23 August - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Year A

The Faith Action Programme would like to thank the National Stewardship Team writing pool for their thoughts on the thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost.

Introduction

Many of the lectionary texts throughout August raise themes of God's generosity and our response to it. In preparing material for this month, the national stewardship team held a series of online conversations to discuss how the texts spoke into these themes. We are grateful to Ken Brown, Janet Dick, Jo Love, Douglas Monaghan, Fiona Penny, Lucy Peppiatt, Darren Philip, Katherine Southern and Pauline Wilson for contributing to these discussions. Each week's themes were explored by reading all four texts aloud and inviting each person to respond to the question, "What stood out to you?" One participant then used these observations as inspiration to produce the worship material for each week. This could offer a model for exploring the texts with a small group in your own context and developing worship collaboratively.

Each week's material stands alone, or the month can be followed together as a series unpacking the generous nature of God and our response to it. Additional resources and support for exploring themes of generosity and stewardship are available by contacting stewardship@churchofscotland.org.uk.

This week, Janet Dick, Mission and Discipleship Development Worker for the Presbytery of the North East and the Northern Isles, reflects on the gifts generously given by God and how we can share these for the good of others.

Isaiah 51:1-6

Encouragement is to be found in these words. When we are striving to follow God, we are to remember where we came from and what we are grounded in. We are ‘chips off the old block' – like rocks carved out from a quarry, we carry within us the same properties as the rock we were hewn from, and therefore also all the other stones cut from there. Looking to the forefathers of our faith, we find reassurance that, just as God was with them, so too is God with us.

The passage speaks of regeneration, as emphasised in the series of contrasts found in verse 3: from ruins and deserts there will be rebuilding and replenishing. Where the land was once barren, a garden will flourish. How often do we find ourselves feeling dry and drained? Here we find the promise that the Lord will refresh and renew us. There is reassurance not to become despondent when working for righteousness, even though it may be hard and dark, for God's justice will be a light to all people.

Sometimes we may feel like we aren't making a difference; that our attempts to bring equality, justice and balance to this world are just a drop in the ocean. But here we are encouraged that our hope is not in the fleeting things of this world but our trust is in God and God's justice, whose salvation will never fail.

Psalm 138

If you are not using this psalm as one of your readings this morning, I would suggest using it as your call to worship or including it within your opening prayer.

In the NIV translation, the Psalm opens, "I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart." Let our worship be wholehearted. At times we may find ourselves in church by rote or habit; it is easy for our minds to be elsewhere. This psalm speaks of the glory of God and reminds us of who God is and all that God has done and is doing for us, while evoking in us a heartfelt response to glorify God.

Verse 6 echoes the themes of justice and righteousness found in the Isaiah passage – "the Lord will look kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar." There is no one who is beneath God's notice; God sees and cares for all people and will ensure that they are all given the justice they deserve.

And in verse 7, just as in the Isaiah text, in those times when we may feel like we are struggling, we are given the promise that in all circumstances, God is with us and will protect and strengthen us.

Romans 12:1-8

This reading opens with a reminder from Paul that we are in the world but we are not of it. Verse 2 tells us "not to conform to the pattern of this world" (NIV). What brilliant words! All too often Christianity could be seen as conventional, something staid and dull. But it is not. We are to be counter-cultural, a revolutionary movement that is clearly not following the patterns of our world. We are ‘other'; a vibrant and exciting presence within this world that does not conform to the status-quo but instead follows our Saviour and turns the normal order on its head.

As Paul moves to discussing gifts, it is important to recognise that all too often talk of ‘gifts' becomes talk of ‘talents': ‘gifted' and ‘talented' are often used synonymously. ‘Gift', however, can be all-encompassing (for example, cheerfulness is a gift, but not a talent) and whereas talents can be self-developed, a gift always requires a giver. In Paul's reminder not to think of ourselves too highly, we are urged to have humility and to see the skills we have as being given to us, rather than something that we can take credit for. The gifts that we possess have been bestowed upon us, the recipients of them. If we hold that mindset, rather than the mindset of the world, then we can begin to view the gifts we have been given as something that should be shared with those around us rather than something that we are applauded for. As the Basis of Union of the Uniting Church in Australia puts it, "there is no gift without its corresponding service."

