Harvest Festival Week at Upper Clyde

A sample of some of the delicious baking on offer

It's Harvest Festival time! 
And to begin our Harvest week in style, we held a coffee morning....

A good time was had by all and we raised £220 - a fun raiser and a fund-raiser. Proceeds will be split between the Clydesdale Food Bank and ourselves [helps pay for the heating oil!].

Thanks to everyone who came along and supported our event, and special thanks to Sara and Tabitha for their fabulous baking. We're all looking forward to the opening of their cake shop in Biggar 'A Piece of Cake' and wish them well in their new adventure.

Meanwhile, around the five schools within the parish, decorations are being made to display in the church for this coming Sunday's Harvest Festival Service ... please do join us if you can at 10.30.
[And just a reminder to members of the Kirk Session - our rescheduled meeting is this week, on Wed 30th, at 7pm]

Harvest Coffee Morning and Harvest festival service news

This week, on Saturday. All welcome!

Our Harvest Service will be held on Sun 4th October, in the parish church at Abington, 10:30am.
 
The building will be open on Saturday the 3rd at 2pm,
for all who wish to come along to help with the harvest decorations.

As the end of our 'Season of Creation' series, given the River Clyde runs through our parish, and the theme for 'SoC' this year is 'living water', we'll be celebrating the harvest of the rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans.

Special thanks to our five Primary Schools, as ever, for their help with the decorating: we're looking forward to seeing what you've all created!!

September... a season of creation

Over the Sundays of September, and culminating with our Harvest Thanksgiving service on the 4th of October, Upper Clyde is marking the Season of Creation. As the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us, there is a time for everything under heaven, and the Season of Creation provides a time to dedicate ourselves to prayer and action for the protection of creation. It is a time to renew our relationships with God our Creator, and with all creation, as we join together in prayer.
Begun as an initiative of the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1989, the Season of Creation has grown into a worldwide ecumenical movement, celebrating God our Creator, and God's creation.

What will the Season of Creation look like for us, here at Upper Clyde?
Sun 6th calls us to reflect on the beginning of all things as we explore the first of the creation stories. Within this service, we will also share in the sacrament of Communion - where all are welcome.
Sun 13th focuses on the other creation story - of the garden, and of the expulsion of the first humans from it. Our reflections take in the words 'domination' and stewardship' - in the context of God's charge to be responsible for the earth.
Sun 20th moves us further into the Book of Genesis, and to the story of Noah and an arkful of creatures of every kind, while...
Sun 27th takes us to the book of last things - Revelation, and a focus upon the river of the water of life.
And then, on the 4th Oct, we bring all of this together, as we celebrate and give thanks for the harvest, during which we'll take a moment to reflect on the 'eco Church' movement with Jayne Gray.

Harvest morning tea: On Sat 26th Sept, from 10-12, we'll also be having a morning tea, as part of our Season of Creation/ Harvest related activities. Hosted by our friends Sara and Tabitha, we anticipate their usual fabulous baking, along with opportunities to buy tickets for our prize draw. All monies raised will be split between the Clydesdale Food Bank and Upper Clyde.

Clydesdale Food Bank: as September is a communion month, and the first Sunday of September is Food Bank Sunday, the box to collect food and hygiene products will be available in the vestibule for any donations. These will be uplifted, along with harvest items, on Sun 4 October after worship. And thanks in advance....

Sunday 16th August 'A tale of two fathers'

This week, in our time of worship, we continued working through Luke's gospel. Our overall theme focused upon greatness - what makes it, and where we find it. The readings today were:
Psalm 104: 1-5, 24-28, 31-34;  Luke 9:37-50

Why a tale of two fathers?
Immediately preceding our passage from Luke is the story of the transfiguration - our reading begins with Jesus, John, and James and John having just come back down from the mountain. It's a high point - both literally, and spiritually - and a space in which God, as Father, affirms his son, Jesus 'this is my Son, listen to him.'
And having experienced this, Jesus and the three disciples come back down from this mountain-top moment and come face to face with another father, another son: the son, demonstrably unwell...the father, distraught. 

As part of our reflection upon this section of Luke's gospel, we imagined the story of the father and the son being recounted by the father after both had returned home... 

I remember the night he was born.
Remember the cries of my wife, giving birth;
remember later
the smaller, high-pitched cry of my son.
It had been a difficult birth and, in the end,
proved almost too much for my wife’s body.
She survived, but there were no more children:
he was our first, and our last.
And how we loved him— he gave us such joy.
We mirrored each other:
fretted when he fretted,
laughed when he laughed,
and grew to know each other well.
Until we didn’t.
Something had changed.
He was no longer himself -
no longer the happy care-free boy we’d come to know.
Instead, he was a stranger, howling into the void, his body not his own.
We’d watch in horror as he’d fling his wee body to the ground,
terrified that he would hurt himself.
We felt… helpless,
seeing his limbs twitching,
his mouth frothing: onlookers to someone not in possession of themselves.
Where where was our wee boy in the midst of all of this? 
We learnt to sit with him,
my wife crooning a lullaby to soothe him,
to bring him back to us.

We also discovered who our true friends were—
fewer than we’d thought,
but those few stayed by us,
didn’t shun us like the others in the village.
Even so, as time went by,
it just felt better to stay at home,
shut ourselves away;
the stares and whispers were just…
too much.
But it was through our friends
that we heard of the Rabbi.
He had been travelling around,
doing amazing things,
transforming people’s lives
and he was headed our way.
I knew there and then that I’d take our son to see him.
It was worth the looks,
the pointing fingers,
the name-calling.

At first, I asked the Rabbi’s disciples:
they seemed unable to help,
but they took us to Jesus.
Even as we approached,
my son lost control,
threw his body to the ground,
and then the awful convulsions overtook him.
At a word from Jesus, however, it …stopped.
Whatever had overtaken my son was gone.
I looked into his eyes.
“Daddy?”
And then I held him close and cried.
Jesus had brought him back,
and, in the doing,
had given not only my son his life back,
but all of our futures combined.

We sat together in the dust awhile, recovering,
watching a spat between the Rabbi’s disciples.
Sounded like his followers
were trying to find their own place
in the pecking order.
Jesus turned back to us,
smiled, picked up my wee son
and placed him in the middle of their circle.
“See this little one?
Welcome those like him—
the smallest,
the ones thought of as unimportant,
the least.
And know this, in God’s pecking order,
the ones who are considered the greatest
are the ones like these.”

Well, that was different.
Never heard teaching the likes of that before.

Then Jesus and his disciples went on their way, as did we.
As my son and I approached the house, my wife saw us –
knew something had changed,
and ran and scooped our son up –
we clung together, with joyful tears,
our son, squashed between us…
precious, loved.

Our boy …is back.
Thank God.*
--------------------------

A blessing as you move into the week:

May we welcome the opportunity to live called to holiness,
loving our brothers and sisters,
working with our hands to help our neighbours,
for this is where we find true greatness.

May we go from this place
astounded at the greatness of God,
amazed at all Jesus has done and is doing,
and recognise the work of the Spirit given to us in our daily lives.

And, as we go:
may the blessing of God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with us all, evermore.
Amen

----------------------------------

Just to note that there were no specific church notices this week... very unusual!!

