 We welcome all visitors to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Linton (11.15am) this Advent Sunday. Please take time to sign the visitors’ book.
Lighting of Advent Crown – Hymn 284 (v2) Call to Worship A time to prepare, a time to get ready. A time to reflect, a time to repent. A time to begin again, a time to start afresh. A time to worship and adore. Hymn 277 – Hark the glad sound Prayers of adoration and confession Loving God, we gather at this season of promise to worship you. We praise you for your love and your faithfulness, for you are the source of all hope and from you all joy springs. You are the one we expect, but your coming is always unexpected. You turn everything upside down and make all things new. Advent God of surprises, we worship you and wait for you to awaken our wonder and astound us with your arrival. We live in a chaotic world, Lord, for though you have shown us the way of life, we have not walked in it. We have gone our own separate ways, done our own things. We thought we could live without you. We have pretended not to need you. We have tried our independence. Now loving God, forgive what is past; renew what is, and lead us into the future of your Son, for he only is Lord, and there is no other. He is the truth that sets us free. God of our lives help us to walk in his ways. Receive the Good News in peace. With great mercy, God forgives and offers us new life in Christ. Receive the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and be at peace with God, with yourself and with one another. Lord’s Prayer Jesse Tree Readings - Isaiah 11:1-10 Matthew 3:1-12 Hymn 241 – Isaiah the prophet Weekly Prayer Eternal God, we sing with joy in anticipation for the coming of God to earth at Christmas. Help us to sow peace around us, live like Jesus and like the Baptist pave the way for the King as he comes to reign as the Prince of Peace, giving people a glimpse of his kingdom. Amen Reflection I attended two services during the week. The first was by Zoom and was from Linlithgow where I had been locum before coming to Cheviot Churches. It was the commissioning of an old friend, Rev Stewart Gillan, as a mission partner. Stewart is the new minister in Jerusalem. He was supposed to fly out this week, but there is a problem with his visa, so he is stuck in Edinburgh. In the sermon, there was a passionate plea for justice for the Palestinians. The 2nd service was on Wednesday and was the St Andrew’s Day service at St Cuthbert’s Church in Edinburgh, organised by the Friends of St Andrew’s Jerusalem and Tiberias, so I saw a lot of people I knew and hadn’t seen for three or more years. The focus at that service was on the Parents Circle, a group of bereaved parents, both Israeli and Palestinian, who had lost sons and daughters in shootings or bomb attacks. They came together and their grief as a mother, say, overcame their suspicion of someone from the ‘other side’ and they were able to process their grief together. Their grief helped them to understand each other and offered hope. Often we think of Israelis and Palestinians fighting each other, but there are so many cases of them trying to live with each other in justice and peace. Advent is about hope and peace. On my way to St Cuthbert’s for the service, I passed another church, St John’s on Princes Street, and on the railings outside were photographs of a number of young Iranian women and men who had been killed in the recent protests. It was really quite meaningful to see them, cut off in the prime of their lives. These were protests against the rigid religious authorities who were inflexible in allowing any freedom or anything other than their own narrow outlook. Does that ring any bells? In many ways, John the Baptist’s ministry was a protest against the religious authorities of his day, and on the 2nd Sunday of Advent we traditionally think of John. Crowds came from all over to hear John, and included in the crowd were Pharisees and Sadducees, and John lambasted them, calling them a brood of vipers and saying that an axe was ready to cut them down. John wasn’t exactly the most welcoming of people. There isn’t much mercy or forgiveness in John in this passage. He saw things in black and white terms and spoke directly and bluntly, and this would ultimately lead to his death when he spoke out against the King. But even our Isaiah reading is a protest. Like last week’s reading, it gives a vision of a world at peace where creation lives in harmony. The difference is that here a little child will lead them. It was a prophecy from a time when things were not going well in Israel. The king, Ahaz, was unpopular, and no-one had a good word to say about him, even though he was from the line of David. The glorious tree which was David’s line had become a stump, almost dead – but not quite. The kings had departed from the ways of the Lord, but here was a shoot from the stump of Jesse, who would bring wisdom and understanding, who would rule with justice and compassion. We immediately see this as referring to Jesus, though Ahaz had a son, Hezekiah, who people hoped would be a good thing. Could life come out of the tree that had fallen? There was hope. As Christians we see that hope in Jesus. The one who brings wisdom to every situation and guides us in the paths of peace; the one who offers mercy and hope to even the worst of people, who brought a Zacchaeus back to the fold and spoke forgiveness from the cross. John the Baptist spoke words of judgement, and maybe sometimes we need to hear that. But Jesus is the one who speaks of hope and salvation, self-sacrifice and new life. In him all things are possible. John was the forerunner; he did his job and pointed to Christ. Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the light in our darkness and the one we can trust. There is hope. In all the tensions in our world – the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, the war in Ukraine, the tensions in Iran- people sacrifice themselves or, like the Parents Circle, work together, looking for hope to prevail. There is ever hope. Hymn 336 – Christ is our light Dedication God, our Peace and our Promise, receive our gifts as seeds of gratitude for your gift to us in Christ Jesus. Bless these seeds with growth so that peace will take root in people who face conflict and danger, and places seeking to establish peace in the face of violence. Be their peace and their promise, through Christ our Lord. Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession For every good meal we have shared, for every kind word we have received, for every good book on our shelves, for every good idea in our heads, for every good message on our phone may our good Lord be thanked. For the nights of good company, for the music of Advent, for inspiring speech and positive writing, for the wisdom of age and the smiles of children, may our wise and bountiful Lord be thanked. For people who have taught and nurtured us, for thoughts which have helped and restored us, for friends who have listened to us and stayed alongside, for the work of Your Spirit in our lives and in the lives of others, may our gracious God be thanked and praised We remember those for whom Advent is a difficult time – those on their own, those with difficult memories, those anxious about the stresses of the Christmas season. We pray for those who are cold and hungry because of fuel poverty, and all who seek to help them. We pray for the sick in body and mind, for the lonely and the fearful, for the bereaved. John worked in the wilderness baptizing people with water. We pray for the people without safe drinking water. We ask that you will give strength to groups such as Christian Aid who are working to provide access to safe water to those without it. We also pray for the victims of flooding, some far away in Pakistan and others nearer to home. Isaiah wrote about branches sprouting from a stump. We pray for your world where forests are being destroyed. We pray that all humankind will respect your world. We ask that the decisions made at COP27 will become actions. We must stop destroying what you created, and we pray that politicians worldwide will see the need to act now. We pray for those who lead our nations – for members of Parliaments and Councils, for Governments at home and abroad, and for all who have the power to make a difference in people's lives. We join a great company around the world who seek peace and justice, and long for a kinder world. And we pause to pray quietly for the particular people and needs which we carry on our hearts . . Amen Hymn 476 – Mine eyes have seen the glory Benediction Go in eager expectation, awaiting and watchful for the coming of Christ. May the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and those whom you love and those whom we are called to love, this day and even forevermore. Amen
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 We welcome visitors to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15am) this Advent Sunday. Please take time to sign the visitors’ book.
