Sunday Service 12 July 2026

Sunday Worship from the United Reformed Church
for Sunday 12th July

 
Today’s service is led by The Revd Jenny Mills
 

Introduction
 
My name is the Revd Jenny Mills, and I am the Deputy General Secretary for Faith in Action. My team and I oversee the work of Discipleship and Mission in the Offices of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church. We serve the synods and local churches, seeking to inspire and resource them as they share the love of God through worship, word and action.  It is a joy and privilege to be with you to worship. May God bless this time together and may we listen, respond and be inspired to journey on as we follow Jesus. 

Call to Worship 
 
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Gracious God we come to worship you today.

Accept my offerings of praise, O LORD, 
and teach me your ordinances.
We come to give thanks, to learn and grow. 
To gather in community and to offer ourselves in service.

Your decrees are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.
I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.
We come with joy in our hearts at all you have done for us.
And hope welling up within us of possibilities and promises 
of all that is to come. 
 
We come as your people,
human, fallible, broken, 
but joined together by your love
and accepted, loved, and enough, in your eyes. 
Bless this time service and may we encounter your living Spirit 
through our time together. 
Let us sing! 
 
Hymn       Great God Your Love Has Called Us Here 
Brian A. Wren, b. 1936 © 1977, 1995 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.  Orchard Enterprises Session Choir OneLicence No. # A-734713
 

Great God, your love has called us here,
as we, by love for love were made.
Your living likeness still we bear,
though marred, dishonoured, disobeyed.
We come, with all our heart and mind
your call to hear, your love to find.
 

2 We come with self-inflicted pains
of broken trust and chosen wrong,
half-free, half-bound 
by inner chains,
by social forces swept along,
by powers and systems 
close confined,
yet seeking hope for humankind.
 
3 Great God, in Christ 
you call our name
and then receive us as your own,
not through some merit, 
right or claim,
but by your gracious love alone.
We strain to glimpse 
your mercy seat
and find you kneeling 
at our feet.
 
4 Then take the towel, 
and break the bread,
and humble us, 
and call us friends.
Suffer and serve till all are fed,
and show how grandly love intends
to work till all creation sings,
to fill all worlds, 
to crown all things.
 
5 Great God, 
in Christ you set us free
your life to live, 
your joy to share.
Give us your Spirit’s liberty
to turn from guilt 
and dull despair
and offer all that faith can do
while love is making all things new.

 

Prayers of Approach, Confession and Grace
 
God of abundance, who loves us beyond our comprehension,
who created the world we see around us, 
who sent his Son to live and teach,
and who sacrificed his life to show us your love,
living on in hearts, minds and the whole of creation, we adore you!
 
God of all creation, who made all that is 
and continues to create through seasons and changes, 
who blesses us with sights and sounds, smells and tastes,
who calls us to notice the blessings all around us,
reminding us of the beauty of nature 
and the wonder of your world, we adore you!
 
God of power and might, 
who calls us to live together in unity and harmony,
who has given us all we need,
who showed us through Jesus how we should live together in peace,
and keeps seeking the good for humanity,  we adore you!
 
We are blessed and loved.  We are known and treasured. 
We are enough, just as we are. 
 
And yet, your way calls us to live well together. 
That living well begins with us being faithful to your way. 
Your unconditional love calls us to respond, 
to repent, to review how we live 
and consider what changes we need to make 
so we can truly reflect your love and your glory 
to those alongside whom we journey. 
 
But we fall short.  We fail to maintain good intentions, 
we mess up and get it wrong, we make excuses,
we argue, complain and deny. 
 
Forgive us Lord for the times when we are so narrow minded 
that we forget our responsibility to our fellow siblings in Christ; 
when our faith is small and selfish; 
when we are so busy looking out for ourselves 
that we don’t understand the importance 
of making space to listen to you. 
Your love calls us to be bringers of your kingdom here on earth. 
Your Son’s sacrifice reminds us 
that we are your to be your voice, hands and feet in the world. 
Forgive us and give us the heart and will 
to begin again and turn back to you.
 
Jesus says, come to me all you who are heavy laden 
and I will give you rest. 
We claim that rest and the forgiveness of the risen Saviour. 
Let us know ourselves, forgiven, loved and free. 
May we forgive ourselves, forgive others and go in peace. Amen. 
 
Hymn       God, How Can We Forgive?
Ruth Duck © 1996 The Pilgrim Press  OneLicence No. # A-734713
 

 

God, how can we forgive 
when bonds of love are torn? 
How can we rise and start anew, 
our trust reborn? 
When human loving fails 
and every hope is gone, 
your love give strength 
beyond our own 
to face the dawn. 
 
2 When we have missed the mark, 
and tears of anguish flow, 
how can you still release our guilt, 
the debt we owe? 
The ocean depth of grace 
surpasses all our needs. 
A priest who shares 
our human pain, 
Christ intercedes. 

 

3 Who dares to throw the stone to damn another’s sin,
when you, while knowing all our past, forgive again?
No more we play the judge, for by your grace we live.
As you, O God, forgive our sin, may we forgive.
 
Prayer for Illumination
 
Sow the seed of Your word amongst us, O God,
that as it is read and proclaimed,
we may hear, understand and obey,
that good roots are put down 
and you may reap an abundant harvest.  Amen.
 
Reading   St Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23
 
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up.  Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil.  But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.  Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  Let anyone with ears  listen!’ Hear then the parable of the sower.  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;  yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.  But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’
 
Hymn       I The Lord of Sea and Sky
Daniel L. Schutte (born 1947) © 1981 Daniel L. Schutte & New Dawn Music OneLicense No. A-734713 Sung by Chris Brunelle and used with his kind permission.
 

 

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin my hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
 
Here I am, Lord.
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
 

2 I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them.  
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them.
Whom shall I send?
 
3 I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide
till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?

 

Sermon
 
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
 
I love the way this story begins and is so simple and so relatable. Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. (We know this as the Sea of Galilee or Lake Tiberius, a lake that is so vast that it is hard to see across it, as it measures 13 miles long by 8 miles wide). Such a precious image of sitting beside the lake, looking out, revelling in some alone time. For people living near the sea, an everyday occurrence. A normal thing to do. And then, after a simple, solitary moment many, many people arrive, surrounding him. In fact, so many people that Jesus has to get into a boat in order to be able to speak to them and continue his teaching. On the one hand this must have felt really good because he was teaching and preaching, he was inspiring people and they were responding, but on the other hand- he couldn’t even get 5 minutes peace! 
 
In this story we begin with practical everyday life, an image of Jesus as the human being, and we move into metaphor as Jesus shares the parable. This is the recurring theme in the Bible. We see everyday life and we hear normal things going on, and trials and joys; then we have stories that are offered to teach and give meaning. In this story Jesus uses the everyday to illustrate what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. 
 
