26th. June. 2022. Service
Inverkeithing Parish Church linked with North Queensferry Church
Worship 26th June 2022
Third Sunday after Pentecost
Prelude “Hymn to the Trinity”
Bible Introit Hymn 209 “Father, we praise you”
Collect: Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Hymn 153 “Great is thy faithfulness”
It is good to give thanks to the Lord.
Let us sing praises to God’s holy name!
We will declare God’s steadfast love in the morning,
And God’s faithfulness night after night.
Let us make a joyful noise to the Lord!
For God is good and we receive his blessing.
Let us worship God with grateful hearts.
We will thank God in our prayers and praise.
Prayer
Holy God we are here in your presence in the warmth of fellowship, full of hope, full of desire for your blessing trusting your promise in Jesus Christ that where two or three are gathered in his name, you are among us.
Help us take up the mantle of faith
you have laid before us, that we may use our own gifts of the Spirit to face the challenges of our lives as individuals and a congregation in uncertain times
Help us face the turmoil within and around us, that we may face the future unafraid filled with the joy and peace that belong to us in the Saviour. Reveal Him again to us, the Way, the Truth and the Life by Whom we come to you, our Father.
Gracious Lord, you have blessed us with freedom—
freedom to follow or to turn away; freedom to love or to hate; freedom to heal or to hurt. You ask only that we follow your ways,
loving our neighbors as ourselves. You have equipped us with natural and spiritual gifts which we often neglect or use only for selfish ends. Forgive us for the sins and failures of our lives which few freely confess and bring us to honest self examination and give us grace to bring our attitudes and actions into accord with the teachings and commandments of our Lord and Saviour.
May we harvest the fruit of the Spirit, freely given by God,
and share it freely with each other, knowing that we are loved and forgiven and trust that we are treasured by you our God and Creator, now and always. Amen.
Prayer for Understanding
God of wisdom, by your Spirit, reveal your truth to our minds and your gospel to our hearts, and use our words and actions to
fulfil your will, in the name of Jesus, the Living Word. Amen.
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, the power, and the glory, for ever Amen.
The Intimations
In Inverkeithing the Children’s Church end of year family service will be held next Sunday morning July 3rd. On Saturday July 2nd their picnic will be held in Shore Road Play Park, Aberdour between 1pm and 4pm. Why not join them during the afternoon?
The Offering
According to the Apostle Paul, the fruit of the Spirit includes kindness and generosity, gifts of God we enjoy. As we present our offering, may the Spirit fill us with generosity, and multiply our kindness for the sake of Christ our Lord.
Prayer of Dedication
O God, we know you to be kind and generous, so we bring our gifts in gratitude and joy. Pour out your Spirit on these gifts and on our lives, so that we may bear the fruit of your Spirit in every situation and relationship, through Christ, our Living Lord. Amen.
2 Kings 2:1-2; 6-14
When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.’
But Elisha said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel.
6 Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.’
And he replied, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them walked on.
7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?’
‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,’ Elisha replied.
10 ‘You have asked a difficult thing,’ Elijah said, ‘yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise, it will not.’
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, ‘My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’ And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. ‘Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. Amen.
Hymn 225 “Summer suns are glowing”
Luke 9:51-62
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?’ 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ 58 Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ 59 He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’
But he replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’
60 Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ 61 Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’ 62 Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’ Amen, this is the Word of the Lord, to Him be all glory and praise.
Hymn MP 302 “I want to walk with Jesus Christ”
Sermon
I have always enjoyed today’s story of the transition of Elijah into heaven with its fiery chariot and horses caught up in a blazing whirlwind. When I was a student, a member of our church circle was Scottish artist, Terry Barron Kirkwood. It was in her flat in Glasgow that I first heard Carol-Anne sing. During a stay in Kenya with another of our friends, inspired by the east African sunsets and her love of horses, Terry painted Elijah’s fiery chariot in a wonderfully dramatic and bold depiction. As it belongs to our friend I cannot show it, but above are a couple of Terry’s canvasses.
The departure of Elijah at the end of a powerful and violent ministry defending Israel and the faithful of God from the onslaught of the Philistine Baal religion is one of those stories which we pass with a shrug.
