1 Peter 4:10-11 

 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.  Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Reflection  “Using our gifts”

Being a stay-at-home mum for the best part of thirty years, I know first-hand how easy it is to lose confidence in ourselves, to keep things as they are and not to step outside of our comfort zones. When someone says, “You’ve got a gift, you should be exploring it”, you dismiss it. Your life is too busy, you don’t have the time and even if you did,  you don’t have the skills, or the qualifications required. Our minds and our ears are not open to hearing. Perhaps that’s why we don’t hear God’s call.

But unlike human voices, God is both patient and persistent and never gives up on calling us until we answer and respond. Having answered that call and begin training for ministry I am both nervous and excited. As I leave my comfort zone of the last three decades stepping into unknown territory, I am confident now that I do have gifts to share.

Being a parent has taught me how to love unconditionally, to have patience, to listen, to have empathy, to be non-judgemental, to be both consistent and flexible, to support, to be their voice and to be a good role model. God has given me these skills and gifts so that I may serve others. God has always known how and where and when I would use them.

God gives us all the gifts we need, and will continue to call on us guiding, and strengthening us as we put them to use but as I often said to my children when they were small, “we need to have our listening ears on!”

Prayer

Lord,
help us to listen for and to hear your call in our lives clearly.
Take our insecurities and give us courage and confidence to see our potential as you do.
Help us to recognise the gifts and skills you have given us, and to find opportunities to use and develop them.
Help us to serve others, to transform your world and build your Kingdom.
Amen.

Ephesians 4: 6-8, 11-16 (Good News Translation)
Each one of us has received a special gift in proportion to what Christ has given. As the scripture says: “When he went up to the very heights, he took many captives with him; he gave gifts to people.” It was he who “gave gifts to people”; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. He did this to prepare all God’s people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ. And so, we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ’s full stature. Then we shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful people, who lead others into error by the tricks they invent. Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head. Under his control all the different parts of the body fit together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided. So, when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love.

Reflection
“Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition,” shouts Michael Palin, resplendent in his nice red uniform, in one of Monty Python’s classic comedy sketches. In a similar way, few of us expect to discern a call to ordained ministry. Perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised though. Paul tells the Ephesians that Jesus gives gifts to prepare all God’s people for service. Today, his list might include Elders and deacons, Ministers of the Word and Sacraments and Church Related Community Workers, Assembly Accredited Lay Preachers and Lay Pioneers as well as Locally Recognised Worship Leaders.

For me, discerning that call to ordained ministry took time, and meant listening to the Holy Spirit speaking through other people as much as hearing her whisper in my ear. I first tested that call at an inquirers’ conference in 2010 – while I discerned a call to preaching and worship leading, I discerned pastoral care wasn’t my calling. Instead, I returned to lay preaching. As demand for pulpit supply soared post-lockdown, my minister suggested inquiring again. I changed my prayer – instead of asking “God, please guide me”, I said, “Right God, I’m yours, do with me what you will”.

Bang. The next words I read were newly-revised descriptions for non-stipendiary ministry.  The URC has provided opportunities to use the gifts given by God for service in various forms of non-stipendiary service without forcing a square peg into a round hole.

Testing that call with Minister and Congregation, Moderator and Synod, and the General Assembly’s Assessment Board was both affirming and terrifying.  As the first of my four years begins, I await God continuing to shape my calling. 

Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition, but perhaps we should all expect God’s diverse commission.

Prayer
Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in endless praise.
Take my will and make it thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for thee.

Rejoice & Sing, #371, Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)

Isaiah 6:6-8
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.”  Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

Reflection
A vocation (from the Latin vocatio ‘a call, summons’) is an occupation to which a person is drawn or for which they are suited, trained, or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity.

My “call” or “vocation” has been a very slow process which started in my mid-teens. When I first felt that I should be doing something more than just going to church, ministry came to the fore of my thinking. However, I tucked that away somewhere deep in my mind knowing that God was waiting.   I just got on with life burying that “call” deeper and deeper under the laundry pile we call life.

Then along came my Seraph in the shape of my then minister. No, he did not come flying at me with a hot coal but did see in me the “something” buried at the bottom of my laundry pile, helped me to pull it out, ironed it to remove the creases, and through encouragement set me on the journey I find myself on now.

But which path to take? Age restricted me from stipendiary ministry; my own lack of self-confidence meant Non-Stipendiary Model 4 appealed.  Here I would go back to the churches, communities, and people I know;  a comfort blanket with a familiar journey’s end.  I was almost there when, again through others, my very patient God asked, “will you take a bend in the road?” and that “call” had to be looked at once more and some more creases ironed out.  Now my path is leading me to the rather more uncomfortable non-stipendiary model 1-3 where when ordained I will be deployed by the Synod. I no longer know what faces me at the end, but my journey is more fulfilling, exciting, and challenging.  

