Sunday service for 26 March 2023, fifth Sunday in Lent

Sunday 26 March 2023, NL1-35, 5th Sunday in Lent
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson
Manse: 632143 
Email: tpeterson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk

Prelude Music (praise band)

Welcome and Announcements

Call to Worship
Teri: We gather in the presence of Christ, who calls all people to himself.
1: Not to escape the world he calls us to serve;
2: not to gloat about our goodness;
All: but to re-focus ourselves on his priorities.
Teri: We gather in the presence of Christ, the king.
3: He is preparing a place for us, in this world and the one to come;
4: and he is among us, preparing us for his kingdom,
All: in moments large and small, he shows us the way.
Teri: We gather in the presence of Christ, head of the Body,
All: to worship and be made faithful.

*Sanctuary Hymn: Lord, Reign in Me (praise band)

Prayer
Creator God,
who from the very beginning brought order out of chaos,
and in your Son made visible your power of life and love,
we give you thanks for your constant work and care.
You have said, Lord,
that your followers would always be in community
with those the world despises and overlooks.
You have said, Lord,
that we can see your face
in the faces of those around us.
You have said, Lord,
that to follow you is to leave behind our status, and the status quo,
to take up the cross instead.
We confess that we hear you but we sometimes wish we didn’t.
We are trying our best, O God,
or at least we want to claim we are.
We help those in need when we have extra to spare,
we serve when we have time,
we only look away when we just can’t face one more problem,
we only withhold generosity when we think it’ll be misused.
We confess, too, that sometimes we want our faith in you to be enough,
without needing to bring our way of life into it.
Forgive us, God,
for your way asks much of us and we haven’t quite managed it yet.
Forgive us when we have judged rather than loved,
when we have taken it upon ourselves to sort people into “us” and “them”,
when we have turned our eyes away from even one of your beloved children.
Forgive us
and change our habits so our first instinct aligns with your love for all.
As you build your kingdom here,
may we stand on the firm foundation you have laid in Christ,
who brings to fulfilment your promise that goodness is stronger than evil,
and may we live that reality in all we say and do,
through the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Online Hymn 259: Beauty for Brokenness

Sanctuary Children’s Time

Reading: Matthew 25:31-46 (New Revised Standard Version)
‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” 37Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” 40And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” 44Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” 45Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’

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: If Anyone is in Christ
I know I have spoken before about how fascinating I find it that neither the sheep nor the goats seem to have any idea what Jesus is talking about in this parable — that the king says they did these things to him, or that they did not do these things, and their response is “did we really? I don’t remember that, when did I see you and help or not help?”

In other words: the experience was not remarkable, it was just who they are. They were just living according to their nature, doing what came naturally…and for some of them, when they saw a person in need, their instinct was to help, and they did. And for others, their instinct was to ignore, and they did.

I wonder what our instinct is. What comes naturally to us?

Every week I say something about how if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation — because when we are in Christ, we behave differently in the world, and that change in our choices and actions and words creates a change in our community, and that change ripples out. And lately I’ve been involved in a lot of conversations at Bible study and Lent study and other places where I’ve found myself talking about how Paul says that we are not simply set free from bondage to sin, but rather that we become bound by grace instead. In other words, to be in Christ, to be bound by grace, is to have our nature changed, so that our instinct is different.

In this story Jesus tells us pretty clearly what is distinctive about those who are in Christ: they see someone hungry and they feed them, they see someone thirsty and they give them something to drink, they see someone naked and they give them clothes, they see someone sick and they take care of them, they see someone in prison and they visit them. In other words: they SEE the person, and the need, and they address it, without asking whether the person deserves to be helped, without creating a whole system to justify helping some and not others, without judging why the person is in the situation. What makes a Christian different from the rest of the world is this: they see people as fellow human beings and they care for them. They see people in need and do whatever they can to help, whether that’s immediate practical and tangible support or also working to change the system that makes people hungry in this world of abundance. They see the image of God in the faces of their neighbours and treat every person like they could be Christ.

And those who have not yet allowed their lives to be transformed by grace don’t see. They look away. They have reasons, which could also be excuses. But the main issue is that it is not their nature, their instinct, to help. They have to think about it and sometimes they decide not to. And the hardest part about this is that the king says “just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” ONE of the least of these. Even ignoring one fellow child of God in need betrays that our nature is not yet fully in Christ. I don’t know about you but I am certain I have ignored, brushed off, made excuses, or even pretended not to notice people in need before. I have made choices that I know perfectly well have negative effects on people who I will never see — people who work in sweatshops, who suffer from climate change, who are treated poorly at work, who are hungry and thirsty for both food and for justice. And every one is an indictment, a reminder that I am not living fully in response to the grace I have received, that my life does not reflect the fullness of God’s love and passion. Just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. I suspect all of us have, at one time or another, ignored Christ in this way.

Of course as human beings, we falter and fail. We are always an imperfect reflection of God’s image. And yet Jesus promises that with God, all things are possible. The transformation into people whose first instinct is to see our neighbour and to love them is possible with God. It’s still a work in progress, yes. And we don’t do it in order to earn our way in — remember the sheep and the goats are both just doing what comes naturally to them, they are acting based on who they are. So then the question is: who are we? If we are a beacon of blessing, our first instinct will be to bless others. If we are truly forgiven, loved, and free, we will not be enslaved by the need to deliberate the pros and cons, before we serve those in need. If we are in Christ, then we will live in response to what he has done in our lives, every single day. And if anyone is in Christ, their transformation changes not just them, but the world…which begins to look more and more like the kingdom of God, come on earth as it is in heaven.

May it be so. Amen.

Online Hymn: God of Justice
Sanctuary Hymn 273: Beauty for Brokenness

Offering (Sanctuary only)

Sanctuary Offering Response 680 v. 4 (tune: Picardy)
May the One whose love is broader
than the measure of all space
give us words to sing the story,
move among us in this place.
Christ be known in all our living,
filling all with gifts of love.