Lighting of Advent Crown – Hymn 284 (v1) A candle burns, the sign of our hope. In the darkness of our world we dare to hope. God of hope, come to us again this Advent. May your hope live within us, burning as a light in our lives. Call to Worship The light shines in the darkness, We come to worship, seeking the light of Christ Shine into our lives and into your world this Advent. Renew us with fresh hope. Hymn 273 – O come, O come Emmanuel Prayers of adoration and confession Almighty and everlasting God, You hold all our days in your hands, and embrace us in your everlasting arms. In a tired and violent world, you are hope. In a hectic and busy world, you are peace. In a cold world, you are comfort. In Jesus Christ, you bring love into this world, and call us to embody his love in all we do and say. In our worship this day, we offer you our love and loyalty. Make us one in worship and service, so that the world will see your hope at work in us and through us, making all things new. Amen Surprising God, Forgive our sleepiness in the presence of your splendour. Forgive us for abandoning hope so quickly, and expecting the same old thing in the same old way. Forgive us for underestimating your power to do a new thing. Awaken us to your holy, hopeful presence. Awaken us so we may watch and wait for you. Come, Lord Jesus, come. The One who comes with justice also comes with mercy. The God of Judgment is the Christ of compassion. Do not be afraid but rejoice in the God who comes to us. Lord’s Prayer Jesse Tree Readings - Isaiah 2:1-5 (Pg 686) Matthew 24:36-44 (Pg 994) Hymn 543 – Longing for light Weekly Prayer Holy God during this season of Advent, as we move towards the festivities of Christmas, we pray that peace will flow from all of our actions and interactions this week. Teach us all your ways, so that we also may be ready to walk in your paths of peace. Amen Reflection Have you noticed any Christmas decorations up yet? I visited my Syrian friends in Galashiels and I was amazed to see some of the houses decorated for Christmas already. Plastic lighted deer in gardens and so on. But then that particular housing estate seems to have a lot of children. But on coming back home, I drove through Eckford and noticed a house festooned in fairy lights, actually quite tastefully done, but Christmas seems to get earlier every year. Today is the first Sunday of Advent. We don’t have our Christmas trees up yet, but we do have our Advent crown, and we have lit our first candle, a symbol of light shining in the darkness. The world is dark just now with the war in Ukraine still in the forefront of our minds with other conflicts in Ethiopia as bad but not making the headlines; with energy bills soaring and inflation rampant; with floods and earthquakes and lack of human rights. We need hope. We need a candle shining to break the darkness; we need the coming of Jesus. Advent is a special time of watching and waiting and anticipating, and Advent means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’, and we anticipate the arrival of Jesus. We are asked to stop rushing around with lists of 101 things to do, but rather ponder the wonder of God coming to earth as a human child, born in the manger, the longed-for Messiah, but also we are asked to be ready to prepare ourselves for His coming again, for he will turn the world upside down. Many of the prophets looked for the Messiah to come to right wrongs, to establish a kingdom of justice and peace, and we will be reading some of these prophecies during Advent, but today we read the familiar words from Isaiah of a kingdom, where weapons of war would be turned into tools for tending creation and where the lion would lie down with the lamb – and where people would study war no more. It is an ideal world, a return to Eden. But there is more, for the nations of the world would come together and seek a unified purpose, namely to walk in the ways of God. If only the nations of the world would learn to cooperate. But the passage also gives a challenge to us – to live differently. For to walk in the light of the Lord means a different, transformative kind of living, where peace and justice will be our priorities. The early Christians had to learn that too. They were waiting for Jesus to return. They thought it was imminent. He would come back and usher in his kingdom. But they waited and they waited… Some scholars think that the Gospels were written in part to encourage Christians who were confused and discouraged by Jesus’ delayed return. Matthew, like Mark and Luke, devotes a section of his gospel to exhorting his readers to stay awake, keep prepared and wait with anticipation for Jesus to return. Matthew would highlight Jesus’ parable of the virgins waiting for the bridegroom to encourage the Christians to be ever vigilant. But they were given the example of Noah in our passage today. There was a flood, and it was pretty much the end of the world for most people. They didn’t know it was coming and they perished. They weren’t ready. If a householder knows a thief is coming, then they will prepare themselves, but mostly the thief catches us unprepared. In Indonesia this week there was an earthquake. There wasn’t much anyone could have done. But it emphasises the fragility of life, and how all of a sudden everything is tuned on its head, and I am sure that all of us have been in situations where ill-health or family matters have been critical, and we realise what is important and what isn’t important I remember when I was in Israel, I had to travel between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, but President Obama was visiting Israel at the time and was making the same journey, and the motorway was closed. I duly got off the road and visited a church on the site of Emmaus (one of three places making that claim!). I visited the church until I heard the road was open again, so went back to my car, parked up a narrow road. I did a three point turn that turned into a 5 point turn, but whenever I went into reverse it seemed to jam. I pushed the accelerator down to the floor, but it refused to budge. I got out only to realise the back wheel was half over a 7 foot drop. There are reasons why it wouldn’t budge I am sure, but I still remain convinced that angels were pushing it back up. I did get turned around eventually, but it was quite sobering thinking what may have been. A time to reassess priorities and make sure we are ready to face our Lord. At Advent we are encouraged to wait and watch, to be alert to what is happening in our world. We are challenged to live differently, by walking in the ways of the Lord. So that if Jesus were to return, we would not be afraid to meet him. Hymn 339 – Sing of Andrew Dedication The work of our churches continues to care and continues to walk alongside many in differing, challenging circumstances. Your giving enables this work reach those who need it most. Thank you, whether it be via direct debit or envelopes into the offertory plate, your contribution is so very valued and appreciated. Bountiful God, we give thanks for all that we have been blessed with. Our skills and talents, our friendships, families, communities to name a few. May these monetary gifts given in response go some way towards your work and presence being made known to others. Amen Prayers of Intercession Living God, on this first Sunday of Advent, we bring our longings to you. We are waiting. We are yearning. For we, and our world, are in need of healing. So we pray that you may suddenly return and never, never more thy temples leave. Pause Prince of peace, we pray that swords will be beaten into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks in Ukraine and in places of conflict around the world. We pray for all who are working for justice and reconciliation and all who are suffering as a result of war both directly and indirectly across our global village with pressures on food, fuel and places of safety. May our country be a place of safety and flourishing for those who come in need sanctuary. Creator of this amazing world in which we live, we pray in the wake of COP27. We ask that all the commitments that have been made should be kept urgently. And that governments and peoples across the globe should continually see the need for more, and quicker, responses to global warming, until the tide of action flows around the world. Righteous one, as the World Cup puts the spotlight on Qatar and Iran, we pray for the protection of migrant workers around the world and for the breaking down of barriers between people so that all may be valued for who they are, wherever they are, for we are each your child, made in your image. Loving God, As the weather gets colder we pray for all for whom the cost of living is a crisis. We rejoice that during the pandemic everyone was offered a place to stay, but we are concerned that many do not now have adequate housing. We remember too all those who are sleeping on the streets or sofa surfing, unable to find good accommodation. Jesus our healer, as we hear of the pressures on the NHS, we thank you for the staff who are doing an amazing job in difficult circumstances. As we pray for the health of our own health system, we are conscious of the many millions across the world without access to good health care and of the places where healthcare is only available to a fortunate few. We hold up to you now all those places and people and pray for a just and equal sharing of all the things that earth affords. To a life of love in action help us rise and pledge our word. pause We pause before you now in silence to hold up to you those who are particularly on our hearts today…. Hymn 477 – Lo he comes with clouds descending Benediction Go in eager expectation, awaiting and watchful for the coming of Christ. May the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and those whom you love and those whom we are called to love, this day and even forevermore. Amen  We welcome all visitors to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15am) this Sunday. Please take time to sign the visitors’ book.