Through others, with training and education, I am continuing to discern that “vocation” as God calls, challenges, holds, and loves me.   There are mountains to climb, rivers to cross, but on a journey like this you are never alone!

Prayer
Comforting God,
You set us challenges, lead us on journeys, and ask us to respond.
We ask for the openness of mind to hear you,
and the strength to follow.
Bless those who come on the journey with us,
those who teach, encourage,
and see us the way you do.
You ask “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us.”
Help us, God of love to respond, “Here am I; send me!”
Amen.

 
Today’s service is led by the Revd Sarah Moore

Introduction 

Hello.  My name is Sarah Moore, and I currently serve as Transition Minister in the National Synod of Scotland.  At present I am working closely with Aberdeen United Reformed Church and with Morningside United Church, a local ecumenical partnership of the United Reformed Church and the Church of Scotland.  I also serve as Clerk of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church.   You are welcome to this time of worship where we gather to worship the Lord of living water and remember the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well told in John chapter 4.  

Hymn     Let Us Build a House Where Love Can Dwell  
Marty Haugen © 1994, GIA Publications, Inc. Sung by Frodsham Methodist Church Cloud Choir accompanied by Andrew Ellams. Produced by Rev’d Andrew Emison  OneLicence # A-734713  

Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live,                                      
a place where saints & children tell how hearts learn to forgive. 
Built of hopes & dreams & visions, rock of faith & vault of grace; 
here the love of Christ shall end divisions: 

all are welcome, all are welcome, 
all are welcome in this place. 

Let us build a house where prophets speak, & words are strong & true, 
where all God’s children dare to seek to dream God’s reign anew. 
Here the Cross shall stand as witness and as symbol of God’s grace; 
here as one we claim the faith of Jesus: 

all are welcome, all are welcome, 
all are welcome in this place.

Let us build a house where love is found in water, wine, & wheat:
a banquet hall on holy ground where peace & justice meet.
Here the love of God, through Jesus, is revealed in time & space;
as we share in Christ the feast that frees us: 

all are welcome, all are welcome, 
all are welcome in this place.

Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood & stone 
to heal & strengthen, serve & teach, & live the Word they’ve known. 
Here the outcast & the stranger bear the image of God’s face; 
let us bring an end to fear & danger: 

all are welcome, all are welcome, 
all are welcome in this place.

Let us build a house where all are named, their songs & visions heard 
& loved & treasured, taught & claimed as words within the Word. 
Built of tears & cries & laughter, prayers of faith & songs of grace, 
let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:

all are welcome, all are welcome, 
all are welcome in this place.

Prayers 

Lord of living water we gather today in your name.   In this time of worship we praise you and above all other things recollect that you are God and not us.  Lord of living water we remember how  you created all that there is, seen and unseen, out of chaos.   Lord of living water we remember how your son Jesus was born into creation as one of us, here to nourish us for our life’s work and to show us your ways. Lord of living water we remember how your Holy Spirit is within and without us now active and moving in creation giving life to everything that lives.   We join together in the prayer that Jesus taught his friends and teaches us to pray:  

Our Father… 

Reading     John 4.1-15, 28-30, 39-42

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard, ‘Jesus is making and baptizing more disciples than John’— although it was not Jesus himself but his disciples who baptized— he left Judea and started back to Galilee. But he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’ Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ They left the city and were on their way to him. Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s 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.’

Hymn     There’s a Wideness In God’s Mercy
Fr Frederick William Faber (1862) Public Domain BBC Songs of Praise

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea.
There’s a kindness in God’s justice, which is more than liberty.
There is no place where earth’s sorrows are more felt than up in Heaven;
there is no place where earth’s failings have such kindly judgment given. 

For the love of God is broader than the measures of the mind,
and the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.
But we make His love too narrow by false limits of our own,
and we magnify its strictness with a zeal He will not own.

There is plentiful redemption in the blood that has been shed;
there is joy for all the members in the sorrows of the Head.
There is grace enough for thousands of new worlds as great as this,
there is room for fresh creations in that up­per home of bliss.

If our love were but more simple, we should take Him at His word;
and our lives would be illumined In the joy of Christ our Lord.

Prayer 

Lord of living water, pour out your refreshing and life-giving water upon us as we reflect again and anew on your Word.  May we listen with open ears, open minds, open hearts and open lives as we reflect again and anew on this story and its call on us and on our churches and communities.  Amen.  

Sermon 

I’ve long had a bit of a soft spot for the Samaritan woman at the well.  I like hearing the stories of gobby women, wherever I encounter them.  Women who don’t take any nonsense but who are open at the same time to learning and to taking on a new challenge.  

