Living by faith is extremely impractical in the eyes of many people. Ruth came back to Bethlehem with no recognisable source of income and no known opportunity for paid employment at a time in history when there were no government schemes to care for the poor. We are thankful for the welfare state and in the UK for the extraordinary government scheme that pays a high proportion of the wages of people laid off temporarily until the lock down regulations are withdrawn. She had no guarantees of any assistance but trusted God to open up a way for her and her aged mother-in-law.
The issue for all of us is this: Will you and will I carry out the big or small task or tasks that the Lord lays on our hearts in coming days? Ruth was determined to take God at His Word. She had no prior expectations of what the Lord could or would do for her, except that she would trust Him to take care of her future and that of Naomi, while at the same time doing all that she could at a practical human level to make that a reality. ‘Work as hard as you can as if everything depends on you’ and ‘pray as hard as you can because everything depends on God’ have been Evangelical slogans down the years and have stood the test of time. Ruth would find out that God would not let her down and we too can experience that for ourselves as we commit our lives to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. What did God do for Ruth? He provided:
God’s Man (Ruth 2:1, 4) Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz (Ruth 2:1). The author of the book of Ruth, in Ruth 2:1, allows us to grasp the key point ahead of schedule, that the man Ruth will meet is a close relative of Naomi’s late husband Elimelech, whose estate on his death passed to Mahlon, Ruth’s late husband on his father’s death. This brief explanation sheds a great deal of light on the remaining parts of the story. It was not luck or chance that this happened. It was God preparing the way to honour this young women. God has not changed. He is ‘Jehovah Jireh’ the God who provides what we need.God’s Place (Ruth 2:2-3) Ruth…said to Naomi Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favour. Naomi said to her Go ahead my daughter. So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz who was from the clan of Elimelech.
At the human level some people would say Ruth was lucky that she went to a field where the owner was sympathetic. As Christians we do not believe in luck or chance by contrast to many people in our land we believe in a sovereign God in whose safe hands we entrust our lives. We declare that in spite of our circumstances sometimes not because of them we affirm that there is a purpose to our lives and a plan for us which our loving heavenly Father has prepared. As a Christian community of believers we are here to pray for one another and to support one another through these difficult times, as well as rejoicing with others in our midst who have much to celebrate.
For Ruth and Naomi they had come to an end of their own resources but in the providence of God He was several steps ahead of them in His provision of a place for them. God’s place was back home in Bethlehem. Chapter one verse 22 indicates the wonderful timing of their arrival. It states: that these ladies were arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning. May we in our time of need remember the words of Peter in I Peter 5:7: Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.
God’s Method (Ruth 2:5-7) Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters Whose young woman is that? The foreman replied She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters. She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now except for a short rest in the shelter.
God will not work ‘supernaturally’ when ordinary means are available. At the appointed time soon after dawn before the hottest time of the day had begun Ruth presented herself with other widows and poor people looking for grain at the fields of the farmers engaged in harvesting their crops. Ruth is polite and asks permission to work in this particular field and the foreman agrees to her request.
Ruth was noted as a careful and diligent worker. She was not expecting handouts instead seeking to work to provide for herself and her elderly mother-in-law. Boaz and others present were impressed with the attitude of this young woman. When challenges cross our pathway the Lord expects us to do what we can personally to address the issues we face but can also use other people to be part of the answer to our prayers.
There are occasions when we have a miraculous answer to our prayers yet this is not the normal way issues are resolved in day to day living. However many of us can testify when we were literally at the end of our own resources that we have had some wonderful answers to our prayers.
God’s provision (Ruth 2:8-9) Ruth was noted as a careful and diligent worker. She was not expecting handouts instead seeking to work to provide for herself and her elderly mother-in-law. Boaz and others present were impressed with the attitude of this young woman. When challenges cross our pathway the Lord expects us to do what we can personally to address the issues we face but can also use other people to be part of the answer to our prayers. There are occasions when we have a miraculous answer to our prayers yet this is not the normal way issues are resolved in day to day living. However many of us can testify when we were literally at the end of our own resources that we have had some wonderful answers to our prayers.
God’s Grace (Ruth 2:10-13) At this she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed Why have I found such favour in your eyes that you notice me –a foreigner? Boaz replied I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband –how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.
Ruth recognised that she had no right to presume that this man would demonstrate such kindness to her as a foreigner. She could only hope for his mercy and generosity. Why had Boaz decided to act in this way? Because he had been greatly impressed by what he had seen and heard of Ruth’s conduct first in Moab and then back in Bethlehem towards Naomi. He knew that Naomi had no right to expect Ruth to come with her –once her husband had died she was free to go back to her family and seek another arranged marriage. However Boaz held the view that the Lord honours those people who honour Him even if they are not consciously motivated to recognise their actions within that perspective. God has not changed! Amen
Our song for reflection is: ‘How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord’
We come once more to the middle of another week in which I invite you to set aside some time today for prayer and reflection on our own lives and church community, as well as for others in the wider community and further afield . Ruth1
Your people will be my people and your God my God Naomi was making the right decision to go home to Bethlehem, but she had not dealt with the wrong decision she and her husband had made. It was most unfortunate that she faced the triple tragedy of the loss of the three most important people in her life in a very short space of time.
No-one, absolutely no-one can experience such a traumatic loss without very serious struggles to adjust to the new painful reality. However, at least in Bethlehem she would have friends or extended family members who would have tried to assist her, but to face these deaths in another country was particularly difficult so far from home. Naomi planned to compound her past failure by seeking to cover up what had happened in Moab by seeking to persuade her daughters-in-law to stay behind in their land and return to their families.
In Old Testament law the Jewish people had been told by God not to live in these territories where the lifestyles were inconsistent with the faith they proclaimed and most importantly not to marry outside their Jewish faith. Naomi’s two sons when of marriageable age had only Moabite girls to choose from! What else could they have done in that culture and context? I have a conviction that Orpah and Ruth had adopted the Jewish faith as their own when they married into this family.
