 We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15am) on the Second Sunday of Advent. Rev'd Ian Clark will lead our services today.
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 We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Linton (11.15am) on the First Sunday of Advent.
Hymn 284 – Hope is the candle (v1) - Lighting of Advent Crown 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 nights are long and the days are short, And so we wait for Jesus. The heavens are trembling with anticipation, And so we wait for Jesus. Our redemption is drawing near, And so we wait for Jesus. Let us put our hope in God as we prepare to welcome the birth of new life once more. Hymn 273 – O come, o come Emmanuel Prayer of Adoration and Confession Creator God, You made the heavens and the earth. You set the planets in their courses, lit the sun with fire, caused the stars to shine and the world to turn. Life springs up wherever your breath moves. In Jesus Christ, you brought hope into a world full of fear and despair. You sent your Spirit to enliven our hope and guide us on the way. Now we wait in anxious times for the world to be made new. Move in us and in all your creation to bring forth new life, while we wait with hope in your grace and goodness. Redeeming God, We confess that waiting is difficult when the world around us is on edge. We are impatient with each other, waiting for someone to make a difference. We are impatient with you, O God, waiting for a sign that things will improve. Forgive us, O God. Turn our hearts to you again and again, and show us how to act in hope for Jesus’ sake. Hear the Good News! There is nothing we have done, nothing we will ever do, that can separate us from the love of God made known in Jesus Christ. Take hope in this love, and live as forgiven and forgiving people. Lord’s Prayer Readings – Isaiah 64:1-9 (Pg 750) Mark 13:24-37 (pg 1019) Hymn 543 – Longing for light (1,2,5) Weekly Prayer Almighty God, as we come before you at the start of the Season of Advent, we ask you to prepare us for the coming of your son Jesus Christ. We thank You for your word which will never pass away, and as your people, we pray in faith for the needs of the Church and the world. Amen Sermon The newspapers can make a depressing read. In fact, when the news comes on the television, I sometimes switch it off. The war in Ukraine goes on, and lives are lost. Snow has come to that area, and the soldiers, and indeed everyone else, must be miserable. But somehow the world’s attention has now switched to the Middle East and what has been happening in Gaza. There has been joy this week at hostages and prisoners being released, but still the future still seems gloomy. Bombing, disease, more suffering seems to be just on hold, and no-one seems to have a clue at what will happen afterwards. Meanwhile those of us who zoomed in to the Christian Aid event on Monday saw horrific treatment of Palestinians on the West Bank by Israeli settlers. The world leaders seem powerless. If only God could just come down and solve Gaza and the whole Middle East problem. If only God could come and bring Ukraine and Russia to peace and end the suffering. In Isaiah the prophet addressed God, ‘O that you would rend the heavens and come down’. We look at the wars of our world, the climate crisis with COP meeting now, the mass movements of people, the rising prices and want something to be done and, not surprisingly, we don’t have much confidence in our political leaders and so, as people of faith, we want God to intervene. Even in our personal lives, we see people struggling to get by; others who have received knocks regarding their health. It can be a depressing world. O that you would rend the heavens and come down, O Lord. Solve our problems! This part of Isaiah was written when some of the Jews living in exile in Babylon were allowed to return to Palestine and rebuild Jerusalem. Their dreams had been answered, but the reality was very different from their dreams. There seemed to be so many problems. The area was still devastated, and other people had moved in. Those who had remained in Jerusalem resented those who came back from Babylon. They cried out, Lord, tear open the heavens and come down, solve our problems, wave your magic wand. But of course, God doesn’t act like that. The people of Isaiah’s time even cited how God had acted before, had heard the cries of oppressed in Egypt and sent Moses to lead them to the Promised land. Why not now? It is a common cry. Mark was writing his Gospel to the early Christians, and they were going through all sorts of horrors of persecution, who were crying out for the Lord to come and bring judgement and better times. This part of Mark is called the Little Apocalypse, which used imagery of a cosmic struggle between good and evil and the coming of the Lord. This is the first Sunday of Advent, and Advent is a time to prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas, but also, not so cosily, to look to Christ’s coming in glory at the end of time, when all will be resolved. We light our Advent candles, and the first of the candles is Hope, and hope is a precious thing. And in our passages, we are given two pictures of hope. The first, in the Isaiah reading, is of God as the potter, making us of his clay, and we are precious in his sight. You could say we were God’s masterpiece, but… pottery can be broken. It is so easy to drop a cherished dish or mug. AS the Cop representatives in Dubai are very aware, the earth is fragile, and can often be broken – treat with care. But as human beings we are also broken; sin has broken us. We need the Advent message; we need the Advent hope, and so God comes to be born among us to redeem us and redeem our world. There is a hymn: ‘We lay our broken world in sorrow at your feet.. we bring our broken selves, confused and closed and tired – but to unite us all in you, you lived and loved and died. We are broken, but the potter can remake us. The other image of hope is in the Gospel – that of the fig tree. Jesus says to look to the fig tree for signs of blossoming. The leaves are a sign that good things are coming. Just as our gardens in winter look pretty bleak, but underground the plants prepare themselves for Spring. Hope is there, if we but look. 1st December is World AIDS day. AIDS was a death sentence in Zambia when I was there and decimated the population, but once the stigma was broken by people like the former president Kenneth Kaunda, people were very supportive. Now drugs give a life line. Life and Work tells the story of a pastor’s daughter in Bolivia, who was raped and later discovered that she was HIV+. She told her family who were supportive. She told the church with trepidation, but they were supportive. She has been the figurehead of the AIDS movement in Bolivia and a symbol for hope. We are surrounded by Bad news, but Advent is a time of hope. Let us wait and watch, for hope is ever at hand. Hymn 339 – Sing of Andrew Prayers of Dedication and Intercession The first Sunday in Advent celebrates God’s gift of hope. It is not easy to be hopeful in stressful times. But God’s steadfast presence gives us the courage to hope. So we offer whatever we have to share, knowing our gifts can spread hope in the world God loves by touching lives in Jesus’ name. God of hope, we offer you our gifts, knowing you can do with them more than we can ask or imagine. Bless what we offer as tangible signs of your love at work in a world on edge, and as symbols of the hope we share in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Friend. Amen. Merciful God, We thank you for the light you shine into our lives as we wait on the coming of the Christ Child this year. The signs of our times are worrisome. The earth itself groans in pain, and people have grown suspicious of each other. As the days grow shorter and the nights, longer, comfort those who dread the short days and direct any who have lost their way. Wherever people feel overwhelmed by the demands of this season, let them catch a glimpse of your brilliance. Generous God, we remember that the days leading up to Christmas are difficult for many, year by year. We pray for those who are hungry and cold, stressed by rising costs all around. Alert us to ways to help those in our community and beyond whose cupboards are bare. Warm them with your love. We pray for those who are grieving. Make us patient, compassionate companions to those in mourning, even when we’re not sure what to say. Fill sorrowing hearts with your comforting presence. We give thanks for all the folks who quietly go about their daily work as they support and care for those living with HIV and AIDS. We rejoice with the voices raised in communities around the world who seek a fair and just life for all. On this World AIDS Sunday we we continue to pray for all who are infected and affected and those who lead their community response from the grass roots. We pray for those who feel like the world is ending; for whose lives have been uprooted by fire, flood, or storm, and for those who worry about the future of the earth itself. Steady us amid the upheavals around us and remind us that your steadfast love will see us through. Help us trust in you, no matter what is happening. Amen Hymn 477 – Lo he comes with clouds descending Benediction Go in hope this day and keep awake! Watch for signs of God at work around you and within you. Look for opportunities to serve others in Jesus’ name. The blessing….  We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15am), when we celebrate communion. Everyone who loves the Lord is welcome to participate.
