31st. July. 2022. Service.
Inverkeithing Parish Church linked with
North Queensferry Church
Worship 31st July 2022
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Prelude: “The heavens are telling the glory of God”
Bible Introit 772 “In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful”
Collect: Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Hymn 489 “Come down, O love divine”
Give thanks to the Lord, for God is good!
God’s faithful love endures forever.
Has the Lord redeemed you? Then say so!
God has saved us from trouble and leads us in paths of justice and righteousness.
Praise the Lord for the constancy of his love.
Let us worship and praise the Lord our God.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, the Psalms which we read, or sing are full of the praises and gratitude of your saints of old who were sustained by their sense of the constancy of your love. So often they speak to us as we face the challenges of life and try to match their faith and their hope in you our God and Saviour. Today we thank you for the opportunity of worship in safety and peace,
for the freedom to be amongst your family, meeting each other in your house, and in the warmth of your embrace
Thank you that in our worship we can put aside, the uncertainties of this world and rest upon the certainties of the Kingdom of God,
for your promises are not changeable as those of a human leader can be but are immovable and eternal. Thank you that we can bring to your ear all the hurts and fears that bother us, and leave them there, knowing that your strength and assurance are all that we require Thank you that in this sanctuary we are transported
from the commonplace of our daily lives to a space where we can be at peace in your presence, find healing, wholeness, and refreshment. Thank you, Lord God, for this opportunity of worship.
Father, your love for humankind, present in the beginning of all things, extends throughout history and touches each of our lives. Your love sees failings and forgives. Your love feels pain and wipes away our tears. Your love knows grief and comforts the sorrowful. Your love sees sin and still loves the sinner. Forgive us when we fail to live lives that reflect your love. Forgive us the many times when we take for granted all that you have done for us. Transform us, through your Spirit, and empower us to serve you always. Let your Spirit achieve this through the Word we hear today in Jesus Christ our Lord, in whom we pray,
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
Highland Games
This year the Highland Games will be held on Saturday 6th August. We are having a tent at the games park for the sale of rolls/ cakes/ teas & coffee & the Church will also be open from 10am to 2 pm for the sale of rolls/ hot pies/ cakes/ teas/coffee. We are looking for donations of cakes (which should be wrapped if possible), tablet, fillings for the rolls (there will be a list of suggestions in the Church), monetary donations towards the cost of the rolls & pies.
We are also looking for help on the Friday to fill the rolls, at the games park & in the Church on the Saturday & lists will be in the Church to add names, alternatively you can give your name or donation to Moira or Joan.
The Inverkeithing Kirk Session wishes to intimate that the former St John’s Church buildings have been sold.
Coffee mornings will be held this week in Inverkeithing from 10:00am on Tuesday, and in North Queensferry at 10:30 on Wednesday.
The Offering
God calls us to think about how we use all we have. So, we come as people of faith, bringers of God’s kingdom, called to share with others that which we have received. Through our giving God’s love can be more clearly seen, known and experienced.
Dedication of the Offering
Gracious God, we are fortunate to have shelter, warmth, food and freedom. As you give to us, so we respond, with our lives, our time, our hearts. We offer our gifts, talents, and money to be used for your purposes in the world. May all we offer bring light and love as it is shared. May all we offer be a force for good.
May all we offer be a blessing in your world, for your people, until your kingdom come. Amen.
All Age Talk
I have something for each of you today! That’s right, each of you are going to get a marshmallow. But do you know what’s better than one marshmallow? How about three ? Here’s the catch. I’m going to give you one marshmallow now, then set a timer for five minutes. You’re welcome to eat your marshmallow, But, if you can wait the full five minutes without eating your first marshmallow, I’m going to give you two more marshmallows! If you eat your first marshmallow before time is up, that’s the only one you’ll get.
Was it easy or hard to wait for the extra marshmallows? Would you rather have one marshmallow or three?
We often believe that having more of something is better than having less. For example, most of us would have rather had three marshmallows than just one, right? But some people get this very wrong. They go through life trying to collect more money, more possessions, and more of the things they believe will make them happy. But having more of something isn’t what brings us true happiness. True happiness can only be found in Jesus.