Call to Worship From all eternity, Alpha and Omega We come to worship God Truth and vulnerability, majesty and mystery We come to worship God God is monarch of all creation We come to worship God Hymn 459 – Crown him with many crowns Prayers of adoration and confession God of majesty and mercy, we give you thanks and praise for your commitment to your creation. In Christ, you have turned the world upside down, revealing your strength through weakness, and your power through compassion. In the cross of Christ you taught us that no hopeless situation or frightening possibility is beyond your reach. We praise you for your love at work around us and within us, always able to do more than we can ask or even imagine. Receive our love and our loyalty this day, our Sovereign and our Saviour. God of wisdom and warning, we confess that we often prefer our own plans to your purposes. We shrink from acts of service that seem too demanding. Forgive us when our commitment wavers and we think someone else will take up the challenges we face. Inspire us with the example of Jesus, and energize us with your Spirit to follow him as our Shepherd. wherever he leads. Christ embodied God’s love and mercy so powerfully that he offered forgiveness to his tormentors from the cross. In grace he reaches out to us, too. Receive his forgiveness this day, and offer it to others for his sake. Lord’s Prayer Readings – Jeremiah 23: 1-6 (Pg 782) Luke 23: 33-43 (Pg 1060) Hymn 550 – As a deer pants for the water Weekly Prayer Almighty God, we acknowledge that your son Jesus is King of Kings, Lord of Lords and the Redeemer of the human race. Look down upon us, your earthly subjects, as we humbly worship before you. Forgive us for our failures to always recognise that you are indeed The Lord Our Righteousness and help us to serve you better in our Cheviot Churches community. Amen Reflection After so many years of singing ‘God save the Queen’, we are now having to remember to sing ‘God save the King’. King Charles is now on the throne, and the transition seems to have gone well. He is obviously a very wealthy man, and the trappings of monarchy are all around, but as a constitutional monarch he engages with the people. He has influence, and therein lies his power. When I mention kingship, what do you think of? I remember as children playing a game, when the aim was to become ‘King of the castle’, and if you were that, you would be No 1, you would be leader of the pack. You would dominate. The Kings – and the Queens – mentioned in the Bible were like that. They had absolute power. What they said had to be enacted, and woe betide you if you differed. The pharaohs of Egypt, the kings of Babylon and Assyria were the same. They embodied power and wealth. The concept we have of kingship is of power and wealth. And so, when we have ‘Christ the King Sunday’, we inevitably think of these things. However, our readings for today speak of something different. Christ the King is actually the last Sunday of the liturgical year, and most of our Gospel readings for the last year have been from Luke. We have seen him heal people; we have heard his teachings. We have seen his way was to turn the world’s view on its head, and so it was with kingship. But then, in Israel’s history there had been voices that sought a different way of leadership. Jeremiah was one of them. Jeremiah was a thorn in the side of the king and those in power, but in Chapter 23 he gives his vision of kingship, where leaders do not seek to dominate, subduing people by force of arms or abusing their power. Rather they should seek to transform their kingdom by being a shepherd and caring for their people, seeking the best for them. It is a prophecy of a Messiah who would come and be a shepherd to the people. Of course, we think of Jesus, as the Good Shepherd who comes to transform our lives and our thinking. We see it in the passage from Luke, a passage more associated with Good Friday rather than November. All the marks of royalty are there. The purple robe, but it is torn and the soldiers gamble over it. The crown – but it is made of thorns and worn with agony. The throne is the cross, and above Jesus as he hangs there is a sign, proclaiming him King of the Jews. During the year we have seen how Jesus embraced people with the love of God, affirmed them with god’s grace. but he had made powerful enemies. He had alienated the religious leaders and put himself on a collision course with the Romans. The result was the cross and facing the mockery of those around. The rulers sneered, ‘He saved others, let him save himself’. The soldiers jeered, ‘If you are King of the Jews, save yourself’. Even one of the criminals crucified beside him said, ‘If you are the Messiah, save yourself – and us’. I have no doubt that Jesus could well have saved himself, but that wasn’t his way. He was more concerned about saving others, than saving himself and so continued to hang on the cross. He showed a new kind of kingship, one of self-giving and self-sacrifice – and invites us to do the same. For we are invited to live in his upside-down world, where the first will be last and those who are trampled upon and rejected find themselves at the top table. So let us live out the transformative message of the Gospels and take the purple robe and wrap the poor in it; wear the crown of thorns and stand with the suffering; break the bread and feed the hungry of the world and hold the cross and know what must be given, for Christ would do the same. This is Christ’s reign and it will change the world. Hymn 374 - The Servant King Prayers of Dedication & Intercession Merciful God, you envision a world where the hungry are fed and strangers are welcomed. We bring you our gifts to share in that vision. With your blessing, may our gifts bear fruit in Christ’s name, and offer his blessing to those we serve for his sake. In peace we bring our prayers for a world at war. In the calm of this place we beg for the turmoil of our world to cease. Sitting in the sheep fold, we ask our Gentle Shepherd to lead and guide us. So let us pray. O Most High, scatter the bad shepherds of your people; those whose leadership brings harm, those whose policies lead to oppression and torture, and those whose ideologies cause poverty and division. We pray for the people of Ukraine living with constant shelling, precarious energy, and the ever present threat of death and oppression. We pray for the people of Qatar and the women of Iran, living with politicians who cling greedily to power and prestige. Raise up, O Gentle Shepherd, leaders who will act as shepherds, rulers who will serve, and politicians who will seek the common good. O Jesus, our crucified King, we remember before You all who are imprisoned and tortured for faith, love, ethnicity or politics. We pray for those struggling in our own nations, worried about making ends meet as inflation rises faster than wages, benefits and pensions. We pray for those who work hard yet feel no benefit, those who work to keep us safe and healthy but aren’t properly rewarded. Inspire your people, O Christ, to resist evil and find, in Your Cross, our redemption. O Gracious Spirit, in You we take refuge, even though the earth shakes, even though we live in troubled times, and even though we live with fear and uncertainty. Help us to find space in our refuge for those who suffer: those who find life hard and confusing, those who are cold this winter, and those who are hungry. Give us hope, Holy Spirit, hope that evil and destruction do not have the last word, hope that pain and evil will be transformed through the Cross-Throne of Christ, and hope that you will never leave us. We remember now, Eternal One, those we love and worry about (short pause) those who have died whom we have loved (short pause) those wondering about coming along to church – that we may welcome with love and faith (short pause) our own needs and dreams. (short pause) And so we join our prayers together in the name of the Gentle Shepherd, our Servant King. Amen Hymn 470 – Jesus shall reign Benediction 