Sanctuary: Commissioning and Blessing Lorna Veal for her volunteer trip to Ghana

Sanctuary Hymn: Whatever You Do (text: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (c) 2008; tune St Denio)

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
You are with us always, Lord Jesus Christ,
even in the places and people where we never thought to look.
We call to mind today those among your beloved children
who have been dehumanised, objectified, or used as pawns in a political or economic game.
For women, men, and children who are treated as nothing more than fulfilment of a fantasy;
for people whose lives are at risk because of our fear of anyone who is different;
for those reduced to headlines and buzzwords rather than human beings;
we pray for wholeness, for acceptance, for freedom.
And we pray, too, that we who live with privilege we don’t even see
would be open to recognising the humanity of our neighbours near and far,
and learn to treat all people with dignity and respect.
We call to mind today those among your beloved children
whose tummies are empty and throats parched,
in this world of abundance where yet people starve and clean water seems a pipe dream.
For children who go to school hungry and see their friends waste food,
for parents who go without so their children can have a few bites,
for communities where the water is the problem and the help sent never reaches its destination,
we pray for enough —
that the riches of this world may be shared instead of hoarded,
that the creation may be well tended and so provide,
that we who have an abundance may learn to be satisfied so others can live.
We call to mind today those among your beloved children
who suffer in body, mind, or spirit.
For those living with illness, and those at the end of their journey;
for those waiting for test results or treatment,
for those whose lives are confined to a ward or a cell or a single room,
we pray for healing, for hope, and for the love of a community surrounding them.
May their visitors be without judgment,
may those who care for them be compassionate and creative,
and may they know that they are not alone, whatever their days may hold.
Loving God,
we are bold today to pray for ourselves, too,
that we may be people whose habits of heart, mind, and hand
reflect your intention for the world.
Bless us with the grace of not needing to deliberate before we choose what is right,
because it is just who we are and what we do.
Make us, once again, into your Body,
loving, serving, and caring for the world.
We ask in the name of Christ our Lord
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.

Sanctuary Hymn: God of Justice (praise band)

Benediction
Go into the world today and have courage. Hold on to what is good. Return no one evil for evil. Honour all of God’s children. Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words: Go forth and may your first instinct be to be the people God created you to be.

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.

Sanctuary Postlude Music (praise band: Hosanna)

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.

* The choir rehearses in the sanctuary immediately after the service, and finishes before 1pm. All who enjoy singing are welcome!

* We are looking for a new Property Convenor — the role mainly involves keeping track of contracts (ie utilities/works) and contacting and following up with contractors to get works done in accordance with the Kirk Session’s instructions, plans, and budget. The administrative/reporting duties have thus far been done entirely using Microsoft Word, so no particular technological skills required. If you might be interested in volunteering for this role, please speak to Cameron, Donald (the current convenor), or Teri to learn more. 

* 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 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. 

* 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 about a year and a half! We are now reading John’s gospel.

* Young Adult Bible Study meets in the manse TONIGHT and 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!

* 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 will be available soon. 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.

* The next Bowl & Blether in St John’s is also a coffee morning for the Ardgowan Hospice! Join us on Monday 3 April: doors will open at 1030am for coffee and cake, and soup will be served from noon onwards as usual. All are welcome — invite a friend or neighbour!

Sunday service for 19 March 2023, fourth Sunday in Lent

Sunday 19 March 2023, NL1-34, 4th Sunday in Lent
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

Call to Worship
One:  Keep alert for Christ coming among us.
All:   We come with eyes open to see.
One:  Looking for ways to love our neighbour,
All:   We come with hearts open to receive.
One:  Ready to let your light shine,
All:   We come with hands open to serve.

Sanctuary Hymn 543: Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness

Prayer
Sovereign God, all time is in your hand,
and yet we confess that we want you to work to our timetable.
We recognise that the world is not as it should be
and we long for your coming to make things right,
yet we delay and slow down because justice is not profitable or comfortable.
We pray for you to change things now, when we want them fixed,
yet we make excuses about how we are not ready to change.
Forgive us, Lord, for our lamps are going out,
and we have stumbled in the shadows as we sought our own way.
Forgive us, and let your forgiveness fill us to overflowing that we may have light to share,
and so include others in the work you set before us each day.
Re-ignite our passion for your kingdom,
and guide us to faithfully walk with you whenever, and wherever, you lead,
for however long it takes to see your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Awaken us to your presence,
and enliven us with your possibility.
Give us even a glimpse of your foolishness that is wiser than human wisdom,
for we hear your coming and we want to be ready
to be part of the next chapter of your story.
We ask in the name of Jesus the Christ,
who comes to fulfil your kingdom among us.
Amen.

Online Hymn: Shine Jesus Shine

Sanctuary Children’s Time

Reading: Matthew 25:1-13 (New Revised Standard Version)
‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” 7Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” 9But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” 10And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” 12But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” 13Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

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: community lamps
This week I heard a shocking statistic that approximately 1/3 of Church of Scotland ministers are off sick just now, and a large proportion of those are off with stress or burnout. Last week a Church of England minister just two years older than I am took her own life, and her story is being shared all over clergy social media groups. It’s the same in other professions too — nurses and doctors and teachers and charity workers and hospitality staff and even political leaders like Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand stepping down because she felt she was too depleted to continue giving her all to leading the country. There’s a lot of exhaustion, frustration, a sense of being undervalued or taken for granted while also facing unreasonable expectations…and there’s no time or resources to re-fill those empty lamps.

These stories of Jesus are so provocative because they invite us to find ourselves inside them.
Some of us may well recognise ourselves in the bridesmaids who trusted that the day was going to run to schedule, and so when they had to actually go on for longer than expected, didn’t have the resources. It happens to most of us at some point — when expectations change midway through a task, it can be hard to adapt. For some, that might mean that a job changes, we need to learn to do things differently or to take on new responsibilities within our role, and the thought of learning new skills or retraining ourselves for a different way of working is just too much. For some it’s a death of a family member changing our roles and relationships and sense of ourselves. We see it in the church, too, as the culture and world change and the church keeps trying to be the same, but we look into the lamp and see there’s not much left and the light is flickering. Change can be scary and threatening and it feels like we’re running on empty. What do we do if it isn’t immediately obvious how to replenish, or if the resources we need aren’t available and no one seems willing to offer support?

Some of us may recognise ourselves in the bridesmaids who packed extra oil, and probably snacks and a change of clothes too. They were ready for anything, even if it meant the groom was unconscionably late. And when they were asked to share, their first reaction was “but then there might not be enough for us!” Most of us know that scarcity mindset well. We have been taught to take care of ourselves, and only if we have something leftover do we share it. For generations we have learned to save for a rainy day, to be self-sufficient and to insist that others are self-sufficient as well, to do everything we can to avoid having to ask for help and to respond to others asking for help with a little bit of help and maybe also a little bit of patronising. Like if they had just been as careful as we were, they wouldn’t need that help, but for now here’s a little something we can spare…or not, as these bridesmaids decided. I have seen this in institutions and churches and individuals and nations — the idea that we just have to take care of ourselves and everyone else should do that too, and if they can’t then that’s their own problem, not our problem. That is the wisdom of this world but God calls it foolishness, in his kingdom where the last will be first and where Jesus came that we might have abundant life. This same mindset is the one that keeps churches from growing, because we plan our mission around the resources we currently have, which means always doing the same or less…which is the wisdom of this world’s budgeting strategy… rather than saying we have a new vision or want to do additional ministry and now we need to ask for support for it, however foolish it may appear to ask in the midst of everything else.