The trouble we have when we encounter texts in the Bible is that the ordinary is mixed up with the extraordinary, the teaching with normal life, the message specific to context, with happenings and rememberings. 

How do we know what to take from these stories? How do we work out whether the writings are to be taken literally or metaphorically? 
 
It is a real challenge and greater minds than mine have done lots of study and comparison to see what might have been part of the eye-witness accounts, especially in the Gospels, and what was written to get a specific message across. 
 
I think that sometimes we can get really wound up trying to decide ‘did this really happen as it says?’ instead of focusing on questions like: 
What was the message to the people of Jesus’ time and what is the message to us?
 
What is the author telling us in the reading? 
What is God trying to say through these words of Scripture?
 
The story we have shared today about the sower is one that perhaps we have heard many times and are familiar with. We can imagine the different types of soil and may have even compared ourselves to those soils (I bet we find it easier to think of ourselves as the ‘good soil’ than the others!) But in the recent past I have had my attention drawn to the sower and his actions. He was not very careful with the seed sowing. How wilfully inconsiderate was he? He didn’t even try to keep within the lines of good soil, he threw it randomly and widely. And this prompted me to reflect on what this is saying about God’s love. It speaks of God’s abundant love. It tells us clearly that God’s love is not limited. It is thrown around indiscriminately, with abandon! In the story, the seed fell on different grounds. Not just in the area where the sower knew it would grow. Jesus is giving us a clear message that God’s love is for everyone, everywhere.
 
How does that feel to us, when we think about God’s love, God’s intent and our response? How do we feel about the fact that God does not just choose those who are going to respond, those who are ‘good enough’ or ‘fit the mould’. 
 
Do we share God’s love like this? 
Do we live God’s love like this? 
Do we emulate God’s actions like this? 
This throws up real challenges to us about how we share God’s love. 
Do we share God’s abundant love with abandon? 
 
When I sat and reflected on this, I became painfully aware of my own prejudices, inbuilt bias, and of some of the stuff I am not so aware of in my unconscious, which occasionally raises its head. And I feel humbled. 
 
I don’t think any story in the Bible seeks to make us feel bad or shamed (I think we do that ourselves!) but I do think that the stories offer us challenge, hold a mirror up to our actions and give us food for thought and an impetus and inspiration to grow and change. This is part of our discipleship journey- where we are called to learn, to grow, to develop, to be active participants in God’s kingdom and co-creators with God. 
 
So maybe you would like to reflect in the coming days on the challenge the sower story offered me: Do you share God’s abundant love with abandon?
 
The story goes on to show us that our world is increasingly full of different responses to such life-giving news as contained in the Gospel message of love. The different soils represent different responses. We could surmise who was Jesus was talking about at the time, in reference to the different soils and landing places for the seeds. And I am sure we all have thoughts on who in our current world would fit which soil type, but if we are honest, it could be most people at different times in their lives, it could be different groups at different times in history. And the problem with working out who ‘they’ might be is that it stops us from having to think about how Jesus’ word is speaking to us today- as individuals, as churches, as communities, and as members of the whole people of God. We can deflect onto others instead of considering our place in the story. Maybe we stop judging others and focus on the wonder of God’s abundance in sowing and our part in this endeavour?
 
It is easy to externalise the teachings of Bible stories when the words are there to offer us both challenge and hope. I find the Good Samaritan such a story, do we ever think of ourselves as the Priest or the Levite or even the robbers?
 
The issue is that we are surrounded by a world of blame, accusation, judgment and power and it is easier to get sucked into this way of acting and being. It is easier to hear the story, pat ourselves on the back because we are the ‘good ones’ or at least not the ones Jesus warns against, and we can be tempted to look outwards at ‘those’ and consider ourselves superior. 
 
But Jesus calls us. Jesus calls us to follow him. 
 
And following Jesus means just that- following his way and his teachings.
The radical nature of Jesus’ love calls us to act differently. It calls us to welcome the stranger, to love our neighbour, to look out for the least and the lost, and to bless those who curse us. 
 
How can we love abundantly and with radical generosity? 
 
I have become a fan of the occasional random act of kindness. I tried it out: in a little café I paid for someone’s meal, I paid for the car behind me in McDonalds (watch out, it cost £27!?). Locally we have a ‘Knitting Nana’ who creates amazing knitted creations which she leaves around the town with a little note, for people to find. Another family whose child died when he was small leave Memories of Seb randomly on park benches on his birthday- chocolates and small gifts. 
 
What I find is that random acts of kindness confuse. Generosity bewilders. 
One day a lady in the supermarket didn’t have enough money and was going to put back some items, I offered to pay for them and she was overwhelmed. I said to her to pass it on one day if ever she’s able, because we are all in this together. 
 
I realise that I am fortunate to be able to offer small financial gifts, but it doesn’t need to be money. A church member cut someone’s grass when they were poorly. I am sure we can all think of ways of living our God’s love through acts of kindness and generosity. 
 
There are more ways to reach out – find your way. 
 
Sometimes, I fear, we are so busy living our own lives that we fail to think about the little things that could make a difference.   Yet we are called to be disciples. To follow Jesus. To scatter the seed of God’s love with abandon! 
 
And when that seed falls on fertile ground, and people ask us why we are living like this and sharing God’s love, are we ready to start the conversation with them? Invite them into knowing more? Share with them the Jesus Way? How are we, as individuals and churches preparing the space for the seeds to grow? What can we do, in our churches, to help people to encounter the love of the living God?
 
We can invite them to church, we can make sure our church is ready to welcome them, we can have discipleship sessions running to help people learn more, we can do shared meals and so many other things. And in many ways we are already doing this. But it never hurts to review what our church may feel like to people asking questions or turning up to an event or worship. We can be like the sower in his wild scattering but like the one who came along later and reaped the harvest, too. 
 
And back to the Jesus sat by the sea…..he did ordinary stuff as well as extraordinary stuff, he made time to just ‘be’. He reminded us that, before we let things be taken over in the busyness, there is value in the special moments, the alone times, the everyday. ‘The little moments, the little things, they are not little’. Amen.  

Hymn       Jesus Calls Us O’er The Tumult 
From Cecil F Alexander (1818–1895) Public Domain sung by the choir of the Church of the Advocate, Boulder, Colarado to the American Tune Restoration
 

 

Jesus call us!—in the tumult
of our life’s wild restless sea;
day by day his clear voice soundeth
saying, ‘Christian, follow me!’
 
2 As of old, Saint Andrew heard it
by the Galilean lake,
turned from home 
and toil and kindred,
leaving all for his dear sake.
 
3 Jesus calls us from the worship
of the vain world’s golden store,
from each idol that would claim us,
saying, ‘Christian, love me more!’
 
4 In our joys and in our sorrows,
days of toil and hours of ease,
still he calls, in cares and pleasures,
‘Christian, love me 
more than these!’
 
