A couple of weeks ago we said that over the latter part of the summer our Sunday services would be created by various members of our congregations, all of whom have experience in leading worship. This week leading us in our praise and reflection is Louise McAspurren.

Call to worship (Psalm 128: 1-2)
I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart …
I will bow down towards your holy temple and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness’.

Hymn 739 The Church’s One Foundation

Prayer

Faithful One,
Everlasting and true,
We give you thanks
For your unending love.
Thank you that when we call, you listen.
When we are scared, you comfort us.
When we feel tired, you renew us.
When we grieve, you weep with us.
In all times and all places, you stand with us.

And so, you are with us now.
As we come to worship you.
Forgive us our failings,
Help us begin again in your grace.
Open our eyes to see you.
May we feel your Spirit’s presence.
Open our ears to hear your truth.
Guide our steps to walk the journey ahead of us,
Living and working to the glory of your holy name.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Scripture Readings

Romans 12: 1-8
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Matthew 16:13-20
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’
They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’
‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’
Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’
Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ’Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Hymn 559 There is a Redeemer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61CJdXmxxLU

Reflection

In our gospel reading, we find Jesus and his disciples at a time where Jesus’ miracles and teaching had brought him both supporters and critics. To many he offered hope, healing, and forgiveness. To others he threated their understanding of faith.
It is in this context, that Jesus asked his disciples, ‘who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ The disciples gave several answers. People had different ideas about who Jesus was. Interestingly, rather than trying to define him as someone new, folk tried to link him back to their faith history, identifying him as a manifestation of prophets or leaders from the past.
However, then comes the BIG question – ‘But who do you say I am?’. This was no longer an academic question about what other people thought – this was a direct challenge to those closest to him. In other words, Jesus was asking his disciples whether they really knew him.
It is Simon who answers: ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’.
Jesus blesses him immediately, making it clear that this was not an answer based on public opinion or harking back to history – this was an answer given by God. This was new – this was the start of recognising Jesus as both Son of Man and Son of God, the Messiah! A different kind of leader to save his people.
But Jesus did not leave it there – this was also a new start for Simon. From now on, his name was to be Peter – he would become the rock of the church and the keys to the kingdom of heaven would be his. Imagine Peter’s reaction! What would he be thinking? Did he really understand what Jesus was saying to him? Did he grasp what kind of Messiah Jesus was, and how that would affect his future life?
Today, as Christians we know the story of the resurrection. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus defeated death, overcame the power of sin, and sits at the right hand of the Father. In many ways, it is easier for us to call Jesus the Messiah. But, how ready are we to hear our Messiah as he calls to us? For just as Jesus responded to Peter, can he not also speak to us? In this time of COVID19 the church is being called to reflect on how to develop its worship and mission. Perhaps this is also the time for us, as individuals, to ask questions of ourselves and of God. Is now the time to know our Lord better and to seek our place in Him? In knowing Jesus as the Messiah, Peter found his purpose– he became the rock for the church. We can find our calling in Christ, too.
We may be called to do different work, to use our God given gifts to spread the good news and show God’s love for all (whether in the church, at home or in the community). No one person or one gift is greater than another, and all are accountable to each other. As Romans 12: 4-5 puts it ‘For just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others’
It may not be a straight forward path. After being told he would receive the keys to the kingdom of heaven, Peter went on to deny Christ three times. Yet, Christ’s love for him remained. After Jesus rose from the dead, he sought out Peter. He strengthened him and commissioned him to shepherd his flock. There were challenges, but Peter continued to build up the church because this was his destiny. In the same way, Christ will strengthen us to find and bring about our purpose regardless of the challenges we face, if we let Him. In Christ we can learn of God. In Christ we can learn who we are. In Christ we can find our place in this world and in His kingdom. Let us take this time and opportunity to do so. Amen.

Prayers

Listening God, You call us to come to You with our prayers for others. And we do so in a spirit of gratitude for all the ways Your grace and mercy fills our lives …
We thank You for creation, and for all the blessings of this life, and, most of all, for Your boundless love in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our redeeming presence.
Give us a constant awareness of Your mercy. Call us to take time to immerse ourselves in Your grace. Make us aware of signs and symbols of Your love in action.
You made all things in Your wisdom, and, in Your love, You save us. So we pray for all creation, that evil might be cast down, that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness might be fed, and that all Your children might enjoy in equal measure the fruits of Your world.
We pray for the Church. Keep us one in faith and service, so that Your Good News might be proclaimed, and so that Your love and light might be a beacon of hope and purpose in the darkest places.
We cannot love You fully unless we love our neighbours as ourselves. So we pray for all those in need, in body, mind and spirit; we pray for all who suffer from pain and sorrow; especially those who are affected by the COVID19 pandemic. We remember those known to us at this time …
God of compassion, bless us and those we love, that, drawing close to You, we may be drawn closer to each other. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen

Hymn In Christ Alone (This is a new one to us, and is not found in CH4.)

Benediction
Let us go out into the world in peace.
Let us love our God with all our heart.
Let us be challenged by the Spirit’s promptings
Let us hear the call to serve Christ and be obedient to God’s will.

And may God bless us,
the Spirit restore us,
and Christ’s presence strengthen us,
now and always.
Amen.

Acknowledgements:
Scripture readings: Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV®
Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission.
All rights reserved worldwide.
Second Prayer, and Benediction: adapted from:
Church of Scotland Weekly Worship, 23^rd August 2020, by Tom Gordon.

Call to Worship (Psalm 67: 3-5)
May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.