*the father's reflection, written by Nikki, can also be found in the resource Spill the Beans

Update 6 August

 

NEWS, INFORMATION, UPDATES 6th AUGUST

Annual leave:
The minister has now returned from annual leave.

Many thanks to the Rev. Morag Garrett, minister of Coalburn and Lesmahagow Old Parish for providing funeral cover over the holiday, to Mr Roy Garrett for conducting worship on Sun 26 July, and to Ralph Barker and Ursula Baillie for leading our Songs of Praise service on Sun 2 August.
Thanks, also to Dr Dee Yates and Ms Heather Watt for acting as parish contacts during this time.

Annual Stated Meeting: our ASM will be held on Sunday 9th August on the return of the minister. During the meeting, we will receive the accounts and hear an overview of 2025. This is much later than usual this year, but huge thanks to Ralph, and to the presbytery finance team for helping untangle some 'heritage' accounts that had held up the accounts being approved. 

Parish magazine - summer edition: we are hoping that this will be ready around mid-August and available for distribution.

Martin Raine: we were very sad to hear of Martin's death. Please remember Janet and the family at this time. The funeral will be held at the parish church on Thurs 13th August at 2pm. Thereafter, refreshments at the family home in Crawford.

Update for Mon 20 July - Wed 5 August

NEWS, INFORMATION, UPDATES for MON 20 JULY - WED 5 AUGUST

Annual leave:
The minister will be on annual leave during this time.
Funeral cover will be provided by the Rev. Morag Garrett, minister of Coalburn and Lesmahagow Old Parish. Her contact details are: email -  MGarrett@churchofscotland.org.uk or phone deleted
General parish queries - should any arise, please contact Dr Dee Yates on deleted from Mon 20th - Tues 28th July. Thereafter, Ms Heather Watt on deleted
Worship cover will be provided by Mr Roy Garratt on Sun 26th July, and by Mr Ralph Barker and Mrs Ursula Baillie on Sun 2nd August - this latter will be our annual Songs of Praise worship service with themes centring around Ps 100.

Annual Stated Meeting: our ASM will be held on Sunday 9th August on the return of the minister. During the meeting, we will receive the accounts and hear an overview of 2025. This is much later than usual this year, but huge thanks to Ralph, and to the presbytery finance team for helping untangle some 'heritage' accounts that had held up the accounts being approved. 

Parish magazine - summer edition: we are hoping that this will be ready around mid-August and available for distribution.

Martin Raine: we were very sad to hear of Martin's death. Please remember Janet and the family at this time. The funeral will be held at the parish church on Thurs 13th August at 2pm. Thereafter, refreshments at the family home in Crawford.

Sun 5 July 'Who? Where?'

WELCOME
This week, in our time of worship, we continued working our way through Luke's Gospel, and paid a wee visit to the Book of Acts.

Our readings:
Luke 7:1-23 and Acts 10:1-8,21-35.

Reflection
One of my favourite films is ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, and I was slightly reminded of it as I looked at our readings for today… except in this instance, it’s more a case of ‘two centurions and a widow' which, if it were a film, would have one of those wee inserts in the end credits, adding in John the prophet with a wee dialogue to underscore the point of the whole story:
‘Are you the one…?’
‘Actually, yeah…’

Both are big readings, with a rather large cast, and quite a lot going on.
As to the people involved, if you were to try and classify most of them, they're divided into 'insiders' and 'outsiders', with a strong emphasis on the outsiders.
For Luke, the umbrella under which these passages sit is very much about identity and belonging.
And right at the centre …is Jesus.
(physically, in the case of the Gospel reading, and working through Peter by the Spirit, in our reading from Acts)
Now, there’s quite a lot going on in our readings, but, if you were to distil them down, you’d find two key questions being discussed:
Who is Jesus? and…
Where is he to be found?

Having recounted Jesus' 'sermon on the plain', Luke moves on, as do we:
getting into the more nitty gritty of Jesus’ public ministry.
Jesus’ identity is very quickly established through the praise and acclaim of the crowds who clamour to see who he is. Here, in these early days of his ministry, the people realise that there’s something different about Jesus – he may be a carpenter’s son, but there’s more to him:
at the very least, Jesus is a prophet. And, as word spreads around the countryside- it’s not just Jewish people who are hearing of his words and deeds, which is where our first centurion comes into the picture, as does the grieving mother in Nain.

In choosing to highlight their stories, and the story of Cornelius in Acts, Luke’s keen to point out that Jesus is for everyone, not just the perfect, select few;
indeed, that Jesus goes beyond the bounds of culture, class, creed, and is there for friend, and enemy alike.
This latter, particularly in the case of our two centurions who are very much a part of the machine of the oppressive state that controls Judea. Interestingly, in both cases, it is the local Jewish people who vouch for their characters - yes, they are Romans, yes, they're in the military, but even though their enemies, they're... decent men.
And so, in both cases, these outsiders are helped - if we're all Jock Tamson's bairns, then the principle is even more so when it comes to God: we are all God's children.

But what of the widow?
Here is a picture of grief at its most stark, and also of social collapse. The woman’s lost not only a child but the shape of her future.*  With her son gone, she has no means to sustain herself. In this moment, as she takes her son for burial, her grief is fresh, raw and it's in this moment that Jesus enters the scene. Moved with compassion, the son is restored to life, and the mother, restored to her son.
Where is Jesus?
He’s right there with her, in her grief.
In this story, Luke demonstrates that Jesus is not remote, not detached:
Jesus is found on the road of mourning, in the public place of heartbreak, where loss has stripped everything back.*
Who is Jesus here within this story?
Jesus is the compassion of God made visible.

And then, we have John - John who is languishing in prison at Herod’s command. And, acting almost as a post-script to what Luke is trying to tell us about Jesus, the plain question is asked:
‘Are you the One, or should we look for another?’
And rather than answering in a parable Jesus sends back the reply, quoting from the prophet Isaiah, telling of all that he’s been doing:
the signs of God’s kingdom of heaven breaking in to earth.
It’s his way of saying to the followers of John:
‘Tell John, yes, I am.’
Jesus is indeed the One of whom prophets spoke, the One who continues in the line of prophets, but is more than a prophet: he is God’s own Son walking in the midst of humanity and all we experience.
And, in faith, I have to believe that Jesus is there in every situation of sorrow and grief amongst the people of Venezuela right now, just as he is in the wider world;
just as he is in each one of our lives – with us in sorrow, pain, anxiety, despair, and with us in joy, and laughter, and all the goodness of life as well.
At Christmas we refer to Jesus as 'Immanuel' – meaning ‘God with us’.
So, where is Jesus?
With us.

In his poem, ‘The Call’ 17th century poet and priest, George Herbert expressed his own understanding of who Jesus was to him:
not only the way, the truth, and the life, but his light, his strength, his joy, his love, his heart.
The poem is copied below.
Who is Jesus? And where is he?
Luke, in both his gospel and in the Book of Acts gives us some compelling answers.
And, like George Herbert, while we might not write poetry about it, what of our response?
Where are we when it comes to Jesus and who do we say he is?
Amen.

