Reflective space 14 28th June 2020

Pentecost + 4 Psalm 13

Jeremiah 28.5-9 Romans 6.12-23

Matthew 10.40-42

today’s focus reading

Matthew 10:40-42 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever wel-comes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever wel-comes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous per-son in the name of a righteous person will receive the re-ward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.” Amen.

be aware of God’s presence

Awaken me, Lord, to your light, Open my eyes to your presence.

Awaken me, Lord, to your love;

Open my heart to your indwelling.

Awaken me, Lord, to your life; Open my mind to your abiding.

Awaken me, Lord, to your purpose;

Open my will to your guiding.

comments on the gospel

Matthew speaks of Jesus’ final instructions to the apostles before he sends them out. To go out and preach the word is not only about what you say, but about how you live it out in the world, especially in relation to others. Righteousness is not just about believing or speaking; it concerns the relation-ship a person has with others and is also about action. That relationship is to be characterised by kindness and love, as exemplified in the giving of a cup of cold water (v.42). Jesus emphasises the importance of compassion, shown by even the smallest act of generosity to an apparently insignificant per-son. Jesus makes it clear that not only do those who are sent out in his name have his authority, they are to be treated as if they are actually him. This is a privilege which carries with it re-sponsibility, and that responsibility includes the need to show compassion to all.

to read and reflect

Psalm 13 a psalm of David

How long, O Lord?

Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I bear pain in my soul,

and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God!

Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,

and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”; my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.

But I trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

a reflection “Hot drink anyone?” My question became a mantra in our house as my generous, sacrificial act of a willingness to make people a hot drink was met with derision and merriment. Why did I bother? There was a time when no two people had the same drink; so it may have been one milky coffee with sugar and one without, one tea with lots of milk (baby tea in my mind), one Peppermint tea (usually an evening request), one plain hot water, and often someone who would ruin the rhythm by asking for a can of coke or even a glass of water! Of course cold water has returned to a more prominent place in the drinking habits of westerners. Free and re-freshing, readily available, taken in handy containers by many people in the car out a walk, and also less embar-rassing to ask for in a restaurant (remember restaurants?) than previously. And of course we prefer our water cold, even with ice if possible. Not too demanding a request. In today's gospel reading, even Jesus stresses the importance of cold water. He doesn't talk about giving a cup of water to the "little ones." He says these "little ones" must be given cold water. What's going on here? The little word "cold" used in this passage is psuchros in the Greek. Surely Jesus could just as easily have said "a cup of water" and yet he specified cold water. Of course, he didn't say that in Greek. He said it in Aramaic, but Matthew insists he said "cold water," nevertheless. Well, what's the big deal about that? We can get cold water whenever we want. At home, it's as easy as running the tap a wee while, or taking ice cubes from the freezer and filling up a glass. At work or school, water fountains and water coolers are everywhere nowadays. But cold water was a big deal in 1st century Palestine as it is in many places today. Drinking cold water was a rare pleasure. Didn't happen all that often, and when it did, it just tasted so good! Drinking cold water meant that someone went to a lot of trouble for you. No internal plumbing with taps either hot or cold in those days. No fridges or freezers. A household's water supply came from the village well. It started out cool in the early morning when someone — usually one of the women or girls — walked down there with a clay jar, filled it, and came staggering back with it balanced on her head. She would set the heavy clay jar in a shady space inside the house. As the hours went by, it lost that cool, crisp, fresh-from-the-well taste. By late afternoon — the time most thirsty dinner guests were likely to arrive — you were lucky if room-temperature water was what you had left. At that time of day, a room in a first-century Palestinian house — where thick walls delayed tempera-ture changes but couldn't stop them — was just about at its hottest.

