Clackmannan Parish Church of Scotland

Worship Sunday 10th May 2020

New Series:

‘An Unknown Landscape’

Week 1 of 5: Changed Reality

Welcome… A warm welcome to each of you. If you have come to this website for the first time, welcome! If you have come here each week since lockdown, welcome! If you are missing the familiar joy of worshipping alongside others, welcome! For today, apart and in our own scattered homes, we remember that we are one church family, and we gather together, in spirit, to worship and to praise our wonderful God! Apart: but forever joined together in Love. Apart: but forever part of Christ’s church. Apart: but never alone. So, let us worship, knowing that the physical gathering or the familiar buildings do not make us one! Love holds us together. Love makes us one. One body, one church, one family. All held in the loving care of one, true, living God. The Psalmist calls out, “Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!” Lord God, we come, and we worship you! So, hear us as we pray together, from our scattered homes and our united hearts.

Prayer Almighty, eternal God, Who is there like you? Who else could string the night-sky with stars? Or salt the vast oceans, or provide manna in the desert? Who else could make the mountains bow down and the flowers dress in splendour? Or walk on water, or bring sight to blind eyes or look deep into troubled souls and bring healing Who else could be too holy to look upon, yet choose to be seen in the face of a new-born baby? Only you, God! For no other god is like you! No other god can bring life! You alone are God, and we bow before you: humbled to know we are loved by you, strengthened to know we are redeemed by you, and ready to be forgiven afresh by you. For today Loving God, even as we offer our worship and our praise, We know that we have sinned against you. We have sinned because we are weak, stubborn, proud. We have sinned because we are lazy or uncaring in our attitudes. Self-centred or jealous. Angry or bitter. The list could go on and on Lord. But there are specific things too, Lord. And there are things we cannot even face or name. So, help us to be honest and open with you. Enable us to confess the sins we have committed. And reveal to us, Holy Spirit, the sins that we do not even recognise, or that we try to keep hidden. Speak to me, Holy Spirit… Loving God, I am sorry for …... Forgive me, God. Help me to turn away from these things forever. Loving God we thank you for the forgiveness you offer us through Jesus, and we continue to pray now in the way that he taught his disciples to pray. So hear us – his disciples today – as we say:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen From God’s word … John 20:30-31 and John 21:20-25 The New International (UK) version is included here, but please do try to read from your own bible at home. John 20:30-31 says: Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Then moving to John 21:20-25 we read: Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, ‘Lord, who is going to betray you?’). When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’ Because of this, the rumour spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?’ This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Reflection: If I asked you to sum up the last few months, I wonder what you would focus on? Without having to guess too hard, I think I could confidently say that most of us would speak about the changes to our daily lives that have come about because of the coronavirus. I would hear phrases such as ‘uncertain times’, ‘new normal’, or ‘changed reality’. I would hear people speak about fear, anxiety, and suffering. Some of us have personal connections to people who have been ill, or who have died due to the virus, so there would be acknowledgement of pain and death and grief. It is very likely that there would also be expressions of frustration, and perhaps even anger, because our freedom has been restricted and our choices controlled. Covid-19 now has a place in our collective experience of life that none of us could have predicted or anticipated just a few short months ago. Yet, it is currently the main focus of our attention, and just about the only topic that features in news and current affairs programmes on TV, or in various types of printed or online media. It can feel like there is no escape from the virus or its potentially deadly consequences, even when following the official guidance by staying at home. It is little wonder then, that so many people are anxious – about both lockdown and any potential easing of current restrictions on movement and activities. Both options have people worried. Both options require difficult decisions to be made by political leaders, and both options have serious potential consequences. There are no easy answers or easy ways out of this current public health crisis, and that is because we are in what might be called an ‘unknown landscape’. Our political leaders are trying to lead us through this crisis – often by making the best decisions they can based on the information available to them at any given point. We might agree or disagree with their approach, but who among us would willingly step up and make the sort of decisions they are having to make each day? Perhaps it is no surprise that some differences in approach are now beginning to emerge amongst the individual nations of the UK. Past and current experience, as well as expectations and hopes for the future are not and never will be exactly the same for all four nations. Economic and finance issues, health and social care provision, governance arrangements, and any number of other factors all play a part in the process of making decisions about how to deal with the crisis created by Covid-19. Protecting the common good is not always an easy task when decisions need to be made in light of the pressure, expectations and demands from those who are affected. Especially when there is no certainty or guarantee about how things will work out in the future. Decisions and actions are taken with the hope that they are the right ones in relation to bringing the crisis under control. Yet sometimes those very same decisions and actions are actually very hard to live with because they bring unwanted and unwelcome changes, and those changes leave us feeling uncertain about what is still to come. It is that lack of certainty that makes the future an unknown landscape. The prospect of having to cope with change and danger as we work through the crisis can feel really daunting, and the possibility that things might never be the same again can feel scary beyond what we think we can cope with. Perhaps, though, there is a different way to see all of this. God, our God, has promised to be with us – always, and in all things. He showed us the truth of that promise when he sent his Son to live among us and share our experience of life. Jesus did not by-pass the messy

