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Call to Worship The Lord is our light and salvation. We will not be afraid. Let God’s people shout for joy! For Christ calls us and claims us as his own. Come and worship in unity and love. Hymn 198 – Let us build a house Prayer For the richness of your creation, For different colours and scents, For different birds and animals, None the same, yet part of one creation. Generous God, we praise you. For the richness of your world, For different places and peoples, For different songs and stories, No person the same, yet part of one humanity. Generous God, we praise you. For the richness of the Church, For different gifts and skills, For different songs and prayers, No congregation the same, but part of one church Generous God, we praise you. We praise you Lord for creating a world of wonder and beauty, of diversity and difference. Teach us to live in harmony with you and our world. Merciful God, you call us to follow your way of compassion but too often we criticize each other. You call us to follow your way of peace but too often we remain divided. You call us to trust you but too often our fears and doubts overwhelm us. Forgive us, O God, and strengthen our commitment to follow your ways. God calls to us in love and forgiveness, and welcomes us in with a warm embrace. Hear the good news of the Gospel. Rejoice that in Christ we are forgiven, and be at peace with God, yourself and with each other. Lord’s Prayer All age Talk Readings – 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23 Hymn 63 – All people that on earth do dwell Weekly Prayer Heavenly Father, like the disciples of old we thank you that the light of Christ has dawned in our lives. Help us by your power, to live as instruments of your peace in this troubled world. Amen Sermon The snow earlier this week certainly caught us by surprise. Even though it is January, and we should expect it. But suddenly plans had to be changed, as we had to decide whether we could get to work or keep that appointment. We had to decide what was essential and what could maybe wait a day or two. The countryside was of course stunning to look at, the show on the trees a picture. And on the first morning there was a stillness, and then the crunch of shoes in the snow. The roads, however, could be treacherous, and you had to make your way very carefully. But whenever there is weather like this, it is amazing how people all rally round and help one another, clearing paths and making sure everyone was ok. There is a certain levelling, as we all realise how much we need one another. Barriers came down, and everyone helped. It is location. We live in the Cheviots, so can expect some wintry weather. If we lived in Tewksbury or elsewhere in the Severn or Wye valleys, we might expect flooding. If we lived in Ullapool or Fort William we might expect more rain, snow or wind, but have extraordinary scenery on our doorstep (as we do here). Location, location, location. Maybe location mattered to Jesus. He had grown up in Nazareth, a bit of a backwater, but Matthew tells us that he moved from Nazareth to Capernaum, for maybe location mattered. Capernaum was a border town on trade routes. The lake it was situated on, the Sea of Galilee, was a busier location, with its fish dried and exported throughout the Roman Empire. The new town of Tiberias was being constructed, offering good job prospects – if you weren’t too fussy about working for the Romans. But even for a carpenter like Jesus, there would have been good work on the boats of the fishing fleet. What’s more, Nazareth could be rather parochial. He would always be known as Joseph’s son or Mary’s boy. In Capernaum he was his own person, not defined by family. Maybe he worked there to begin with, getting the lie of the land, identifying some good people – we don’t know. But certainly when the time was right, he called the fishermen, Simon and Andrew, James and John. It always seems so sudden in the Gospels – Jesus called, and the disciples dropped everything and followed, to the horror of parents and wives, for we know that at least Simon Peter was married. It is certainly dramatic. But perhaps they had seen Jesus, heard Jesus, noticed him around, come to their own assessment that they liked what they saw and heard. Whatever the case, they left what was familiar to follow Jesus, to commit themselves to him and to his message. They followed, ready to learn and to be taught – and to be empowered to teach others. It was life-changing, and their lives would be changed. From the start it involved sacrifice – the sacrifice of a career, the sacrifice of time with their families, a sacrifice of a routine, for with Jesus anything was possible. In the end there would be twelve of them, thirteen if you counted Jesus. A new family. But how do you think they got on? We had the first meeting of the new presbytery at Dalkeith. It was a whole day affair, as people travelled from Berwick and Musselburgh and West Linton and Hawick. We didn’t know everyone; in fact, I knew very few of the people there, so the important thing was to have time to interact and get to know at least a few of the others; put names to faces and faces to names. We are all coming from different backgrounds and with different experiences. I am sure there will be some I will get on with better than others, but that is life. It would be the same with the disciples. They were different. Matthew as a former tax collector would have been viewed with some suspicion, I would imagine, until he proved himself. We assume the fishermen would get on, but from the news we know how damaging sibling rivalry can sometimes be. They would have to learn to work together, play up to their strengths and support each other’s weaknesses. Be ready to forgive and to be forgiven. We see that in Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth when he addresses divisions in the congregation. Some were for Paul, some for Apollos, some for Cephas (that was Peter) and a sanctimonious few for Christ. People are all different; they appreciate different things and react favourably to different people. They have their own views, their own prejudices. We all do. We are no different from the church in Corinth, but what Paul encouraged them to do was to see what united them, for that was more than what divided. When I was in Africa I worked for the United Church of Zambia, which was made up of Presbyterians, Methodists, Congregationalists and even French and Swiss Reformed. It had its tensions; some baptised infants while others dedicated – that had to be worked through, as did other issues of theology and practice. Others felt their tradition had been overlooked. But the motto was ‘All one in Christ’, and the church has grown. People were able to appreciate others. This is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and we focus on what unites, while being honest about our differences and just like the Corinthian Church realise the wonderful love and grace of God embraces everyone, a God who in Jesus broke down so many barriers, so that all were one in Christ. Hymn 340 – When Jesus saw the fishermen Prayers of Dedication and Intercession God of the fishers who first followed Jesus, you have called us to follow and here we are. We offer what we have and ask you to bless our gifts. Give us the courage we need to invite others to join us in following Jesus, our friend and saviour. Amen. God in whom we live and move and have our being, This week we join with Christians around the world to pray for peace and unity, and for justice and mercy in your fragile creation. We remember before you today people living face to face with war and violence, especially those places where ancient hatreds burn. (Name those places in the news where conflict is disrupting everyday life.) God, speak to us a word of peace Embrace us with your love. We remember before you today people living face to face with economic uncertainty, those struggling with rising costs of daily necessities, and those who have lost their jobs, their savings, their homes or businesses. God, speak to us a word of reassurance Embrace us with your love. We remember before you today people living face to face with discrimination and social prejudice, those who are bullied at school, at work or at home, and all those who have been made ashamed of who they are. God, speak to us a word of dignity Embrace us with your love. God of mercy and forgiveness, You call us to live together in peace and unity. In this Week of Prayer for Christian unity, we pray that your Spirit will create understanding and co-operation among all who bear Christ’s name. Gracious and loving God, expand our vision that it may be wide enough to recognise the beautiful complexity of the tapestry you chose to weave with each and every one of us. Gather our frayed edges, our loose ends, and bind us together for your glory. We remember before you today your whole creation and its many vulnerable facets and faces. Teach us how to care for the rips and tears in the fabric of the world you love so we may live together wisely and protect the future in our attitudes and actions … God, speak to us a word of wisdom Embrace us with your love. We remember before you today people living face to face with illness and suffering, those waiting for diagnosis or treatment, those struggling with disability or delay in medical attention, and those who know grief or fear… God, speak to us a word of healing Embrace us with your love. Amen Hymn 739 – The Church’s one foundation Benediction Go into the world to live out the gift of unity in Christ, eager to serve and open to learn from the Christ who calls us and sets us free. May the love of God, the peace of Christ and unity in the Holy Spirit be yours now and always. Amen
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