The thing is though with this story is that like with many stories of gobby women everywhere, Bible included, is that the Church and others have chosen to misread this story to satisfy its own purposes.  This woman, who tradition if not the text has named Photina, has been criticised because of the bit in the story about having had five husbands and for at the time of the encounter with Jesus having an irregular relationship with a man who was not her husband.  Preachers have for at least the whole time that I have been paying attention to preachers suggested that the reason that this woman was at the well in the middle of the day was because either she wished to avoid the rest of her community or because the community had made plain to Photina that she was not welcome at the well at the same time as them.  Such an interpretation doesn’t really stack up when we get to the end of the story and read about the interest that the Samaritans of Sychar had in Jesus when this woman told them about her experience.  

Such a reading doesn’t really work either if we consider how the Church tends to read the Gospel of John.  While all four Gospels are concerned with the question of who Jesus is, the fourth Gospel approaches this question with extra bells and whistles attached.  We tend to read John with the question of what theological point is John trying to teach us about Jesus … until we come to this story.  Then the misogynist nonsense comes out to play and we miss countless sermons’ worth of deepening our learning about Jesus and who he is.  John tells us who Jesus is in chapter one of his Gospel; the Word who was with God from the beginning; the Word through whom all things came into being, in him was life and that life is the light of all people; the Word who became flesh and lived among us.  There is an argument that whenever we read any passage from the Gospel of John that we might do well to keep his prologue beside us as we read as everything in John can be related back to and read through those guiding verses.  Another verse from John that we may keep in our minds as we read this story is one that was a part of the Gospel reading from last Sunday, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life’. 

As we think a little more about this story and how we might read it today and perhaps into tomorrow, I invite you to hold John’s opening words in your mind about how the Word that was with God from the beginning became flesh and lived among us, and his teaching about how much God loved the world that he gave his only Son.  

How might this story help the congregations and communities of which we are each a part now and in the immediate future?  We might reflect on how we are being called to support those who our society is inclined to push to one side.  A question to come to any part of the Bible at any time is to ask how is this passage or this story good news for us now.  So what threads of good news might we carefully look at from this story today?  

I think that there are three pieces of this story we might carefully have a look at today.  Firstly there is the location of this story, at a well.  Secondly we might examine the woman’s question about where is God to be located.  Lastly we can consider John’s choice of including a Samaritan evangelist in his Gospel.   

What do we know about wells?  Wells are places to get water and water is the stuff that is essential to life.  Nothing can survive without water.  They are everyday ordinary places that perhaps are not given a great deal of attention for this reason.  In the verses that set the scene for this story we learn that this isn’t just any well but is Jacob’s well.  Jacob had courted his beloved Rachel at a well, and it was at a well that Moses first encountered his wife Miriam.  A well can be a place of intimacy, a place where couples meet and start on the journey of being deeply known.  Intimacy of course usually goes hand in hand with vulnerability.  Jesus and the woman were vulnerable with each other.  Vulnerability goes hand in hand with bravery.  One has to be brave to be vulnerable.  

I wonder how we, and the congregations and communities of which we are a part, are being called to be brave as we discern our place in our locality and ponder with who are we being called to work?  

Before I moved to work in Scotland I was involved in the leadership of an ecumenical covenant and mission strategy in Cumbria.  Substantial grant funding was secured to develop the work which was used to employ specialists in particular areas of mission, one post of which was a specialist in pioneer ministry and fresh expressions.  At interview one of the candidates at the stage that the candidate was invited to raise any questions that they had asked the bishop chairing the panel if they considered themselves to be a brave bishop.  The point being made was that moving forward in our current age requires bravery.  Being brave to try new ideas.  Being brave to take risks.  Being brave enough that when something edgy is being consider to then ask the question if actually we need to be even braver still.  Being vulnerable as Church is difficult.  My experience is that its hard for the United Reformed Church.  I imagine that its even harder for the Churches of England and Scotland, and for other national and international churches, who are used to being in a position of power, who are used to being among the ones who call the shots in society, to be able to say that we need help.  

How is the Church, and how are Christian people in our communities being called to ask the places in which we find ourselves what it needs to be helped.  Jesus was vulnerable with the woman when he asked her for a glass of water.  He needed her help and she needed his.  Many of us get nervous when we talk about mission and even more worried if we talk about evangelism because we imagine that it has to be about knocking on doors, telling unsuspecting people about Jesus and inviting them to church.  It can be that but really its more than that.  When we see growing churches, often those more conservative theologically than many of us hold, we think that such is what they have done.  Usually it isn’t.  Growing churches often have found out what the genuine need is in their community and they have responded to that.  When they have been asked for a glass of water that is what they have given; they haven’t been asked for a glass of water and given what they think the person asking should have.  What are the people asking for from asking for from the churches?  Are the churches brave enough to listen?  