This is only my reading of the situation –it is not explicitly stated as fact in the Bible, but it would explain the reactions of the young women especially Ruth later in this passage. Unfortunately, Naomi wants them to go home so that she does not have to explain why she had two Moabite daughters-in-law. This was a wrong motivation and her counsel was deeply suspect at a time when these two young widows, probably in their late teenage years, were mourning the loss of their husbands. Their willingness to go with Naomi to Bethlehem at potentially great personal cost is amazing.
However, the focus in this section of the story is not on Naomi, or on Orpah the daughter-in-law who chooses to go home, but on Ruth. Ruth 1:16-18 states: But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.’ 18 When Naomi realised that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
The easy option for Ruth would have been to go back home to her parents as well. But her faith in God in this situation is both inspirational and challenging to us today.
It is inspirational: There is no hopeless situation when God is at work. We may not be able to see a way out of our difficulties, but He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine… (Ephesians 3:20). Many of us today are struggling with the consequences of the Covid-19 virus pandemic. Whether it is our physical, emotional or mental health it is for some of us a new situation that we feel out of our depth to cope with. Here this courageous young woman displays a maturity beyond her years. As a relatively new believer in God she takes Him at His Word and will in time see that faith vindicated. Let us pray for the gift of faith in God or as a Christian a strengthened faith to trust God to get us through this difficult time.
It is challenging: The ‘elephant in the room’ here is that in addition to the crisis all are facing, Ruth goes to Bethlehem as a person with a different ethnicity without any assurance she will be welcomed by others in that community. We know the gist of the story looking back, but in real time Ruth may have had some genuine fears of how welcome she would be in that conservative Jewish cultural context.
Fast forward more than three thousand years, humankind has made far too little progress in promoting racial equality. Recent events and the stories some of us have listened to of the lived experience of Black people in our midst are distressing. The challenge to face going forward is this: will we keep listening and not just move onto the ‘next’ issue. Will we also pray asking God how we can play our own part individually in changing our communities for good in the coming days?
Our song for reflection is: ‘We’ll walk the land’
Pointers for Prayer • We praise God for the reduction in numbers of people contracting the Covid-19 virus and a consequent decline in the numbers of deaths in our country. We are deeply grateful to the NHS and Social Care staff who continue to support those who have contracted this illness. However, we also pray for wisdom for the Governments in our country as health care services that have been put on hold are restarted enabling doctors’ surgeries and dental practices to reopen.
• We pray for wisdom for our Police Forces, together with local Government and legal authorities, when decisions are taken regarding matters of law and order at the present time including encouraging better practice from a minority who ignore the lock down guidance and in policing demonstrations and other responses following the killing of George Floyd on 25 May in Minneapolis. We pray that as a society each of us may be more aware of the need to oppose racism and ensure that Black Lives Matter.
• We pray for those teaching in our schools, colleges and universities, seeking to prepare for the next academic year at a time when the future is so unclear, together with young people and their families attempting to juggle work and family life alongside supporting their children in their school work.
• We pray for employers and employees in so many workplaces with deep concerns how their work might take place safely in the coming months. We also remember those now out of work and young people seeking to gain their first jobs that each might find a place of work that fits their gifts and experience.
• We continue to pray for the families that have been bereaved and ask for God’s strength and comfort in their time of sorrow.
• We remember those who are unwell and pray for God’s healing and restoration of health and strength. We particular pray for Claire and the Marshall family as Bill’s health has declined rapidly in the last few days. We give thanks that Nina G is now home from hospital and for Jeanne P having her 85th birthday this week.
• We pray for those struggling with continuing isolation in their homes or residential homes and older members of the church in particular who are finding the strains of recent months particularly difficult.
• We pray for ourselves and our families and our own specific needs; also that we always make time each day to read His word and spend time in His presence in prayer.
• We pray in advance for the online meetings and activities for all ages in our church family throughout this week and the service next Sunday.
Naomi and her husband Elimelech had made a wrong move to go to Moab. They ought never to have been there. A bad choice was followed in the next few years by the sad deaths of her husband and children. Many of us have made bad decisions maybe changing jobs and realising with hindsight that the ‘grass was not greener’ elsewhere; or maybe work decisions that had negative lasting consequences.
Each of us by virtue of our fallibility and humanity will look back and see things that now we would have done differently. The new element in this story is found in Ruth 1:6. When she heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of His people by providing food for them Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.
It appeared on the surface to be the easiest choice to make –serious shortages of food in the land where she sought temporary support as a refugee, plenty of food back home – I’ve got to go home. However, to go home meant admitting that they ought not to have gone to Moab in the first place. It was an issue of pride. All of us at times say or do wrong things but to apologise and admit we made a mistake is hard.
For others of us letting the past go with respect to our failures or those of other people is the problem. At the heart of our faith is grace –that is the recognition that we have received the undeserved love of love and if God treats me better than I deserve then I ought to reflect that in my own conduct and relationships.
We need, though, to take a step back and admit that the famine was real. In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land (Ruth 1:1). It was a time of real hardship and suffering for all the people who lived in that area regardless of their ethnicity, social class or any other key feature of their identity. This could not be wished away, even prayed away because God had permitted this tough time to happen in the land.
The issue to face is simply this: How should I respond to the crisis situation before me? These events don’t affect people equally. Those individuals with a previously higher income had the ability to make choices not open to the poorest families in the land. In our country we have been living with the Covid-19 virus pandemic. It has had a huge impact on all of our lives.
However, we do have a choice in how we respond to it. If one crisis was not enough to handle in 2020, a second burst into our consciousness through the brutal killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Once again we including Mr Floyd could never have imagined what happened on that fateful day. These events could not be airbrushed from our collective history.