5 Jesus calls us! By thy mercies,
Saviour, may we hear Thy call,
give our heart’s to Thine obedience,
serve and love Thee best of all.

Prayers of Intercession
 
Loving God, You have given us so much and loved us so completely,
We come to give you thanks.
For family and friends, for roles and responsibilities, 
for opportunities and possibilities, for each day, 
and for things that inspire, amaze, dazzle, strengthen and uphold us. 
Thank you, God. 
 
In this time of quiet, we give thanks.
 
Silence
 
God of hope, we live each day surrounded by your presence, 
your love, and your creation. 
Even on our toughest days we are never alone. 
As we live, we seek to be people who respond to your love 
through our thoughts, words, and actions.
Today we come aware of the abundance of your love, 
But aware that in our world, 
there are people in places who are living with desperation, conflict, sadness, prejudice, isolation, rejection, hunger, scarcity and poverty. Where each day is a struggle 
and the overflowing sense of hope is quashed 
by uncertainty, doubt, pain, and a feeling of never ending. 
We pray for the helpers, the light-bringers, the peacemakers, 
the joy-finders, the solution-offerers, the difference-makers.  
Loving God, help all those who make this world a better place. 
 
Silence
 
We hold before you now the places around our world 
where power corrupts, 
where leaders behave badly, 
where war is ongoing, 
where discrimination is felt, 
and where money and personal gain is prioritised over people. 
Loving God, challenge those who make this world 
a hard and difficult place to live in. 
 
Silence
 
We think of all those known to us who are struggling with life. 
For whatever reason. For those feeling betrayed, unloved, hopeless, overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, fearful, or sad. 
Help us to find ways to talk, care, share, and show compassion. 
We bring to you those who feel that life is hard 
and we ask that they may find peace, possibility, and potential. 
And may we find ways to be your voice, 
hands and feet in your world.
Loving God, lift up the cast down and uphold the ground down. 
 
Silence

And finally we pray for ourselves. 
May we be like the sower, 
scattering seeds of your love randomly and wildly. 
Not confining our sharing to those we like or are the same as, 
but with abandon and with generosity. 
Hold us, help us and bless us as we live your way. 
Each and every day. 
Loving God, be with us. 
 
Silence
 
All this we offer in the name of the wandering Galilean who turned the world upside down with his radical ways. Amen. 
 
Offertory Prayer
 
Loving God,
we give thanks for all we have 
and all we are 
and all that is to come. 
We give thanks for your love in our lives and for the blessings this brings. 
In response we offer what we have to you: 
our time, talents, energy, prayers, worship, and financial giving. 
Receive our gifts given freely and with love. 
Take them and us, help us to make a difference. 
To be kingdom-bringers, hope- holders and peace-makers. 
Each and every day. Amen. 
 
Hymn       We Cannot Own The Sunlit Sky
Marty Haugen (born 1952) © 1992 GIA Publications Inc., 7404 S. Mason Avenue, Chicago, IL60638, USA OneLicence No. A-734713 Sung by members of Payson Park Church, Belmont, MA
 
 

We cannot own the sunlit sky,
the moon, the wild flow’rs growing,
for we are part of all that is 
within life’s river flowing.
With open hands receive and share
the gifts of God’s creation,
that all may have abundant life
in ev’ry earthly nation.

2 When bodies shiver in the night
and weary, wait for morning,
when children have no bread but tears,
and war horns sound their warning,
God calls humanity to wake,
to join in common labour,
that all may have abundant life 
in oneness with their neighbour.

Blessing
 
As receivers of God’s abundant love,
freely sown in our lives and our world,
may we find ways to share the blessings, joys, peace and hope we know,
this week and on into the future. 
 
And may God Creator, Son and Spirit,
bless us, those we love and those we struggle to love,
as we strive to live God’s way,
now and forever, Amen. 

URC Daily Devotion Saturday 11th July 2026

Ephesians 4: 11 – 16

The gifts [Christ] gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,  until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.  But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,  from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

St John Henry Newman | The Mission of My Life

God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.

Reflection

Paul’s vision of the Church was of an interconnected group of people blessed by Christ with a variety of roles which build His body.  Newman’s words on his life’s mission are ones that have inspired and puzzled me since I was a youth; knowing we have a purpose –  but having faith despite maybe not being told that purpose in this life –  is quite something.  Newman, of course, underwent a journey from evangelical Anglican to Catholic cardinal;  understanding his own vocation was clearly something that took some time and wisdom.  

I hope you’ve found the reflections on vocation over the last two weeks useful but, more than that, I hope you’ve found them a good way to explore your own vocation.

Paul, and Newman, would not have reserved a sense of calling to those the Church sets aside in ordained ministry.    All are called; some to rest after a lifetime’s service, others to make a difference through being a listening, encouraging, ear in the social time, others to be administrators who help make sense of the range of compliance issues the Church navigates, others still to be a safeguarding co-ordinator helping our local churches be as safe as they can be.  Some are called to be Elders;  some to be lay preachers to lead people in the worship of God, others to the ministry of Church Related Community Work or the ministry of Word and Sacraments.  Others are called to use their skills and energy in evangelism, in works of service, and in bearing witness in everyday life.

In different ways we are all called; we all have a purpose.  We may never know that purpose in this life but we shall be told it in the next.  But now, in this life what are you called to?

Prayer

Calling God,
help us respond.

Quickening God,
help us apprehend life.

Blessing God,
remind us to bless others.
Amen

URC Daily Devotion Friday 10th July 2026

Philippians 1:27-28a & 4:4-7

Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel and in no way frightened by those opposing you.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Reflection

I am now halfway into my third year of full-time ministry based within a cluster of churches in the West of Scotland.  I’d love to say it has all been plain sailing so far, but not quite. Even through the difficult times, I still feel that this is where God is calling me to be, and these are the people that I am being called to serve.

To say that ministry has been everything I expected it to be, is definitely not the case.  I have discovered many new and, may I say, well hidden, talents, including building maintenance and painting!   I’ve also discovered a beauty in the way in which we are led by the Spirit to the places, and the people, that are calling us most.

This year with one of my congregations we decided to take a deeper look at Paul’s letter to the Philippians, to consider how those first churches thrived and survived during a period of turmoil and uncertainty, noticing the correlation with the struggles facing our congregations here and now. There is no denying that at times, ministry can feel like a bit of a bare-knuckle roller-coaster ride. 
However, amongst all the ups and downs, the highs, and the lows – yes there are low points folks – the understanding that this is a vocation to which I have been called, could not be stronger.

Those opening and closing remarks found in Paul’s letter to that new church family in Philippi have aided and guided me through those high and low moments that come with the call to ministry. These verses transport me back to June 2023, to my ordination and the vows taken then.  They are a check, a reminder, to always live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ, in one mind, with one spirit, and side by side with my brothers and sisters of faith.

