25 October - Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost – Year A

The Faith Action Programme would like to thank Rev Eleanor Hamilton, Minister, and Sarah McGrory, Community and Families Worker at Dumbarton Parish Church, for their thoughts on the 22^nd Sunday after Pentecost.

Priority Areas Month

October 4-10 is Challenge Poverty Week and October 17 is the United Nations' International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Church of Scotland Priority Areas identify parishes with high concentrations of deprivation and provide support, networking and learning opportunities for congregations and communities. We would encourage you to explore ways in which your congregation can engage in anti-poverty issues at a local level.

Shoots of New Life

This month we are invited to look more closely for the shoots of new life emerging around us. Through the Season of Creation, Priority Areas and Challenge Poverty Week, we listen to people living and working in, and walking alongside, some of Scotland's most deprived communities – discovering their stories, challenges, resilience and hopes.

As the month progresses, we will ask where God is already at work: in creation, in our communities, around tables, in relationships and in the call to love our neighbours. Together, we will look for signs of hope, love, justice and possibility – the small but powerful shoots of new life already beginning to grow.

In these places, as in every place, God is present and active – through the love of Jesus, the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

So, where are you noticing shoots of new life – and how might you help them flourish?

Introduction

This week's readings move us from asking last week who we belong to, to asking how we live as people who belong to God. They remind us that faith is not simply about what we believe but about the way we live each day. Holiness is seen in kindness, justice, humility and love, not just in worship. Whether we follow Moses to the edge of the Promised Land, listen to the practical commands of Leviticus, hear Paul's tender words to the Thessalonians or Jesus' summary of the law, the invitation is the same: to become people whose lives reflect the God we worship.

That feels particularly relevant in a world that often measures success by numbers, influence and achievement. Churches can easily fall into the same trap, asking how many people attend, whether budgets are balanced, or buildings are full. These readings gently challenge those assumptions. Moses never entered the Promised Land, yet his life is remembered as one of remarkable faithfulness. Paul celebrates a church not because it is large or influential, but because its faith is visible. Jesus says that everything else flows from loving God and loving our neighbour.

Serving in a Priority Area reinforces that message. Ministry is rarely about quick results or dramatic transformation. More often it is found in faithful conversations, acts of kindness, patient listening and simply being present in the community. The impact of those moments cannot always be measured, but that does not make them any less significant. Like the tree planted beside streams of water in Psalm 1, growth often happens slowly and quietly before fruit appears.

As I prepared these readings, I found myself lingering over the ordinary nature of holiness. Before turning to commentaries, I spent time asking what these passages looked like in everyday life. They led me away from dramatic acts of faith towards the quieter practices that shape discipleship over time: speaking truthfully, refusing to hold grudges, caring gently for others and choosing love again and again. My hope is that these reflections encourage worship leaders to help congregations see that faithful living is itself an act of worship, and that God's kingdom often grows through ordinary people who quietly love God and their neighbour well.

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Deuteronomy ends on a surprisingly poignant note. After forty years of leading God's people through the wilderness, Moses stands on Mount Nebo and looks across to the Promised Land. He sees it, but he never enters it. At first glance, it can feel like a disappointing ending. Yet the passage does not dwell on what Moses did not achieve, celebrating instead faithfulness and a willingness to follow God every step of the journey, rather than reaching a destination.

That challenged me as I reflected on this passage. We live in a culture that values results. We like measurable outcomes, visible success and clear achievements. Churches can fall into that way of thinking too, asking whether ministry is successful because numbers have grown, or projects have been completed. Moses reminds us that God's measure of faithfulness is often very different from ours.

In many communities, especially those facing poverty or long-term challenges, change is slow. Relationships take time. Trust takes time. Sometimes we may never see the full impact of the seeds we have planted. Moses encourages us to trust that faithfulness itself matters.

As I sat with this passage, I found myself asking: How do I measure success? Am I more concerned with reaching the finish line, or with walking faithfully wherever God leads?

Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17

Psalm 90 begins with a reminder that before anything else existed, God was already there. "Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations" (v.1) In a world that changes so quickly, the psalm offers a deep sense of stability. Human life is fragile and fleeting, but God's faithfulness endures.

What particularly caught my attention was the prayer towards the end of the psalm: "Prosper for us the work of our hands" (v.17). The Psalmist doesn't ask for fame or recognition. Instead, there is a simple prayer that the ordinary work of life might have lasting value.

That felt especially encouraging. Much of ministry consists of ordinary conversations, quiet acts of care and faithful presence. Those things may never make headlines, yet they matter deeply in God's kingdom.