The question to face is simply this: How will I react to the situation before me. In the Covid-19 virus pandemic so many people in our communities stepped up to offer to help their neighbours or other people in need. The virus and the lock down are very real, but how we seek to respond to it is what will have the biggest impact on our own lives and those of others around us. Now the second crisis is much harder to deal with because institutionalised racism has been around for a long time. What will define us individually and collectively is how we respond to this situation.
We all have made mistakes in the past in the choices we made. However, are we willing to ask: ‘Lord is there something I have been missing? Help me to see with Your eyes what needs to be done, even today. Past failure is never final while we have breath left in our bodies. Both as individuals and as a society we have opportunities to make some changes for the better. We need to ask: ‘Lord show us the way’, for Jesus’s sake Amen.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Breathe on me breath of God’
The book of Numbers in the Old Testament is not likely to be the favourite part of the Bible for many Christians. It focuses on a lot on the day-to-day travels, troubles and complaints of the Israelites wandering through the desert as they slowly made their way to the Promised Land led by their longsuffering leader Moses.
Here were a very large number of people living in a confined space in the desert with not too much to do and certainly outside of the basic tasks of daily living there was very little else to do in an era long before the invention of the internet and social media! However, in Numbers chapter twelve there are two remarkable pieces of information communicated about His views on Moses, the leader of the Jewish nation, together with His views on racism and interracial marriage.
It is not common to hear many sermons preached from the book of Numbers or on the subject of God’s approach to people holding racist views about those who look different to themselves. What does God think on these two topics?
Moses (Numbers 12:6-8) When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal Myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. 7 But this is not true of My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. 8 With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord.
Moses heard the literal voice of God and had actual audible conversations with Him. There could barely be a higher form of commendation of this man than revealed in this observation. God approved of this man and his conduct and through this choice of the means of communication with him demonstrated to anyone who was interested that Moses was living a God-honouring life.
The problem was that not everyone in the Israelite camp was thrilled at Moses’ leadership or some of the choices he made. The books of Exodus and Numbers see plenty of these complaints listed with grumbling over the food and water supply. Did anyone think it was going to be easy for in excess of one or even two million people to be fed and watered adequately in the midst of a desert?
The first thing we learn about the life of Moses was that no matter what he did someone wasn’t happy and often they were quick to make it a public issue. In this passage two people in his own family take issue with a major decision he made and were not afraid to criticise him openly for doing so. In reflection – how quick I am to criticise someone else for holding a different view to me? How quick am I to post a social media response in the same context?
The answer for the vast majority of us is sometimes yes I can be guilty of that. Let us endeavour to be quick to praise helpful constructive posts, but much slower to respond when we disagree, especially when we strongly disagree. Let us try genuinely to seek to understand where the other person is coming from as this can be quite significant. After all, if someone God greatly honoured goes through these difficulties then I cannot expect to be guaranteed an easy time either.
Interracial marriage (Numbers 12:1-16) Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 ‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?’ they asked. ‘Hasn’t he also spoken through us?’ And the Lord heard this…The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.(Numbers 12:1-3,9).
If this is Moses’ wife he married in the desert prior to leading the Israelites out of Egypt, then the anger of his siblings Aaron and Miriam is astonishing. It is years later that this racial problem had festered inside his brother and sister before finally coming out.
When you have a serious difference of opinion with someone please don’t pretend it is not real or assume that you have a monopoly of insight and truth on your side and that the other person ‘must’ be wrong.
What did they object to? First, Moses had married a woman who was a black African. She probably had come from one of the countries we today call either Sudan or Ethiopia. By contrast, they were fairer brown skinned people, typical of the majority of people from the countries bordering on the Mediterranean Sea.
Secondly, they resented the fact that he was in the public eye more than them, leading the nation when they would have liked a turn at doing his job. There was clearly some jealousy of their little brother and his successes. We have no way of knowing which came first, but in public at least the attack on their brother was over his choice of marriage partner on racial grounds.
What did God have to say about their objections to interracial marriage? Numbers 12:9 states: The anger of the Lord burned against them, and He left them.
God viewed their racist attitude as so serious an issue that it led to a suspension of their fellowship with Him. They had to repent of their sin and Moses pray on their behalf for God to lift His judgement on them. As we look within our own hearts, have you or I ever thought less of someone because their racial origins were different to our own?
Have you or I treated someone less well because they have a different racial background in our family circle, workplace, social setting or even in our church? Honesty can be painful, but the good thing is that when we repent of our sins God is willing to forgive us and allow us a fresh start in our relationship with Him. Failing to get this right can have tragic consequences.
At the present time we need to stand with those who have suffered most with racism and discrimination and affirm with them that Black Lives Matter. We cannot and must not forget how seriously God viewed this sin of Aaron and Miriam. Nor must we keep silent because it is costing too many lives today. May we all resolve to treat each other as equals in the sight of God, for Jesus’ sake, Amen
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Purify my heart’
JAM young adults Ignite Live have a separate programme at 11:15am on the Zoom platform –parents of teenagers can get a link code by contacting Gary Torbet on garytorbet@btinternet.com
Sunday Evening Prayer Livestream – We will be continuing the Prayer Livestream at 7.00pm tonight (Sunday). This will be another significant time of national prayer for us. Please join in and, if you don’t already do so, would you let your fellowship know about this and put it on your social media. Click here to access.
Call to Worship
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, 8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8
We are grateful to Dave Rowe for selecting the songs for worship for this service. Our opening song of praise and worship is:
We continue to worship the Lord in our second song of praise and worship:
Opening prayer
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! We come with a real sense of joy and anticipation into Your presence once more today. You are the amazing wonderful God whose love towards us never ceases to amaze us and Your grace towards us is far greater than we ever deserve. We are humbled by Your kindness to us day after day.
Today we come once more seeking to meet with You, to worship and adore Your holy name. Thank you for the wonder of Your creation that reflects something of Your splendour. We are so privileged to live on this inhabitable planet with all the resources required for a healthy and fulfilled life. For many of us we are grateful on our daily exercise to experience some of the beauty around us in the flowers and the trees and to have the blessing of hearing to listen to the birds singing in the trees.