Prayer

Gracious Lord,
You call us to live a life worthy of the Gospel,
to stand firm in faith and walk with courage.
May we serve with humility and joy,
united with others in love and purpose.
 
May your Spirit guide our steps,
so that our lives may reflect Your light,
and our work bring glory to Your name.
In the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour,
Amen

URC Daily Devotion Thursday 9th July 2026

.Ecclesiastes 3:1-11a 

Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses.

He sets the time for birth and the time for death,
the time for planting and the time for pulling up,
the time for killing and the time for healing,
the time for tearing down and the time for building.

He sets the time for sorrow and the time for joy,
the time for mourning and the time for dancing,
the time for making love and the time for not making love,
the time for kissing and the time for not kissing.

He sets the time for finding and the time for losing,
the time for saving and the time for throwing away,
the time for tearing and the time for mending,
the time for silence and the time for talk.

He sets the time for love and the time for hate,
the time for war and the time for peace.

What do we gain from all our work? I know the heavy burdens that God has laid on us.  He has set the right time for everything. He has given us a desire to know the future, but never gives us the satisfaction of fully understanding what he does.

Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.

Reflection

Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth: just some of the women in the Bible that thought they were less valuable because they were childless. Their hope was exceeded when God finally answered their prayers, because their longed-for child was special, sent at the right time, with a specific mission from God.

I only waited seven years but I do remember that time of waiting, wondering if it would ever happen. In our modern world, I didn’t feel less valuable before she was born, but I did feel more fulfilled when she was.

Waiting on God’s timing and ‘keeping the faith’ can be testing. I wonder if our ‘barren’ women ever thought they would be blessed.  Sarah, at least, seemed to have resigned herself to it. Should we not have learned from these women that God will give us what we need in His own time? Don’t we yet know that ‘Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses’?

This is a life lesson I’ve been learning again as I approach ordination. I’ve always been aware that God had plans for my life, yet I delayed them. Arriving at my current church 26 years ago, I felt I was there for a specific reason. I thought it was to support the minister, but she soon left: I didn’t pursue it, just waited. Now, five years after finally responding to God’s call, I am about to return to that same church as minister (NSM Local). Except, having put off God’s call for so long, I thought I was ready to return sooner and have had to relearn about things being ‘all in God’s time’.

I now have confidence that this is the time to move forward into ministry, and to live the life that God planned for me: seeking that fulfilment of listening to His voice, rather than my own, and providing for the church family I am called to support.

Prayer

Timeless One, 
we recognise that your plans can be very different to ours. 
When we wait for your timing, 
we will benefit so much more 
because we place ourselves into your care. 
You know what is best for us, 
will provide for all we need, 
when it is needed. 
Forgive us for trying to force your hand 
and give us the confidence to trust in you, 
now and forever. Amen.

URC Daily Devotion Wednesday 8th July 2026

inspiration in your inbox

Wednesday, 8 July 2026  Vocations 9 
 

St John 4: 39 – 42

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s [of Samaria] testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’  So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. And many more believed because of his word.  They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.’
 
Reflection
 
Vocation is, by its nature, a deeply personal experience.  It is the outcome of being known.  A kind of unveiling of the inner self.  As the woman from Samaria, says: “He told me everything I have ever done.” I wonder if we often mistake the discernment of vocation as realising we have a particular skill or ability.  But if we take the woman from Samaria as our example, vocation is a more fragile process. One that involves a joyful, and at times disconcerting, sense of vulnerability.
 
My own call found its genesis in a particular experience as a teenager.  I was walking home after a confirmation class when I felt a deep sense that I would be a minister.  This awareness was only the beginning. My vocation had to be shaped through many experiences of triumph and failure, anguish and hope, faith and doubt, which revealed how Christ sees me, and gave me a clearer knowledge of myself.
 
It can be tempting to see vocation as relating merely to roles: Elder, Lay Preacher, Church Related Community Worker, Evangelist or Minister of Word and Sacraments.  I think this is misguided. Our first vocation is to be a disciple, and all other vocations flow from this and return to it. I find a sense of freedom in this reality, as it opens up the possibility that we can change and even find our way again after taking a wrong turn.
 
Ultimately, when we locate vocation in being known by Christ (and knowing ourselves), rather than merely in role or ability, we open ourselves to the possibility that we may be called even when we do not feel we have the skills, resources or character required.  The much-maligned woman from Samaria,  who was the first evangelist, offered a transformative message that was as simple as “He told me everything I have ever done.” This is a vocation grounded in discipleship, rooted in being known, and expressed through vulnerability.
 
Prayer Practice
 
Take a short walk and commit the time to prayer.
As you walk, open yourself to the sights and sounds around you.
At this stage, the only task is to pay attention, allowing yourself to become centred in the experience.
Then imagine Christ walking alongside you.
Ask a question about vocation, such as, “What are you calling me to?”
Listen.
If you do not experience anything, do not worry or become frustrated; simply enjoy your walk.
You may wish to use this for discernment and regularly practice it.

Today’s writer

The Revd Dr Adam Scott is Principal of Northern College

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

URC Daily Devotion Tuesday 7th July 2026

Jonah 1: 1-17

The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai: ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.’  But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, ‘How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.’ Then the sailors said to each other, ‘Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.’ They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

So they asked him, ‘Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?’ He answered, ‘I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.’ This terrified them and they asked, ‘What have you done?’ (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)

The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So, they asked him, ‘What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?’ ‘Pick me up and throw me into the sea,’ he replied, ‘and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.’

Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried out to the Lord, ‘Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.’

Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Reflection

Jonah might seem a little tongue-in-cheek to use as a Bible passage when writing about vocation. Most people from my sending church will tell you that I have been on quite a journey over the last few years. While going through the process of discovering what the Good Lord has in mind for me, I have held a few different roles and have been exposed to various aspects of the URC. When I, and some might say, finally put myself forward for a non-stipended Ministry, I would joke that I better get on with it, otherwise I might end up in the tummy of a big fish. 

We all know the story of Jonah, a Sunday school favourite. There is, of course, a message for us all in this book. Jonah does not feel able to do what God wants him to do. He tries to ignore it and runs away from it. This bit resonates with me on my journey and may strike a note with you. What we so often forget is that God will equip and enable us to do the job He wants us to do, even when we are uncomfortable and believe we are not able to do what He has in mind for us. I have come to realise that the journey I have been on was part of God’s plan for me; He was preparing me for it. We must trust in God. He knows what we need before we do. He will provide us with the gifts to do what God wants. We must not think we are alone. 

Jonah does go to Nineveh, and his message is heard by the city, which repents. Jonah is arguably one of the most successful prophets. God will be with us as we serve His people in what He wants us to do. 