I like this quotation from C.S. Lewis that speaks of this very idea: "A man is not usually called upon to have an opinion of his own talents at all, since he can very well go on improving them to the best of his ability without deciding on his own precise niche in the temple of Fame. [Man] did not create themselves ... their talents were given them, and they might as well be proud of the colour of their hair." C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters.

Verses 6-8 in the reading are so relevant to the context of stewardship, calling us to take what we have been given and use it for the glory of God. Often we think only of bigger gifts like ministry or preaching, but here we see everyone is included, every gift matters and all that each of us has can be used in serving God in the everyday things of life. Think of those who have encouraged you in your own faith journey. Their actions might not always have been grand or dramatic, but they made a difference to you.

The final exhortation in the passage throws up another surprising contrast: be cheerful when you show mercy. Cheerfulness may not be what we usually associate with mercy. We might expect gravitas and solemnity, but here the encouragement is to be cheerful – a rather upbeat and unassuming way to behave. We are to be generous with what we have been given and use our gifts diligently at all times, in the large things and in the small; in the everyday and in the extraordinary.

Further reflections on this text can be found in the stewardship team's ‘Gifts': Worship Starter; ‘Body': Bible Study; and ‘Time': Bible Study, and supporting materials for use with children, young people and intergenerationally are available in Gifts: Exploring Generosity. These are all available on the Narrative of Generosity Resources page of the Church of Scotland website: (https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about-us/departments/stewardship/a-narrative-of-generosity) orby request from stewardship@churchofscotland.org.uk.

Matthew 16:13-20

This can be a very familiar passage from Matthew, but its position in the lectionary allows us to draw a parallel between the name given to Peter and the language of ‘rocks' in the Isaiah text.

Jesus first asks the disciples, "Who do others say I am?", then goes further, asking how the disciples themselves would answer that question. Here we see Jesus as their teacher, their rabbi, drawing out a response from the disciples, allowing them to come to the answer. All the private explanations Jesus had given them, all the times He had helped them understand the parables, Jesus was teaching them, helping them to come to this point where they would recognise who He is.

So often people come close to understanding who Jesus is, but they are not quite there. The answer of the disciples in verse 14 is reminiscent of the road to Emmaus story in Luke 24:19, when again His own followers name Jesus as a prophet. It is only human to try to put things in a category that we can understand; there had been prophets before, powerful men and women sent by God and filled by God's Spirit. It's only natural that those who encountered Jesus would categorise Him as the same as those who had come before. Humans don't like the unfamiliar; the unknown can be frightening. It wouldn't be easy to take the next step, venturing out into the unknown, and recognising that Jesus was something new, something greater than anyone who had come before.

Of course, it is Peter who answers. It is always Peter who is impetuous, who isn't afraid to speak. Just as in the gospel reading two weeks ago, physically stepping out of the boat into the water, so now he takes a spiritual step and names Jesus as the Messiah, the son of the living God. And Jesus rewards Peter for his courage and honesty, blessing him and using a pun on his name – calling Peter the rock upon which He will build His Church.

And once established, His Church shall not be overcome; not even the gates of hell itself can stand against it. Compare this to the reading from Isaiah: everything on earth will fade and pass away but God's Church will endure forever.

Sermon ideas

There are three images that stand out to me from the readings, each of which might offer an idea for a sermon or worship response:

Sharing

With children, you could speak of what can be shared, perhaps illustrating this with a bag of sweets. You are happy to pass them around but there simply won't be enough for everyone. Even if you cut them in half, some people will still miss out. Some things can only be shared in a limited way but there are other things which can be shared in a way which will never run out. God has given us all different gifts that we are to use to help those around us.