Come to worship the Eternal One. We come to worship God. Come in peace to reconcile with enemies and pray for justice. We come to worship God Come & find life in its fullness, plenty & abundance in the Kingdom of God. We come to worship God. Hymn 715 – Behold the Mountain of the Lord Prayers of adoration and confession Eternal One we come to sing a new song before You; we tell of Your wonders which You have wrought amongst us. We seek, O Most Holy, to make a joyful noise in Your presence, and with the earth to sing to you, our Creator. With the streams we clap our hands in praise, with the hills we skip for joy before You. Our hearts rejoice as we bring You our praises, O God. Yet in our praises we know that we’ve failed to live as You command. Yet in our joy we feel shame as we know we’ve chosen hate not love. Yet in our singing we know that our world chooses war not peace. We know that as we worship, You search our hearts, that as we pray You come to judge Your people, to chastise and redeem, forgive and reform. So give us grace Eternal One to accept the forgiveness You offer. Give us time, God of grace, to change our ways. Give us hope, O Most High, that we can learn from Your judgements. Amen Lord’s Prayer Will the congregation please stand, if you are able Let us remember the courage, devotion to duty and self-sacrifice of the men and women of the armed forces and the toil, endurance and suffering of those who were not in uniform. Let us remember those who fell in battle, those buried at sea or in some corner of a foreign field; and especially those we have known and loved, whose place is forever in our hearts. Let us remember those who were our enemies, whose homes and hearts are as bereft as ours. Let us remember those who came back; those whose lives bear the scars of war; who have lost sight or limbs or reason; who have lost faith in God and hope for humanity. Let us remember the continuing grace of God, whose love holds all souls in life, and to whom none is dead but all are alive for ever. They shall grow not old As we who are left grow old; Age shall not weary them Nor the years condemn At the going down of the sun And in the morning We shall remember them. (Silence) Readings –Micah 4: 1-8 Luke 1: 68-79 Hymn 161 – O God our help in ages past Weekly Prayer Almighty God and heavenly Father, we pray that you will teach us your ways and guide our feet into the path of peace. We remember those whom you have gathered from the storm of war into the peace of your presence; may that same peace calm our fears, bring justice to all peoples and establish harmony among the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen Reflection Prayers of Dedication & Intercession Eternal One, long ago you called us to be heralds of your coming kingdom, to show by our lives and our loves, our talents and our treasure, your values of love and justice, where all are valued, where none are deprived and where those who are first are made to wait. Bless these gifts of money that we may use them wisely and widely, that your kingdom may come. Let us pray for all who suffer as a result of conflict, and ask that God may give us peace: for the service men and women who have died in the violence of war, each one remembered by and known to God; may God give peace. for those who love them in death as in life, offering the distress of our grief and the sadness of our loss; may God give peace for all members of the armed forces who are in danger this day, remembering family, friends and all who pray for their safe return; may God give peace. for civilian women, children and men whose lives are disfigured by war or terror, calling to mind in penitence the anger and hatreds of humanity; may God give peace. for peace-makers and peace-keepers, who seek to keep this world secure and free; may God give peace. for all who bear the burden and privilege of leadership, political, military and religious; asking for gifts of wisdom and resolve in the search for reconciliation and peace. May God give peace O God of truth and justice, we hold before you those whose memory we cherish, and those whose names we will never know. Help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world, and grant us the grace to pray for those who wish us harm. As we honour the past, may we put our faith in your future; for you are the source of life and hope, now and for ever. Amen. Hymn 710 – I have a dream, a man once said Benediction Let us go from this place with minds that never forget, with hearts that grow in hope, with lives that shine Christ’s light and the blessing of God, Creator, Peacemaker and Peacebringer be with you, now and always. Amen.  We welcome all visitors to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Linton (11.15am) this Sunday. Please take time to sign the visitors’ book.
Introit Summoned to holiness, roused to justice We are called to live in love Granted forgiveness, blessed with mercy We are called to live in hope Beckoned by saints, encouraged by angels We are called to live in joy Hymn 740 – For all the saints (1-4,7-8) Prayers of adoration and confession Eternal God, Light of love, shining like light from the sun, Bringing all creation to life; Light of the world, penetrating the darkness, showing the way for all who search; Light of our hearts, shining within and between us, revealing our truest selves; Fill us now with your light as we remember your saints and touch us through their transparent goodness and grace. God of mercy, We are sorry for times when anger or bitterness made us resentful. We are sorry that the desire to get even turns us from your mercy. Forgive us, O God, and shine the light of Christ on us, so that we can know his peace and his purposes for us. As Cop 27 starts in Egypt, we confess that there are times when we forget the earth is yours, we treat it as our own to use and abuse it as we want. We confess our complicity in all that our common home has lost. For species lost through disappearing habitats, for biodiversity lost through deforestation and agri-business, for precious resources lost through our single-use, throw away culture, for ozone lost through our continuing reliance on fossil fuels. The prophet Micah reminds us that God requires of us three things: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. To all who repent and seek reconciliation in kindness and humility, God offers forgiveness and peace. Lord’s Prayer All-Age Talk Readings – Daniel 7: 1-3, 15-18 (Pg 892) Luke 6: 20 -31 (Pg 1034) Hymn 745 – How bright these glorious spirits shine Prayer of Illumination Faithful God, you have promised to be with us and long ago sent your Spirit to live amongst us to guide us to a future of goodness and hope. As we travel into the week ahead seeking your truth and justice, let us feel your presence as we try, with your help to "Do to others as we would have them do to us". Amen Reflection Just before I studied for the ministry, I took a year out and worked as a volunteer for a year at the Church guesthouse in Tiberias in Israel. I was looking forward to it and thought how marvellous it would be to live in a Christian community, for there was a minister with his family, and the warden and assistant warden were both mission partners too. Then there were the other volunteers. It would be a time of spiritual growth in an atmosphere of Christian love and encouragement. So I thought. Only the minister was long haired and wore shorts and played the guitar, while the warden was as ex Police inspector from the Glasgow police and very straight. And the two did not get on at all well, though the assistant warden did her best to keep the peace. As volunteers we all had our foibles too. It was a time of spiritual growth, for I learned that as Christians we all have our failings. It is like someone who went to a monastery and hoped to learn from the monks, for surely they were really holy people. But the first monk he approached and asked how to live a holy life said ‘we stumble and rise, we fall and get up’. Tuesday was All Saints Day, and sometimes we put saints on a pedestal and think of them, men and women of such paralysing virtue that they never had a nasty thought or did an evil deed their whole life long, but the feet of the saints are as much of clay as anyone else’s. they stumble and rise, they fall and get up. It was Martin Luther who said that all Christians are simultaneously saint and sinner. We are sinners because of our rebellious nature, but saints because of our salvation through Christ. But to quote from Leonard Cohen, the Canadian song writer, ‘It is often the cracks that let the light in’. We fall and we get up. We fall down for any number of reasons, but if Luke’s Gospel tells us anything, it is that living as a servant of God is demanding and none of us do it perfectly – loving our enemies, doing good to those who hate us, turning the other cheek, giving expecting nothing in return. That is difficult work on the best of days, and it seems to be getting harder and harder in this wild world. In the Old Testament we read of Daniel’s disturbing visions. The style of writing was called apocalyptic and often dealt with the end times. Things were put in black and white terms, but there is the comforting image of the saints in the safety of heaven. But in Luke, we read what is called the Sermon on the Plain, and the people who gathered there were just ordinary people, bringing with them the cares of the day, their sorrows and struggles. Jesus comes to the level place to say something to people who felt that they were nothing and lift them up, encourage them, give them a standard to aim at. They weren’t perfect, but by seeking to follow Christ’s way of loving enemies, going the extra mile, turning the cheek, they could make a difference. As one writer said, ‘The difference between doing something and doing nothing is everything.’ That is why we need All Saints, so we can remember the saints of every generation, the Cuthberts and Aidans, the Desmond Tutus and Mother Theresas. People who weren’t perfect but were people who were willing to be used by God. People committed to getting up after they fell down, because they believed that God can use us to be transformative in our community and in our world. People who were invested in the Gospel of love for the long haul, who sought to love their enemies and turn the other cheek, who stumbled and rose, who fell and got up – again and again. When Paul wrote to the churches, he addressed his letters to the saints, to ordinary people who often got things wrong, but tried to let the light shine through their cracks. That is good news. For we too are the saints living in this place. So let us be willing to be used by God to let the light shine in this place. Hymn 530 – From the falter of breath Prayers of Dedication & Intercession Gracious God, Source of all life and love, with deep thanks we offer to you: our fumbled change, church envelopes, and direct debits; our energy, talents, and time; our prayers, our hopes, our lives. Receive and grace these offerings, that they may be used to bless your church, your people, your creation. In Jesus’ name. Amen. We thank you for our world, its beauty and grandeur, the resources You provide for us, and the call You give us to live in harmony with the earth, our fragile home. We pray for those meeting at the Cop 27 meeting in Egypt that decisions will be taken and commitments made to save our planet. God, in your mercy….hear our prayer. Lord Jesus, You came amongst us as a refugee; Your first months and years were spent as an exile. Bless all those staying at the asylum camp at Manston in Kent and other such camps. Give them hope, Lord Jesus, hope that justice and law will prevail. Show us, Lord Jesus, how to welcome the refugee, and remind us again and again, that in being born as one of us, you also sought asylum. (pause) Lord, in your mercy….hear our prayer. Give grace to Charles our King as he navigates his new role. Give wisdom to Rishi our prime minister and those who govern with him, Nicola and Mark, First Ministers in devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales; leaders of parties in the North of Ireland as they deal with political impasse, and to all who serve us in elected office that careful discernment and a concern for the poor will guide debates and decisions in the coming months. Inspire our leaders as they decide how to deal with the cost of living crisis and our economic problems. God, in your mercy…hear our prayer. In a moment’s silence we bring to God our needs and prayers for those we love and worry about. God, in your mercy…hear our prayer God of glory, we remember all who have gone before us with gratitude. May their example inspire us. May we grow more transparent in our living. Make us windows of your presence, open to seeing you in every face, as we walk in the ways of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen Hymn 738 – Glorious things Benediction Alpha and Omega, beginning and end, hold us in your love and open our eyes to the great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, and the blessing of Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you, now and always. Amen.  · We welcome all visitors to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15am). Arthur and Kathleen Bates will lead worship today.
· There will be no podcast this week.
 We welcome all visitors to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15am) this Sunday. It will be Guild Sunday at Yetholm. Please take time to sign the visitors’ book.
Introit From the routines of work and leisure, we have come to worship God. With the weight of the world heavy on our hearts, we have come to worship God. In the midst of our fears and our hopes, We trust in God’s power and presence, so let us worship God with heart, mind, soul and strength. Hymn 465 – Be thou my vision Prayers of adoration and confession Creating God, the mountains you raised reflect your strength and majesty. Sunrise and sunset frame the day with your light and joy. Fields bursting with grain and trees coloured with autumn glory sing of your steadfast love. Pictures from the depth of space give a glimpse of your infinity, yet in Christ you have walked the humble earth. You alone are worthy of our praise. You alone give us hope. Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer of Life, we praise you, and join our voices to those of every precious thing to wonder at your mystery and majesty. Merciful God, You created human beings with gifts of intelligence and imagination. Yet we confess we often use these gifts to exploit your creation and put others in their place. So often we think that we are great when we are small. Or we claim smallness when you set a challenge before us. We convince ourselves that our sin is not nearly as great as others, yet every sin offends your purpose for us. Forgive us, we pray, and grant us a truer picture of ourselves. Lord’s Prayer All-Age Talk Readings – Joel 2: 23-32 (Pg 912) Luke 18: 9 -14 (Pg 1052) Hymn 493 – It’s me, it’s me, O Lord A Great Man... A great man strutted in one day For everyone to see. He raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Dear God, I’m glad I’m me!” “I go to church, I say my prayers, I never break the rules, unlike some other people here. They’re thieves and rogues and fools!” “Take that chap there…” He looked across to where the light was dim. “He works for Rome; he cheats the poor. Thank God I’m not like him!” All eyes turned to the furthest nook, and in the shadows, there they saw a man whom no-one liked. His head was bowed in prayer. He beat his breast, he shed a tear, he sank down on his knees. “Dear God,” he whispered, full of shame, “I’m struggling. Help me please!” High up in heaven, God heard them both, the short prayer and the long. Which one, dear children, do you think was right, and which was wrong? Prayer of Illumination Merciful God, help us when praying not to be like the Pharisee, whose prayers were full of pride showing how good and righteous he is, but more like the humble Tax Collector ready to admit to our faults, failures and imperfections. We call again on the name of the Lord so that we might know and experience your salvation afresh. Amen Reflection It is good that we are able to leave our churches open, so that people have the opportunity to visit, to feel a sense of peace; they are able to sit and pray. Judging from the comments in the visitors’ book, it is much appreciated. The temple in Jerusalem was always open, and people were able to visit and to pray. In our Gospel reading today Jesus told a parable about two individuals who did just that! One went to the middle of the Temple in full view of everybody, while the other stayed away from the limelight and kept to a dark corner. But he was noticed, and you can almost imagine the conversation: ‘Look what the wind has blown in! Imagine seeing him in the Temple. It is a wonder the roof hasn’t fallen in. How dare he. He takes our taxes and a bit extra, connives with the Romans, betrays his own people – and he thinks he can breeze into the temple. Well, maybe not breeze. In fact, he looks quite pitiful. Anyway, as long as he keeps right to the side, away from everyone else, there should be no trouble’. It was of course the tax collector they were referring to, and he simply fell to his knees and implored God for mercy. ‘God be merciful to me, a sinner’ The Pharisee, on the other hand, for he it was who had positioned himself in the centre, thanked God that he wasn’t like the tax collector. He then proceeded to blow his own trumpet and list all his attributes, his good deeds, all the brownie points he feels he has earned. He is pompous, he is arrogant, he