THOUGHT FOR THE DAY ON RADIO OBAN FM
10 minute Service for Sunday 13th March 2011
Murdoch MacKenzie
Let us begin with prayer as we pray the Collect for Lent which we prayed this week on Ash Wednesday
10 minute Service for Sunday 13th March 2011
Murdoch MacKenzie
Let us begin with prayer as we pray the Collect for Lent which we prayed this week on Ash Wednesday
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing that you have made and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: create and make in us new and contrite hearts that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may receive from you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
At the end of Fairtrade Fortnight and at the beginning of Lent let us read the parable of the Good Samaritan as we find it in Luke chapter 10 verses 25-37
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus answered, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he travelled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave it to the innkeeper saying: ‘Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’ Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?" He said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
In a sense the Good Samaritan denied himself, took up his cross and followed Jesus. But this was too much for the expert in the law. Or was it? We do not know what he did after that. Perhaps he changed his mind, was converted to a different way of living, so that when someone needed a neighbour he was there. And the question remains the same for us this morning especially in the season of Lent which is a time for self-examination. Who is my neighbour? Is it the person next door or the person on the other side of the world, who grows the bananas or the roses which I pick down off the shelves at the supermarket? The answer is both. If we cannot love the person next door how can we love someone 6000 miles away? Each of them lives with us in the global village. A struggle for power in Libya immediately results in a rise in the price we pay for petrol at the pump because in the global village we are all neighbours. A slump in the price of coffee immediately results in people losing their rates of pay or even their jobs in, say Kenya.
On Wednesday 23rd March the Chancellor will deliver the UK budget. Will we think it is fair or unfair? Will he adjust the price of diesel in our favour? Likewise poor people in Africa and India and in the Caribbean wonder whether the price we pay for their products will be fair or unfair. When they are in need of a neighbour will we be there, with that little bit extra which we pay for the Fairtrade premium which they receive with which to build their schools and hospitals? Will we be like the good Samaritan or will we walk by on the other side?
Let us pray for our own salvation in the words of The Collect for Purity:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus answered, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he travelled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave it to the innkeeper saying: ‘Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’ Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?" He said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
In a sense the Good Samaritan denied himself, took up his cross and followed Jesus. But this was too much for the expert in the law. Or was it? We do not know what he did after that. Perhaps he changed his mind, was converted to a different way of living, so that when someone needed a neighbour he was there. And the question remains the same for us this morning especially in the season of Lent which is a time for self-examination. Who is my neighbour? Is it the person next door or the person on the other side of the world, who grows the bananas or the roses which I pick down off the shelves at the supermarket? The answer is both. If we cannot love the person next door how can we love someone 6000 miles away? Each of them lives with us in the global village. A struggle for power in Libya immediately results in a rise in the price we pay for petrol at the pump because in the global village we are all neighbours. A slump in the price of coffee immediately results in people losing their rates of pay or even their jobs in, say Kenya.
On Wednesday 23rd March the Chancellor will deliver the UK budget. Will we think it is fair or unfair? Will he adjust the price of diesel in our favour? Likewise poor people in Africa and India and in the Caribbean wonder whether the price we pay for their products will be fair or unfair. When they are in need of a neighbour will we be there, with that little bit extra which we pay for the Fairtrade premium which they receive with which to build their schools and hospitals? Will we be like the good Samaritan or will we walk by on the other side?
Let us pray for our own salvation in the words of The Collect for Purity:
Almighty God, to Whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from Whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Loving God, creator of every person in your global village, help us to love one another as you love us. Help us to remember, when our neighbours are in need that the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter whether they live next door or in some far off corner of your vineyard.
Help us to love you with all our heart and soul and strength and mind, and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
And now the hymn ‘When I needed a neighbour were you there?’
When I needed a neighbour
Were you there, were you there?
When I needed a neighbour
Were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty
Were you there, were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty
Were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
I was cold, I was naked
Were you there, were you there?
I was cold, I was naked
Were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
When I needed a shelter
Were you there, were you there?
When I needed a shelter
Were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
When I needed a healer
Were you there, were you there?
When I needed a healer
Were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
Wherever you travel
I'll be there, I'll be there.
Wherever you travel
I'll be there.
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
I'll be there.
Help us to love you with all our heart and soul and strength and mind, and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
And now the hymn ‘When I needed a neighbour were you there?’
When I needed a neighbour
Were you there, were you there?
When I needed a neighbour
Were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty
Were you there, were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty
Were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
I was cold, I was naked
Were you there, were you there?
I was cold, I was naked
Were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
When I needed a shelter
Were you there, were you there?
When I needed a shelter
Were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
When I needed a healer
Were you there, were you there?
When I needed a healer
Were you there?
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
Were you there?
Wherever you travel
I'll be there, I'll be there.
Wherever you travel
I'll be there.
And the creed and the colour
And the name won't matter
I'll be there.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the friendship of the Holy Spirit be with us and with all those whom we meet, today, tomorrow and for evermore.
Amen.
Amen.
