Andy Graham

‘Blessed are those who are persecuted because of their righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven…’ (Matt. 5:10)

Here in our own land we are blessed in that we do not face imprisonment, or even death, for declaring and bearing witness to our faith, but many in lands overseas do, so please pray for all who do find themselves persecuted in this way and ask for God’s blessing upon them that they might find strength and courage in Him. Pray also for those who are mocked and ridiculed because of their faith here in our own land and ask that they may too may know God’s hand upon them.

Psalm 139 is one of the best loved and most well known of all the Psalms, and gives us a clear picture of just close God is to us and how much He knows about us. There is nothing God doesn’t know about us and no where we can go to hide from God.

You have searched me Lord and You know me…You are familiar with all my ways…Where can I go from Your Spirit?…

However, as we reflect upon the words of this Psalm there are a couple of questions that perhaps come to mind. First of all, how do we perceive this closeness of God? You might think that obviously it’s something that offers a great sense of comfort and peace to us – knowing God is always there.

But are there times when we wish God didn’t know everything about us. Maybe there are things we have said or done that we wish we could have kept from God. Or perhaps we just find it somewhat disconcerting to know that there is nothing we can hide from God – maybe there are one or two things about ourself that no-one else knows about and we’d quite like that to apply to God too.

Yet if we are among those who find it comforting to know that God is always close to us, there is perhaps a more urgent question to hand. If God does know so much about us and if He is so close to us, why is it that I don’t seem to sense that presence as I go about my life every day. And this is an issue that so many of us struggle with at different times in our lives of faith.

Sadly there is no one answer that anyone can give in response to questions such as this. The late Thomas Merton, an American Monk and Theologian once said that if we find God with great ease, then perhaps it is not God that we have found. What did he mean by that.

In the presence of God there is always a sense of mystery and majesty that we could never fully understand or come to terms with. And the simple fact is that how any one of us perceives the presence of God in our own life may be completely different to the experience of someone else. Ultimately it all comes down to faith.

The Apostle Paul tells us that when it comes to understanding anything about God we can only see through a glass dimly and only know in part – and that is what we need to remember.

We will never fully understand why God acts in the way He does, but if in faith we believe that He is always with us – then He will be. Through His Son and by His Spirit, God is always with us. All we need to do is open our hearts and believe……………

 

Loving God, as we come to You today, by Your Spirit come and be with us now. Help us to know You presence with us and to allow Your Spirit to move within us drawing us closer to You. From all that we are and for all that You are, we offer our love to You.

We praise You, Lord, for the immensity of Your love to us. In silence we lift our hearts in worship of You. You are the light of all creation and the very breath of our lives. You are the offer of forgiveness and the flame of inspiration and we bless You Lord.

And yet, gracious God, with sorrow we have to confess how well we know that our lives have not always been as You would have them be. At times our words and actions have been unworthy of you and have been centred on our own selfish aims and desires.

Forgive us we pray and help us once again to allow Your love to lead us through each day. Help us to know in our hearts that You are always with us, no matter where we are or what we are doing, and in that knowledge to bear witness to Your presence and love to all people. And all this we ask in Jesus name…Amen.

Bible Reading – Exodus 33:12-23

Whenever we talk of Biblical heroes of the Old Testament, Moses is up there among them at the top of the list. From the moment he went to have a closer look at the burning bush and spoke to the Almighty I AM, Moses was destined to achieve great things in the strength and the name of God.

And when we look through the book of Exodus and see all that Moses did, one thing that comes to mind is that for all he had done, still Moses was not afraid to come to God and ask for more. No matter how many times he encountered God or spoke to God, still Moses wanted more.

In God’s name and in God’s strength he had led the people out of Egypt, crossed the Red Sea and given the people the Ten Commandments. And even now, although he was assured of the presence of God through the cloud and pillar of fire, still Moses wanted to come even closer to God. What he has of God’s presence is never enough.

Yet, even whilst God did concede in part to Moses request, still God will not fully reveal Himself in all His glory and majesty, not even to this great servant of His. I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you…But, you cannot see my face…

And I wonder if we can identify with any of this. Maybe we too have found ourselves in that position – always wanting more of God’s closeness, of God’s nearness – more of God Himself in our lives. But at times feeling as if God was holding back from us in some kind of way.

The reality is that whatever else God is, in the world that we live in today, our God is not always obvious. However, that’s not because He is not there, but more as a consequence of our human limitations and sinfulness. And if we look through the Bible it is very realistic about the hiddenness of God.