reality or the difficulty that we encounter so often as we journey through life. He experienced all of that too. He found himself in situations that were challenging and painful. At those moments he needed to trust God and he needed to be clear about of God’s purpose and plan – and especially about his place and his role within it. By doing that he was able to be very real and present to those around him. He was able to show by example how to face and respond to all things in the sure and certain knowledge that God was ultimately in control. His disciples saw that approach for themselves, time and time again, and it was one of the last things Jesus focused on before returning to his Father in heaven. There is a profound lesson in that for each of us as we face not just this current crisis, but life as we each experience it. Have another wee look at those verses we read earlier. The first short section we read has a deliberate purpose – to remind us that we are reading the Gospel, the Good News about Jesus and what Jesus has done. We are reading a direct appeal to discover this Jesus for ourselves, and to respond by sharing that Good News with others. John is not offering us a complete history or autobiography on the life and work of Jesus. He is not trying to convince us that there is a great deal of detail we need to understand and get clear in our minds so that we can make a decision that removes doubt and uncertainty from our lives. No, he is doing the very thing that Jesus wants him to do – being a witness for Christ by testifying to his own experience. It has been said that “[T]o this day, the final argument for Christianity is Christian experience”1, and John is demonstrating the truth of that statement very clearly. When we consider the rest of today’s reading, we see Jesus comforting, reassuring, and comissioning disciples who were uncertain of the future. They were facing the prospect of entering an uncertain landscape and doing that without their beloved friend and Master being physically by their sides. Jesus took time to ensure that they understood that all he was asking of them was that they should each focus on the task he was now giving them. The task was different for each one. The landscape would be different for each one. The challenge and outcome would be different for each one. But the certainty in an unknown landscape is the same for each one – Jesus is real, present, and in control. We are disciples too, and Jesus is calling us to be sure of the difference that makes to our lives and to our situations. He is urging us to look to him for meaning, purpose and life itself. He is asking us to bear witness to who he is and what he has done. He is asking us to reach others with that Good News. He is asking us to be at peace and be faithful and effective witnesses, even in an uncertain landscape. His is for us even – and perhaps especially – when life seems challenging, uncertain and without hope. There is nothing new in that, for God has always been present with his people and in control. We need to remind ourselves of that truth often, and it can be helpful to do that by looking at others who have faced challenges and uncertainty and exploring how they responded. We can discover things about the way God was at work in and through them, and that can bring real encouragement to us as disciples. So, for the next few weeks, we will be looking at some stories of faith being exercised in unknown landscapes. We will think about how