The psalm reminded me that our hope rests not in how much we accomplish, but in the God who remains faithful from one generation to the next.

Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18

When many people hear the word "holiness", they imagine something distant or unattainable. Yet this passage brings holiness right into everyday life. God says, "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy" (v.2), then immediately speaks about justice, honesty, refusing to spread gossip, letting go of grudges and loving our neighbour.

I found that striking. Holiness is not presented as withdrawing from the world but engaging with others in ways that reflect God's character. It is revealed in how we speak, how we treat people and how we seek justice for those around us.

That feels particularly relevant today. Communities flourish when people choose fairness over favouritism, forgiveness over resentment and compassion over indifference. These ordinary acts become expressions of God's holiness.

The question that stayed with me was simple: If someone watched the way I lived this week, would they catch a glimpse of God's character through my actions?

Psalm 1

Psalm 1 offers one of Scripture's most enduring images: a tree planted by streams of water. Trees don't grow overnight. They become strong because their roots go deep, drawing life from a source that sustains them through every season.

That image stayed with me as I reflected on these readings. We often long for quick growth, quick answers and quick results, but discipleship rarely works that way. God patiently forms us over time, often in ways we barely notice until we look back.

For churches too, this is an encouraging picture. Faithful ministry is rarely spectacular. More often it is rooted in consistency, prayer, hospitality and quiet perseverance. Fruit appears because the roots have first been nourished.

I found myself asking where my own roots are drawing life. What sustains me when circumstances become difficult? What keeps me grounded in seasons of uncertainty?

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

Paul's description of ministry is wonderfully refreshing. He doesn't speak about authority, success or influence. Instead, he says, "we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children" (v.7).

That image caught my attention immediately. In a world where leadership is often associated with power, Paul points to gentleness. Ministry is not about impressing people but about loving them. He speaks of sharing not only the Gospel but "our own selves" because the Thessalonians had become so dear to him.

This passage reminded me that people are often changed not simply by what we say, but by the way we love them. Time, presence, patience and genuine care are powerful expressions of the Gospel.

As I reflected on Paul's words, I wondered what people would say characterises our churches. Would they describe them as places of gentleness, welcome and generous love?

Matthew 22:34-46

When Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest, He doesn't choose one over another. Instead, he holds two together: love God with all your heart, soul and mind; and love your neighbour as yourself. The second flows naturally from the first. Genuine love for God will always be reflected in the way we treat other people.

I found myself noticing that Jesus does not present these as complicated ideas. The challenge lies not in understanding them but in living them. Loving our neighbour sounds simple, until our neighbour is difficult, different from us or someone we would rather avoid.

For churches serving diverse communities, these verses offer both encouragement and challenge. Every act of welcome, every conversation, every meal shared, and every practical expression of care becomes part of living out these two great commandments.

The passage left me asking not simply, "Do I love God?" but "Can people see that love in the way I treat those around me?" Perhaps that is where these readings come together. Faithfulness is not measured by extraordinary achievements but by ordinary lives shaped by love.

Sermon ideas

As I reflected on these readings, I kept coming back to one word: faithfulness. We often measure success by what we can see. We count numbers, achievements and visible results. God seems to measure something different. Again and again these passages remind us that the life of faith is not about becoming impressive, but about becoming faithful.

Moses is perhaps the clearest example. After leading God's people for forty years, he stands on Mount Nebo looking across to the Promised Land. He sees it but never enters it. By our standards that might look like failure, yet Scripture never describes his life that way. Moses completed the task God had given and his story reminds us that we may not always see the results of our labour, but faithfulness is never wasted.

That speaks powerfully into ministry today, especially in communities where change is often slow. Churches serving areas of deprivation can sometimes wonder whether anything is making a difference. Relationships take time. Trust takes time. Hope grows gradually. Like the tree planted by streams of water in Psalm 1, roots develop long before fruit becomes visible.

Leviticus offers another surprise. When we hear the words, "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2), we might expect extraordinary acts of devotion. Instead, the passage speaks about justice, honesty, refusing to gossip, not holding grudges and loving our neighbour. Holiness turns out to look remarkably ordinary. It is seen in everyday choices and everyday relationships.

Jesus draws those same themes together when He names the two greatest commandments: love God and love your neighbour. He refuses to separate worship from daily life. Caring for our neighbour is not an optional extra. It is one of the clearest ways we demonstrate our love for God.