'The Call'
Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life;
Such a Way as gives us breath, 

Such a Truth as ends all strife, 

Such a Life as killeth death. 

Come, my Light, my Feast, my Strength;
Such a Light as shows a Feast, 

Such a Feast as mends in length, 

Such a Strength as makes his guest. 

Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart;
Such a Joy as none can move, 

Such a Love as none can part, 

Such a Heart as joys in love.

*with thanks to this week's Spill the Beans material...

Sun 14 June 'Blessed are... the refugees'

Monday marks the beginning of ‘Refugee Week’ – and certainly, it’s a theme that is more relevant than ever, especially after the events in Northern Ireland and Scotland over this last week.

Nicola Brady, the General Secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland writes: 

'It is an ancient tradition across the world that holy places are considered places of sanctuary for those at risk of persecution. In the Christian faith this principle is enshrined in Scripture and given powerful expression in the ministry of Christ and the disciples of the early Church, who sought hospitality as they journeyed to share the Good News in dangerous times.'

Mindful of that, and mindful that we as God’s people are people with God’s good news to share, so we spend time this week in worship thinking about radical welcome and hospitality.

Bible passage for the week: Luke 6:17-31 
¹⁷ He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. ¹⁸ They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. ¹⁹ And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. ²⁰ Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
²¹ ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 
²² ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. ²³ Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.  
²⁴ ‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 
²⁵ ‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.  
²⁶ ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. 
²⁷ ‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹ If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰ Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Reflection

Most of you will have heard of the Sermon on the Mount which is found in Matthew chapter 5.

And, listening to our gospel reading this morning, many of the words that Jesus was saying sound oddly familiar. The passage from Luke, however, is referred to by biblical scholars as the ‘Sermon on the plain’ – no ‘mount’ here:

no standing 6 feet above contradiction in this passage.

Echoing last week’s theme, ‘on the level’ and not standing above, continues the theme of Jesus as the one who breaks down hierarchies, for all of us are equal in God’s eyes.

And the language we use to describe one another – our fellow human beings –
is important, because words matter.

Yes, we all know that old Victorian rhyme:

‘Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me.’

But hurt is not just about physical scars and bruising:

words matter, for words can wound the heart, the mind, our very souls –

the sense of who we are,

our sense of worth,

our sense of belonging,

of being welcome, included.

Over the last years – in the lead up to Brexit, and beyond –

there have been a lot of words, a lot of headlines, a lot of news items and interviews with various people all ready to give their particular 'hot take' on the matter of one word which has become a portmanteau word:

a catch all that has quite a few layers of meaning within it and which gets bandied about without dealing with the nuances that it contains.

That word:

immigrants.

It's become a short-hand, catch all word that, in some quarters, just means ‘foreigners’,

and within those particular quarters are people who willingly spout racist rhetoric and attack people both verbally and physically. However, there is a vast difference between an immigrant who willingly chooses to come to this country to settle and work, and between an asylum seeker forced by extreme circumstances to seek refuge, and the refugee:

the asylum seeker who has been given refuge.

Under international Law, every human being on the planet has the right to seek asylum:

let’s be clear – there is no such thing as an ‘illegal’ human being.

This week is ‘Refugee Week’ and the key theme for the week is ‘courage’.

It’s estimated that, globally, there are currently around 43 million refugees, almost half of which are children. These are people who have been through horrors that we can scarcely imagine. 

They have been forced from their homes by conflict, persecution, disasters such as floods and drought, and extreme poverty. Many will have been separated from loved ones; many will be traumatised and grieving. For refugees around the world, courage is often a daily necessity. 

It is the courage to face unknown journeys, learn new languages, navigate unfamiliar systems, or simply to wake up each morning and step into an uncertain world.

Those who flee see the possibility of “life and prosperity” if they leave, and the threat of “death and adversity” if they stay, and so, they choose life.

Along with the many words, new stories, images of those seeking refuge, we've also been seeing reactions to those fleeing from harm and arriving here in the UK:

in the midst of all the words, there's been a slew of misinformation. Far right groups have wasted no time in galvanising themselves to stir up conflict, spilling over into violence.

We’ve seen the signs, heard the rhetoric and the slogans:

‘stop the boats’.

This last week, we saw the horrors of those who would twist facts and statistics about asylum seekers and refugees in such a way that it divides community. We saw the news coverage coming from Northern Ireland where people were being hunted down, and targeted; where people’s homes were being burnt down: households that had within them little children –

the very ones who Jesus welcomes with open arms…

and then, we saw the naked racism on display in the march in Glasgow on Buchanan St.

Jesus would weep.

It was reassuring, however, to see the number of people out in Glasgow yesterday, protesting against such behaviour.

But what of our text from Luke's gospel?

What is being described is a bold vision of life and community that expresses the values and commitments of God’s reign:

a stunningly countercultural vision of the life of those who follow Jesus, of life and relationship within the realm of God.

The blessings and woes that Jesus outlines, describe a world that reverses almost everything that his disciples – than and now – know of how things work. And if you spend time with these words, it’s hard not to hear in the background the words of Mary, before Jesus was born:

the words we know as ‘the Magificat’ – which I noted earlier in the year was a political manifesto for change, for liberation.

Here is Jesus, pointing to God’s great reversal of the way things are to the way things could and should be:

a world shaped by God and not human mores.

They are promises to those who are suffering in this world that God still sees them, loves them, and is intent on their thriving. Jesus’ words are also warning calls to his hearers that they are called to live with attention and generosity toward their neighbours, even as God is attentive and generous.

This is generally not the way the world operates; it is not a comfortable or safe path to walk. 

We are much more familiar with self-preservation strategies that prioritize our own safety and comfort, 

…perhaps even at the expense of others’ flourishing. 

There is no soft and easy message to proclaim from this text. 

It is the sort of message that could get one crucified by the empire…

And so we come back to that word ‘courage.’

At a time when some seek to divide and blame, Refugee Week 2026 calls us to come together and share the courage to welcome, to stand for what we, as followers of Jesus, believe in, and to celebrate culture and community – to be joyful, imagine new possibilities, dream, heal, and connect.

Courage isn’t always loud or bold. 

It can be found in simple acts: 

opening your door to a neighbour, trying new food, reading a book, or watching a film that changes

your view of the world. It can be speaking up, befriending the stranger – the refugee in your midst.

And, it's also well to remember:

Jesus himself, and his family, were refugees.

On the other side of the story of the birth in the stable, and the joy, and the love, and the good news of God’s kingdom breaking into the world is the story of the King of that land, the tyrant, Herod the Great. Alerted to news of the birth of a baby boy who would reign as king, through the visit of men from the east seeking the child, Herod was determined to find the child and destroy him. That determination led to the slaughter of every male child in Bethlehem under the age of two.

The holy family fled in time, finding refuge in Egypt for a time before eventually coming home –  which is actually the dream of most refugees:

if it was safe to do so, most would return to their homeland in a heartbeat.

Thinking of his escape to Egypt, and thinking of the words to those gathered on the plain – the message today is simply this:

if we cannot have compassion for refugees, we cannot call ourselves Christians. 

If we do not help refugees, we cannot call ourselves the church.
Words matter.

Courage is one.

Compassion is another - compassion, which is at the heart of what Jesus is getting at in our text for today.