Once more we seek Your forgiveness of our sins and the fresh empowering of Your Holy Spirit as we commence another week. Speak Lord to our hearts from Your Word and give us the desire to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit into our lives, for Jesus’ sake, Amen.
Let us say together the words Jesus taught His disciples when He said:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever Amen.
All Age talk
You will have noticed that we have all had to learn some new words and terms during the weeks of the lockdown. Hardly a day goes by without someone using words that we had hardly ever used before never mind knew what they meant eg pandemic, R Number, contact tracing.
We’ve also had to get used to hearing a lot of abbreviations being used on the news etc. Let’s see how many you know:
Start off with an easy one: NHS?
What about COVID?
Or WHO?
Here’s another one that’s been in the news a lot this week – BLM?
That’s Black Lives Matter
You don’t have to be a person of colour to believe that those words are true. And it was good to see many people with white skins marching in the streets last week in favour of black people getting treated more fairly.
But could we not also say this – ALM?
ie All Lives Matter
That’s what the Bible would say. If you look on the church Facebook page you will find a verse from the book of Galatians in the New Testament. It is taken from a letter that was written around 2000 years ago to some Christians in Turkey. In The Message version of the New Testament it reads:
“In Christ’s family there can be no divisions into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us we are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship to Jesus Christ.”
The letter writer, Paul, could have added other things to his list of divisions – black and white, rich and poor, educated and uneducated – the important thing is that the Bible teaches that everyone is important because – JDFE.
Ie Jesus Died For Everyone
Everyone can receive God’s love, his undeserved kindness and his forgiveness. No one is excluded. That means if we are followers of Jesus we must do the same. Treat everyone the same. No matter who they are. And speak up for those who are not treated equally and fairly.
Our Next song is:
Prayers for others
Thank you Lord once more for the privilege of praying for other people:
We pray today for the many refugee camps across the world now becoming infected with Covid-19, and particularly the camp in Kutupalong, which houses more than 850,000 Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Social distancing is virtually impossible in these camps, so we pray that the spread of Covid-19 would somehow be contained.
We continue to pray for the people of the United States of America and increasingly in conversations elsewhere in other countries, including the United Kingdom, as we grapple with the appalling legacy of racism in our respective countries. We acknowledge that the primary focus of this debate is rightly in America following the appalling murder of George Floyd. We plead for wisdom and courage for those in positions of authority to know how best to make the necessary structural changes to ensure that in the not too distant future that another family is not going through what this family has had to face.
We continue to pray for all those affected by the recent cyclone which struck Bangladesh. We pray for the emergency services as they try to rescue people in the midst of Covid-19 social distancing measures, which is an added pressure. We pray for those who are fearful to leave unsafe homes due to the panademic.
We give thanks for the many charitable organisations across the UK whose work provides valuable services, important research and support to many people. As these charities struggle with a big drop in their fundraising income, please pray for creativity and wisdom as they seek to close the fundraising gap.
As Scotland begins to slowly emerge from Lockdown, we pray for safety and continued protection for people as they start to live in the ‘new normal’ for the foreseeable future.
We pray for those working in the hospitality sector, which has been devastated by the impact of Covid-19. We pray for those who have lost their jobs or those who don’t know yet if they will still have a job or not. We also pray for wisdom for business owners trying to work out future plans.
We pray for young children who may be finding life hard just now and who are not fully able to articulate how they feel. Pray that creative ways will be found to allow children to express their feelings about this difficult time of isolation from friends and family.
At the same time we give thanks for the surge of interest in prayer by many people across the UK, and indeed the world, at this time. Pray for a turning of the tide and for an avalanche of God’s love and mercy to descend through the power of the Holy Spirit to soften hearts, bring conviction and change lives.
In the Baptist Union of Scotland today we rememberto pray for:
Frances Bloomfield Convenor, BUS – We pray for Frances as she works with Martin, the General Director, in preparing agendas for Trustee and Council meetings and as she chairs these meetings online at the current time.
Dunrossness BC, Shetland – We are thankful to God for their engagement and transition to church gatherings online. They ask us to pray for increased devotion towards God in their congregation which would inspire listening, creativity, participation, desire and focus in order to be a caring and missional church.
We pray too for the ongoing work of the Christian Churches in our land that You will help us be the best witnesses we can be in our local communities at this time. We thank you for the other churches in our local community and ask Your blessing on their work as we pray similarly for our own activities this week. In particular we pray for:
The Ford and Goodfellow families after the recent funerals of Jim and John respectively; we pray that You would comfort and uphold them and other families recently bereaved at this time.
We pray for Nina G after her recent admission to hospital and pray for a full recovery of her health and strength. We are aware of other members who have ongoing health difficulties and pray for God’s strength for them at this time. We pray for those exhausted with heavy work schedules that you would renew their health and strength, and for those struggling with the limitations of lock down that you would give them Your peace at this time.
We bring our own needs to You at this time … in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Amen.
Bible reading
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.
5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. 13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
II Timothy 1:1-14
Before we come to listen to God’s Word let us sing:
The Message
II Timothy 1:12:My confidence for the future
Introduction
There are plenty of people in the world who seem so full of confidence in their actions. But I think it likely that there are even more who at least inside themselves are very much the opposite and lacking in self-confidence. Over the years there have been a few, mainly gamblers from the Republic of Ireland who have bet some incredible amounts of money on a single race at the Cheltenham Horse racing festival. To risk more on one race lasting a few minutes than most people in this country own in total seems incredible.
However, although his confidence in himself was limited, the apostle Paul had great confidence in God taking care of him and his future. II Timothy 1:122 states: That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Do you share his confidence in God with respect to your future?