Paul adds another dimension through his description of ministry. Rather than presenting himself as a leader with authority or status, Paul says, "we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children" (1 Thessalonians 2:7). In a world where leadership is often associated with power, Paul points instead to gentleness, patience and self-giving love.

One way into these readings might be to ask: How do we measure faithfulness? Is it by numbers, buildings and budgets, or by lives shaped by love, kindness and grace? Another approach would be to invite people to think about the ordinary acts that have shaped their own faith. Few of us are transformed by dramatic moments alone. More often it is the quiet faithfulness of parents, friends, neighbours, Sunday School teachers and church members whose love has pointed us towards Christ.

An interactive approach could involve inviting people to name someone whose quiet faithfulness has influenced their life. Their stories often reveal the heart of these readings. God's kingdom is rarely built through spectacular moments. More often it grows through ordinary people who choose, day after day, to love God, love their neighbour and remain faithful wherever God has placed them.

Prayers

As I prepared these prayers, I found myself thinking about the many opportunities we have each day to put our faith into action. The readings remind us that loving God is inseparable from loving our neighbour, so these prayers move from our worship of God to the needs of our world, our communities and ourselves. They reflect some of the situations we hear about in the news each day, alongside the quieter struggles faced by those around us.

Throughout, I have used simple, inclusive language that can be followed easily by all ages. Where appropriate, a worship leader may wish to leave brief moments of silence between each section, allowing people to bring before God the names and situations that are on their own hearts.

Call to worship
Our hearts are lifted up toward God.
God created all that is!

We celebrate the great love of God, that is there for us all.
God gifted us with God's only son, Jesus the Christ.

Rejoice and be glad today!
God loves us and we love God.

Our hearts and spirits praise God for all God's blessings.
May love and blessing flow within our worship today. AMEN.

Let us worship God, whose very nature is love!

Confession
Lord Jesus, we meet with You in this community today.
We are sorry for the times when we have tried to go it alone
and ignored the people on the way who have needed a friend.
For not loving our neighbour as You have loved us.
For ignoring Your will for our lives and theirs.
Lord forgive us and heal us, help us to put things right.
Lord God, please give us what we need this day and always
so that we can share Your love with others and show them the way,
the only way to Your peace and glory.

Prayer of Thanksgiving
Faithful God,
We thank You for Your constant love,
a love that never gives up on us and never lets us go.
We thank You for the gift of each new day,
for the breath in our lungs, the beauty of creation around us,
and for those ordinary moments that remind us You are near.

We thank You for those who have quietly shown us Your love
through acts of kindness, words of encouragement and faithful service.
For family, friends, neighbours, strangers,
and the people who have walked alongside us on our journey of faith,
we give You thanks.

Thank You for Your Church throughout the world,
for every congregation seeking to love You and serve its community.
Thank You for those who faithfully care for others, often without recognition,
reflecting Your compassion in the small things they do each day.

Above all, we thank You for Jesus Christ,
who showed us what love looks like
and calls us to love You with all our heart, soul and mind,
and to love our neighbours as ourselves.
Receive our thanks, gracious God, and help us to live lives of gratitude,
sharing the love we have received with everyone we meet.
Amen.

For peace and justice in the world
God of justice,
where there is division, hatred, or conflict in our world,
bring Your peace.
Inspire leaders, diplomats, and individuals to look beyond their own interests
and work toward the common good.
Help us all to recognise the inherent dignity of every human being
as Your creation.

We pray for peace in the world,
in war torn countries: Ukraine, Myanmar, the Middle East.
Lord, we pray that world leaders will look to their hearts,
to see that the person they are fighting with is human too.
Help them to find a common ground,
help them to find love and to see that their neighbour is not so different.
Lord we are all created equal in Your image,
Help us to love one another as You love us.

For the Church
Loving Lord,
we pray for Your Church, not just here in __________ but in the world.
Help us see past our differences, help us see what we have in common.
We are all parts of the body of Christ and need to work in unity
for the furtherance of Your Kingdom.

Strengthen our hearts to love You above all things
and guide us to manifest and show that love by serving those around us.
Keep us rooted in Your word,
avoiding any temptation to place tradition or legalism before Your commandment of love.

For our local community
We pray for our neighbours in and around ___________,
and throughout the wider UK.
Give us the grace to see You in the faces of the vulnerable, the isolated,
and the marginalised.
May our local congregations be beacons of compassion,
offering practical support and selfless love to our community.
Help us to share Your love to others,
those who don't look like us, don't worship like us, don't live like us.
Help us to love like You do.
We lift up to You, all who are suffering – the lonely, the sick, and those experiencing hardship.