As Jesus said:

‘Do to others as you would have them do to you.’

And, in the words of Nadia Bolz Weber, 

‘blessed are the merciful, for they totally get it.’

(n.b. within worship, we showed a clip of Pastor Nadia B-W giving a contemporary feel to the 'blessed are' sayings).

Let’s pray:

God of love and compassion free from borders, 

your presence spans all creation.

In Jesus, you took sanctuary in us; 

and in you, we find our eternal sanctuary.

We behold you in community with those 

uprooted from their homes by war, 

poverty, persecution and extreme weather, 

especially those who make their way 

to these shores on small boats.

Be the shelter of their lives.

Bless their courage and resilience 

in seeking freedom and sanctuary.

Help us to build cultures of welcome, 

hospitality and sanctuary for all:

to build community where there is conflict;

compassion where there is cruelty;

humanity where there is hatred;

hospitality where there is hostility;

And so, to practice and proclaim hope. 

In the Name of Christ, we pray.   Amen

(today's reflection built upon resources provided for Refugee Week from CTBI - Churches Together in Britain and Ireland)

Sun 7 June 'Is the hokey pokey really what it's all about?'

Hello and welcome to our online reflection based on our Sunday morning service of worship.

Welcome is very much the theme today, as we hear of a feast to which Jesus was invited and see just who was ‘in’ and just who was ‘out’....

Notices

Just a couple of notices to flag up:

Tues 9 June, 10:30am funeral of Morag Forrest.  This will be in the church and then followed by her committal across at Roberton Cemetery. 

Please do keep the family in your prayers at this time.

Clydesdale food bank: As this is a communion month, the food bank box is once again in the church vestibule and ready to accept any donations of food and hygiene products – if you’re able to help, that would be very much appreciated.

The box will be uplifted on the last Sunday of the month

and, as ever, thanks in advance.
To help online, please go to this LINK to make a donation.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our Gospel reading for the day:

Luke 5:27-39 

After this he went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ ²⁸ And he got up, left everything, and followed him. ²⁹ Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax-collectors and others sitting at the table with them. ³⁰ The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his  disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax-collectors and sinners?’ ³¹ Jesus answered, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; ³² I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.’ ³³ Then they said to him, ‘John’s disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink.’ ³⁴ Jesus said to them, ‘You cannot make wedding-guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? ³⁵ The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.’ ³⁶ He also told them a parable: ‘No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise the new will be torn, and the piece from the new will not match the old. ³⁷ And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. ³⁸ But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. ³⁹ And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, “The old is good.”’

Reflection

For our time of reflection, one of life's big questions:
What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
'In, out, in, out, shake it all about, you do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around, that's what it's all about.'...
But is it?
This, as we think about the ‘in’, ‘out’ in relation to our gospel reading for today, in which we see some who think of themselves as the ‘in’ group, and those who they consider are ‘out’. 

So what have we got here in our text?

There’s Levi, who we know more familiarly as ‘Matthew’.

Levi’s a tax collector.

Levi is based in Capernaum – which is loosely being used by Jesus and his disciples as a handy go-to base from which to travel around the surrounding countryside of the Galilee region.

Capernaum is a port town, a trading centre, a busy place.

A useful place for a tax collector to set up his business – 

and, no doubt, Levi’s set up his tax booth so it’s right in the midst of things:

a place where he can easily access those who are obliged to pay tax.

His is a face that would be well known and because of his career, Levi is generally the last person anyone really wants to have dealings with.

In the time, and place, and cultures of the day, there are all sorts of pecking orders, hierarchies.

Levi lives in a land where a foreign power rules – the occupying Romans.

They have their own particular customs, rituals, culture, their own social niceties and levels of status.

Given they’ve taken over the country, the Romans consider themselves at the at the top of the pile:

the ones who are most definitely ‘in’.

And because they view themselves as conquerors, they very much look down on those they’ve conquered and, who they were essentially, oppressing.

Outwith the Romans, there were the Jews, whose land it was, and who had their own particular customs, rituals, culture, and ways of classifying people who to them were either ‘in’ or ’out:

which people were important and which ones weren’t;

who was contributing, and who wasn’t;

who to include and who to avoid at all costs.

Now, if the Romans looked down on the Jews, 

the Jews looked down on those who were not Jewish, those they called ‘gentiles.’

But, whether Jew or Gentile, all of them have to pay their taxes to the Romans.

And, while Levi’s not a Roman, he works for them,

and has built up substantial wealth in doing so.

In the eyes of his own people, the Jews, just because of the nature of his work, Levi’s considered to be of dubious moral character, a collaborator and a traitor.

But there’s more:

because he also spends time with people of all kinds, there are those in the Jewish religious hierarchy who view him as ‘unclean’.

While it’s a cause of upset and offence to the pharisees and the scribes that Jesus both calls Levi to follow, and then accepts a dinner invite, I’d hazard a guess that no one is more surprised than Levi at being asked to hang out with Jesus and his followers. And unlike the followers who were fishermen, Levi just can't simply return to his job should things not work out: there's no Plan B, no going back.  When Jesus invites Levi to come and follow him, well, a little like the hokey pokey, Levi turns himself around – for to repent means just that, to turn from what you’re doing.

In doing so, he discovers that, for the first time in however long it’s been, he’s less a case of being ‘out’:

he’s in.

He belongs.

It’s a cause for celebration.

The sign of his belonging is further seen by Jesus willingly accepting a place at Levi’s table for a feast. To sit at table and share a meal was a sign not only of sharing hospitality, it was a symbol of relationship - you were considered an extension of the family.

Jesus sits with Levi and his friends - those considered completely 'out' by the Scribes and Pharisees - and it completely messes with their whole social, religious, and hierarchical understanding of how the world worked.

Jesus was a rabbi, one who was supposed to know the Law,

Jesus was one of 'them'.

What on earth was he playing at?

Grace.

Simply, grace.

Grace is about God’s gift of life and goodness, of God’s enduring love for humanity.

It reflects his nature to love without limits, to love freely, unconditionally, whether we ‘deserve’ that love, or not.

And so, Jesus reminds the scribes and the pharisees that they are already ‘in’ –

they already know God’s grace.

Jesus doesn’t need to sit and eat with them …

he needs to be with those who feel cast out:

the ones who in so many ways within their lives have never really felt they’ve been included,

who’ve never felt they’ve belonged, 

who’ve never felt that they deserved God’s grace:

the ones who’ve felt that God’s love is not for the likes of them.

Sitting at table, Jesus is showing those gathered at the feast that they are not ‘them’…

not ‘the others’,

but that they are utterly loved and held within God’s grace, just as much as the scribes and the pharisees are – in God’s eyes, there is no ‘them’, only ‘us’.

Last week, we were thinking about God as Trinity:

the three and oneness of God –

and we thought about the concept of Trinity within the framework of relationship:

One God, in perfect community –

bound by love, which unites, not excludes.

God, as a Trinity of love, calling us into a relationship of love –

with God, and with one another.

In a week in which we are invited to come to the table where Jesus is host, this story reminds us that as with Levi, his grace is extended to us, 

for, as with Levi and all those gathered around the table for that particular feast so long ago,

we gather to share in the meal of grace created for all who follow,

and, in doing so, to turn their lives around -

and discover, that in him, as with Levi,

so too, we are welcome,

we are included,

bound together in a relationship of love with him.

