19 July - Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – Year A

The Faith Action Programme would like to thank Rev Jade MacLean, Minister at Cromdale & Advie Parish Church linked with Grantown & Dulnain Bridge Parish Church, for her thoughts on the eighth Sunday after Pentecost.

Introduction

The lectionary readings for this week circle around a surprising and deeply reassuring theme: the patient, compassionate justice of God. In a world often hungry for quick judgement, immediate results, and clear separation between ‘good' and ‘bad', these passages invite us into a slower, more gracious vision of how God works within human history and within our own lives and this is something that we all need to be reminded about from time to time – or at least I do.

In Wisdom of Solomon 12, God's power is revealed not through harshness but through mercy. Psalm 86 is the prayer of someone who knows they rely entirely on God's gracious character. Romans 8 speaks into the tension of living between what is now and what is still to come, while Matthew 13 offers Jesus' parable of the wheat and the weeds, challenging our instinct to tidy up the field before the harvest.

Preparing material for this week, I found myself sitting with the discomfort of the parable. I read the passages slowly over several days before turning to any commentaries, allowing the images and themes to grow and settle: weeds and wheat growing together, creation groaning, a God who is "kindly disposed to all". I found my thoughts drawn to current experience — both personal and communal — areas where we long for things to be sorted out, resolved, or made clear. These texts gently resist that longing, suggesting instead that growth, maturity, and discernment take time.

My approach to shaping this material was to ask: Where do we feel the urge to rush God? Where are we tempted to do God's sorting work? And what might it mean to trust the patience of divine love, hard as that may be? I then allowed these questions to shape the prayers, sermon ideas, and music suggestions that follow.

For worship leaders, this week offers rich opportunities to explore themes of patience, growth, hope, and trust, especially in congregations where people may be living with unresolved situations, grief, uncertainty, or change – and let us be honest, many of these circumstances and emotions can be found not only in the wider world, our communities and our families, but sadly also in our churches.

The good news is that this rich source of material can be adapted for quiet, reflective worship or for more interactive engagement with the parable and its imagery – depending on what it is that you and your congregation require.

Wisdom of Solomon 12:13, 16-19

This passage offers a striking theology of power. God's sovereignty is not expressed through domination but through mercy and restraint. "Although you are sovereign in strength, you judge fairly." That phrase in verse 18 immediately caught my attention.

The context is a reflection on God's dealings with the nations, yet the writer uses this to draw out a universal truth about God's character: strength expressed as fairness or kindness, authority expressed as patience. God's justice is not reactive or impulsive. Instead, it is measured, thoughtful, and purposeful – and praise be for that.

I was attracted by verse 19: "Through such works you have taught your people that the righteous must be kind." The passage suggests that God's way of acting becomes the model for how God's people should live. Divine patience becomes human patience. Divine mercy becomes human mercy. I don't know about you, but this is something I sometimes struggle with.

This, therefore, led me to wonder how often we think of righteousness in terms of strictness rather than kindness. The passage challenges that instinct and provides a theological lens through which to read the parable in Matthew.

Questions that shaped my reflection:

• How does our understanding of God's power influence how we treat others?
• What does it mean to be "righteous" if kindness is central?

Psalm 86:11-17

Psalm 86 is an intensely personal prayer rooted in trust in God's character. In the opening verse the Psalmist asks, "Teach me your way… give me an undivided heart." That phrase, undivided heart, stood out as a key to this week's theme.

The Psalmist's confidence rests not in circumstances but in who God is: "merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (v.14). This echoes directly the portrayal of God in Wisdom of Solomon and anticipates the patience seen in Matthew's parable.

What struck me was the honesty of the prayer. The Psalmist does not deny difficulty or opposition but anchors their plea in the nature of God. This is not naïve optimism but faithful dependence.

This passage offers worship leaders a way to help congregations pray from within unresolved situations – asking not for immediate solutions, but for hearts aligned with God's way.

Questions that arose during my preparation:

• What divides our hearts when we are anxious or impatient?
• How does remembering God's character steady us?

Romans 8:12-15

Romans 8 lives in tension; between suffering and glory, between what is and what will be. The image of creation "groaning in labour pains" (v.22) felt particularly resonant with the parable of wheat and weeds growing together.

Paul acknowledges that sadly we live in an unfinished world. There is brokenness, frustration, and longing. Yet this is not meaningless suffering; it is part of a process, moving towards redemption.

The phrase that captured my attention was, "we wait for it with patience" (v.25). This is not passive waiting but hopeful endurance. The future hopefully shapes how we live in the present.

This passage helped me see Matthew's parable not simply as a lesson in tolerance, but as a call to live faithfully within an in-between time. We do not yet see the full harvest. We do not yet see clearly what belongs where. But we live as people of hope.

Questions that shaped this section:

• What does Christian patience look like in daily life?
• How do we live when outcomes are not yet visible?

