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)

'Lament' - worship for Sunday 13 July

WELCOME to worship this week. We're continuing our series on the Psalms, this week, exploring Ps 22 - a lament of David. Our 'take-away' question is 'Where are you, God?'

As we listen to David, and hear a little of Job's story, we find that rather than a sign of doubt, to ask questions of God is much more a demonstration of faith...

The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE and is now available to access.

CHURCH NOTICES/
Hymn nominations: planning a little ahead, for our Songs of Praise celebration service in 10 August, it's time to get nomination your favourite hymns for possible inclusion. Either message me via the 'contact us' facility on the right hand side of the page, or simply leave a comment under today's blog post.

These are all the notices, so until next week, may you know God's presence with you throughout this coming week.

Nikki 

'For all the saints' - worship for Sun 3 Nov

WELCOME to worship.

We continue to lean into the seasonal time of year, Halloween, aka 'All Saints' and 'All Souls'. Last week, we focused in on one specific 'hero' of the faith. This week, we've a whole list, in among the crowd of great witnesses. Where might we fit, in amongst this particular group? Today is an opportunity to further explore what it is to live in faith as we think of them, and maybe even folk we may know or have known, who’ve helped inspire and encourage us in our own life of faith. 
Our WORSHIP LINK HERE 

CHURCH NOTICES/
Sun 3 Nov - after worship: a reminder that there'll be a short Session meeting after the service.

Sun 10 Nov - REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY - services will be held around the parish to mark the day.
10.30 in the parish church at Abington, as part of morning worship
11am at the Wanlockhead Memorial
12pm at the Leadhills Memorial
1pm at the Crawford Memorial

Church newsletter: Christmas edition - a mission for you, should you choose to accept it: Dee and Nikki would love for you to get in touch by the end of worship next week to tell us what your favourite Christmas carol is - and why [in just a sentence or three]. We'd like to do a wee feature on this in the newsletter. The newsletter will be both mailed out and uploaded here on the blog site.

In the meantime, have a good week, and blessings as you go about it,
Nikki

'Roadworks Ahead': Advent 1 worship - Sun 3 De

WELCOME to this first Sunday in the season of Advent, where we begin a brand new church year and, where we prepare for a new beginning, as we travel over these next weeks to a stable in Bethlehem…    

Notices, for reference, are copied below. And for the service click on the: WORSHIP LINK HERE 

CHURCH NOTICES/
Thanks to our Leadhills Primary School Christmas elves who did a beautiful job decorating our Christmas tree. It was lovely having you trek through the snow to visit with us on Friday morning!

Parish newsletter: the Christmas newsletter is available both in hard copy and here by clicking on the 'Christmas newsletter '23' tab above this post. 

Food Bank: As is our usual practice in a communion month, over these next couple of Sundays, we're flagging up the work of Clydesdale Food Bank. In the church building, you can leave items of food and toiletries our food bank box in the vestibule or, you can access the website using the link HERE 
If you’re able to make a donation to help folk in our community who are struggling this Christmas, it would be so appreciated. For items donated at the church, please note that I’ll uplift these after worship on Sunday the 17th to ensure they're with the food bank before Christmas. 

Kirk Session meets on Thursday evening at 7pm via zoom – a link will be sent out to members of session, along with the agenda and minutes.

'Tidings of comfort and joy' service: A reminder that, on Saturday at 2pm, we have our annual Tidings of Comfort and Joy service – a gentle, reflective service for those who struggle a little at this time of year. If you know of someone who might find this service helpful, do let them know – and maybe… bring them along.

Carol Praise service: Sun 24 Dec. 10.30am. As Christmas is looming into view, our service on Christmas Eve morning is going to be a Carol service – a bit like our songs of praise service, but… carols: and you get to choose what we’ll sing. If you can let me know what carols you’d all like to sing by Sunday the 17th, that will give me time to get organised.
As to the service itself... there may be a mince pie afterwards to go with our morning tea…
For those of you who watch the pre-recorded service online – do get in touch if you’d like to nominate a favourite carol for the online service – I’ll see what we can do to make it happen! Either you can click on the 'contact us' button on the right hand side of the page to let me know your carol of choice!

As we move into Advent, may the hope of the promised Christ-child lead us ever on...

God bless
Nikki

Worship Sun 16 May, 2021: 'Psalm 1 - Like a tree'

WELCOME/
Hello and welcome to worship on what is the last Sunday of the season of Easter. Next week, we celebrate the birthday of the church, Pentecost. But before we move into the celebrations, today, an opportunity for a gentler time of worship, as we contemplate the words of Psalm One, and of being grounded in God, the One in whom all our hope is founded, and grounded in God’s word...

CHURCH NOTICES/
Community Growing project - The potatoes have now been distributed far and wide. And, as we look ahead, we're planning on 'growing' this project. To reflect this, we're changing the name to:
'Let's get growing'.
Working in conjunction with Crawford and Elvanfoot Community Council, we've been given permission to develop a wee patch of ground at the southern end of Crawford.
And there are several things from this:
first - we are looking for donations of Black Hammerite metal paint. If anyone has any left over paint of this type, and would like to donate it please let us know!
And second - we're hoping to form a gardening group as part of the project. If you'd like to know more, and get involved, have a chat with Janice Reid or get in touch with our community worker, Angela on  07543 796820 or abrydson@churchofscotland.org.uk
And third, a date to put in your diary:
Crawford and Elvanfoot Community Council have arranged for the Five Sisters Zoo Nursery to visit the area on Saturday 5th June. So, if you’re free, come along and find out more about our Let’s Get Growing project. As soon as we know what time on Sat. we'll post it to the blog.

WORSHIP...
And, now, for our time of worship - the LINK IS HERE

Have a blessed week, take care, and God bless
Nikki

Worship Sun 14 Feb: Love, actually

WELCOME/
Hello everyone and welcome once again to our time of online worship.
Given the date that Sunday falls on, St Valentine's Day, how could we do other than talk about love?
And, make sure to have your popcorn at the ready because faith goes to the movies in out sermon today - as we stand on the cusp of Lent, and think of God's love and the qualities of love as seen in 1 Cor. 13 we'll take a wee journey through the film 'Chocolat'...
The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE to take you across to our YouTube channel and below is some information about the upcoming season of Lent and some suggestions for the journey.

NOTICES/
Lent activity suggestions -
Lent is a season in the church year that gives us a concentrated space of time that we can set aside in order to help sharpen up our focus on God. It's often likened to a journey - we journey over the weeks of Lent towards Jerusalem, travelling with Jesus to those events in Holy Week and leading to Easter Sunday.
Traditionally, to mark Lent, the practice of giving up something, or taking something on, developed.
And, here at Upper Clyde, over the last few years, we've had both a daily and weekly set of options to help walk the Lenten pathway. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, Lent falls during Spring, so we can think of this time as an opportunity to do a little spiritual Spring cleaning.
Check back on the blogsite DURING THE WEEK - look along the tabs above the blog post and you'll find a tab specially dedicated to gathering our various Lent options, reflections, and spiritual tools - 'LENT 2021'
There'll be options for bakers, for outdoorsy folk, gardeners, for those unable to go outdoors, and even for lovers of Lego. Along with several book suggestions that you might find useful companions on the way.

Ash Wednesday -
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and falls on the Wednesday of this week - the 17th of Feb.
There will be a short service on our YouTube channel that will be available from 5pm on the day. It's always good to mark the start of a journey in some way, and so I trust our service will help to do just that. I'll put a link here or, if you've bookmarked/ subscribed to our YouTube channel, just head across anytime after 5pm.