One of those gifts is to be encouraging. What's a way that we can encourage someone? Give them words of support, be there for them, how about smiling at them? A simple thing, but don't you feel better when someone smiles at you? It's a great example of how we can share something with others that will never run out. See if you can encourage your congregation to pass a smile along, looking at the person next to you and properly smiling, then they in turn smile to their neighbour. We might not feel comfortable looking people in the eye, but we are a family here and it is for us to encourage each other. One smile soon multiplies, spreads to the whole congregation and is carried out into the world. In the same way, all the gifts God gives us should be shared.

Stones

Today's readings give us a great opportunity to use physical resources within the service. Give each member of the congregation a stone to hold in their hand. In relation to Matthew's gospel, ask them to think about their own foundations. What is it that they base their life upon? What is the rock upon which they are grounded? Or, using the Isaiah passage, ask them to reflect on their own journey of faith. A geologist can look at a rock and tell which quarry it has been hewn from because it shares particular properties. Where have they been cut from? How does the way we live reflect the properties of the God who created us? Who has cut and formed and shaped us? Do they think of a church where they were raised in faith? Did they have a moment when they came to Christ that shaped them? There is a wonderful reflection on this by Kate McIlhagga called Remember the Rock from which you were hewn, which invites people to reflect on their journey of faith while holding a pebble. It can be found in Dandelions and Thistles, edited by Jan Sutch Pickard(Wild Goose Publications, 1998).

Stones also link to the idea of endurance. The rocks which people hold and touch are millennia old and will last many more millennia to come. Yet even rocks can wear and erode. The assurance in the Gospel is that, unlike earthly things which fade and pass, the Church of God will endure forever – even beyond the lifetime of these stones!

Gifts

There is also an opportunity to allow the congregation to reflect on what gifts they have been given. We are so quick to compliment others on their skills, but what do we ourselves have to offer? Some time could be given to allowing your congregation to think on what gifts they have been given by God and how these could be used to serve others. Helping people to see their gifts as a reflection of God's generous providing will help them not to think that they are being big-headed in recognising the gifts they have!

In Matthew 16:17, Jesus makes it clear that Peter did not reach his conclusion through his own understanding, but rather by the gift of faith from God. The reading from Romans continues the theme of divine gifts that are bestowed upon us. We are reminded in both these passages that we are not acting in our own strength; we do not achieve anything under our own steam, but rather it is in taking what God has given us and using it to the benefit of others that we are serving God. Note that Jesus didn't rebuke the other disciples for not reaching the same conclusion as quickly as Peter, but rather, glorifies God for enabling Peter to understand. We should not compare ourselves to anyone else, but be thankful for "the faith God has distributed to each of you" (Romans 12:3, NIV).

Prayers

Gathering prayer
God of all,
As we have gathered together in Your house,
we turn our hearts and our minds to our worship.
We wish to pause,
to take a moment to leave behind us all the distractions and demands that usually fill our thoughts.

We lay at Your feet all that has gone before us in the past week,
the things we regret, tasks left undone, words uttered in anger,
the things we wish we could forget, mistakes made, moments that made us uncomfortable;
the things that brought us joy, time spent with family, the laughter of friends.

All of these, and so much more, we lay down at Your feet.
Still our troubled minds, renew our tired hearts and give us a spirit of praise.
For we wish to draw closer to You,
to offer songs of worship,
to hear Your word from scripture,
to learn more about You.
Lord, let us enter Your presence,
for there is nowhere on earth that we would rather be.
Amen.

Prayer of thanksgiving and Confession
Loving Lord,
This is a day which You have made: the night ended and the sun rose at Your command.
In the same way that You spoke and called the whole earth into being
so too have You created this day.
It is a gift, this new day,
a blessing filled with opportunities and overflowing with potential.
We should rejoice with all creation;
with the sun, moon, stars and the heavens we should praise Your name.
The whole world tells of Your glory
and we should join in with heartfelt adoration and gratitude
celebrating all that You have done for us.

