27/11/2011

Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, Edinburgh
BBC Radio Four – Sunday 27 November 2011
This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast.
It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflect current events.
BBC Radio 4. Now it’s ten past eight and time for Sunday Worship for Advent Sunday, live from Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church in Edinburgh. The congregation is joined by singers from Edinburgh University Music Society Chorus and the preacher is the Reverend Dr Alison Jack of New College. The service is introduced by the Minister, the Reverend Scott McKenna.
WELCOME – the Minister, the Revd Scott McKenna
The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Welcome to this bustling and pleasant residential area on the south side of Edinburgh.

In 2012, our church will be holding a Festival of Science, Reason and Religion, from which we hope that new insights and wisdom may grow. And wisdom is the theme of this first Sunday Worship in a series for Advent on Radio 4. In the early centuries of the Christian church, worship looked back to Christ's birth and forwards to his return at the end of time. Words springing from scripture would be sung to ancient chants, expressing the human longing for the kingdom of God. This week's service looks at humanity's search for wisdom. Christians have always believed it can be found supremely in the person of Jesus Christ.

Let us worship God with the great Advent hymn, O come, O come Emmanuel.

MUSIC: Congregational Hymn CH4 273 - O come, O come, Emmanuel
PRAYER – Scott
At its best, religion is rational, experiential and philosophically self-critical. As we do with science, through religion also, we search for truth and the nature of reality. In study and contemplative prayer, we seek to discern the Wisdom of God.
Let us pray.
In the quiet and silence of the morning,
in the sacred calm of the sanctuary,
in the undisturbed restfulness of the home,
as in the uncreated silence that was in the beginning,
we encounter the silence of God.
In prayer,
we open our mind and heart to the Holy One.
In silent meditation,
we listen with our eyes for the Presence of God
in the sunrise and in the shadows,
in the personal, intimate stories
of those whom we encounter on the journey,
in our times of prayer and reading of Scripture,
we listen for the softly spoken revelation of God,
the gentle wisdom of God in all things.
In this season of waiting,
we bring our attention to that place within us
that is the centre of ourselves,
and we pray that the Spirit of Jesus
may be born in us afresh, as if for the first time.
May the mind that was in Christ be in us.
We confess, Holy God, that, at times,
we speak for You from ignorance.
We make claims that defame You.
At times, our theologies are trite,
simplistic and irrational,
and our ethics immoral.
Like Job’s comforters, with pious arrogance,
we declare falsely to others the will of God.
The almighty and merciful Lord
grant you pardon
and remission of all your sins,
time for the amendment of life,
and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit.
Open our minds and hearts to Your Spirit’s leading:
teach us, afresh, the virtue of an enquiring mind,
that, in faith, there is no field of inquiry we cannot face,
because wherever we find truth, we find God;
teach us, afresh, the virtue of humility,
that, in faith, we may accept with love who we are
for in the pursuit of self-knowledge we find the Wisdom of God;
teach us, afresh, the virtue of compassion,
that, in faith, it is in understanding others,
sensitively, respectfully,
that we are led to forgiveness, reconciliation and
unconditional acceptance.
Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Saviour.
Amen.

MUSIC: Congregational Hymn CH4 290 The race that long in darkness pined (St Magnus)
ALISON
Our first reading is from the Book of Ecclesiasticus, part of the body of literature from the apocrypha, written in the two centuries before Jesus lived. Here, in Chapter 24, divine wisdom is pictured in the form of a woman, and is seen as part of the cosmic realm, but searching for a home on earth.
READER - Christine: Ecclesiasticus 24: 1-9
1 Wisdom speaks her own praises, in the midst of her people she glories in herself.
2 She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High, she glories in herself in the presence of the Mighty One:
3 'I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and I covered the earth like mist.
4 I had my tent in the heights, and my throne was a pillar of cloud.

5 Alone, I have made the circuit of the heavens and walked through the depths of the abyss.
6 Over the waves of the sea and over the whole earth, and over every people and nation I have held sway.
7 Among all these I searched for rest, and looked to see in whose territory I might pitch camp.
8 Then the Creator of all things instructed me and he who created me fixed a place for my tent. He said, "Pitch your tent in Jacob, make Israel your inheritance."
9 From eternity, in the beginning, he created me, and for eternity I shall remain.