Parish newsletter - Easter edition
Over the upcoming weeks, Dee, our magazine editor, will be looking for items of interest to include in what will be a smaller newsletter, rather than magazine [due to COVID-19 and not wanting to put folk at risk, and of breaking lockdown regulations]. If you have a favourite Easter themed poem, or a story to share, a favourite Easter hymn, or even a seasonal joke, do get in touch with Dee, she'd love to hear from you - you can do this via our 'contact us' feature on the right hand column, and these will be passed along to her. 

Have a good week, perhaps even a few pancakes on Tues, and blessings to you all as we move into Lent mid-week.
Take care
Nikki

Worship, Sun 7 Feb: 'You raise me up'

WELCOME...
Hello, and welcome to our online service of worship. We'll be reflecting on the God who raises us up as we consider the words of Psalm 147 and take a wee peek behind the curtains at Peter and Andrew's home life as we listen to Mark 1:29-39.
As far as church notices go, as we look ahead, the season of Lent is very nearly upon us - scary how the time keeps on moving. In our next time of worship, I'm hoping to share a few thoughts on some books that might be a helpful accompaniment as we journey through the weeks of Lent and to Easter. Along with that, there'll be options available for taking on a daily and weekly lent challenge - you can choose to do both, one, or bits and pieces whenever you're able... they'll be there as a help, not a measure of success or failure! Keep your ears tuned for a Lent Lego challenge, this is being prepared by our Community Outreach Worker, Angela - and she's got me intrigued, so, let's see how that will work!

I hope this finds you all keeping on keeping on, and managing with lockdown. If I can be of any help, if you'd like a wee chat, or, if you know of anyone who might, do let me know.
In the meantime, let's move across to our YouTube channel for our time of worship -
using THIS LINK to get there.

Stay safe, keep warm, and may you feel God's presence close by your side.

Nikki

Worship, Sun 10 Jan - Baptism of Jesus

WELCOME/

Hello and welcome to worship.
It is good that even in a time of lockdown, that we are still able to gather online to worship the One who calls us his own, who calls us ‘beloved’.
We move further into this season of Epiphany: the wise men have been and gone and traditionally, the church calendar does a bit of a dramatic jump. Having just celebrated the birth of Jesus, we move to a now grown Jesus on the cusp of beginning his public ministry, and find ourselves by the banks of the River Jordan, hearing once again the story of his baptism. So as we paddle by the waters of the Jordan, just one piece of news to share...
As a parish, as of 2019, we became part of a wider parish grouping with Douglas Valley and the Tinto Parishes. We'd already begun exploring and finding ways of helping and supporting one another - by pulpit swaps and the ministers of Upper Clyde and Tinto Parishes leading communion across in the Douglas and Rigside congregations. Alongside this, we also undertook an audit of our parishes - how many people, schools, community groups, age groups, community services offered, etc - and this helped to shape a proposal to create a new post of a shared Community Outreach Worker. This went forward to Church of Scotland HQ, and we were successful in receiving support to put in place a 3 year post. Having advertised the vacancy, and subsequently interviewed shortlisted applicants, the successful candidate was Angela Brydson - a Deacon and experienced community worker. 

Angela has been working just down the road, in our neighbouring presbytery of Annandale and Eskdale. I think our various communities will benefit immensely from Angela’s energy and creativity, as well as her understanding of just how rural communities work and it’s great that she’s joining our team – even in the midst of the challenge of doing so in lockdown. Angela has very kindly put together a wee video to say hello, so you'll get to meet her in our opening 'welcome' clip across at our YouTube channel.

In the meantime, I hope this finds you well, and that you’re managing to stay upright, given all the ice and snow about the place. Also, I hope that lockdown is not proving too hard. Please do feel free to give me a call if you’d like to chat – I’m always happy to listen.
May this time of worship be a blessing and an encouragement...
You'll find the LINK HERE to take you across to our service.

God bless
Nikki

Worship, Sun 3 Jan - Epiphany

 

WELCOME/
A very happy new year to you all, and welcome to this time of worship.
Traditionally, the 6th of January closes the season of Christmas and opens the shorter season of Epiphany in the church calendar. It's known as a season of light, and of things revealed, and begins with wise men following a star. It's also an opportunity to sing a few last Christmas carols as well as look ahead to this coming year. Whether past or present, or in the future, however, God journeys with us, as we follow in faith. May you find this time of worship an encouragement as we travel together as God's people into 2021.

The worship link is HERE.

And, for younger folk, you'll find an ACTIVITY SHEET LINK HERE.

God bless,
Nikki

Worship, Sun 18 Oct: 'Joy' - pt 4 of our series on Philippians

WELCOME -

Hello and welcome to worship with Upper Clyde Parish.
It is always good to remember that, no matter how we gather, it is always good to offer God our worship, for God is truly worthy of our praise.

Over these last few weeks, we’ve been delving into Paul’s letter to the Philippians, and we have arrived at our final chapter – chapter 4. If you wanted a brief summary of this chapter, you could probably do it in two words:

‘Joy’ and ‘Peace’ - and I can almost hear the very long sigh of a certain Rev. I. M. Jolly at the thought of joy...!!

CHURCH NOTICES:

Guild Quiz -

Our friends in the Guild have set a quiz for us all. The quiz sheets are £1, and available at the Abington Store, or get in touch with Heather Watt or Mary Hamilton.

All proceeds go to the ongoing projects that the Church of Scotland Guild supports.
Many thanks to our Guild for organising this and for giving us a little light relief in what for some us are difficult times.

And a little advance notice: there’ll also be a quiz out in December...

Church building -

It's a long, slow process, I'm afraid, however, I’m hoping to have a little bit more information next week on what’s happening. We have received a quote for all the electrical work, so a meeting of the Session needs to happen, along with a wee discussion on finances for the work.
That said, given the current stricter lockdown regulations in force in South Lanarkshire, the Session is not really minded to push opening the doors just yet – even if we could... 

We want you to feel safe and not take unnecessary risks.
Thanks, as ever, for your patience.

WORSHIP AND RESOURCE LINKS -
In the meantime, turning to worship, here are the links -
first, for all-age resources
ALL AGE LINK

and for further bible study and reflection
STUDY LINK

Also, don’t forget, if you’d like to continue to support the work of Upper Clyde, you can now donate online, and many thanks to those of you have been able to make your donations that way
CHURCH DONATIONS LINK
Click 'donate to a congregation' and type in 'Upper Clyde Parish'

And finally, here is our WORSHIP LINK that will take you across to our YouTube channeL for our time of worship

Worship, Sun 4 Oct - wk 2 Philippians: 'Aim low, and you're never disappointed'

WELCOME/
Hello, and welcome to our worship link page. Here you'll find links to take you across to our YouTube channel for a time of worship, and also links to resources for worship, and beyond.

Last time in worship, we began a 4-part series on Paul's letter to the Philippians, looking at Chapter 1.
We saw that Paul was currently under house arrest, a prisoner in - scholars believe - Rome.
Paul wrote to his fellow believers in Philippi, encouraging them to stand firm in the faith under difficult circumstances, and this encouragement was mutual - as he encouraged them, so they encouraged him.
So, our 'take-away' from last time was very much focused on the power of encouragement, and of the importance of both being encouraged and being an encourager.
This time around, in Chapter 2, Paul urges the Philippians to continue on in the faith by suggesting that the best example is Jesus himself - 'be imitators of Christ', he encourages them, and as he describes just who Jesus is, and what he gave up, we find a theme of practical love in action: loving and serving God and each other for the benefit of all... self-giving, not self-seeking.