Prayer

Loving Heavenly Father.
Help us remember that Your Son, Jesus Christ, is walking with us, supporting and guiding us along the way.
Help us to see the Holy Spirit’s work in ourselves and others to bring the Kingdom of Heaven here today. 
Help us to hear Your voice over the noise and busyness of the day. 
Help us to open our hearts to all those around us. They are Your children and our sisters and brothers in Christ.
Amen.

URC Daily Devotion Monday 6th July 2026

Jeremiah 29: 11-14

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Reflection

When I first put myself forward as a potential candidate for the Ministry of Word and Sacraments in the URC, the answer was “no”. It was a blow. The path I thought God had laid before me disappeared. A whole range of emotions followed as I tried to make sense of what God was up to. I didn’t receive a clear response, but rather a nudge, deep within myself, that I should hold on to my faith, and prepare for an adventure.

There followed years of experiences, encounters, jobs, tasks, events and opportunities which completely changed my outlook on life, opened up perspectives I hadn’t considered before, taught me new skills, and revealed a lot about myself. None of these things were expected, but all remain crucial in making me who I am today.

In Jeremiah, we find the people of God being led on a journey towards the promised land. Relatively suddenly, they were stopped in their tracks, and told to settle in a strange place, for a very long time, without feeling the immediate presence of God amongst them, yet they were asked to remain faithful, as they continued to do God’s will.

Despite times of sorrow, weakness and failure, on the whole, they did remain faithful and carried on, despite the challenges they faced, no doubt learning and transforming every step of the way as new and fresh opportunities came their way, and God’s hope-filled plans for them emerged piece by piece, and the sense of God’s immediate presence among them returned once more, not as they expected, but as God wished.

When I candidated again, there was a resounding “yes”. I know that this came, in no small part, as a result of the God-given experiences and insights I’ve been blessed with over the years, which I would not have received without the “no” which came the first time round.

God’s plans are usually unexpected, and often painful, but they are, indeed, for our welfare, and to give us a future with hope, even if we can’t perceive it in the current moment.

Prayer

God of Mystery,
our plans are not your plans,
Your ways are not our ways,
and yet, despite our frequent 
confusion, pain and frustration 
as we seek to follow you,
You remain firmly with us, 
knowing us intimately, 
seeking our welfare.
Help us, then, to remain firmly with you, 
no matter where you lead us,
trusting that you will guide us 
to a future full of hope,
even, and especially, 
when we cannot feel or see it right now.
Amen.

Sunday Service 5 July 2026

worship to comfort & inspire, excite & energise

Order of Service

Below you will find the Order of Service, prayers, hymns and sermon for today’s service.   You can either simply read this or you can
 
to listen to the service and sing along with the hymns.  This will open up a new screen, at the bottom of the screen you will see a play symbol.  Press that, then come back to this window so you can follow along with the service.

Sunday Worship from the United Reformed Church
for Sunday 5th July

 
Today’s service is led by The Revd Andy Braunston
 

Welcome and Introduction
 
Hello and welcome to worship.  We listen today to readings which reflect struggle – a yearning for good political leadership after disastrous kings who had led to the defeat of a people, a recognition that if we align our lives with God and God’s values we won’t go far wrong, coupled with Paul’s realisation of the human struggle yearning to do what is right yet so often we end up doing the wrong thing.  Jesus’ words involve a bit of a struggle too – as we’ll hear he complains about his reception but, recognising the struggles of life offers us an easy yoke and light burden.  We’ll think of these themes as we worship.  My name is Andy Braunston and I have the honour to serve as the URC’s minister for Digital Worship and I live up in Orkney off Scotland’s far north coast.  At this time of year with near 24-hour daylight, gentle breezes and calm seas you’d not know of winter’s struggles with raging storms and dark days.  So, with our joys and our struggles, let’s worship God together.
 
Call to Worship
 
Come to worship the One who is gracious and merciful
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Come to worship the One who is good to all, 
and who showers compassion over all that has been made.
 
All your works shall give thanks to you, O God, 
and we, and all your faithful, shall bless you.
We shall speak of the glory of your kingdom;
we shall tell of your power!
We shall make known your mighty deeds, 
and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
 
Hymn       Praise My Soul The King of Heaven
Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) Public Domain 
Courtesy of St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, Australia.
 

 

Praise, my soul, 
the King of heaven;
to his feet thy tribute bring;
ransomed, healed, 
restored, forgiven
who like me 
his praise should sing?
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King!
 
2 Praise him for 
his grace and favour
to our fathers in distress;
praise him still 
the same as ever,
slow to chide, 
and swift to bless:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness!

 

3 Father-like
he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows;
in his hands he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Widely as his mercy flows!
 
4 Angels, help us to adore him,
ye behold him face to face;
sun and moon, 
bow down before him
dwellers all in time and space:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace!

 

Prayers of Approach, Confession and Grace
 
Eternal Majesty, You reign from before the ages began,
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, 
and your rule endures throughout all generations. 
You are faithful in all Your words, and gracious in all Your deeds.
And we, Your people, praise You.
 
Risen Lord Jesus, You uphold all who are falling, 
and raise up all who are bowed down.
You are our humble, donkey-riding king
who came to free the unjustly imprisoned,
proclaim mercy,  and offer hope to a downtrodden people.
In You we find our freedom and dignity.
 
And yet we struggle; the good we wish to do, we do not do.
The evil we do not wish to do, we do.  
In our inmost selves we know what is right,
but so often we rebel against You, 
finding Your yoke uneasy, Your rest disturbing, Your burdens heavy.
We find ourselves wretched 
and forget that You free us from all that drags us down.
Forgive us, good Lord, for our rebellion
and for the times when we forget who we truly are.
 
Raise us up, Most Holy Spirit, reclothe us in our rightful mind,
that we remember we are redeemed,
freed from Sin’s grasp, and given time to change
not only ourselves but our world.  Amen
 
Prayer for Illumination
 
Your Word, O God, has great power,
it cuts off war, breaks the bows of battle, and commands peace.  
Your word frees prisoners from the waterless pit
and gives hope to the imprisoned.
Open our minds now as we hear Your powerful Word 
read and proclaimed, that we may hear, understand, and change.  Amen
 
Reading   Zechariah 9:9-12
 
Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.
 
Hymn       Psalm 145:8-14
Owen Alstott, copyright 1977, 1990 OCP OneLicence No  # A-734713
Sung by Chris Brunelle and used with his kind permission.
 

I will praise Your name forever, my king and my God.

 

I will extol You, O my God and King,
and I will bless Your name 
forever and ever.
Every day will I bless You,
and I will praise Your name 
forever and ever

2 The Lord is gracious and merciful, 
slow to anger 
and of great kindness. 
The Lord is good to all 
and compassionate toward 
all his works.