Even as I read those five bridesmaids that way, though, I can hear and feel another side too. I recognise myself in those bridesmaids who did their best and then found it still wasn’t enough. The demands are endless and the reserves are not, no matter how hard we try to do the good works that Jesus says are the light we shine. There’s always someone else needing or wanting something, and for all the effort we put in to being adaptable to any potential situation and resilient in the face of change or challenge, sometimes we also reach the point when we have to protect ourselves a little bit, like putting on your own oxygen mask first in the airplane safety instructions.

Of course, there’s no story here at all if not for the groom who was ridiculously late for his own wedding! His lateness creates a rift among the community of bridesmaids, so that ultimately only half of them are able to come to the celebration…which probably also creates a rift with the bride! While of course we aren’t responsible for other people’s feelings and relationships, we can at least spare a thought for how our behaviour impacts on the community as a whole. How often have we acted in ways that dismiss the people who aren’t right in front of us at the moment we decide to look? Or that harm people with fewer resources than we have, simply because they couldn’t keep up with our expectations? Or how often have we assumed uncharitable things about the people who weren’t there, when really they just needed a minute to replenish themselves so they could shine all the brighter for us?

And then there’s also the reality that often things just take longer than we think they should. We want a quick fix. We want to make a decision and have the solution instantly. And the truth is that the transformation of the world into the kingdom of God is just taking a lot longer than we want it to. Our glimpses of the kingdom seem few and far between, and the glimpses we do get sometimes actually scare us off so we close our eyes. Our hopes and dreams for the church often feel as far off today as they did when we first had them, but now we have fewer resources to try to put them into action. We keep waiting, but sometimes it seems we are too depleted to respond when the call finally comes, and sometimes it feels like all we have to offer is the same old way we’ve always done it even though now the time is different than when we originally started… and sometimes we’re the ones shouting “it’s coming!” only for people to scatter in a million directions instead of focusing!

This parable gives us a lot of places to find ourselves, and our church, in the story. The characters are all relatable in one way or another, and I’m pretty sure I’ve been all of them, or encountered all of them, at one point or another! I suspect that’s true for most of us, and it’s definitely true for the church. (I wonder — what character do you think the church is most like right now?)

The sticking point remains, though: what are we to do, having seen ourselves in this story Jesus told?

As we read from the end of Matthew’s gospel today, it would behoove us to remember the beginning, in Jesus’ very first teachings, because the two make bookends for the gospel. Back in the sermon on the mount, 20 chapters ago, Jesus said: let your light shine before others. No one lights a lamp and hides it or hoards it — the purpose of a lamp is to give light to all in the house, the purpose of the city on a hill is to be a beacon that shines out for all to see.

Often, we are tired from waiting for God to do something…or from doing the same old same old until we just can’t anymore. Sometimes, our lamps may be going out. Sometimes, we may want to keep our light to ourselves. Sometimes, we need a break from serving past our capacity so we can be refreshed and renewed, and sometimes we need help adapting to changed circumstances we just did not foresee. In those moments, there is someone else in the community who has plenty of light to shine on the path so we can take the next step, there is someone else in our community who calls us out of that isolation back into relationship, and leaning on our community means we can rest or be resilient. Perhaps a strong sense of belonging together and caring for each other…and a willingness to be cared for, too… is one way of keeping our lamps filled.

If we follow the wisdom of the world and send others away to fend for themselves so we can just focus on ourselves, we will ultimately find the half-attended party bittersweet and the light thin and weak.
If we foolishly decide to leave the community to try to fill ourselves up in the marketplace, we’ll miss the opportunity to join God’s kingdom together.
We may not always be able to share oil. But if we will not share our light, then what is that oil for, anyway?
If we face the challenge together instead of putting the whole burden on a few,
if we support each other through those dark valleys rather than just demanding people do more and more with less and less,
if we look for creative ways to share the light even when it feels like God is taking forever in coming,
we’ll be prepared and strong for whatever lies ahead.

May it be so. Amen.

Online Hymn 694: Brother, Sister, Let Me Serve You
Sanctuary Hymn: O God, prepare your children (Words: Michael Morgan (1948 – 2023))

Offering 
Sometimes standing here and inviting us all into a spiritual practice of generous giving feels a little bit like asking to share the oil in your lamps. The reality is that we have budgeted only for what we currently do, not even everything we actually feel God is calling us to do to serve our community, and that just what we currently do costs more than our regular offering income, let alone what we think God is asking us to do. Is there oil enough to share the light of Christ with more people and in more ways? We trust that our generous God who gives abundantly will also inspire us to be like him, and give us what we need to be like him, so that the kingdom of heaven may flourish here in this place. If you give by standing order, thank you so much for that consistent generosity that allows us to make plans. If you haven’t reviewed your standing order in a while, this is a good time to do so — I revised mine last week to account for the increase we have heard we need. If you give with envelopes, thank you so much for your generosity that keeps us going week by week. If you give online, thank you so much for those special gifts that give a boost to our ministry! If you give regularly but also feel moved to give a special gift in response to God’s goodness or God’s call, thank you for digging deep and being willing to share what you have with those in our community whose reserves feel depleted. We trust that when we stick together as a community, and when we let our light shine as a beacon of blessing to all, there will be enough for everyone.

Your morning offering will now be received.

Sanctuary Offering Response 680 v. 4 (tune: Picardy)
May the One whose love is broader
than the measure of all space
give us words to sing the story,
move among us in this place.
Christ be known in all our living,
filling all with gifts of love.