For those of you with all-age households, for the younger members of the house, you'll find accessible worship material here: 
ALL-AGE RESOURCE LINK
And for those of you who would like to reflect a little more deeply on the bible passage itself, you can find material for further study and reflection here:
BIBLE STUDY LINK

Just to flag up that if you'd like to help support the ongoing work of Upper Clyde Parish, you can donate online by clicking the following link:
UPPER CLYDE DONATE ONLINE
This will take you to the Church of Scotland website. Just click the 'donate to a congregation' option, type in 'upper clyde parish church' and follow the instructions.
And thank you to all who continue to support the work in this and in other ways.

No news yet of the building opening...
In the meantime, you'll find worship available online by clicking on this link:
THIS WEEK'S WORSHIP 

I hope you enjoy and are spiritually fed by this time of worship.
God bless
Nikki 

Worship/ Sun 17 May: 'Love is...'

WELCOME and CHURCH NOTICES/
Hello and welcome!
Our worship is online once again over on our YouTube channel.
Don't forget to have a quick look at our notices before you click on the link...
WORSHIP LINK HERE

CHURCH NOTICES/
'Heart and Soul'/ General Assembly:
This time of year is normally when the Church of Scotland holds its General Assembly.
As we know, ‘normally’ is not quite where we’re at right now, with lockdown, so the Assembly has been cancelled, however, one event that happens on the Sunday of Assembly is a big gathering in Princes St called ‘Heart and Soul’ – and it’s a great event. Now, while that won’t be happening in Princes St, technology has stepped in and this afternoon, there’ll be an online version of it - on livestream. Just click this LINK FOR THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND website and you'll find yourself at the right web page... all you have to do then is click on the live link to join in.
It begins at 2pm, and there'll be music, some good conversation and the chance to have a look around at what the Church of Scotland is doing in the many presbyteries and parishes around Scotland.

Worship - music:
A wee note about worship: I’d planned this year on having two Songs of Praise services – one for spring and one for autumn. So, those plans have come a little unstuck, but I was wondering... it doesn’t have to stop you nominating some of your favourite hymns – we could have a go of it online, I think – or, at the very least, I could include them in our online services over the next wee while. So, do get in touch with me by phone or email, and let me know what hymns or other praise songs you’d like. Also, for those of you who do readings, and, who have a mobile phone, I’m wondering if we could do some recording of readings by you, so that it’s not just my voice throughout worship. You’ll hear a little later that we have managed to have a go at that this week. So do let me know if you’d be willing to record a reading. Thanks in advance.

Pastoral matters:
From the pastoral side of things, again, just the usual thank you for all you’re doing while we’re in lockdown: I know that some of you have been supporting community groups like the foodbank, some donated to Christian Aid last week during Christian Aid week, some of you are saving your stamps for Crossreach...
There are those of you doing the work of prayer, others who are ringing around and checking in on folk. In the many ways you’re doing it, thank you for showing your love and your compassion for friends and neighbours both near and far – practising love in action.
The usual request from me: if you know of anyone who might need a referral for the foodbank, or who might just like a listening ear, do let me know.

All-age, family-friendly worship resources:

What Is Love?  all age 
You will need: highlighter pens, copies of 1 Corinthians 13
(you can readily copy the text from https://www.biblegateway.com/ ... print off)

Two different ways of doing this:
as a family, or each child individually...
make sure everyone has a copy of 1 Corinthians 13 and a highlighter pen.
Look through the passage and find all the things that love is or does (all the attributes of love)
and when you find something about love highlight it with the highlighter pen. 
Compare your findings as a way into the story today.

Crafts
Heart Badges  age 3-5
You will need: red card cut into heart shapes, coloured pens, coloured pencils,
self-stick stickers, sticky tape, safety pins, clear self-adhesive plastic.
Give each child a heart shape and ask them to decorate it using the materials provided.
Make the heart shape into a badge with the children by helping them to cover their heart
with self-stick clear plastic, which also helps to keep their design in place, and by attaching
a safety pin to the back of the badge with sticky tape.
The children can then wear their heart badges.

Talk with the children about love and how a heart is often used as a symbol for love.
Talk about the people who love them and how they know that they are loved.
How do people show they love them?
Talk about God’s love and how they might show God’s love to others.

Love Biscuits  age 6-8 
You will need: a supply of small heart-shaped biscuits, tubes of coloured icing, paper plates,
doilies, felt pens, cling-film, stick on parcel bows.
Give each child four heart-shaped biscuits and ask them to pipe with the icing the letter ‘L’ on one,
‘O’ on another, ‘V’ on another and ‘E’ on the last one. While the icing on their biscuits is setting
ask them to decorate the border of their paper plate.
Give each child a doily and ask them to place it on their plate.
Now they can arrange their biscuits on the plate to spell out ‘LOVE’ and then wrap the whole
plate in cling film. A decorative bow can then be added to the top of their cling-film.

Talk with the children about love and the people they love.
Discuss the different ways we can show someone we love them.
Talk with the children about who they might like to give their ‘Love’ biscuits and why they
chose that person or those people.

A Gift Of Love  age 9-12
You will need: red card, a box, pencils, scissors, coloured felt-tip pens, PVA glue,
glue spreaders, heart shaped stickers, tissue paper, either small red scented tea-lights
or small packs of love hearts.
Give each child a box and ask them to decorate it.
On the lid use decorative writing using 'Love is...'
(e.g. you could use bubble writing which is then coloured in using the words ‘Love is...’)

Now explain that they are going to complete that phrase by using words from the passage
(for example: patient, kind, not jealous, not boastful, bears all things, never ends and so on)
and write one of their different endings to the phrase on each face of the box again in decorative
writing. They can then decorate the other spaces on the box using patterns or stickers.
The box can then be filled with a little tissue paper and either a scented tea-light or some
‘Love Heart’ sweets and be given to someone they love.

Talk with the children about love and how we can show love to others.
With this age-group it would be interesting to ask them to read some of the verses aloud but
replace the word love with their name and then discuss with them what that should mean for
them and how they should behave and show God’s love to others.

Growing Love all age
You will need: white paper towel, plastic disposable plates, pens (not felt tips, they will run!),
cress seeds, water.
Give each child a sheet of paper towel and ask them to draw a heart shape in the centre of the sheet.
Ask the children to place the sheet on the plastic plate and then using some of the water dampen
the paper. Giving the children cress seeds ask them to sprinkle them carefully within the heart
shape only. Explain that if the paper is kept damp the cress seeds will grow in a heart shape and
when grown the cress can then be cut and shared with others in the family.
Talk with the children about love and how a heart is often used as a symbol for love.
Discuss different ways we can show God’s love and ask them to think about how God’s love can
be grown. Talk about how the seeds they have sown could be seen as seeds of love and how
these seeds of love will grow and how that love can then be shared with others allowing
God’s love to grow even more.

Sunday worship/ 3 May: Good Shepherd Sunday

Welcome to worship on this 'Good Shepherd' Sunday.
I hope that you are all keeping well, and safe, and that you've settled into this time of lockdown.
Don't forget: if you'd like a listening ear or just to have a friendly chat, do get in touch with me, Nikki at the manse on:
01864 502139
And, if you know of others who might appreciate a call, please do let me know, and I'll follow that up.

