Ervie-Kirkcolm Church of Scotland
Registered Charity No. SC003122
Order of Service 7-3-10
Communion
Minister Rev Michael J Sheppard BD (HONS)
Hymn 68 ‘Thou art before me, Lord’ [Highland Cathedral].
Prayer.
Hymn: ‘There is a Redeemer’ [CH4 559 - words below].
1 Corinthians 10:1-13 [pew bibles - NT p.212].
Hymn 663 'O for a closer walk with God' [The Flower O’er The Quern].
Sermon: ‘If only we could do it all over again …..!’
Offering & Prayer of Dedication.
Hymn: ‘We come as guests invited’ [Passion Chorale - words opposite].
The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession.
Hymn : 'I have a dream’, a man once said' [CH4 710 - Repton].
Dessert: Benediction & Threefold Amen.
THERE IS A REDEEMER
1. There is a Redeemer, Jesus, God’s own Son,
precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One.
Thank you, O my Father, for giving us your Son,
and leaving us your Spirit till your work on earth be done.
2. Jesus, my Redeemer, name above all names,
precious Lamb of God, Messiah, once for sinners slain:
Thank you, O my Father …...
3. When I stand in glory I will see His face,
And there I’ll serve my King for ever in that holy place:
Thank you, O my Father …...
WE COME AS GUESTS INVITED
1. We come as guests invited when Jesus bids us dine,
His friends on earth united to share the bread and wine;
the bread of life is broken, the wine is freely poured
for us, in solemn token of Christ our dying Lord.
2. We eat and drink, receiving from Christ the grace we need,
and in our hearts believing on Him by faith we feed;
With wonder and thanksgiving for love that knows no end,
We find in Jesus living our ever-present friend.
3. One bread is ours for sharing, one single fruitful vine,
Our fellowship declaring renewed in bread and wine -
Renewed, sustained and given, by token, sign and word,
The pledge and seal of heaven, the love of Christ our Lord.
[words: Timothy Dudley-Smith; music H. Hassler 1564-1612) arranged by J. S. Bach (1685-1750)]
‘I HAVE A DREAM’
[* The last line of each verse is repeated]
1. ‘I have a dream’, a man once said, 2. But in this world of bitter strife
‘where all is perfect peace; the dream can often fade;
where men and women, black and white, reality seems dark as night,
stand hand in hand, and all unite we catch but glimpses of the light
* in freedom and in love.’ * Christ sheds on humankind.
3. Fierce persecution, war, and hate 4. So dream the dreams and sing the songs,
are raging everywhere; but never be content;
God calls us now to pay the price for thoughts and words don’t ease the pain:
through struggles and through sacrifice unless there’s action, all is vain;
* of standing for the right. * faith proves itself in deeds.
5. Lord, give us vision, make us strong,
help us to do your will;
don’t let us rest until we see
your love throughout humanity
* uniting us in peace.
[Words: Pamela J. Pettitt (b.1954); Music: Charles Hubert
INTIMATIONS
A Very Warm Welcome - to all who gather for worship and participation in the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper this morning. May your presence prove a mutual blessing.
The Annual Stated Meeting of This Congregation – will be held here on Sunday 21st March, commencing immediately following Morning Worship. We would encourage all able members to attend – so that they can receive the Report and Financial Accounts, and also show support for those Office Bearers who give of their time voluntarily and on our behalf.
The Sacrament of Holy Infant Baptism – will next be celebrated and administered on Sunday 28th March, during our Morning Worship Service here. The recipients [whose names have still to be confirmed to the Minister] will be the second pair of twins born to Fraser & Paula Erskine, and therefore the siblings of Ailsa & Connor and grandchildren of Bobby McKie.
Sermon 7/3/10
BIRTHDAY SERMON
"If Only We Could Do It All Over Again ……!"
I’ve reached another milestone in my life, as I celebrate my 60th Birthday today. On a personal level, I’m looking forward to the next stage in my life, and whatever this may bring. But, naturally, I’ve also been looking back, including thinking quite a bit about regrets. I’ve also been taking stock on a more congregational level - of where we are, where we’ve come from [especially through our last year of homecoming reflections and welcoming, and also where we might be as a congregation in the next 5 or more years.
When anyone takes time to take stock of their life [or, for us, our Church life], different thoughts are bound to emerge.
Some of my thoughts have been about celebrations, about successes, about lots of fond memories. But with such thoughts also and inevitably come regrets and disappointments.
Now, in themselves, they aren’t such a bad thing, for fond memories and disappointments can combine and help us to imagine the future, to consider it, to commit and recommit to it, to make useful goals, plans and objectives.
However, I’ve not only been thinking about regrets in the course of my taking stock. I’ve also been thinking of them in the light of what seems to be a news period that has been unusually focused on significant individual failings.
Until very recently, it has seemed like the only thing that could take the focus off all those politicians and their expenses was another even more outrageous expenses claim, just as it seems like the only thing that can take the focus off the scandal of outrageous bank bonuses having been paid, are the stories about even more bonuses still going to be dished out, despite the incredible losses being declared.
One might think that some of them would have a few regrets, certainly enough for them not to repeat their errors all over again. But, I guess, greed can be a very powerful drug.