It is my sincere hope and prayer that we all have confidence in God for what lies ahead of us. He knows what is best and has planned the pathway ahead of us. He is our guide who will go with us each step of the way. Praise God for that. A popular car sticker when I was in High School said this: ‘Don’t follow me, I’m lost!’ If this is true spiritually then it is very sad. However, as Christians we follow the One who declared Himself as the Way (John 14:6). Therefore, we ought not to get lost because we are following in the footsteps of our guide – our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. What does Paul say here in the last surviving letter that he wrote prior to his execution in the reign if Nero in the 60sAD.
1. My resolution (II Timothy 1:12a) I am not ashamed…
Or as the latest edition of the NIV states: Yet this is no cause for shame. Our faith is not based on our feelings. When we are ‘in love’ with someone, how we feel about our day might depend on whether you got a letter, text, WhatsApp message, Instagram picture or even a phone call from them! For Paul his focus and passion in life is centred on his faith in Jesus Christ and his desire to share Jesus with other people.
To endure what Paul went through in the course of his Christian work (See II Corinthians 11:16-33) would have been too much for many of us. We marvel at his capacity to overcome all kinds of verbal, physical and psychological abuse on his travels across the Roman world. This letter is the summary of his thoughts shortly before he died. Even at this time when he is being incredibly positive there was an incident that he recalled that hurt him deeply. It states in 2 Timothy 1:15: You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
For a man as intense as Paul, for whom loyalty by his friends really mattered this was a tough time. Yet just when he was feeling at his lowest his mind then turned to a friend whose support was unwavering over the years. May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus (II Timothy 1:16-18).
These names will mean almost nothing to you and me, but there are other names of people in your life who have been a great help to you. Take a few moments today privately to thank God for particular individuals who have encouraged you maybe in the recent past or even this week. It may even be appropriate in some cases to send a brief message of appreciation to them. Yet in his time of need Paul was not alone in being abandoned, the first disciples abandoned Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane at the time of his arrest shortly prior to His crucifixion (Mark 14:50).
Disciples of Jesus will have tough days when others let us down, but we may on other occasions be the one who disappoints someone else so just as we might seek forgiveness when we fail, we have to be willing to forgive others when they seek forgiveness from us. What do we learn of Paul here from these words? He is firstly:
(a)Not ashamed of Jesus His consistency of witness both publically and privately over around three decades was inspirational. He was fearless as a witness for Jesus. In Acts 1:8 it records Jesus declaring: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
The apostle Paul had contributed as much as anyone to the fulfilment of this prophetic word. It would take till the end of the last century to see the goal in sight of a Christian presence in every people group on earth and at least part of the Bible translated into every major language spoken on earth. How did believers then Christians today accomplish so much?
The gift of the Holy Spirit is the key here. Jesus at the Last Supper stated in John 15:26-27: When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – He will testify about Me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with Me from the beginning.
It was so hard at times as Paul made clear in I Corinthians 4:10-13: For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honoured, we are dishonoured! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world – right up to this moment.
(b) Not ashamed of other believers Timothy, the recipient of this letter was asked to remain loyal to his father in the faith (II Timothy 1:8), something we understand he was committed to doing. The call to perseverance was something Paul repeatedly appealed for. I Corinthians 15:58 was one of his clearest articulations of this truth. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.
2. My faith (II Timothy 1:12b) I know whom I have believed…
The key here is whom I have believed because it is not his self-will or stubbornness that is key. It is not his spirituality or his exemplary Christian service, but God in whom he trusts. He has absolute confidence in his heavenly Father. There are times when our earthly parents or other family members and friends cannot help us. But God is the One who makes all the difference. Why is Paul so confident in God? He is:
(a)The source of his salvation (II Timothy 1:9) He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time… I am not saved or assured of eternal salvation because of what I have done but because of what He has done for me. When did God plan our salvation? Again in verse 9: before the beginning of time…
Sometimes an earthly parent will admit that a child was a surprise baby, very welcome but not a planned pregnancy. There is no-one in God’s family like that. We have always been in His plans. Praise God for that. In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul wrote these words: In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will (Ephesians 1:11).
God desired a people to be part of His family – you have always been wanted and welcome. Thank God when an earthly parent can say that from their heart to their child. However, an even greater blessing is that God views His children in that way as well. We are saved for a purpose He has saved us and called us to a holy life … Or as Paul put it in Ephesians 2:8-10: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. The person who is truly a child of God will want to do good works in response to the love of God. In other words we are saved for them not by them.
(b) The ground of his salvation (II Timothy 1:10) …but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. The key word here is ‘now’. Prior to the coming of Jesus in the world it was unclear exactly how God would bring salvation to the world. The coming of Jesus, as Paul explains in II Timothy 1:10, makes all the difference. What did Jesus do?
(i)He abolished death He was the one who died and came back to life again. He was separated from our Father in heaven on the cross so that we might be spared that fate in eternity. Without the good news of the gospel Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:4: But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. What difference did the gift of salvation make? And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6); Paul was so sure of the future prepared for us beyond the grave that he describes the future as if it had already happened! The consistency of early Christina witness was that these usually powerless often enslaved persons gained a self-worth and identity of priceless proportions ‘in Christ’, through their union by faith in Him.
(ii) He brought life and immortality Because Jesus rose from the dead so shall we. Because He is at the right hand of the Father in heaven so shall we be with Him in eternity. Paul wrote in I Corinthians15:26 in the chapter on the significance of the bodily resurrection of Jesus: The last enemy to be destroyed is death and in I Corinthians 15:54: When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ Hallelujah!
3. My assurance (II Timothy 1:12c) …and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him… God whose grace saves us from our sins will give us the aid we need by the power of the Holy Spirit to continue on the journey of faith through this life until we enter eternity.
Paul wrote in Romans 8:14,16:For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
However, we have a responsibility to do our very best to ‘train’ ourselves in God-honouring living alongside the assistance of the Holy Spirit. In his letter to the Church at Philippi Paul wrote: Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil His good purpose.
It is He who guarantees that we will be with him forever. The people in whose lives God has begun ‘a good work’ will see Him bring it to completion when we enter eternity. Or as Paul puts it in Romans 11:29: For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. Therefore, we live out our faith with an assurance that our future is secure in His hands.
