5 July - Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – Year A

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The Faith Action Programme is grateful for the use of archive material from Thomas Sutcliffe, divinity graduate of New College, Edinburgh, and Rev Liz Crumlish, Priest in Charge, St Oswald's Scottish Episcopal Church, Maybole, for the sixth Sunday after Pentecost.

Introduction

A central theme of the readings and one which is concentrated on below is the importance of genuine, freely-given love and trust in relationships. In the case of the relationship between God and humanity, this means striving towards full acceptance of God's will for us and trusting in God's mercy and compassion when we fall short. This is demonstrated by the words of the epistle, and the last part of the gospel (vv.28-30) encourages us to do so. Relationships between human beings also receive consideration. It is particularly clear in the passage from the Song of Songs, that love given and received in mutual respect is vital to a full and properly rounded human relationship. Although brief, what we read of Isaac and Rebekah's reaction to each other and of their relationship thereafter is clearly meant to be a further example of this.

We live in a world in general and a country in particular in which differing opinions often cause people to feel that proper respectful relationships are not possible or perhaps, in some cases, not even necessary or appropriate. The most obvious example of this is possibly the political tension of the last few years. The readings may give us some indication of how we can move beyond such difficulties. We must remember that people always have their differences, we are all unique after all, but ultimately, we have to live together in love and respect. We may well never fulfil this goal entirely but, by the grace of God, the more we strive for it and the nearer we get to it, the better.

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67

This passage contains much which relates to the idea of trust in God's will in general and allowing others to pursue the course which results from it in particular. This should not be surprising as the passage recounts events immediately prior to the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah. From a Christian perspective, marriage must include a trusting relationship with God. All human relationships need and can be a means of accessing God's grace. Particular relationships give particular graces and this is perhaps most clearly demonstrated in the unique bond of marriage.

A superficial reading of the text could lead to the supposition that this is simply an example of a disenfranchised woman (Rebekah) having the course of her life mapped out for her. But, when seen against the background just outlined, a number of examples are shown of trust in the will of God and a freely-given willingness to conform to it, which allowsstrong, happy and fruitful relationships to be maintained. Abraham's servant asks God for guidance to find Isaac's bride, suggesting the precise form this should take and then shows complete trust in God's will as the events following his first sighting of Rebekah play out. Rebekah herself demonstrates admirable willingness to trust in God's will when she agrees not only to go with Abraham's servant, but to go immediately, despite the initial reluctance of her family, who nonetheless demonstrate a willingness to let her leave by giving her their blessing. It is also worth noting that in the omitted verses (vv.39-41), Abraham makes it clear that he expects his servant to follow his instructions in detail, because Abraham believes God intends Isaac to marry within his wider family. If the family refuses to let the proposed bride return with him, he will not be held accountable for this. Thus, Abraham shows trust and is effectively saying ‘God's will be done'.

Psalm 45:10-17

Here, on the face of it, we read of a presumably young woman/princess. She is being encouraged to submit to the will of the king who "will desire your beauty" (v.11). Despite the language used it would be wrong to see the young woman as simply or forcibly subject to the will of the king. The liturgical context in which the Psalms are used and for which they were originally written should never be forgotten. The Psalms often indicate an archetype of the proper relationship between God and humanity; specifically God and the Jews/Israel and for Christians, God and the Church.

We can be confident that the concept of kingship is lived up to when applied to God, indeed surpassed in a way beyond human imagination. The riches offered to the young woman are not as a bride to make and keep her quiet and amenable, but are offered to all who willingly enter into a proper relationship with God. To some extent this echoes Rebekah's response to the proposal that she leave her family to marry Isaac. Also, verse 17 foreshadows Mary's willing response to God, demonstrated in the Magnificat, see Luke 1:48.

Song of Songs 2:8-13

Here, to start with the plain and obvious reading of the passage, we have a bride/wife waiting for and looking out on her groom/husband and her experience of his speaking to her. It is clearly intended as a representation of an ideal relationship. Nothing is forced or unwilling, both parties wish to be in each other's company and there is a feeling of mutual respect, peace and fruitfulness.