Call to Worship Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness Come into his presence with singing. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Hymn 63 All people that on earth do dwell Prayer of Adoration and Confession Creator God, we marvel at the wonders of your creation! You have painted the sky with sun rises and sun sets, you scattered the universe with stars and planets so that we can be awestruck by your creative force. You pay attention to each and every living creature, no matter it’s size or assumed importance, including us. We praise you this day. God most holy, You are known to us as the Almighty, Eternal Ruler and Lord. We call you our Shepherd and Guide. We praise you with many names, but you are beyond our imagination, so much greater than our words. We praise you with our lips and with our lives to offer you honour and love, now and always. God most merciful, We confess that we have failed to love fully or forgive wholly. You offer us freedom but we settle for the familiar. You offer us hope but we prefer knowing what will happen next. Teach us to give up cautious faithfulness, so that we can offer you our whole lives, and commit to following Jesus into the future you are creating. Hear the Good News. God’s compassion never fails. God’s loving kindness is steadfast. Know that you are forgiven by the grace of Jesus Christ. Forgive each other and live in peace and harmony. Amen Readings – Ephesians 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46 Hymn129 – The Lord is King Weekly Prayer Faithful God, we give thanks to you for all that you do in our lives. We pray for the gift of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we may get to know you better by serving those who are in need in our world. We remember your sacrifice for us on the cross and come with grateful hearts. Amen Sermon Do you like surprises? Sometimes we enjoy giving someone a surprise, throwing a surprise party, though I must admit that I don’t like being surprised myself. I like to be prepared and know what’s happening. Though on my trip up north last week, I was surprised going out in Elgin that the restaurants were all very busy – a Monday night in November! I was surprised in Dundee at how many young people there were, but then I was in a student area. In our Gospel reading today there is a degree of surprise. Jesus is in his glory and divides the sheep from the goats. Not such as easy task in the Middle East where they do look so alike. Jesus says, I was hungry and you fed me – or not as the case may be. Both those identified as sheep and those named goats are surprised. “Lord, when did we…” and “when didn’t we…” both capture the shock each group expresses when Jesus commends or condemns their behaviour. But what exactly are they surprised by? That they acted either in a righteous way by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting the imprisoned or, on the other hand, in an unrighteous way by neglecting to do the same? No. Neither group denies their behaviour. Rather, they are surprised by their failure to recognize the Son of Man. Or, more to the point, they are surprised by where the Son of Man hangs out. No one expects to see Jesus in the face of the disadvantaged, the poor, the imprisoned, and all those who are in manifest need. Perhaps that’s to be expected. When we think of God, we typically think in terms of power and might and glory and all the rest. And, indeed, the parable begins by describing the coming of the Son of Man in glory to sit on his throne attended by angels, seemingly only reinforcing our preconceptions. But maybe it shouldn’t, as the God we know in Jesus seems to delight in such surprises. After all, God didn’t come to reign over humanity in Athens or Rome or Jerusalem where one would expect God to arrive, but rather God came to identify with us by being born in lowly Bethlehem in the form of a vulnerable infant. And God didn’t come to conquer the world with military or political might, but in the scandal, shame, and pain of the cross. He doesn’t come in conquest but crucifixion. Not in power but in weakness. And so, God continues to come where we least expect God to be: in the plight of the homeless, on the side of the poor, in the face of the needy, and in the company of the imprisoned. He comes to surprise us, disarm us and overturns all our expectations and judgements. Jesus shows us a new kind of kingship where compassion and humility are what matters; and a new kind of kingdom where service is paramount. Jesus showed that compassion and concern for the marginalised throughout his ministry and in this parable calls us to do the same, to see him in the poor and the hungry. Jesus showed his service for others as he suffered the mockery of the soldiers, as he carried the cross through the streets of Jerusalem to be crucified on the same cross, his body broken, his blood shed, all so we might be saved and know fullness of life. We celebrate that at communion today, and we remember that sacrifice Christ made for us. That’s a surprise that God loves us so much he gave his only Son. But the challenge is there too, for as we take the bread and wine, we also realise that we have the responsibility to care for those in need in our world, for in doing so, for Christ is there among them. Someone said that you could draw a line with those who are in on one side and those who are out on the other – Christ would always be on the other side. He continues to surprise us with his inclusive love. Prayers of Dedication and Intercession Generous God, you envision a world where the hungry are fed and strangers are welcomed. We bring you our gifts to put your vision into action. Bless them and the lives they will touch so that the love of Jesus Christ wears a human face again for those who need him in our time. Amen. Lord Jesus Christ, you proclaimed God’s kingdom among us and within us. In the power of the Spirit, your love is always at work, bringing good out of evil and life out of death. We thank you that your love never lets us go, for you have known the good times and the hard times of this life before us. You came as one who was hungry and thirsty. Where people live on the streets today, suffer from hunger, or beg for a meal: Your kingdom come. Your will be done. You came as a stranger in need of welcome. Where people live lonely lives or feel like strangers in a strange land; where people face rejection for the colour of their skin or the language they speak: Your kingdom come. Your will be done. You came as one who was naked. Where people lack enough clothing, shelter, or life’s basic resources; where people live without dignity, exposed to every kind of pain and hardship: Your kingdom come. Your will be done. You came as one who was broken. Where people feel pain in body, mind or spirit; where someone grieves the loss of a beloved or the future they planned; in places where disaster has struck and desperation has moved in: Your kingdom come. Your will be done. You came as one who was in prison. Where people are treated unfairly, targeted or tortured; where justice has failed and people are punished with cruelty: Your kingdom come. Your will be done. Nicene Creed (Hymn 649) Invitation to the Table This is the Lord’s Table. The Lord Jesus invites us to share this joyful feast. From east to west, from north and south, People will come and take their place At the banquet in the kingdom of God. Hymn 19 - Ye gates Communion Hymn 449 – Rejoice the Lord is King Benediction Let us go out as Christ’s hands and feet, sowing seeds of harmony and community, challenging injustice and promoting peace, dancing together in the eternal dance of humanity, united by the love of God and empowered by the Holy Spirit. And may the love of God Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer bless you, along with those we love and those we struggle to love. Now and forever, Amen.  We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15am).
