St James' Church of Scotland, Lossiemouth
For Christ, For You
16 July 2023 is the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost. The main Bible text for this week is the Parable of the Sower – one of Jesus’ teachings – from Matthew’s Gospel.
In this story, the “farmer” is God and the seeds are the message (i.e. the Good News of Jesus coming to save the world from sin).
How does Jesus recommend we are to spread the Word? Should we be targeting specific demographics? Or should we “sow the seed” indiscriminately?
Sunday 09 July 2023 is the Sixth Sunday of Pentecost.
Today’s “How to” answer is, as you probably guessed, “Jesus”. As with many of these things, at first sight it may seem contradictory but Rev. Geoff McKee explains it all in his sermon. In the words of Eugene Peterson (from The Message, below), it’s about learning “the unforced rhythms of grace”.
Matthew 11:16-19 (from The Message translation of the Bible)
16-19 “How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a boozer, a friend of the misfits. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
Matthew 11:25-30
25-26 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”
27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Welcome and Intimations
Call to Worship
Praise: MP 1000 King of kings, majesty
Prayers of Adoration and Confession
Children’s Address
Praise: JP 46 Follow me, says Jesus x2
Sing of the Lord’s goodness
Readings: Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 & Psalm 45:10-17
Praise: MP 266 I cannot tell
Readings: Romans 7:15-25a & Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Sermon
Praise: MP 1158 Beneath the cross of Jesus
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Praise: MP 275 (ii) I heard the voice of Jesus say
Benediction & Threefold Amen
Note that you can find a previous version of this sermon, with the full text set out, on this website here.
Sunday 02 July 2023 is the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost.
Rev. Geoff McKee continues his review of ‘hard teachings’ of Jesus, with today’s main scripture the following:
Matthew 10:40-42 (from The Message transaltion of the Bible)
40-42 “We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”
(The “Simple Welcome”) is at the heart of Christianity. It is the most difficult of graces to offer because it cuts straight to the heart of our faith. We can only offer a welcome to the hungry and the thirsty and the abused when we have first received a welcome as people who are hungry and thirsty and abused. Our God has welcomed us first.
REV. GEOFF MCKEE
NOTE: You can find a previous version of today’s sermon, with downloadable PDF, on this website here.
18 June 2023 is the Third Sunday after Pentecost and today’s passage from Matthew’s Gospel contains many well-known passages, such as “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” and “be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (from the New International Version of the Bible).
These seem simple enough phrases, on the face of it, but what do they really mean in practice?
Matthew 9:35-10:23 (from The Message Bible Translation)
35-38 Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”
The Twelve Harvest Hands
10 1-4 The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives. This is the list of the twelve he sent:
Simon (they called him Peter, or “Rock”),
Andrew, his brother,
James, Zebedee’s son,
John, his brother,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew, the tax man,
James, son of Alphaeus,
Thaddaeus,
Simon, the Canaanite,
Judas Iscariot (who later turned on him).
5-8 Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:
“Don’t begin by travelling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.
9-10 “Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.
11 “When you enter a town or village, don’t insist on staying in a luxury inn. Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave.
12-15 “When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. If they don’t welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way. You can be sure that on Judgment Day they’ll be mighty sorry—but it’s no concern of yours now.
16 “Stay alert. This is hazardous work I’m assigning you. You’re going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don’t call attention to yourselves. Be as shrewd as a snake, inoffensive as a dove.
17-20 “Don’t be naive. Some people will question your motives, others will smear your reputation—just because you believe in me. Don’t be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they’ve done you—and me—a favour, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! And don’t worry about what you’ll say or how you’ll say it. The right words will be there; the Spirit of your Father will supply the words.
21-23 “When people realise it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don’t quit. Don’t cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you’ve run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived.
You can find a previous version of this sermon – with slightly different materials – on this website here.
Sunday 14 May 2023 is the Sixth Sunday of Easter and also Christian Aid Sunday.
Organisations such as Christian Aid and partners, have supported Esther Saizi in Malawi. Esther describes her small, but significant, agricultural work as ‘a tree’. The pigeon peas she grows are the trunk, and the branches are the many ways in which she is supporting her children and grandchildren. Esther has grown from a place of grief, loss and exploitation to financial security. She has built up a herd of goats, started her own tailoring business, and supported her daughter Ziwone’s dreams of being a carpenter by purchasing tools.
Esther bakes and sells pigeon pea bread and feeds her beloved grandchildren Nespo and Emmanuel food that is delicious and nutritious – and she often has enough to share with the rest of her community.
This week’s main scripture is from Matthew’s Gospel – the Parable of the Mustard Seed.
Perhaps Esther – and communities like hers in Malawi – understand the metaphors of Jesus better than the disciples who first heard them – or indeed better than many of us in Britain and Ireland today.
You can view the video which is played during today’s service about Esther and her circumstances – from Christian Aid TV – here.
