so many in our journey — we have learned from people like us and people different from us, from the wise and the foolish. We have learned from successes and from mistakes. Wherever we have been nurtured, and whoever has helped us along the way, let us acknowledge them and give thanks for the part they have played in bringing us to this day that the Lord has made…and let us take all we have learned and put it to good use for God’s kingdom! God has work for us to do, that can’t be done by anyone else, and I, for one, am eager to join you in that work that God is leading you to do. Don’t be worried about what people will think, or whether you might do or say something embarrassing. The good news of God’s love, the truth of Christ’s resurrection, and the power of the Holy Spirit can handle it. And you never know when your foolishness in sharing the gospel might become wisdom that builds up in someone else — just as our understanding comes from many sources, so too will theirs. So don’t be afraid, don’t be shy, don’t be ashamed…God can use even your faltering witness to bring wholeness and healing and liberation and love to others.

God offers rest to the weary, courage to the fearful, direction to the lost, belonging to the lonely, compassion to the suffering, peace to the divided, joy to the attentive. When all around seems bleak, when the challenges seem overwhelming, when we are overwhelmed or exhausted, remember that God’s promise is for abundant life, and God is faithful. God pours this love into our hearts by the Spirit and also demonstrates it in the community called by Christ’s name. Christ is alive…and you who are called to belong to Christ ought also to be alive!

Your faithfulness is known throughout the world — not only in your church building but in every place you go, God’s love will be visible in you. Encourage one another in sharing the good news, building up the Body of Christ to reveal God’s kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. The one who knows God’s faithfulness will live faithfully in turn, so let your light shine!

And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit will be with you, all God’s beloved, who are called to be saints. Amen.

As today’s Phoebe, I wonder if you have any thoughts about the letter we’ve received today? Reactions, comments, questions, responses?

Hymn 522: The Church is Wherever God’s People are Praising

Offering (Sanctuary only)
Sanctuary Offering Response 420 verse 4 (tune: Lasst uns erfreuen)
Praise we the Father, Spirit, Son;
Praise we the victory God has won:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise we the Lamb who reigns above;
Praise we the King whose rule is love:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Our prayers today include a prayer written for coronation weekend by Rev Professor David Fergusson, Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland, and also includes a time for you to offer your own prayers — just a name of a person or place or situation, you don’t need a composed prayer, just a chance to say aloud or in your heart the concerns or joys you carry today.

We bless you this day, O God, for the gift of your Church,
for your people in every time and place
whose faithfulness encourages and sustains,
whose commitment to your way has changed neighbourhood and nation,
whose trust in you has brought us to faith too.
We give you thanks for those who have shared your good news,
taught by word and example,
prayed and listened and healed and encouraged,
witnessed to your presence and your power and your purpose.
May we who are called by your name in this time and place
be holy as you are holy, set apart for your gospel,
and worthy of the gift that has been passed to us.

We pray for those who need encouragement today,
and have found only expectations they cannot meet.
We pray for those who are feeling alone,
longing for a community of friends and fellow travellers on your way.
We pray for those who do not recognise their obligation to others in this world,
believing themselves above or apart.
We pray for those whose faithfulness is an inspiration to us,
and for those whose faith is faltering.

Almighty and everlasting God,

exalted above all nations and peoples, 

today we seek your blessing upon Charles, our King.

Anoint him with the gifts of your Holy Spirit 
as he seeks to fulfil his calling amongst us. 

Strengthen him with wisdom and justice 
to serve the people of this land

to the honour and glory of your name.
We ask you to bless Camilla, our Queen, 

William, Prince of Wales, Catherine Princess of Wales, 

and all the generations of the Royal Family.

Grant to them joy and peace on this day, 

and inspire them by your Spirit in their work.
Ever living God, 
you bring us together in our households, 

our families, and our communities, 

and you teach us to love one another as Christ has loved us.

In these days of celebration,

support us in the service of our neighbours,

and in pursuit of the common good of our nation. 

May your will be done in us.

In this place where we trust you are still moving,
creating your beloved community
from the odd mix of saints you have called together for your glory,
we pray for the concerns of our own hearts and minds…
Naming before you the people and places and situations we carry today…

Through the ages you have been faithful, O God,
and you draw ever more people into your love and righteousness.
Make us a reflection of your goodness,
a witness to your liberating grace,
an encouragement to your people,
an example for all to see your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
We ask in the power of your Spirit who moves among us, even now,
and in the name of the risen 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.

Hymn: Send Us Out (Resound Worship)

Sanctuary Hymn: Because the Saviour Prayed (text: John L Bell; tune: Woodlands)

Benediction
To all God’s beloved in this place: You are called to be saints. Go to live lives founded on the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, eager to share God’s love with others, and committed to encouraging one another in the power of the Holy Spirit.
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.

Postlude Music

Announcements

*We worship in the sanctuary on Sundays at 11am, and all Sunday worship is also online (or on the phone at 01475 270037, or in print). If you are able, please enter by the front door in Bath street, and only those who need step-free access should use the back door. If you feel unwell, please worship online, to protect both yourself and others in our community.

*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. 

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

*Wednesday Evening Bible Study meets in the manse at 7:30pm. All are welcome as we continue reading through the Bible in somewhat more than a year!

*You are all invited to a lunch celebrating the coronation of King Charles III, after worship TODAY. All are welcome, so why not invite a friend or neighbour?

*A service to celebrate the life of Ella Nimmo will be held at Greenock Crematorium on Thursday 11 May at 2pm. Afterward everyone is invited to the Tontine from 2:45 to celebrate Ella and Sandy’s lives.

*THE KIRK SESSION MEETS ON SATURDAY 13 MAY FROM 9:30 FOR 10.

*The next Bowl & Blether in St Margaret’s is Saturday the 13th of May.

*Young Adult Bible Study meets in the manse on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at 7pm for a meal and discussion of the gospel according to John. Everyone in their 20s is welcome!

*The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland meets from the 20th – 25th of May this year. Please take some time to pray for the commissioners (including Teri), delegates, and staff who are preparing for the Assembly and seeking God’s will for the Church in these days.

*2023 marks the 125th anniversary of the 2nd Gourock Boys’ Brigade. Our anniversary Grand Charity Ball will be Saturday 9th September 6.00 for 6.30pm in Greenock Town Hall. Tickets priced £50 or £500 for a table of 10 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.