Send us to be instruments of Your healing, love and comfort.
Grant them strength and grant us the generosity to share our love, resources and time with those in need.

For ourselves
Merciful Father,
forgive us for the times we have failed to love You with all our heart, soul, and mind,
or to love our neighbour as ourselves.

Lord today we ask that You renew our minds and fill us with Your Holy Spirit
so that our daily actions reflect the love of Christ –
the love that You showed us, sending Your only son to die that we might live.

Strengthen us today Lord,
fill us anew that the love may overflow and bless those around us.

Closing prayer
Accept these prayers, O Lord, and use us as Your instruments of love,
that Your kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Blessing
Love perfect love, Lord, You love us though we are still far off.
You love us despite our imperfections, when our minds stray, when we fail to trust.
You love us and give us all the strength and resilience we need.
We need not be anxious about anything, and there is enough love to share.
So, may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
guard our hearts and our minds, this day and always.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 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.

God Welcomes All

• GWA 20 – "One Generation Will Call to the Next"
• GWA 44 – "Come, people of the risen King" – A joyful gathering hymn celebrating the unity of God's people and encouraging the whole Church to worship together.
• GWA 58 – "Speak, O Lord, as we come to you" – A prayer that God's Word would shape our hearts and lives, fitting Jesus' call to love God with heart, soul and mind.
• GWA 148 – "I will sing a song of love" – A joyful response to God's steadfast love, encouraging the congregation to reflect that love in everyday life.
• GWA 155 – "Let all creation sing before the Lord" – Draws on the language of the Psalms, inviting all creation to praise the God who is our refuge through every generation.
• GWA 205 – "Sing to God from every city" – Celebrates worship rising from every community. Particularly appropriate in a Priority Area context, reminding us that God's love and kingdom are for every neighbourhood.

CH4

• CH4 115 – "Love Is the touch of intangible joy" – A beautiful reflection on God's love that complements Jesus' command to love God wholeheartedly and to love our neighbour as ourselves.
• CH4 175 – "Praise, I will praise you, Lord" / Je louerai l'Éternel – A joyful song of praise celebrating God's faithfulness and inviting the whole congregation to respond with thankful hearts.
• CH4 192 – "All my hope on God is founded" – A hymn of trust that reminds us our hope is rooted in God rather than visible success or achievement, reflecting Moses' faithful journey.
• CH4 204 – "I am the Church! You are the Church!" – Celebrates the Church as God's people rather than a building, echoing Paul's vision of a community whose faith is lived out in love.
• CH4 252 – "As a fire is meant for burning" – A fitting sending hymn, reminding us that worship overflows into loving service within our communities.
• CH4 268 – "O God of Bethel! by whose hand" (MP 907) – A natural companion to Moses' story, celebrating God's faithfulness in leading and sustaining God's people throughout life's journey.
• CH4 270 – "Put all your trust in God" – Encourages the congregation to place their confidence in God alone, reflecting Moses' lifelong faith and Psalm 90's reminder that God is our dwelling place.
• CH4 359 – "He came down that we may have love" – A simple but powerful hymn celebrating Christ's gift of love and our calling to share that love with others.
• CH4 513 – "Courage, brother! do not stumble" – A hymn of encouragement for those seeking to persevere in faith, echoing the week's emphasis on faithful discipleship.
• CH4 535 – "Who would true valour see" (MP 224) – Explores faithful Christian living through humble service rather than worldly success, reflecting both Paul's ministry and Jesus' teaching.
• CH4 622 – "We sing a love that sets all people free" – Celebrates the transforming love of God and our calling to share that love in practical ways.
• CH4 644 – "O Jesus, I have promised" (MP 501) – A hymn of commitment and perseverance, reflecting the call to lifelong discipleship.
• CH4 694 – "Brother, sister, let me serve you" – A natural response to Jesus' command to love our neighbour, encouraging the congregation to see service as an expression of worship.
• CH4 742 – "Rejoice in God's saints" – Celebrates the faithful witness of ordinary Christians through the generations, linking well with Paul's thanksgiving for the church in Thessalonica.
• CH4 748 – "As stars adorn the night-veiled sky" – Reflects the quiet influence of faithful disciples, reminding us that God's kingdom often grows through ordinary lives lived well.

Mission Praise

• MP 1036 – "Blessed Be Your Name" – A contemporary song expressing trust in God through seasons of blessing and hardship, reinforcing the week's theme of steadfast faithfulness.

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.