And yet Lord, we must confess
that all too often we have rejected rather than rejoiced.
We are quick to grumble over what we imagine
we lack rather than give thanks for all we already have.
We calculate what we should have instead of counting our blessings
and all too often we spot problems before we see the potential;
focusing on failure rather than looking at what can be done.

We ask that You will forgive us
for all the times that we place ourselves before our neighbours;
when our desires are prioritised and the needs of others are ignored;
when our greed overrules our consciences
and we hoard our blessings instead of sharing freely with those around us.

Father, we pray that You will renew and refresh us;
shatter our hearts of stone and fill us with a love for all people;
break our stubborn wills and reshape us into the folk You would have us be.
Let us truly be Your people, Your followers.

In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.

And hear us as together we say the words which Jesus taught the disciples:
Our Father….

Prayers of intercession
Caring and compassionate God,
We have gathered here in Your house;
an ordinary place made extraordinary through the presence of Your Holy Spirit.
And just as we have faith that You have heard the praises we have sung
and have received the worship we have given,
so too do we trust that You will listen to our prayers
as now we bring before You those in need throughout Your world.

We pray for all people who need to be refreshed by Your Holy Spirit;
those whose lives have become stale and stagnant,
who cry out for Your cleansing water,
needing it to renew their spirits,
washing away all that is decayed and making everything clean within them.

We pray also for those people whose faith has run dry;
who are spiritually parched and need to be blessed again by Your living water
which alone offers new life and sustenance.

We think also of those who are feeling swamped and bogged down;
people who are in danger of sinking as they are overwhelmed by the pressures of daily life. We ask that You will calm the storms which threaten them
and restore in them a sense of faith and peace.

And now, in the holy silence of Your church
we bring before You our individual prayers,
laying at Your feet all those people and situations in need of Your grace.

(Hold a time of silence)

Father, we place all these things into Your hands,
firm in the belief that You have heard and will answer our prayers,
though we know not how or when,
but we trust in the love of Your Son,
in whose precious name we pray. Amen.

Dedication of offering
Lord God,
We bring before You our gifts of money
not because we must, but because we may;
not because we are instructed, but because we are invited;
not because we are forced, but because we are free;
not because we are driven by guilt, but because we have received Your abundant grace.

Thank You for all that You have done and are doing for us;
there is nothing that we can give to ever fully express our gratitude for the countless blessings You have given to us.
Even if the whole realm of nature were ours it would still be too small
and so we give what we can, that which You most earnestly desire;
not our gold, our possessions or our power, but instead our very selves, our humble hearts. Take us, use us we pray, as living offerings so that we may be used to Your glory and to further the work of Your kingdom.
Amen.

Musical suggestions

God Welcomes All (GWA) is the new supplement to Church Hymnary Fourth Edition. This exciting new collection features over 200 hymns and songs in a wide range of styles by writers from Scotland and around the world.

The full music and words-only versions are now available; and digital resources, including the expansion of the existing Church of Scotland music website, will be published in due course, with streaming functions and further information on each song; backing tracks; and lyric videos. God Welcomes All is available to order from https://chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9781786225573/god-welcomes-all

Our online music resource is on the Church of Scotland website; you can listen to samples of every song in the Church Hymnary 4th edition (CH4) and download a selection of recordings for use in worship. You will also find playlists for this week and liturgical seasons and themes on the Weekly Worship and Inspire Me tabs.

You can find further musical suggestions for this week in a range of styles on the Songs for Sunday blog from Trinity College Glasgow.

• GWA 133 – "Thank God for saints of seasoned age" – We recognise the gifts of those in our church communities who have led the way or walked beside us.

For a full list of GWA songs for a Narrative of Generosity, see the Additional Material for this month.

