Reflections

‘For the Lord is the great God…’ (Psalm 95:3)

Read Psalm 95

It is said that King Henry VIII once said of this Psalm that it was ‘a song stirring to the praise of God…’  and certainly as we begin to read through this Psalm there’s no doubt that it is effectively a call to worship, particularly so in the first half of the Psalm. Look at how many times in these verses we are called to come and worship the Lord. But why is God worthy of such worship? The Psalmist gives two main reasons.

First of all, God is the creator and sustainer of all life. He is the King above all gods – He is the supreme power. All of the earth, from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans, they are all the work of His hands. But not only did God create all things even now He controls the natural order of all things. Essentially, God is our Maker, that is why He is worthy of our praise and worship and based just on this answer how can we not come before Him in worship?

Yet God is not only a great God who created all things; for all His power, might and majesty He is also our God. In words similar to those our Lord Himself spoke in John’s Gospel we see that God is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. This all might and powerful God who created us also cares for us and longs to look after us. How wonderful is it to know that.

However, the Psalm doesn’t end there because not only are we called to worship God, in the final verses we see that we are also called to hear His Word – and note how this comes after the verse about God being our Shepherd, again similar to Jesus words about His sheep knowing His voice. Also, as we have seen in other Psalms it’s almost as if God Himself is talking to us here – and again we have some historical context here referring back to the time of the Exodus when the people continually refused to listen to God.

Psalm 95 at its simplest level is a call to worship and listen to the Lord. However, there is so much in here and its words speak not only to the people at that time but also look back to the time of the Exodus and potentially forward to the time of the Good Shepherd, again showing how the whole of Scripture is so intricately connected. – the living Word of God indeed.

Lord, we thank You for Your loving care over us and ask that You help us not only to listen for Your Word but also, as best we can, to faithfully obey it and share Your love with all people. In Jesus name…Amen.

 

Question Of The Day: Which of the Prophets called by God was a Herdsman before being called by God?

Read Acts 1:1-11

 ‘He was taken up before their very eyes…’ (Acts 1:9)

As we journey through life there will be many occasions when that journey will take on a new directions. Occasions when we will begin a new stage in our life. And although our own individual journeys may be completely different, for most us these occasions will be the same. When we leave high school, when we leave university, when we begin our working life, when we get married, when we have our first child.

These are all moments in our lives, which for all of us, will determine what path our life takes from that point on. And sometimes the transition from one stage of our journey to the next will go smoothly with no hiccups. But sometimes that change in direction might be painful where it seems that anything that can go wrong – does. Yet either way, these moments help to shape us and make us the people that we become.

Last week we thought of Jesus telling His disciples that He would have to leave them soon. That time had now come – today is Ascension Sunday, the day when we think of Jesus ascending to once again be with His Father in Heaven. For about three years Jesus had taught His disciples by word and example what it meant to follow the way of God. Teaching them a new way of life and discipleship.

In all that time Jesus led by example – it was Him who spoke the Good News, Him who performed the miracles, Him who made all the decisions. But the one thing that was very explicit in what Jesus did was to show that those who followed Him are in partnership with God – and God expects partners to do their part. When God called Moses to take the Israelites out of Egypt, God expected Moses to do his part. Moses had to go and speak to Pharaoh ten times before he was successful in freeing the people. Moses had then to organize and lead the people out of Egypt and through the desert. God helped Moses, yes – but Moses had to play part.

And this concept of partnership continues through the entire Bible. Our God is a living, active God who can do wonderful things in our life as we witness to Him. But He is also a God who wants us to be active partners in that mission. He doesn’t want us to sit and expect Him to do it all on his own – because that won’t happen. Yes, of course God could do that if he wished. But He wants us to play our part – in the same way those Disciples did back then.

In all He did, yes, Jesus led by example. But He also taught His disciples to be active in ministry and mission. Even sending them out on their own and when they came back to Him asking them who people said He was. And now He tells them when the Holy Spirit comes upon them they are to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth.