However Elijah died or was translated into heaven as has been traditionally understood in mystical Judaism and fundamentalist Christianity, he, along with other heroes of the faith including Enoch in Genesis and Moses in Deuteronomy, was believed to have been translated alive into heaven. Given that heaven is a spiritual realm this will seem to us to be an absurd notion. What is more likely is that their deaths were not observed or that what Elisha saw was what nowadays would be called a Shared Death Experience. Reports in the NDE literature of being aware of a person’s death experience being briefly shared by a family member or witness are not unusual and are often vivid.
Elijah was such an important prophet that he took on deep significance in Jewish thinking. In one tradition he is viewed as an angelic being one of whose duties is to stand at the crossroads of paradise to lead the pious to their proper places, to bring the souls of the impious out of hell at the beginning of the Sabbath, to lead them back again at the end of the Sabbath, and after they have suffered for their sins, to bring them to paradise forever.
In Jewish mystic literature Elijah is an angel whose life on earth is conceived of as a merely apparitional one, and who is identified with “Sandalphon,” one of the two angels of the presence of God. The cabalists speak also of the struggle between Elijah and the Angel of Death, who asserts his right to all children of men, and who endeavoured to prevent, Elijah from entering heaven The taking of Elijah into heaven or supramundane regions did not mean his severance from this world; on the contrary, his real activity then began. And of course. he was thought to be reincarnated as John the Baptist the forerunner of the Christ, an idea which Jesus does not deny in the gospels.
The main theme of 2 Kings 2:1-14 is not so much the whirlwind, which is only mentioned briefly, but rather the matter of succession: who would take his place as the principal prophet to the kings of Judah and Israel. The kings of both Israel and Judah died about the same time so, just as there was concern about the monarchical succession there was concern about the future of the faith. Who would carry on the work of the prophet?
As today, everyone knew that change was imminent. Twice the sons of the prophets informed Elisha of Elijah’s impending departure, and twice Elisha instructed them to keep silence. Before he left, Elijah and Elisha retraced the footsteps of the Children of Israel.
They came first to Bethel, where Jacob had twice met with the Lord in his journeys from and to Israel: and where Jeroboam had more recently set up one of his golden calves. Then Jericho, where Joshua had begun the conquest of Canaan: a city recently rebuilt. Then they miraculously crossed the River Jordan, reflecting as in a mirror the first entrance of Israel into the promised land. Joshua had led the Israelites across as just Moses had led them through the sea. Both events are symbols of birth and later rebirth in the baptism of Jesus. Three times on the journey Elijah told Elisha to go back, but Elisah was persistent, and refused to leave his master.
Knowing he had a great task ahead of him, Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s blessing, but Elijah indicated that such a request only God could grant and promised that it would happen only if he saw Elijah’s departure. After Elijah was taken up, Elisha tore his own clothes into two pieces, then took up Elijah’s mantle and (again miraculously) crossed back over the River Jordan.
The story of the mantle resonated with me as this week I received a stole as honorary chaplain to the Royal Navy Association Rosyth and West Fife branch. I do not normally wear one but accepted it on the understanding that it would pass to my successor. Interestingly it was worn first by the minister of Rosyth church who will succeed me as chaplain. He stood in for me at the Falklands Memorial Service two weeks ago.
There was also concern for the continuity of the church after the ascension of Jesus. It was a time for waiting, according to His instruction, for the coming of the Holy Spirit The question of continuity amongst the Apostles was something of a distraction during the waiting time but did give rise to a timeless definition of the qualifications required of an Apostle.
The church still must address occasional gaps in ministry, when one servant passes the mantle to another. The times between ministries are times for waiting, for prayer and for maintaining church unity. Here in our corner of the Presbytery we are in a period of transition as we look to the establishment of a new form of ministry incorporating five congregations into a single larger parish with five sets of buildings. It will be some time before the new Presbytery plan is fully formed, but already discussions among the current parishes are underway with different groups meeting. The ministers, session clerks, treasurers, property convenors, children’s church, safeguarding media and other representatives are getting to know each other and already there is a strong feeling of cooperation and unity of purpose.
This is a time when it is critically important that we review our commitment to God and to the life and work of our church. To that end we turn to the Gospel lesson and, as Elijah and Elisha revisited Israel’s journey to the Promised Land we revisit the start of our own journey with Jesus.
Jesus was a rare individual: He was a man in a hurry yet who always had time for people in need. In our world, people in a hurry rarely have time for others. “Don’t bother me, can’t you see I’m busy.” “Later, I’m in too much of a hurry now.” Jesus, however, was different.