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Your wisdom is beyond us, O God, but we still try to understand.
Your timing is different than we would prefer, but we still try to be both patient and prepared.
Your justice turns our sense of fairness upside down, but we still try to carry out your will.
We thank you for the reminder that you are God and we are not,
and we pray you would help us to be faithful in what you give us, Lord, to do.
We hold in your light today those who have waited long for justice,
whose hope wanes and spirits faint.
May your day come, and soon, when they hear good news.
We hold in your light today those who must navigate the world on their own,
who have no one to advise or nurture or challenge them.
May your beloved community enfold them in grace and growth.
We hold in your light today those who have been shut out,
and those who have closed doors, for safety reasons and for selfish ones.
May your healing welcome expand and transform their lives.
We hold in your light today those people and places
where violence, hunger, and climate change make it impossible to look forward or plan,
those whose lives must be lived moment by moment
with fear and grief seeming to have the upper hand.
May your peace fill each corner of the earth and each heart.
We hold in your light today those who have followed you faithfully
and yet grow weary as the day and years go on and progress seems far off.
May your day come, and soon, when your will is done on earth.
Loving God,
you are the perfect parent,
guiding and nurturing, calling and challenging,
teaching and caring.
We give you thanks for the love that has passed from generation to generation,
love received from you and shown to others,
and we celebrate those who have nurtured us with your mothering spirit.
We give you thanks for the way you call us all your children,
making us sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles,
parents and grandparents, cousins and neighbours
with the whole world.
When we use the phrase “our children” or “our mothers” too narrowly,
open our hearts and minds to see as you see.
We pray today for the mothers who weep for their children,
lost to violence, to fear, to hate, to indifference;
living with homelessness, going hungry,
lost to broken systems and selfish blindness.
Remind us that if one part of the body suffers, all suffer together with it. …
We pray today for the many people who find days like today hard,
even as we celebrate the many blessings you have given to us
through people who have helped us grow in your love over the years.
May all your children be comforted, supported, nourished, challenged, healed, and renewed.
Reveal yourself, loving God,
as the One who creates a new thing,
starting from today and moving us forward into the future you intend.
We ask these and all things in the name of Christ, in whom your fullness dwells,
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.

Sanctuary Hymn 694: Brother, Sister, Let Me Serve You

Benediction
Friends, go to live each day ready for Christ’s call, letting your light shine that all may see God’s love in and through you.
And as you go, may the Spirit of God go above you to watch over you. May the Spirit of God go beside you to be your companion. May the Spirit of God go before you to show you the way, and behind you to push you into places you might not go alone. And may the Spirit of God go within you, to remind you that you are loved more deeply than you can possibly imagine. May the fire of God’s love burn brightly in you, and through you into the world. Go in peace. Amen.

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

Sanctuary 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.

* The choir rehearses in the sanctuary immediately after the service, and finishes before 1pm. All who enjoy singing are welcome!

* St John’s is hosting the Easter Code for Primary school pupils on Monday, 20th March and Tuesday, 21st March and we are looking for volunteers to assist. If you can help, please see Teri after the service.

*We are looking for a new Property Convenor — the role mainly involves keeping track of contracts (ie utilities/works) and contacting and following up with contractors to get works done in accordance with the Kirk Session’s instructions, plans, and budget. The administrative/reporting duties have thus far been done entirely using Microsoft Word, so no particular technological skills required. If you might be interested in volunteering for this role, please speak to Cameron, Donald (the current convenor), or Teri to learn more. 

* Did you know that it costs us about £10,500 per month to do the ministry we currently do at St. John’s? That includes heating and lighting the building and keeping it in good repair for church and community groups, programming, events, and pastoral care for people of all ages, our contribution to minister’s stipends, and other ministry costs. 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. 

* 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!

* 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 Contact Group meets on Tuesday 21 March at 2pm for their Annual General Meeting.

* Our Lent study is with all of Connect, meeting in the Lyle Kirk on Thursday evenings. We gather at 7pm for tea and coffee and then start at 7:30pm. We are studying “Another Story Must Begin” based on the musical Les Miserables. All are welcome, no experience necessary.

* The Stated Annual Meeting of the congregation will be held immediately after morning worship TODAY. The minute of last year’s meeting is available in the sanctuary. You can download a copy of the Annual Report by clicking here.

* March 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 will be available soon. 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.

* Greenock Philharmonic Choir’s Spring Concert will be on Saturday 25th March in Lyle Kirk, Union Street, Greenock at 7-30pm.  They will perform ‘Elijah’ by Mendelssohn. The conductor is Andrew McTaggart, and the choir will be accompanied by the Glasgow Chamber Orchestra. Soloists are Catriona Hewitson, Penelope Cousland, William Searle, and Ross Cumming. Tickets, priced £15, including refreshments, are available from Calum Harbison on 07847 250529,  or by emailing  info@greenockphilharmonic.co.uk.

Sunday service for 5 March 2023, second Sunday in Lent

Sunday 5 March 2023, NL1-32, 2nd Sunday in Lent
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

Call to Worship
One: Come in, come in, there’s room for us all.
All: Lifelong members and first time visitors, we come.
One: Wherever you have been, and whatever you’ve been doing, come.
All: We come, some who have a lifetime of service and some who are eager to begin.
One: Come in to God’s kingdom where there is enough for everyone.
All: First and last, last and first, we come.

Sanctuary Hymn: We Rejoice to Be God’s Chosen

Prayer
We do not understand the politics of your kingdom, O God,
other than to understand you are the One whose will is done.
You hold the power to do what is right,
and you call us to trust your goodness and generosity,
then to do as you do
and so make your kingdom visible on earth as in heaven.
Show us how to value the right things
and to put those values into action.
Loving God, you are endlessly generous, giving to all according to your love.
We confess that we are envious of your generosity
because we want you to follow our understanding of what is fair
even if it clashes with your vision of what is right,
and so we begrudge others the daily bread we think they did not earn.
We confess that we see people in terms of what they can contribute,
or what value their work has to us,
rather than seeing them as made in your image and beloved, our equals.
And we admit that we worry that new people and new ideas
will eclipse the hard work we have done for years, leaving us behind,
and so in our fear we disparage the newcomers as unworthy,
insisting our traditions should have pride of place.
Forgive us, O God,
and let your forgiveness turn us around, change our hearts and minds,
to recognise the gifts of those who join us in your work,
and to see that the presence of different gifts doesn’t mean ours have been in vain.
Your love extends to all —
may your forgiveness make us as generous as you are.
We ask in the name of Jesus who truly saw people,
and gives us eyes to see as well.
Amen.

Sanctuary: Tell Me A Story about seeing God at your work (Alison Ralston)

Online Hymn: We Rejoice to Be God’s Chosen (words: John L Bell; tune: Nettleton)
We rejoice to be God’s chosen
not through virtue, work or skill,
but because God’s love is generous,
unconformed to human will.
and because God’s love is restless
like the surging of the sea,
we are pulled by heaven’s dynamic
to become, not just to be.

We rejoice to be God’s chosen,
to be gathered to God’s side,
not to build a pious ghetto
or be steeped in selfish pride;
but to celebrate the goodness
of the One who sets us free
from the smallness of our vision
to become, not just to be.

We rejoice to be God’s chosen,
to align with heaven’s intent,
to await where we are summoned
and accept where we are sent.
We rejoice to be God’s chosen
and, amidst all that we see,
to anticipate with wonder
that the best is yet to be.