is self-righteous. Jesus asks those around him which of these two men goes away justified, made right with God. It is quite straightforward. I am sure we would all agree that it is the tax collector who is forgiven and made right with God, for he has spoken from his heart. The Pharisee, on the other hand, is unchanged from the encounter. He goes home exactly as he came in. The Pharisees get a bad press in the Gospels, and that is unfortunate, as many were sympathetic to Jesus. In this story, the Pharisee is just telling the truth about himself, big headed though he is. He does fast twice a week – not eating for two whole days a week. He also tithes, giving a tenth of his income to charity. Any congregation would love him as a member. In fact, in Zambia it wasn’t unusual for people to tithe to the church. The Pharisee is a good person, not involved in cheating or corruption. The tax collector is the opposite. He is involved in cheating and corruption. He works for the Roman occupiers. Next week in our readings we will be looking at the story of Zacchaeus, who was a tax collector, who fleeced the people around and lived in luxury. We can imagine the tax collector in the parable was the same. But like Zacchaeus he had a change of heart and realised he needed help and forgiveness. God have mercy on me, a sinner. A complete reversal. In our reading from Joel, we have a reversal as well. The book is set during a catastrophic event – a plague of locusts. The Israelites have been getting ready to harvest their crops, which will keep them going for another year, but then the locusts strike and devour everything. The Israelites have simply to watch as their future is eaten up before them. But in Chapter 2, there is hope, and God promises to restore the years that the locusts have eaten. There is a promise of abundance and the possibility of better times, but as long as the people live in harmony with creation and respect God’s will and way. The Pharisee thought he was living in God’s way, and in many ways he was. But he judged and condemned the tax collector. He still needed to learn humility. He still needed to realise that he depended on the grace of God. But is he any different from us? We can be ready to condemn others without realising what they are going through. We need to realise that we are all sinners, dependent on God’s forgiveness and love. But the parable is about hope; hope that the tax collector can repent and change his ways. So we thank God for God’s mercy and love and pledge to live our lives with honesty and integrity. Hymn 535 – Who would true valour see Prayers of Dedication & Intercession Good and generous God, receive our humble gifts, offered in hope and gratitude. Make something of them – and of us, so that the world will be surprised by your love and what we can offer them in Jesus’ name. God of righteousness, you have taught us through Jesus not to regard others with contempt. As we pray, show us when we are tempted to look down on others who are different to us and melt our hardness of heart. Open our eyes to see your grace in the lives of others. Draw close, Lord, to all whose lives are being treated with contempt, from war zones to the streets of our neighbourhoods. Bless those who fear the stigma of reaching out to foodbanks for help this winter. Be with all who fear for their lives in the prisons and streets of Iran, in the homes and shelters of Ukraine and in all places where freedom and peace is under threat. In a moment’s silence we hold before you the people in our minds, whose lives are belittled or demeaned. God of compassion, you are merciful to all who come to you in true repentance. We hold before you the many places and situations in your world where we long for suffering to be met with compassion. Look with the radiance of your love on the people of Pakistan suffering from floods, in Somalia facing drought and in America and the Caribbean following devastating hurricanes. Sustain with your spirit all who work tirelessly to help those in need, abroad and on those shores. We hold before you our government at this time, asking for the spirit of servanthood and your gifts of wisdom and compassion for them. Steadfast God, you invite us to place our trust in you above all else. Be with us, Lord, when we are fearful for what the future may hold: for the Church, for the economy, for our livelihoods, for our loved ones, for the rise of Covid, for the peace and stability of Europe. Help us to face our fears with honesty and truth, in the light of your enduring providence for us. Even as we are fearful, give us the confidence to continue to be your people, set apart to serve you in the world. Give us faith, even as small as a mustard seed, to trust you for the future, as we place our lives once again in your hands. God of grace, hear our prayer. We offer you our prayers, spoken aloud and offered in the silence of our hearts, in the name of Jesus, our risen Saviour. Amen Hymn 646 – Forth in the peace of Christ Benediction Go out into the world to sow the seeds of love, knowing that God goes with you, and the blessing of Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you, now and always. Amen. 
Call to Worship God of abundance, God of fruitfulness, God of generosity, God of love beyond measure. God of extravagance, God of celebration, God of goodness, God of love beyond imagining. We gather, bringing the best that we can offer to give thanks for all good things and share your generosity with others. Hymn 233 – Come, ye thankful people, come Prayers of adoration and confession God of honey and harvest, of grain and grape, of ocean and orchard: This harvest time may we both praise and pray; praise you for the abundance and pray that this harvest is not just shared but shared justly. God of beehives and breadbaskets of living webs and the weaving of life of ecosystems and economy: This harvest time may we both praise and pray praise you for the wealth of the harvest and pray that this harvest is not just a promise but is full of promise for all God of bumble bees and blue whales evolution and environment, ice-field and star-field: This harvest time may we both praise and pray praise you for the sheer wonder of the world and pray that this harvest is not about our wealth but the wealth of our generosity. Let us confess our forgetfulness of God, our failure to give thanks and the ways in which we have wasted the gifts of creation. We confess to you our lack of care for the world you have given us. We confess to you our selfishness in not sharing the earth's bounty fairly. We confess to you our failure to protect resources for others. Lord have mercy, Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. May God show us his mercy, restore us in his likeness and give us generous hearts and lives. Amen Lord’s Prayer All-Age Talk Hymn 143 – Who put the colours in the rainbow Readings – Ruth 2: 17-23 Matthew 13: 24-33 Hymn 137 – All things bright and beautiful Prayer of Illumination Lord of the harvest, as the wild flower scatters its seeds far and wide, so may your people scatter the seed of hope in the soils of despair, bringing to growth those good things that are your gift and promise. Amen Reflection Two women shuffle along the dusty way. They have been on the road for many days. Behind them lies death and heartache; the future for them lies ahead. But an uncertain future. They have been sleeping rough, just where they have been able to find shelter, but now they reach their destination. Where will they stay? Where will they manage to find food? Where will there be work? Who are these women? It could be Ruth and Naomi, leaving Moab behind. Moab where Naomi’s husband and two sons died and were buried; Ruth whose husband died, but who also had the heartache of leaving her family, her homeland, everything that was familiar, to venture with Naomi to make a new home, but ever the niggle in her mind of how she will be received. Two women on the road. But think 3000 years on, to October 2022. There is not so much difference. For these women could be Maryam and her mother-in-law in East Africa, in Somalia, where drought has caused one million people to be displaced. Families have had to bury loved ones on the road as they journey for days, sometimes for weeks, in search of aid and assistance. Maybe Maryam has had to bury her husband, her children.The UN warns that famine is at the door of Somalia, but by the time it is announced, it is already too late. The scenes that prompted popstars to perform at LiveAid are being repeated again, with 22 million at risk of starvation Two