Who are the ones we might think of as ‘them’, 

the ones we think of as ‘out’ not ‘in’?

How might we turn ourselves around from that way of thinking, and so extend God’s grace, God’s love?

The story of Levi’s calling, of Jesus breaking bread with him and the company of those considered by some as ‘outcasts’ is a story of profound grace:

about a life turned around.

It’s a story that calls us to rejoice that no one is beyond hope,

no one is beyond God’s love and grace.

And it’s a story that challenges us to share that grace.

May you know the blessing of God's grace, this day and everyday. Amen.

Let's pray:

Gracious God,
In a moment of quiet prayer, we pray for all who are on our minds and in our hearts this day, and bring to you our own particular needs…

Lord, we commit the week ahead to you. 

Shine your light into every situation so that we can see where you are at work and follow your lead. 

Send us out as people of hope to bring your love into every place you lead us.

We offer you these prayers, 

in Jesus’ name, amen.

Sun 31 May - Trinity Sunday

Welcome.
First, some notices, and thereafter a reflection and prayer...

Church notices

Sun 7 June, 10:30am: Service of Holy Communion - we join together this coming Sunday to share in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. It is an open table, for Jesus is the host and he welcomes all.

Tues 9 June, 10:30am: the funeral of Mrs Morag Forrest will be held in the church at Abington, and thereafter, the committal will be at Roberton Cemetery. Please do keep the family in your prayers at this time. 

Clydesdale foodbank month: over the month of June, we will be collecting items to deliver to the food bank. If you would like to donate but can't get to church, you can send an online donation HERE

Reflection for Trinity Sunday

In the church calendar, the Sunday following Pentecost is known as 'Trinity' Sunday. It's a time in the year where preachers and theologians can come a little unstuck, trying to explain what is essentially, really rather inexplicable:
God as One yet Three, but Three yet One.
We try, in our limited way to describe the limitless God, who is so much more than the sum or our words and stretches of imagination can fathom. 

Back in the day, the early Christians, trying to distil the essentials of the faith into a handy 'catch all' to help teach people the basics about God, put together Creeds. One of these was the Athenasian Creed and you can almost hear the writers of this sighing just a little as they struggled to describe the God who is more than we can fully comprehend:
God the Father: incomprehensible;
God the Son: incomprehensible;
God the Holy Spirit: incomprehensible.
Bless them, I love them for trying to do the impossible.
However, mystery is not always a bad thing and I suspect that we'll cope if we haven't got the answer to every single question about God this side of heaven.
This, I say, because what we do know of God is what we see in Jesus. And while it is always  absolutely right to ponder and ask questions, and wrestle with this matter of what it is to be God’s people, and while theology is important, the most important starting place for theology is to remember that, for all our attempts to try to explain God, God can’t be put into a box –
and, when humans tried to do that to Jesus, he simply rose from death itself and out of the box we’d tried to put him in.

One way that I find helpful to try and get my head around this One in Three and Three in Oneness of God, is by thinking of God within the terms of relationship. Augustine, a 5th century African theologian who I have a lot of time for, used this idea of relationship to help understand the nature of God, and also, how that sat within the nature of what it is to be human.
He used love as his building blocks: God as One and then as Three seen in:
God as the one who loves,
God as the one who is beloved,
and God as love itself.
The very core of God being love and energised by love: a love that looks to the other, looks out, that is generous, giving, sharing, and spreading that love beyond just the circle of relationship within that perfect community of love which is God. 

And what of us?
Jesus is love made into flesh and blood and bone showing us what love looks like: not a private solitary thing – but something that is lived within community, joyfully, creatively. If we want to know what God looks like – what God thinks, and feels, and wishes, we look to Jesus who points us to love – for love is at the heart of who God and the reason why God does anything.
So, mirroring that relationship of God we, who are created in God’s image, might use a day like Trinity Sunday to ask:
How do we love?
Who do we love?
What is the impact of that love on others?
For, if love is the very heart and motivation of God, then as his creatures, so love should be at the heart of our lives, as we navigate this life of faith.

The priest and poet, Malcolm Guite, wrote the following sonnet for Trinity Sunday, which I leave you with (you can find this, and other sonnets in his collection 'Sounding the Seasons', published by Canterbury Press - do check his work out, he's excellent).

In the Beginning, not in time or space, 

But in the quick before both space and time, 

In Life, in Love, in co-inherent Grace, 

In three in one and one in three, in rhyme, 

In music, in the whole creation story, 

In His own image, His imagination, 

The Triune Poet makes us for His glory, 

And makes us each the other’s inspiration. 

He calls us out of darkness, chaos, chance, 

To improvise a music of our own, 

To sing the chord that calls us to the dance, 

Three notes resounding from a single tone, 

To sing the End in whom we all begin; 

Our God beyond, beside us and within.
                                  Malcolm Guite

Prayer
God, Creator, for your glory shining forth in sky and sea, 

in the changing light on the hills, 

in the flight of birds, 

in the plants of the field 

for the gift of life in all its fullness, 

we thank you. 

Jesus, Redeemer, 

for blessing children, 

healing the sick, 

raising up the lowly, 

suffering the brokenness of the world 

in your own body that we might have fullness of life, 

we thank you. 

Holy Spirit, Comforter, 

for breathing new hope and strength into our lives,

breaking down barriers,  

drawing human beings together in love, 

resisting all that diminishes fullness of life, 

we thank you. 

Holy Trinity, 

in all that we do and say and are, 

may we always choose life, 

for ourselves, and for our neighbours. 

Amen.

As you move into a new week, may you know God walking with you through the moments and the days.
God bless

Nikki

Sun 24 May - Pentecost

HAPPY PENTECOST!

Today we mark the promised coming of the Holy Spirit to the followers of Jesus - and, in a sense, we celebrate the beginning, the ‘birth’ day of the church.

It’s one of the Sundays in the church calendar when we’re reminded of the power and mystery of God, of God who is both Creator of the universe and all things, as well as the God who knows each of our names.

We’re also reminded that we are all a part of something that is so much bigger than us: while we’re the church visible in this small 

corner of the earth, we’re also a part of the church that reaches all around the world; we are both a gathered, and a scattered people. As well as this, we belong to the church ‘invisible’ – 

all those who have walked in the footsteps of Jesus, down through the centuries who learnt about Jesus and passed the stories about him along to others. 

In all of that, so there’s the sense that to celebrate the day of Pentecost comes with more than a little bit of awesomeness – in the true meaning of the word: God mysterious and yet known, God unseen and yet seen in each one of us who are created in God’s image.

A prayer for Pentecost
Holy Spirit,

we pause in your presence,

aware that you do not arrive quietly or on our terms.

You move like wind:

unseen, uncontained, disturbing what has settled too easily.

You burn like fire:

not to destroy, but to refine,

to bring light where we have grown used to shadows.

Meet us here, in all our difference and expectation;

in our longing for clarity, and in our fear of what change might demand.

Slow us down enough to notice where you are already at work,

often ahead of our plans and beyond our control.

