Call to Worship (from Psalm 105: 1-3)
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

HYMN 123 God is love: let heaven adore him(Tune: Hyfrydol)

Prayer

We give you thanks, our God,
that we have risen this day
into your presence
and into life itself.
We give you thanks, our God
that your hand is upon us
holding us in your plan
joining us to each other.
We give you thanks, our God
that Christ is between us,
that Christ is around us,
that Christ unites us.
This day, our God,
we come to your light,
seeking its leading,
following into eternity.

God of life,
grant us your forgiveness,
for our careless thoughts,
for our thoughtless deeds,
for our empty speech.
God of life,
grant us your forgiveness,
for our false desires,
for our hateful actions,
for our wastefulness,
for all we have left untended.

Loving Christ,
crucified on a tree,
yet risen on the third day,
scatter the sin from our lives.
Begin what we do,
inform what we say,
redeem who we are.
In you we place our hope,
our great hope, our living hope,
this day and evermore.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’
He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about thirty kilograms of flour until it worked all through the dough.’

‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
‘Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
‘Have you understood all these things?’ Jesus asked.
‘Yes,’ they replied.
He said to them, ‘Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.’

HYMN 555 Amazing Grace

Reflection:

Upside Down
Have you ever had your world turned upside down? I don’t mean, of course, in a literal sense. Rather, I mean has someone or something so affected your life that it’s almost as if it had been turned upside down. For some this happens when they meet the love of their life; for others it may be a life changing incident or event; while for some it’s an encounter with God. For each, though, it is different even if externally it seems the same. Today’s reading from the Gospel is about turning things upside down. In the reading Jesus takes everyday ideas and images and turns their meanings upon their heads. At times this may be a little confusing as the same images are often used in the normal way elsewhere in the Gospel. That said, sometimes things do need to be turned upside down ……As in the last few weeks we once again see Jesus use images from nature and everyday life to illustrate the Kingdom of God. It is important to note that when Jesus uses these images he does not say, ‘The Kingdom of God is like a such-and-such’, and leave it at that. Rather, he says, ‘The Kingdom of God is like a such-and-such, which …’ It is not the object or image that describes the kingdom but what happens to it that provides the illustration of the Kingdom of God.
In a short reflection, such as this, the lectionary reading provides us with, perhaps, too much material. For that reason we will focus on just one example, ‘yeast’. Usually we think of yeast as a negative when in the context of scripture, however this week we read of Jesus inverting that idea. This week yeast becomes a good thing, and example to us.In what way does the activity of yeast illustrate the Kingdom of God? Jesus describes the Realm of God as like the work of a woman. Like in so many other passages Jesus begins by inverting the social order by not using the image of a man at work but that of a woman; he uses the image of a woman in a household doing the chores. This is someone who readies the place and provides for others, and the result is always greater than the effort put in. Whatever the kingdom of God is, and however it works, it grows.
It is worth noting here that the woman is preparing ordinary, everyday, bread as shown by the inclusion of yeast; it’s not unleavened bread that is usually thought of as ‘holy bread’ of the kind used in the Passover. There may be a sense of imperfection and impurity here with the inclusion of the yeast however what matters is the everyday nature of what is described. This is the context of the image of leavened bread and the image Jesus uses for the kingdom. The yeast, the kingdom, is hidden in the flour and it changes things unseen.
Unseen! That’s the message; that’s what Jesus is trying to get us to see. He is trying to get us to look beyond the great gestures, the fine words, and the magnificent buildings. He is trying to get us to see what goes on in the usual, the normal, and the everyday. Jesus is turning things upside down.
So how does this apply to the church today? We are regularly encouraged to make great efforts to carry out activities, and engage in programmes to attract new folk into the kingdom. We stage events, and create ‘seeker sensitive services’. We seek out enthralling speakers, and often make lots of noise and show along the way. Yet this parable shows us that the kingdom grows in the quiet, normal, and often unseen ways. There is room for better communications, and services that engage more meaningfully with the surrounding culture. But it is through the quiet everyday prayer of the faithful that the kingdom will grow. It is through those gentle daily acts of faithfulness to Christ that the kingdom will grow. Historians of revival have shown that this is how those great revivals of past centuries began. Yeast, by way of the scriptures, has sometimes gained a bad reputation but, perhaps, it is time for us to become yeast. Perhaps it is time to turn things upside down.
Amen.

Prayer

Let us pray for those who may be born this day,
and bless them in the name of Jesus.
May the joy of God shine from them,
may the presence of God be within them,
may the love of God surround them.

Let us pray for those who must work this day,
and bless them in the name of Jesus.
May the Creator bless the work of hand and mind,
may the will of God be in your desires,
may the peace of God grant you rest at the end of the day.

Let us pray for those who must travel this day,
and bless them in the name of Jesus.
May the presence of Christ be around them,
may the guarding of Christ be with them,
may the light of God guide them.

Let us pray for those who may face death this day,
and bless them in the name of Jesus.
May God provide all that is needed,
for body, mind, and soul,
as they face the final journey.