This becomes more obvious towards the end of his three-year ministry. As the mounting pressure to complete his one crucial goal at Jerusalem became acute, he still seemed to have time for the lonely, the sick, the desperate and the outcast. He was in a hurry to complete his mission, yet as he made his way through towns and villages, he made space for genuine seekers who sincerely needed him.
On the other hand Jesus had no time for time wasters, people who sought diversion intellectual debate. Those who were half hearted, or indulgently day-dreamed about following him, received sharp words. And any who tried to deflect him from the direction he took, even if they were his closest disciples, earned his rebuke. Jesus always looks for and demands our commitment. This is what we see as Jesus began his final journey to Jerusalem where his work would culminate in the gathering of disciples who would carry the work of the kingdom into the future and throughout the world. And it is the explanation for some of the most challenging words in the entire scripture.
On the road one man said to Jesus: “I will follow you no matter where you go.” But Jesus warned him, “Even foxes have lairs, and the birds have nests, but I, the Son of man, have nowhere to lay down my head.”
In other words, before you make protestations of loyalty to me, consider the consequences. On my path, there is no security, no comfort, no pretty ending to the story.
When Jesus called another man to join him, the man hesitated: “Master, let me first go and bury my father.” To which Jesus retorted: “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go out and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
How offensive can you be! Even if that man’s father was not in fact already dead, perhaps the would-be disciple was reminding Jesus of the social convention whereby a son was not supposed to leave home until his father had died and was respectably buried. Even so, Jesus’ words seem unduly harsh.
Then we read of another encounter with a prospective disciple, who came up and said to Jesus: I will certainly follow you, Master. But first let go home and say goodbye”
Was that asking too much? Surely goodbyes are important. Only wilful or inconsiderate people leave home for good without saying a word. Yet Jesus sternly said to this person: No one who puts his hand to the plough. and looks back over his shoulder, is fit for the kingdom of God.
One of the skills of a ploughman cutting a furrow, was to fix his eyes on a point ahead -sometimes a stake in the ground at the end of row and to resolutely plough towards it. Any diverting of glance would lead to a crooked furrow. Crooked furrows were unworthy of a good ploughman. Jesus warns against second thoughts about following him in his pursuit of the business of the kingdom of God. Looking back over the shoulder will reveal us as unworthy.
Offensive? Going too far. Here is the verdict of a gently young Buddhist, from Southeast Asia who on reading the gospel said that he found “Jesus to be an impatient, intolerant rude person, who rode roughshod over sacred familial obligations.” Based on these passages people have accused Jesus of being abrasive, insensitive, and egotistical. To put himself ahead of loved ones, and our basic obligations to them, seems to some people to be going too far!
These statements by Jesus came during the last phase of his journey, when time was running out. Literally there was no time for dallying. These were for him the last days. He was then a man in a hurry. Nothing could be allowed to deflect him or his followers from the costly “way of the cross.” His impatience is directed at would-be followers who are not prepared to be fully committed, or who would rush into words of commitment, before counting the cost. Nor does Jesus want fair weather disciples.
Jesus of course was not at all egotistical. The cause for which he was ready to give his life was not his but God’s. His radical message, which upset many, was not about himself but his “Abba,” the God with eternal love for every person. His own life was given without reserve in devotion to God. Even the looming cross did not deter him.
His message, and his life, were centred on the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. The call to follow him was to take a plunge with him into the world of God’s activity, which is already here: upon us, around us, and within us. God is central to Jesus. A devout Jew through and through, Jesus will brook no rival to God. Jesus is the least egotistical person; his life is filled with the love of God and of his fellow human beings.
How does this apply to us? Can the statements Jesus made at this critical point in his ministry be generally applied today?
If we are to carry the gospel into the future as congregations and individual, we must review our commitment. We are not required by these words to deny our families or our human responsibilities. They are hyperbole designed to shock us into a response. They do mean that we must have a clear space for God and maintain and defend that space. A second-degree loyalty is not only contrary to the way of Christ, but it will also prove a waste of time and ultimately be a loss.
The past two and a half years have seen a huge disruption of the life of our church. We have had to be sensible in protecting health and safety and adapt. But now we need to start building again. We need to encourage people to return to regular worship, to become actively involved again. In some certain situations we may have to make a difficult decision. Is worship on Sunday a priority or an option. Well, as members or elders we all have already made a commitment to that priority. When we are tempted to renege on it we must make the right decision.