 

3 Let all your works 
give You thanks, O Lord, 
and let your faithful ones bless You. 
Let them discourse of the glory 
of Your kingdom 
and speak of Your might

4 The Lord is faithful 
in all His words 
and holy in all His works. 
The Lord lifts up all who are falling 
and raises up all 
who are bowed down

Reading   Romans 7:15-25
 
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells within me. For I know that the good does not dwell within me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do the good lies close at hand, but not the ability. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that, when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched person that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”
 
Reading   St Matthew 11:16-30 
 
Jesus said: ‘But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.” For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’
 
Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I tell you that on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.’
 
At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
 
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
 
Sermon
 
Paul’s famous words about not being able to do the good he wanted to do yet finding himself doing the evil he didn’t want to do resonate down the ages.  They are an apt summary of the human condition – often we know the right thing but oh so many times we find we’ve not acted as we should.  It’s why we have a time in worship to confess and to remind ourselves of the good we need to do even as we turn away from the bad we’ve done.  Paul’s insight into the human condition is a good way to view each of our readings today. 
 
Zechariah was written after the return of the Jewish people from exile in Babylon which gave rise to high hopes of a restored Jewish nation.  Those dreams, however, were not fully realised as new empires arose and subjugated the Jewish people – the foreign kings of Persia were overlords for the 200 years after the return from Exile to be succeeded by the Greeks and then the Romans.  Zechariah engaged with these post exilic realities of crushed dreams.  Today’s reading speaks of the persistent hope that good will come even when the long-promised freedom seemed more and more unlikely.  There’s a hope here of a good, just, and honest ruler who rides a donkey not a war horse.  There are denunciations of violence where weapons of war will be destroyed even though the future held more defeat and warfare.  The coming king will identify with the poor and oppressed; this good king will free the unjustly imprisoned who are awaiting vindication; there will be restitution for victims of wrongdoing.  This was the long hoped for good that was yearned for.  No doubt various kings and rulers wished to act like this, to model themselves on this virtuous ruler but all too often they failed.  Politicians get a bad press these days yet very few enter public service for their own ends or enrichment; they want to help, they want to make the world better, they want to make a difference.  Of course, we might debate what “better” might mean and whether the differences they bring are good or bad– but that’s the political process.  We should remember Paul’s insight that what we want to do and what we end up doing are often two very different things. 
 
The Psalmist reminds us to rightly orient our lives keeping God as the focus knowing that God cares for us, often in ways which are as mysterious as Paul’s dilemma on the human condition, but which echo down the years.  Paul’s letter to the Romans is his longest we have in the New Testament.  Scholars debate if Paul was writing to Gentiles who had to learn about the Jewish faith to understand what it was to be Christian or to communities of Christians in Rome who were mixed between Jews and Gentiles, Romans and Greeks, slaves and free people.  
 
In today’s passage Paul, in moving words, identifies the good and bad impulses that rage within us – in this he followed Rabbinic thought.  Universal norms mean everyone is aware of what is right before God – no one has an excuse to not know what is sinful. Paul writes: “nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh” which is something really quite counter cultural to the way we want to see our bodies as good and maybe indicates a lower view of humanity than we’re comfortable with – we are made in God’s image after all!  As a Jew Paul was not going to see a God given institution, the Law, is the cause of death – a trap some fall into when looking at his words here.  For Paul, the problem is not with the Law (which comes from God)  but with humans who follow sin.  Sin is a revolt against God and makes us rebel against God and against God’s law – even the inner self yearning to follow God’s edicts is not free to do so because of the power of sin – hence the cry in v24 “miserable one that I am!  Who will deliver me from this mortal body?”  Yet Paul answers his own question by saying “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”  This is a passage with two tensions – on the one hand Paul’s words resonate with us as we also do the evil we do not intend and often fail to do the good we want to do but, at the same time we know that, in the next verses Paul proclaims “therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  Paul believed that baptism transferred us from the power of sin to the power of God.  Sin’s curse has been broken even if we struggle with its aftereffects.  Just as, through love, God chose Abraham, Sarah, and their descendants – not through any of their own merit – so God has also chosen us, set us free from sin’s curse even as we struggle, without regard to our worthiness or efforts.   
 
In an age which still seeks to earn salvation these are powerful words.  Of course, our age doesn’t see salvation as anything really spiritual – it’s about having the right body, the right lifestyle, the right wealth, the right social media profile, the right friends.  All these things are what modern folk strive for, but all have within them the seeds of their own destruction; all will enslave us, only Christ frees us.  
 
Our Gospel reading shows Jesus being rather grumpy as he complains about his generation failing to accept God’s messengers and a failure to accept his actions and message.  Today’s passage follows on immediately on from an episode where John the Baptist, no doubt battling his own demons as he waited for his death in prison, sent word to Jesus asking, “are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another?” Jesus replied affirming through his reported deeds rather than words – presumably to stop him being liable to arrest by Herod too – and went on to praise John the Baptist which then brings us to today’s passage.  
 
The opening verses have Jesus complaining that John was rejected for being too sombre, like prophets are meant to be, whereas he was criticised for not being sombre enough!  He dined with those who had rejected the community’s common good – tax collectors who profited from the hated taxes used to pay for the Roman occupation.  Jesus’ condemnation of the three cities used a common prophetic formula “woe to you”.  Chorazin and Bethsaida were Jewish cities on the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee, Tyre and Sidon were Pagan Mediterranean cities.  Matthew used these as a cypher for those who have not turned to Jesus and accepted his message – the consequences he forewarns will be devastating but it will be worse for the Jewish cities – who, Matthew clearly felt, should have known better – than it will for the Pagan cities who can’t be blamed for not knowing.  Sodom was destroyed, according to Ezekiel 16.49, for a lack of charity and hospitality to visiting angels – indeed the townsmen sought to sexually brutalise them. Jesus’ harshest rebuke, to his adopted hometown Capernaum, is sharp as Sodom, the supreme example of inhospitality and lack of charity, will be treated better on Judgement Day!   The good people in all those cities, no doubt, wanted to do is overshadowed by the evil they end up doing.  Jesus’ condemnation of these cities seems to be about their inhospitality to him, his followers, and his message.  
 
We’re on better ground with the final verses in today’s passage with those “comfortable words” often used to introduce Holy Communion.  Jesus’ words, however, are a surprising invitation to his disciples, and to us, to take on his yoke – his radical understanding of the Jewish Law – knowing that he shoulders this burden with us (animals were yoked together).  His words are surprising as often Jesus was more conservative in his interpretation of the Law than his fellow Pharisees – do not murder becomes do not get angry, do not commit adultery becomes a condemnation of lust, an allowance of divorce becomes either a condemnation or limitation of it.  His teaching might not always seem comfortable when it requires us to follow his narrow way; we want to follow his good way but, like Paul, find ourselves not doing what we intend.    
 