1Barclay, William New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of John, vol 2 (Edin: St Andrew Press, 2001), p335

life can change rapidly, and what effect that can have. We will consider how faith can shape responses, and also how God is always at work. And we will do this as God’s people, his beloved children who, like others before us, are now in an unknown landscape. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you will simply be sitting at home reading nice stories that might help to encourage you until life gets back to ‘normal’ though. Friends, we might well be apart and unable to gather together in the church building today, but we are still worshipping – and that means we are coming deliberately into God’s presence to seek God, to experience God, and to be changed by God! If we want to worship God, we must encounter God, and it is impossible to truly encounter God and be untouched and unchanged by that encounter. In this new and unknown landscape there is a good deal of uncertainty about what can be done right now and what might be possible in future with regards to our ‘church’ life. Worship looks and feels very different, but what we do today might not be what we do tomorrow or next week or next month. Physically gathering together might be impossible for a long time yet. Precious aspects of how we understand and express our faith might have to be on hold or perhaps even set aside. As we worship together at home in this unknown landscape, my prayer is that we will discover that we share it not just with each other, but with God and his people who have been there before us. Jesus lived died and rose again. That fact changed life for those who believed. It took them into a new relationship with God through Jesus, and it does the same for us today. Yes, our landscape is new, unknown and ever changing. But, as Jesus himself taught his disciples, that brings opportunities and possibilities, too, because God is with us, God is for us, and God will guide us!!! Pease pray with me. Jesus, our Saviour, friend, brother, Help us to be witnesses to you; shepherds to those who need to be cared for; and proclaimers of truth to those who need life. Let our lives be a glorious testimony of faith, for your own dear sake, Amen. Our offerings… Whenever we consider making an offering to God, we should do it with a willing and glad heart. Remember that Jesus looked on the widow as she made her offering at the temple. He did not speak about how little she put in – rather, he commended her willingness to give everything she had! When we are more concerned about honouring God than holding tightly to what we have received we end up giving generously.

Think about your own offering, or tithe or gift. What does it say about your own dependence on God? Give after prayerful thought and consideration. Then trust God to enable us to use it wisely in line with his will. Let’s pray and dedicate all that we offer, and as we do that let’s also remember the needs of others at home and around the world. Bless our offerings, our tithes and our gifts Lord. Bless what is given in cash, or through the banking system. Bless the resources, the time, and the talents we give back to you. And use it all to build your kingdom here on earth. For there are so many people who still need to hear the Good News of Jesus. There are so many people who need to experience the love that you have for them. And there are still so many people whose lives could be transformed by being exposed to your kingdom values. We ask you, Good and Gracious God, to bring hope and life and peace and healing to those in need and we pray especially… for those in countries where war or famine wreak havoc; for those who live in a constant state of fear; for those whose daily routine is blighted by physical pain; for those who are trying to cope with the devastating effects of poverty; for those who… We pray, too, for our own families, and our friends. In these challenging times we miss so much about being with those we love, but we know you care for them and that you care about them. When we think of our loved ones, and ourselves, we give thanks for….. and we are concerned about….. We trust you with our prayers, Heavenly Father, and we ask for the patience to wait for your answers. Loving God, We know you will hear and answer our prayers, but we do not simply ask and turn away, leaving it all to you. We want to be labourers in the field, co-workers of Christ, so that your kingdom grows, and your will is done here on earth. So, change us, Lord, even as we pray now.

Soften our hearts and make them compassionate like yours, so that we may be more attuned to the needs of others. Invade our hearts and plant love that reaches outwards, so that we may look at others and see them as you do. Open our minds and deepen our understanding of your kingdom values, so that we may challenge injustice, work for peace and be a beacon of light and hope. Set our hearts on fire with an ever-growing passion for Jesus, so that we may live in ways that proclaim the gospel and lead others to know Christ. Holy Spirit, teach us how to hear you, equip us to be faithful disciples, and give us opportunities to be dependent upon you. We pray all this in Jesus’s name, and for his glory. Amen We have worshipped together, and it is good to know that others have also shared in this act of worship. We might not be going out from a building, but we can love and serve the Lord in our own particular situations in the weeks ahead. We are in an unknown landscape, and we will be travelling here for some time to come. Use this time and this opportunity to grow closer to God, through Jesus. Remember you are loved. Be certain you have hope. And let faith guide you. The blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Be with you and those you love, Now and always, Amen Remember that you are welcome to get in touch with me at any time, either just to chat and share concerns or good news, or to ask for help. Call me on 01259 211255 or 07824 505211, or if you prefer you can email me (RClark@churchofscotland.org.uk). If I am not available, please leave a message and I will contact you as soon as I can.