Either we are for the Kingdom of God or not. Either God is top priority, or we are just playing games with religion. Jesus calls us to follow him into the adventure of the new age of God with its new values and goals. Single minded. No excuses. No looking back over our shoulder.
I know we are all getting older and tired, but for the sake of the future we need a renewal of the commitment of our presence and our support of the work if there is to be a future here.
No one who puts his hand to the plough. and looks back over his shoulder, is fit for the kingdom of God. We must not allow that to be said of us. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
In the freedom of the Spirit and in union with Jesus Christ, we bring our prayers of gratitude and for the world.
Patient God, we thank you that you for you love and care for us all, despite the many times we fail to serve you as we should. Help us, by the power of your Holy Spirit to worship, honour and serve you, without counting the cost or being distracted by the cares of the world. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Loving God, we pray that your Spirit will fill us with your love and enable us to share that gift of love with all the people we meet this week. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of all joy, we thank you for this beautiful planet we call home, we ask for grace, a renewed will and inspiration to do our best to be good stewards of everything that you have entrusted to us. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Peace-loving God, we pray for the places in our world where war is raging. we pay for peace, and for all the leaders of our world to use their powers of persuasion to work for peace, justice, and truth. Give repentance to the aggressors power to people who stand up to them. We pray for every innocent person affected by conflict, that they may be treated with compassion and respect and led to places of safety and comfort. With mercy restore and repair their lives. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Kind and Gentle Father, we pray for all who are suffering today. For the refugee, the homeless. We focus upon the people of Afghanistan following the earthquake there on Tuesday and the families we know who have lost their homes to fires in the last few months. For the hungry. We pray for the families who must rely upon a foodbank. We pray that they may receive the help, support, and encouragement they need. Provide for their needs through the love and generosity of other people. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Faithful and Good Father, we thank you for your Church throughout the world, for the generations of faithful Christian servants, from the earliest apostles and followers to all who serve the gospel today. Let your Holy Spirit continue to inspire us and hold our hands to the plough with the same dedication of your saints of the past. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Loving God, we pray for people who are in pain, be it physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. There are people we know in hospital or at home, give them hope and confidence that they may find healing. Show us how we may minister to them with compassion and gentleness. And now we name people whom we know are in need of your healing touch today. Pause.
Father God, as we leave here today and commit ourselves to serve you this week, remind us to love our neighbours as ourselves and control us by your Spirit to ensure that all we say and do will honour you before the world. Merciful Father, accept all our prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
All Age Talk
I need some volunteers to help show what we’ll be learning about Jesus today.
You all are brave to say you’ll help even though you don’t know what I’ll be asking you to do. What if it were difficult, like helping me carry a couch? Or what if it were scary, like walking a tight rope 20 feet high? Don’t worry! It’s not scary, and you’re not going to be carrying a couch. You’ll just be playing a game of Follow the Leader. Ready?
Now we’re ready…but wait. The followers need to be wearing blindfolds. If they do, who do you think has the more difficult job, the leader or the blind-folded followers?
What are some difficult parts about following a leader?
We wouldn’t want our followers to bump into anything or get hurt. In the pictures we see a goose leading its goslings and the children being led over a bridge. It is important for the leader to make sure everyone is safe. Thankfully, the followers can hold on to each other. The leader will guide the followers by gently pulling them behind [him or her].
If they keep holding on to each others’ shoulders, they will be able to follow the leader/
This reminds me of Jesus and His followers. In the Bible it talks about a time Jesus was walking along the road with some of His disciples when someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” How many of you have said that to Jesus or would like to?
When Jesus’ friends told Him they’d follow Him wherever He went, He said something strange to them. He said, “Foxes have holes to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man doesn’t even have a place to lay His head.” What do you think that means?
Jesus meant that even though following Him is the best thing we can ever do, that doesn’t mean it will always be easy. Like our volunteers, we don’t know all He’ll ask us. But if we hold His hand, we can trust He’ll guide us through anything difficult we face.
There’s a song called, “Hold on to Jesus” by Erin O’Donnell.
Video: Think of a world without any flowers
Hymn 465 “Be thou my vision”
The Benediction
Disciples have said to their teachers, “I will follow you wherever you go.” May the peace of Christ follow you wherever you go: at home, at work, and in the world. And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with you now and always. Amen.
May God’s blessing surround you each day
Postlude: “Father, let me dedicate”