As with last week, our worship will be over on our YouTube channel, in the form of 'rolling' clips. So once you've clicked on THIS LINK, which will take you to our rolling playlist for 3 May, all you need to do is click on the box at the bottom right hand of the small viewing box - this will change it into full screen mode for easier viewing. The clips will follow on automatically one after the other through to the end.

But before you click on that link, for those of you with younger people in the house, you'll find another LINK HERE which will take you to some all-age-friendly worship resources - There's age-appropriate stories, prayers, activities, and reflections...
I suggest you head there first, download what you need, and then head across to the Parish YouTube space for a time of worship.

Also, I'd like to acknowledge the great work that the Clydesdale Food Bank have been doing during this difficult time - they are amazing.
If you'd like to support their excellent work please click ON THIS LINK which will take you to their website and to their donations page. They have been so supportive of some of our own neighbours within this parish, and I, for one, am very grateful for all they do.
And a reminder:
in my capacity as Minister, I'm authorised to make referrals to Clydesdale Food Bank. If you are in need of the service, please do get in touch -
and, if you know someone who could do with the help, please pass my contact info. on to them.
Also, if you happen to be passing by the front door of the manse on your daily exercise, or essential travel, and you have items you'd like to donate to the food bank, feel free to drop them at my front door and I can organise a pick up when they next come through this way.

I hope you enjoy our parish worship this week - it was a little windy in the backyard this week, so there are some 'shuggly' bits on occasion! This week a microphone arrived... next week a special mobile phone friendly tripod - which should help make videos a little less shuggly!

Have a good week, and may you know God's blessing ...

Rev. Nikki

Sermon, March 15, Lent 3: 'Love in the time of coronavirus'

READING: John 4:1-42

SERMON
Let’s pray: may the words of my mouth and the thoughts of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

The scene is a back alley in New York.
High rise surround it,
washing lines flap with drying clothes.
And, in the immediate foreground,
a young man is shifting barrels.
He looks up,
there’s a sense of hopefulness about him –
the world is full of possibilities...
what might it hold for him?
Eyes bright, he smiles,
and bursts into song:

Could be! Who knows?
There's something due any day;
I will know right away,
Soon as it shows.
It may come cannon-balling 
down through the sky,
Gleam in its eye,
Bright as a rose!

Who knows?
It's only just out of reach,
Down the block, on a beach,
Under a tree
I got a feeling there's a miracle due,
Gonna come true,
Coming to me!

Could it be? Yes it could.
Something's coming, something good,
If I can wait!
Something's coming,
I don't know what it is,
But it is
Gonna be great!

A little later on, he meets the girl of his dreams at a dance, they fall in love ...
maybe it is gonna be great.

I’m wondering if this might be ringing any bells –
what movie musical am I referring to?
...
Yep, West Side Story.
It’s a tale based on Romeo and Juliet, but set in the 1950’s...
instead of the Montagues and Capulets
you have two rival gangs:
the Sharks and Jets.
There’s a bitter enmity between them –
they despise each other’s culture,
customs,
colour.
And, in the end, the feud between these two groups
destroys the chance at love and a new life for the young man and young woman –
Tony and Maria.
The hopefulness that Tony had at the beginning of the story that
something’s coming that’s gonna be great –
which is realised when he meets Maria –
is shown to the viewer at the end of the musical, to be hopeless:
how hard it is to break from habits,
to break from fear of the other,
to break the reaction to that fear –
the cycle of violence.
Tony’s body lies crumpled in the street,
surrounded by members of both gangs, and their followers.
And then, and then... something does come,
something ...good –
out of the devastation,
in that moment,
when all see the cost of their hatred,
they finally see each other...
just fellow humans after all.
Wordlessly, they put an end to war:
members of both gangs come forward,
and, lifting Tony’s body, carry him off together.
From his death,
perhaps there will be an end to the fear,
perhaps there will be an end to the fighting,
perhaps there will be a chance for all of them to hope
and to be free at last to live.

Two groups.
Two rival groups.
Different customs,
different cultures,
yet, fellow humans with a shared history.
Jews
and Samaritans...
and in the centre of that story,
a man and a woman who, in a conversation
that begins with difference,
ends with each truly seeing the other.

In our gospel reading from John,
Jesus is on the move.
He’s been in Judea
and been gaining more and more followers keen to hear his teaching,
full of hope –
could be... who knows?
could it be...yes, it could.
Maybe this Jesus might just be the Messiah.
And, with the growing number of followers,
lurking in the background are the Pharisees,
who are not best pleased that this young maverick Rabbi from the sticks
is becoming well-known, popular.
They want him stopped.
Very badly.
Feeling it’s time to move on, Jesus heads off –
journeying from Judea and to the Galilee.
He takes a short cut.
Rather than avoiding enemy territory, he crosses the boundary.
After walking for about 30 miles, Jesus ends up at Sychar, in Samaria,
the place of Jacob’s Well.
Exhausted, he rests...alone –
the disciples have gone to the town looking for food.

It is a quiet place – which is only natural, given it is the hottest part of the day.
No regular person would be doing hard work at this time,
they’d be somewhere in the shade.
But...
she is no regular person.
In the heat of the noon day sun,
the woman heads towards the well to fetch water and lug it back home.
It’s almost as if she wants to avoid being seen;
to avoid any confrontation,
to avoid any kind of interaction with others.
But that doesn’t happen:
because there Jesus sits,
and, he initiates a conversation.
Clearly, he’s no regular person either.

Unlike her, he has nothing to draw water with:
he asks her for a drink.
And it’s she who is quick to flag up difference.
First it’s race:
Jew.
Samaritan.
And then, gender:
Samaritan woman.
And then custom and practice:
how can he ask her for a drink when
Jews don’t share eating or drinking vessels with non-Jews –
especially 'heretic' Samaritans?
This is not going to happen.
But then, Jesus flips things around –
he tends to do that a lot.
Having asked her for a drink,
he points out that it is he who can offer her water –
living water.
Water that will so satisfy her thirst she will never need drink again...
water that is enough for body and soul,
both now
and forever.
And, if she’d have been a Scot, and not a Samaritan, she’d have answered:
‘Aye. Right.’
But this man intrigues her.
They stand at the well as equals:
she has no compunction about asking him questions,
or giving a quick-witted response to his comments.
They get into some quite deep theology.
The woman –
who unlike Jesus is never named –
is seen, whereas, in her everyday life and everyday encounters,
she is invisible.
And more than seen:
she is known.
There’s that interesting little conversation about husbands.
How many?
Well, this stranger seems to know the score.
And as they talk,
and as she feels seen...
she begins to see who he is:
could be... who knows?
could it be...yes, it could.
At the least, he’s a prophet,
at the most, well, that could be quite potentially mind-blowing.
Wait.
‘At some point, the Messiah will come. When he comes, 
he will explain everything to us.’ she says.
...’I am he.’
Oh.
And as the disciples return,
that woman is so excited,
that she completely forgets to pick up the great water jar she came with,
and races back to the town.
And with a lovely echo of Jesus calling the first disciples,
she encourages the townsfolk that she’s previously avoided to:
‘come and see!’
They see her...
and it’s enough to make them rush out to the well and see Jesus:
could it be...yes, it could.
This might very well be the Messiah.
They invite him to stay...
and what they see, they like:
many believe.
They know who he is:
‘we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.’
Boom.
The stranger is a stranger no longer:
as he knows them,
so they now know who he is.
Rivalries are forgotten,
fear of the other is set aside.
Something comes from this encounter,
something happens,
something good...
new life –
like water flowing through the soul, refreshing and cleansing.
Even as Jesus has crossed boundaries,
so the boundaries have melted away into a new understanding.
God loved the world...
in such a way, that he sent Jesus –
as our reading from last week reminded us.
Our reading today puts flesh and bones on that:
this encounter is what it looks like when God comes to town.
Transformation.
Barriers coming tumbling down:
barriers of prejudice, of fear.
To see and to be seen –
to be fully known
In him, a chance for all to have hope and to be free at last to live.

