Hymn New Every Morning is the Love
John Keeble 1822 Public Domain sung by the choir of St John the Divine, Horninglow, Burton on Trent.
New every morning is the love
our wakening & uprising prove;
through sleep & darkness safely brought,
restored to life & power & thought.
New mercies, each returning day,
hover around us while we pray;
new perils past, new sins forgiven,
new thoughts of God, new hopes of heaven.
If on our daily course our mind
be set to hallow all we find,
new treasures still, of countless price,
God will provide for sacrifice.
The trivial round, the common task,
will furnish all we need to ask,
room to deny ourselves,
a road to bring us daily nearer God.
Only, O Lord, in thy dear love
fit us for perfect rest above;
and help us, this and every day,
to live more nearly as we pray.
Prayers of Approach, Confession and Assurance of Pardon
Gracious God, new every morning is your love for us. In our waking and rising we are gifted a new day to experience and share that love with those we meet. Help us to look at each day with fresh eyes which are eager to see the intricacy of your creation, eager to discern the image of the divine in person we meet, eager to acknowledge the action of the Spirit in simple acts of kindness shared between people.
Your love is all embracing, Creating and compassionate God. It is gentle yet strong, it is comforting and brings us reassurance but sometimes your love is difficult too, for you speak words of challenge, uncovering those things we do not want to hear. You call us to account when we fail to love you and our neighbour, you call us to account when in our carelessness we use words which harm or belittle, you call us to account when we place ourselves at the centre of our world and forget our connectedness with others.
We recognise our failings and our need to be forgiven by you and those whom we have failed. In your reconciling love you welcome us within your household and give us the opportunity to continue upon the journey of faith, each day trusting in your love and presence with us and for this we bring our thanks. As we worship, hear us as we pray… Our Father…
Prayer of Illumination
Come Holy Spirit we pray, open our ears to hear, our minds to understand, and our hearts to love. May our living reflect your dwelling within us, enabling us to be people of love, joy, hope and peace. Amen.
Reading Amos 5.6-7,10-15
Seek the LORD and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it. Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground! They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth. Therefore, because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate. Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time. Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
Hymn Lord, You Have Always Been Our Home. (Psalm 90)
© Church Hymnary Trust administered by SCM Canterbury Press Scottish Festival Singers, Ian McCrorie (Conductor), John Langdon (Organ) used with permission.
Lord, you have always been our home
through every generation known;
before the hills or earth were made
you are the eternal God alone.
From dust we came, to dust return,
for in your clear eternal sight
a thousand years pass as a day
or as a few hours in the night.
Our lives like grass spring from the ground
& flourish in the morning sun;
then evening comes, & brightness fades
& we & all our strength are done.
Teach us to value life’s brief span,
and let our minds be truly wise.
‘How long, O Lord, till you return?’
In mercy hear your servant’s cries.
At each day’s dawning, make us glad;
fill us with your love all our days;
and we will sing aloud for joy
and offer you our lifelong praise.
Reading St Mark 10.17-31
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.”’ He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’ Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’
Hymn Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God
Karen Lafferty © 1972 Cccm Music (ASCAP) Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publ. (ASCAP) sung by Emmaus Music and used with their kind permission. OneLicence # A-734713
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
and His righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.
Allelu, Alleluia!
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Alleluia. Allelu Alleluia!
Ask and it shall be given unto you;
Seek, and you shall find.
Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Allelu, Alleluia!
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Alleluia. Allelu Alleluia!
We shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Allelu, Alleluia!
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Alleluia. Allelu Alleluia!
Sermon
It is easy to read our Gospel reading from Mark and focus upon it as an attack against people with money, and has often been used in that way. However a bit of background to the story, may lead us to think that some of the ideas about Jesus that we hold were not actually the case. Jesus and his disciples were far from poor. Jesus himself came from what today we might call a middle-class family, running its own building business at a time when the construction trade was booming in Galilee, with the construction of two significant cities, Tiberias and Sepphoris, not far from Nazareth. The disciples likewise: the inner core of fishermen had enough employees to sustain their fishing business even while they were spending time out with Jesus. So the instruction to this particular individual must have been specific to his personal circumstance rather than a blanket statement about money as such. The key which unlocks the passage for me is Jesus words about ‘the kingdom of God’ – a term helpfully described by Ian Fraser, founder of the Iona Community as ‘God’s way of doing things’. So using his phrase Jesus statement in this instance is ‘How hard it will be for rich people to enter into God’s way of doing things?’ And that is exactly what the rich young man in the story discovered.