Call to Worship From the darkness of death, God calls us into glorious light. From the tumult of war God call us into the beauty of peace. Children of light, God calls us today to remembrance. In light and in peace We will remember them. Hymn 161 – O God our help in ages past Prayer of Adoration and Confession God of yesterday, today and forever, You are the God of every generation, and your love endures forever. You have protected us during difficult times, for your compassion is everlasting. In this time of worship, we declare our love and loyalty to you, and offer you our service this day and every day. At this solemn season of Remembrance, we are aware of how much war has cost the world you love. In spite of fighting between nations and neighbours, you have come to us in Jesus Christ and want us to experience life in all its fullness. Renew in us the hope that you will turn our swords into ploughshares and lead the world from the study of war to the promise of peace with justice for all your peoples. God of mercy, with sorrow we confess that in our hearts we keep alive the passions and pride that lead to hatred and war. We are not worthy of your love, nor of the sacrifice made by others on our behalf. Forgive us we pray. Christ died so that we might live. Through his undying love, we have been forgiven. Rejoice in the forgiveness God offers us. Be at peace with God and yourself, and make peace with your neighbours, for Christ’s sake. 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 – Isaiah 25: 1-9 (pg 708) Matthew 5: 38-48 Hymn 192 – All my hope (1,2,5) Weekly Prayer Everlasting God, wash away the wounds of war, violence, and hatred, help us to recognise how blessed Jesus named the peacemakers and to know that if we really wish for a peaceful world we should honestly pray – “Let it begin with me.” Amen Sermon Many people, including schools, have travelled to the war cemeteries in France and Belgium and are moved as they see row after row of graves. If you look at the dates, they are young people who died at the age of 18 and 19 and 20, their whole lives ahead of them, but cruelly cut short. I have never been to Flanders, but I have been to the Commonwealth cemeteries in Gallipoli and Cairo, so ordered and beautifully cared for. Places of peace amid the noise and bustle of the city. Most graves have crosses, but a number have the crescent moon for Muslims or the Star of David for Jews. There was a separate section for Hindus and even those of smaller faith communities like the Parsees. Whenever you look at the rows of tidy graves, you say NEVER AGAIN. Never again the heartache, never again the horrors of war. There is also a Commonwealth war cemetery in Gaza, as two battles were fought there in WW1. Whether bombs have hit it, I don’t know, but certainly around it will be scenes of destruction and of death. At a time we remember the fallen, we are conscious of the terrible war in Ukraine that still goes on, but also the horrendous attack by Hamas on the kibbutzim, the farming communities in Israel, women and children among the casualties but also the subsequent bombing of Gaza. Disease is now rife, and as always the innocent are caught in the middle. George Anton is a Christian living in Gaza. He has three young children, and the family were told to leave their home, as bombs would target their area. They took refuge at the church, which was also damaged, then moved to the Christian centre, just built 4 years ago from money including that from the Carol sheets we use at Christmas. It is a place with trees and space, where Christians are trained and which was on the way to being self-sustaining. The youths were active finding water and food, but now it too has been destroyed. George and his family are now heading south, struggling to find water while the children have diarrhoea. George says, ‘We are incredibly vulnerable. There is no safe place in Gaza. We are under constant fire and are filled with terror and fear’. Will they survive? Leah lives in Israel. She lost a son in a terrorist attack, but has been helped to come to terms with her grief through contact with other families in the same position, including Arab families. They have managed to build bridges, but now her neighbours pick on her because of her friendship with Arabs and make snide comments. It is difficult to remain committed to peace, but Leah is strong and she continues to have a vision of Jews, Moslems and Christians living together. We see that in our reading from Isaiah, a vision of the holy mountain where there was a banquet for ALL people and where the shroud of death covering ALL nations will be destroyed and God will swallow up death and wipe every tear from ALL faces. It is a picture of people from all nations coming together in peace. We need to keep that vision alive. In the American Declaration of Independence, there is the phrase, ‘We hold that these things are self-evident that all men are created equal’. That was expanded in 1848 to be all men and women are created equal, while in his Gettysburg Address in November 1863 Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the emancipation of slaves. They were equal. This led to Martin Luther King’s vision that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed that all are created equal. It is still a problem in Israel where Palestinians are still second class citizens, but even in this country where some are more equal than others. But we need to hold on to the vision of living in harmony. Jesus told us to love our neighbours; he also told us to love our enemies. Often the same people, so GK Chesterton said. Jesus recognised that we do have enemies. People rub us up the wrong way. They are nasty to us, do bad things to us, and we want to lash out, take revenge, pay them back, give them a taste of their own medicine. But we are encouraged to look at them through God’s eyes and to work towards loving them. It can take time, but we persevere. For we remember how Jesus had bad things done to him and was surrounded by enemies who put him on a cross and as he died, he said, ‘Father Forgive them. They know not what they do’. He continues to love. So let us keep our vision of peace alive. Hymn 710 – I had a dream Offering Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession God of all the ages past, hope of years to come We gather in this season of remembrance, grateful that you hold each one of us in your memory and your mystery now and for all the time to come. Today we remember all those who have served to preserve justice and freedom in the wars of the last century, in conflicts of our own generation and in peace keeping and relief efforts around the world, thinking especially of those who have died and those who carry scars on body and soul. We remember their courage and we remember their families who still ache for lives surrendered at great cost. Today we remember the victims of conflict, hiding in forgotten corners of the world, longing for safety and peace; and those seeking refuge among us. We remember victims of violence in our own country, still fearful and uncertain about the future Help us remember to speak out for their protection and recovery. Today we remember all those around us who struggle to remember day by day; those who must cope with the fear of forgetting those who matter most to them and with the fear of being forgotten. Help us remember to reach out in comfort and support so no one is forgotten. Today we remember all those around us who carry on under the burden of sad and hard memories; those weighed down by grief or disappointment, by anger, pain and loss. Help us remember to offer a listening ear and an understanding heart. God of all the ages past, hope of years to come, help us remember you day by day. Keep us prepared to lift up the grace and truth of your Gospel to shine into the harsh and distorted corners of the world so that the world will see we are faithful followers of Jesus. Amen Hymn 159 – Lord for the years 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. Let us go to serve, to reconcile, to bring peace, and to stand united as children of the light. And may the blessing of God, Creator, Peacemaker, Peacebringer, go with you all, this day and every day. Amen Hymn 703 - National Anthem (v1)  We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Linton (11.15am).
Call to Worship Come all you saints, from west and east and from south and north: we come and worship God. Come and worship, find here strength for the journey, forgiveness for failure and inspiration from Jesus our wounded yet triumphant Lord: we come and worship God. Hymn 740 – For all the saints (vv 1-2, 6-8) Prayer of Adoration and Confession O Most High, we come to rest from our labours and offer our praises to You, our Rock, Fortress, and Might. We come to meet You in word and song, movement and silence, knowing You hold us in the silence of Your love. O Incarnate Word, we come to confess Your name, as committed yet muddled disciples. We see Your saints of old, Lord Jesus, and admire their tenacity, faith, and determination to proclaim You despite the cost. Forgive us when we’re distracted disciples, when our faith fails and when our Christianity is compromised, when we’d prefer to flee to ocean’s farthest coast rather than proclaim You as Lord. O Eternal Flame of Love, give us time to change, time to see the world around us, grace to understand what proclaiming Jesus as King of Glory may mean for us now, and time to see the more glorious day that awaits us and all the saints. My friends God is gracious and kind, running with arms stretched wide in welcome when we turn back. Your sins are forgiven, have the grace to forgive yourselves and those who’ve wounded you. Lord’s Prayer Readings - Revelation 7:9-17 Matthew 5:1-12 Hymn 730 – From the falter of breath Weekly Prayer Vulnerable God, you challenge the powers that rule this world through the needy, the compassionate and those who are filled with longing. Make us hunger and thirst to see right prevail, and single-minded in seeking peace: that we may see your face and be satisfied in you, through Jesus Christ. Amen Sermon Hymn 744 -Hark how the adoring hosts Offering Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession Bless the gifts we bring, and inspire our discipleship so that our lives will also witness to your love in Christ’s name. Amen. God of all people, all places and all situations, we come seeking your strength and your direction, to know the comfort of your presence and the energy of your Spirit. You have called us to work towards reconciliation in the world. Help us to live out the ways of your kingdom in your Church and in our lives. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Jesus, you said, “Blessed are the poor”. We pray for those who live on the margins of our community, facing the challenges of low income and the insecurity it brings. Make us generous stewards of the abundance we enjoy so that there will be enough for all. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Jesus, you said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst”. We pray for people and communities facing famine and drought. Give strength to people and agencies dedicated to alleviating misery. Move us to share what we have with those who go hungry. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Christ, you blessed the peacemakers. We pray for those who work for peace and reconciliation in a divided world. Protect those who face violence, persecution, and chaos day by day, and bring an end to hostilities. Move us to serve as mediators and models of forgiveness in our relationships. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Jesus, you blessed those who weep. We pray for those who are dying, and those who mourn their loved ones. We name in silence those on our hearts this day, including those saints who have blessed us in days and years gone by: A time of silence is kept. Keep us united in love with all who rest from life in this world but live with you. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Amen Hymn 742 – Rejoice in God’s saints Benediction  We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15am). Visitors please sign our Visitors’ book.