women on the road. It could be Yasmin and her mother. They live in Pakistan. They weren’t rich, but they had a good life. A house with some fields to grow vegetables, and they had chickens. They were comfortable, and they counted themselves blessed because they lived near the River Indus, so the ground was well-watered, even when drought was at their door. They are Christian, so had to keep their heads down sometimes, but they counted themselves blessed. But that same river had become swollen with rainfall: it had risen and risen like the story of Noah’s flood the pastor mentioned at their small church. Their house was threatened, and they had to take what they could and leave. Her dad went back to see if he could rescue more, and he hasn’t returned. They shuffle along the road, like the 9 million others who have been displaced. A third of the country under water. What would the future hold? For Ruth in the Old Testament, there was a future for her, and we have romantic pictures of her standing ‘amid the alien corn’. But it was hard. She was young and foreign; she was vulnerable to unwanted attention by the locals. She was given the opportunity to glean in the field of Boaz; once the harvesters had done their work, they left a little for the widows and orphans to come and pick, a practice incidentally that still goes on in the kibbutzim of Israel today. A lot of the Bible stories and a lot of Jesus’ parables are in an agricultural setting. There is the joy of the good harvest, but the Bible is honest and equally there are stories of plagues of locusts devastating the land or -in our parable today, a crop where there are many weeds sown with the good grain, which will need to be sorted out and separated later. In the story of Ruth, we have a snapshot of Boaz the farmer enjoying a good harvest. No doubt like all farmers, he would have his anxieties; the weather, the fear of a plague of locusts which would destroy the crop, and even war. Just like farmers today worry about the weather and climate change and various diseases and bank loans; just as farmers in Kenya or Somalia or Pakistan worry about drought and flooding. But Boaz shared his good fortune. He obviously treated his workers well; he also noticed the stranger and included her. If we read on in the story, Ruth and Boaz marry, and their great-grandson will be King David. A good future for someone who shuffled along a dusty road with her mother-in-law. But what future for Maryam in Somalia? What future for Yasmin and her family in Pakistan? They will pick up the pieces, but the drought and the flood have both been caused by climate change, as was Hurricane Ian which left such a trail of destruction in the Caribbean and in the States. Next year or the next may well bring more extreme weather, and we need to act. We rejoice at our harvest. We are happy that the tractors are in the fields around us, that we do have broccoli from Caverton in our shops, that we have food in our cupboards and fridges. But we are called to have the same compassion Boaz showed and reach out to the increasing number who rely on foodbanks in this country, but also remember that we are part of the world and must reach out to the likes of Maryam and Yasmin, that they might know a brighter future. Prayers of Dedication We bring the offering of wheat and all cereals, the potatoes and all the crops from our fields. The land has yielded its harvest; our God has blessed us. We bring the offering of the shepherd’s crook, a symbol of the flocks and herds of animals and birds. The land has yielded its harvest; our God has blessed us. We bring the offering of flowers, fruits, berries and vegetables from orchards and gardens. The land has yielded its harvest; our God has blessed us. We bring the offering of seeds for next year’s crops, symbol of the trust we put in you, O God. The land has yielded its harvest; our God has blessed us. We bring this Harvest Loaf as both a symbol of the fruits of human labour and of the means by which we have the strength to labour. The land has yielded its harvest; our God has blessed us. We bring the offering of an empty bowl as symbol of harvests that fail and of those around the world who suffer from hunger and starvation. Keep us mindful of their needs and may your goodness towards us bear fruits of compassion and generosity. Almighty and everlasting God, we offer you our hearty thanks for your fatherly goodness and care in giving us the fruits of the earth in their seasons. Give us grace to use them rightly, to your glory, for our own well-being and for the relief of those in need; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Hymn 230 – Praise God for the harvest Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it; the world and all that lives in it. Thanks be to God. All the animals of the forest are the Lord’s and so are the cattle upon a thousand hills. Thanks be to God. The Lord brings forth food from the earth, wine that gladdens our hearts, oil to make our faces shine, bread that sustains our hearts. Thanks be to God. The Lord makes springs pour water into the valleys; it flows between the mountains. Thanks be to God. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. Thanks be to God. For all who cooperate and collaborate with God to bring food to our tables, Thanks be to God For farmers, growers, packers and processors, for breeders, stock people, shepherds and dairy-farmers, Thanks be to God For distributors, hauliers, retailers and stall-holders, for chefs, cooks and creative entrepreneurs, Thanks be to God Let us offer our prayers to God for the life of the world and for all God’s people in their daily life and work. We pray for all through whom we receive substance and life; for all farming families who work so hard, often in adverse conditions, to provide our food and look after our countryside; Lord of all life: Hear our prayer We pray for young people in farming, for those studying at agricultural colleges and for the next generation of farmers as they bring new skills, energy and vision to the care of the countryside and the production of food in sustainably ways. Lord of all life: Hear our prayer We pray for farmers and their families who are under stress as they face uncertainty and unpredictability in global food markets, and who struggle with increasing regulation and requirements; for those who want to leave farming or retire, and those who find it hard to see a way forward. Lord of all life: Hear our prayer We pray for governments and aid agencies and those areas of the world where there is disaster, drought and starvation; for all involved in agricultural research who face the challenge to produce more food for a growing world, without harming the environment; and grant us all generous hearts in the face of immediate crises. Lord of all life: Hear our prayer We pray for all areas in the world where the harvest has failed for whatever reason. Ukraine, Yemen, Pakistan, the Horn of Africa and all affected by war or by extreme weather. We offer ourselves to your service, asking that by the Spirit at work in us others may receive a rich harvest of love and joy and peace Lord of all life: Hear our prayer God of grace as you are ever at work in your creation, so fulfil your wise and loving purpose in us and in all for who we pray, that with them and in all that you have made, your glory may be revealed and the whole earth give praise to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Hymn 804 – You shall go out with joy Benediction God the Father, who created the world, give you grace to be wise stewards of his creation. God the Son, who redeemed the world, inspire you to go out as labourers into his harvest. God the Holy Spirit, whose breath fills the whole of creation, help you bear his fruits of love, joy and peace. And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forevermore. Amen 