In their three years with Jesus these Disciples gained insight into God’s Kingdom as they saw Jesus perform miracle after miracle, preach life-changing sermons and teach eternal truths. They experienced all those the high moments of the life and ministry of Jesus. But they also experienced his suffering and death. However, Jesus used each and every moment – the miracles, the preaching, the suffering, even His death and resurrection, to teach them about ministry and prepare them for the future.

Now it would be up to them. Now they would be the ones who would continue to bear witness to the Good News. Yet, Jesus told them He would not leave them on their own completely, the Holy Spirit would come and be with them. To guide, empower, enable and accompany them through this next stage of their lives – and we will think more of that next week at Pentecost.

Today we have not had the same life experience of Jesus that these Disciples had. We weren’t among those at the feeding of the 5000. We didn’t see the look of joy on the centurion’s face when he discovered his servant had been cure or share in the overwhelming joy of Mary and Martha at the raising of Lazarus. We weren’t witness to Jesus being flogged, beaten and led to Golgotha to be crucified. We will never fully experience the joy of Mary meeting her Saviour as she left the empty tomb. Nor can we ever fully understand the events we read of today. Yet the lesson for us here is quite clear…

Our Lord and Saviour expects us to be involved in ministry with Him – we are all called to play our part, all who would claim to be His Disciples here and now. We might not have those first hand experiences of these Disciples. But through the living Word of God we have all the teaching we need. And we have all the examples we need to enable us to begin the next stage in our journey with Jesus Christ.

In and through His Son, God has chosen us – all of us – to be in a partnership with Him in building up His Kingdom here on earth right now. And with the help and guidance of His Spirit we are to be active in that mission. Using the gifts, talents and resources that God has put at our disposal.

So the only question for us now is this. Will we be partners in full – or partners that are all too often absent. I hope and pray that in all we say and do we may all be faithful witnesses to the power and love – to the Good News of the Risen, Ascended Jesus. Because now, more than ever, it’s a message people need to hear…Amen

Loving God we give You thanks that we are able to come before You in this way this morning. That we are able to set aside time from our busy lives to come and be at one with You in Spirit. We thank You for all Your goodness to us, for Your compassion,  love and forgiveness, and for all the many ways You have been with us in the week that has passed – and we ask for Your continued blessing upon us in the week ahead. Help us to look to You at all times and to share Your love with others in whatever way we can. And all this we ask in Jesus name…Amen..

 

Sunday evening – national call to prayer

As has been the case over the past few weeks, the leaders of all churches have come together to call us to prayer at 7.00pm this Sunday evening. Underneath is a prayer by the leaders of all churches that could be used to begin this time of prayer. The full statement can be found on the Church of Scotland website where it also lists all those leaders whom signed that statement:

“In the Gospel of John (17: 1-11), Jesus prays for his disciples in anticipation of the time when he will no longer be with them. What is it that he prays for? Jesus asks the Father to ‘protect’ his friends. Whilst he was with them, Jesus protected and shielded the disciples and later in his prayer he prays for each one of us. The ascended Lord Jesus continues to pray for us and assures us that his presence will be renewed through the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

We pray:

Living God and gracious Father,
Protect and shield us.
Living God, protect and shield
All whom we love,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Living God, your Son now sits in your presence
And shares in your glory and honour.
We thank you for the promise
That his presence shall be renewed for us,
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Living God, we thank you that Jesus prayed for us
And that he continues to intercede for us.
We thank you that he continues to pray
For us and for our protection,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

 

 

‘I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust”…’ (Psalm 91:2)

Read Psalm 91

As Christians we are all called to bear witness to the Gospel message and to the love of our Lord, and one of the best ways in which we can do so, is not only to confess and live our faith as best we can, but also to evangelise, to share it with others and to call on them to look to God too. And when we look at Psalm 91, it is this kind of format that we find written there.

It begins with a wonderful confession of faith which picks up on a theme we see running through so many Psalms – that God is our refuge and our fortress, the One to whom we can all turn to in order to find security and comfort. The opening verses speak of the sheer majesty and power of God but also clearly state that He is a personal God in whom we can place our trust. Just read those two opening verses again slowly. Could this be our confession of faith – should it be our confession of faith?

