Welcome to this online service of worship for Craigmillar Park and Reid Memorial churches for Sunday 18th July 2021. Today, we think about our identity as Christians.
Call to Worship
Where shall we find you, O God?
We shall find you among the star-fields,
in super novas and solar systems.
Where shall we find you, O God?
We shall find you dancing through the mountains
that stretch high and wide across our planet.
Where shall we find you, O God?
We shall find you flowing through the rivers as they
wind their way to the vast blue oceans
Where shall we find you, O God?
We shall find you among the cedars of Lebanon
in the forests that sway and bend in the breeze.
Where shall we find you, O God?
We shall find you among the people of faith
who give your justice a home in their living.
Where shall we find you, O God?
We shall find you here and we worship you.
HYMN 200: Christ is made the sure foundation
Prayer
Lord God, we gather at this brief moment of time
to give You praise for everything and forever.
Your love, like Yourself, has no beginning or end.
Your faithfulness is eternal.
The majesty of the heavens and the myriad wonders of earth
bear witness to Your providence.
You have no competitor, no rival, no substitute.
You are right and You are just, Your plans for us are good.
We cannot exhaust Your love,
and in Jesus Christ we see enough to satisfy us forever.
Lord, there are things which contradict all this.
We do not see Your will being done on earth.
We admit to times when we ourselves have failed You,
by what we have done or what we have omitted to do.
We have sinned.
Have mercy upon us.
Have mercy on our friends.
Have mercy on our enemies,
for Your name’s sake.
O God,
our time on earth is short, and Your purpose is long.
Guide us in the week that lies ahead of us.
Help us in the things that challenge us.
Keep us faithful.
Grant us wisdom, and true humility,
as we journey with You before us and behind us,
above us and within us,
through Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen
Scripture readings
2 Samuel 7: 1-14a
After David the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, ‘Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.’ Nathan replied to the king, ‘Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.’ But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
‘Go and tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord says: are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”
‘Now then, tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people shall not oppress them any more, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
‘“The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: when your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
for ever.
Mark 6: 30-34; 53-56
The apostles gathered round Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognised them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognised Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried those who were ill on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went – into villages, towns or countryside – they placed those who were ill in the market-places. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Amen
HYMN 15: The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want
Reflection
Grant, O Lord, that in these words, we may behold the living Word, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
We don’t usually have three readings in our tradition of worship but for this week, it seemed appropriate. Do they seem very different to you? I suppose they must. Firstly, we have the writer of 2 Samuel, talking about the building – or not – of a temple to house God. Then the well-known and much loved words of the 23rd Psalm, with the imagery of God as a faithful shepherd, which bring comfort to so many people in times of trial. Then the piece from Mark’s Gospel, which describes the impact Jesus had on the lives of ordinary people from around his home area.
Christians today can sometimes feel marginalised. Are you ever reluctant to disclose to someone that you are a person of faith and that you take part in worship (in person or online)? Have you met with criticism for belonging to a church or for trying to live your life in a way that honours Christ Jesus? Sometimes, even our own family members or friends may find our faith a source of amusement or gentle mockery. “You don’t really believe all that stuff, do you?” And let me advise you, never go to social media for validation of your faith – Christians are regularly abused and vilified. We are lucky, of course, that we do not (usually) face violence or persecution as Christians in other parts of the world do. But it is perhaps not surprising that we sometimes wonder about our identity as members of the Church in Scotland, particularly at a time when the Church of Scotland itself seems to be declining not just in size but in influence and even confidence. Where is God in all of this?
King David and his compatriots asked a similar question as we heard in the first reading. From being a shepherd boy, then a wandering nomad, sleeping in caves, David had settled down in his palace and, acknowledging his debt to the God who had placed him there, had decided to build a house for God, a temple, a place where God’s power and influence could become visible and present. He wanted to know and perhaps even to control where God was to be found – a splendid edifice, boasting to the world of God’s power and might. God, predictably, was having none of it. Nathan advises David not to build a temple. It seems that God does not want to be tied down but instead wants to be with his people as they move around. It is never a good idea to try to ‘contain’ God, to box him in or indeed to identify him with a building. This text is telling us that our identity as people of faith is not – or should not! – be linked to a God of place but instead to a God of people, in all the messy realities of life as we love and serve.
