St James' Church of Scotland, Lossiemouth
For Christ, For You
This week we have the normal Lectionary materials (provided for information) and the video is of the actual Worship Service of 9 Lessons and 9 Carols (no sermon) – a variation on the Lectionary suggestions.
Isaiah 7:10-16 & Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Romans 1:1-7 & Matthew 1:18-25
‘A virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he shall be called Emmanuel’, a name which
means ‘God is with us’. Matthew 1:23
Sunday 11 December 2022 is the Third Sunday of Advent.
Matthew 11:2-14 (The Message Bible Translation)
2-3 John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”
4-6 Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on:
The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.
“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!”
7-10 When John’s disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That’s right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you’ll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, ‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’
11-14 “Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptist; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah.
Am I really a disciple of the Messiah or has my life’s cause been a waste of time? Who among you here has not asked that question more than once? If we’re being honest … we know that we have asked, and still ask that question.
REV. GEOFF MCKEE
Find a previous version of this sermon on the website here: When you wonder if your life as a Christian has been a waste of time.
04 December 20223 is the Second Sunday of Advent.
The main Bible reading today features John the Baptist – the wild figure who proclaimed that Jesus’ arrival on Earth was imminent.
John called people to ‘repent’ – literally, to think again. But he was not interested in only changing minds. He wanted to change lives. And so he called people to baptism; a baptism which would anticipate the baptism of Christ (by John himself), in which we all are invited to participate.
Christian faith is not about listing a few ‘essential’ decisions that individuals must take to find themselves ‘in’. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament) present us with a person (Jesus Christ) who we encounter and respond to, rather than a set of propositions.
Today’s main Bible reading is taken from Matthew’s Gospel.
Matthew 3:1-12 (from The Message translation of the Bible)
Thunder in the Desert!
3 1-2 While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called “the Baptiser,” was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.”
[Read more…]Sunday 27 November 2022 is the First Sunday of Advent.
Traditional Advent Sunday majors on the theme of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. So we have this ominous – somewhat frightening – text in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 24:36-44) which forms the basis of today’s sermon.
As Rev. Geoff McKee explains, he believes in the second coming of Jesus Christ. He believes that Jesus will appear again on earth as undeniably the King of all before him. However, as Geoff explains, he does not believe that the text in Matthew’s Gospel refers to that particular event.
Matthew 24:36-44 (from The Message translation of the Bible)
36 “But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.
37-39 “The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah’s. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away.
39-44 “The Son of Man’s Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up.
Here is the Sunday morning service at St James’ Church, Lossiemouth on 20 November 2022, celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
The Service is led by Rev Christine McWhirter, Assistant Minister, focusing on Christian love and forgiveness.