4. My destiny (II Timothy 1:12d) …until that day. Paul is physically confined in Rome and aware his execution will come any day at the hands of the brutal Emperor Nero. However, he is a willing ‘prisoner’ of Jesus Christ rather than a captive of Rome. He views himself as spiritually free. Later near the end of this final letter he will write these words: For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing (II Timothy 4:6-8).
Do you have that same assurance should your departure time be near? I trust this is the case for us all, for Jesus’sake, Amen.
Our song before we come to communion is:
The Lord’s Supper
Jesus invites all Christian who have committed their lives to follow Him to participate in this act of worship. The apostle Paul wrote these words of Scripture in I Corinthians 11:23-26 to guide our observance of Communion.
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: the Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’25 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Prayer: Choose your own words of prayer to give thanks for the bread and wine that represent the costly gift of His body and blood for us.
Take the bread: Jesus said: ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.
Take the wine: Jesus said: This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’
Our closing song is:
Closing Prayer:
Thank you Lord for Paul’s amazing confidence in you, that through the tough times and the good that you would go with him every step of the way; thank you that as we begin another new week that we too can be assured of your holy presence with us. Guide and direct us in the choices we make and in all that we do, in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Benediction: The Grace
May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore, Amen
What does it mean? It seems very simple and straightforward and who in their right mind would be opposed to doing what is right? Even in the word itself ‘righteousness’ there is a clue to the nature of our behavioural choices- ‘righteousness’; the Bible contains references to both personal and collective or national ‘righteousness’.
In Romans 1:16-17, there is a call for individual or personal righteousness, to turn from our sins and to Jesus Christ: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’
Paul’s words are a declaration of His personal response to the good news of the gospel. But in Proverbs 14:34 it is a call to a nation, in the first instance the nation of Israel, but then to the governments of all nations to conduct their national affairs in the light of the biblical standards for good governance.
This standard with respect to the Covid-19 virus pandemic should mean how well we as a society have cared for the most vulnerable in our midst. Have the values we are demonstrating by our actions, or the lack of them, matched the principles the Bible advocates of taking care of the most vulnerable in society as well as looking after ourselves.
For example, in our city of Dundee, from the City Council to the voluntary agencies that include the food banks, as well as many individuals in their own streets or neighbourhoods, we have committed ourselves to do everything in our power to ensure everyone has the food they need to eat each day during the difficulties caused by this pandemic.
In the first few weeks of lockdown this was a bigger challenge than many realise, but working together it is most encouraging how successful were the collective efforts of so many people in our city; to our friends in the United States, on top of handling the pandemic that has left an additional forty million people unemployed so far, it is how their national and state governments address the systemic issue of racism at a structural level that allowed for the appalling events to take place recently in Minneapolis. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people. It is a mirror against which our collective choices are measured. What does it mean to live by the words of this text? It involves:
Repentance for sin
It takes real courage to put our hands up and admit what we did was wrong. It takes even more courage for a President or Prime Minster to do the same with respect to our nation. Sadly, there are few votes to be won with admitting our recent faults.
An opposition party would use such an acknowledgement as a reason why this other party should not be in office. You cannot win in apologising for past errors in the country either, as there are plenty of people who would say the past is irrelevant, concentrate on what lies in front of you today.
Yet a sincere heartfelt message will be appreciated. On 30 or 31 May 1997 then Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed an apology for the failure of the British Government to provide assistance to the Irish people enduring the horrors of the potato famine 150 years earlier. His ‘words were welcomed by John Bruton, the Irish Prime Minister, who said: “While the statement confronts the past honestly, it does so in a way that heals for the future.” ’(Kathy Marks, ‘Blair issues apology for Irish Potato Famine’ The Independent, 2 June 1997)
However, unless words and actions go together words of apology ring very hollow. In America right now we need to see religious and other community leaders stand up and be counted in addressing the vile sin of racism and helping their communities to hold elected officials to account; we need political leaders at state and national level to do the same and plot a course of action that dismantles the structural discrimination that has allowed events to happen like that in Minneapolis. This will at the highest level require a genuine heartfelt apology for failing African American citizens
Practising what we preach
Truth matters! If governments make public statements on a subject that appear to be seriously questionable then it undermines the whole policy statement in which the claims were made. There are many examples that could be given here. Obviously at a personal and collective level the vile sin of racism has to be as far as possible eradicated from our society.
It is easy to say words on this topic. But how willing are we to seek to get to know people who are different from ourselves? How open are we to listen to their experience of the world and in some cases the discrimination they experience? It is too easy to point the finger at the structural racism in other counties that may appear to have much bigger issues to address, and ignore things we need to address as a society at home.
It is rightly a concern that religious and ethnic minorities in some overseas countries have been deliberately discriminated against in the distribution of food supplies during this Covid-19 virus pandemic. But there are also issues to address at home. For example, in the social care sector in our country we employ many gifted staff from overseas to care for some of our most vulnerable citizens, but how are they treated in their terms and conditions of service?
If a government claims to want to practice an ethical foreign policy, for example, as some do, then there are some big changes that will have to be made. Western and other Governments will have to stop interfering in the governance of other countries where they should not be meddling.
The tragedy of relatively recent events in Iraq and Syria is a case in point. The suffering caused to ordinary people in both these countries as a result is appalling. This challenge does go deeper still. It will mean, for example, big questions about the trade in arms overseas. The famine in Yemen which is potentially catastrophic for millions of already poor people was to a large degree brought about as a result of the military intervention of its larger neighbour Saudi Arabia using primarily American and British made-weapons. Are we willing to lose some well-paid defence jobs that will be the inevitable price of selling less weapons to other countries overseas? These are just some of the many questions that our text raises Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘O Lord the clouds are gathering’
The Church at Antioch had a deserved reputation of being enthusiastic about witnessing for Jesus. They had a passion for telling people about Jesus. It was in this congregation that the first Gentiles were converted to the Christian faith. They were not content to restrict the good news being presented to their fellow Jews; in contrast to the other early churches their members took the bold step of inviting people to meet Jesus from other ethnic and different cultural backgrounds.