Jesus warned against this. He said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Then He told the story of a man whose land had produced so much grain that he had no place to store it. Even though he had plenty, he wanted more, so he decided to tear down his barns and build even bigger ones. Jesus said the man was a fool, for when his life was over, he would leave everything behind. He would leave this world with nothing. (Luke 12:15-21)
God has promised to supply all our needs, but He has not promised to fulfill every selfish wish. “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.” (Luke 12:15)
Dear Father, help us to be content with the blessings which You so generously give us and help us to be on guard against selfishness and greed. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Hymn MP 598“Silver and gold have I none”
Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:1-2, 12-14; 2:18-23
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king of Jerusalem: ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’
12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labour under the sun. 21 For a person may labour with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labour under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. Amen.
Hymn 506 “All I once held dear”
Reading: Luke 12:13-21
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’
14 Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’ 15 Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’
16 And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.”
18 ‘Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’”
20 ‘But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
21 ‘This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich towards God.’ Amen, this is the Word of the Lord, to Him be all glory and praise.
Hymn MP 712 “Turn your eyes upon Jesus”
Sermon
The Human Comedy is a series of ninety-one novels by the French novelist Honoré de Balzac who was France’s equivalent of Charles Dickens or Sir Walter Scott. These novels are about all aspects of life in France during the period 1815-48. Balzac describes life in Paris, as well as in rural areas and his characters include people in high society, the criminal underworld, business, military, provincial, artistic, and peasant life. They are very detailed and highly absorbing novels. Balzac also left another 46 unfinished novels. One of his most frequently recurring themes is about battles over the inheritance of property and wealth, an issue which still plagues modern France. This is, of course, universal, and today our gospel focuses upon Jesus’ teaching about greed after a man asked him to intervene in a dispute about an inheritance.
Jesus’ immediate response was to reject the request because his purpose in this life was not to be an arbitrator. He will preside in the judgment in eternity, but in this life, he will not take sides, for he desires the salvation of everyone. He does assist those who appeal to him and advise them as to the right way through the Word which can judge as well as bless and the hearer. Paradoxically God is on everyone’s side and no 0ne’s. That is why Paul says as to the Philippians (2:12) that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.
His first word is ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’
Jesus then goes on to tell a parable about the rich man with a magnificent harvest a parable that is a moral reflection on wealth and greed. We notice that this man never wonders how he might equitably share his wealth. He has a certain self-assuredness in his sufficiency. He can provide for himself and care for himself. He will have enough for many years without any need for support from his community or friends and family. It is a prideful position. He doesn’t seem to have any sense of responsibility to use his abundance to help anyone else, or to provide security for anyone else.
The rich man in the parable is living the dream, by Western idealistic standards. We dream of a restful, relaxing retirement where we can sip from umbrellaed drinks, take holidays when we want to and indulge in our whims and desires. The greatest good we should hope and aim for in our “Golden Years” is to enjoy leisure and recreation away from the physical and emotional demands of work. This is the lifestyle the rich man not only aspires to but realizes for himself.
There is a hollowness in this wish, however. Though the rich man is wealthy by any economic measure, the poverty of his life is exposed in the final lines of the parable. God calls him a “fool” and admonishes him for laying up treasure on earth and not being “rich toward God.” The hearer is urged to ask if the rich man’s life has meaning? Is his life fulfilling because he can enjoy leisure activities without the need for friends, family, or community? He is so self-sufficient that he scarcely seems to need God. Although he may profess great belief, his actions point to a functional atheism. That happens when we work to ensure our wealth as though there were no God. Careful provision and stewardship are biblical virtues, but greed and selfishness are not.
There was so much potential in the life of the rich man. He had what physicists might call “potential energy,” or the energy an object has because of its relation to other objects or forces. The rich man had a lot of options. He could have shared what he had. Perhaps he could have found ways to invest what he had, maybe by helping others build farms using seeds from his harvest or building sustainable and equitable practices so that his wealth could spur wealth for others. Imagine the ripple effect the rich man’s life could have had if he had found ways to do something enduring, like help others buy land for their families. The domino effect of his life and his wealth could have positively impacted others for generations. Even an act as simple as offering his abundance for a community-wide meal has the potential of creating a ripple effect where others may have been inspired to similar generosity.