Call to Worship With thankful hearts we gather to worship God May we be united in love and praise With generous, faithful minds we open our hearts May we be filled with the knowledge of Christ's teaching With the trials and temptations of life in our thoughts May we lay them down and prepare to worship God Hymn 214 – New every morning Prayers of adoration and confession Eternal and Loving God, We are in awe as we worship You today. Your generosity knows no bounds, and we are humbled by the breadth, length and depth of Your love for us, which extends to the people of the whole world that You made so creatively. How wonderful it is that You brought variety, colour, vibrancy and beauty to this earth, for You have been a generous and caring master who wanted to provide for Your children. We are blessed with continents, countries and areas that range from the high mountain to the deep ocean, the small rural village to the bustling city. All of this has been made perfectly, a loving gift to be experienced and lived to the full. Creator God, You have showered upon us all the resources we need for a fulfilling life, including families and friends who love us, work and leisure that inspires us, and a faith that brings meaning and purpose day by day. We are truly thankful for all You have done, and continue to do for us, day by day. Almighty God, You know everything about us. The thoughts we have, the desires we fight against, and the words that are spoken that cause distress, worry and fear. We confess the mistakes made, the actions taken, or not taken, and say sorry ... Sorry because we let others gain the upper hand, instead of turning to You. Sorry that we have not been as faithful as we could have been. Loving God, forgive us, assure us and empower us as we move forward in faith, renewed and forgiven, knowing You are with us, urging, encouraging and driving us on Lord’s Prayer Readings – Lamentation 3: 19-26 Luke 17:5-10 Hymn 153 – Great is thy faithfulness Prayer of Illumination God our creator, You have made us one with all the earth, To tend it and to bring forth fruit: May we so respect and cherish All that has life from you, That we may share in the labour of all creation To give birth to your hidden glory, Through Jesus Christ. Amen Reflection Two weeks ago was the Morebattle Flower Show; yesterday was the Yetholm Shepherd Show. At both events I stood amazed at the skills people have. There are gigantic leeks; there are thick stalks of rhubarb; there are flowers wonderfully proportioned and in the brightest of colour. There are cakes and scones; there are the beautifully carved sticks. At Yetholm there is the livestock as well, but also runners tackling a hilly course. It is all great fun, but also it represents a real commitment to grow the fruit and vegetables; a creativity to produce the best displays. I look out at my garden, and there is nothing I could display, but there are flowers and trees that have given me a lot of pleasure over the months. We humans can work away, but it is God who ultimately brings about the growth. I don’t think I saw in either of the shows any mustard bushes, but Jesus had a particular liking of mustard seeds, for he uses them in several of his parables. The seeds were of course tiny, yet put them in the ground, lavish them with TLC (tender loving care) and they would grow into a large bush. But in the parable this morning Jesus used the image of a mustard seed to talk about faith; if the disciples had the tiniest of faith, the size of a mustard seed, they could tell a mulberry tree to uproot itself and plant itself in the sea. Though perhaps more famously in Matthew, the faith to move mountains. In Cairo the story is told of a time in the Middle Ages when Cairo was a place in which the three monotheistic religions all thrived – Islam, Judaism and Christianity. The heads would gather every now and again to chat, but this time the Sultan and the chief rabbi rounded on the Christian bishop and asked about this parable and challenged the bishop to prove it and to move a mountain by faithful prayer – or else, his flock would be put to the sword. He was given three days – and he was in despair. He tried to explain that perhaps it wasn’t to be taken literally, that Jesus was exaggerating to put across his point. But they wouldn’t listen. The story goes, however, that after sleepless nights and much fasting during the day, on the third day the mountain was moved, and the Sultan abdicated and became a Christian. We may take a story like that with a pinch of salt, but for many Coptic Christians in Egypt they believed it happened. They live as a small minority, and stories like this bolsters their faith. We read from the book of Lamentations today. It is a gloomy book, as it records the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. |The temple had been raised to the ground, the precious treasures taken away to Babylon; even the king had been led away in chains. The people who were left lamented in despair. But in Chapter 3 we have the tiniest mustard seed light in their darkness, as the writer realises that God’s love is there new every morning; so great is his faithfulness. Suddenly there is hope in the worst of situations. The disciples had asked Jesus to increase their faith. By faith, I thank they meant their trust. We are often in that situation, where we look at other people or we look at those who have gone before us and feel that they had so much faith, whereas often ours is wanting. But I think we need to take these words from lamentations to heart; that God’s love is there new every morning; that God is ever faithful to us. The saints were ordinary people, with all their failings, but who somehow made a difference. We too can make a difference, even with our failings. Daoud Nasser is a Palestinian Christian and has a farm near Bethlehem. It has been in the family for many generations, and they have title deeds to prove it. It is now surrounded by Israeli settlements, which ever seek to encroach upon their land. He now calls his farm the ‘tent of nations’, as many volunteers come to stay to help the Nasser family plant olive trees especially and help them with the harvest. So often the settlers burn the trees or uproot them; the Nasser family just replant, refusing to be intimidated or to treat the settlers as enemies. That’s faith. Despite the hatred they face, they respond with love and plant believing in a bright future. We pray it will come. As the farmer plants crops hoping for a good yield or a gardener plants flowers or vegetables hoping for a good display, so we can plant the seeds of hope, for God’s love is there for us, new every morning. So great is God’s faithfulness. Prayers of Dedication O God of the ages, we give because you have given so many things to us. Help us to use our resources to bring about change that the poor will be lifted up, the broken healed, and the despised included, let our love for you increase and our love of mammon fade away. Amen. Hymn 259- Beauty for brokenness Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession Eternal One, we praise You for Your goodness and grace, Your love which sustains our world and all that is therein, the diversity of Your creation, the beauty of our planet, and the animals and forms of life with which we share our fragile home. O Most High, we give thanks for all that is good in our lives: our church where we’re nurtured and sustained, our community where You meet people in all sorts of ways, the love that we share in so many different ways – each way reflecting Your love for us. Here in the security of our worship we bring to you places, O God, that are not very secure, for we remember those who weep: the people of Ukraine living with invasion, terror and uncertainty, the people of Afghanistan recovering from earthquake and living with an unstable government the people of Yemen at war with Saudi Arabia and the civil conflict in Ethiopia. We pray for those who seek and work for peace in each of these places - seeking to sing your song of peace in a strange place. We ask Your blessing on those who investigate war crimes and attempt to bring perpetrators to justice and we ask You continue to turn the hearts of politicians toward peace and away from war. We remember too, Eternal One, our own nations in times of trouble. We pray for those who: struggle to pay their bills this month and this winter, will suffer due to the fall in the value of sterling, plot to make the rich wealthier in the proud imagination of their hearts, and those who feel they have no alternative but to strike to defend their livelihoods. Give wisdom, O God, to those who dare to lead us, that integrity, justice and compassion will become watchwords of our national life. We pray for the Church, that we might be forward looking and outward-looking. Help us to put our trust in You, O God. Give us faith to make a difference. Faith: that you still call people to Yourself; that you still have work and purpose for us; faith the size of a mustard seed. In a moment’s silence we bring to God the names of those we love and worry about… Amen Hymn 644 – O Jesus I have promised Benediction May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His smile towards you and give you peace. |
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