Unlike the Pharisees and teachers of the law who seem to be always out to trick Jesus, this young man had come genuinely looking for answers. He bows before Jesus, addresses him as ‘good teacher’ and asks what he must do to receive eternal life. Jesus reminds the young man of the commandments and the man replies, ‘ever since I was young I have obeyed all these commandments.’ Then Jesus looked at him with love, not with condemnation, or pity, but love and tells him ‘ you need only one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven, then come and follow me.’ When the man heard this gloom spread over his face and he went away sad, because he was very rich. We are left to draw the conclusion that the young man places more value in his material wealth than in following Jesus and so it was hard for him to enter into God’s way of doing things.
When the young man has left, Jesus and his disciples continue the conversation. The disciples are shocked, perhaps not surprising if we remember that they were quite comfortably off themselves, but also because there was a generally held view in Judaism that the blessings of wealth were an indicator of God’s favour towards someone. The subsequent mention of the eye of the needle has given rise to much discussion, for how could a camel ever possibly pass through such a small opening? Isn’t that indeed suggesting that it is not just difficult for a rich person to embrace God’s way of doing things, but totally impossible? One popular explanation is that ‘the eye of a needle’ referred to a small gate in the city walls through which a camel could only pass by getting onto its knees and having its load removed. Unfortunately, there is no evidence of the existence of such a gate – and a more likely explanation is to be found again in the oral nature of the stories that Mark tells. The Aramaic word for ‘rope’ when translated into Greek becomes kamilos, can sound remarkably similar to the Greek word for ‘camel’, kamelos. Did Jesus say that a thick rope could only pass through the eye of a needle with great difficulty? It would need to be unravelled first into its component strands before it could get through a small opening like the eye of a needle.
This continues into a conversation about salvation, as the disciples ask, ‘who then can be saved?’ Jesus words suggest to them that no one can be saved, there is nothing anyone can do to ensure their salvation. And Jesus agrees that it is impossible for people to earn their own salvation but that everything is possible for God. Peter, so often the spokesperson for the group of disciples, continues, what about us? – we have given up everything to be with you Jesus. Does he speak with an air of confidence or with a hint of fear? Jesus indicates that those who leave home and family and livelihood for him and the gospel will receive much more in both this life and in the ages which are to come. And many who are at present considered first will be last and the last will be first.
The call to discipleship is an invitation to unravel the way we see things, even family and home and livelihood, and that will often involve reassessing the value we give to things, or situations or people or relationships as we begin to see the world and its people through God’s eyes, through God’s way of doing things, thinking about what we value and why it is important to us.
Like the rich young man this is a question we need to ask ourselves and reflect upon any changes we feel we want to make in our lives as an expression of our discipleship, but it is also a question I invite congregations to think about. As I have begun this ministry as a Synod Moderator one of things I have enjoyed most is being out and about across the Synod, visiting congregations or meeting with Elders. One of the questions I try and remember to ask people is what do you value about being part of this community of faith? And we have been sharing some of those responses and good news stories on our social media. People have spoken about the value of worship, about the value of friendship, of the value of knowing they are part of the wider body of Christ, the value of being people who try and see God’s way of doing things and playing their part in that.
I think Amos is saying something similar to the people of his day. The passage we heard is a funeral dirge, there seems no hope for the people, only death and yet God’s way of doing things offers an alternative, ‘Seek me and live…..Seek good and not evil that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good, maintain justice in the courts.’
Here is a clear indication of God’s way of doing things, a clear instruction to the people of Amos day and our own of how to ensure that God is with us. As we reflect upon what it is we value do we see that we are actively hating evil, loving what is good and maintaining justice. What does that look like in your life, in your faith community and in our world?
This is the Sunday which falls in Challenge Poverty Week in Scotland and is the day before Challenge Poverty Week starts in England and Wales. Perhaps there are events and activities taking place in your community to highlight this? The issue of poverty was a major concern of the churches during the General Election campaign and perhaps you have joined the Let’s End Poverty Now movement. Another of the things I am pleased to do as the Synod Moderator is to be able to sign statements on behalf of the Synod. During the election campaign the Synod, along with the whole United Reformed Church and other Synods, the Trussell Trust, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and over 200 churches and organisations wrote an open letter to both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer calling on them to make poverty eradication a central issue for whoever formed the next government. The statistics gathered by the Joseph Rowntree Foundaton are shocking:
The story of the rich young man reminds me about the need to unravel my life at times. To separate the strands and pay attention to the values I hold, to see how in my living and discipleship I am living out the values that God says are God’s way of doing things, to be reminded of the challenge but also the encouragement of Amos, ‘Seek good and not evil that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good, maintain justice in the courts.’ May it be so. Amen.