If we do find that we have wealth, the issue is not about having it, but having it only for ourselves. Greed is always and only about self. Think of the child who refuses to share, or who snatches the largest piece of cake. Parents usually try to change such behaviour, others indulge it. One wonders if some of the world’s richest are simply immature, and possibly fearful that there will not be enough. In a short novel called the “Red Inn,” Balzac wrote: “At the origin of every fortune lies a crime” The story introduces a character called Taillefer, meaning “iron worker” (Telfer in Scotland), whose fortune was based on the murder of a man for his gold and diamonds. Taillefer becomes a ruthless banker in “La Comédie Humaine.”
You can be sure that Taillefer has his come-uppance of a sort. He became cruelly estranged from his daughter, Victorine, who finally inherits her father’s wealth after Vautrin, a criminal chief of police arranges the murder of her brother, but she finds no joy in her wealth.
Wealth can blind us to other people. One day a certain old, miserly, rich man visited a rabbi, who took him by the hand and led him to a window. “Look out there,” he said. And the rich man looked out into the street. “What do you see?” asked the rabbi. “I see men, and women, and little children,’ answered the rich man.” Again, the rabbi took him by the hand, and led him to a mirror. “What do you see now?” “Now I see myself,” the rich man replied. Then the Rabbi said, “Behold, in the window there is glass. But the glass of the mirror is covered with silver, and no sooner is the silver added than you fail to see others but see only yourself. When we only see ourselves, we are blind to the needs and cares of others. When we are blind to others, we are also blind to God, because we can only serve God by serving others
Jesus states that wealth without God is meaningless or “vanity” as Solomon puts it. Ecclesiastes makes the point that, “a person may labour with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.” Jesus is even more blunt when he states that worldly wealth is no security for the soul. If you believe that this life is all there is, well indeed be at ease, eat, drink, and be merry! You will have succeeded where billions have failed. But if God is there requiring your soul, you’ll leave it all behind and go into eternity with nothing.
To enter eternity with wealth that we can use in eternity we need to embrace our place in God’s hands consciously and deliberately. As one writer put it: Yesterday is a memory. Today is in your hands. Tomorrow is not yours. The breath in you is not yours. The body your carry about is but a tent. Your material acquisitions, knowledge, and talents, like yesterday will walk away when you die “For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being” (Job 12:10). Your life is in God’s hand; you are alive because the breath of God sustains you. Tomorrow is in God’s hand, not yours. “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone as James tells us (4:15). The Lord will keep and sustain you by his mercy in Jesus name.
We all make plans, and it is very important to plan, but every plan should acknowledge God as the one with the original plan for your life. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” The rich man had a wonderful plan, but he had no tangible relationship with God. After outlining his plans, he felt satisfied and proud of himself. It was a great plan, but God was not in his plans. He slept that night with a smile on his face. The next morning, he was no more. His breath was gone. Jesus then told his listeners: “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God…But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well” (Luke 12:21,31 ). Seeking to please God should be the priority of every human. It is even more gratifying to note that when we put God first, he supplies all we need daily. The Lord is your shepherd, you shall not lack any good thing in Jesus name. In mediaeval times people of faith were careful about their plans. They would write or say, “Deo volente” – Latin for “God willing.” Pious Moslems say the same thing in Arabic – “inshallah.” Make plans, but also make sure that they are made before God. Tomorrow is not ours by right, it belongs to God either to give or take.
Earlier in the sermon we mentioned the ripple effect. How wise or correct use of wealth can influence the lives of many.:
Communities tend to have the same scarcity mindset, or even the functional atheism of the rich man in the parable. An American minister observed:
Religious communities show great concern about the upkeep of their enormous, hulking buildings on prime pieces of real estate with corner lots in the centre of towns or cities. Many hours are dedicated to landscaping; multiple meetings are had about the placement of stained-glass windows or the maintenance of the organ. Fundraising campaigns are initiated to replace furniture or carpet, or to purchase new appliances. All of this for buildings that are often nearly vacant for six of seven days each week. Some buildings may only see evening use by the choir or committees that meet. One regional body of a church indicated that in their area, which encompassed a territory about the size of the state of Maryland, there was seating capacity for more than 30,000 if every pew was filled in the churches of that one denomination only. Of course, there is never an occasion where every single pew is filled simultaneously, so what to do with all this space? Not just space, but beautiful, desirable, expensive space? What potential does this kind of wealth have?