Call to Worship Let us sing to the LORD a new song. We will bless God’s name from day to day. Let us declare God’s marvellous deeds among all the peoples; For God is great and greatly to be praised. Let us praise God for God’s strength and beauty. We will bring God honour and glory Hymn 127 – O worship the King (1,2,5,6) Opening Prayer God our Creator, Source of all being, we celebrate this Life you have made, in all its wonder and interdependence, and we praise you. Guide of all hope, we celebrate the Way you show us, in Jesus - our Saviour and Exemplar, and we praise you. Spirit of all inspiration, we celebrate the goodness you grow and nurture in our lives and world, and we praise you. Holy One, awed by your goodness we recognise our own smallness… We acknowledge the times when our selfishness has damaged this earth. We acknowledge the times when our prejudice or apathy has injured others. We acknowledge the times when our fear, isolation or self-loathing has injured ourselves. With humility, grace and courage, we turn to you knowing your faithfulness and love have no limits and ask you to transform our despair into new opportunity. Help us to turn away from our destructiveness and work with your Spirit to create new life. We unite our prayers together in the Lord’s Prayer using the form or words which are most worshipful for us…Our Father… Readings – 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 (pg 1186) Matthew 22: 15-22 (pg 990) Hymn SGP 111 – We are one in the Spirit Weekly Prayer Loving God, Who made us in your image and calls us by name. May we be imitators of you, that people may know we are Christians by the way we live our lives. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen. Reflection Storm Babet has worked its course. Apparently, it was named after someone in the Netherlands, involved in forecasting weather. I wonder how she feels about being associated with a storm that brought misery to some. Names conjure up images. Attila or Tamerlane may have been nice to animals, but their names evoke pictures of terror and destruction. Bu there might be other names which conjure up images of goodness and love. In the 7th Century when Oswald was king in Northumbria, he requested a bishop be sent from Iona to help him establish Christianity in his kingdom. Corman was sent from Iona but he found the people of Northumbria to be intractable, obstinate and uncivilized. Back on Iona, Aiden suggested that a more nurturing approach be taken, resulting in Aiden being sent to establish a monastic centre on Lindisfarne. The nurturing approach Aiden took had a memorable impact on the people he met. He became known as a leader who was committed to abstinence and care for others. Riches or luxuries which came into his possession were often given away to those in need. He used gifts of money to free people from slavery, many of whom he then brought to the monastery to work, offering them education and opportunity. There is a famous story of Aiden being gifted a fine horse with royal trappings which he gave away (trappings and all) to a beggar he met on the road. For Aiden the purpose of his life and the opportunities which fell his way, were to glorify God by living Jesus’ way of love. People who encountered Aiden saw his resemblance to Jesus and the God of Jesus, in the love which he showed; love which set aside his own status and ease, for the care and concern of people in greater need, and in doing so to brought glory to the God of Jesus. Even Aiden’s opponents recognised God’s family resemblance in him. In the reading from Matthew today we heard a story of the religious leaders trying to catch Jesus out, which he turned into a much bigger question, which catches us all out. The leaders asked Jesus a simple but clever question, was it right to pay taxes to the Romans. There was an unholy alliance against Jesus, as the Pharisees and Herodians couldn’t stand each other, but they hated Jesus more. The Pharisees were against paying taxes, but the Herodians were the government party, so were for it. Whichever answer Jesus gave would have made him anti-Roman OR pro Roman. They had caught Jesus this time surely. But Jesus asked whose image was on the coin. The image was that of Caesar Augustus. Jesus said, Give unto Caesar the things that are the Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. He escaped the trap, confounded his opponents but also uttered something profound. It raises questions on our duty to the state and our duty to God, especially for Christians living in oppression or where they disagree with the actions of the state. Jesus wasn’t arguing for sedition. Throughout his life Jesus challenged the injustice of prejudice, exploitation and greed, but it seems he did so by changing attitudes more than directly campaigning to change systems. I do not think this means as Jesus followers we are not to engage with building systems which are just and protect the vulnerable, but we need to recognise that systems will always be contextual and temporary, while the shaping values of love and justice come from the heart of God and are eternal. Paul wrote to the Christians in Thessalonica, praising them for imitating Christ and being models for the churches around. They were living out their faith, and people around were noticing it. How do we do that today? How do we perceive our lives, our bodies, our resources, as tools to bring glory and honour to the One whose image we reflect and to whom we belong? Aiden certainly did not perceive his life or material wealth as tools for his own glory but gifts to share the love of God in the world. Through Aiden’s loving actions, God was recognised and glorified by friends, strangers and opponents alike. The challenge is there for us – to be like the Thessalonians and imitate God, for we bear God’s image. We belong to God. Hymn 616 – There’s a spirit in the air Dedication of Offering God of abundance, we bring what we have to share, a portion of your goodness to us. Bless our gifts and our lives, so that generosity and justice will join hands, and your goodness touches those in need, in Jesus’ name. Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession God of our hearts and our hopes, As the season changes and the land prepares for winter, we thank you for autumn goodness, for brilliant colours, birds flying south, the crackle of fallen leaves and the taste of this year’s harvest. We are grateful for your steadfast love amid so much that changes. We pray for the world, for places where despair is great and where your creation groans in pain. We especially pray for Israel and Palestine; for those killed and injured in the attacks by Hamas and by those killed and injured by rockets from Israel into Gaza. We think of all on both sides whose homes are destroyed or who have had to move. We pray for all those who have worked for peace and reconciliation who are struggling with issues of trust and hope. We pray for the leaders of the world to act with integrity and seek a solution. We recognise that there is conflict in many other places in the world, such as Yemen, Iraq, Ethiopia and ask that your peace and healing come to these and other places, where we can see that they are all children of God, all valid, equal and worthy of love, compassion and understanding. We pray for the Church, here today and across the world. We are able to worship openly, to read Scripture. Help us never to be ashamed of our faith and to have the desire to deepen our discipleship. Help us remember that we have siblings in faith around the world who are persecuted or being tortured, imprisoned and killed for their faith in you. We pray for them, acknowledge their bravery and thank you for their devotion to you. Give us the strength to be like them, to step out in faith boldly and to work to deepen our discipleship and understanding of you so that we can better serve you in the world. God of comfort and compassion, We pray for all those who are struggling this autumn, whatever the reason. We remember before you those facing illness or waiting for treatment,… those who worry about winter expenses or finding shelter,… those who are grieving the loss of someone close,… and those whose mental health is under pressure these days… Awaken us to the needs of those at risk in our communities and help us respond with your comfort and compassion Silence Amen Hymn 167 – Guide me , O thou great Jehovah Benediction Walk in the presence of God this week, watching for signs of God’s Spirit at work around you. And so may God bless you and keep you; God be kind and gracious to you; may God look upon you with favour and bring you joy and peace, now and forevermore. 
