Welcome to the online service on Sunday 31st October 2021 for Reid Memorial and Craigmillar Park Churches and any friends who are joining us. Our reflection today focuses on Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth where there is hope after the tragic events in their lives. As the story unfolds, we hear of the bigger picture that God has in mind for Ruth.

Call to Worship (Psalm 146: 1,2)Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

Hymn CH4 124 Praise to the Lord the Almighty the King of Creation

Prayer of Approach:

Merciful God,We worship You,
with all of our heart,
with all of our mind
and with all of our strength.

Lord, we give you thanks today for so many things,
for the blessings we take for granted every day.
for the vitality and diversity of the natural world.
for the regularity and stability of the created world.
Reveal to us the richness of the Bible,
that each of us may recognise the messages
of the miracles and parables,
that we may find the inspiration
that meets our individual needs.

Loving God
With our human hearts, we try to love You,
Knowing God
With our human minds, we try to understand You,
Powerful God
With our human strength, we try to serve You.

Forgive us when we forget your eternal presence with us
For failing to be aware of the beauty of the world around us
For our thoughtless words and attitudes
For our selfishness and prejudices
Train our hearts to be thankful,
so that we live daily with a sense of gratitude and humility.

And we rejoice to know that when our hearts falter,
Your heart forgives.
When our conscience misleads us
You teach us that we are loved
When our strength fails,
You draw near and hold us close.

Now we join our voices as one as we pray the words that Jesus taught us;

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen

Scripture Readings:

Ruth 1: 1-18

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there for about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons or her husband.

Naomi and Her Moabite Daughters-in-Law

Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had had consideration for his people and given them food. So, she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.’ Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her, ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’ But Naomi said, ‘Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.’ Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

So she said, ‘See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.’ But Ruth said,
‘Do not press me to leave you
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die—
there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me,
and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!’
When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.

Mark 12:28-34

The First Commandment

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbour as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Hymn CH4 172 – “Sing for God’s Glory that covers the dawn of creation”

Reflection:

My sister and I both started out on the same career path in the laboratories in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Soon she met a handsome young man, married him, and moved away to Essex. Some years later, on a return visit to Edinburgh she came back to the laboratories. As she entered, she laughed and commented that nothing seemed to have changed and it all looked the same. Many things were the same, but they were superficial. The rooms, windows, flooring, and workbenches were all as they had been when she left. However, the important things as far as lab work was concerned had changed. The lab tests were much streamlined by computerisation. They were more efficient, safer, and cost effective. The staff were better trained and happy. It had been a challenging time for the staff to learn the new procedures and take on more training. The managers could see the bigger picture and how the changes would benefit both staff and patients. Of course, not every member of the staff welcomed the changes and there was some upset and bitterness. Ultimately, it was a successful transition.

In the readings, we hear of Naomi and Ruth and how their lives were changed. Naomi had been living with her husband and two sons in a Jewish community in Bethlehem surrounded with family and friends. The famine forced them to leave their home and go to a foreign country called Moab in search of prosperity. The Moabites were pagan and not held in high regard by the Jewish people. Naomi had left behind all that she knew and the support of likeminded people to live in a country full of heathens. Her sons married Moabite wives, Ruth and Orpah. But then her husband died and sometime later so too her sons.

Naomi had been in Moab for ten years and decided that it was now time to return to Bethlehem. Without her husband and sons, she had no way to support herself. She felt bitter about the way that her life has turned out and believed that God has forsaken her. She knew that the famine was over in Bethlehem so told her daughters in law of her intention. As they said their farewells, Naomi wanted Ruth and Orpah to find security, with new husbands among their own people. Orpah obeyed Naomi’s wishes but Ruth has other ideas. She could not and would not leave her beloved mother-in-law, so travelled to a country and people who were foreign to her in many ways. Ruth wishes to leave behind the pagan ways of the Moab people and saw her future in Bethlehem with the people of God saying “Your people shall be my people and your God my God.”