Loosen what has grown rigid.

Open what we have closed for safety’s sake.

Give us ears to hear your voice in unfamiliar accents and unsettling truths.

As we listen in this moment,

kindle in us a fire that does not rush to certainty but stays awake to compassion.

Let it shape our words, and our lives.

    ...   ...   ...

Renew us, remake and reshape us;

may we be braver in love,

wider in welcome,

and ready to follow wherever your Spirit leads.

Come, Holy Spirit.

Stay with us.

Move among us.

Make us alive.

Amen.       

On the 'birthday' theme for Pentecost, the fabulous Tabitha made us a Pentecost cake to share at morning tea. It went down well!! 

Thanks, Tabitha!   

Sun 10 May Christian Aid Week 'Good news'

It's Christian Aid Week and this was reflected in our time of worship. 

Our readings were:

Isaiah 61:1-8; Acts 17:16-31; and John 14:15-21 and we were thinking about the words 'good news'.

The Isaiah reading is a bit of a nod to our service last week, in which we went back to the beginnings of Jesus' ministry when he travelled to his home town of Nazareth. It's the first record of Jesus preaching and the text he chose to speak on was today's passage from the Book of Isaiah. The text itself is a manifesto of good news to the oppressed, the captives, the broken-hearted, prisoners, those who mourn - essentially, all who are struggling, whether because of systemic injustice or personal circumstance.
And the good news is that God is with them, God hears their cry; their struggles will end. Out of ruins will come restoration; peace will come; injustices will be righted.
Good news.
God will send one who is anointed, chosen, to not only bring the good news in word, but also through action.
In him, unjust structures will be overcome, as seen in v.8 ‘I the Lord, love justice and hate robbery and wrongdoing.’

To the devastated people of Israel, many of whom were living in captivity in Babylon, and having experienced the loss of home and most of what they had, Isaiah’s message is one of hope.

Of good news.

Jesus chooses this text to read out to those in the synagogue - it is his manifesto:

Isaiah is describing what Jesus is here to do.
But it goes beyond doing:

Jesus is the living embodiment of God's justice, love, and mercy.

He is the good news.

Which leads us to today's gospel passage, in which Jesus instructs them to love:

‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments.'

This is a love that endures - for God is faithful.

Those who put their trust in God, those who follow Jesus' instruction to love, will never be orphaned.

As God loves, so too, God's people - the love is to be shared.

Which is something that Paul takes on in such a way, that he ends up travelling the best part of the then known world to share good news -

the good news of God’s love, found in the person of Jesus…

encouraging those who take in this message of love to heart to go and do likewise -

sharing love in both word and in action, and through doing this, transform the world around us.

Good news.

Sharing good news, sharing God’s love, is very much at the heart of what drives the work of Christian Aid. Imagination, sanctified by God's love, saw a very real problem in urban, overcrowded Nairobi and found a creative, life-giving way to share that love through the Beacon of Hope project. One person who has been helped is Fridah. Her story is here in the clip below:

Through this project, Fridah has learnt new skills that not only provides food for her family, but also a steady stream of income from selling what she grows - which helps to pay for schooling and other necessary living costs.

Good news.

What might we do in our own small corner of the world, as we put love into action?

After all, love can change the world, and in a world that's crying out for good news, so it is ours to share God's love - for God's love is the good news for the world.

Let's pray:

Gracious God, 

when we stand on the plains of uncertainty, 

with no path before us, we look to you. 

We remember what you have done before 

and our anxious hearts are comforted.  

Showing mercy, you delivered us then; 

in your love and faithfulness, you will do it again. 

Give us the strength to step forward in hope.  

Give us faith that changes us, 

hope that feeds us,  

love that moves us.  

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you would like to donate to the work of Christian Aid, you can find their site HERE

'The Shepherd' worship reflections and church notices

Hi folks, today in various places around the world, the Church celebrates what has come to be known as 'Good Shepherd' Sunday. It's an opportunity to reflect on Jesus, our Good Shepherd, to pause and consider the words from John 10:1-10, and Psalm 23. And, given our very rural context and that we're in the midst of lambing season, it's very apposite.

On site, we are also learning a new - to us - song from the group New Scottish Hymns Band called 'You're the Shepherd'.
So, in our time here, let's begin with that.

CALL TO WORSHIP 
Come as you are – known and loved.
Come with joy, come with hope.
Come with your burdens, come with your doubts.
Come with your dreams, come with your fears.
For God calls you by name and rejoices....

PRAYER 
God of new life,
planting grassy meadows for picnics,
pooling clear waters for floating,
making starry skies for gazing:
you shaped us in your image so we might not ever want;
you sent women and men of faith to us,
sharing their experience of you,
encouraging us to look up to listen, to follow you.
Loving us, You sent Jesus to us,
that we might hear his voice and believe his plain spoken words:
and so we give you our praise and worship.

Loving God, when we are quiet in your presence,
when we try to pray and when we reflect on your word...
when we are surrounded by noise and bustle,
when people compete for our attention and we have too much to do:
help us to hear your voice.

When we are happy and secure in the love of friends and family
and at peace with ourselves...
when we are overwhelmed by regrets for the past,
disappointment in the present, 
and fears for the future...
when we are confident in our decisions and sure of our plans:
help us to hear your voice.

When we are bewildered by many choices
and confused about the right way to go,
in the day and at night, at home and at work,
in company and alone, teach us to listen...
help us to hear your voice. 

Lord, where the waters of our life have been troubled,
you still our hearts and minds.
Where we have walked in strange and difficult ways,
you guide us in the right paths.
Where we have walked even through the valley of death,
you have been beside us.

…In your mercy, restore our souls.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

REFLECTION: 
It was one of those stunningly gorgeous days – hardly a breeze; the sun, beaming down on the hills and along the glen, and I’d taken myself off down to the end of the garden with a cuppa, to sit on my wee stool and just watch the world go by for a bit. The river was all diamond-sparkly and everything felt right with the world. Looking across the river, I saw a shepherd, with his dogs, guiding some sheep down the slope towards it. I admired the relationship between man and dog, as they worked together to lead the sheep down and  then under the bridge to get to the field just along.
A good shepherd, thought I.
But it was time to head back inside and crack on with some work.
So, a little reluctantly, I did.

A couple of days later, I met up with someone who knew that particular shepherd very well, and I mentioned how much I admired his skill.

This was met with a huge grin.

Apparently, if I’d stayed watching, I’d have seen five minutes later, that same shepherd, in the river, wading across to the other side in pursuit of a small group of rogue sheep who’d decided that they weren’t going to pay any notice to his instructions. 

I guess they thought that the grass really was greener on the other side..

So… a good shepherd, yes…

but not THE Good Shepherd that our bible passages refer to –

the one who says to his assorted group of listeners:

‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’

In a busy, busy, rush, rush world where too often the voice that is listened to is telling us all that our value is found only in what we can produce, and which calls us to be continually, relentlessly doing in order just to survive…

in an unquiet, fractured, and fearful world, where too often fear is weaponised and it seems that the only voices we hear are those that divide and create discontent and where difference is seen as suspect…

in a world that too often feels as if everyone and everything is broken or breaking, as we listen to the voices of doom in an endless cycle of news…

perhaps it’s time to press the pause button and spend a little time thinking about Jesus our shepherd, to listen to his voice,  and to think about life beyond mere survival –

about life that is…abundant.

