 We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15) on the 2nd Sunday of Lent. We celebrate communion.
Call to Worship How shall we come before our God? We come to celebrate God’s goodness As we worship, what does the Lord require of us? God calls us to do justice and to love kindness. As we serve, what does the Lord require of us? God calls us to walk and worship in humility Hymn 160 – Praise my soul, the King of heaven Prayer of Adoration and Confession Loving God, you speak words of life to us. In you we find our hearts’ desire; by your grace we are saved. When the way forward is unclear, you shed light. When times are difficult, you stir courage and hope. Our deepest longing is to know you, and to be known by you. Draw near to us in our time of worship, O God, and open the way before us, so that we may follow Jesus without wavering, putting our trust in him. Although following you brings joy, O God, we confess the way is sometimes hard for us. We get tired and would prefer an easier road. Some days the task of loving others seems hard, and we ignore the needs of our neighbours. Forgive us when our commitment to you wavers, and we take that easier path. Strengthen our determination to follow where you lead and renew our energy to serve in Jesus’ name. Amen Readings – Genesis 17: 1–7, 15-16 (Pg 16) Mark 8: 31-8 (pg 1012) Hymn 392 – When I survey the wondrous cross Weekly Prayer Gracious God, during this period of Lent, give us a new awareness of your presence here in our Cheviot Churches and teach us the humility to accept that everything we have comes from you. Help us never to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ and let us be useful in His service to your people. Amen Sermon The Galilee Employment Agency had been given a challenge – to identify someone to fill the number 2 spot in a new organisation headed by one, Jesus of Nazareth. There were twelve candidates, but some were quickly discounted because they lacked profile. The report highlighted the various strengths and weaknesses before making their conclusion. James and John, for example, had their strengths but were seen as overly ambitious and with a dominating, interfering mother. Andrew, despite being one of the first members of the organisation and good at teamwork, was deemed to be too content to be in the background and lacked the leadership skills necessary. Simon was too impulsive and outspoken, lacking the diplomacy needed for the role. But the report concluded that the person most suited to the post, with financial acumen and contacts in high places, was Judas Iscariot. Sometimes we do choose the wrong people for particular jobs, and that is why the interviewing panel needs to have the right information and most crucially a job description where some attributes are deemed essential and others desirable, perhaps not essential, but they would be quite nice to have anyway. But what about a job description for being a Christian, what would be the essentials? What would be the desirable things that would go on that list? Perhaps in the essential list you might have things like a certain set of beliefs, perhaps a particular view of faith and trust in Christ, perhaps a life of prayer, of study of scripture, or perhaps it's more about being compassionate, kind and loving, having a real sense of integrity. These would all be essential. But what about the readiness to deny yourself and take up the cross? Would that be on your list? Some scholars when they examine Mark’s Gospel see that in the first half, Mark explores who Jesus is and what he was like. And the second half is about how we respond to Christ? And we see that through the lens of the disciples as they follow Christ. And here at the pivot point as we change from being in the first half to the second half of Mark's Gospel, as we change from concentrating on who Jesus is to how we might respond, we get this little passage in which Jesus seems to lay down for us the job description of what it means to be a disciple. To deny ourselves. As we mentioned last week, as we journey through Lent, we often give up something as a discipline, a self-sacrifice. We are somehow making space to focus more on God. In the Bible when people focused on God, they were sometimes so transformed they were given a new name. Jacob became Israel; Simon became Peter’ Saul became Paul. Sarai and Abram became Sarah and Abraham. When we focus on God we too can be transformed. But we are also called to take up the cross. We all have crosses to bear, be they small or large, be they illnesses or anxieties. For many in our world to bear the name of Christ can lead to persecution and suffering and even death. Today at Communion we focus on the extent of Christ’s love for us that he would endure suffering and death on the cross for us, that we might be saved, know the fullness of God’s love. That gives us the strength and encouragement to carry the cross. Our response is to follow. To follow Christ means showing that integrity to the world, that in seeing us, people may know that we are Christians. Prayers of Dedication & Intercession Lord Jesus, you challenge your followers to give to God like you did, without counting the cost. Use these gifts to continue your ministry of healing in this hurting world. And grant us courage so that our lives speak to others of our love for you and for them’ Loving God, as descendants of Abraham we offer our prayers; for a world in turmoil, as we think of the many places in the world that are in the grip of war, oppression and tyranny. We pray for peace; in Gaza, Ukraine, Yemen and all countries where there is conflict. We pray too, for those whose lives are forfeit or endangered by hostile regimes: that kill or imprison those who dare oppose dangerous leaders. We remember the family of Alexi Navalny and all those who supported his views. Loving God, we pray for our own country and our particular communities; for peaceful relationships amongst diverse people. May we always seek for common ground and agreement rather than difference and argument. We pray for all affected by the increase in knife crime which has claimed too many young lives recently. Loving God, we pray for all who are sick in body or mind; for those who face the increasing challenges of an aging body; for those who have recently received a tough diagnosis; for those with life-limiting conditions. In a moment of silence, we name those most on our hearts this day. Loving God, we pray for ourselves, for our friends and our families; May we ever seek to be brave enough to answer the challenge to take up the cross and walk with you; to seek your ways, not our own and to remember that you have promised to be with us, always. Amen Invitation Lent is not simply a time for temporary self-discipline. It is time to refashion our relationship with God and to be refashioned by God’s strength and grace. This meal is the gift of that strength and grace and reminds us there will always be enough for everyone who seeks a place at this table. So come, you who have much faith and you who have a little, you who have been here often and you who have not been for a long time.Our Saviour invites all those who trust his grace to share this feast as a foretaste of his kingdom. Hymn 19 – Ye gates Communion Hymn 518 – Lift up your hearts Benediction
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