Reflections

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.

 

 

‘Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven…’ (Matt. 5:3)

At times the human spirit can be truly amazing and help us to achieve amazing things. However, it can also be so fragile and easily broken; bereavement, illness, loss of employment, financial problems, loneliness, anxiety, fear – only some of those things that we all experience in life that can bring us down emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Pray for all today who are poor in spirit that they would know God’s Holy Spirit in their lives and know that the Lord is with them.

 

‘The Lord is close to all who call on Him…’ (Psalm 145:18)

Ever feel lost and alone, as if there is no-one to turn to for help, advice, encouragement or inspiration. The Lord is always there, so call on Him and He will answer. Pray also for those whom you know are feeling a bit more isolated, especially at this time, that they too may now the presence of the Lord in their lives.

Read John 13:1-17

What’s the overwhelming message of this well known passage?

• Washing a guest’s feet was the job of the lowliest servant in the household.
• If Christ Himself, the Son of God, is willing to serve in this way, how much more should we be willing to do likewise.
• And if we look at verse 17 we see that there is a special blessing for those who follow Christ’s example in this way.
• The challenge for us today is to look to see how we can serve others – and to do so.

Jesus clearly states here that there is a difference between simply knowing what we should do – and actually following it through. How does that resonate with us as we seek to live out our faith lives each day?

What can we learn from the protests of Peter in this passage?

• Truly understanding what Jesus was and is all about isn’t always easy.
• Even if we ‘spend time’ with Christ as we allow Him into our lives, still it’s easy to get things wrong.
• Especially so if we ourselves are in a position of prominence or importance in our work place, where we might be called upon to ‘serve’ our subordinates in some way.

How often, like Peter, have we failed to grasp the message of Jesus in different ways.

What was the real aim in teaching this lesson to His disciples?

• To prepare them to continue His ministry when He had gone.
• To show how humility and servitude were essential in spreading the message of salvation.

How can we learn from this in our service for Christ today?

• Often as Christians it’s easy to become too pious and even to think of ourselves as better in some way because we have accepted Christ.
• Our mission should be too use the gifts that God has given us to do everything in our power and in the power of the Holy Spirit, to invite others to come to Christ too.

What else strikes us about this passage?

• For all the evangelical overtones of his Gospel, John is often accused by some of overlooking the Sacraments.
• Yet here the continued reference to bathing – both of the whole body and the feet – appears to be a strong reference to the Sacraments.
• Unfortunately, the Greek word used here can mean either ‘to bathe’ or ‘to wash’ and that has led to debate among scholars.
• Also, some translations have a shorter text ‘he who has bathed does not need to wash…’, whilst others have a longer text, ‘he who has bathed does not need to wash except for his feet…’

Some, therefore, see overtones of both Baptism and the Eucharist, whilst others see no real reference at all – so which is it?

 

‘I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you…’ (Isa. 40:10)

Life is full of struggles and full of temptations, we all encounter them every day – and no matter how hard we try and how good our intentions might be, sometimes we will not have the strength , courage or faith to overcome. So come to the Lord and ask for His strength and His help – and pray for all those whom you know are facing some struggle in their life today, that they too may come to know the strength of the Lord.

 

Loving God, we give You thanks that we are able to meet with You as we do. And as we do so we now ask that You would help us to set aside all that is not of You and allow Your Spirit to move over us and draw us close to You. And all this we ask in Jesus name…Amen.

Read Psalm 19:1-10

When we first look at Psalm 19 we might be mistaken for thinking that we actually have two Psalms here, joined together. The first half of the Psalm seems to focus very much on God’s creation and the latter half on the laws and commandments of God. And maybe we are left thinking, what’s going on here? What’s the connection? What is it that the Psalmist is trying to say to us – and what are we meant to take from this?

Looking at the first six verses we have this image of the Psalmist looking up at the vastness of the heavens and being overawed by the sheer beauty and majesty of it all – and maybe that’s something that many of us can identify with, I know I can.

But maybe for some sitting on a cliff top looking out to the sea, especially on a stormy day, is what fills them with awe and wonder. For others it might be looking at snow-capped mountain tops and for others still it might simply be walking through a beautiful garden full of life and colour.