The big theological question that divided Jews and Samaritans in Jesus’ lifetime was where should God be worshipped.  On the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for the Jews and on Mount Gerizim for the Samaritans.  This comes down to an even deeper question.  Where is God located?  Where can God be found?  

According to John the answer is right in front of our very eyes for Jesus is the Word made flesh who came to live among us.  The Gospel of John was written down after the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70.  Many people within the community behind the Gospel of John were Jewish people who had been expelled from the synagogues because of their Christian faith.  The question ‘where is God’ was an important one for them.  John was teaching them that the time for Temples was past.  The Word had been made flesh, and the Word made flesh was for the whole of en-fleshed creation.  The woman was asking ‘where is God’ and Jesus was telling her that God was right in front of her.  Some commentators say that the reason that this story happens in the hottest and brightest part of the day denotes that this woman was meeting the Light of the World.  Nothing to do with the woman’s shame or the bullying of her community.  

And now to the last point.  Jesus’ use of a Samaritan evangelist.  Samaritans were on the outside of Jewish society.  They were a despised people.  This story demonstrates Jesus’ teaching to Nicodemus, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life’.  God loved the world so much that his love included a despised people like the Samaritans.  This story shows too that Jesus was prepared to trust a woman from a despised people to share the good news about it.  Another vulnerable act of bravery.  And according to John the Samaritans listened.  

It feels in our world at present that we are beset by intractable problems.  As our nation learns to live with a new government, we might ponder how the next few years will unfold for us personally, for our nation, and for the world overall. As other nations prepare for their elections some are wondering if the world is on the brink of a change in order as leaders who would never have received the time of day in the past are in the ascendancy and we are confronted by the challenges of climate change and the rise of artificial intelligence.   

We can hold onto our lessons from Jesus and Photina, the Samaritan woman, as we approach the time before us.  Vulnerable bravery, remembering how God enfleshed is before us, and how Christ uses the most surprising people for his purposes can stand us in good stead.

We are called above all to be faithful people; to keep the faith.  To live out and speak the good news that ways of living grounded in life and love are possible.  Where the vulnerable are respected and everyone’s voice is valuable.  We keep the faith by coming together here and being a Christian community.  We keep the faith through our Monday to Saturday lives too.  By developing and holding a deep care for our neighbours.  By saying yes and no at the right times and in the right places.  By keeping the faith. 

Hymn     I Heard The Voice of Jesus Say
Horatius Bonar (1846) Public Domain sung by Chris Brunelle and used with his 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,so weary, worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting place, and He has made me glad.

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.
 
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 trav’ling days are done.

Prayers for the World 

Lord of living water, we pray for your world, those places where the water flows and rains abundantly and those places that are dry and drought-ridden.  We know that abundance and scarcity can be both literal fact and how anyone might perceive their life or circumstance at a given time.  

Lord of living water,  we pray for those places, times and situations that are marked with abundance, places where the water flows.  We give thanks for those times when we have enough, when our communities have enough, when our churches have enough.  

Lord of living water, we pray for those places, times and situations living with scarcity. Scarcity that might be caused by drought or famine, flood or earthquake, epidemic or war, greed or because of any of so many reasons.  Pour your living water into those lives and places, heal those who need healing so that they may live fully once again.  

Lord of living water, we pray for those people, places and situations that sit heavy on our hearts and minds.  We pray for those known to us who have asked us to pray for them or who we feel called to bring to mind.  Bless and nourish those people and places.  

Lord of living water, we pray for ourselves, for the gifts and graces we need for the tasks that lie before us.   In Jesus’ name, strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Amen.  

The Offering 

Lord of living water, we make our offerings of our creativity, energy, gifts, graces, and resources to you now.  Many all that we have be used to live and share your love, in our own communities and beyond.  Amen.  

Hymn     We Sing a Love That Sets All People Free  
June Tillman © 1993 Stainer & Bell Ltd. Admin. Hope Publishing Co. OneLicence # A-734713  
Sung by the congregation of Dalgety Church and used with their kind permission.  

We sing a love that sets all people free,
that blows like wind, that burns like scorching flame,
enfolds the earth, springs up like water clear:
come, living love, live in our hearts today.

We sing a love that seeks another’s good,
that longs to serve and not to count the cost,
a love that, yielding, finds itself made new:
come, caring love, live in our hearts today.

We sing a love, unflinching, unafraid
to be itself, despite another’s wrath,
a love that stands alone and undismayed:
come, strengthening love, live in our hearts today.

