Lossiemouth Church of Scotland

The sermon for 23 October 2016 is based on Luke 18:9-14 (The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector). The Scripture is immediately below and Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon follows on below that. You can download the sermon as a PDF document by clicking here.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The Anglican Book of Common Prayer contains the following Prayer of Confession for use at Matins and Evensong.

“ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father;
We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against thy holy laws.
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;
And we have done those things which we ought not to have done;
And there is no health in us.
But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.
Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.
Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.”

It is often said that confession is good for the soul.

We don’t follow the Roman Catholic or High Church tradition of confessing sins to a priest, who has the authority on behalf of Christ, to grant absolution for sins.

But we do always include a prayer of contrition and confession in our public prayers of worship.

It could be argued that, whilst these communal prayers are important and helpful, they are insufficient when compared to the stark reality of the confessional. After all, it is easy to hide behind the ritual of public worship but not so easy when confronted one to one.

Nevertheless, regardless of the tradition followed, confession should have its place across the spectrum of Christian faith and practice. [Read more…]

Isaiah 5:8-10 is the Scriptural basis for Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon of 09 October 2016 (Harvest Thanksgiving). Geoff’s discussion includes ideas as to how Christians should respond to global warming and ecological injustice.  The Old Testament passage from Isaiah follows immediately below and then Geoff’s sermon. You can also download the sermon as a PDF by clicking here.

Note that, in the following Scripture: a “bath” is about 6 gallons or about 22 litres; a “homer” is probably about 360 lb or about 160 kg; and an “ephah” is probably about 36 lb or about 16 kg.

Isaiah 5:8-10 (New International Version)

Woes and Judgments
8 Woe to you who add house to house
and join field to field
till no space is left
and you live alone in the land.
9 The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing:

“Surely the great houses will become desolate,
the fine mansions left without occupants.
10 A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine;
a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.”

The world media picked up on an interesting spat between the well known physicist Brian Cox and a newly elected Australian senator on Australian television in August. [Read more…]