Sanctuary Children’s Time

Reading: Matthew 20:1-16 (New Revised Standard Version)
‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’

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: Keep Going Out
Whenever I tell this story to school children, they start out gasping in horror at the unfairness of it. And if we’re honest, we probably do too. Like the story of the prodigal, where in all honesty we are often more like the older brother who is annoyed that the younger brother seems to have just gotten away with everything, here we often sympathise with the workers who worked diligently the whole day only to find that those who were hired late in the day were paid the same. And when the landowner says “are you envious because I am generous?” our answer is “yes, yes we are.”

Because the parable seems to go against our sense of fairness or else to be either complicated enough to set aside or to spiritualise entirely, it seems a good opportunity to explore the ways a parable is not the same as an allegory, where each element of the story equates to something else in a sort of secret code.

One way this story has often been explained is as an allegory where the landowner is God, and the vineyard is Christian life, the workers are people, and the wages are heavenly reward. God goes out and gets more and more people, and no matter what time God brings calls them into faithful living, they get the same heavenly reward. So it might be interpreted to mean that if God called you to faith in Christ when you were a baby and you spent your whole life in the church, or if God called you to confess Christ on your deathbed after a lifetime of apparently doing nothing for him, you get the same heavenly reward. Or it could be interpreted to say that those who followed Jesus first, like the first twelve disciples, and those of us who come thousands of years later, receive the same heavenly reward.

That’s certainly one way of looking at it, and it has some appeal…but it also has some issues. For one thing, it makes the whole story about something that happens after we die, whereas Matthew’s gospel has been about the kingdom of heaven coming on earth. And for another, why are we jealous of people who God calls to faith later than us? Of course the version where it’s reassuring us as latecomers, historically speaking, is attractive because it allows us to be welcomed without challenging us by association with the people who complain. In this interpretation of the story, who is the manager? Is it that God is the landowner, and Jesus is the manager, paying everyone? Or is Jesus the landowner going out to get people, and God is the manager paying people’s rewards? How would it work if one member of the Trinity was giving instructions to another? And if that’s the case, how come they don’t just gather everyone in at the same time? Why are there workers left standing in the marketplace until later on? Why not just call everyone together and thus avoid all this drama? Was God the landowner not paying attention and just…missed some people the first time, and the second time, and the third…? Could Jesus not see them standing there? Were they left there on purpose to see if they would wait or if they would go off to some other field? And so we begin to see how parable and allegory don’t fit easily together!

Another possible explanation is that the parable is an allegory of the church. In this interpretation, the vineyard itself is the church, and the workers are those who are called into the church family. And then those who have been part of the church for a long time, volunteering and giving and keeping the place going, end up resentful of the new people who join, and believe that they are better and should get more, or have more say, than those new people. And sometimes it’s true that the church ends up preferring tradition and long-standing members and programs and ministries, the way we’ve always done it, and we get jealous of the fresh energy and new ideas that come in and seem to be given equal weight even though we have put blood, sweat, and tears into this place for so many years. And it is also true that we are meant to follow the instructions of the landowner and treat everyone equally, whether they joined the church yesterday or have been here for 100 years.

While that explanation does challenge us to look at our own church community and to consider how we work together across generations and how we value one another and the contributions we bring at different stages of our life together, it also has some issues. Who exactly are the landowner and manager in this version of the secret code of the story? And what are the wages? Is it God who brings people in at different times, and then the leaders of the church who reward everyone with…what…the same thank you in the Kirk Session minutes? It’s definitely not a perfect fit here either.

What if, instead of the parable being an allegory where each part is a code for something else, either in the afterlife or in the church, we were to take Jesus at his word: the kingdom of heaven — which remember he says is at hand, and we are supposed to be praying for it to come on earth — is like this. When the world reflects God’s vision and purpose, this is what it will be like: those with wealth and status, those who hold opportunity, will keep going out to look for more people to bring in, even when it isn’t economically practical. And every person will be afforded the dignity of being seen and called in, and every person will be paid enough for their daily needs. After all, we pray “give us this day our daily bread,” and we remember that in the wilderness the Israelites all had the same amount of manna, no matter how much they collected — isn’t that what happens here?

I always ask the children when I tell this story whether the people who waited all day looking for work have fewer needs than the people who got lucky enough to be hired first, and they always decide that everyone has the same need and expenses for food and shelter and their families. Then I ask them if there are any people in the story who are just worth less as human beings than the others. Are the ones who worked all day better than the people who waited all day to be hired? Because that’s the complaint they make: “you have made them equal to us.” And the children decide that all of them have the same value as human beings.

The landowner pays them according to their value, rather than according to the value they produce for him, which is not the same thing. The kingdom of God is like this: a world where people are valued for who they are, not for what good they can do for me.

Thinking about it this way, perhaps we are being invited to learn primarily not from the workers, but from the landowner — who never sits back and assumes everyone is in or that the work is done, but keeps going out to see who we missed the last time, until everyone is included in this community of equity and justice, where everyone has enough. And sure, at first it might feel odd and unfair to some; but the kingdom of heaven isn’t interested in our human rules of fairness, because they are not based on love but on gain. The landowner may or may not economically gain anything from those latter workers, but he does build a community based on the kind of love where everyone is called in and provided for. We may or may not “gain” anything from continually going out seeking those who have been overlooked. The ones still there at the end of the day are probably those who were overlooked for a reason — maybe they were less physically able, maybe they were less attractive or lower on the social ladder or less educated, maybe they were invisible because we thought of them as beneath us. Maybe we were moving too fast and they needed help to get up and take the step toward the vineyard, or maybe they just didn’t fit our traditional timetable for whatever reason. But the landowner goes out again and again, to make sure that even the least desirable, even the last standing, even the loneliest one left there, is brought in and valued for their worth. If we were to learn from him, we too would be so generous that no one would left behind or left out, not just spiritually but economically too.

That’s what it means to love your neighbour as yourself, to treat others as you want to be treated…and when we choose to participate in this kingdom life, that’s when we’ll see God, even in our work, here and now.

May it be so. Amen.

Online Hymn: Thrive (Casting Crowns)
Sanctuary Hymn 555: Amazing Grace

Offering (Sanctuary only)
The ministry we currently do here at St John’s costs over £10,000 per month, which is actually a bit more than our current income. But we believe God is calling us to serve this community, and we can only do that because of your generosity which helps God’s kingdom grow and flourish in this place. Your morning offering will now be received.

Sanctuary Offering Response 680 v. 4 (tune: Picardy)
May the One whose love is broader
than the measure of all space
give us words to sing the story,
move among us in this place.
Christ be known in all our living,
filling all with gifts of love.