Call to Worship In deep gratitude we come to worship God. We recognize God as the source of all goodness. All good gifts come from the Spirit of God: love, peace, joy, patience, kindness are all of God. We come with grateful hearts. We gather to show our gratitude in song and prayer. Hymn 230 – Praise God for the harvest Opening Prayer Heavenly Father, As we gather here today in this harvest season, we come before you with hearts full of thanksgiving and joy. We recognize that this season is a testament to your providence and the abundance of your creation. We open this harvest celebration with hearts open to your presence. We are grateful for the rich blessings you have bestowed upon us, the fruits of the earth that grace our tables, and the fellowship of friends and family gathered here today. We thank you for the changing seasons, for the cycles of planting and harvesting, and for the lessons they teach us about patience, faith, and abundance. May we always be mindful of your presence in every aspect of our lives. Lord, as we commence this celebration of abundance, we ask for your guidance and blessings. May this event be a time of joy, gratitude, and reflection. Help us to remember the hard work of those who have laboured in the fields, the dedication of farmers and gardeners, and the miracle of growth that you have ordained. May this gathering be a time of unity and community, where we share not only the bounty of the land but also the warmth of friendship and the bonds of love. Bless our conversations, our laughter, and our shared moments. Forgive us for our ingratitude and complacency. Help us to be good stewards of the earth and mindful of those who do not have enough. May this season of plenty remind us to share with others and to always seek your guidance in all that we do. Lord’s Prayer All age talk Hymn – Monarch and Maker Readings – Philippians 4: 1 -9 (pg 1181) Matthew 22: 1-14 (pg 990) Hymn 227 – The earth is yours, O God Weekly Prayer Lord of the Harvest, bless the labours of our hands and hearts and bless the fruit of our co-operation and community. Awaken us to your longing for a different world, where all are welcomed, valued and appreciated. Give us grace to discern your presence in one another, that together we may come to the eternal harvest of your grace. Amen Reflection After our service today we are going to have lunch along the road at the Institute, and all are welcome. If you don’t know the way, just follow the choir. Those who have prepared it will be most disappointed if no-one turns up. But that’s what happened in our Gospel reading today. The King threw a party, but people all sent their apologies. Now, Jesus told this story. Like all good stories he probably told it in different occasions and with different emphases, with different twists according to the context of where he was, who he was addressing. We are perhaps more familiar with Luke’s telling of this story. The great and the good came out with all sorts of excuses why they couldn’t attend the party, all very plausible. So the host sent out servants to bring in the poor, the crippled, the marginalised. Everyone was included, everyone valued, everyone had their place at the table. I personally like Luke’s version of the parable. But Matthew’s take on the story is something else. The party is his son’s wedding. The highlight of the social calendar, one might have thought, but again the great and the good send their apologies. But this time, the king sends in the troops and flattens the city. The name of the game is vengeance and violence. Afterwards, whoever is left, be they good or bad, are invited to what I would imagine to be a more sombre gathering. But even then, there is a twist, because in the carnage of destruction one guest hasn’t had the ability to change, but is ejected for not wearing the proper clothes, for making the faux pas of not dressing for a wedding. It all makes for awkward reading. And yet it is maybe appropriate with world events in Israel and Gaza and Ukraine to dwell on violence and vengeance. Jesus was talking to the religious leaders and implying that they are the ones who have rejected God’s invitation, so others are chosen to attend the heavenly banquet instead. Well and good. But Matthew was addressing the early Christian communities, and they would be aware that Jerusalem had been conquered and flattened by the Romans in 70AD, which some of them no doubt interpreted as divine punishment. Matthew included this image of the destroyed town. Today in Gaza there are scenes of utter destruction, of killing and death, of hospitals with no power and rapidly running out of drugs. There are also the images of Israeli communities where Hamas fighters ransacked and slaughtered. Scenes of violence and vengeance, the continuation of the cycle of hatred. As you know I have visited Gaza a number of times and have visited some of the Israeli communities hit by Hamas. The Guild had a project in one of them several years ago. We have to break that cycle. As for the guest who was bound and thrown into the outer darkness for wearing the wrong clothes, it all seems very harsh. When you have a group photograph taken, you know to dress accordingly, but wouldn’t be thrown out for wearing the wrong clothes. Last week on the radio a woman priest recounted how as an assistant, she was told to wear a dark suit for a bereavement call, but she didn’t have and had to hunt around charity shops for something appropriate. These days, people come ‘as they are’ and are welcomed ‘as they are’. But I think what Matthew is getting at here is that the guest came to the feast but remained the same; he wasn’t changed, he wasn’t transformed by the presence of the host. In the New Testament we are told to clothe ourselves with patience and love and compassion. The guest failed to do so. In fact we can look at the reading from Philippians, which is about rejoicing but also, in one of my favourite passages, encourages the Christians in Philippi to focus on what is true and noble, whatever is excellent and praiseworthy, the best and not the worst, the beautiful and not the ugly. It can be depressing looking at the news, seeing so much suffering in the world through wars or disasters affected by our changing climate. We wonder what next and can often dread the next news bulletin. I certainly do with Gaza. However perhaps we need to focus on the good and noble around us and clothe ourselves with God’s compassion and love. God does invite us to a feast and all are welcome, the dress code is to be clothed in compassion and love. Choir Anthem Dedication of Offering Gracious God, You call us to let go of the things we cling to and step out in faith, trusting in Your love and provision. Give us courage to step out boldly, to plant our small seeds generously, and without fear. Use our gifts to accomplish more than we could possibly imagine, so that, through us, Your kingdom might come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen Affirmation We saw a stranger yesterday. We put food in the eating place, drink in the drinking place, music in the listening place. And in the sacred name of the triune God, she blessed us and our house, our cattle and our dear ones. As the lark says in her song: Often, often, often goes the Christ in the stranger’s guise. Hymn 165 – Praise to the Lord Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession Lord God, you created the world and you saw that it was good. Today, at harvest time, we lift our eyes from the pavement and the floor and look with fresh awareness at the world you gave us. Open our hearts, good Lord, to see the riches and the wonder that you give your children: food to sustain their bodies, marvellous sights and sounds to feed their minds, beauty and love to fill their souls. Open our hearts, good Lord, until they overflow with happiness and thanks for all the gifts you give us in your world; and sweep them clean of petty grumbles about the little things we would have liked but that you chose not to give us. Open our hearts to offer you a rich and fitting harvest not only of our praise, but of our lives, lived in the way that you intended human lives to be. We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Lord God, at harvest time we pray for those whose lives are still endured in deserts, with no hope of harvest. We pray for those who live in barren places where the rains fail and the cattle starve. We pray for them, and we ask for grace to see the action that should follow from our prayer – to see what we can do, and then to do it. We pray for those who live in devastated and polluted places ruined by war and human stupidity. We especially pray for situation in Israel and Palestine and Gaza. We pray for those whose deserts are created by disease – whose bodies burn with pain or fever, whose arms are weak; and for those who dedicate their lives to caring for them. Especially when their caring means risking their own health. We pray for those trapped in the desert of a damaged mind, caught in the sand of fear, unable to tell the difference between reality and mirage, lost and fast losing hope of finding their way to an inhabited city. We pray for them, and we ask for grace to see the action that should follow from our prayer – to see what we can do, and then to do it. Lord God, you commanded long ago that part of every harvest should be set aside to feed the poor and the foreigner. Help us to bring the riches of harvest to your children who have nothing. We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Finally, Lord, we pray for the work of harvest that you set your church. Teach us to see in every human spirit a shoot that you planted, with all the love that you put into your creation. Teach us to see in every shoot, reaching in its own way towards the light that you created on the first day, the image of the one who made it. Help us to understand the patient work of nurturing precious souls so that they flourish and shine and grow towards the perfection that you long for them to reach. Give us humility and patience, forgive us when we fail and guide our hands and our mouths to give good care to souls around us in this parish and in all the world, so that the harvest fills the granaries of heaven and not one is lost. We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Hymn 229 – We plough the fields and scatter Benediction Go into the world showing a gentle attitude toward everyone. Be joyful and thankful! Fill your mind with those things that are good and deserve praise: things true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honourable. And may God , Father Son and Holy Spirit, bless you and all whom you love this day and even forevermore. Amen 