At the end of this chapter, we are told that Naomi and Ruth arrived at Bethlehem in time for the barley harvest. Due to their poverty, Ruth went to in the fields to pick up the dregs of the harvest, and she had the opportunity to meet Boaz, her future husband, and the great grandfather of King David. The timing of these events did not happen by accident. God had something in mind for Naomi and Ruth. Naomi may have concluded that God had forsaken her; but she was wrong. Boaz, a man with great leadership qualities, compliments Ruth for taking care of her mother-in-law. He demonstrates his commitment to Ruth by lifting her out of poverty and providing for her needs. There was an ancient custom, where the brother of the dead husband may have a child with the widow to ensure the continuation of the family name. Although Boaz is not the brother of Ruth’s dead husband, he was a relative and their firstborn child was permitted to carry on the family name. A strange custom and not acceptable in today’s society, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Of course, Naomi was not alive at the time that the Gospel according to Mark was written but it certainly has a lesson for her as well as us, as we hear in the second reading today. We are told that the greatest commandment is “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

Like Naomi we can become blinded by anger and despair when the road ahead seems difficult and uncertain. We cannot see the bigger picture and what God has planned for us. One thing is certain, He loves every one of us and we should obey the commandment to love Him. In loving Him our hearts will be calmed and our inner strength restored.

But we are not expected to face our worries and hardship alone. The second most important commandment is “to love one’s neighbour as oneself.” As Christians, it is an easier job to love one’s neighbour than to love oneself. We can be overly critical of ourselves and always striving to do better. We should not be too hard on ourselves when we stray from the path, rather, we should learn from it and acknowledge where we went wrong. If we love ourselves, warts and all, we can then be an example of how to love our neighbours, and those we meet in our daily lives.

God provides people who care for us and we for them. They can offer us strength and support often built from the support and strength that we offer them. God is present and at work on our behalf. We have hope that we can survive any difficulties and face the future together with those who know us and care for us.

We often take things for granted and need to take a step back to look at the bigger picture. As with the superficial view that my sister saw, all was not as it seemed. Can we read between the lines when someone needs our help or when a few words of encouragements are required? Equally can we give out a message to others when we are struggling?

Just ask God to open our eyes!
Amen

Hymn CH4 115 – “Love is the touch of intangible joy”

Prayer of Intercession:

Lord God,
We pray for those who,
like Naomi, Ruth and Orpah have no security,
for those who have no food
because of famine, poverty, unemployment and debt.
for those who have no home
because they were forced to flee from oppression,
for those who are alone and without support
because they have no network of family or friends,
for who have no resilience in today’s society
because of ill health, both physical and mental.
Grant them security and fairness Lord
and call us out of our comfort zone
to share what we have been given.

We pray for the wider world,
for the people of Sudan who are witnessing protests and unrest in its capital Khartoum,
may the political and military leaders find a peaceful settlement.
for the people of Afghanistan, suffering from acute and severe food shortages,
may a means of re-instating foreign aid may be found.

Give wisdom to those attending COP26.
Help the politicians, environmentalist and decision makers
find new and innovative ways
to protect the earth that you have entrusted into our keeping.

We remember those who are suffering
due to untreatable and terminal illness
or grieving the loss of a loved one.
When the grief and suffering are unbearable,
we ask for Your comfort.
When they blame You and cannot find the words to pray
may they know that Your love is unconditional
and others will be offering prayer for them.

We think of those whose world has been turned upside down by the pandemic,
grant that they would know the support and care of others,
the help they need and the strength to carry on.

And for us Lord, we pray,
help us be open and willing
to be part of the answer to these prayers.
Help us to use our hands to care,
our ears to listen,
our eyes to see,
and our voices to offer compassion.

And we offer these prayers through Jesus Christ, our Lord,

Amen

Hymn CH4 519 – “Love divine, all loves excelling”

Closing Prayer:

Loving God
As we embark on the week ahead,
help us to see the bigger picture,
with hope, peace and joy,
to live our lives caring for ourselves and others
to your honour and glory

Sung Amen:

Welcome to Craigmillar Park and Reid Memorial Churches, and to our service of worship for Sunday 17^th October. This week we look at our calling to be servants of God. As we worship, either at home or together in a church building, may we be drawn closer to each other and to our Lord.

Call to Worship (Psalm 104: 1-2)
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
O Lord my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honour and majesty,
wrapped in light as with a garment.