If someone brings a cup of cold water to one of "these little ones," it means she gets up, runs to the well and comes back with fresh, cool water. A special trip, a special effort, for honoured guests. It's not a small thing at all. It involved effort, intention, and being more than generous, even sacrificial with something very precious. It is with that thoughtfulness, commitment, generosi-ty and intent with which Jesus sends out his followers. Even the little things are important in life, but it is still important to give even the simplest things the great-est attention. That can make all the difference and it is the kind of generous compassion Jesus demands.

A Celtic Blessing

Deep peace of the running wave to you

Deep peace of the flowing air to you

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you

Deep peace of the shining stars to you

Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.

Amen.

a prayer

Let us give thanks for the gift of water To nourish the land To fill the reservoirs To cleanse the earth.

Let us remember those who are not so blessed. Where lands are parched through lack of rain;

Where crops and people suffer Where unclean water harbours disease and death Where people still walk to draw clean, fresh water.

Those who suffer because of too much water:

The deluge that washes away the harvest; leaving devastation behind;

Where ice caps melt and raise sea levels Endangering coasts, and islands, and the poor;

And tidal waves sweep inland to destroy When rivers rise and homes and streets flood.

Let us remember, and pray, And let us care for the earth

And the seas And the thirsty

And restore creation.

As we miss the pleasures of the sea In which to swim or sail

Cruising and scanning the horizon Appreciating the beauty and mystery of the depths

Sitting and looking out to dream May we never forget the wonder of creation its beauty, mystery and its unpredictability,

and stand in awe at the maker of all.

Where your people thirst for justice, may we bring the water of life. And may we seek no reward

but to serve the God who sends us. In the name of Jesus

Who poured out his love and his life for all Amen.

to say or to sing

- our inner longing -

As Water to the Thirsty W: T Dudley-Smith; M: T B Coleman

© Stainer & Bell

As water to the thirsty,

as beauty to the eyes,

as strength that follows weakness,

as truth instead of lies,

as songtime and springtime

and summertime to be,

so is my Lord,

my living Lord,

so is my Lord to me.

Like calm in place of clamour,

like peace that follows pain,

like meeting after parting,

like sunshine after rain,

like moonlight and starlight

and sunlight on the sea,

so is my Lord,

my living Lord,

so is my Lord to me.

As sleep that follows fever,

as gold instead of grey,

as freedom after bondage,

as sunrise to the day,

as home to the traveller

and all we long to see,

so is my Lord,

my living Lord,

so is my Lord to me.

Zoom Communion Sunday 28th June at 11am

Our three linkage congregations come together to share bread and wine.

Simply have to hand a small glass of wine or juice,

and a small piece or slice of bread.

Stewart McPherson will be taking some time off over the next few weeks till 12th July. During this time if there are any pastoral urgencies please contact:

Rev Nancy Norman 01721 721699 or Rev Pamela Strachan 01899 830423 Stewart will be available on mobile if necessary.

Re-Opening our Church Buildings?

To follow on from last week’s note and in response to the changing and very fluid nature of announcements from the UK Government and Scottish Government we will not be opening our church buildings soon. Certainly not as soon as some might expect or as any of us might wish. Our cau-tious approach is based on the mantra of Safety First, while acknowledging the age-profile of our congregations and the activities in which we are involved—mainly where people are in close proximity which Social Distancing make difficult. Also, we have witnessed how the actions of some can cause anxiety to others. Although we do not expect the crowds that gathered on Bournemouth Beach or in Kelvingrove Park, or even outside Liverpool’s football ground during the week we know that not everyone obeys strict guidelines. When we are in church sanctuaries and halls we need to ensure as far as possible it is safe for people to meet.

So although you may hear of some individual church buildings around the land opening for various purposes,

we are not yet at that stage. We are however already exploring possibilities, but first of all we have to do Risk Assessments on all our buildings which a cross-linkage group are beginning to do. In this way we can learn from and support one another through this. These as-sessments will require the approval of Presbytery before we can open for any purpose and to any group.

Patience, caution, and intentional action are all required so that we get this right. Being out of our buildings for a

few more weeks at this stage is well worth it.