The prophet Isaiah once said, Truly you are a God who hides yourself…And in the book of Job, amidst his pain and heartache Job also cries out, Oh that I knew where I might find God…I go forward, but God is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive God…

And the simple fact is that for many of us today, we might well echo these words of Isaiah and Job.  Because sometimes it might seem that God’s absence is more palpable to us than His presence. In other words, we look for God but find – nothing. We long for God but feel – nothing. We speak to God but hear – nothing……..Have you ever felt like that?….

But then we have those moments…

Moments when in the middle of the most awful day, when we feel down or despondent and completely on our own, suddenly, and almost out of nowhere, we have an overwhelming sense that we are surrounded by a warm cloud of God’s love.

Moments when we find ourselves tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep because of some anxiety or fear bearing down upon us, and suddenly in the darkness we think we might see the flame of God’s peace that has not been extinguished after all.

And when these moments come to us we latch onto them and hold on to them, never wanting to let them go. Why? So that we can remember them when neither fire nor cloud is visible – because we know that time will come again as we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Not because they have gone – like the cloud and pillar of fire they are always there. But in the midst of life we all too often lose sight of them or they become obscured because of some darkness we are facing in our own lives.

However, whilst we may experience God in some kind of divine or supernatural way and we might take great comfort from this, all too often when these moments come to us it is in the most natural of ways – through the kindness, the care, the love and the compassion of someone else’s presence and actions.

A family member, a good friend, or even a total stranger – a good Samaritan.

Someone who simply offers a kind word, a look of understanding, a listening ear, a simple touch, an acknowledgement of pain, a warm smile – that’s all it might take.  And suddenly we know the presence of God within us – in those around us.

And just pause for a moment to think of how often this has happened to you. How often did these things happen in the most unexpected of ways and suddenly out of nowhere. But how often was it the case that this is precisely what you needed at that time.

Before He returned to His Father in Heaven, Jesus told us that He would be with us until the end of time and through the Holy Spirit He is – and always will be. If only we would open our hearts to Him every minute of every day we would surely know that.

Because the simple truth is that if we no longer feel God’s presence in our lives, it’s not because God has gone anywhere – rather it is us who have shut Him out. Perhaps and hopefully not intentionally, but more likely through getting caught up in all that life throws at us.

But God is still with us, and if we would allow His Spirit to move within us we would know His presence in our lives every day. However, for us as Christians today, this is just the beginning, and there is more to it than simply knowing that God’s presence is with us.

At various times in the pastoral letters he wrote to different Churches, the Apostle Paul speaks of the need for us, as Disciples of Jesus, to imitate our Lord and Saviour as best we can. Indeed he even called on others to imitate him, imitating Jesus as best he could.

But what does that mean for us in practical terms as we seek to live out our faith each day?

In all He said and did, Jesus put the needs of others before Himself, calling on us to love others and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. And just think for a moment how we would like every other person behave towards us – that’s how we should behave towards others.

The Apostle Paul would go on to tell us that we are all called to show love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – the fruit of the Holy Spirit, that same Holy Spirit which is within us all as Disciples of Jesus. As to how we do this?….

Over the past seven months I have heard of, and seen for myself – so many examples of people doing just this, showing the fruit of God’s Spirit in their lives in the way they have behaved towards others. All these things we thought of before; an act of kindness – helping with shopping or something else; a kind word – a phone call to keep in touch and ask if all is well; sharing with others over the garden fence or in passing on the street. Offering help, comfort and reassurance where it is needed.

Even in these days when we are so limited in the things we are able to do, just being there for someone is still possible and from what I have seen and heard, has been and is still happening. And in all of this we are following the example of our Saviour – looking to the needs of others and if we can help in any way, doing so.

In our society today it’s very easy for people to say, if God does exist, where is He – show me evidence of His presence in the world today. So let’s do that in the way we live – let’s continue allow God’s Spirit to work in and through us, bearing the fruit of that Spirit in all we say and do. That through this witness others may know that God does exist and that He is indeed present in the world today……Amen.

God of love and power we pray for Your Church here in our own communities, in this land and throughout the world. We pray that through the faith and courage of your people Your Word may be preached and lived and that more people may come to know the presence of Your Son and so invite Him into their lives.