We sing a love that, wandering, will not rest
until it finds its way, its home, its source,
through joy and sadness pressing on refreshed:
come, pilgrim love, live in our hearts today.

We sing the Holy Spirit, full of love,
who seeks out scars of ancient bitterness,
brings to our wounds the healing grace of Christ:
come, radiant love, live in our hearts today.

Closing Words and Blessing 

Return to your life and work nourished by the Lord of living water, 
strengthened to live into that story, with enough to live on and enough to share some. 

Many the blessing of God, Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit 
be with you, those you love, and those you are called to love, 
today and all days.  Amen.  

Genesis 12:1-5

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

Reflection

As a (young) university chaplain I remember a colleague saying the role was to celebrate and cheer for students.  As principal of the Scottish College, I am – when I take the time to reflect on it – deeply inspired by our students –  a diverse group with different genders, ages, temperaments, sexualities, cultures and outlooks, though skewed towards the middle aged!

The story of Abram resonates powerfully. At retirement age Abram felt called by God to venture into the unknown.  We see that God demanded a radical openness, and a transformation of meaning and circumstance that Abram could not have imagined or expected. It involved upheaval for many others along with him; they too would be changed.

Many of our students begin with the expectation that they are training for a new role anticipating gaining knowledge and skills to serve. However, what they always find is that the primary transformation occurs within themselves. This deep personal change can be unexpected and unanticipated. It is a joy to accompany students who travel this journey as it reshapes their character and faith in unimagined ways.  

From Abram – and from ordinands – I see that the heroic life of faith is a call that brings us beyond the expectations of age and society.  Students can leave behind established careers, comfortable routines, and even their communities. Sometimes they need to integrate existing commitments into a new life of self-supporting ministry.  But formation – whether expected or not – always requires ordinands to embrace a new identity with determination and faith.

I find that the quiet heroism of our students challenges me to continuously seek personal growth and transformation in response to God’s call. The heroism of ministry (and of all discipleship) lies in the readiness to undergo deep personal transformation. From those who aspire to walk this risky road I am reminded that true ministry and discipleship is seen in the willingness to be transformed and to transform the world around us, even in unanticipated ways. Always open to the future, always seeking the Kingdom.

Prayer

Help us, O God,
to live lives of imagination
to find encouragement in our fellow disciples
and in community.
Form us in our deepest selves
in ways that are authentic to us and open to your Spirit.
Let our dreams of the Kingdom, and for the Church,
always make us open to change and to life. Amen.
 

Daniel 12: 5 – 13

Then I, Daniel, looked, and two others appeared, one standing on this bank of the stream and one on the other.  One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was upstream, ‘How long shall it be until the end of these wonders?’ The man clothed in linen, who was upstream, raised his right hand and his left hand towards heaven. And I heard him swear by the one who lives for ever that it would be for a time, two times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these things would be accomplished. I heard but could not understand; so I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?’  He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are to remain secret and sealed until the time of the end. 1 Many shall be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked shall continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. From the time that the regular burnt-offering is taken away and the abomination that desolates is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Happy are those who persevere and attain the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. But you, go your way, and rest; you shall rise for your reward at the end of the days.’

Reflection

This reflection is particularly timely as the final chapter of Daniel is delivered to us on Friday the 13th. Just as in Daniel’s era, we witness significant shifts in the political landscape today. Writing this Daily Devotion in July 2024, presidential hopeful Donald Trump has survived an assassination attempt, and President Biden’s prospects for a second term appear bleak. Concerns about political violence, the future of democracy, and the global order are widespread.

In such tumultuous times, it is natural to wonder how long we must endure before we see the light at the end of the tunnel — or the end of days. It is tempting to skip to the final chapter of the story, hoping for a happy ending. However, this last chapter is written with ambiguity. There are no straightforward answers here. Two time periods are mentioned: 1290 days and 1335 days, approximately 3½ years. While it may be tempting to analyse these numbers and compare them with historical events, the message is clear: Those who remain steadfast and patient will be rewarded.

Biblical scholar C.L. Seow, in his commentary in the Westminster Bible Companion, provides a valuable interpretation of Daniel:

“Herein, too, is a message for the reader of the book at any time: one must keep on going in life despite the overwhelming presence of evil, despite the ambiguities, terrors, and travails of one’s time. One keeps on going, trusting only in the power of God to deliver the faithful who are alive and even to resurrect those who are not, for God’s power is not limited to this life and this world that one sees and knows.”