As we then look at verses 3-13 we have this wonderful exhortation of the Psalmist for all people to put this same kind of trust in the Lord and to rest in His shadow, effectively saying the Lord has done this for me and He can do this for you too. The lesson for us here, surely, is how we too need to evangelise in this way. To let others know of what it means to know the Lord and have Him in our lives and to encourage others to come to seek and know Him for themselves.

But look how this Psalm ends, it’s almost as if the Lord is answering both the Psalmist and those of us reading these words today. Yes I will do all these things. Why? Because this person loves me.  If we put our trust in the Lord and come to Him in prayer, with love for Him in our hearts, we will find refuge in Him. But there is even more wonderful news in the way this Psalm ends, with the promise of salvation. Today we believe with all our hearts that this salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ and by acknowledging Him as our Saviour. So let’s now do as the Psalmist does here and share that Good News with others.

Lord, we praise and bless You for the assurance, comfort and peace that the words of this Psalm bring to us, and especially of that final promise of salvation. Help us to put our faith and trust in You at all times and also to share with others the joy that they will discover if they do likewise. And all this we ask in Jesus name. Amen.

 

Question Of The Day: Why is Psalm 91 unique – not just in regard to the Book of Psalms, but in the whole of Scripture?

‘Lord You have been our dwelling-place throughout all generations…’ (Psalm 90:1)

Read Psalm 90

Psalm 90 is a Psalm which essentially sets out the brevity of our human life in the light of God’s eternal and everlasting presence and also our frailty and sinfulness in light of God’s power, majesty and glory.  It speaks of the eternity of God, the wrath of God and the mercy of God and again there is so much in these verses that speaks to us in so many different ways. Yet it is perhaps the sense of God’s eternal presence with us that most find so reassuring in these verses.

As we go about our daily lives we all seek satisfaction in so many things and strive to attain and achieve joy and happiness in all that we do, whether it be for ourselves or for our families and loved ones. Yet whilst we may indeed achieve these to a certain degree the Psalmist reminds us that it is in God’s eternal mercy that we ultimately find the satisfaction, joy and happiness that we seek. But more than that we are reminded that even in times of trouble the love of God is always with us. Through all the ups and downs that we face in life, the everlasting presence of God will be there to encompass us in His love. What a wonderful thought for us to hold on to and perhaps especially so at this time in the midst of this pandemic.

No matter where we are in life or what we are facing the eternal Lord who created all things is our refuge, our sanctuary and in Him we can find rest from all of life’s troubles. So come to Him today. Take time now to set aside a few moments to be alone and at one with Him and know afresh that love that only He can give.

 Eternal and everlasting God, we thank You that we are able to be with You at all times and that through all the ups and downs we face in life, You will be there to offer us the comfort and support we need, Amen.

 

Question Of The Day: How many sons of Jesse were overlooked before David was anointed King?

‘O Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You…’ (Psalm 84:12)

Read Psalm 84

For the people in Old Testament times the Temple was the most sacred and holiest place on earth for they believed it to be the dwelling place of the Lord. At the very heart of the Temple in the Holy of Holies was the Shekina, the Glory of God, the visible manifestation of the presence of God. They did of course know that ultimately neither earth nor heaven could contain God; that God didn’t dwell on earth in the way they did. Nevertheless, God had been pleased to ‘put His name’ in Jerusalem in this way and therefore the Temple would continue to be revered in the way it was.

The Psalmist begins by declaring how much being in the Temple means to him, his whole being cries out for it; to enter the courts of the Lord was for him to approach the living God Himself. Today in the circumstances we find ourselves in we may well echo the words of the second verse. We all miss not being able to enter the Lord’s House to come together for worship and pray that we will soon be able to do so once again.

In the meantime, however, perhaps we can recall the words of John 1:14, The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…’  We may not be able to gather in the House of God today but we can still come to the Lord – anytime, anywhere – and we can still ask of Him, ‘Hear my prayer, O Lord God Almighty…’ and share with Him all that is in our hearts, knowing that by His Spirit He is with us. We can still give thanks for His strength and provision, and for His blessings, especially in these days upon those who are finding things so stressful at this time. And we can still hold in our heart that God is our shield and that He continues to bathe us in His light. All we need do is to trust in Him; trust in Him for all things and He will watch over us.