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Gracious God, we give you thanks for calling us to labour for your kingdom,
for tasks great and small, difficult and simple,
all move the vineyard toward your purpose.
We are grateful that you are not a harsh taskmaster,
but rather a generous Lord who gives us all we need to thrive.
We pray this day for those whose work is difficult and dangerous,
for those who are not paid enough to meet their daily needs,
for those at the mercy of unethical employers.
May your protection and abundance surround and fill them.
And we ask that your generosity may be reflected
in the way we treat those who work for us and around us.
We pray this day for those who control resources,
that they may empathise with those who worry about their daily bread,
and that they may use their resources well for the benefit of the whole community.
May your goodness extend through their hands.
And we ask that your generosity may be reflected
in the choices we make as consumers and owners in this world.
We pray this day for those who have been overlooked,
and only recently allowed into our community,
for those who bring fresh energy and joy at being welcomed.
May your courage sustain them through the challenges of living by faith.
And we ask that your generosity may be reflected
in the way we include and respect others.
Help us, O God, to do whatever is right,
even when it is challenging.
We ask these and all things in the name of Jesus the Christ,
who turned the systems of this world upside down that the last may be first,
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.

Sanctuary Hymn: Thrive (Praise Band, song by Casting Crowns)

Benediction
Go to be generous as God is generous, sharing the blessing that has been given to you so that all may come in.
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.

Sanctuary 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.

* The choir rehearses in the sanctuary immediately after the service, and finishes before 1pm. All who enjoy singing are welcome!

*We are looking for a new Property Convenor — the role mainly involves keeping track of contracts (ie utilities/works) and contacting and following up with contractors to get works done in accordance with the Kirk Session’s instructions, plans, and budget. The administrative/reporting duties have thus far been done entirely using Microsoft Word, so no particular technological skills required. If you might be interested in volunteering for this role, please speak to Cameron, Donald (the current convenor), or Teri to learn more. 

* Did you know that it costs us about £10,500 per month to do the ministry we currently do at St. John’s? That includes heating and lighting the building and keeping it in good repair for church and community groups, programming, events, and pastoral care for people of all ages, our contribution to minister’s stipends, and other ministry costs. 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. 

* 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!

* 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!

* Our Lent study is with all of Connect, meeting in the Lyle Kirk on Thursday evenings. We gather at 7pm for tea and coffee and then start at 7:30pm. We are studying “Another Story Must Begin” based on the musical Les Miserables. All are welcome, no experience necessary.

* The next Bowl & Blether is next TOMORROW Monday, 6 March. The doors open at 11:30 and soup & toasties are served from noon. We also have board games, tea and coffee, and friendly chat! Why not invite a neighbour or friend? The next Bowl & Blether in St Margaret’s is on Saturday 11 March, also from 11:30.

* The Contact Group meet on Tuesday, the 7th of March at 2pm, with guest speaker Isabel Lind’s topic being ‘My Holiday in Thailand’. The Group would like to thank the congregation for the excellent response to their Smalls For All appeal.

* The Stated Annual Meeting of the congregation will be held immediately after morning worship on Sunday, 19th March. The minute of last year’s meeting will be available next Sunday. You can download a copy of the Annual Report by clicking here.

* March 2023 marks the 125th anniversary of the 2nd Gourock Boys’ Brigade. Tickets are available now for two anniversary events: the Reunion Dinner Saturday 18th March 6.30 for 7pm in Masonic Hall John Street — this is now sold out but there is a waiting list so please contact Alan for more information. 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 will be available soon. 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.

* The Stedfast Silver Band is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and is keen to contact as many former members as possible. To launch a year of festivities the Band is hosting a Birthday party at 2pm NEXT Sunday the 12th of March in Westburn Parish Church hall for all members past and present and would like as many people as possible to attend. There will be displays, photos, music and birthday cake and a chance to reminisce and catch up. If you are, or you know, any former members of the band, please let them know. For more information or to RSVP, please contact stedfastbandsecretary@outlook.com or find them on Facebook: Stedfast Silver Band: Greenock.

