Lossiemouth Church of Scotland

Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon on 09 July 2017 (Fifth Sunday after Pentecost) is based on two passages from Chapter 11 of Matthew’s Gospel. He discusses how Jesus and John the Baptist were, in some ways, opposite extremes and yet both received considerable criticism for their behaviour at the time. He explains how, despite all the apparent demands Jesus places on his disciples, Jesus’ yoke for us can indeed be easy – and the burden he imposes, light.

There’s a contradiction at the heart of this: why God’s way is too little and too much for us at the same time …

Click here if you would like to download a PDF version of the sermon. Otherwise, as usual, the scripture follows immediately below, with the sermon after that.

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 (New International Version)

16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

17 “‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

…

The Father Revealed in the Son
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In 1978, Boney M released their famous cover version of The Melodians song, “The Rivers of Babylon”, which went to number one for five weeks.

It remains in the top ten highest-selling single records in the UK of all time.

I’m sure, if you can’t remember the lyrics, you’ll at least remember the tune which is very memorably upbeat and jaunty. It’s a happy sounding record and no doubt sold in the millions because of that.

But there’s a very real problem with it and the problem is so big that only those who are willing to suspend their thinking for a while can enjoy it. [Read more…]

How can a simple welcome become the most difficult of graces to offer?

Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon for 02 June 2017 analyses why we can find it so hard to be welcoming to strangers – because it cuts right to the heart of our faith, as Christians.

His discussion includes a – light-hearted, but accurate – “template” example of the level of welcome we should aspire to offer in our Churches.

Who is welcome in church? The answer, as you would expect, is “everyone“. The difficult bit for us is putting that into practice consistently.

As usual, the scripture is immediately below, with the sermon immediately afterwards. You can download the text of the sermon in pdf format, if you wish, by clicking here.

Matthew 10:40-42 (New International Version)

40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

What were they to do with Jim?

Jim was an awkward and shy child who belonged to the church kids’ club. It was time to hand out roles for the Christmas play, but what role should the teacher give Jim? [Read more…]

The scripture for Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon on 25 June 2017 was Matthew 10:24-39. This is in many ways a difficult and disturbing passage – among other things, challenging our perception of what it means “to be like Jesus”. Because it challenges our sensibilities, it is a Gospel reading that is hard to like – but it’s one that is all the more important to read and reflect upon, as a result.

The scripture is immediately below and the sermon follows after that. You can download a pdf version of the sermon, if you wish, by clicking here.

Matthew 10:24-39 (New International Version)

24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

There are some Scriptures that are easy to read and appealing to us.

We like to dwell on these Scriptures because they have brought comfort to us; they have remained with us through the ups and downs of life and we might even have committed some of them to memory.

There are other Scriptures that are so disturbing to us that we would really like never to read them again.

They jar against our sensibilities. They disturb us because they do not fit with our understanding of Christ and his kingdom and we find it much easier to try and forget about them than to wrestle with them.

The Gospel text this morning is, for me, an example of one of these awkward Scriptures: [Read more…]

This is Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon for 18 June 2017. You can download a pdf version of the sermon if you wish, by clicking HERE.

Matthew 9:35-10:23 (New International Version)

The Workers Are Few
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

I would like to remind you of a story I have told you before.

A very religious man was once caught in rising floodwaters. He climbed onto the roof of his house and trusted God to rescue him. A neighbour came by in a canoe and said, “The waters will soon be above your house. Hop in and we’ll paddle to safety.”

“No thanks” replied the religious man. “I’ve prayed to God and I’m sure he will save me.”

A short time later the police came by in a boat. “The waters will soon be above your house. Hop in and we’ll take you to safety.” [Read more…]