There are so many things in God’s creation that could cause us to just stop and marvel at the beauty and majesty of what God has done. And if we’re honest we might find it difficult to convey to others what it is about such sights that we find so beautiful and majestic. The only answer we might be able to give is just look – see for yourselves – and in a sense maybe that is what the Psalmist is saying here.

The heavens use no speech, no sound is heard from them, yet their voice goes out into all the earth. The sheer beauty and majesty of the heavens speak for themselves, no-one needs say anything. So it is with the view from a cliff top, the sight of snow-capped peaks and even our own back gardens full of life. No words are necessary, the awesomeness of God’s creation in all of these things speak for themselves.

However, if it is the case that all this beauty and majesty does indeed have its source in the one true living God, is it not also the case that it is this same God who now holds all things in place and sustains all of this. And where do we fit into all of this, what does this mean in terms of any relationship that we have with God.

When we look at the Psalm again from this perspective we can perhaps see that the Psalmist saw the whole of the universe as God’s well-ordered society. But more than that, he believed that when God created it, God ‘wrote’ into its structure certain natural and moral laws for the well-being of his children.

The natural order fills him with wonder and awe, as it does with so many people who marvel at the beauty, the vastness and the steadfast order of the created universe. But what about the laws which are the basis of its continued existence, how often do we stop to think of them. Laws like the laws of physics, time and relativity discovered by people like Newton and Einstein.

These laws not only sustain the natural world as we know it, they also enable us to make advances in science and technology for the good of the human race and for the benefit of this world. However, whilst people like Newton and Einstein and others may have discovered them, we as human beings did not create these laws – God created them. They were in existence before we came in to being and we must live within them in order to survive within God’s creation. However, the Psalmist doesn’t stop there because alongside this natural order of things there is also an order for our lives.

The people of Israel founded their way of life on the laws and commandments given to Moses by God – The Torah – and the Psalmist goes on to speak about these next. The law is perfect, pure and righteous. It educates, enlightens and it endures. However, more than this, the Psalmist tells us, it gives joy to our heart. How can this be?

God actually gave his law as an expression of His love and the encapsulation of this law in the Ten Commandments makes this clear, for these laws demonstrate how to love God and neighbour properly. And if we desire the law in the way the Psalmist describes, that passion for what is right and good changes our lives. It aligns us with Gods way and God’s love and we take our place in God’s created order as He ordained.

However, we now have a new way to God and like the Torah was intended to do, Jesus new law of love can transform our hearts. And if we desire this more than anything, we not only discover God’s way and God’s love, we discover that God begins to dwell in our hearts and souls.

Through His Son and by His Spirit, God writes the law of love on our hearts – and this is only the beginning. Such is his love for us that our Lord and Saviour affirms the goodness of God’s creation in every one of us, by pouring his gifts upon us in affirmation of our discipleship.

So alongside the natural order of God’s creation, the Psalmist saw a moral order, governed by God given laws and commandments, which to him, not only seemed just as marvellous as the laws of nature, but also, in their own way, declared the glory and majesty of God.

Indeed this reverent spirit was shared by the German philosopher, Emmanuel Kant who said that two things filled him with awe and wonder. The starry heavens above…and the moral law within…both of which created and set in place by God Himself.

The question is, do we share this view. And can we too join with the Psalmist in knowing the joy of the Lord in our hearts – I certainly hope so….

 

Loving God, we give You thanks for the richness of this time of year, for the colour and beauty of life in all that we see and experience each day.  We come to You because we know that You are always with us and Your love for us is consistent, even when we wander from the path you have set before us.

The whole of creation is in the palm of Your hands and we thank You for that same sustaining power in our lives every day. But still today we think of those who have yet to know Your love for themselves and ask that You might use even us to make that love known wherever and whenever we can. We think of those weighed down by concern and fear, those who struggle with their faith and those who are suffering in some way.

Loving God, look to them as only You can and give to them whatever they need most in their lives at this time, encompassed in Your gracious, loving care, thinking especially of those in our own communities. Be also with all in Your Church here in Scotland at this time. After this weekend’s General Assembly may we move forward in faith to the glory of Your name, seeking to spread Your Word far and wide. So be with us, we pray, as we continue through this coming week, help us to share that love in all we say and do. And all this we ask in Jesus name…Amen.