It is still the gift that God, in Jesus, offers us:
hope...
life, in all its amazing fullness and beauty and wonder;
life reconciled to God –
the fount of every blessing.

We are currently living in strange and fearful times.
Every day, we see the power of fear in action:
fear of not having enough:
panic buying and empty shelves;
fear of losing one’s job:
people feeling that they’re having to make a choice
that they shouldn’t have to make -
to isolate oneself when ill, and not get paid, maybe sacked...
or to go into work but compromise everyone they come into contact with?
And, of course, the fear of actually getting this virus:
especially those who fall into the vulnerable categories –
older age groups or people with underlying health issues.
How do we all navigate living through this ocean of fear as people of faith?

First, remind ourselves that the God who sees,
sees us,
knows...us,
continues to offer us the freedom from fear
to live in hope,
to live life fully.
He is sufficient,
a present help in time of trouble;
the fount of every blessing.
We pray.
We’re called to be wise and sensible – so follow the advice that’s being put out.
And we’re called to love.
So, how do we love in the time of coronavirus?
See and know:
who the most vulnerable are around you –
and, to help them live a little more fully, offer them love in practical ways.
Check in with each other –
if you can’t be physically present, lift up that phone and see how your neighbour is doing;
think of the ones who are self-isolating:
ring them just for a wee blether –
they don’t have to be isolated just because they’re stuck at home;
or, maybe, if you’ve internet, some scrabble online...
little things... cards through the letter box, wee mindings.
If you are able to be out and about –
are there folk you know who can’t pick up prescriptions, or basics like milk...
might doing some delivery be useful?
Ask yourself, if shopping:
do you really need to buy 72 rolls of loo paper?
Or, by choosing not to panic buy,
might that mean that those on low incomes who can’t afford to stockpile,
might have a chance at getting some basic groceries?
When others are worrying, try to be a calm, non-anxious, kindly and reassuring presence.
Above all:
be kind
be careful
be not afraid...
be a fount of God’s blessing –
offering the river of the water of life.
And together, we will get through this if we remain rooted not in fear, but in love,
for we follow the man that a group of Samaritans saw 2 000 years ago,
and who, in seeing him, said:
‘this man really is the Saviour of the world.’
So, let Jesus be our guide,
and let us learn the creative ways of love, and hope, in the time of coronavirus...
Amen.

Sermon, Sun 8 March, Lent 2: 'Where does my help come from?'

READINGS Ps 121; Rom 4:1-5; John 3:1-17

SERMON
Let’s pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer, Amen

‘I lift my eyes to the hills –
where does my help come from?’

A friend and I have an ongoing joke about Psalm 121.
We speculate that it was written by the psalmist just as he was preparing to go into battle.
Watching and waiting, hearing the clink and jingle of the oncoming army, he scans the hills anxiously...
Sweat begins to run down his brow as the hills remain ....quiet,.... empty...
As he looks at these empty hills, he’s getting a little twitchy,
and the ‘where does my help come from?’
is really more of a panicked –
‘Aaaaargh, where the heck is the rest of my army?
Where are my reinforcements?!’
And after a lot of very quick breaths, where he's close to hyperventilating,
he tries to steady himself with an:
‘okay, okay, 
breathe, 
breathe...
my help comes from the Lord...
my help comes from the Lord...
....LOOOOORRRRRRDDDDDDD!!!’....

Whatever caused the psalmist to compose his song, Psalm 121 became less a battle song,
and more a song for pilgrims.
At the beginning of the psalm you see the words:
‘a song of ascents’ 
a reference to ascending the road leading up to Jerusalem and the Temple.
The psalm became popular –
used as a form of prayer and blessing at the beginning of a journey.
Having been blessed,
off the travellers,
the pilgrims,
those journeying to wherever it may be,
would go –
some having a remarkably benign trip,
others having all sorts of unexpected and unlooked for adventures,
occasional mishaps,
or getting a little lost on the way.
To journey is to be prepared to take a risk...
And the word ‘journey’ is often used to describe not only physical travels,
but also the journey of faith.
We find this especially in times like Lent –
where there’s talk of wandering in the wilderness with Jesus,
talk of journeying with Jesus to Jerusalem
and of passing through the cheering crowds
and onwards to betrayal and pain and suffering and death on Calvary’s hill.

Sometimes, the word ‘journey’ feels a little overused, when it comes to faith,
and yet, even so, it’s a good metaphor:
just as in life’s journey,
so our faith journey can, at times, be remarkably straightforward, gently benign...
but as with other journeys,
there can also be bumps and diversions and even occasional disasters on the faith journey.
With the psalmist, we too, might be inclined to ask:
‘where does my help come from?’
And we find, it’s the same answer:
‘our help comes from the Lord.’
But how is that a comfort?
Well, the psalmist tells us about this One who is helping.
What do we learn?
The Lord is the One who is
‘the Maker of heaven and earth’.
We get to ask our question only because the Maker...
made us...
and everything there is:
the hills, atoms, snow, even those weird and wild looking fish
with built-in lamps that swim in the darkest parts of the ocean.
Our help comes from the One who is
the Maker,
the Creator –
inventive, imaginative,
who does, like the Sunday School song suggests,
hold 'the whole word in his hands.'
‘Where does my help come from?’
Wow – the all-impressive and powerful Creator of everything.
Well, that’s not too shabby, really, is it?
The One who shaped the seas and formed the mountains
is the One who will help little old you and me.
But is that it?

Well, according to the psalmist, wait, because there’s more –
and then we get a run down of the qualities of this particular helper.
Six times, in this short psalm, there’s a particular Hebrew word ‘shamar’ –
and in our English translation we have these variations on it –
'to keep', 'to watch over', 'to preserve'.
I was chatting with someone yesterday about publicity and advertising:
did you know that it’s only about at the 6th flyer through the door
advertising the same thing, that you tend to actually notice it?
Interesting coincidence that ‘shamar’ – to ‘watch over’ is mentioned six times.
It’s as if the psalmist really, really, really wants you to notice this:
it’s important.
So, the take-away here is that the great Maker of all
helps you,
and holds you,
and, watches over you.
When the wheels fall off the wagon
and the journey goes all pear-shaped,
this is the One who has your back.
But, what else do we find out from the psalmist?

God... never... sleeps.
This is a sly reference to the other gods who were worshipped
at the time of writing the psalm –
it was believed that they sort of hibernated over the winter, waking back up as spring began.
Our helper, says the psalmist,
doesn’t go to sleep,
doesn’t go on holiday:
our helper,
our God,
is constant, dependable,
sure and faithful and steadfast –
always with us,
always watching over us.