As with the text from Psalm 45, this passage is also an allusion to at least two other specific and deeper relationships: those between God and Israel/the Jews, and Christ and the Church. In the context of today's readings it also seems appropriate to read it in the light of Rebekah's relationship with Isaac and their reaction on first seeing each other (Genesis 24:63-67). No human relationship ever lives up to the ideal and the world of this life will never be paradise; human sinfulness is a reality which cannot be ducked. Nonetheless, as long as this fact is taken seriously, examples of ideal relationships are important precisely because they remind us of God's original and continuing intention for us.

With this in mind, it may be helpful to give possible parallels with verses 12-13. The reference to the voice of the turtledove may echo Genesis 8:10-11 when the flood is over and God's relationship with humanity is at least partially restored. The fig reference may call to mind Jesus cursing the fig tree, Mark 11:13-14. But, in this latter case the parallel is a negative one, which is a useful reminder of the reality of sin.

Zechariah 9:9-12

This passage from Zechariah provides support for what is said in the second paragraph of the comments on Psalm 45:10-17. The Jewish nation, Zion/Jerusalem (v.9) is cast in a female role awaiting/preparing for the presence of the king. But, unlike in the previous passage, the king comes to her – she does not go to him. It may be tempting to see the text as simply subverting traditional ideas of monarchical rule, as verse 9 says the king is ‘humble and riding on a donkey' and makes it clear that he will bring peace. Indeed, these things are of the utmost importance, they must not be dismissed as irrelevant cosy words, particularly given the fact that they foreshadow the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Nevertheless, a good deal more traditional language describing the entry and actions of the king is used, again, in verse 9 we read, ‘triumphant and victorious is he' and in verse 10 how he will ‘cut off' various things used to make war. This hardly suggests cuddly love. In the final two verses, the words are given to the king directly and it is made clear that as well as instituting peace the king will release Zion's prisoners from her enemies and restore everything that Zion has lost and more. It seems this will be done not because Zion has done anything proactive to bring it about, but simply because it is the nature of the relationship between the king and his people.

This point is important from a specifically Christian perspective because our faith teaches that we cannot deserve or earn God's love. But, because of God's love for creation and humanity we were not and are not abandoned. God makes monarchy and power, as it is intended to be, a genuine reality in God's care and mercy for all human beings, even when we turn from God. This is supremely demonstrated by the fact that Jesus was sent to take our sins and be crucified on the cross, the most awful, wonderful and surprising throne. Often exemplified by the joining together of the idea of the shepherd and the king, this concept of ideal monarchy is given its most obvious practical expression prior to Christ in the person of David.

Psalm 145:8-14

Once again, this passage stresses the all-powerful nature of God, indeed focuses on it and the praise the people give God as a result, rather in the manner that one might traditionally expect homage to be paid to an absolute monarch. But, as is often the case, simply making this statement and leaving things there would miss at least two important points.

First, in verses 8 and 9, referring to these specific characteristics of God make it clear that we need God's compassionate mercy, whatever else characterises our relationship. Second, and of importance, particularly, from a Christian perspective, verses 10 to 12 show not only that God wants a relationship with all human beings, but that those who already have or profess to such a relationship have a responsibility to spread this message. This is perhaps rather different from the impression left by the Zechariah passage, which suggests that everyone will live in peace because they will see the king's (God's) actions directly and by implication that the actions of Zion/Jerusalem (Jews/Christians/ human beings) are completely irrelevant.

Romans 7:15-25a

On the face of it, Paul's words are pretty unremittingly negative in tone, but it would be wrong to become so disturbed by the negative tone and what Paul suggests about the human condition that we fail to consider the words in a properly Christian context. The reality of sin and human weakness is of profound importance to Paul, and in Christian thought more widely. The text makes it abundantly clear that we are incapable of achieving salvation through our own efforts and, in any case, such efforts are so meagre as to be completely inconsequential on their own. But this must be seen in the light of verse 25, which answers the question posed in the previous verse.