Lord, we give You thanks that we can come to You at any time day or night, wherever we are, and know that You are there. Help us to continue to put our trust in You at all times and to hand all things over to You, for we ask all these things in Jesus name…Amen.

 

Question Of The Day: Why did Hannah name her son Samuel?

Read Luke 13:1-9

What is the crux of Jesus teaching in this passage?

1. Was God punishing the Galileans because of some great sin in their lives?
2. What is the significance of the parable of the fig tree?
3. What can we say about the attitude of the owner of the land the tree was on?

What valuable lessons can we take from these verses as we live out our faith today?

Luke 13:10-17

How could we describe the attitude of the rulers of the Synagogue in this passage?

1. Indignant, arrogant, legalistic, hypocritical, angry….. Why might they have behaved in this way?
2. Because they were the true ‘guardians’ of the law?
3. Or because Jesus was showing them for what they really were?

Are there times when we might stand accused of being hypocritical in terms of our faith lives?

Luke 13:18-30

What do the two short parables teach us and what do we learn from the verses on the narrow door.

1. A little faith will go a long way and will grow as it does so.
2. Not all who think they will be saved, will be.

Do we exercise our faith in this way? Do we know God as we should?

Luke 13:31-35

What was Jesus reaction to the threat of Herod and why did He react in this way?

1. Jesus was willing to put His life in His Father’s hands and to do His will, no matter what.

Are we willing to give our lives over to God?

 

This chapter could almost be headed, ‘Give Up’…

Give Up.. .Your Sins – Jesus call to the people is straight to the point in verse 3.

Give Up… Your Legalistic Attitude – Jesus call to the rulers of the Synagogue who had adopted their own attitude to the Law, regarding it as a moral straight-jacket.

Give Up.. .Your Own Ideas To Be Saved – Jesus call to the Rabbis and others who often theorised as to the number of those who might actually be saved.

Give Up.. .Your Unwillingness – Jesus call to those who refused God’s offer of salvation through Him.

This theme of, ‘Giving Up’, continues on into chapter 14 when we see Jesus call on the people to Give Up.. . Their Pride, Their Excuses, and finally, Everything, if they would truly seek to be His disciple.

 

Lord, as we reflect on these verses we ask that You would increase our faith and our willingness to hand our lives completely over to You. In Jesus name…Amen

Question Of The Day: What is the relationship between Obed and King David?

‘My God be gracious to us and bless us…’ (Psalm 67:1)

Read Psalm 67

If we stopped to consider our prayer lives we would probably realise that when we pray we adopt a particular ‘format’ in the way we come before God. For example, we might speak of our need to give thanks to God for all He has given us, of our need to acknowledge our faults before Him and seek His forgiveness, and then we would petition Him for the needs of the world around us, the Church of His Son, our own communities and families and finally ourselves. This may of course vary from time to time, but just pause to think about how you pray and whilst it may not adhere to this structure, how often do we begin by praying for ourselves.

Psalm 67 is all about the blessings of God and our praise of Him and it is one of these Psalms that brings so much comfort to us. It begins with words very similar to the Blessing bestowed upon someone during the Sacrament of Baptism, the only difference being that here we are asking for those blessings to be poured upon us. And perhaps that is why many find this Psalm so comforting, knowing that we can petition God in this way knowing that He will look upon us, that He will make His face shine upon us and bless us. However, although it is comforting and reassuring to know that God will bless us in this way, when we read the Psalm in its entirety we see that to pray for ourselves in this way isn’t simply about being selfish, it’s also about making the Lord known to others through us.

Through blessing us in this way, the Lord’s salvation is made known to all people. All too often today people ask the question, where is God? As Christians we claim to know, to love and to follow our Lord and if through receiving these blessings from God we are able to make God known more to others and enable them to see the difference He does make in our lives, then perhaps they too will seek to know the Lord and find salvation. Yet we need to look beyond even that because our ultimate hope should be that not only will others come to know the Lord and His salvation, but through this come to worship and praise God. The greatest incentive in any evangelism is to make known the glory and honour of God that in so doing others make come to salvation and worship God.