People were attending their services who may have dressed differently; ate different types of food and had a range of different social attitudes and values. Yet their willingness to build bridges to people who needed Jesus was exemplary. I am sure that there were many mistakes made, in terms of communication, when their hearers misunderstood the gospel they were sharing. Yet the rejection of the message that would have been experienced by some of these Christians did not put them off from seeking to share their faith (Acts 11:20-21).
What is more they were also aware of the needs of fellow Christians in neighbouring countries and in the face of a natural disaster (famine) were determined to do what they could to alleviate the suffering by providing a financial gift that enabled some people in Judea to be spared the potential disaster and loss of life so common when major famines occur (Acts 11:29-30).
In the light of this innovative, visionary and compassionate Christian ministry at home it is no surprise at all that this congregation was the first to choose to participate in overseas mission. There had already been some people from other countries who had been converted on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem and who would have taken to gospel home with them to share with family, friends and neighbours (Acts 2).
Others had been dispersed to other communities in Judea and Samaria as a result of the persecution that had arisen after the murder of Stephen (Acts 8:1-5). Yet this congregation in Syria gains the plaudits for its determination to pray and plan for overseas evangelism.
They were familiar with Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
What is equally important is that they shared His passion for transmitting that good news to people beyond the boundaries of their own country. Do you also share Jesus’ vision for a lost world? I hope each Christian here today can say ‘yes’ to this question. However, in the congregation that was in many ways the role model for non-Jewish congregations like ourselves, it was particularly noted for its ethnic diversity. People from so many different nationalities were present in its ranks.
In Acts 12:25-13:3, Luke records the names of the key leaders in this Syrian church. Of the five men mentioned they are all of different nationalities and none ironically are Syrian. It raises the question today of why so few churches in any country have significant ethnic diversity in the leadership teams and in their congregations. In the light of the current debate over racial awareness and addressing discrimination, are there any issues we ought to address to ensure our church is equally welcoming to people from a diverse range of backgrounds? Or any blind spots we need individually to address to communicate our genuine welcome to people of all ethnic backgrounds?
Our song for reflection is: ‘Speak O Lord as we come to You’
Mark 6:35 – Come with me to a quiet place and get some rest
The context (Mark 6:30)
The apostles gathered round Jesus and reported to Him all they had done and taught. The context of these words was the mission Jesus had sent them on reported in Mark 6:6-13. It had been an intensely busy period of evangelistic work round the villages in parts of the north of the country.
The exact itinerary is not given, but it is clear they had been away for a significant period of time. After its completion they returned to Jesus to reflect on the work they had done. Around that time there was an unexpected traumatic event that dominated public conversations. It was a killing that shocked the nation with its cruelty. It feels remarkably like the present time. The author of Ecclesiastes 1:9b wrote: There is nothing new under the sun.
It is disturbing how history so often repeats itself over the centuries. It is as if as a human race we are unwilling to learn the lessons of our history. We take some steps forward and then take other back.
For some of us the last few weeks have been very tiring with heavy work demands. Or they have been very stressful because of changing working practices that we struggle to master. After several weeks of this difficulty the strain begins to tell on our physical and emotional health. For others the isolation of lock down and the cancellation of virtually everything in our diaries has brought about a sense of loss that is difficult to articulate.
In addition, there have been many warnings in the press of the suffering of the people who need medical treatment, but cannot get it. Inevitably there will be some of us struggling with the fact that we have no idea when this pandemic will be brought to an end.
For these first disciples and many more people at that time, the brutal killing of John the Baptist had been so unexpected. The shock levels might have been even higher and the grief more traumatic if images of that night of excess had been filmed and placed on social media, especially the brutal beheading of John the Baptist. In our twenty-first century context it is the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis that is a defining image of the present day. There is though only so much we can take before we need a break.
The call (Mark 6:31-33) 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’
When we have no time to eat or sleep it is a danger signal that we cannot keep this up for too much longer, without damage to our health. The natural tiredness of the ministry tour would have been reason enough to take a break, but the emotional trauma of coming to terms with John the Baptist’s execution would have increased their need to support one another at this incredibly difficult time. They had greatly respected him and some of them had previously been his disciples.
We all need to carve out some times for rest; this does not mean we have to fill all our time off with catching up on jobs not done, our priority may be in extreme cases to rest a lot and try to catch up on lost sleep. All of us need to find a way to be able to be quiet and rest and recuperate.
The compassion (Mark 6:32-34) 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognised them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things (Mark 6:30-34)
Time out, like lock down, will not go on for ever. The rest and recuperation time was clearly cut short by the appearance of the crowds desiring time with Jesus. It is a reminder that we can make our plans but events can overtake them. There is always work to be done, but there is a limit to what you or I can accomplish. Then and now Jesus’ words here are ones we need to heed for the good of our own sense of wellbeing. We should be willing to do what we can but also to heed Jesus words in Mark 6:35: Come with me to a quiet place and get some rest.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Be still for the presence of the Lord’
Our next Messy Church At Home session is now available, just click on the link below. This time we’ll hear a story about a storm. We have activity ideas for storm art pictures and also how to make a tornado at home! We’d love to see any photos of what you have made. 🙂
Once more we reach the middle of another week and I invite you as in previous weeks to set aside some time to pray about what is going on in the wider world and our own land, as well as for ourselves and the local community in which we live.
Philemon 17 …welcome him as you would welcome me.
Where do I begin in living out my faith in a context of institutional racism and a total disregard for the poor and marginalised? This was the social context in the Roman world in which the Christian faith began and spread across the urban centres of the empire in the first century AD.
When we add into the mix that most Christians at that time were enslaved persons with no rights at all as human beings under Roman law then there appears to be no chance they can contribute anything to the public debate.