Prayer

Dear Jesus, in the comfort of your love, 
I lay before you the memories that haunt me, 
the anxieties that perplex me, the despair that frightens me, 
and my frustration at my inability to think clearly. 
Help me to discover your forgiveness in my memories and know your peace in my distress. 
Touch me, O Lord, and fill me with your light and your hope.
Amen

(Prayer from Grace Cathedral , San Francisco)

Sunday Intercessions

Dear Friends,

I have been working in London and now in Glasgow this week so have had limited access to emails.  The Revd Ruth Watson has kindly written intercessions for this coming Sunday and I m pleased to send them out, below.

Remember Worship Notes are available for every week until the end of October and can be found via urc.org.uk | Your Faith | Prayer & Worship | Worship Notes.

With every good wish

Andy

The Rev’d Andy Braunston
Minister for Digital Worship

Prayers of Intercession for Sunday 15^th September 2024

God of vulnerability you came as a tiny baby to change the world. 
Yet babies around the world are still being targeted by those in power.

God of intimacy, you are still present in our darkest times,
and speak to us by name, yet so many have no voice.

God of community, we find you in our everyday, sharing your blessings,
yet still there are those who are lonely, or isolated, or shut off from the world around them.

So often our words are used to hurt or to put off or to promise empty hopes. 
Actions are not taken as the responsibility lies with someone else.  
We want everything today as long as we don’t have to pay for it.

This week in particular, following the success of the Paralympic Games,
we pray that the relationships built and the accommodations made
will continue long after the games have finished. 
That those with disability will continue to have the same opportunities to thrive,
to succeed or even just to get about – all things the able bodied take for granted.

We pray for those awaiting action from the Grenfell Tower Fire –
that those who are responsible accept their role in the disaster and make the changes needed.  That those displaced by the fire can settle in their new communities,
knowing the issues are being resolved.

We continue to pray for the situation in Ukraine, Gaza,
and so many other places around our world where power is misused at the expense of the people.  We pray for peace, for justice, for breathing space for communication to happen.

For those in our communities awaiting the outcome of Government discussions on Winter Fuel Payments, may we put on our kettles and open our churches to offer warm spaces for those in need.

For those in our community struggling with violence,
particularly involving young people, we pray for calm.

For ourselves, we offer our lives to you, for you to use us to serve those in need;
to speak for those without a voice;
to accompany those who are alone;
to grieve with those who mourn and celebrate with those in joy. 

Strengthen us in our hearts that we may go on caring that all may see your unconditional love.
Amen
 
 

Daniel 11

As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to support and strengthen him.

‘Now I will announce the truth to you. Three more kings shall arise in Persia. The fourth shall be far richer than all of them, and when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. Then a warrior king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and take action as he pleases. And while still rising in power, his kingdom shall be broken and divided towards the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted and go to others besides these.

‘Then the king of the south shall grow strong, but one of his officers shall grow stronger than he and shall rule a realm greater than his own realm. After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to ratify the agreement. But she shall not retain her power, and his offspring shall not endure. She shall be given up, she and her attendants and her child and the one who supported her.

‘In those times a branch from her roots shall rise up in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall take action against them and prevail. Even their gods, with their idols and with their precious vessels of silver and gold, he shall carry off to Egypt as spoils of war. For some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north; then the latter shall invade the realm of the king of the south, but will return to his own land.

‘His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall advance like a flood and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. Moved with rage, the king of the south shall go out and do battle against the king of the north, who shall muster a great multitude, which shall, however, be defeated by his enemy. When the multitude has been carried off, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall overthrow tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, larger than the former, and after some years he shall advance with a great army and abundant supplies.

‘In those times many shall rise against the king of the south. The lawless among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfil the vision, but they shall fail. Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siege-works, and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, not even his picked troops, for there shall be no strength to resist. But he who comes against him shall take the actions he pleases, and no one shall withstand him. He shall take a position in the beautiful land, and all of it shall be in his power. He shall set his mind to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of peace and perform them. In order to destroy the kingdom, he shall give him a woman in marriage; but it shall not succeed or be to his advantage. Afterwards he shall turn to the coastlands, and shall capture many. But a commander shall put an end to his insolence; indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him.  Then he shall turn back towards the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.

‘Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an official for the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he shall be broken, though not in anger or in battle. In his place shall arise a contemptible person on whom royal majesty had not been conferred; he shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom through intrigue. Armies shall be utterly swept away and broken before him, and the prince of the covenant as well. And after an alliance is made with him, he shall act deceitfully and become strong with a small party. Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province and do what none of his predecessors had ever done, lavishing plunder, spoil, and wealth on them. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. He shall stir up his power and determination against the king of the south with a great army, and the king of the south shall wage war with a much greater and stronger army. But he shall not succeed, for plots shall be devised against him by those who eat of the royal rations. They shall break him, his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall slain. The two kings, their minds bent on evil, shall sit at one table and exchange lies. But it shall not succeed, for there remains an end at the time appointed. He shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. He shall work his will, and return to his own land.