HYMN 182 Now thank we all our God

Prayer

God, our maker
the wonders of your creation,
the beauty of the earth,
the diversity of nature,
all speak to us of your glory.
The coming of your Son,
the presence of your Spirit,
the fellowship of your Church,
speak to us of your love.
We worship and adore you,
God of grace and glory,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God of mercy, God of love,
with humble hearts
we confess our sins.
We forget to love and serve you,
and wander from your ways.
We are careless of your world,
and put its life in danger.
We talk of our concern for others,
but fail to match our words with action.

Merciful God,
forgive us our sins
and bring us to everlasting life,
through Jesus Christ
your Son, our Saviour.

Heavenly Father,
be with us in each step of life.
When we forget you,
remind us of your presence;
when we are frightened,
give us courage;
when we are tempted,
give us strength to resist;
when we are anxious or worried,
give us peace;
when we are weary in service,
give us enthusiasm;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Scriptures:

Isaiah 56: 1-8
This is what the Lord says:
‘Maintain justice
and do what is right,
for my salvation is close at hand
and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
Blessed is the one who does this –
the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it,
and keeps their hands from doing any evil.’
Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say,
The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.’
And let no eunuch complain,
‘I am only a dry tree.’
For this is what the Lord says:
‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant –
to them I will give within my temple and its walls
a memorial and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that will endure for ever.
And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister to him,
to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant –
these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.’
The Sovereign Lord declares –
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
‘I will gather still others to them
besides those already gathered.’

Matthew 15: 10-28
Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.’
Then the disciples came to him and asked, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?’
He replied, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.’
Peter said, ‘Explain the parable to us.’
‘Are you still so dull?’ Jesus asked them. ‘Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.’

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.’
Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’
He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’
The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said.
He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’
‘Yes it is, Lord,’ she said. ‘Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.’
Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed at that moment.

HYMN 198 Let us build a house where love can dwell

Reflection

Perhaps you recognise this: #MeToo. If not, then perhaps you’ll know this one: BLM. Both are recent movements centred on the call to justice and equality. Justice and equality are two values promoted by Jesus yet, at times, they seem to be strangely missing from the life of the church.
Our Gospel passage seeks partly to address these issues. It is located in the midst of a debate between Jesus and the Pharisees where the focus seems to be about what makes a person clean or unclean. In other words, they’re arguing over what makes someone acceptable to God. Is it following all the rules and traditions of the faith, or is it something more difficult to pinpoint? This is not a friendly encounter; there is offence and insult to be found. The Pharisees, accused of being focussed on rule-following, are described as blind guides leading others astray.
Our focus, though, is on a short passage that is very difficult. On the surface Jesus and the disciples seems to be acting out of character. They are seen to be dismissing a woman coming to him seeking help for her daughter. Other people coming to Jesus in similar circumstances have been met with compassion. The words of Jesus that He had been sent only to the ‘lost sheep of Israel’ seem flat. Jesus had chosen to come to a place where he would not have been able to avoid people from other ethnic backgrounds, so we have to wonder about what is going on.
The way in which you read this text affects what meaning you give to it. You could read it as speaking of a Jesus who is bound by ancient prejudice, only giving in to get peace from a woman who persists in her cause. You could read it as speaking of a Jesus who is demanding of real faith and persistence in contrast to a life of rule-following and tradition. If we turn to look at our reading from the prophet Isaiah we find support for the latter interpretation of our Gospel text. Here we find an affirmation of all who call upon God, irrespective of how they may be perceived by the dominant culture. For Isaiah, the Canaanite woman in the Gospel is welcome.
In the Gospel, the contrast between the Canaanite woman and the Pharisees passes without comment. It is stark and, no doubt, further offended the Pharisees. According to Jesus the Pharisees, for all their focus on purity, are defiled on the inside. Meanwhile the Canaanite woman, who was seen as impure, is spiritually alive and commended for her faith.
We began with mention of #MeToo, and BLM. These are relevant not only to wider society but to the church. If Jesus is correct in his words, then what makes a person ‘clean’ is not what comes from the outside but what arises from the heart. This means that we are not to judge based on external factors. It means that we are not to judge based on gender or skin colour. We live in a world that continues to see the rise of movements based on ethnic identity, ancient prejudices, and gender superiority. Our own land is not exempt. We, as the church, are called to share a different perspective. We have the opportunity to stand with those who are oppressed or devalued, and to proclaim that we all have value. Everyone is, after all, made in the image of God.
Both prophet and Christ in proclaiming that the Temple was to be a house of prayer for all nations refused to be drawn into ancient prejudices. We, the church, should be doing the same.
Amen.

Prayers

God of love and power,
we pray for your Church in this place
and throughout the world;
may the courage and faith of your people,
preach and live out your word.

We pray for the Queen and those in authority.
In the fulfilling of their duties,
may they be guided by your Spirit
and upheld by your grace.

We pray for our community, our country,
and the nations of the world.
Following the ways of truth and justice,
may they be free from bitterness and strife.
By the power of your love, may they live in peace.

We pray for all who are in trouble.
May those who are sick may be cared for.
May those who are lonely be sustained.
May those who are oppressed be strengthened.
May those who mourn be comforted.
May those who are close to death
know their risen Lord.

We give thanks
for those who have died in the faith,
especially those known to us,
who have entered into the joy and peace
of your nearer presence.
Grant that we may follow their example,
and come to share with them
the glory of everlasting life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with the Father and the Holy Spirit
is worshipped and glorified for ever.
Amen.

HYMN 624 In Christ there is no east or west

Benediction
May the peace of God
which passes all understanding,
keep our hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let us go in the strength of God.
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with us, and remain with us,
now and always.
Amen.

Acknowledgements
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

All content Copyright © Craigmillar Park Church 2020