If humanity had simply been left to suffer the unremitting consequences of sin, we would no longer be conscious of good and evil. This is not to say good and evil would not exist, as we would be entirely cut off from God and there would be no hope of God's original intentions for creation being fulfilled. But we were not abandoned; Christ was sent to redeem us and to provide the way through which God's intentions would ultimately be fulfilled. Because we are loved we have been given the means of recognising our fallen state, and our need of help and redeeming grace. Simply to have put everything back as it was before the fall – rather than dealing with things in the light of the situation that creation and humanity now found itself in – would not have been consistent with maintaining a mutually loving relationship. But this leaves the physical creation subject to the temptations of sin and the devil until the ultimate fulfilment of God's plan. We are often conscious of having done, or indeed doing, things which are wrong and yet, at times, it can feel impossible to avoid them. Much evil is done in the world as well as much good; human beings are the tools of good and evil, but nonetheless are conscious and active in their own behaviour the majority of the time and must recognise this and take responsibility for their actions. In light of Paul's words, there should also be an appropriate degree of compassion for oneself and others, which recognises that we all fall well short of the standards we should strive for. We must nourish our faith and trust in the love and saving actions of God, as exemplified by verse 25.

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

This passage begins with Jesus, highlighting the fickleness of human nature and understanding. Jesus begins with a theoretical example, which He explains by using a second actual example, comparing the reception of John the Baptist in many quarters to that of His own reception in the same quarters. John's mission was to prepare the ground for Jesus, His message and actions, after which Jesus took up the proclaiming of his message and the carrying through of the things it was part of. There was scepticism about the message, both as proclaimed by John and as proclaimed, definitively, by Jesus. But, the immediate reasons for this suggested by our Lord are diametrically opposite.

It is perhaps, not immediately obvious how the remainder of the passage (verse 25 onwards) relates to what has just been read, but when it is borne in mind that the immediate target of the initial comments were the educated Jewish authorities, things become clear enough. We have the chance of a proper and full relationship with God but, by definition, this must be founded on trust/faith and openness to God's revelation. As with all properly loving relationships, there is room for reason and logic, but for any relationship to the truly deep and meaningful these attributes must be the partners of openness and trust.

Verses 28-30 can be read in light of the above comments: God's commitment to a relationship with humanity and a promise that we will be supported and given rest and peace if we accept the offer being made.

Sermon ideas

It has been suggested here that an important theme of today's readings is a proper relationship between God and humanity and by extension a proper relationship between God and every person. When looking at this in a Christian light it can be useful to consider each of the following aspects and their interconnectedness.

  • God's love for each person
  • Each person's response to God
  • God's love for humanity and the whole of creation
  • Humanity's response to God

At this point, it may be possible to pick up on some of the brief points made in the introduction above as a method of encouraging the members of the congregation to think actively about the various different relationships they maintain (or possibly not) within their daily lives. Do they always attempt to make these relationships what they should be?

Our individual relationship with God is extremely important. St. John Henry Newman became aware of this before he reached adulthood, but a mutually loving relationship with God can only be worked towards and maintained if we strive for and work at mutually friendly/loving relationships with other people. The following words concerning Newman, of Fr. Duffield CO, Prefect of the York Oratory, serve to illustrate this point. The quotation begins by quoting Newman himself:

‘from his Spiritual Autobiography, the Apologia pro Vita Sua, that great change of thought… making the rest in the thought of two and two only supreme and luminously self-evident beings, myself and my creator.

From that moment, the fifteen-year-old schoolboy understood his faith to be a matter of a relationship, a friendship, friendship with God. It was a matter of heart speaking to heart. Nothing in life was more important than to discover what was pleasing to that friend…

But when Newman found individuals who shared his love for God, or who he sensed were open to deepening that love, then real friendship always blossomed. This is evident throughout Newman's life: in his undergraduate friendships; for his university pupils; among the scores of letter-writers (perhaps especially his many highly intelligent female correspondents, often the mothers, wives and sisters of his friends and pupils); with his fellow clergy.' (1)

What do the above words suggest to us about neglecting or paying lip service to regular common church worship, given that simply spending time with groups of friends is often an important way of maintaining relationships. Conversely, what does it say about our faith if we are not open to our personal relationship with God influencing our actions in every aspect of our lives?