‘At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but this time it shall not be as it was before. For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall lose heart and withdraw. He shall be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay heed to those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces sent by him shall occupy and profane the temple and fortress. They shall abolish the regular burnt-offering and set up the abomination that makes desolate. He shall seduce with intrigue those who violate the covenant; but the people who are loyal to their God shall stand firm and take action. The wise among the people shall give understanding to many; for some days, however, they shall fall by sword and flame, and suffer captivity and plunder. When they fall victim, they shall receive a little help, and many shall join them insincerely. Some of the wise shall fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and cleansed, until the time of the end, for there is still an interval until the time appointed.

‘The king shall act as he pleases. He shall exalt himself and consider himself greater than any god, and shall speak horrendous things against the God of gods. He shall prosper until the period of wrath is completed, for what is determined shall be done. He shall pay no respect to the gods of his ancestors, or to the one beloved by women; he shall pay no respect to any other god, for he shall consider himself greater than all. He shall honour the god of fortresses instead of these; a god whom his ancestors did not know he shall honour with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall make more wealthy, and shall appoint them as rulers over many, and shall distribute the land for a price.

‘At the time of the end the king of the south shall attack him. But the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. He shall advance against countries and pass through like a flood. He shall come into the beautiful land, and tens of thousands shall fall victim, but Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites shall escape from his power. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the riches of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall follow in his train. But reports from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to bring ruin and complete destruction to many. He shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with no one to help him.

Reflection

In recent readings we have worked through some grim material. Today’s chapter is a relentless recital of power politics at work. How many techniques did you spot that were also deployed by medieval kings and used in the plots of Shakespeare plays? Of course our generation is more sophisticated, so today we mark the 23rd anniversary of two passenger jets being used as guided missiles to fly into New York’s Twin Towers, ending 3,000 innocent lives.

It is intriguing to map this chapter onto the Middle Eastern history of the Greek, Persian and Roman Empires between the time of Daniel and Jesus. But perhaps there is another code to crack too.

First, notice how often these kings have to work themselves up into a fury before launching their wars. They know as well as we do that a state of war is not how human relationships are meant to work. It is easy enough to condemn any war as absurdly destructive and futile when you have no emotional investment in it. Those of us who have hosted Ukrainian refugees will have learnt that it is not so simple when your husband, your community and your country are at stake.

Secondly, the chapter is relentless because each war provokes retaliation. Pacifist and Christian soldier can agree that violence begets violence; even when violence is the least evil route, on its own it does not beget peace.

Thirdly, amidst 45 verses soaked in bloodshed just three verses mention the contrasting “wise” people. Enthusiasts for healthy Church Meetings rather than powerful Prince Bishops will spot these are not kings. Wherever the “wise” voice comes from, it can expect two consequences: persecution and that God will ultimately honour it.

So amidst whatever torrents of wrath pollute the news today, do not turn away. Sometimes kings do win battles but ultimately, somehow, God will ensure the wise will win the war.           

Prayer

“The king…shall exalt himself and consider himself greater than any god.”
True God,
we hold before you those who have power over nations.
We confess our small failings, those which when found in them can cause catastrophe.
We thank you for that Christian heritage which has placed accountability structures around those tempted to think they are gods.
We pray for the wise, that their victory is not too long delayed.    
Amen        

Daniel 10

In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. The word was true, and it concerned a great conflict. He understood the word, having received understanding in the vision.

At that time I, Daniel, had been mourning for three weeks. I had eaten no rich food, no meat or wine had entered my mouth, and I had not anointed myself at all, for the full three weeks. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris), I looked up and saw a man clothed in linen, with a belt of gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the roar of a multitude. I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; the people who were with me did not see the vision, though a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone to see this great vision. My strength left me, and my complexion grew deathly pale, and I retained no strength. Then I heard the sound of his words; and when I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a trance, face to the ground.

But then a hand touched me and roused me to my hands and knees. He said to me, ‘Daniel, greatly beloved, pay attention to the words that I am going to speak to you. Stand on your feet, for I have now been sent to you.’ So while he was speaking this word to me, I stood up trembling. He said to me, ‘Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. So Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia, and have come to help you understand what is to happen to your people at the end of days. For there is a further vision for those days.’

While he was speaking these words to me, I turned my face towards the ground and was speechless. Then one in human form touched my lips, and I opened my mouth to speak, and said to the one who stood before me, ‘My lord, because of the vision such pains have come upon me that I retain no strength. How can my lord’s servant talk with my lord? For I am shaking, no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.’