Let us worship God.

HYMN 111 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

(performed by Audrey Assad)

Prayer:

Let us pray:

All praise and glory,
honour and power be to Your name,
God Almighty.
You are holy and majestic in Your person
and in Your ways.
High and lifted-up, nothing escapes Your view.

Jesus taught us that You even know when a sparrow falls from a tree
and You tend to the flowers of the field
as if each one was irreplaceable.
How much more are we, all humankind,
the work of Your hands and the apple of Your eye.

Such a reminder is staggering,
difficult for us to comprehend,
especially when we know ourselves to be far from perfect.
Yet, because of Christ, You look past our faults to our potential,
You show mercy rather than condemn us,
You express interest in what we can be
rather than what we have been,
You grant grace upon grace.

Thank You, Lord.
Thank You that rather than write us off and leave us without hope,
You draw ever closer to us and promise that,
where we turn away from our past failings
You will bring restoration.

Thank You, Lord.
Thank You that in Your hands
our brokenness is not something that resigns us to the rubbish tip.
Instead, You renew us,
taking what we are,
wasting nothing of our life experience,
and fashioning us into something beautiful.

Thank You, Lord.
Thank You that despite our waywardness
and because of Your compassion,
there is still hope for us to be purposeful in the things of Your Kingdom.
In this regard, the stories of old,
the tales of those who have gone before us,
both in bible times and since then,
give us reason to believe that all is not lost.

And so, we pray that You will speak to us clearly today
as we read from and reflect upon scripture.
May Your written word be brought to life
by the presence of Your living Word.

Take our lives, then,
as we once more lay them before You,
as we submit to You and Your ways
as we put fresh faith in Your plan and purpose,
as we again take on trust the promises of Christ.
Hear us as together we pray the words of Your Son, our Saviour:

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.

Scriptures:

Job 38: 1-7, 34-41
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:

‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
^‘Gird up your loins like a man,
I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone
when the morning stars sang together
and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?


‘Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
so that a flood of waters may cover you?
Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go
and say to you, “Here we are”?
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts,^[a]
or given understanding to the mind?^[b]
Who has the wisdom to number the clouds?
Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
when the dust runs into a mass
and the clods cling together?
‘Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
when they crouch in their dens,
or lie in wait in their covert?
Who provides for the raven its prey,
when its young ones cry to God,
and wander about for lack of food?


Mark 10: 35-45
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’ But Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ They replied, ‘We are able.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’

HYMN 132 Immortal, invisible, God only wise

(from The Scottish Festival Singers)

Reflection:

Growing up, who were your idols? Were they actors or pop stars? Sporting heroes? We all had them, though they may have changed according to fashion or whim. The Church is no stranger to this phenomenon either. There have been people seen as so holy that other Christians would go on pilgrimage to literally sit at their feet and listen to their teaching. Sometimes, it was enough just to be in their presence. Think of those known as the Desert Fathers of Mothers as an example. Perhaps more recognised, though, are those Biblical characters that become idolised, such as the twelve disciples. Often, they have been portrayed as the holiest of people, without flaw or stain, and as people to emulate. The truth, however, is rather different. Today we will look at two of them and Jesus’ response to them.

What do you make of James and John? Their nickname, the ‘Boanerges’, suggest that they may be both loud and troublesome. After all, the name means ‘sons of thunder’. Asking to be at the immediate side of Jesus in his kingdom was quite a request. It required more than a little hubris on their part for them to seek such positions of prominence. It’s no wonder, then, that the other ten disciples are more than a little annoyed by this. Their behaviour is a far cry from the way the church has traditionally come to represent them. Rather than perfection they have ambition, hopes, and a sense of self-importance that is irritating to those around them. In other words, James and John are human. They are less than perfect just like the rest of us.

In a sense we see this too with the character of Job from the Old Testament. The story of a righteous man tested to breaking point by Satan is well known. Yet, in today’s reading from his story, we find the tenor of the previous chapters turned around and we hear for the first time the perspective of God regarding the whole matter. Job, and his friends, are reminded that they do not know it all; they are reminded that they do not have a complete perspective on events; they are reminded that only God sees and knows everything. To put it another way, Job and his friends have to be reminded that they are human, just like James and John and just like you and me.

