19th. September. 2021. Service.
Service of Worship 19th September 2021
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
Prelude: Living Hope
Introit: 212 “Morning has broken”
Collect
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Hymn 210 “Awake my soul and with the sun”
Call to Prayer
From sunrise to sunset,
Let us praise God’s holy name.
With the wisdom of the aged and the energy of the young,
Let us praise God’s holy name.
In our work and in our homes,
Let us praise God’s holy name.
Let us praise the Lord with our whole hearts!
We will worship God now and always.
God of all creation, around us is
the world you brought into being and filled with purpose.
Everything created declares your praise—
the mountains reveal your majesty.
the ripened fields, your generosity.
Birds flying overhead sing to us of your freedom.
The tiny ant working busily speaks of your persistence.
But what do we declare about you in our lives, O God?
We pray that our work will honour your justice and mercy.
That our relationships will speak of your love and compassion.
May we then praise you, O God,
not only in this hour of worship but in all the hours you grant us,
as we follow Jesus Christ, our Lord, and our Friend.
O God, we live our lives as best we can—
dealing with difficult relationships and situations,
putting failures and disappointments behind us,
and moving into each new day with as much energy, goodwill,
and optimism as we can muster.
But here, right now, we seldom have the right answers,
we rarely look for your higher wisdom in our lives, we just move ahead.
Forgive us for failing to ask for your insight and guidance
Fill us with your wisdom, that we may live lives of goodness and peace
Words of Assurance
When we come before God in humility and honesty,
God draws near to us with forgiveness and renewed blessing.
Thanks be to God!
Prayer for Understanding
Send us your Holy Spirit, O God, that your Word shall shed light on the path ahead. Help us to know the way we should follow. May your wisdom deepen our faith and bear its fruit in us so that we may carry your light into the world around us. This we pray in Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray,
The Lord’s Prayer in the version most familiar to you.
Intimations
In Inverkeithing, the first coffee morning will be on Tuesday 28th September. Social distancing, track and trace and masks when moving in the sanctuary will be required.
Invitation to the Offering
James invites us to show gentleness born of God’s wisdom through our good works. The gifts we offer to God support many good works through our congregation and the work Presbyterians undertake together around the world. May they bear much fruit in Jesus’ name.
Prayer of Dedication
Wise and faithful God, we offer our gifts to you in thanksgiving for your gifts to us in Christ and in creation. Bless these gifts and the good works in ministry and mission they will support, so that the world may know your wisdom and faithfulness through Christ, our Lord.
All Age Talk
Who here likes to read? I love to read. Books are often filled with amazing stories that take us to far-off places. Let’s go around in a circle and have everyone share your favourite book, whether it’s one of the books here or a different one. If you don’t have a favourite book, that’s perfectly okay. Just say “pass.”
Books are great because they can teach us things and tell exciting stories. Who is your favourite character in a book? When I was young, my favourite book was Brer Rabbit. And my favourite character in it was the Tar Baby!
I love to read, and one of my favourite books, the Bible actually changed my life.
Now this book is life-changing. Everyone say, “God’s Word.” The Bible is the greatest book of all time. It contains God’s words to us, and they’re helpful to lead, comfort, instruct, and encourage us. Unlike many of the other books we read that tell make-believe stories, the books in the Bible are 100% true, meaning they happened in real life. And the people in the Bible were real people.
The Bible is made up of 66 books. There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. Despite there being so many books in the Bible, God’s Word tells one great story. The story of the Bible is all about the one true God who created everything and loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to save us. That’s why the Bible is the most amazing book. No matter how many times you read it, God can always teach you something new.
Today we’re going to learn about delighting in God’s Word. Just as you get excited about the next book in your favourite series, we can learn to get excited about God’s Word and enjoy hearing what He has to say to us.
God, thank You for the Bible. We are grateful that You love us so much that You sent Your Son Jesus, and You tell us all about it in the Bible. Help us make time for Your Word and take delight in it. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Hymn 164 “God gave me eyes so I could see”
Reading: Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither –
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. Amen.