So, what is it to have abundant life and how do we find it?
Some of the answer to both questions are seen within the words of the Psalmist.

Who's voice are we listening to?
In the early part of the psalm, the Psalmist talks of God as the shepherd in whom we have all we need.

God is our abundance, our provider – the One who is more than enough.
If we listen to his voice, and follow where he leads, our needs will be met.
I wonder: what are the voices we might listen to that can prevent us from following the Shepherd?
And, what might we do - what small changes could we make - to help us better hear our Shepherd's voice?

And another question for reflection: 

take some time now to think about where God is leading you;

where he has led you in the past;

where he’s led you to now.

Pray about where he may be leading you in the future…

 

Work / life balance is not a new concept: it's in the Bible.
The Psalmist also reminds us that the Shepherd leads his flock to places of refreshing, places of stillness, quiet, where we can find rest. It's the very antidote to our hyper-consumerist society where, too often people are valued only by 'what they can contribute' - 

what they can produce... where they are seen as just expendable cogs in the machine of industry.
The 'shepherds' of industry are often too ready to fleece their sheep, rather than to tend them.
The Good Shepherd knows the wisdom to be found in giving his flock space to be, and to breathe, and to enjoy life. Which is also a better strategy for both a contented flock, and a way of ensuring that they are at their best... 

In the end, rather than rest, creative space, times of stillness, reducing productivity, it enhances it.
God, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, instituted the concept of rest right at the beginning of Creation:

after the sixth day, God rested. 

And later, God codified it: Sabbath rest. 

If resting is good enough for God, then... let's take the hint and rest.

Dark valleys.

It’s often been said that you don’t find many atheists in foxholes –

basically, when dark times come, in moments of crisis, that’s often when we turn to God for help and comfort. But even when we might not be quite with God, God our shepherd is always faithful and always with us:

there for us in our deepest point of need,

there when all other hope is gone.

He is the one who walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death, and out the other side of it.

If we pause, if we’re still, if we call…

we find that God is near.

Again, an opportunity for some reflection: 

stop and think about those times in your own life when things seemed darkest, and when you felt God’s presence close to you.

And, if in the present, there are difficult times that you’re navigating, why not use this time to offer your particular situation up to the One who listens and who knows your name…

We come full circle and ask again:

What is it to have abundant life and how do we find it?

Well, we do the work of listening to the voice of our Shepherd, Jesus –

who will show us the right way to go –

who will lead us to the paths of peace, of refreshing,

of quiet space apart from the noise and busyness that so often fills our lives –

a space in which we remember again whose we are and who we are:

called to be his.

As we follow, so his goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives.

And, knowing ourselves loved, knowing God’s goodness and mercy, we go ahead:

widening the path so that goodness and mercy will not just bless us, but others -

knowing that as we do:

we need not fear, 

we shall not want -

for there is more than enough:

overflowing cups of goodness and mercy and God’s abundance all the days of our lives.

And also knowing that the one who calls us

guards us and guides us, leads us and loves us

and never, ever lets us go.  Amen.

A blessing for this week:

BLESSING

We belong here with God’s family, 

but we also belong in his world. 

Called by God, he sends you to turn belief into action –

to be his hands, his feet, his loving heart, in the world.

As God’s own, 

as you go about your lives this week,,

God, our shepherd, goes with you, guarding and guiding you.

May the blessing of God, 

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 

be with you all, evermore... Amen.

NOTICES

Sun 3 May: Kirk Session meeting - 

after worship and morning tea this coming Sunday, Session will be meeting over a 'bring and share' lunch. This is an open meeting, and those who are not on the Session are most welcome to stay. The main business will be exploring our future within the cluster, now that we are officially in a deferred union with the newly united cluster parishes of Cairngryffe and Douglas Valley - now Clydesdale Trinity. It's an opportunity for looking, and planning, ahead. 

Added to this, Presbytery have asked that all parishes prepare a mission plan to be ready for attestation 2027. Having asked Presbytery on Saturday, we are able to do this particular exercise jointly with the Clydesdale Trinity Session - given it ultimately affects all of us, and saves us all doing this twice!

Sun 10 May, 10:30am : Christian Aid service -

It's coming up to that time of year again, an opportunity to remember the excellent work of Christian Aid, and, as we can, to support them. Along with our regular offering, there will be a bowl as you leave the church should you wish to make any donations to Christian Aid.

Looking further ahead:

Sun 24 May, 10:30am: Pentecost -

The day we celebrate the 'birthday' of the Church. The traditional colour of Pentecost is red, so, if you're coming to our on-site service, why not wear something red! 

Update for 6-22 April

 The minister is currently on annual leave from Mon 6 - Wed 22 April inclusive.

During this time...
for general parish matters, please contact -
Dr Dee Yates,  or/
Ms Heather Watt, 

And, for urgent pastoral cover(for Upper Clyde only), contact: Rev. George Shand, who can be reached on ...

26 April. 3pm - Service of Union: just to note that the service of union, joining Cairngryffe Parish and Douglas Valley parish will take place. As part of the cluster group, and, if you're able, you are warmly welcome to attend this service. This will be held in the church building at Douglas (Upper Clyde is in deferred union with these parishes).

'On the first day of the week...'

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Matthew 28:1-10
The Resurrection of Jesus 
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ ⁸ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

'On the first day of the week' - a sermon for Easter Sunday

It is the first day of the week.
Light is breaking through the darkness as dawn comes.
In the garden, by a tomb, the guards keep watch –
for what?
It’s not as if the one inside is going anywhere, right?
Perhaps they ponder their lot,
wonder when they will be released from their task to get breakfast,
wonder what they’ll have for breakfast,
and look forward to getting some much-needed sleep.
Warring is only a part of what they do:
more often, theirs is the job of watching, waiting.
And so, on this particular early morning, they wait.
All is quiet –
‘quiet as the grave’, thinks one.
He watches as two women make their way to the tomb, nods to his comrade –
‘pretty harmless,’ he muses,
‘they’re just women, after all…’
still, it breaks the boredom…

But nothing – none of the years of training –
prepares him for what happens next.
Suddenly, and with no warning, the ground beneath him shakes:
heaves and moves with an almighty disturbance –
an earthquake?
The great stone that covers the entrance to the tomb rolls back…
No time to think.
He watches with his comrade –
both now utterly wide awake.
There is a light – blinding – 
and a being dressed in brilliant white sits on the now-fallen stone.
The guards –
hard men, toughened by the nature of their occupation –
find themselves shaking:
such fear is upon them that they fall to the ground as if dead.

Do the women cling to each other in confusion and wonder?
But, then they hear the words:
words so often uttered in stories long gone:
‘do not be afraid…’
even so, this angelic messenger is so … ‘other’
More words:
‘He is not here…he has been raised.’