[1] Fr. Richard Duffield CO, taken from his Feverino (address) given during The Musical Oratory In Thanksgiving for The Canonisation of Saint John Henry Newman Of the Oratory, which took place at the York Oratory Catholic Church of St. Wilfrid, on 28th November 2019

Prayers

Taken from archive material from Rev Liz Crumlish, Priest in Charge, St Oswald's Scottish Episcopal Church, Maybole.

As the texts live with me during the week, sometimes particular phrases will be more persistent than others and I'll use those in prayer. As an overall theme emerges, that will inform the prayers so that they feel part of the flow of worship, where one thing leads into the next. (Sometimes people express surprise that everything felt connected!)

Call to Worship
In every age, in every place
You call Your people to worship

In every hour of every day
You invite us to rest in You

In this time and place, O God
We worship and rest in You.

Gratitude
God we thank You that You value us
You value us enough to share with us Your wisdom
Wisdom that comes
not from learning
not from study
but from instinct
that begins in the womb.

Wisdom that, through the years
becomes tarnished
dulled
diminished in us.

Overwhelmed
by the weight of years
by disillusionment
by cynicism.
Ground down
by hurt
and rejection.

Yet You persist.

You persist in calling us back
to that which we know instinctively
that we are loved
Loved as we are
and called to rest in You.

Forgive us our forgetfulness
and restore us.

Intercession
Lord, teach us to pray...
Teach us to pray with abandon,
not to limit our requests
but to pray big,
for the impossible.

Lord teach us to pray...
Teach us to pray with audacity
not avoiding the evil that stalks our world
but to pray into hatred and violence
for Your kingdom to break out.

Lord, teach us to pray...
Teach us to pray with courage
Courage that names injustice,
calls it out, admits our complicity
and prays for lasting change.

Lord, teach us to pray...
Teach us to pray with conviction
that Your will
is for love and compassion
to flow like a river
that the prayers of all whom You love
are heard and answered.

Lord teach us to pray...
Teach us to pray with abandon,
with audacity,
with courage and with conviction.
Lord, teach us to pray.

Closing prayer
When the excitement of achievement wears off
Christ, You bid us rest
When we've given all we have to give
Christ, You bid us rest
When our resources seem exhausted
Christ You bid us rest

You bid us rest
not so that we can simply regroup and replenish
You bid us rest in You
so that we can be reminded of Your love
and Your desire to hold us close

You bid us rest.
Until, resting in You,
we find healing and strength
that enable us once more
to be open and vulnerable

But first,
in You we rest.

Blessing

Bless all who worship You, almighty God,
from the rising of the sun to its setting:
from Your goodness enrich us,
by Your love inspire us,
by Your spirit guide us,
by Your power protect us,
in Your mercy receive us,
now and always. (Ancient Collect from The Downside Prayerbook)

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 9 – "All creation sings God's greatness"
  • GWA 29 – "Song of the prophets (In ages past)" – use the appropriate verses for Zechariah
  • GWA 42 – "God welcomes all"
  • GWA 47 "You are welcome here (Come all you wounded and weary)"
  • GWA 224 – "Sing a new world into being"
  • CH4 124 – "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation"
  • CH4 139 – "Praise the Lord, you heavens, adore him"
  • CH4 147 – "All creatures of our God and King" – These hymns pick up in particular on many of the ideas expressed in today's Psalms, particularly 145 and focus on the praise properly given to God who loves us and wants a relationship with us.
  • CH4 251 – "I, the Lord of sea and sky" – This hymn focuses on God's commitment to offer and make possible the chance for us to have a deep and meaningful relationship with him, but also shows the importance of our free and loving response to that offer by alluding to the response of Samuel which followed appropriate guidance from Eli.
  • CH4 396a/b – "And can it be, that I should gain"
  • CH4 399 – "My song is love unknown"
  • CH4 491 – "Lord Jesus, think on me" – These three hymns deal with ideas which Paul was grappling with in today's epistle particularly, 396. 399, resonates with the words towards the end of the comments on the Zachariah passage.
  • CH4 540 – "I heard the voice of Jesus say" – Echoes the words in the final part of today's gospel and suggests an appropriate trusting and loving response to them.

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?

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.