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

The parable of the wheat and the weeds is uncomfortable. Our instinct is to pull up the weeds immediately. The servants' question feels very familiar: "Do you want us to go and gather them?" (v.29)

The landowner's response is surprising: "No." Not because the weeds are acceptable, but because premature action will damage the wheat. Growth requires time. Discernment requires patience.

I was struck by how this parable resists our desire for moral clarity and immediate justice. It suggests that in this present age, good and evil, faithfulness and failure, grow intertwined – not only in the world, but also within ourselves.

Jesus' later explanation reframes the parable in terms of the kingdom of heaven. God will deal with the sorting in due time. Our role is not to rush that process but to remain faithful in growth.

This passage invites worship leaders to help congregations reflect on:

• Where are we tempted to judge too quickly?
• How do we live alongside imperfection?
• How do we trust God with outcomes we cannot control?

Sermon ideas

A central theme for preaching this week is learning to trust the patient justice of God.

You might begin with the instinct we all recognise: the desire to fix, sort, or judge situations quickly. From there, move into the surprising nature of God's power in Wisdom of Solomon and the Psalmist's trust in God's character.

The parable in Matthew can be explored as a story about living in an unfinished field. We are not called to be weed-pullers but wheat-growers. Romans 8 adds depth by reminding us that we live in a groaning, waiting creation, where hopefully, faith shapes our patience.

In delivering this material, you might like to:

• Invite quiet reflection on situations people wish were resolved.
• Use a visual image of wheat and weeds growing together.
• Encourage small group discussion on where patience is hardest.

Alternative approaches could include:

• A conversation-based reflection around the parable.
• Inviting people to write prayers of ‘waiting' and then perhaps placing them on the image of the wheat and weeds.
• A symbolic act of planting seeds as a sign of trust in growth (people who know me will understand how much I love this idea).

Prayers

These prayers were shaped by reading current news stories alongside the texts, holding before God situations where people long for a quick resolution. I hope that the language emphasises God's patience, mercy, and hope, therefore linking the prayers closely to our readings.

Gathering Prayer / Call to Worship
Patient and gracious God,
You, whose power is shown in kindness,
gather us into Your presence.

Still our hurried minds and restless hearts,
that we may learn again Your way of mercy,
and worship You with undivided hearts. Amen.

Confession / Repentance
God of gentle judgement,
we confess our impatience.
We rush to conclusions,
we judge before understanding,
we try to do Your work for You.

Forgive us when we fail to trust Your timing.
Teach us the kindness that reflects Your righteousness. Amen.

Thanksgiving / Gratitude
We thank You, God of steadfast love,
for Your patience with us,
for growth we do not always see,
for hope that carries us through waiting.
We praise You that Your purposes unfold in mercy. Amen.

Prayer for Others / Intercession
Loving God,
we pray for all who wait:
those waiting for healing, for justice, for peace.

We pray for communities divided by judgement and fear.
We pray for creation itself, groaning for renewal.
Give endurance, hope, and trust in Your faithful love. Amen.

Some situations that you might like to bring into this prayer:

• Waiting lists for NHS treatment, diagnosis, and mental health support
• Communities affected by addiction and waiting for recovery support
• Elderly people waiting in loneliness for companionship and care
• Individuals living with chronic illness, long-term pain, or terminal diagnoses
• Ongoing conflicts, including those in Ukraine and the Middle East(which are ongoing as I write this in April)
• Refugees and asylum seekers awaiting decisions and safe resettlement
• Communities experiencing division over race, immigration, and identity
• Cost of living pressures, food poverty, and fuel poverty
• Families waiting for affordable housing or facing homelessness
• Climate change impacts: flooding, wildfires, extreme weather, loss of biodiversity
• Farmers and rural communities coping with changing weather patterns and uncertainty
• People waiting for justice after abuse, neglect, or institutional failure
• Those waiting for reconciliation in fractured relationships and families
• Young people waiting for opportunities, employment, or direction in life
• Churches and communities waiting for renewal, vision, and hope

You may also wish to allow space for private prayer here.

Blessing / Closing Prayer
May the patient love of God
steady your heart,
guide your steps,
and give you hope as you grow in grace.
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 34 – "Sun, soil and seeds"
• GWA 48 – "Let our praise be your welcome" (Here for you)
• GWA 148 – "I will sing a song of love"
• GWA 177 – "When you wonder, when you wander"
• CH4 167 – "Guide me, O thou great Jehovah" – a prayerful response to Psalm 86's desire for guidance.
• CH4 182 – "Now thank we all our God" – expresses gratitude for God's ongoing faithfulness.
• CH4 198 – "Let us build a house" – speaks of community growing together despite differences.
• CH4 531 – "My Jesus, my Saviour" – reflects trust and dependence on God's character.

Alternative sources, for example, Ruth Fazal's Songs from the River, can help to create a reflective space for private prayer. Many of the Taizé songs are appropriate to use when people are gathering or leaving.

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.