I’ve heard folk confess to making loads of mistakes in their life, yet they still regret nothing. I, on the other hand, could come up with a whole list of regrets – things I would do differently if life gave us the opportunity of doing things all over again. And I’m sure many of you could think of things from your own life experience that you’d gladly do over, if only you had the chance.
Before you worry that your minister is wracked by guilt over all the sordid and dreadful things that I have done in my life, worry not. Most of my regrets tend to deal with sins of omission rather than sins of commission, and they mostly aren’t about sins at all, but, rather, about opportunities missed.
But, how much greater must be the desire be to do it all over again for a person whose mistakes and misjudgments landed them in prison, landed someone else in hospital [possibly, permanently damaging them], or forever destroyed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Some honest and thoughtful souls that I’ve met have said, in all honesty, that they wouldn’t want to do things all over again, even if they had the chance. Such people often claim that they’re the product of hard lessons learned, of opportunities squandered, and of struggles overcome, even when the struggle itself was entirely avoidable. Such people don’t wish for their scars to be erased.
Maybe some of you are like this, although I must say I have some difficulty in understanding such a viewpoint. After all, given the chance, who wouldn’t willingly undo something that had caused regret?
Of course, this question is purely theoretical. For life doesn’t give us the opportunity of turning back the clock.
Yes, life gives us second chances. But a second chance isn’t the same thing as turning back the clock so that you can do a thing all over again.
Life doesn’t allow do-overs, but it often gives us second chances, third chances, fourth chances and even tenth chances.
Life doesn’t give us do-overs, but it does give us the ability to try to make amends and the grace of being forgiven.
In the words of singer/songwriter, Paul Simon, life gives us “photo opportunities and shots at redemption.”
A second chance is simply the opportunity to learn a lesson from something we don’t have the opportunity to do all over again. There is a difference.
Let me try to explain what I’m talking about here by using a story from the Bible. It’s a good story. It’s the story of Jesus healing the paralytic, a story which appears in three out of the four gospels. The story basically goes like this.
Jesus is making an appearance inside a large house. He’s doing his miraculous healing thing and this attracts quite the crowd. The house fills up, and people who can’t squeeze in surround the house, peering in the windows, and standing five or six deep. It’s a major fire hazard. And when the crowd is at its most crowded, four friends come along carrying a fifth friend, a paralytic, on a makeshift stretcher.
If you recognize this story, you know what happens next. What you expect to happen is for the four friends to survey the scene and think, “We’ll try to catch Jesus another time.” That’s second chance thinking.
But no, instead they do something hilarious and touching and courageous.
First they climb up on the roof of this man’s house, which is no small feat in itself considering they also have to hoist their paralyzed friend up on the roof.
What happens next depends on which version of the text you read. If you’re reading Mark, the roof is made out of straw and mud so the friends have to dig through the man’s roof. If you’re reading Luke, the man’s roof is made out of tile. But, regardless, what happens next is still the same.
The friends manage to create a large hole in the roof, and they tie their paralyzed friend to a rope, lowering him down so that he can be healed.
Now just imagine for a moment, the four friends as they attempt to come up with a plan. They debate lots of ideas, and come up with various strategies. Then one of them suggests that they all climb up on the roof, knock a hole through the roof, tie their ill friend to a rope and lower him down. And, instead of his friends laughing him out of town, they actually go along with the idea.
The four of them actually decide to go up on the roof.
They decide to carry up their paralyzed friend.
They decide to tear a hole in the roof of a stranger’s house.
And they decide to tie their friend to a rope and lower him through the hole in the ceiling.
This plan lacks a certain degree of pragmatism.
This plan also lacks legality; for the four friends are guilty of trespass, breaking and entering, destruction of personal property, and reckless endangerment.
Importantly, though, their decision is the type of decision that can only be made by someone who understands regret, who understands that life does not give us the opportunity to turn back the clock and do it all over again.
The story is about the difference between second chances and do-overs. A second chance mindset says, “Well, we did what we could. The crowd is too large. The wait is too long. We’ll try to catch Jesus the next time he comes into town. Sorry.”
The do it all over again perspective asks the question, “How much are we going to regret not giving this our best shot?”
It asks, “Can we look ourselves in the mirror knowing we didn’t give this one our very best and craziest shot?”
I’m not wanting to deny the power of the second chance, the third chance, or even the fourth one. For, when any of us screw up, the second chance is always a fantastic gift.
Someone believes in us, and we’re encouraged to try, try again. And yet, second chance thinking can grind things to a halt; it can halt progress, and excuse inexcusable inertia.
It was Martin Luther King who once said that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.’ It about ‘seizing the day’, as I preached about just a fortnight ago.
But such urgency shouldn’t be confused with anxiety, fear, panic, or other reactionary behaviours. Urgency stems from a positive and hopeful view of the world; recognising that, within it can be found many amazing opportunities.
Living a fulfilled life is a matter of being who you are and doing what you can in the here and now, for life doesn’t allow us to turn back the clock.
So yes:
Be thankful for second chances, for ‘photo opportunities and shots at redemption’.
Be thankful for God’s amazing grace.
But also stay alert, for the world is full of amazing opportunities.
Don’t fail to act on them. For life is cheap if we sit back, if we let it pass us by, and simply think to ourselves, “There’ll be another chance.” AMEN.