This is a helper who protects.
When the sun is at its height, this is a helper who provides shade.
When the moon is making its nightly pilgrimage through the skies, again the helper keeps watch.
And here’s a thing:
what’s the problem with the moon?
Here’s your fun quiz fact for the day to tuck away:
the root of the word ‘lunatic’ comes from the Latin word for ‘moon’.
And, the root of the word ‘epileptic’ comes from Greek word used for ‘moon’...
so the expression to be ‘moonstruck’ meant having a fit.
Both the sun and moon in their different ways were things to be wary of for a traveller,
and the One watching over us, according to the psalmist,
makes sure that we are protected from sun and moon;
protected
for the whole journey of life,
for the whole journey of faith;
from our beginning
to our end...
our coming into the world
and our going out from it.
Ever faithful,
always watching,
always with us.
The One who is our helper.

It is the same One who called to Abraham and said:
‘Leave this place. Go to a land of promise, of hope. 
You will have so many descendants that it will be 
as impossible to count them as it is to count the stars.’
And wealthy, comfortable Abraham left his comfort zone
and went on a great journey with Sara...
and a whole lot of assorted servants and possessions.
He travelled to a far off, unknown land –
the journey of a lifetime,
a journey not without difficulties.
There were times he really made a hash of things.
Nevertheless, he followed God –
the One who is our helper and our guide.

Thousands of years later, the One who also watched over Nicodemus
guided his footsteps at night through the twisty, narrow alleyways of
Jerusalem to where Jesus was staying.
Nicodemus was also a man of privilege and power – he was among the religious elite.
And yet, he too, made a journey:
and found himself face to face with Jesus chewing over matters of the faith.
I like Nicodemus – there’s a humility to this man that enabled him to ask questions
of this maverick peasant from the northern wilds.
He has an interesting faith journey:
later we see him standing up and defending Jesus...
and much later, Nicodemus is there, at the Cross, with Joseph of Arimathea,
organising the logistics of burial.

Remember the hymn that has the words:
‘we are pilgrims on a journey’?
So we come back to the pilgrim psalm, psalm 121.
It is as much a psalm for pilgrims heading to Jerusalem centuries ago,
as it is for each one of us who follows in faith today.
And we, too, find that there are times when we ask the age-old question:
‘where does my help come from?’
It’s a good question in the midst of conversations about the Coronavirus,
and where we’re hearing all these stories of panic buying.
I’m not quite sure what the panic is about loo paper, but that seems to be
‘the’ panic buying item of choice...
I’d prefer chocolate, personally.

Earlier in the week I bumped into someone and we got into a conversation about this virus.
And the person I was talking with was very concerned – terrified.
They were not alone, judging by all that panic buying.
But something perhaps useful to remember:
throughout the whole of human history there have always been terrible and frightening things:
plague, natural disasters, wars...
The world can truly feel a frightening place.
We can feel lost, alone, isolated.
In life, in faith, as we journey, we look at everything happening around us,
we look at the hills filled with so many frightening, worrying things, and we cry out:
‘where does my help come from?’
The preacher Frederick Buechner once said:
‘Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid.’
Why not?
Because when we ask ‘where does my help come from?’
the answer is the same as it was for Abraham.
It is the same as it was for the pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem,
it is the same as it was for Nicodemus slipping through those
darkened streets seeking illumination.
Our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth,
who watches over us every moment of our lives -
the One who is constant even when at times, we are less so:
the One who is dependable, who can be relied upon, and who loves us in this manner:
that he became one of us,
and, in becoming one of us,
knew fully what it was to bear the burden and the joy of being human.
He is the One who loves us in this way:
that he challenged those who created systems that helped to make the world
more terrible and frightening, systems that hindered people from being all that they could be.
He is the One who loved us like this:
that, having challenged the powers that be, he was arrested, punished, and executed.
He is the One who loves us in this way:
that, he showed us that death is not the end –
that we are a people not of darkness,
but of light;
that we are a people not of despair,
but of hope;
that we are a people not of death,
but of life everlasting...
Our help comes
from the One who loves us,
who cherishes us,
and who is the guardian of our hope.
He is the One to whom we can cry out when all seems lost –
and find that, as we journey to him, and he to us,
that, in the end, all is found –
for God is our all in all.
Whatever it is that causes you to be fearful as you journey in faith and in life,
take courage, people of God,
for the Lord, your God, is with you –
always and forever.

‘I lift my eyes to the hills –
where does my help come from?
My help comes the Lord, 
the Maker of heaven and earth’
...Amazing grace indeed. Amen.

Worship, Sun 1 March, Lent 1: 'One little word'

A busy morning -

a cross in the wilderness...

the beginning of the season of Lent, and so we once again followed the ancient practice of 'burying' alleluias;
we pondered the word 'if' as we reflected on temptation;
and together, we shared in the bread and wine of Communion.

READINGS Gen 2:15-25, 3:1-7; Matt 4:1-11

SERMON
Let’s pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer, amen.

Take thirty-two pre-schoolers:
thirty-two pre-schoolers who are very fond of marshmallows...
in fact, marshmallows might just be one of their
most
favourite
things
ever
in the whole world.
Taking each little one aside, you give them a challenge.
And the challenge is this:
to go into a small room down the hall.
The only things in that room are a chair to sit on,
a table,
and, on the table...
a plate...
a plate which has on it an enormous white – or pink –
beautifully fluffy marshmallow.
Now, they have a choice:
they can eat that lovely marshmallow immediately or
if they can sit in that room for a whole minute,
looking at that deliciously lovely,
ginormous,
gorgeous-looking,
sweet-smelling,
wonderfully fluffy marshmallow
without eating it,
the deal is this:
that, at the end of the minute, they will be given not one, but two,
of these wonderful marshmallows to take away as a reward for waiting.
Each child agrees to the challenge –
because...
well, a minute’s not that long, and ...
either way, they’ll have a marshmallow, and...
even better, the possibility of having two yummy marshmallows.

Actually, this was an experiment that did really happen back in the 1970’s
and it was called the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment.
It was a test to try and find out how early the concept of delayed
gratification was understood by human beings.
Now the original test was a wee bit more complex than what I just described...
But the basis of the test was later used in the 2000’s in its more simple form –
and each child was filmed as they waited for the minute.
The one minute films were collated into one film, and the whole thing was then
put up on the internet – YouTube.
The film went viral:
because the children’s responses to the challenge were just fabulous.
There were some very heartfelt, longing looks at the big fluffy marshmallow on the plate;
some of the children picked up the marshmallow and took in deep breaths,
inhaling the sugary smell.
Others tested the fluffiness of the marshmallow,
gently, and occasionally not quite so gently, by squeezing it.
Several little faces leant into hands, as elbows rested on the table,
and eyes stared intently at that marshmallow.
There were some giggles;
there were some mighty big sighs;
some agonised expressions;
a few cases of eyes looking up to the heavens;
and some clearly deep ethical thought processes going on:
was licking the marshmallow okay –
after all, it wasn’t really eating it, was it?
Several small people were seen to quietly look around at the door,
before little fingers pounced, with the marshmallow being nearly licked to death.
Of course, after a time, a good number of the children just went ‘aaargh!’
and stuffed the whole thing in their mouths and sighed with the loveliness of it.
A very small number of the children did actually manage NOT to eat the marshmallow...
and were rather chuffed to be given two marshmallows, which didn’t last long at all.
If you go online, you can watch the whole thing:
just Google using the words
‘marshmallow’
‘temptation’
‘children’
you’ll find a link to a video called:
‘Oh, the temptation’ –
it’s fabulous, watch it and enjoy.