Mark 9:30-37
30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.’ 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.’
36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.’ Amen
Hymn 153 “Great is thy faithfulness”
Reading: James 3:13–4:3, 7-8
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Amen, this is the word of the Lord, to him be all glory and praise.
Hymn 549 “How deep the Father’s love for us”
Sermon
During the course of the week I watched a TED talk about why so many incompetent men become leaders. It was fascinating. The basic thesis is that many men in particular greatly overestimate their abilities, and that people who are chosen as leaders are often narcissistic and charismatic. People are attracted to confident men and often project their hopes and fantasies on them as leaders. Confidence and charisma are not real indicators of ability, and frequently such men are actually dangerously incompetent. The same presenter suggests that women tend to be more realistic about their abilities and can in fact show real leadership and humility and he instanced Angela Merkel, as a safe, boring, morally careful and competent national leader.
At the same time, I came across photographs of the women at the Met Gala the (Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City.) Many of the outfits were outrageously ugly and were worn by “celebrities” who may also be narcissistic. One woman who wore a what looked like an outsized black burka, rightly triggering outrage among many Moslem women. And finally, Nicki Manaj, the Trinidadian singer, who did not attend, but often dresses outrageously, was in trouble for telling her twelve million followers that Covid vaccination causes infertility.
What is it about public personalities that they have such a grand conceit of themselves? The answer may lie in our gospel and epistle readings today.
When Jesus was in the house, he asked his disciples: “What were you talking about on the way here?” They were silent; for on the way they had been arguing which one of them was the greatest. Jesus sat down and asked the twelve to stand near, and he taught them: “If anyone wants to be the greatest, he must be as the least and the servant of all.” Jesus picked up a child from amongst them, took him in his arms and said: “Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me. And whoever receives me receives not just me but the One who sent me.”
Who is the greatest?
Mohamed Ali – or any of those I mentioned? Self-promotion is not a fault that is limited to a few atypical egos amongst the disciples of Jesus. In fact, there are very few who do not engage in it from time to time.
What makes the situation of the disciples especially poignant is that Jesus, just before this incident, has been outspoken about big troubles lay ahead. Outward success is not going to be the result of Christ’s mission. Apparent failure is. He is going to be arrested, roughed up by brutal men, tried and convicted, and put to death by the cruellest method devised by the dark side of the human mind. After that he will live again.
Do they get it? No a bit! His closest disciples will not allow any of this awful truth to slip through the filter of their rosy ambitions. For heaven’s sake! Jesus is facing a gruesome death, steeling himself for it, wanting their understanding, but all they can think about is which one of them is the greatest.
People can spend a lot of their time in trying to establish a good self-image. We want to feel important. Maybe we don’t want to be the greatest, but we would like to be better than many.
Out-performing others is a common modus operandi. Even amongst our friends we would like to be the pick of the bunch. And certainly within our family, we want to be the success story. We try to out-do the others in some way which makes us seem special.
Feeling good about ourselves is important, even essential, for emotional and spiritual health. Self-loathing is not healthy. The boy who always cringes to the edge of the path to allow other kids to pass or the girl who looks in the mirror and says “Yuk!” are not to be congratulated for their humility. Many grow up to stay that way, apologising their way through life, begging the pardon of others or of God for daring to be alive. Feeling good about oneself cannot be underestimated. Among alcoholics and other drug addicts, gamblers and those suffering from anorexia, are found sensitive souls who don’t feel good about themselves.
The tragedy is that many of us, much of the time, go the wrong way about building our self-image. We try to achieve is by making ourselves superior to others. There are many variations, religious and secular, of the method found among the Pharisees who hounded Jesus.
It is easy to look at others and congratulate ourselves that we are not like them. One of the negative things about the popular press is that it publishes the sins of others with relish and that enables people to feel better by having the sordid details of other people on the screen in front of them. The same is true of TV shows like Jerry Springer and Jeremy Kyle which exploited people’s failings for entertainment.
Perhaps we take find self-validation through our work, sporting capability, or social influence, status of friends, good looks fame or notoriety, the kind of car we drive, our academic degrees, the success of our children, the size of our house, the overseas holidays we take, the clothes we wear, whether we can quote Shakespeare or some other skill or achievement.