We pray for all who are in need this day; that those who are sick may be cared for; those who are lonely, sustained; those who are hungry, fed; those who are oppressed, strengthened; and those who mourn, comforted. We think especially of those in our own community who need you at this time and ask that You would make Your presence known to them in a mighty and comforting way.

And at a time when we hear that cases of Covid-19 are increasing once again and we are being asked to live our lives in a certain way, we think of those who are most affected by this. Those who will feel more isolated and alone, those who will become more anxious and fearful and those who become ill from this virus. And of course we remember those who have lost loved ones in recent weeks and months and ask that Your hand might be upon them.

We remember also today our NHS and Care Sector staff and ask that You be with all of them. And also those, who in these strange days in which we live help to keep our lives as normal as they can be. And of course we remember our own loved ones and all in our own communities. Draw each one close to You and minister to them as only You can. And all these things we ask in Jesus name…Amen.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God…’ (Matt. 5:9)

It’s a sad fact that we live in a broken, shattered world, where so many can only dream of peace – either within their own communities or within their own lives. So please pray for all those who actively strive for peace in our world today rather than conflict. And remember also those who are struggling to find a sense of inner peace in their own lives, for whatever reason. Pray that God’s hand would be upon them and that in Him they might find that Shalom they earnestly seek.

Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy…’ (Matt. 5:7)

 

What does it mean to show mercy to another? Many may offer their own views and perspective on such a question, however, at the heart of being merciful is a willingness to show compassion and forgiveness to someone. Maybe there have been times in your life where someone has offered you such mercy, or maybe you were the one being merciful. Such attributes and behaviour lie at the very core of the Gospel message, so pray for us all to be more merciful towards others and to offer the same kind of compassion and forgiveness that our Lord Himself came to offer us all.

Background Information: 

If we look at the accounts of the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus in John compared the those accounts in the Synoptics, we find one or two differences, which, might be highly significant.

Read John 18:1-24

What are the major difference that we notice in these verses compared to Matthew, Mark and Luke?

• There is no ‘agony in the garden of Gethsemane’ in John’s Gospel. Jesus is in complete control of all that is going on and even when they came to arrest Him, He could still have walked away at that time. (cf 10:17-18 ‘I lay down my life…no-one takes it from me…I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again…’)
• In John’s account, armed Roman troops appear to have accompanied the Jews who came to arrest Jesus. Does this suggest that they were expecting some kind of resistance? Or was it a means of beginning to ensure that the Romans were on their side?
• Although Jesus is taken to be questioned by Annas and then to Caiaphas the high priest, there is no Jewish trial in John’s account. Why might that be? Could it have something to do with the Passover?

Read John 18:33 – 19:16

What do we make of Pilate in these verses?

• He plainly didn’t like the Jewish leaders.
• He clearly finds no crime to answer to and tries to offer some kind of compromise to make his life easy by first of all having him flogged
• When that wasn’t going to happen, he did become fearful of an uprising.
• He thinks he has power over Jesus and looks on him disdainfully.
• In giving in to the Pharisees as he did, he ultimately betrays his own cowardice and weakness.

Finally, what do we make of the timing of events as recorded in John’s Gospel compared to the Synoptics? (cf. John 19:13)

• The sixth hour on the Day of Preparation would be the time when the authorities in the Temple were preparing the Passover Lambs.
• Remember at the beginning of the Gospel, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world…’ (John 1:29).

What else is significant about this timing in John’s Gospel? (cf Mark 14:12 with John 19:13)

• This would appear to be a day later than the timing of events in the Synoptics.
• All four Gospels record that Jesus died on a Friday, before the Sabbath, and that it was on the Sunday morning after the Sabbath that the women first came to the tomb.
• Which of these accounts then do we believe to be the most accurate – why would the Synoptic writers differ from John and what is the real significance of this?

 

John’s Gospel is completely different from the Synoptics and many believe it is the most accurate record of the ministry of Christ. However, that is not to say that the writer of this account did not have his own agenda to proclaim. The question is, what do we make of it?

 

 

‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled…’ (Matt. 5:6)

 

As human beings we cannot live perfect lives, no matter how much we might wish to and no matter how hard we might try to. Whether we wish to or choose to or not, we all sin, therefore, we can never be truly righteous in the eyes of God. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t try to live as God would wish us to and with God’s Spirit to lead and guide us that is what we should do. So pray for an outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit, to lead you along the path the Lord would have us take.

‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth…’ (Matt. 5:5)

All too often people think of someone who is meek as a person who is weak and vulnerable, focussing on the lowly aspect of meekness, however, there is more to meekness than this. When we think of someone who is meek we should be thinking of a person who is gentle, modest, peaceable and humble? Aren’t these qualities that we could all be demonstrating more in our lives each day? Pray for all who are meek and exhibit these characteristics in their lives each day and then ask the Lord that at times we too might be more like that.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, at the beginning of chapter three, we are told, ‘There is a time for everything…’ and I was thinking about that as I was preparing for our first services back in our Churches after almost seven months.

Last weekend Peter Godfrey and I attended the virtual General Assembly and it was quite a surreal experience. About 700 Commissioners taking part on line via a zoom webinar. All able to take part in the discussions and all able to vote on every issue. And whilst there were one or two technical glitches, for the most part it worked very well.

For a day and a half we discussed many issues that will be so important for the Church in the very near future. Planning for the future and what shape the Church will take in the coming years. During one of these debates the Convenor of the Faith and Nurture Forum quoted from T.S. Elliot. What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from…

Now just pause for a moment to consider those words. As we gather here today, at the end of a period when we have been unable to gather for worship in this way, this is where we start from.

The last seven months have been so difficult for all of us in many different ways. But one thing we have all missed is being able to gather here in our Sanctuary to come before God. Of course God is with us at all times – wherever we are and whatever we are doing, by His Spirit He is always here. But still we can perhaps all echo the words of the Psalmist. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty. My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord…

Today the end of something is the beginning…the end of something is where we start from. So let’s give thanks to God that we are able to gather in our churches once again……..

 

Loving God, You are the God of past, present and future. Everything came from the energy of your love and all things find their true home and meaning in you. As we come to You today we remember the stories of the past but seek to worship you in the present. And inspired by the past and strengthened by your presence, we dare to look to the future in hope.

And yet, gracious God, we confess how difficult we find it to live Christian lives, We are full of good intentions but easily swayed from doing and saying what we know we should. We are distracted by busyness and self-interest and handicapped by insensitivity towards others. Forgive us we pray and help us to turn our minds and hearts away from ourselves and our own faults, and to focus on your forgiving and accepting love – for only you have the power to make us holy. 

Loving God, you have chosen us, called us to be disciples of your Son. Help us now to choose your way of love and life, and as best we can to follow in His shadow, sharing His love and good news to all whom we know, as well as those we don’t know, today, tomorrow and in the days ahead. And all this we ask in Jesus name, Amen…

 

Bible Reading Luke 15:1-10

Over the past few months I have often heard people say things like, when are things going to back to normal, or, this is the new normal. And perhaps that begs the question, what is normal? Such a short question, yet such a profound question. And one which will no doubt illicit a whole host of answers from different people in different circumstances, looking at things from different perspectives.

And what about church? Over the past six months we’ve had to learn to do things in a different way. And many churches, as we have, have gone on line, to church websites and YouTube  – with reflections, bible studies and Sunday services. Today we are back in our churches – and we give thanks for that. However, it is different, with individual seats, face masks and social distancing. Is this, along with the continuing on line services, the new normal for the church?

And what does it mean to be a normal person, to behave in a normal way and have normal expectations? In many ways it may depend on what we are told and what is expected of us – and whether or not we accept this and allow it to influence our lifestyle and behaviour. And where does our faith life fit into all of this?

Looking at our Bible passage this morning, do we really think it normal for a shepherd to go and look for just one lost sheep when he has ninety-nine others to look after and keep safe? And can we compare that to the woman who lost one of her ten silver coins? Maybe we can understand more why she behaved as she did – but the shepherd?? So, what is normal?

The word normal itself is based on the Latin word, norma, which means A carpenter’s rule or square…The word normal simply means conforming to that rule…Now, just pause to consider that – that is something to think about – a carpenter’s rule or square…

All of a sudden behaving in a normal way takes on a new significance altogether. Because when we look at the example our Saviour set us, when we consider the standards He lived by, when we look at His life and actions, normal now appears to mean something altogether different from how our society might see things. We might live what we consider to be an everyday normal life – and maybe it is. But is it normal in the eyes of God? And if not, what are the consequences of that? Well, these two short parables set out to answer that.

When we look at this passage we are told that the lost sheep is the repentant sinner, the other ninety-nine are those who do not need to repent and the shepherd – God Himself. And this same kind of analogy is highlighted in the story of the lost coin. But here’s the question, which of these might be seen as normal?