One of the challenges we may need to take up as we look to the future in the projected super-parish will be how will we use the collective wealth of the five congregations to maximum effect and benefit the greatest number of people in our area. I leave that with you to raise at our cluster group meetings in the coming months.
The story of the rich man and Lazarus illustrates that the life we live today determines our tomorrow (Luke 16:20-24). We are alive today, yesterday is gone; strive to live a life that puts a smile on God’s face. “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.’ (Rev 4:11). We cannot give God pleasure in the grave; it is only the living that can praise God. Tomorrow is not ours, live to please God today. In another parable, the rich man treated poor Lazarus without any regard for God. He fed sumptuously while Lazarus, his poor and sick neighbour fed on crumbs. He forgot that the judgment of God. When he died, he awoke in the torment of Hades. There is a greater tomorrow waiting for us. The day of judgment is tomorrow. It is the life we live today that will determine how that tomorrow will be. Our life is today, not yesterday, not tomorrow. We can only ive one day at a time.
Finally, we sometimes forget what wealth we have. We take for granted so many parts of our daily lives that we are sometimes not aware of our own presence in the world and what potential it has for positive impact toward others. We can generate our own ripple effects with just small acts of kindness. Real wealth is much more than investments or money in the bank. We have the creativity and imagination to use our resources in ways that share our blessings widely, so that many can enjoy the bounty. We can be where the ripple starts. Amen.
Prayers of intercession
God of grace, love, peace and joy, our hearts are heavy when we look at the mess we are making of your world. We see sadness and pain, hurt and damaging relationships, selfish people with power that threatens to become dangerous and dangerous people desiring power that threatens our world. We see things that make us afraid and concerned and make us think that life will never be the same again; we also see things that are happening that threaten the very existence of our planet and so few people are taking notice and it feels like nothing is being done to address them.
And yet with all this, plus our own concerns, worries, lives, and situations, we come to worship and hear ‘Do not be afraid…I have called you by your name, you are mine’. This goes against all the terror, anguish, pain, and greed we see around us. Do not be afraid. So often we hear this from people throughout the Bible and yet our first response when things get tough is to worry and be fearful and try to control and manage things. We know your way goes against the ways of the world. That you turn around expectations and surprise, excite, amaze and confuse us even when we know what can happen.
You have shown us your desire for the world, you have promised us more than we can ever imagine, you have shown us a different way to be. So we come, stilling our hearts, holding our fears before you and seeking your way.
We hold before you a broken and hurting world, people fearful and anxious, a world of hunger and pain, a world of grief and anger, a world where conflict abounds, with twisted ideologies and misguided beliefs, a world where leaders appear more concerned about serving their own interests than those of the people they are called to represent and be serving. This is your world, damaged and destroyed by us, corrupted and claimed by us.
But we know this is not the end, this is not how you intend it to be and so we pray for this world, in its diversity and delight, its random colours and shapes, sizes and personalities and we pray for the good of your love, the blessing of your presence, the power of your Spirit, to come. Through words and actions, events, activities, protests and petitions, rallies, and relationships. This we pray for all those people, places and situations that need peace, justice, equality, hope, love and light and renewal.
We hold before you those people, places and situations known to us and those things that trouble us and we offer them to you in prayer. We think especially of our those for whom we have concerns and for whom we care.
Help us, in our own small ways to be bringers of hope, messengers of love and fear busters. Help us to forget our anxiety and live love instead. Help us to put aside material gain and focus on the best for the common good, to manage well all that we have but not to let it become our purpose in life. May our lives reflect your glory, be glimpses of your love and bring little nuggets of your kingdom into the places we are and to the people we meet.
All this we pray through Jesus who knows our fallibility and shows us that you can work with us and through us in your kingdom for Jesus’s sake, Amen.
465 “Be thou my vision O Lord of my heart”
The Benediction
The blessing of God, who creates, redeems, and sanctifies, be upon you and all those you love, and also on those whom we all struggle to love, now and forever more. Amen.
May God’s blessing surround you each day
Postlude “My prayer for you”