• CH4 95 – "I shall praise you, O God, from my soul (Psalm 138)" – A psalm of thanksgiving grounded in God's steadfast love and faithfulness. It affirms confidence in God's promises and could frame reflection on the rock on which our lives are built.

• CH4 198 – "Let us build a house where love can dwell" – This hymn expresses the vision of a community shaped by God's gifts and grace. It reflects the call in Romans to live as one body, where each person contributes to the life and encouragement of the whole.

• CH4 251 – "I, the Lord of sea and sky" – A hymn of calling and response, highlighting God's initiative in equipping and sending people. It connects with the theme that all we offer comes first as a gift from God.

• CH4 392 – "When I survey the wondrous cross" – A reflective hymn focusing on Christ's self-giving love. It invites a response of humility and gratitude, recognising that all we have and all we are flows from God's grace.

• CH4 502 – "Take my life, Lord, let it be" – A hymn of dedication, offering all of life in response to God's gifts. It aligns closely with Romans 12 and the call to present ourselves in service using what God has given.

• CH4 503 – "I will offer up my life in spirit and truth" – A modern expression of self-offering and commitment. It reinforces the theme of responding to God's generosity by sharing our gifts for the benefit of others.

• CH4 625 – "O Thou who camest from above" – A prayer for inward transformation and faithful service. It reflects the desire that God's gift within us might be stirred into action for the good of the community.

• MP 249/SoGP 45 – "Our God reigns (How lovely on the mountains)" – A joyful proclamation of God's saving power and sovereignty, this hymn echoes Peter's confession in the Gospel, and celebrates the good news entrusted to God's people.

Reflecting on our worship practice

Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, the way we worship has changed and we need to reflect on the changing or newly established patterns that emerged and continue to emerge as a result of the disruption.

We can facilitate worship for all by exploring imaginative approaches to inclusion, participation and our use of technologies in ways that suit our contexts. This is not an exhaustive list, but some things we could consider are:

• Framing various parts of the worship service in accessible language to help worshippers understand the character and purpose of each part. This is essential for creating worship for all (intergenerational worship) that reflects your community of faith.
• Holding spaces for reflection and encouraging prayer to be articulated in verbal and non-verbal ways, individually and in online breakout rooms.
• In online formats the effective use of the chat function and microphone settings encourages active participation in prayer, e.g. saying the Lord's Prayer together unmuted, in a moment of ‘holy chaos'.
• While singing in our congregations is still restricted, we can worship corporately by using antiphonal psalm readings, creeds and participative prayers.
• Using music and the arts as part of the worship encourages the use of imagination in place of sung or spoken words.
• Use of silence, sensory and kinaesthetic practices allow for experience and expression beyond regular audio and visual mediums.

The following questions might help you develop a habit of reflecting on how we create and deliver content and its effectiveness and impact, and then applying what we learn to develop our practice.

• How inclusive was the worship?
  Could the worship delivery and content be described as worship for all/ intergenerational?
  Was it sensitive to different "Spiritual Styles"?
• How was the balance between passive and active participation?
• How were people empowered to connect with or encounter God?
  What helped this?
  What hindered this?
• How cohesive was the worship?
  Did it function well as a whole?
  How effective was each of the individual elements in fulfilling its purpose?
• How balanced was the worship?
  What themes/topics/doctrines/areas of Christian life were included?
• How did the worship connect with your context/contemporary issues?
  Was it relevant in the everyday lives of those attending and in the wider parish/ community?
  How well did the worship connect with local and national issues?
  How well did the worship connect with world events/issues?
• What have I learned that can help me next time I plan and deliver worship?

Useful links

You can listen to samples of every song in the Church Hymnary 4th edition (CH4) and download a selection of recordings for use in worship in our online hymnary.

You are free to download, project, print and circulate multiple copies of any of this material for use in worship services, bible studies, parish magazines, etc., but reproduction for commercial purposes is not permitted.

Please note that the views expressed in these materials are those of the individual writer and not necessarily the official view of the Church of Scotland, which can be laid down only by the General Assembly.