Some might argue that it is the ninety-nine and the nine who do not need to repent. But is that simply the view of the society we live in, where so many fail to acknowledge any wrong doing or any sinfulness at all. Some might argue that it is the one lost sheep and one lost coin where we see any form of normality. But do we honestly believe that?

Yet before we can even begin to come to some kind of answer on that we are faced with another question. Because here Jesus seems to suggest that there are ninety-nine and nine who do not need to repent. Surely that can’t be right? We all need to repent. Even those who believe in Jesus and have accepted him as their Lord and Saviour, still we need to repent. Why? Because even though we are saved, still we continue to sin. And as long as we continue to sin – we need to repent…

So what is Jesus getting at in these two short parables…

The lost sheep and the lost coin symbolise those who know and acknowledge they are lost sinners. And these passages speak of God’s joy and delight in seeing a sinner repent and of how through His Son and by His Spirit, God will actively seek to bring them to Him……….…This is God’s normal.

God’s love for us is such that He wants us all to be saved, He doesn’t want to lose a single one of us. And He will reach out to us all, calling us to Himself, pouring His love upon us in the hope that we might respond. But in order to be saved we first need to acknowledge that we are lost and need to be saved – and we need to repent. Not only when we first acknowledge that we are lost but every single time we wander from his path. And through His Son and by His Spirit God will come to look for us and bring us back to Himself.

As for the ninety-nine and the nine, they actually represent those who have not yet come to this knowledge. And as far as they see themselves, they have no need to repent. This, very much, described the Pharisees, but sadly is what is all too normal in our society today….…So where then does that leave us…

The likelihood is that many of those who today might number alongside the ninety-nine or the nine do not even know that they are lost. And this is where the likes of you and I come into the equation. Not by simply telling people that they are lost and that they need to repent if they ever want to be saved. Although that’s not to say that there isn’t sometimes a need for this kind of approach.

But for the most part by letting them see what a difference Jesus has made in our lives. And letting them see the difference between being lost and found and what a new normal life in Jesus can be like. And if we allow God’s spirit to work in and through us then we won’t even have to think about what we actually need to do in this respect. Because the rejoicing that is God’s in heaven over our salvation will also become our joy and happiness

And the love that pours from God upon us, will hopefully also pour from us to everyone we know…

Through this we begin to share the love of God with everyone we come into contact with. We begin to witness to others the joy of being saved. And who knows, we might set them on the path that might one day lead to them acknowledging that they too need this joy in their lives.

Without Jesus in our lives we are all lost, sadly the normal way of things in too much of our society today. But by bearing witness to the love of Jesus in all we say and do we can begin to change that and bring about a new normal way of life……….The way of our Lord and Saviour…

So let’s do that and let’s share in the rejoicing that is God’s, as others may come to know this and then want to experience it for themselves…Amen and thanks be to God…

 

Loving God in heaven, we pray for all people and nations of this world and ask that You make your purpose and Your saving power among all nations. We think especially of those who hunger for righteousness and justice, those who hunger for peace and compassion and those who hunger for food and thirst for water. Be with each one at this time and grant them Your peace. 

Pour your blessings upon all humanity, that all fighting and killing may come to an end and peace prevail. That all poverty and hunger might come to an end and life go on as you intended. And that all hatred and fear might end and men and women might live together as one, children of the one true God.

We pray for the well being of your church here on earth. Guide and guard it by your Holy Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led in your ways and so help bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all they say and do.

And today as we reopen our own churches here at Bendochy and Coupar Angus we ask for Your blessing upon us as we move forward in Your name. Be with all who are able to join with us in our churches and also with those joining us at home, keep them and their loved ones safe in Your loving protection.

Indeed, we commend into your loving goodness all those who are in any way afflicted in mind, body or circumstance. And we think especially of those known to us, our family and friends, those who we call neighbour and those in our local communities.

Comfort each according to their individual needs, grant them patience and understanding in their time of need and offer them your comfort and your peace, that in you they might find hope and encouragement and a way out of their afflictions. And all these things Lord, we ask in Jesus name. Amen

 

 

‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted…’ (Matt. 5:4)

Pray for all today who have suffered bereavement in recent weeks and months that they may know that comfort of God that only He can give. And pray also for all who miss lost loved ones and who now feel so alone, that they too may know God’s peace in their hearts.