Do we ever really listen to and think about the words of the 23rd psalm? I have tended to think of it as a poem of peace and tranquillity and maybe you do too. Certainly, it ends with an assurance that we will rest in the house of the Lord for ever but most of the psalm describes a wandering life; it is full of the imagery of movement. The writer is led by the waters; he is guided along the right paths; he walks, accompanied, through a dark valley. And all the time, God is by his side. Not a God of a particular place then, tied to a temple or a church, but a God of the people, out in the world with them, helping them to navigate their way through life. The kingdom of God turns out to be, not a distant land of plenty, but the context in which we live our lives. It is part of our identity as Christians to walk together and to take concrete steps towards transforming our world. We do not have a God who offers an easy, peaceful life but one who promises to be by our sides as we travel restlessly, as we try to fulfil our calling as Christ’s disciples, as we love and serve.
The passage from Mark’s gospel also describes people travelling, searching for a leader. It all sounds a bit chaotic, to be honest – Jesus and his disciples trying to find a bit of peace but being hunted down by what we might describe nowadays as fans or groupies. Think of the 1960s images of the Beatles being followed by noisy and adoring crowds of young fans desperate for a glance from their idols. Of course, the people in the story were in search of something deeper than a passing glimpse of a celebrity; they needed, and sought, a person to lead them, to teach them, to heal them. They recognised in Jesus the leader that they needed and Jesus responded generously to that need, loving and serving the people, whatever the cost to himself.
I asked a few minutes ago where God is in all the mess of our lives and, in particular, in the challenges facing the Church of Scotland today. These passages answer that question. We can say confidently, like Nathan to David, that a building is not needed. God is not confined to bricks and mortar and our identity is based not on a building but on membership of a people, a group of Christian companions placed in a distinct community for a purpose. Like the Psalmist, we can accept that we are called to a restless life, our identity based not simply on a longing for peace and tranquillity but on the need to journey through this world actively seeking justice and transformation. Like the crowds in Mark’s story, we know that Jesus will respond with compassion to our and the Church’s desperate need for direction, for leadership, for teaching and for healing.
Where is God in all of this? We are placed in God’s world, in God’s time, as God’s beloved children, to love and to serve. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
On our way through this world,
may we humbly walk
with you, God of life.
On our restless pilgrimage through life,
guide us as we wander, hesitate,
turn back, and move forward once more.
On our journey to your presence,
lead us in the way of love and service,
seeking justice, peace and joy
in the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Prayer
Good and gracious Father,
We give thanks for blessings
of home and family,
of education and nurture,
of art and science.
For all who make peace, for all who build bridges,
for all who have learned to forgive the past, we give thanks.
For all good people, and for all lovely things,
we bless Your marvellous creation.
For our identity in Christ,
and for those who have explained this and loved it into our lives,
we are truly grateful.
For our place in Christ’s church,
for opportunities to love and to serve and to be loved and served,
we say thank You.
We pray for those who are sick and weighed down in body or spirit,
for those who are overworked,
for those who need a break,
for those who near the end of life.
May they know Your peace.
We pray for all who are lost or perplexed, who need shepherding,
and for those who teach and guide others,
in their work, in their home, in their voluntary service.
May they give and receive Your peace.
We pray for those who are lonely or who have concerns
and no-one to share them with.
We pray for those in this congregation and in Priestfield and Reid Memorial
who have volunteered to be the person who listens
as part of our Lend an Ear project.
May God strengthen and comfort volunteers and service users alike.
We pray for all who hunger and thirst,
for relief organisations,
for the governments of the world,
for those who govern in our own islands.
May they find peace, create peace, work for peace.
We pray for people who do not know how much You love them,
and for all who share the gospel.
May Your Spirit break down barriers, open hearts,
bring peace.
In a moment of silence, we ask God to hear the prayers of our own minds and hearts.
These and all our prayers we ask in the name of Jesus
Amen
HYMN 511: Your hand, O God, has guided
Sending
We will walk with God, my sisters,
we will walk with God.
We will walk with God, my brothers,
we will walk with God.
We will go rejoicing
till the kingdom has come.
We will go rejoicing
till the kingdom has come.
Amen
This service was prepared by Pauline Weibye, Session Clerk at Craigmillar Park
Acknowledgements:
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Worship material inspired by the Church of Scotland’s Weekly Worship resources.
Sending prayer is Hymn 803.