Again one in human form touched me and strengthened me. He said, ‘Do not fear, greatly beloved, you are safe. Be strong and courageous!’ When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, ‘Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.’ Then he said, ‘Do you know why I have come to you? Now I must return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I am through with him, the prince of Greece will come. But I am to tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth. There is no one with me who contends against these princes except Michael, your prince.

Reflection

I wonder how different our society might be if it were less profit-driven and more prophet-driven. In Joel 2, that prophet describes how God will pour out the Holy Spirit on everyone; that the older generation will dream dreams and the young will see visions, just as Daniel does here. We often think of Daniel as the young man in the lion’s den, but this is nearly seventy years later. He’d have been well into his eighties, at least. 

It’s a bit of a weird dream, to be honest, and its effect on Daniel is overpowering. But repeatedly the angel reassures him: Do not be afraid, God loves you very much. The vision, prophesying what is to come, is granted to him because of his prayerful lifestyle, his desire to know and follow God. 

So what about us? Joel states that God’s Spirit is for everyone: young, old and in between. But in our modern day world we’ve become cynical and sceptical. Talk of dreams and visions and people will look at you as though you’re crazy. We’re conditioned to consider these things fantasy, tricks of the imagination, signs of mental illness even. But might we therefore be risking closing our ears to a message from God?  How do we discern when that dream, that vision, really is God-given? 

And who are we prepared to listen to? I would hazard that we hold slightly more regard for the prophecy of the middle-aged than we do for the very young and the more elderly. I recall in my first staff meeting as a new teacher having a good suggestion quashed: “My dear young lady, when you’ve been teaching as long as I have, you’ll realise …. ” Are we open to hearing God speak through our children? Our young people? Our elderly? And how would our priorities change? 

Prayer 

Pour your spirit on me, Lord.  May I discern your will. 
Open my ears to your word: 
Through dreams and visions, through scripture, through experience, 
In the stillness and in the busyness of life. 
May I not be skewed by prejudice or cynicism,
But open to expect your words through whomever you choose, 
considering prayerfully and faithfully 
What you might be saying to the church, to society, to me. 
Amen
 

Daniel 9: 20 – 27

While I was speaking, and was praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God on behalf of the holy mountain of my God — while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen before in a vision, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He came and said to me, ‘Daniel, I have now come out to give you wisdom and understanding.  At the beginning of your supplications a word went out, and I have come to declare it, for you are greatly beloved. So consider the word and understand the vision:

‘Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city: to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.  Know therefore and understand: from the time that the word went out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the time of an anointed prince, there shall be seven weeks; and for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with streets and moat, but in a troubled time. After the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing, and the troops of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.  He shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall make sacrifice and offering cease; and in their place shall be an abomination that desolates, until the decreed end is poured out upon the desolator.’

Reflection

We are deep in history and deep in mystery. Those who know far more than I suggest these verses take us to Seluicid (Syrian) kings who overtake Alexander the Great’s empire after his death in 323 BC. One, Antiochus IV, wrought havoc and horror for the Jews. Our text ends with Jerusalem’s devastation; “an abomination that desecrates.” Antiochus, like so many before and since, weaponised religion for empire. He personally walked into the Temple’s Holy of Holies and ordered gold and silver to be stripped. Later, he banned Temple worship, replacing it with an altar to Zeus; a Greek idol worshipped at the heart of the Jewish world’s holiest place. The second commandment obliterated. Jewish rebellion and massacres followed.

History unfolds its horrors as it always does across the Bible’s pages. And into the story, as always, comes the word from God. That word comes in conversation as Daniel prays the evening prayers. There is confession, “my sin and the sin of my people…” There is comfort, “you are greatly loved.” And there is judgement, “to the end there shall be war.” This is strange, alarming faith. Maybe its fury and fear feel impossibly remote. 

But what if this text wants us to learn to discern God at work in the events of history? What if Daniel’s conviction that the world is God’s arena far more than humanity’s stage needs to shape our vision and conduct more and more? What might the messengers say into our prayers as we look to our times? What might we hear from God as climate catastrophe unfolds and habitats collapse? How might our prayers dig ever deeper into wars’ realities and causes? Where might God point us as we debate migration and asylum, empire and racism, injustice and greed, identity and voting?

What might we need to confess? How might we see God judging us? And, crucially alongside both of these, how might we discern that we and all creation are also greatly loved?       

Prayer

Daniel’s world is not the world we know.
But other empires captivate and control us.
We live where money, 
and the power money brings,
works to bless and to blind us.
We live with plenty of violence
and much anguish.
Living God,
in your judgement, 
forgive us.
In your love and mercy,
set us free.
Inspire in us your holy habit
of listening for your voice,
and acting upon it.
In Christ’s name.
Amen