How can this be?
They had watched as Jesus had carried the cross,
winced at every lashing and harsh word,
waited with him:
witnessing his last hours,
hearing his last words,
the cry of desolation,
…the acceptance:
‘it is finished’.
They had seen him die,
walked with the others to the tomb,
watched as the great stone rolled across its dark
and death-filled mouth.
…Wept.
They had certainly clung to each other then
just as they held each other now –
not quite taking this in:
even as this shining messenger from God continued to speak.
‘He is not here…’
‘Risen’
‘Going to Galilee.’

Beyond the fallen stone and the bright being, the women see an empty tomb.
They are not entirely sure what this all means –
but for the first time in a couple of days, the inner darkness of sorrow
has been replaced with
hope…
wonder…
…a strange… joy…
this, even while they are still, quite understandably, terrified:
for, it is an awesome and fearful thing to behold God’s messenger.

As instructed, they hurry away from the emptiness of the open tomb,
find the others – the friends of Jesus.
And, even as the news is told:
he is here… among them.
Unlike the guards who had fallen to the ground as if dead,
his disciples fall at his feet, astonished, a little fearful,
yet even so, somehow energised by life itself.
In wonder, they worship.
And prepare for a journey north:
time to go home, to Galilee to share the good news:
‘Alleluia! Christ is risen!’
‘He is risen indeed, Alleluia!’

Over these last weeks, we’ve walked through the wilderness of Lent:
and, in this last week, have journeyed with Jesus through Holy Week,
through the palms and the cheers,
to Gethsemane and betrayal in the garden;
to arrest, and trial, and jeers, and crucifixion.
…And in the darkness of that death,
held our breath as time stood still,
and watched
and waited.
And, we have dared to hope -
for unlike the two Marys before the dawning of the light on that first Easter morning,
we know how this story ends:
that there shall be no more tears,
that darkness is overcome,
that death is defeated,
that the light of the world can never be put out.

If you’ve ever had your heart broken by loss and laid someone or something you loved in the tomb:
this story is for you.
If you’ve ever needed some earthshaking good news,
if you’ve ever needed hope,
if you’ve ever lived as if death had the final word:
this story is for you.
If you’ve ever needed light and warmth to return to your life,
if you’ve ever needed a second chance and the possibilities a new day offers:
then, this story is for you.
Indeed, this is a story for the world:
for all the broken people and broken places;
for all weighed down by the relentlessness of bad news stories
that whirl around on an endless spin cycle of doom;
for all who have lost hope and see no future;
for all who feel the chill of poverty, homelessness,
the horror of war and brutality and injustice; …
for all who so desperately need a second, a third, and more chances because the start they had in life means they have never been on an equal footing;
this story is for all of them,
for all of us –
for it is the good news story of God’s love –
from life, to death,
to hell and back…

Here, with an empty cross,
grave clothes folded,
and with resurrected alleluias,
we stand with the Marys…
we stand with the friends of Jesus:
we stand, astonished, at this strange, yet familiar story:
of death defeated;
learning that there is more to life than what we know or comprehend,
and that, in Jesus –
through his life, his death, his resurrection –
in the mystery that is God’s –
somehow, we are brought into his marvellous light,
we have cause to hope,
we have life.
Love wins.

And, as the two Marys were called,
as his friends were called,
so too, we are called:
to share the Good News –
and in these times in which we live,
the sharing of Good news is both a radical act, and so very much needed.
We share God’s love and encourage others to love,
and watch the darkness lift and see the light pour in –
see the power of love at work in the world.
We witness to the staggering truth -
that Jesus is not dead.
He lives still...

This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
This is Easter:
and we are his witnesses:

‘Alleluia! Christ is risen!’
‘He is risen indeed, Alleluia!’
Amen.

Easter prayer

Amazing, life-giving, and eternal God:

On this day, of all days, we raise the cry with such glad hearts:

‘Alleluia! Christ is risen!’

‘He is risen indeed, Alleluia!’

We give thanks for the gift of Easter

that runs beyond our expectations,

beyond our categories of reason,

and which fills our hearts with the hope that keeps us going.

We offer our prayers to you Lord God reminded on this day of all days:

that this is not the end,

this is just the beginning -

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Over these next 50 days of the Easter season, may you know the joy of the risen Christ.
Easter blessings to you all,

Nikki

'From palms to the passion' - thoughts for Palm Sunday and Holy Week

It's Palm Sunday, marking the beginning of Holy Week, and the beginning of the end to Jesus' walk to the Cross and beyond. In our service of worship, as has become our usual practice over the years, we begin with palms and end with the sealing of the tomb; from cheers to jeers as the crowd turns against Jesus. 

Our readings for today reflect that journey:
1st reading – Luke 19:28-40 The entry into Jerusalem;
2nd reading – Luke 22:1-6 The plot against Jesus;
3rd reading – Luke 22:39-46 Jesus prays;
4th reading  Luke 22:47-53 The arrest of Jesus;
5th READING Luke 22:63-71; 23:1-12 Jesus on trial; 

6th READING Luke 23:13-25 Jesus sentenced to death; 

7th READING Luke 23:26-43 Jesus is crucified; 

8th READING Mark 15:33-47 The death of Jesus 

On the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, the crowds lined the streets, threw cloaks down upon the dusty road, waved palm branches, shouted 'Hosanna!' - save us. 

The palms tell their own story...

The palms tell a story

of a God who loved creation,

and a creation

who fell out of love with God.

Of a God who showed the way

through prophets who were silenced 

by the people who turned their backs.

Of a God who chose to become human,

and live this life in this world.

 

The palms tell a story

of a Saviour who was the word of life

but the people did not listen.

The Saviour spoke of justice for the poor

and food for the hungry

but the people did not listen.

The Saviour spoke of freedom

to all those oppressed,

but still the people did not believe.

The palms tell a story

of the man who rode into Jerusalem,

and the crowd cheered

of David and his progeny,

of the king of the Jews,

the king on a donkey

riding into the city of David

and the people recognised him:

‘Hosanna in the highest!’

The palms tell a story

for this is the journey to a table

of bread and wine

and friends gathered:

bread broken,

wine poured, for all.

 And he said:

‘re-member me,

re-member me,

re-member me.’

The palms tell a story

of the one taken from the table

to the garden.

 And from the garden

to the council.

And from the council

to the soldiers.

And from the soldiers

to the way of the cross.

The palms tell a story

of a saviour whose time

does not finish here.

As we move into this week and walk the last steps to the Cross with Jesus, a prayer and blessing:

May we whisper our hosannas throughout this week.

In every moment when the world goes silent on the cause of God

may we continue to cry out the beat –

the hosanna beat –

that marks the rhythm of this week;

In the sound of breaking bread may we hear the broken hosanna

and still believe in love’s way;

in the sound of coins being counted may we hear the betrayed hosanna

yet still trust in love’s choice;

in the twisting of the crown of thorns may we hear the tortured hosanna

and still believe in love’s way;

in the sound of the lashes, all thirty-nine, may we hear the scourged hosanna

yet still trust in love’s choice;

in the sound of nails being hammered may we hear the crucified hosanna

and still believe in love’s way

in the sound of silence may we hear the empty hosanna

yet still trust in love’s choice.

May we remain with Jesus

by whispering our hosannas throughout this week:

in every moment may we remain with you, O Jesus -

still believing

still following

still your companions...

And as we travel with you:

may God’s blessing be upon us all:

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Amen.