Some bolster their self-image by making sure they are indispensable to the boss, their families, or to a club or sporting body. They seek self-validation through charitable deeds, or in the tasks of local government. This can even be in the church community where folks are insert every council and every committee. They want to hear others say: “What would we do without you?” They want to be the movers and shakers within their congregation.
Some take the high moral ground ready to condemn others. They see themselves as the custodians of decency. or the conservative stalwarts, holding against the tide of risky innovations. Others do it by being overtly pious, patently prayerful, theologically erudite, people of superior faith, or are prepared with a Bible quote for every occasion. Among them are the self-appointed guardians of the “true faith.”
“Vanity, vanity, all is vanity.” Each attempt at self-validation is doomed to fail. Self-image built up by these methods can be precarious. We never feel fully secure, and anxiety can gnaw at our being even when we achieve outward success.
The woman who boosts her ego by gossiping about others, is always afraid others are talking behind her back.
The student who is dux finds the future examination surrounded with increased anxiety.
The sport’s star who becomes number one keeps looking at the younger players in fear of being toppled.
The morally righteous person is set upon by the fear that someday they won’t live up to their high reputation.
The dominating personality. a big fish in a small pond is suspicious of every gifted person who joins their particular group, club, or church.
Business moguls at the top of the pile, having clawed their way there by prodigious effort, cunning, and often ruthlessness, live with an undercurrent of anxiety about where threats may come from. How long can I stay up here on the pinnacle? Who is planning to unseat me just as I planned to unseat my predecessor?
Herb Elliot, the athlete who won all his races was once asked in an interview “What is it about the thrill of winning that so drives you to succeed again and again?” Elliot replied in these terms, “It’s not winning that drives me but the fear of losing. I’m. terrified of losing.” Fear of losing is a pathetic motivator.
All our attempts to validate our self-worth by physical effort, intellect, or cunning are like houses of straw erected over the sands of anxiety. Finally they fail.
We all need affirmation to keep us going, it is natural.. But it cannot be the foundation of our self-image: It is too flimsy.
If we cannot achieve it by our efforts, where do we turn? We need something permanent, immovable to validate us.
In the sixties and seventies there was “Desiderata” which began, “Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there is in silence. Towards the end it went on “You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and stars; you have a right to be here.”
This was claimed to have been found inscribed on an old gravestone in a New England churchyard which added a certain mystique. (In fact, the words were by the American poet Max Ehrmann who died in 1945). Whatever, the words ‘rang a bell”, spoke to whole generation of young people perhaps because they addressed our human anxiety. It offered validation in something larger than our own ego or the opinions of others. It claimed our value as children of the universe! But it does not go far enough
Jesus tells us our value is more priceless than anything in the whole universe. Our worth is anchored in the Creator of the universe, who loves us utterly. Jesus asked us to trust his father completely. His whole teaching and loving deeds proclaimed: “You have a right to be here, because God has called you, and knows each one’s name, and numbers the hairs on every human head.
There is a sanity in Jesus which far outmatches all the wisdom of the world. While he was trying to cope with the certainty of his arrest, desolation and agonising death, his disciples where stupidly intent on self-validation. They were arguing about which of them was the most important. Jesus was facing death, but it was the disciples who were really on a path that was doomed.
Jesus took a small child and stood him or her among them, a small seemingly insignificant figure as an example of those who have no status yet have everything. There may be a double meaning here. In the early church new converts where called little children. The new converts brought nothing except their readiness to trust the grace of God in Christ Jesus. They disowned all else and started afresh.
Whenever a soul finds this God-given status, a wonderful peace takes over. A serenity beyond all else. I have seen it happen to people in evangelical missions, in spiritual retreats, in special moments of involvement in high church liturgy, and at the Table of the Lord. I know.
Whatever affirmation we gain in this world will ultimately evaporate. Eventually accident, disease, frailty or old age will rob most of us of egocentric self-worth. A Superman actor may become a paraplegic, a prime minister or a university professor succumbs to senility, and the great sportsman be forgotten. Nowadays even the heroes of the past are being toppled from their pedestals.