We might add, how should American Christians respond to the appalling and tragic events unfolding in their country just now in the light of the killing of George Floyd? Or how should we as Christians serve our communities during the Covid-19 virus pandemic? There is a book of the New Testament that speaks powerfully into the social content then and now and suggests a way to move these issues forward in our local communities today.
This letter of Paul has a special place in his writings as it is not a formal treatise to a congregation or group of congregations covering a range of doctrinal and practical topics. Instead, it is a personal letter that may have been intended to be a private communication to this man and his family.
Its survival almost certainly results from the success of Paul’s request that the two men are reconciled. Ignatius the bishop of Antioch martyred approximately 108AD wrote a letter referring to Onesimus as the current Bishop (pastor) of the Church in Ephesus (Ignatius, Letter to the Ephesians 1:3).
This would imply that at a date unknown Philemon had set him free to serve in wider Christian work in the neighbouring country of Turkey. Had I been in Onesimus’ shoes I would have wanted a personal copy of it as his life and future depended on the success of Paul’s plea to his friend and fellow Christian concerning Onesimus, legally a slave in the possession of Philemon, but now officially a fugitive on the run from his master and potentially at risk of being killed if captured before he arrived back at his owner’s home. There are other letters in the Bible, for example 2 John and 3 John, but none carry the incredible social implications invested in this short communication between two friends.
What is it that Paul asks here? He asks this man to welcome home a young man who is very likely to have behaved inappropriately in the past, incidents of which Philemon will be able to recall with ease, but now as Onesimus has been converted to the Christian faith his actions reflect his name. Useless has truly become ‘useful’.
Paul admits that he would like to keep Onesimus with him to assist in his work. Maybe he was even hoping that his friend would suggest that. But what is not in dispute is that Paul was asking Philemon to put to one side Onesimus’ failures from the past and going forward to treat him as if he was Paul himself coming to that home.
These words speak powerfully to our lives and how we conduct relationships with one another. Do I keep retaining negative feelings to another believer because of their past failings, even though they may have apologised at the time or sometime later? If the answer is ‘yes’, then I need to ask myself to reflect on the wonderful gospel of grace we proclaim and challenge myself to live more closely to it in my daily life.
Paul does not ask for Onesimus to be freed, although he believed enslavement was wrong; instead he asks for something greater. Treat Onesimus in your home as if he were me your long lost friend! Allow him to stay in your home as a brother in Christ not as a slave. This was an explosive request! Like a soldier pulling the pin out of a hand grenade and tossing it around in an ammunition factory! It was also a Christian request.
The letter to Philemon shows that the gospel has significant applications to our daily lives. We are called to live out our faith not just when it is easy, but also when it is incredibly hard as well. For example, in a context of institutionalised racism to ask how can I help break down the barriers? In this context a Christian might ask: Do I have any friends or acquaintances of a different ethnic background and if not can I make friends with someone from whom I might learn so much about their understanding of current affairs? If we don’t it becomes significantly more difficult to ‘stand in someone else’s shoes’ and see things from their perspective.
A local church might ask how can we identify with the poor and needy? It was an obvious step to take when our church was invited to be a partner in our local food bank during the current Covid-19 virus pandemic. Do you need to ask for prayer concerning issues over which you are struggling right now?
All of us at times know the right course of action to take, but wonder how on earth we can actually accomplish it! Thinking of the society in which we live, is there an issue or situation in our land where the gospel brings a deep challenge to the majority view in our nation? Is there something I can do to make a difference whether it is something small or something much larger? Remember the significance of this one letter from Paul to Philemon – you can be a world-changer one person at a time!
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Filled with compassion’
Pointers for our Prayers
• For whom or what are you particularly thankful this week? Let the Lord know!
• Continue to pray for the Government in Scotland and in the wider UK and for their clinical and scientific advisers, that they may have wisdom to lead us effectively especially now as we are starting to emerge out of lock down.
• Pray for the political, religious and other community leaders in the USA as they seek to navigate a way through the tragic events that have engulfed their country. Pray for individual Americans as they seek through friendships to build bridges across the ethnic divides that exist in many communities. Pray for people in other countries including our own that we also seek to model good relationships with people of different ethnic or cultural backgrounds.
• Pray for our NHS and Social Care Staff as they continue to serve so willingly the many people under their care. We particularly remember Hannah A and the social care staff who have been caring for very vulnerable people under extreme pressures in the last few weeks. We pray that they and all other workers in our country may be renewed in their health and strength.
• Pray for John G’s daughters Nicola and Alison and their families at this time as they prepare for his funeral on 6 June. We thank God for the short time John was a member of our congregation while living in Lochleven Care Home.
• Pray for Jan and Mark F and other members of Jim’s family at this time. We also pray for Betty and Scott R, Betty W, Eloise P, Elizabeth F and their families following recent bereavements.
• Pray for those in the church undergoing tests or treatments in hospitals as well as those in need of tests or other forms of treatment including surgery who are having to wait much longer to get the medical support they need.
• Pray for those ill with the Covid-19 virus that they may soon regain their health and strength. We pray also for people with other health conditions that they may also have access to the medical care they require at this time. We continue to remember older members who are required to be at home or in care homes that they may not feel discouraged or forgotten by their friends and families who are unable to visit them. We pray also for Ali T’s parents, Jude R’s grandma and Isdale A’s dad;
• Pray for teachers and pupils, and lecturers and students, at different levels of education especially those known to you. That they may be able to work adequately online. Help them to overcome the challenges of technology and the difficulties of communicating effectively through online learning. Help parents also trying to work from home alongside supporting their children doing schoolwork.
• We pray for the emotional and mental health of our nation, especially those of whatever age who are particularly struggling to cope with the lock down and the inability to meet with their families or friends.
• Pray for ourselves that we always make time each day to read His word and spend time in His presence.
• Pray in advance for the online meetings and activities throughout this week and the service next Sunday