On this first Sunday of Lent, it’s really not that much of a surprise to find ourselves
faced with two Bible readings that are stories about temptation.
The first, involving forbidden fruit, not a marshmallow, is near the beginning of creation:
Adam and Eve hanging out in the Garden of Eden,
living a peaceful life,
a life in harmony with all of creation,
a life in harmony with the Creator...
and into that harmonious life comes a creeping insinuation that perhaps this isn’t enough –
is there more?
In our own 21st century, there’s a term that could be applied to what Adam and Eve
are experiencing as they stand by that tree and listen to the serpent spin his lies –
the serpent is cunning,
and the serpent knows that if he can make them feel even the slightest bit
inadequate,
incomplete,
insufficient,
then both Adam and Eve will be struck with that most awful of afflictions –
no, not the Corona virus...
but:
and here’s that 21st century term -
FOMO –
which stands for Fear Of Missing Out.

The serpent makes them think about one little word:
‘if’
‘what if the serpent’s right?
what if God isn’t telling us the truth?
what if I don’t have everything I possibly can?
and then...
what if I just ignore God, better still, what if I put myself in God’s place?’
And with that little tiny word,
trust is lost,
doubt takes over,
and Eve and Adam find themselves unable to resist taking a bit of that
great big piece of forbidden fruit,
and find themselves losing their peace,
the harmony with creation,
the harmony they had with the Creator.
The relationship ...is broken...
And we find, as we read the stories in the bible that what we’re looking at
is a long-ranging story of that relationship between God and human beings being
played out down through the centuries:
God rescuing his people time and time again...
God always there,
always loving them,
always calling them back.
And God’s people –
always running:
to God,
or running from God.
But, it’s often in the wilderness places that the people find that God is with them.
That’s the interesting thing about the wilderness, there’s not that many distractions:
the wilderness is relatively uncluttered, there’s space...
and in the space,
without distractions,
the people of God encounter again the One
who loves them,
who created them.

And so, the tradition arose among the people that it was a good thing
to go out into the desert places,
to seek God,
to discover what God was saying,
to find clarity,
to... declutter
and get rid of those things in one’s life that were distracting.
And it’s why, in our second reading, that we meet Jesus in the desert, the wilderness:
in the uncluttered, empty spaces,
in a place of vast open horizons,
he is seeking clarity,
vision,
to hear God
as he prepares to begin his ministry.
And in this story, which comes at the end of his time in the desert wilderness,
we are met once again with temptation...
and that one small word – ‘if’...
Once again the creeping, sneaking little insinuation of:
inadequacy,
incompleteness,
insufficiency...
Here, however, it strikes, right at the core of who Jesus is –
‘if you are the Son of God...’
do this,
do that –
put on a show – turn stones to bread;
test and see – let angels stop your fall;
bow your knee – all this could be yours.
All aimed to plant seeds of doubt, mistrust.
And it’s a real test:
Jesus, while Son of God, is still also fully human –
these temptations wouldn’t be temptations if there wasn’t the risk of him falling to them –
we’re not talking about someone in some sort of heavenly super-hero cape here.
Human.
Just like us.
And yet, his mission is to be
the great bridge-builder,
the One restoring that broken relationship between people and God,
the great reconciler –
who, having spent 40 days and 40 nights out in the desert,
has been preparing,
has found clarity,
and can see right through the tissue of lies that come with that one little word ‘if’.
He knows, through his time in the wilderness just exactly who he is:
he is indeed the Son of God,
he doesn’t need to put on a show
to be a crowd-pleaser,
he doesn’t need to test God
to make sure that God is with him,
he doesn’t need to bow the knee
to be given that which is already his, and not the tempter’s to offer....
He simply needs to get on about his Father’s business,
and after several pithy replies to the tempter,
he does so.

Here we are, in the desert, the wilderness of Lent,
perhaps the wilderness of life in general.
What are we tempted by?
What ‘if’s’ are we faced with that try to make us feel:
inadequate,
incomplete,
insufficient...
so much so that we turn our focus from God, and instead focus on
what we fear,
what we lack,
what we have no control over?
What are the ‘if’s’ that lurk under the surface that are there,
waiting to plant seeds of doubt and mistrust
to keep us estranged from God –
the One who loves us,
who calls to us,
who claims us as his own unconditionally?

When you hear that niggling, little voice trying to insinuate itself into your life,
when you hear that one little word ‘if’ trying to undermine
who you are and whose you are,
remember:
the God who loves you is more than adequate –
more than able to supply your needs...
the God who loves you
is the One in whom you find yourself complete –
made whole, restored...
the God who loves you is sufficient –
is enough,
is more than enough,
for in Him there is life in abundance...
and nourishment for body and for soul –
found in bread and in wine, shared together.

As you walk this wilderness journey that is Lent,
use the space to declutter the obstacles that stand in your way to God;
use the time to carve out wide open spaces of clarity –
where you hear that still small voice
that doesn’t say ‘if’
but instead, says ‘beloved’.
And, when you emerge from the desert,
in the glow and promise of resurrection glory,
be the voice that lifts others up –
the lonely, the anxious, the vulnerable...
feed the hungry,
welcome the stranger,
shelter the homeless,
stand with the oppressed.
Be the voice that reconciles –
builds bridges,
brings harmony,
and names these others not ‘least’ but ‘beloved’ 
in word and in deed...
For we, like Jesus, are called:
as we have been loved,
so too, let us be love in the world,
for that, my friends,
is, quite simply, the gospel.

Let’s pray:
God of revelation, 
unveil your Kingdom in our midst. 
Show us who we truly are in you: 
expose the illusions that distort our vision, 
deliver us from temptations 
that contort our living, 
open our eyes in this time of trial – 
that resistance may be the secret of our joy 
and our joy a sign of your shalom. Amen. *
                                                                              *prayer from Christian Aid

Worship Sun 9: pt 2 The Beatitudes - 'Blessed be'

picture - Jen Norton

READINGS 1 Cor 2:1-16; Matt 5:1-12

SERMON
Let’s pray: may the words of my mouth and the thoughts of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

What helps us live a happy life –
a blessed life?

Before we begin to answer that, a short recap.
Last week, as we began thinking about the beatitudes, we did a little unpacking of the word itself –
‘beatitude’.
Basically, it means 'blessing'.
And we thought about Jesus, who blessed all who came to him –
regardless of age, status, gender, wealth, or health –
no-one was off limits from a blessing...
well, apart from those who refused to be blessed.
But what is it to be blessed?
A blessing can be:
a way of saying or doing something that encourages us to be an even better version of ourselves;
it can be a protection from harm,
it can be a guide and a guard on us to help keep us from doing wrong –
and in so doing, not being a blessing to others.
A blessing is a reminder that we don’t walk through this life alone –
that God is by our side...
when we are blessed it’s a reminder that God cares for, and loves us, and wants the best for us...

And, as we began exploring the text from Matthew last week, we saw in this, Jesus’ first sermon,
just who Jesus thought were particularly blessed within God’s kingdom.
We also thought about another way of translating the word ‘blessed’ –
some bibles use the word ‘happy’ instead...
So ‘happy are the poor in spirit’ and so on.

So, today, back to that question:
what helps us live a happy life –
a blessed life?
While the state of being blessed is a happy state of affairs –
the happiness isn’t just a wee fleeting feeling:
happiness is not always all wrapped up in a McDonald’s happy meal.
Happiness is not always a cigar called ‘Hamlet’.
And, controversial for some:
Disneyland may not always be the ‘happiest place on earth’ –
and at some point, you do have to leave the park and head out back into the world.
This definition of happiness moves on –
and the endless pursuit of this kind of short-term happiness fix can often lead to us feeling
well, just a little hollow, empty... always wanting more,
always chasing the next thing promising to give us another wee happiness fix.
And it can become a habit –
a way of being that isn’t particularly helpful.