But what matters most in these stories is not the reminder of our mutual humanity but the approach of Jesus to the challenges this presents. We may have expected him to react with a telling off. We may have expected, perhaps, something of an incentive to ‘toe the line’. We get neither of those. What we get is something completely different; there is no ‘carrot or stick’ approach but something truly new, something revolutionary.

Jesus begins not by reprimanding James and John for their pride but by asking them if they can face the pain and suffering that he will face. He challenges them to let him be more than their teacher; he challenges them to let him be the role model that they will follow no matter the cost. What he is calling them to do is then spelled out. They, and all his disciples, are to become great in the Kingdom of God by first becoming its servants. They are not to lord it over each other. Rather, they are to tend to each other and the needs that are brought to them. In opposition to the worldly perspective of rulership and power through domination their greatness will come through being servants one to another.

The four Gospels were not written primarily as a record of the life of Jesus but as instructional guides to the life of a Christian. This means that the stories that we read or hear from them are not just of historical interest but are meant to have an application for the believer or community receiving them. We, then, are to look to these stories and find where we are in them and to then learn from that. In the story of the sons of thunder we are to put ourselves in their place. We are to be aware of our dreams, hopes, and aspirations. Perhaps we are also to acknowledge our own hubris too. Just as Jesus halts the hopes of the brothers and shows them another way so too does that other way then become applicable to us. We may be living almost two thousand years after the events of the Gospels, and we may be living a long way away, and in very different cultural settings, but the demand upon us is the same. The question of Jesus applies to us also: can we drink the cup that he must drink.

We live in a world where we see many driven by their own sense of self-importance or a drive for power through being a lord over others. Yet, as today’s disciples of Jesus, we are called to take another path. Will we risk all to become servants, to nurture and tend to each other’s needs? Will we reach out beyond the safety of our own four walls as serve the needs of our surrounding communities? Will we become servants for the sake of the Kingdom of God?
Amen.

HYMN 184 Sing to the LORD a joyful song

Prayer:

Let us pray:

Lord, before we pray for the needs of those we love
and for so many around the world
we pause to acknowledge that, like Job,
sometimes we are caught up in complicated situations
that cause grief and raise questions.
We confess that, even when we are aware of the tension that has arisen,
we still find it challenging to address the brokenness
and the pain of the world.

Unity of spirit and purpose,
along with the healing of broken relationships
is what we also seek for our nation and world.
Where there is contention, bring co-operation.
Where there is unhealthy competition, usher in collaboration.
Where there is false accusation, let there be truth.
Even when differing in opinion from one another,
may we do so with mutual respect.

And this is our prayer also for Your church.
In our generation, may we increasingly become an answer to the prayer of Jesus,
whose desire was to see his people become as one.
Now, as a church family,
we bring before You the particular needs of those who are facing hardship at present.…

silence

Draw very close to all whose burden is heavy.
Continue in them the process of healing that has begun.
May physical rest and peace of mind be their experience
now, and in the days, to come.
At the same time, we rejoice with each one of our local congregation
who has something to celebrate…
Lord, how wonderful it is
for us to share the pleasure such good news brings
to those directly involved,
and to us as a congregation.

And finally, in the silence of this space,
we bring to You our own needs and those of others
especially those who cannot be mentioned publicly at this time.

silence

Lord, in Your love for all humankind,
reach out to everyone who needs a deep touch from Your healing hand this day.

Hear and answer us according to Your mercy, Heavenly Father,
and glorify Your name in our midst
that all may know You are the LORD,
and that nothing is impossible for You.
In Jesus’ name, we pray.
AMEN

HYMN 374 From heaven you came (Servant King)

(performed by Graham Kendrick and Nicki Rogers)

Benediction:

Go from this time
Serving the Word
through service to the world.
And may the blessing of God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Be with us all, now and always.
Amen.

Sung Amen

Acknowledgements:
Bible Quotations taken from: New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

English translations of The Lord’s Prayer, © 1998, English Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC), and used by permission. www.englishtexts.org

Prayers adapted from Weekly Worship, © the Church of Scotland 2021.