Call to Worship Give thanks to the LORD, for God is good; God’s steadfast love endures for ever. God crowns the year with bounty; Pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy. Valleys deck themselves with grain, and sing together for joy. So let us all praise God for all God’s goodness to us. Hymn - Hills of the North rejoice Opening Prayer Creator God, Your hands have shaped this world – A world born from your imagination, And given life through your own breath. Thank you for the beauty of nature; For its vastness and for its delicacy. Thank you for mountains and valleys, For beaches, seas and coasts, As well as for fields and gardens and parks. Thank you for bird song, For animals of every sort and size, and for crawly creatures on land and in the sea. Help us, Creator God, To enjoy all your hands have made And help us too, to care for it all, So that your world might thrive. Above all, On this day, we thank you especially, For your invitation to work with you in sowing and planting and in harvesting. Grow in us, we pray, a greater sense of wonder at how amazing your world is And may that wonder encourage us To cherish and respect this world As the gift it is from you. Teach us too, we pray, how to share that gift, With all around us. As you intended. Amen All age talk Hymn 181 – For the beauty of the earth Readings – Philippians 3: 4b -14 (pg 1180) Matthew 21: 33-46 (pg 990) Hymn 231 – For the fruits of all creation Weekly Prayer God of faithfulness, your generous love supplies us with the fruits of the earth in their seasons. Give us grace to be thankful for your gifts, to use them wisely and to share our plenty with others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Sermon Are you sitting comfortably. Then I will begin! Once upon a time there was a giant who lived in a rather large house with a beautiful garden not too far from here. But his cousin who was an ogre in Cornwall invited him for a visit, so off the giant went. It was quite far away so he was gone for some time, in fact a number of years. During that time the local children discovered the garden and played in it. It was wonderful with trees to climb and pretty flowers to gather. But then the giant came back. ‘What are you doing in MY garden’, he shrieked. ‘get out of here. If you dare to come back, I will eat you up’. And he built a wall to keep them out, and the leaves fell off the trees and the flowers died, and it was winter. It was winter in December, but it was also winter in April and in July and in September. It was winter right through the year. Until one day some children, with some memory of a wonderful garden, crept through a hole in the wall, and the wintry weather gave way to glorious spring. The trees blossomed, but there was one part of the garden which remained wintry, and that is where a single, solitary boy was unable to reach up and climb a tree. The selfish giant came out, and all the children ran away -except for the boy trying to climb the tree. The giant saw him trying and reached down and helped him up to the branch – and then the most wonderful thing happened – the boy turned and embraced the giant. The other children saw how the giant helped the boy, so gradually came back and played, but at the end of the day they go home, but the boy disappeared, and no one knew where he had gone. Years passed, and the boy doesn’t return, and the Giant is sad. Until the giant is dying, and the boy appears, with marks of nails in his hands and feet, but he tells the giant not to be scared. As the giant had let him play in his garden, he would now take the giant to his garden, paradise. When the other children came, they found the giant dead. It is an Oscar Wilde story, and maybe his most Christological. We can take a lot out of the story. The garden reminds us of Narnia where it was always winter and never Christmas. But it can also remind us of the vineyard in our Gospel reading today, for the selfishness of the giant reminds us of the selfishness, the greed, of the tenants led to the abuse and killing of the landowner’s servants and even his son. The tenants wanted the vineyard and its produce all for themselves and killed the Son to gain his inheritance. Selfishness, self-gain ruled their hearts. The boy in the story with the marks of suffering is the Christ figure, ready to embrace the world, even those who are selfish. Everyone needs to be loved, and love changes a person. Harvest is a time to remember how through selfishness we can turn our gardens, our earth, wintry. As humans we have abused the earth, exploited its fruit and minerals and we live with the consequences of that. The industrial revolution brought in great wealth but created horrendous conditions and changed our world. Yes, there were the Robert Owens of New Lanark who sought to provide schooling and further learning, but the reliance on fossil fuels was set. We think of self and fail to see what others are going through. The war in Ukraine has had a gigantic impact on food security. Ukraine was a major exporter of grain, and countries like Egypt which were so reliant on grain have seen inflation rise and it is the vulnerable who suffer. But in our story love triumphed over selfishness and made the garden grow. There are always good news stories as well, as people triumphing over adversity and addressing the situations where they find themselves. In Egypt the Church has helped Christian villages set up committees to look at health and education. Sadly a common theme is poor sanitation and pollution. In one village there was no way of disposing safely of rubbish, and it piled up beside the banks of canals. They have been able to address this and have been able to remove 148 tons of rubbish and purified the water in the canal, and life has become healthier. In Cairo it is Christians who collect the rubbish, and their families go through the rubbish and manage to recycle so much of it. In Iraq, devastated by ISIS, young Christians are looking to emigrate to Turkey or Jordan, as there are no opportunities. But again a scheme has been established in the Nineveh plain to irrigate land and make the desert blossom. Serop is 25and from a family of 8. He has now been trained to plant and tend crops in a greenhouse. His strawberries didn’t succeed but he was determined and experimented with broccoli and things are going well. All thought of leaving his village and country are gone; he wants to stay and help his village. We are going to share in communion and we take bread made of many grains and wine made from many grapes. We rejoice in the harvest, and as we reflect on the Christ who bears the wounds of suffering, but through love conquered death and rose again. So we remember and we pledge ourselves to rejoice in the harvest enjoyed by all the world. Choir Anthem Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession We give you thanks, O God, for all things that make life good, and pray that all people will share in the blessings we know. For the world, for the wonders of earth, sea and sky; for beauty in nature and wildlife; and for the rhythm of the days and seasons; For waters that refresh and sustain life; for soil that is fertile and rich; for those who tend crops and care for harvests; for those who produce, deliver and market our food; and for those who make sure the hungry are fed; For human life; for talking and thinking together, working on problems and plans; for burdens and joys shared; for relationships that give life meaning; and for the wisdom exchanged between old and young in mutual support: For your grace in times of anxiety, doubt and grief; for healing in times of illness, confusion, and distress; for rejuvenating strength and renewed purpose; for scientific knowledge and discovery to confront disease and improve health; For the trust that you hear each prayer and know every need; that you love and care for all; and that you walk with us through all our days and seasons; Amen The banqueting table is prepared and God calls us to the feast. We have come from east and west, from north and south, to sit at Christ’s table. Here compassion, love, and grace pour out like fine wine. Here we taste the bread of life, bread for our journey. There are gifts of God for all the people of God. Let us taste and see that the Lord is good! Invitation to the Table This table is set for all; around it there are no divisions. Just as bread is not made from one grain, but from many, and wine is not made from one grape, but from a full harvest, so too, we, who are many, are made one in Christ. Hymn 103- Fill your hearts The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving The Lord be with you; And also with you. Lift up your hearts; We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God; It is right to give God thanks and praise. It is our calling and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise, Lord God, Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth. You spoke, and all things came into being: the sun, moon and stars, the earth, sky and waters, and everything they contain. Your Spirit swept over creation, bringing order out of chaos and life out of the formless void. From the elements of earth, you created humankind in your image. You breathed life into us and called us to love and serve you. But we turned away, seeking to live in our own way. Yet you have never turned from us. Through the law and the prophets, you called us back to you. In the fullness of time, you sent your son, Jesus, born of a mother’s flesh, to reveal your grace and love. Again and again, you welcome us back to your side with the open arms of a loving father. Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with those from every time and place, to proclaim your glory in the unending hymn: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy is your son, Jesus. Walking this earth, feeding the hungry, calling the lost, offering healing and teaching to all who sought him, he revealed your kingdom at work in your world. we recall the mystery of faith: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. O God, pour out your Spirit upon us and upon this bread and wine. May they be for us the body and life blood of our Lord Jesus, healing, renewing and making us whole. Unite us in worship and witness with your Church throughout the world so that together we will bring honour and glory to your name through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in whose name we offer these words: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Breaking of bread The Lord Jesus on the night that he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and said, ‘this is my body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me’. In the same way he took the cup, saying ‘ This cup is the new covenant sealed by my blood. Whenever you drink of it, do so in memory of me’ O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: have mercy on us. (x2) grant us your peace. This is the Christ’s body, broken for you. Take and eat in memory of him. This is the blood of Christ poured out for each one of us. Take and drink in memory of him. Peace Prayer after Communion Lord Jesus Christ, you have nourished us in this meal, and fed our bodies and souls. We have heard your love; now send us out to speak it. We have seen your love; now send us out to show it. We have been fed by your love; now send us out to share it. and let all things be done for your glory. Amen. Hymn 233 – Come ye thankful people come. Benediction In this season of harvests from field and garden, walk with thanksgiving in your hearts, savouring the abundance God’s creation produces, honouring what the earth needs to flourish again next season. And may the blessing of God, our Creator, Redeemer and Giver of Life, be with you now and remain with you always. Amen. 