We must wonder if much has changed between the generation Jesus was frustrated by and our own.  Jesus described a generation who didn’t recognise the truth in front of them; we live in an age where Pilate’s question “what is truth?” haunts us as facts are contested, recollections vary and “alternative facts” are used to browbeat in political argument.  The yearning for justice seen in our reading from Zechariah where it would be embodied in a just and good ruler is still with us as we want our rulers to uphold justice and work for the Common Good.  Our Psalmist knew that in the praise of God we find our balance even as we, like Paul have to reckon with the tension of sin’s curse being broken but the reality of our all too human selves being pulled away from Heaven to Sin’s realm.  And yet, knowing all this, Jesus invites us to share his easy yoke, even though, on the face of it, it seems anything but easy!  
 
We now follow Jesus and recognise the freedom that He promises is still coming, the Realm of Sin still wreaks havoc even as we long, like Zechariah of old, for just leadership that puts things right.  Of course, in our longing we realise that we’re part of the solution; we can lead with justice, we can advocate for mercy, we can sing God’s praises with our voices and our lives even as we recognise our human frailties and hold the glory and the tragedy of human life in a creative tension.  Let’s pray.
 
You share Your yoke with us, Risen Lord,
telling us it’s easy as You share the burden.
You call us to rest, Gentle Lord, 
even in the busyness of our world.
You offer us comfort, Saving One,
even as we find discomfort within ourselves.
Help us to live with the tensions and paradoxes of humanity,
that we lay learn to live fully alive to Your glory, Amen.  

Hymn       I Heard The Voice of Jesus Say
Horatius Bonar (1808-1889) Public Domain Performed by Emu music 
and used with their kind permission.
 

 

I heard the voice of Jesus say:
‘Come unto me and rest;
lay down, thou weary one, 
lay down thy head 
upon my breast.’
I came to Jesus as I was,
weary and worn and sad,
I found in him a resting-place,
and he has made me glad.
 
2 I heard the voice of Jesus say:
‘Behold, I freely give
the living water; thirsty one,
stoop down and drink and live.’
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, 
my soul revived,
and now I live in him.

 

3 I heard the voice of Jesus say: ‘I am this dark world’s Light;
look unto me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright.’
I looked to Jesus, and I found in him my star, my sun;
and in that light of life I’ll walk, ‘till travelling days are done.
 
Affirmation of Faith
 
We do not understand our actions; 
for we do not do what we want, but the very things we hate. 
The power of sin means we cannot do what is right despite wanting to.
We do not do the good we want, but the evil we do not want. 
Yet we delight in the law of God in our inmost selves, 
but so often we have an internal battle 
between the power of sin and God’s powerful law. 
Who will rescue us from this battle?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
For in him there is no condemnation!
For the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ 
has set us free from the power of sin and of death.
 
Intercessions
 
Eternal Majesty,
we want to pray but often don’t know what to say.
We yearn for Your presence 
but then become distracted and our minds wander.
We long for the good of prayer 
but the weight of our worries leads us astray.
So, we come before You now with the needs of the world on our hearts.
 
pause

We bring to You places of war and conflict, bitterness and division,
and ask You strengthen those who work for peace.

pause

We bring before You the anger and rage of our world, 
the lies and the hatred,
and those who seek to improve our cities, towns and streets.

pause

We bring to You all those on the move this day, 
driven out by hatred and violence, prejudice and persecution,
and ask that we become, again, a people of compassion and love.
 
pause

Jesus, Enfleshed Word, 
we want to follow You, to take Your easy yoke and Your light burden,
but find the trials and tribulations, 
as well as the tedium and tiredness, of life intrude.
We yearn for Your comfort yet find ourselves discomforted by our world.
 
pause

We pray for those who dare to serve in public office – 
those recently elected to councils and parliaments across these islands
that they may seek and serve the Common Good.

pause

We pray for all who engaged in public service, in the Health Service,
in the police and the armed services that the values of 
compassion, integrity, and honesty shine through.
pause
We pray for all who research and develop public policy,
that those who will be affected by policy will be involved in developing it,
that partnership and participation will lead to flourishing.
 
pause

Most Holy Spirit, Eternal Fire of Love,
We yearn for Your power, we want Your wisdom, 
and we long for Your presence,
but find the power of politics, the wisdom of the world,
and the presence of possessions to be more enticing. 

pause
 
We lift before You those who are ill in mind, body, or spirit
 
pause
 
We lift before You those whose death is near and those who mourn.

pause
 
We lift before You this Church, that You may guide and guard us.

pause
 
And we lift ourselves before You who know all our needs.

pause
 
O God, our Source, Guide, and Goal 
hear us as we pray as Jesus taught saying, Our Father…
 
Offertory
 
If we get confused about our behaviour – doing those things we don’t want to do even when we know they are wrong – we can get even more confused about how to manage our time, talents and treasure!  
 
We live in a world where time is a precious commodity we never seem to have enough of, where demands for our skills and talents are ever increasing and where our money is a resource we never seem to have enough of.  
 
Against those cultural realities we have the significant Christian practice of giving – we give of our time, our talents and our treasure.  We’re told to give and not count the cost – though that’s quite a counter cultural thing to do – it’s part of accepting Jesus’ easy yoke and gentle burden.  We give to those people, institutions and causes we care about.  We give because it makes a difference and embodies the justice we wish to see come.  
 
So, we give thanks for all that is given in this church.  Let’s pray.
 
God of every good gift,
we thank you for the time, the talents, 
and the treasure that is given in this congregation;
the way listening ears and shoulders to cry on are offered,
the ways in which the gifts, skills and abilities here 
are shared and used far and wide,
and for the money that’s given in the plate, 
to the bank, and to a range of good causes.
Bless all that is given, that we may be a blessing to our world. Amen.
 
Hymn       Be Thou My Vision 
Irish, c 8th century tr Mary Byrne (1880-1931) versified, Eleanor Hull (1860-1935) 
Public Domain BBC Songs of Praise

 
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

 

2 Be thou my wisdom, 
be thou my true word,
be thou ever with me, 
and I with thee Lord;
be thou my great Father, 
and I thy true child;
be thou in me dwelling, 
and I with thee one.
 
3 Be thou my breastplate, 
my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armour, 
be thou my true might;
be thou my soul’s shelter, 
be thou my strong tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, 
great Power of my power.
 
4 High King of heaven, 
thou heaven’s bright sun,
O grant me its joys 
after vict’ry is won;
great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, 
O Ruler of all.

Holy Communion
 
This is the Lord’s table.
The Lord Jesus invites us to share this joyful feast.
From east and west, from north and south, people will come 
and take their places at the banquet in the kingdom of God.
 
Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all who are weary and whose load is heavy; 
I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, 
for I am gentle and humble-hearted; and you will find rest for your souls.’
 