Lord, we give You thanks for all the many blessings You pour upon us day after day and for Your continued goodness towards us. Help us to share these in all we do that through our witness others may come to know and worship You. All this we ask in Jesus name…Amen.

 

Question Of The Day: Who owned the barley field where Ruth gleaned each day?

‘Create in me a pure heart, O God…’ (Psalm 51:10)

Read Psalm 51

Only a few words into Psalm 51 and we know at once that what we have here is a Psalm that clearly speaks of Divine mercy for those with penitent hearts. This is the fourth of seven Penitential Psalms in the Bible and like Psalm 32 scholars believe it speaks of David’s sin in relation to Bathsheba. It is effectively split into three parts which speak of the need of God’s mercy, the expression of God’s mercy and the results of God’s mercy. The passion expressed in the words is so intense and palpable that we can almost visualise David emotionally and spiritually drained as he pours his heart out to God. And perhaps there is a challenge there for us – when did we last pour our hearts out to God in this way?

We might of course contend that we have never committed such a sin as David whereby we need to pour our heart out to God in this way – and maybe that’s true. Yet whatever our sins may be or how serious we consider them to be, we still need to confess them before God and repent – no matter how bad we believe them to be or not. And in a way this is highlighted in the opening verses of the Psalm where three separate words are used to describe the nature of David’s shortcomings, namely his transgressions, his iniquity and his sin.

No matter where we might view our faults and failings and into which of these ‘categories’ we might choose to place them, whilst we need to seek the forgiveness of those whom we have wronged, ultimately what this Psalm teaches us that any sinful actions represent a rebellion against the Lord and for that we need that forgiveness that only He can offer. But God not only forgives our sin, He not only blots them out, He cleanses us afresh that we may be at one with Him once again. And look what happens when David repents of his action and receives this mercy from God, he declares his praise for the Lord. God has given David a clean conscience and a clean heart and the sorrow that his sin had caused is now turned into joy and gladness.

Whatever our faults and failings may be this Psalm teaches us that if we come to God with penitent hearts, genuinely and faithfully seeking His forgiveness, He will cleanse us and restore us to Himself once again and of course we know today that He will do that through His Son and our Lord Jesus Christ….Amen

Lord, we thank you for the forgiveness You offer us through Your Son. Help us to come to You each day acknowledging our faults and failings safe it that knowledge, that once again we may walk with You. And all this we ask in Jesus name. Amen

 

Question Of The Day : What are the seven penitential Psalms?

 

‘I will come to you…’ (John 14:18)

Read John 14:15-21

Yesterday would have been the start of the General Assembly in Edinburgh, which I was due to attend this year. But as you know that was cancelled, along with so many other events, because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the installation service of the new Moderator, Rev’d. Dr. Martin Fair, went ahead, with only a few people in the Assembly Hall and others participating from elsewhere. And I hope you were able to see that from home.

One of the things I enjoy about going to the Assembly is the heightened sense you experience of being part of the wider Church. Talking with others from all over Scotland and beyond, listening to their experiences and sharing our own, you get a greater sense of the work of our Church as we seek to serve God in our communities. All of us doing different things in different ways and focussing on different perspectives. But all of it – no matter who or where we are, or what we are doing – all of it underpinned in our love for Jesus Christ, at all times, seeking as best we can to serve Him as He has called us to. And of course the way that we do that best is to listen to and follow the guidance of His Holy Spirit.

Advocate, Helper, Comforter – all of these are perfectly acceptable translations of the Greek word Parakletos used in our Gospel passage this morning to relate to God’s Holy Spirit. And if we stop to think about that for a moment, each has its place as we seek to live out our Christian faith in the world that we live in today. But in our passage this morning we focus on the word Advocate.