Call to Worship Praise God, all you people of the earth. Blessed be God forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting blessed be God forever. As high as the tree soaring above the forest, as beautiful as the river flowing through many lands, as rich as the ecosystems of an abundant earth, as close as the smallest creature on the ground, so good is the God of all creation. blessed be God forever. Hymn 154 – O Lord my God Prayers of Approach and Confession Glorious God, who made us part of a wonderfully varied creation: We join creation in praising you! Generous God, who made humanity in amazing diversity so that we might, together, comprehend your boundless marvels: We join creation in praising you! Gracious God, who entrusts the care of all creation to us and gives us the gift of creativity: We join creation in praising you! For those times when we have blamed others’ actions: Gracious God: forgive us. For those times when we have acted from selfish ambition: Gracious God: forgive us. For those times when we have been conceited: Gracious God: forgive us. For those times when we have regarded ourselves as better than others. Gracious God: forgive us. For those times when we have looked only to our own interests: Gracious God: forgive us. In silence we remember those times when we have fallen short of the example that Jesus set for us. Silence Gracious God: forgive us. It is God who is at work in you, your sins are forgiven. Let the same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus, so that your love for all people may shine through our words and actions. Lord’s Prayer Readings – Philippians 2:1-13 Matthew 21:23-32 Hymn 143 – Who put the colours in the rainbow Weekly Prayer Christ Jesus whose glory was poured out like perfume, and who chose for our sake to take the extravagance that our lives may be fragrant with you. Amen. Sermon ‘Let your Yes be Yes and your No be No’. So said Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. But we are not very good at that, are we? Some nationalities can be very direct and say exactly what they think; they don’t beat about the bush. But we don’t want to upset people, so we skirt around the issue to avoid offending people with what we think. When we ask people how they are, the response is rarely ‘ I am very well’ or ‘I feel absolutely dreadful’; rather people say ‘I’m not bad’ or ‘I’m doing away’ or ‘fair to middling’. In Zambian English it was ‘Just OK’. There are other phrases we use: we say, "It really doesn't matter" –when we mean ‘Nothing has ever mattered to me more and I will never forget this and will hold a grudge forever’
In our Gospel reading we had the parable of the two sons. It is one of Jesus' shortest parables, and the two brothers seem to have great difficulty saying either yes or no. A father asks his two sons – will you go into the vineyard and work for me? One says yes when he really means no; one says no, but then on reflection realises he actually means Yes. And Jesus asks which of the sons does the father’s will, and the Priests and pharisees to whom he addresses the question, admit that the son who originally said no, but ended up in the vineyard, was the one who did the father’s will. Jesus was speaking to the chief priests and elders. He had just cleansed the Temple and was obviously regarded as a troublemaker, someone who was intent on upsetting the system. They asked by what authority he did these things, but Jesus turned it on them, asking on whose authority John the Baptist did things, implying it was by the same authority Jesus acted. The leaders were in a quandary. If they said John acted on God’s authority, people would wonder why they the priests didn’t support him; but if they claimed John acted on his own authority, the crowd would turn against them, for John was still popular with them. So they chickened out and said, they didn’t know. But somehow Jesus was having a dig at the religious leaders, for putting on a face, saying yes to God and to God’s commandments, while all the time living out the opposite in their lives. They said Yes but did not mean it. Thankfully we have a God who says Yes and does mean it. In the beginning God said Yes to creation. He made creation and said that it was good – the sky, the sea, the land with all that grows. It is amazing to think of the creativity of creation with all the wonderful creatures and plants. It is amazing to think that at an early time people began to till the land and farming began, growing crops and looking after livestock. Although we have hi-tech machines now, there is still the timelessness of the crops being brought in. We depend on the land around us. Yet we are conscious of the harm we have done to creation. We have been poor stewards. This week there was a story of water companies being fined because of their failure to keep the waterways clean. There were pictures of all kinds of sewage pumped into rivers and the sea. The changing climate has impacted creation with wildfires and floods and extreme heat this summer, with areas like Morocco and Spain where so many vegetables are grown affected. When we talk about caring for creation, we can’t let our Yes mean No. But we are also thankful that God created humanity in his image – male and female, and God said they were very good. God said yes to us and affirmed us. We quickly said No to God and went our own way, But God continued to draw us back and sent his Son Jesus to live our life on earth and bring us back to God, and in his letter to the Philippians Paul describes in that wonderful passage how Jesus became like a servant and humbled himself to the point of dying on the cross, before being exalted. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow. That was God’s yes to us. Paul tells us that our attitude should be the same as Christ’s, our mind should be the same. That means living out God’s Yes in our lives. This is harvest season when we celebrate the fruits of creation, but we also recognise the fruits within us – the fruit of goodness and kindness and patience and peace and generosity and gentleness and so on. By living out these fruits in our lives we show our Yes to God. Hymn 240 – God in such love for us Prayers of Dedication and Intercession Accept our gifts O God, as tokens of our praise and thanks to You. Accept our gifts O God, as tokens of our desire to change. Accept our gifts O God, as tokens of our love. Accept us too O God, that we may continue to praise, change and love. O God, Eternal Majesty, we thank you for our world, but recognise all is not as it should be. birds are dying of avian flu, fish swim in polluted seas, flowers cry out for bees and insects to pollinate them, trees are torn down so big business can make more money. The rains are not gentle but threatening, the mountains shake with rage as we turn our backs on the earth our mother. Teach us, O God, to learn from the Earth that we may lie in harmony with Creation and each other. O God, Incarnate Word, You walked our earth, know our pain, see our confusion. Help us to see those things You lay out in plain sight:- the rising sea waters, the increasing temperature, the people on the move, the ecological crisis reaching tipping point, and give us the grace and strength to act. Forgive us when we are distracted by things that don’t matter. Help us to call to account those who lead us, that we may use our voices to change before it’s too late. We thank you that Paul taught us that our life in Christ makes us strong, and his love comforts us. We need your comfort as we hear of so many things seeming to go wrong in your world. We pray for all those affected by recent disasters. We pray for the people in Libya whose homes were destroyed by flooding and those in Morocco who lost so much in the earthquake. We pray for the various organisations trying to help, we pray that they will have the money and the people needed. We especially pray for Christian Aid and for all they do to help people in your name. We remember the hundreds of refugees from war-torn Nagorno-Karabakh and pray for the situation in Armenia and Azerbaijan. We pray for those we know who are ill or anxious or bereaved, who need to be aware of our care for them…teach us your way of love. We pray for the church, as we face the challenge of Christian living in a modern society and world…teach us your way of love. Silence as we remember all in need. Amen Hymn 137 – All things bright & beautiful Benediction May thoughts of Jesus fill your mind, and hunger for God drive your soul, and love for Lord guide your speech and your actions. And may the grace, peace, and love of the triune God, protect, defend, and empower you to run with perseverance the race marked out for you. 