Hear the words of the institution of the Lord’s Supper,  according to St Paul: the tradition which I handed on to you came to me from the Lord himself: that on the night of his arrest the Lord Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks to God broke it and said:
 
‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in memory of me.’
 
In the same way, he took the cup after supper, and said:
 
‘This cup is the new covenant sealed by my blood.
Whenever you drink it, do this in memory of me.’
 
For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes.
 
The Lord be with you.  
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.  
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
 
It is indeed right, it is our duty and our joy, 
at all times and in all places, to give you thanks and praise, 
holy Maker, heavenly King, almighty and eternal God.
We give thanks that in the creation of the world, 
when you laid the earth’s foundation and set its cornerstone in place,
the morning stars sang in chorus 
and the angels of God all shouted for joy.
By the power of your Spirit, you made the universe;
by the might of your Word, you gave us life.
 
We give thanks that in the new creation,
when you gave your Son to raise us up again,
since we and all our human race had fallen,
you claimed us for your own people;
that we might proclaim the glorious deeds 
of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvellous light.
 
By the life of your Spirit, you fill the hearts of the faithful;
by the light of your Word, you give us strength and love.
Therefore, with your people of all places and times,
and with the whole company of heaven,
we proclaim your greatness and sing your praise in the angels’ song:
 
Scarborough Fair Sanctus
Michael Forster © 2008 Kevin Mayhew Ltd OneLicence No  # A-734713
 

Holy, holy, holy the Lord,
God of endless power and might;
the earth, the heav’ns 
are full of your love.
Sing hosanna! Glory to God.
Blest is he, the one who is sent
in the name 
of God the Most High.
O holy, holy, holy our Lord!
Sing hosanna! Glory to God!

In tune with all the heavenly hosts,
we here on earth acknowledge your glory,
and give you thanks that in the fullness of time
you sent your Son to be our Saviour.
We bless you for his incarnation among us,
his holy birth, his perfect life on earth,
his suffering for us, and his triumph over death;
for his ascension to your right hand and his gift of the Holy Spirit;
and for the promise of his coming again.
 
Remembering his work and passion, and pleading his eternal sacrifice,
we follow his example and obey his command.
Send down your Holy Spirit to bless us
and these your gifts of bread and wine,
that the bread which we break may be for us 
the communion of the body of Christ,
and the cup of blessing which we bless 
the communion of the blood of Christ;
that we, receiving them, by faith 
may be made partakers of his body and blood,
with all his benefits, to nourish us and help us grow in grace,
to the glory of your most holy name.
 
And here we offer and present to you our very selves, 
to be a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for your acceptance; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
Through him, with him, in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory are yours,
O Most High, now and for ever. Amen.
 
Draw near with faith:
receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for you,
and his blood which was shed for you,
and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
 
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Happy are those who find refuge in him!
 
The body and blood of Christ given for you.
 
Music for Communion    Come Into Our Lives
Paul Inwood One Licence No  # A-734713
 
Post Communion Prayer
 
Glory to God the Creator,
who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ
and crowned him with glory and honour.
 
Glory to God the Son,
who lives to plead our cause at the right hand of God,
and who will come again to make all things new.
 
Glory to God the Holy Spirit,
who brings us the taste of the good Word of God
and the power of the age to come.
 
Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honour,
power and might be to our Lord for ever! Amen.
 
Hymn       And Can It Be?
Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Public Domain.  
200 Mass Voice Choir at St Andrew’s Kirk, Chennai and used with their kind permission.
 

 

And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Saviour’s blood?
Died he for me, 
who caused His pain?
For me, who Him 
to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that Thou, my God, 
shouldst die for me?
 
2 ‘Tis mystery all: 
the Immortal dies!
Who can explore
His strange design?
In vain the first-born seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
let angel minds enquire no more.

3 Long my imprisoned spirit lay
fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray –
I woke, the dungeon 
flamed with light,
my chains fell off, 
my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, 
 followed thee.
 
4 No condemnation 
now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine!
Alive in him, my living head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold I approach the eternal throne,
and claim the crown, 
through Christ, my own.

 
Blessing
 
May the One whose justice and mercy echo through the ages,
the One whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light,
the One who inspires you to follow 
bless you with a yearning for righteousness, 
an eagerness to do good,
and the willingness to follow.
And the blessing of Almighty God, 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 
be with you all, now and always,  Amen.

Where words are copyright reproduced and streamed under the terms of  ONE LICENSE A-734713
PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762
 

URC Daily Devotion 4 July 2026

1 Samuel 4: 2-10
 
 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.  Then the LORD called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!”  and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.  The LORD called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.”  Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.  The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy.  Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.  Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
 
Reflection
 
I tried to stay away from this reading, but I couldn’t. Quite simply the Reading from 1 Samuel has lived alongside me since I was a teenager if not before. Reflecting on the reading brings alight my journey in faith…a very long journey since I was a child. From a teenager leaving school and stepping into the world of work, marriage, having a family and coping with all the ups and downs of family life, my life followed the path of the majority of women in the 1960s. But my call, just like Samuel’s, was always there, my faith and call to serve were always part of me even if out of sight or hearing.
 
But change came. As my family grew up, going to university as a mature student gave me a wonderful opportunity to study that I relished. I completed a degree and doctorate and returned to work. The call was still there and to Ministry, however the door closed on me twice. The third time the door swung wide open and I journeyed on candidacy and was accepted to train as a Non-Stipendary Minister (Local).
 
The story of Samuel’s call is a reminder that God uses unexpected ways to call followers to serve and in all different ways, a call that is not based on age, ethnicity, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital status and disability position but on faith. As I reflect on my life long journey of God’s call and the discernment of my faith I can earnestly and loudly shout… “Speak, your servant is listening”
 
Prayer
 
Loving and gracious God, we are made in Your image,
and are all loved by You whoever we are;
neither age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or
disability exclude us from Your call.
You call us by our names, prepare us to hear
and answer Your call, and serve You
in the way You want us to be.
Amen

Please keep General Assembly in your prayers

General Assembly

Dear Friends,

General Assembly meets from this afternoon until late morning on Monday.  Representatives from all over the URC, joined by friends from partner churches from home and abroad, meet to worship, pray, listen, discern and discuss a range of issues.  You can see the reports and resolutions to be discussed in the Book of Reports here.  

I asked the Revd Samantha Sheehan, who is chaplain to the incoming Moderator, the Revd Neil Thorogood (he takes office on Monday) to write a prayer for us to use.  (I felt the current chaplain was rather busy with all the preparations for Assembly).  Samantha invites us to use this prayer over the next three days:
 

Holy God,

great is your name and great is you love.

As we prepare for the meeting of the General Assembly of the URC

be with us in our reading, 

guide us in our reflection

and go before us in our journeys

so that we may meet with you as we meet together.

In your holy name we pray.
Amen

With every good wish

Andy

The Rev’d Andy Braunston
Minister for Digital Worship