Rabbi Harold Kushner – who wrote the very helpful book
‘When bad things happen to Good people’, which I really recommend –
Rabbi Kushner tells a great wee story about a young man who had managed to get
a much sough- after place in a very prestigious university.
He was studying medicine, and, having done exceptionally well in his first year,
his parents rewarded him with a trip to Asia over the summer break.
And so the young man travelled far and wide –
up into the deepest depths of river valleys that few human eyes had seen,
high into the highest heights where small villages hung precariously onto the sides of cliffs.
During his travels, he came upon a guru, and they spent time together.
The young man was keen to tell the ancient guru all about himself,
and what he’d accomplished,
and how he hoped to make his mark on the world.
It would take discipline, hard work, but his greatest desire was to be a success.
Success was all that really mattered.

The guru listened to the young man listing off his successes and ambitions,
and when the young man stopped there was a long silence between them.
Eventually, the guru said to him:
‘Helping others is good – and you will help others with your medicine. 
But, don't you see how you are poisoning your soul with this success-oriented way of life? 
Your idea of happiness is to stay up all night studying for an exam so you can get a 
better grade than your best friend. 
Your idea of a good marriage is not to find the woman who will make you whole, 
but to win the girl that everyone else wants.
Basically, your idea of happiness is not actually about helping others at all, 
it’s based on beating everyone else.
Following this path cannot truly lead to happiness – 
for there will always be another person to beat and you will never be satisfied.
My friend, that's not how people are supposed to live, let go of that idea of happiness; 
come join us in an atmosphere where we all share and love each other.'

The young man was shocked.
So caught up within a competitive culture, he had never thought of any other way of being.
After many days of reflection, he called his parents and told them that he would not be
coming home, and that he was dropping out of university to live with the guru and his community.
This would be his path to true happiness.

Six months later, his parents received a letter from their son:
‘Dear Mum and Dad,
I know you weren't happy with the decision I made last summer, 
but I want to tell you how happy it has made me. 
For the first time in my life, I am at peace. 
Here there is no competing, no hustling, 
no trying to get ahead of anyone else. 
Here we are all equal and we all share. 
This way of life is so much in harmony 
with the inner essence of my soul 
that in only six months I've become the number two disciple in the entire community, 
and I think I can be number one by June!

Jesus talks often about abundant life, about life in all its fullness,
life not just splashing in the shallows,
but life that dares explore and reflect,
a life that dares to stop,
and to challenge behaviour in ourselves that stops us from having life in all its fullness –
to pursue happiness rather than distractions...
that is the way to finding and to understanding just how truly blessed we are.
The kind of happiness talked about in the beatitudes is one that runs deep –
beatitudes comes from the Latin which means ‘a state of bliss’.
This kind of happiness is a state of being that runs right down to our core
so that no matter what may be going on in our lives, yet, we are blessed –
and we are blessed because we are God’s.
And that’s the whole point:
we are blessed,
we are happy,
we find our bliss
when we find our focus on God.

The beatitudes help us in finding that focus –
in the attitudes we see displayed in those who Jesus describes as blessed.
What are these attitudes?
Essentially:
1/ poverty of spirit – or simply, having humility;
2/ mourning – or, simply, dropping the mask and not being afraid to honestly express loss –
the mark that someone has made on your life - an expression of love;
3/ meekness – a little like humility – but the ability to put others first, to see their needs,
to hold yourself back and by doing so, allowing others their moment in the sun;
4/ a hunger and thirst for righteousness –
following God’s way of justice and fighting on behalf of those who have been treated
unjustly - speaking up on behalf of ‘the little ones’;
5/ mercy
6/ purity of heart
7/ being a peacemaker – a builder of bridges, a reconciler;
8/ not bowing to peer pressure – faithfully following God’s way despite the temptation to try to
take short cuts – it’s following the way of the cross;
and 9/ proclaiming whose you are no matter what.

These attitudes are ones that are about letting go, and, of taking on:
letting go of your ego;
letting go of your masks;
letting go of the need to compete so much that no others have a chance;
letting go of a desire for revenge;
or the desire for distractions and desires that would turn your focus from God;
there’s the letting go of the fear that would prefer to divide and conquer
rather than see and share common ground;
letting go of the need to fit in, no matter what you have to sacrifice...even God;
and... letting go of the notion that you don’t belong and taking on your identity as God’s own.

And, as you work through these nine different attitudes, and then take a wee step back,
you discover that they are best seen in one particular human being:
Jesus.
In his life, in his words and actions, he is the very flesh and blood that shows us the beatitudes –
the way to happiness,
bliss,
blessing.
It doesn’t come without a price –
but what is important,
what is of value,
rarely comes easily.
Keep looking at Jesus –
he is the beatitudes in motion,
showing us how to be fully human,
truly happy –
it is an attitude of being that is prepared, as Paul says,
to look foolish at times,
to look weak at times,
so that our faith, our very lives,
don’t rest on being hung up with the quick fix,
but rather, rest on God -
to be grounded and focused upon Him...
for it is God, and only God who can ever be our source
of true and lasting happiness,
blessing.
And the more we enter into God’s blessing,
the more we demonstrated those be-attitudes –
attitudes of being –
that not only bless us,
but bless our families, our neighbours, our communities, and our world.
Not only will our reward be great in heaven, we’ll see the reward even here,
for the God of heaven is present on earth in us, for we are Christ’s body.

So:
Blessed are you who make room at your table
for in that way even tax-collectors shall be redeemed;
Blessed are you who seek out lost sheep
for your seeking you find more than a lamb;
Blessed are you who touch the leper
for you make a home for the excluded;
Blessed are you who welcome the prodigal
for you express the fullness of the love 
that is God;
Blessed are the silenced
for you hear the cry of God;
Blessed are you who make friends 
with your enemy,
for you know the way to lasting peace;
Blessed are you who turn the other cheek
for you show more strength than the oppressor;
Blessed are you who break bread 
with the stranger,
you will have a foretaste of the kingdom;
Blessed are you who heal on the Sabbath,
you will reveal what is important to God;
Blessed are you who seek company 
with the outcast and unclean,
for you shall be accompanying Jesus;
Blessed are you who overturn the tables,
you are the freedom fighters of love.
Blessed are you who love your neighbour,
for you already live in the realm of God;
Blessed are you who walk the way,
for you shall move within the company of heaven;
Blessed are you who carry a cross,
for you shall see God’s wisdom;
And, blessed are you who wait for the morning,
for you shall see the renewal of life...*

What helps us live a happy life –
a blessed life?
In the end, simply...
to have God at our centre,
and Jesus as our example.
It’s no quick fix,
but it is the way to our true bliss.

Let’s pray:
Give us, O God, this day:
humility -
so we can see you in the most vulnerable;
a cup -
to catch the tears of all who weep;
an arm -
for the long-suffering to cling to as they walk through life;
a broken heart -
which can heal those who have harmed me;
purity -
which looks at another and sees your beloved;
friendship -
which embraces those we are taught to fear;         
hospitality -
which welcomes those who are mocked for following you;
words -
of hope, of comfort, of grace whispered in the ears of all who are slandered for your name;
Give us, O God, this day:
a heart –
that loves, and knows itself beloved...
We ask, in Jesus’ name,
who showed us how to be. Amen

*Roddy Hamilton