Call to Worship Come and worship, you who woke early and you who slept late; you who come often, and you who don’t. Whether we are first or last or somewhere in between, there is room for all of us in God’s kingdom, and more than enough grace to go around. Let’s worship God together! Hymn 214 – New every morning Prayers of Approach and Confession God of all creation, you open the world around us and fill it with creatures of your love and purpose. The wonder of each creature declares your praise – the mountains state your majesty; the ripened field, your generosity; the oceans your power and the skies your grandeur. Birds flying aloft sing of your freedom; the tiny ant works with your persistence. And what do we declare about you in our lives? We pray that our work will honour your justice and mercy; and our relationships speak of your love and compassion. So may we praise you, O God, not just in this hour of worship, but in all our waking and our working. May we live your praise and promise through Christ, our Living Lord. Patient one, we praise you. For not giving up on us. For promising never to leave us. For loving us, for better or worse. Forgive us for the divisions between us, the grudges we cling to, the hurts we cherish, and the harm we have done in your name. Shake us from our lazy assumptions and lame excuses. Help us to heal broken friendships, and all we have neglected to tend or repair. May we love one another, as you have loved us. The mercy of our God is from everlasting to everlasting. Believe the Good News! In Jesus Christ, God’s generous love reaches out to embrace us. In Christ, we are forgiven and set free to begin again. Thanks be to God! Lord’s Prayer Readings – Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16 Hymn 619/20 – Spirit of the living God Weekly Prayer Everlasting God, you do everything possible for our spiritual growth and well-being. Help us to be generous in all our service and as we prepare for the week to come, enable us to echo the words of Paul who could say "for me to live is Christ." Amen Sermon Standing, waiting, the sun rising, the heat swelling, uncertainty swirling, looking around at expectant faces, waiting on work, waiting on a wage, waiting … waiting … A truck pulls up, the foreman jumps down, looks along the line, points, you, you, you … but not me. Standing, waiting, the sun beating, uncertainty gaining ground, waiting … waiting … A minibus pulls over, and from our ranks goes another group of workers, their day’s uncertainty over, but not me. Standing, waiting, shoulders slumping, head bowing, a vision of empty bowls in front of hungry children, waiting… waiting The foreman is back, needing more hands, you, you, you … but still not me. Sitting, waiting, forlorn, hopeless, but what else to do? the sun going down, the day almost over, waiting … waiting … for a job that will never come. The sound of tyres on gravel, a fleeting hope, a finger pointing at me, beckoning me over – it is me, finally chosen! An overwhelming relief flooding through my body: a wage to come, food on the table, for today, today. And then the waiting will begin again, next sunrise. (Peter Johnston STB) That’s the scene from our Gospel reading today, but it is also the scene from Africa and even the Arab villages in the North of Israel. Workers hoping someone will come along and hire them for the day, so that there would be enough food to put on the table for their families in the evening. It is a precarious kind of existence. Hoping you look fit enough for the work, hoping you will be lucky. Most of the parables Jesus told make us feel good. There are characters we can relate to, like the father in the Prodigal Son (sons?). They can be heartwarming, when the unexpected happens, as when the Samaritan helps the injured man on the road and takes him to the inn and even pays for his recuperation there. But this parable we read today somehow offends our idea of fairness. It just doesn’t seem fair that those who have worked the whole day should be paid the same as those who only worked a short time at the end. But that is exactly what happens in Jesus’ story. We expect there to be a sliding scale, where the ones who laboured through the heat of the day are rewarded more than the johnny-come-latelies. But in Jesus parable all are paid the same. It is as if the landowner is saying, ‘We agreed a wage, and you got that wage. It is my money – what is it to you that I should be generous with my own money’. The parable is not really about the workers, but about the generosity of God, about the grace of God, which is overwhelming and all embracing. And sometimes love in the form of grace trumps justice. Scholars think Matthew includes this story in his gospel to reflect the early church. There were those who had been in the church from the start and who had sacrificed a lot to follow Christ, while others, maybe slaves, came to Christ later in their lives. Those who had been in the church for a long time would understandably see themselves as first in line for the seat in Christ’s kingdom. But Jesus is saying that God loves everyone and regards everyone as the same. We may have been in the church from the year dot, made countless sandwiches and cups of tea, read the lessons, even been elders, but God’s grace is overwhelming and everyone is precious. I can show my dog collar, my certificates from new College even my Kiltwalk medals – but they are not my entry ticket into heaven. I think we are all in for a big surprise. Remember how the mother of James and John pleaded with Jesus for special positions for her boys. It was a mother’s love that drove her, but Jesus kindly but firmly put her in her place. There is no favouritism. And so it should be in the church as well. But I think this parable also shows the landowner helping those who were left behind, those who didn’t appear so strong, the undervalued and those with no sense of worth, and that reflects God’s love as well. The Gospel has a bias to the poor and to the vulnerable. God wants them in the Vineyard, such is the generosity of grace. As the Church, we have to embody that. One way is to be conscious of so many in our world working for minimal wages, and the importance of ensuring a fair wage and by supporting Fairtrade and agencies like Christian Aid, empowering the disadvantaged. Christian Aid has the slogan ‘Life before Death’. In Philippians we read how Paul expressed the wish that he could die and be with Christ in the Kingdom of heaven, such was his faith – ‘for me to live is Christ, to die is gain’, but there was still work to be done on earth, and Jesus called him to continue to work building the Kingdom as a place where all are welcome and accepted, regardless of background or pedigree. God’s generosity abounds, his grace is amazing, and we too must live out that generosity in our lives and show something of God’s grace. Hymn 607 – The bright wind is blowing Prayers of Dedication and Intercession Generous God, you are the source of all good things, of life itself and all that sustains it. Bless the gifts we offer. By your Spirit, multiply their impact to support your purposes in the world you love in the name of Christ, our Saviour and Friend. Amen. God of mystery and wonder, We look around at the beauty of the world and sense that you have given each precious thing its place and a way of sustaining itself. Thank you for your attention to the details of creation. Yet we also see an aching world and sense that many precious things are under threat. Bless the work of faithful people everywhere to care for the climate and environment. Show us how we can protect what is at risk for the health of your whole creation. God of energy and life, We look around at the peoples of this world and see your imagination and dignity in every variety of face and culture. Thank you for the gifts you plant at the heart of humanity. Yet we also see the aching of the hungry and hurting, and hear the groans of parents whose children die in their arms and the cries of children who fear tomorrow. Bless the various outreach and agencies of our church across our country and around the world that bring healing and hope to lives at risk. God of promise and possibility, We look around at the places where people collide with each other and hear the grumbling of nations locked into old rivalries and new grievances. We watch the jousting of leaders impressed more by polls than effective policies. We worry about the future of our communities and our children. Thank you for the witness for justice and peace we make together in Jesus’ name. God of faithfulness and surprise, We look at ourselves and sometimes doubt we can make a difference or have an impact. Challenge us to recognise the kinds of power we do have: The love and compassion, The courage and commitment, The laughter and friendship, The generosity and mercy. In all of these gifts we know your power at work within us and among us. Call us to keep serving together, trusting you can do more than we can ask or imagine through, our congregation, and our own lives, blessed by the grace of Jesus Christ Hymn 476 – Mine eyes have seen the glory Benediction Go out from here as workers in God’s upside-down kingdom, where the last are first and the first are last, where needs are met in miraculous ways, and there is grace enough for all! And may the blessing of God, the love of Jesus Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit surround you and sustain you in the coming days. Amen. |
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