Let us pray for ourselves this day,
and may the blessing of Jesus be upon us.
May we pass this day as saints of God,
may we live this day as workers for the Kingdom,
may we end this day in the love of God.
Amen.

HYMN 167 Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah

Benediction
May the kingdom of God,
be seen in each of us,
in our words, in our actions, in our gestures.
And may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all,
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.
Prayers based on Morning Liturgy D, in the Iona Community’s ‘A Wee Worship Book’ (Fourth Incarnation).

Call to Worship (Psalm 139: 23-24)
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

HYMN 154 Oh Lord my God when I in awesome wonder (How great Thou art)

Prayer

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

God of mercy, God of love
in humbleness of heart
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. Amen.

Heavenly Father,
be with us in every experience of life.
When we neglect you,
remind us of your presence;
when we are frightened,
give us courage;
when we are tempted,
give us power to resist;
when we are anxious and worried,
give us peace;
when we are weary in service,
give us energy and zeal;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Scriptures:

Isaiah 44: 6-8
‘This is what the Lord says –
Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God.
Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come –
yes, let them foretell what will come.
Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.’

Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43
Jesus told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed ears, then the weeds also appeared.
‘The owner’s servants came to him and said, “Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?”
‘“An enemy did this,” he replied.
‘The servants asked him, “Do you want us to go and pull them up?”
‘“No,” he answered, “because while you are pulling up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.”’

Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.’
He answered, ‘The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
‘As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

HYMN 528 Make me a channel of your peace

Reflection

For those who formed the first audience for Isaiah’s words the goal was clear. It was a return to the land of promise, and to the holy city of Jerusalem. It was a return to that which they held dear, to what mattered to them. That was the goal, but they were stuck in Babylon. They were in exile. There was no clear sign of their hope of return being fulfilled. This week we, too, have a hope of return. Certainly what we hope for is not, perhaps, as significant as that of the Israelites yet for each one of us it may feel equally as profound. The goal for us is a return to the activities and places that we hold dear, the ones from which we have had to remain distant for these last months. In the air is both excitement and anxiety. The government has said that it is now safe to return as long as we are careful. We are cautious and we are hopeful.
Like the Israelites we may have our doubts. We may wonder why this happened. We may ask why God did not prevent this. We may wonder if God is truly as powerful, or benevolent, as we had previously thought. We may have many other questions on our mind, too. Of course, some of the answers to our questions may aid us as we seek to move onward in hope, trust, and safety. But there are some other, darker, questions that we may find ourselves asking. Some will, no doubt, ask who is to blame for all of this. Some will blame the Chinese; after all, didn’t the virus originate in China? Some will blame the telephone masts for the new 5G network; that’s convenient as inanimate objects don’t usually get the chance to defend themselves. The fact that science is not on the side of that idea is something that can be readily sidestepped by many. What about closer to home? What about blaming any of our governments or agencies for inadequacy in their planning and preparation? What about blaming ourselves but, then again, that’s not something we usually do? We like blame as blaming others is easy. It doesn’t, though, answer questions or help us move onward.
This latter, darker, path is one that we are warned against in today’s Gospel reading. Many of us will be familiar with it under an older name, ‘the parable of the wheat and the tares’. The old title is more accurate in setting the story in context. Tares, also known as darnel, are no ordinary weed as until harvest is almost due they look very like the wheat that grows alongside. The difference is that darnel is toxic to ingest, and can be fatal. Although the parable has a theme of eternal judgement running through it there is also a very practical message for the hearer or reader. That message is that we are not to judge, as we are not qualified to do so. As it says in the seventh chapter of Matthew, ‘don’t judge or you too will be judged.’ The questions we have that lead us to no more than a blame game are also nothing more than us being judgemental.
As we move on we are to find our hope in the same God of whom we have questions. The Israelites found that God had not deserted them but had journeyed with them even in exile. God was with them in the midst of their pain, their sufferings, and their doubt. God was not absent but present. As we continue our journey through this pandemic we, too, need to adopt the same attitude as did the Israelites. We need to trust, moving onward in faith and hope. We are not to judge. As we move we will see some of our goals fulfilled; those familiar faces will be there to greet us. The familiar places will be very much as we left them; the activities will have to change in some ways but there will be much of the familiar remaining. To live we must move on and, just as He was with the exiles, God will be with us. Amen.

Prayer

God of love and power,
We pray for your Church in this parish
and throughout the world,
that, through the courage and faith of your people,
your word may be preached and lived.

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

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

We pray for all who are in trouble,
that those who are sick may be cared for,
those who are lonely sustained,
those who are oppressed strengthened,
those who mourn comforted,
and that those who are close to death
may 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 531 My Jesus, My Saviour

Benediction
Let us go forward in faith, love, and hope,
and as we go, may the blessing of God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
go with us now, and evermore.
Amen.

Acknowledgements
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Prayers taken from the Third Morning Service, Church of Scotland Book of Common Order (1994)