* Greenock Philharmonic Choir’s Spring Concert will be on Saturday 25th March in Lyle Kirk, Union Street, Greenock at 7-30pm.  They will perform ‘Elijah’ by Mendelssohn. The conductor is Andrew McTaggart, and the choir will be accompanied by the Glasgow Chamber Orchestra.        Soloists are Catriona Hewitson, Penelope Cousland, William Searle, and Ross Cumming. Tickets, priced £15, including refreshments, are available from Calum Harbison on 07847 250529,  or by emailing  info@greenockphilharmonic.co.uk.

~~~~

The Presbytery of Clyde will meet in Inchinnan  Parish Church, Old Greenock Rd, Inchinnan, Renfrew PA4 9PE  on Saturday 18th March  2022 at 10.a.m.

At a Special Meeting constituted for the purpose of finalising the Presbytery Mission Plan, Presbytery will discuss the draft Mission Plan proposals for the Cluster in which your congregation is located.

Your congregation sits within Cluster A and we anticipate that consideration of this cluster will commence at 2.p.m. on the 18^th. March. 

Your congregation is cited to attend in its interest and is entitled to respond to the report through the contribution of one person representing the congregation.

Indications of a desire to contribute to the debate should be made to the Presbytery Clerk, Rev Dr Peter McEnhill, by email at clyde@churchofscotland.org.uk prior to the meeting. 

Please return a copy of this citation digitally signed indicating that it has been intimated to the congregation at public worship on Sunday 5^th and 12^th of March respectively. Alternatively table a signed hard copy to the table at the Presbytery meeting itself.

Rev Dr Peter McEnhill
Presbytery Clerk

Sunday service for 26 February 2023, first Sunday in Lent

Sunday 26 February 2023, NL1-31, 1st Sunday in Lent
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

Call to Worship
One: God’s grace is beyond our capacity
All: and so we come to give thanks for forgiveness we can never earn.
One: God’s grace demands our response
All: and so we come to learn the ways of faithful living.
One: God’s grace is meant to be shared
All: and so we come to encounter love and be equipped for loving.

Sanctuary Hymn 484; Great God, Your Love Has Called Us Here

Prayer
Alasdair MacIntyre once wrote “I cannot answer the question “What ought I to do?” unless I first answer the question “Of which story am I a part?”” During the season of Lent we are invited to pay more attention to what story we are living and telling with our lives, and to be intentional about being part of God’s story. To observe a holy Lent means to spend more time reading God’s word, praying and listening for what God has to say to us today, letting go of things that are diverting our attention from God’s path and practicing things that help us be more faithful. As we enter this holy Lent, may we let go of all that separates us from God, and take up opportunities to grow closer to him. Let us pray.
Sometimes, Lord, we see ourselves in your story so easily.
We recognise the questions and the confusion,
the desire to get it right and the hope that we misheard.
And sometimes, Lord, we do not want to see ourselves in your story.
We listen with disbelief and wonder what it has to do with us,
certain we would never be like that.
Tell us your story again today,
and make it our story.
Show us how we fit in and what we ought to do
to live now in your kingdom.
God of endless love, you call us to love as you do.
We confess that we do not.
You call us to community made in your image, honest and vulnerable and real,
speaking up when we witness hurt and choosing the way of accountability and reconciliation.
We confess that we do not.
We admit that we avoid,
we talk about rather than to people,
and we sweep things under the rug rather than deal with upsetting situations.
You promise that the forgiveness we experience is the forgiveness we offer,
that the peace we want can only be found when we practice.
We confess that we want forgiveness for ourselves and punishment for others.
Have patience with us, O God,
for we are a work in progress.
And when we falter,
when we ask for things from you that we are unwilling to grant to our neighbour,
nudge us again by your Spirit,
give us ears to hear the witnesses you send,
and help us grow into the people you intend:
forgiven, loved, and free to forgive and love.
We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Online Hymn 187: There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy

Sanctuary Special Music: Choir singing “In Praise of God” by Beethoven

Sanctuary Children’s Time

Reading: Matthew Matthew 18:15-35 (New Revised Standard Version)
‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’

Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?” And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’

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: as many times as it takes
If a picture is worth a thousand words, sometimes I think a story is worth a thousand facts. It’s one thing to know the ten commandments, or for Jesus to teach what we are supposed to do, and another thing to hear a story. Parables are a particular kind of story. They aren’t a simple allegory where one character or element is code for something else, though we often like to read them that way because it turns the parable into something easy to understand, like a fable with an easy moral at the end — slow and steady wins the race. Instead a parable is more like a prism. There’s a whole field of meaning and when we turn it this way and that, we see new colours and patterns emerging. It never quite gets to one single point like a fable, but rather revolves around the point showing us something different each time.

This story today, though, is a hard one. It certainly illustrates that teaching about seeing the speck in a neighbour’s eye while having a log in our own, doesn’t it! The first slave brought before the master owes an astronomical debt — it’s equal to 60 million days of the usual daily wage — about 175,000 years of work. Today it would probably be about 7 billion pounds. How did he even accumulate that much debt? We know how easy it can be to get into debt that quickly spirals, whether through addiction or through predatory lending and outrageous compounding interest, or trying to fix one situation by getting into a worse one when asking for help would have been better! But even so…that debt will be literally and physically impossible to pay back. It would be impossible for most people to get into in the first place, which I think is the point — it’s so huge, so overwhelming, and so impossible that when we hear the story we’re meant to be astounded.

The master knew he was never going to get that paid back. We should probably ask some questions about how he had that much money to begin with, and why a man with that much capital on the line in various ways needed enslaved labour. But however it came about, he heard the plea for more time and realised no amount of time, whether the slave was free to work or in the debtor’s prison, would end up with him recovering his money. So he simply tore up the bill and wrote it off.

The slave who left that office must have felt relief like none other, a freedom from the sleepless nights and weight of the burden he had been carrying. Debt is stressful and it causes both physical and mental health effects that we sometimes don’t even recognise until they’re lifted…but they also can persist even after we’re free. So when the man then encountered a fellow slave, a colleague, who owed him 100 days wages, a mere speck in comparison to the log from his own life, he was still stuck in his old way of thinking. He’s free, but his story isn’t yet one of freedom. Instead, he demanded that money — which is a lot of money, to be sure, but nowhere near the amount of money he had just been forgiven! But he couldn’t yet see how the master’s forgiveness had changed his life, he was still living the old life, the old story, where every penny has to be squeezed from every source. Forgiveness happened but hasn’t taken root, hasn’t transformed him into a new way of being, hasn’t begun to bear fruit. He was perfectly willing to ask for something for himself that he was absolutely unwilling to offer to anyone else.

Remember one of Jesus’ most well-known teachings: treat others the way you want to be treated. The Golden Rule can be found in most of the world’s religions in one form or another, and famously one of the rabbis who lived around the time of Jesus said this is the essence of the law and prophets, everything else is commentary — and it will take a lifetime of study and practice to live it out. This story shows us what happens when we receive the treatment we want, but we withhold that same treatment from others. The man received grace, but did not give grace.

And then something fascinating happens in the story. The people who saw the situation unfold were appalled, and they proceeded to skip right over the teaching Jesus had literally just given about what to do when someone in the community does something wrong — teaching you would expect to be illustrated by the parable! Just moments before, Jesus said that if someone in the community sins, you should go and tell them directly. No gossip, no talking behind their back, no “can you believe he did that?” but a direct conversation in which you say to the other person “that thing you did was hurtful.” And if that direct conversation doesn’t help, then you’re supposed to bring one or two others into the conversation so they can help. And then you’re meant to bring in the wider community, and only then, if it’s determined that the person has indeed caused harm and that they are not going to change their behaviour, do you “treat them as a gentile and tax collector” — remembering that Jesus is always out eating meals with those people, talking to them about God’s love and grace, and inviting them to new life within a community. We are, after all, reading the gospel named for a disciple who was a tax collector! So this isn’t about cutting people off, but rather about changing the way we relate: from assuming we have shared values and are living the same story, to assuming we are living different stories with different values but we want to encourage them to experience the transformation of God’s love for themselves and to be able to join in Jesus’ story with us.