An Advocate is someone who will stand up for you, no matter what. Someone who will stand by your side; someone who will support you and respect you, even when you mess things up. And just think for a moment how often we have needed someone like that to be by our side in our own lives. Think of all those occasions when something we have said or done has left other people shaking their head in disbelief or pointing their finger in condemnation – or abandoned us altogether. That person – that Advocate – has been there for us. Indeed not only have they been by our side, they have helped to pick us up, to get us back on our feet and on the right path we should be on, offering us support and encouragement along the way. Why…because of the love they have for us.

How good does that make us feel – to know that we were not on our own, to know that we have someone like that by our side. But of course they are not just by our side, they also offer us help and the comfort, the other aspects of the Parakletos when we need it most. Too know that we have someone like that by our side is wonderful.

But for all that, how much better then to hear Jesus say that He will give us another Advocate to be with us – The Holy Spirit will be our Advocate. How amazing to know that God’s Spirt will forever be with us, and that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will always be here – in our hearts and souls. No matter how good an advocate we may have in a family member, friend or colleague, there is nothing else that compare to knowing that God is always with you, no matter where you are or what you are doing, by His Spirit, God is always there.

And that leads us on to another possible meaning of the word Parakletos  – ‘one called alongside’ – essentially, a companion who will journey with every one of us along life’s path. Guiding us through the many obstacles we face and helping us to overcome any difficulties on our way, guiding us together every step of the way.

Today in the wake of this pandemic that we are all caught up in, how we all need to know that we have an Advocate, Helper, and Comforter – someone walking alongside us as we journey through this together. Of course we can all be a help to each other, we can all comfort each other, we can all walk with each other, spiritually, through each day – and I know that we have been doing that here in our churches. A sign that God’s Holy Spirit is indeed working among us.

But walking alongside us all and holding us all together is God’s Holy Spirit – every single step of the way. And if we allow Him to come to us, He will be our Advocate, our Helper, our Comforter – and whilst the journey ahead may not be easy, in His strength and by His grace we will come through this.

Let’s pray together…

God of compassion, we know only too well of some of the suffering that is going on in this world today. We see that so many people are afflicted in so many ways as a consequence of the pandemic we are now facing and we ask that your hand would be upon them at this time. We remember also those suffering in so many other ways. Hear those who cry out to you for help and open the eyes of those who never pray for themselves. Have mercy on those whose lives are filled with pain and heartache at this time and be with those who have lost loved ones in recent days and weeks, thinking especially of those here in our own families and communities. Give to them that peace and comfort that only You can give and assure them that we are thinking of them at this time. And in a moment of silence now we bring before You those who are uppermost in our hearts and thoughts today, asking that You would be with them at this time.

God of eternal life, You have given us a share in the inheritance of Your saints and by Your Holy Spirit they surround our steps as we continue on our journey with You. Help us to rejoice with them now, in your everlasting Kingdom and be with all whom we have thought of this day. And all this we ask in Jesus name…Amen.

 

 

Sunday evening – national call to prayer

As has been the case over the past few weeks, the leaders of all churches have come together to call us to prayer at 7.00pm this Sunday evening. Underneath is a prayer by the leaders of all churches that could be used to begin this time of prayer. The full statement can be found on the Church of Scotland website where it also lists all those leaders whom signed that statement.

 

Living God, you are our Creator and our Maker
And the very breath of life is given as your gift.
We thank you for the gift of life
And we embrace and treasure that gift.

Living God, you are the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
Whose presence in the world reveals your love for us.
In the giving of your Son,
You reveal the depths of your love.

Living God, your Son embraced the Cross
And the depths of human suffering.
We thank you that you delivered him
On the day of Resurrection.

Living God, as you spoke to the bereft and the orphaned in days past,
Speak to the bereft and the orphaned in days present.
Speak to the uncertain and the anxious.
Speak into the depths of our incomprehension and fear.

Living God, your promise
Is that we will not be left alone to face the world.
We thank you that through the gift of your Spirit
That promise is fulfilled.

Living God, be with all who sustain our common life at this time,
Carers and nurses, cleaners and porters,
Doctors and ambulance staff, delivery drivers and posties.
Through their giving our common life is sustained.

Living God, as you have watched over us in the past,
Watch over us in the present.
As once more we thank you, that through Christ
And by your Holy Spirit, we are not alone. Amen.