Many of us will end up being nursed like an infant, maybe spoon fed– or fed by a drip. And if a few escape deep into old age, all those friends and opponents who once either loved or feared us and gave our ego a sense of importance, will die and leave us alone, to exist with another generation that patronises us. Then arrives death, the final leveller. All our human pretensions, our greatest abilities, our status, present or past, are reduced to nothing in the graveyard or crematorium.
In death the only permanent value we have is that which God gives us. Forget the eulogy; forget the few who will visit your grave or rose bush for a few years. That is only a temporary thing, and it can no longer benefit you. Only God can say in death: “You have value to me. I love you. You are my child. Come and inherit the kingdom which I have prepared for you before the foundation of the universe.”
There is only one ground of a good self-image that nothing can steal or erode. God. God’s valuation. God’s price, a price spelled out, once and for all, in blood. You are a very special, invaluable being in God’s eyes.
Picture in your mind the child that Jesus placed in the midst of his self-important disciples. See Jesus pick that child up and maybe sit the little one on his knee. If you do nothing else this morning, once again (or maybe for the first time) become that little child and sit on Christ’s knee. Become the least, and you will become the first. On Christ’s knee you are infinitely greater than Field Marshals or Nobel Prize winners, greater than Prime Ministers, Popes and Presidents, greater even than the universe itself. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Blessed God of all people and places,
we come to you in prayer with thanks that you are with us always and that nothing can separate us from your love in Jesus Christ
You bring us strength and courage when we are anxious or afraid.
You provide wisdom and direction when we face choices in the pilgrimage of our lives.
Thank you for your faithfulness to us.
In these moments of prayer, expand our love and sharpen our vision that we may pray more faithfully for the well-being of the world you love.
We pray for those who live on the margins of human economy,
facing the challenges of unemployment or financial insecurity
in these difficult days of s change and uncertainty.
Give leaders in government, business, and labour a shared vision of the values of your kingdom that people may receive the resources and respect that they need to live well.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for people who are facing famine and drought this year,
and for others who have lost everything because of floods, fire, storm, or pandemic.
Help them rebuild lives and communities through the support to people and agencies who work to alleviate suffering and loss.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We thank you for people who work for peace and mercy
in a world divided by bitter conflicts,
and for those who keep peace and lead negotiations in international disputes.
Give them courage and perseverance.
We remember those who face violence, persecution, or discrimination daily,
and pray for all whose lives are marked by danger or upheaval.
Send your Spirit to protect the vulnerable and to shame the vicious that justice and mercy may be found among all people.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God, Whose way we discern Through the Cross and the Resurrection of your Son, We recognise the children in our midst Whose lives are a gift from your hand. May we receive them within the community of faith And so receive Christ in our midst. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
We thank you for the gifts of education as we pray for teachers, students, educational administrators and support staff in our schools and colleges. Give our young folk the ability to distinguish truth from error and prepare them to face the challenges of our day and their future. Teach them mutual respect and commitment to the shared venture of learning.
Help each of us bring the benefits of our education to our life of faith and give us all a teachable spirit.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for all those anywhere who struggle with pain or illness,
disability or difficult diagnosis.
Stay by their side and draw those who can help them to them.
Be with people who are facing death today,
and those who weep for loved ones who have died.
Unite us in love, whatever challenges are before us
and grant us the peace and hope you have promised us in Christ Jesus.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Amen!
Hymn 519 “Love divine all loves excelling”
Sending out and Benediction
Go out, clothed in strength and dignity.
Submit yourselves to God and resist the devil.
Delight in the Lord’s teaching,
open your hands to the poor,
and let your actions arise from the wisdom of God.
And may God draw near to you and strengthen you;
May Christ Jesus teach you the ways of simplicity;
and may the Holy Spirit fill you with wisdom
and make your fruitful in peace and righteousness. Amen.
“May God’s blessing surround you each day”
Postlude: “God be with you”