Anyway, what happens in the parable is exactly not that! Instead the people who witness the hurtful behaviour skip over talking to the man directly, which should have been the first step, and they go straight to telling someone in authority.

Can we imagine for a moment what might have happened if this story unfolded according to the teaching that comes just before? What if the witnesses had gone to the first slave and said “we see what happened here, and how you received an incredible gift of forgiveness and grace and freedom, and how you then refused to give even a little bit of that to someone else.” What if they had asked him if that was really how he wanted to keep living, now that he’d received that gift? What if they had invited him to look in the mirror and see the truth about himself and the harm he was doing by continuing to live in the old ways when he’d been given new life?

Perhaps speaking to him directly could have changed what happened next. Perhaps they could have regained him as a part of the community, as Jesus teaches. Or perhaps he would have persisted in his hurtful ways and they would have ended up in the master’s office anyway, and he would have ended up in the prison anyway, being treated the way he treated others. But the thing is that if we skip the step where we speak directly to each other, and go straight on to talking about each other, we can guarantee the outcome will be painful. Whereas if we start with direct communication, there’s at least the chance for change and restoration instead.

And how many chances? Peter was desperate to know if he should offer that chance as many as seven times, which seems like a lot…and Jesus says it’s way more than that. Whether the translation is 77 or 70×7, the point is that seven is this perfect number, and he’s magnified it until it’s the most complete, most perfect…which requires so many times we lose count. As many times as it takes, basically, until God’s vision for community is perfect and complete. Whether that’s as many times as it takes until the other person is transformed by receiving so much grace that they can’t help but let it overflow in their own lives, or as many times as it takes until we are transformed by giving so much grace. As many times as it takes until we aren’t keeping a tally. As many times as it takes until it’s our way of life, our habit, to be gracious, because we’ve practiced so much now it’s just who we are. As many times as it takes until we finally let go of the old story — a story of tit-for-tat, of hurt people who hurt people, of “I paid my dues now you must too,” of holding grudges, of looking back and wishing things were different. When we are set free from that old story, we’ll be able to live the new story Jesus has given us: a story of love, for God and ourselves and our neighbour and even our enemy; a story of new life that isn’t just for us but overflows into every interaction with others; a story of grace that doesn’t keep count.

How many times? As many times as it takes until we reflect the image of our gracious and forgiving God who is Love.

May it be so. Amen.

Online Hymn:

Sanctuary Hymn 486: Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive (tune: Amazing Grace)

Tell me a story about forgiveness: Alan Aitken (video)

Offering (Sanctuary only)
The ministry we currently do here at St John’s costs over £10,000 per month, and while that sounds like a lot, the reality is that our ability to continue to join in God’s mission here in this place is because of your gifts, however small or large they may be. We trust that God will use our offerings to reveal and grow the kingdom of heaven here and now. Thank you for your generosity which helps God’s kingdom grow and flourish in this place. Your morning offering will now be received.

Sanctuary Offering Response 680 v. 4 (tune: Picardy)
May the One whose love is broader
than the measure of all space
give us words to sing the story,
move among us in this place.
Christ be known in all our living,
filling all with gifts of love.

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer (Today’s Lord’s Prayer video is in both English and Ukrainian)
Gracious God, your love is the foundation of all life,
and we give you thanks for pouring your self out for us
and for creating us in your image, that we too may love extravagantly.
We call to mind those whose lives reflect little love,
and we pray they may experience more grace so they have more to share.
We lift up those who have not allowed themselves to be transformed by love,
who receive but can’t be touched by it,
whose skins have had to thicken to get by,
whose hearts have been hardened by the world,
who don’t realise the walls they’ve built to protect themselves from pain also shield them from joy.
May the tiniest of cracks be enough to let light in.
We call to mind those who are crushed under the weight of debt,
and we pray they may experience freedom.
We lift up those who have been exploited by payday loan sharks,
and those for whom education is only available at great cost,
and those nations where colonial debt still cripples.
May the abundance of the earth be shared by all.
We call to mind those communities who struggle to practice what you preach,
and we pray they may have courage to try.
We lift up those whose boundaries have been violated,
especially those who fear the consequences of speaking up,
and those who have witnessed hurtful behaviour and stood by silently,
and also those who find accountability uncomfortable.
May they act on the knowledge that truth-telling is essential for the health of your Body.
We call to mind those who grieve this day,
especially our neighbours affected by the tragedy on the Clyde this week,
and by the tragedies on our roads the past few days,
and those marking a full year of war in Ukraine.
We lift up all who are suffering in body, mind, or spirit,
those who have lost loved ones,
those who have witnessed horrors, unable to do anything to stop it,
those whose lives are forever changed by circumstances beyond their control.
May they be surrounded and filled by your peace and your comfort,
and by the compassion and love of the community around them.
You are Love, O God,
and in your story, all are beloved.
May we all have the grace to act on the love we have received,
and so to play our part in creating your kingdom of heaven come on earth.
We ask these and all things, trusting the power of your Holy Spirit,
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 528: Make Me A Channel of Your Peace

Benediction
You have received God’s unimaginable, outrageous, incredible, endless love. Now go to share it, to practice being gracious and forgiving, as many times as it takes until the kingdom of heaven is visible on earth and there is no other story to live but Christ’s.
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 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.

* The choir rehearses in the sanctuary immediately after the service, and finishes before 1pm. All who enjoy singing are welcome!

* Did you know that it costs us about £10,500 per month to do the ministry we currently do at St. John’s? That includes heating and lighting the building and keeping it in good repair for church and community groups, programming and pastoral care for people of all ages, our contribution to minister’s stipends, and other ministry costs. 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. 

* 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!

* 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 Kirk Session will meet on Thursday, 2nd March, at 7.30pm.

* The Contact Group meet on Tuesday, the 7th of March at 2pm, with guest speaker Isabel Lind’s topic being ‘My Holiday in Thailand’. The Group would like to thank the congregation for the excellent response to their Smalls For All appeal.

* Our Lent study this year is with all of Connect, meeting in the Lyle Kirk on Thursday evenings. We gather at 7pm for tea and coffee and then start at 7:30pm. We are studying “Another Story Must Begin” based on the musical Les Miserables. All are welcome, no experience necessary.

* The next Bowl & Blether is next Monday, 6 March. The doors open at 11:30 and soup & toasties are served from noon. We also have board games, tea and coffee, and friendly chat! Why not invite a neighbour or friend? The next Bowl & Blether in St Margaret’s is on Saturday 11 March, also from 11:30.

* The Stated Annual Meeting of the congregation will be held immediately after morning worship on Sunday, 19th March. The minute of last year’s meeting will be available next Sunday. If you would like a copy of the Annual Report please let Cameron know whether you would prefer it via email or in print.

* This month, on 23 February, we celebrated our Guide company’s 100th anniversary. Congratulations, 4th Gourock Guides! Watch for more information about celebration activities over the coming year.

* 2023 marks the 125th anniversary of the 2nd Gourock Boys’ Brigade. Tickets are available now for two anniversary events: the Reunion Dinner Saturday 18th March 6.30 for 7pm in Masonic Hall John Street — this is now sold out but there is a waiting list so please contact Alan for more information. 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 will be available soon. 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.

* The Stedfast Silver Band is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and is keen to contact as many former members as possible. To launch a year of festivities the Band is hosting a Birthday party at 2pm on Sunday the 12th of March in Westburn Parish Church hall for all members past and present and would like as many people as possible to attend. There will be displays, photos, music and birthday cake and a chance to reminisce and catch up. If you are, or you know, any former members of the band, please let them know. For more information or to RSVP, please contact stedfastbandsecretary@outlook.com or find them on Facebook: Stedfast Silver Band: Greenock.