Hymn Sent by the Lord am I
Jorge Maldonado, John Bell Tune: Arrangement John L. Bell, © 1991 WGRG, Iona Community, GIA Publications, Inc. One Licence Sung by the St Michael’s Chiswick Virtual Choir.
Sent by the Lord am I; my hands are ready now
to make the earth the place in which the kingdom comes.
Sent by the Lord am I; my hands are ready now
to make the earth the place in which the kingdom comes.
The angels cannot change a world of hurt and pain
into a world of love, of justice and of peace.
The task is mine to do, to set it really free.
Oh, help me to obey; help me to do Your will.
Sent by the Lord am I; my hands are ready now
to make the earth the place in which the kingdom comes.
Sent by the Lord am I; my hands are ready now
to make the earth the place in which the kingdom comes.
The angels cannot change a world of hurt and pain
into a world of love, of justice and of peace.
The task is mine to do, to set it really free.
Oh, help me to obey; help me to do Your will.
Affirmation of Faith
We belong to the creator, in whose image we are all made,
in God we are breathing, in God we are living,
in God we share the life of all creation.
We belong to Jesus Christ the true image of God and of humanity,
in him God is breathing, in him God is living,
through him we are reconciled.
We belong to the Holy Spirit who gives us new life
and strengthens our faith.
In the Spirit love is breathing, in the Spirit truth is living,
the breath of God always moves us.
We belong to the Holy Trinity,
who is one in all and Three-in-One,
in God we are all made, in God we are all saved,
in the Spirit we are all united. Amen.
Intercessions
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. (Luke 1:52–53)
God who is just, in a world where the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer, we know that your way of doing things is not being fulfilled. Renew us, inspire us, teach us how to live out our calling. We will seek out those laid low by greed and capitalism, and we will lift them before you. We will fill the hungry with good things and help those with money and resources to use them for the good of all.
Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise. (Luke 3:11)
In a world where tax havens are seen as legitimate and where millions go hungry, we long to build communities where resources are shared. Help us make sure that our churches and projects are places that empower and build up resistance to oppression. Help those with money and gifts to share, use them wisely and generously.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. (Luke 4.18-19)
If our church services and our prayers are not about bringing good news to the poor, then let us repent and start over. Jesus begins his ministry with the call to bring joy and freedom to those who need it most. Let our faith and our churches be led by that same spirit.
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.” (Luke 6:20–21)
God of compassion may those who have gone without know what your way of doing things should be like. Let those who have suffered guide our worship and our discipleship. Let those who are refugees teach us about welcome, let those who are homeless teach us about generosity, let children teach us about hope and joy. Let those who have been imprisoned teach us about being free. Let us turn this world’s expectations upside down.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)
Let us learn not to judge others, but to love them as they are. Let us learn not to condemn others but to embrace them. Let us learn to forgive, and forgive again, so we may be free from the wounds of vengeance and anger.
Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:19–20)
God who makes all things new, you teach us to share, to love, to reach out to those in need and to be alongside the vulnerable. You teach us to be sacrificial, believing that even if the journey is hard and brings death to old customs – there will always be new life in you. Amen
Offertory
Loving God, you have given us more good things than we need. Help us to share them with those who have less. Help us to be generous in giving.
Gracious God, from you comes every good gift and so this day we bring our offerings of money, together with our time, talents and energy and offer these as an expression of our thanks for all that we have received. We ask that you bless each gift, so that they may become channels of your grace and a means of sharing your love for the people of our own communities and the wider world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Hymn Look Forward in Faith
© Andrew J. Scobie 2005 sung by the congregation of Dalgety Parish Church and used with their kind permission.
Look forward in faith, all time is in God’s hand.
Walk humbly with him and trust his future plan.
God has wisely led his people by his power.
Look forward in hope, he gives us each new hour.
Look forward in faith, the world is in God’s care.
His purpose of love he calls on us to share.
In our neighbour’s need the Lord is present still.
He blesses the meek! The earth will know God’s will.
Look forward in faith, God gives us life each day.
Go onward with Christ, his Spirit guides our way.
Now God lets us live within the sphere of grace.
Trust ever in him, he rules o’er earth and space!
Benediction
Teach us O God to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
May we begin each day with hope, and end each day with gratitude.
May we offer compassion and be mindful of your blessings towards us.
May we be people of peace and may we know your presence with us as we work for your Kingdom to come.
And as this time of worship draws to a close
may the blessing of God, who is known to us as
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
be with us now and remain with us always. Amen.