MUSIC: Psalm 25- CH4 21 Lord, teach me all your ways (Choir) – Tune: Garelochside
ALISON
Our second reading comes from the Gospel of Mark. Jesus, using the language of the Old Testament book of Daniel, imagines the coming of the Son of Man in glory, and warns his followers to be ready.
READER - Ralph: Mark 13.24-end
In those days, after tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. The stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
And then he will send his angels, and gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.
Now learn this parable from the fig tree; when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near:
So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near, at the doors.
Assuredly I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away, till all these things take place.
Heaven and earth will pass away: but my words will by no means pass away.
But of that day and hour no-one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Take heed, watch and pray: for you do not know when the time is.
It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.
Watch therefore: for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning:
Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
And what I say to you I say to all, Watch.
MUSIC: Congregational Hymn 604 Holy Wisdom, lamp of learning (In Babilone)
SERMON - Alison
When I am leading a seminar at the School of Divinity in Edinburgh University where I teach, I sometimes wonder what my role should be. Often it feels as if I am the referee, making sure all the students are keeping the implicit rules of the meeting: everyone needs to have the chance to speak; no-one is to be allowed to dominate; break-out conversations are to be avoided; increasingly, nowadays, the receiving and sending of texts while the seminar is going on is to be firmly discouraged! I may not have a whistle at my disposal but I like to think I have perfected the disapproving glare. Now while I may enjoy the power of taking on the role of referee, at least a little, deep down I would prefer to think of myself as a coach: giving the quieter students the confidence and skills to speak out more; and encouraging the louder ones to speak less and listen more often. It’s a wise coach who can recognise and encourage potential, and who can help students realise what they have to say is worthwhile, when it is.
Both of these aspects of wisdom underpin the big change happening in Scottish education at the moment- the introduction of what’s called the Curriculum for Excellence in schools. I am no expert beyond having a child who is in the first year of the new system in High School, but as someone also involved in education at university level and in the parish, I’m interested in its ethos. Curriculum for excellence takes as its starting point the belief that gathering a body of knowledge is not as important as gaining the skills to play a full and meaningful part in twenty-first century society. As an educational principle, it aims to enable each child or young person to achieve four specific qualities: to be a successful learner, a confident individual, a responsible citizen and an effective contributor.
Like all radical changes, the new programme has provoked some controversy, but who could argue with these four aims for our children? Successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors. This is a vision of a sort of wisdom which is in keeping with the vision of divine wisdom we find in Ecclesiasticus: creative, life-enhancing, far-ranging, restless in an inquisitive and positive way. Looking for somewhere to pause and reflect. It’s a powerful vision we are given in that passage, and it must have inspired a sense of worth and hope in the persecuted people, Jesus’ ancestors, it sought to encourage.
Jesus’ words in Mark’s Gospel are equally designed to comfort and encourage a persecuted people, members of the early church, so tiny in contrast to the might of the Roman empire. The writer of Ecclesiasticus had used language from older biblical books, Genesis and Exodus, to give his message power and resonance- Wisdom for him was involved in the creation story told in Genesis and was there in the pillar of cloud which had guided the Israelites through the desert in their escape from Egypt. So Mark’s Jesus uses language from another Old Testament book, the Book of Daniel. The present situation will not last. There will be a time when God will intervene directly and his power and might will be revealed to all in the figure of the heavenly son of man. But here knowledge is absent- no-one knows the day or the time, not even Jesus himself, and the way of wisdom is to be alert to the possibilities. Not just stay awake, but keep on doing the task you have been given, until the Son of Man returns. Be the best watchman you can be. No-one knows the time, but everyone may fulfil their potential.
The language of these passages is foreign to most of us. Perhaps not part of the vocabulary we would use to describe our situation or our hopes. But perhaps in their messages about true wisdom we can see a parallel with the very best that we can hope for from our education system, and our relationships with one another and with God. Relationships built on wisdom are creative and positive, committed and hopeful. And how badly – at this time when so many of our young people are finding it impossible to get a start in life with that vital first job - how badly do we, and they, need all the wisdom that can be found.
A weekly service of communion is offered at New College, where I work. At this service there comes a point when we say the Lord’s Prayer together. People are gathered from around the world and from many different denominations. The Lord’s Prayer, so familiar and important to all Christians, is known in many different forms and languages. We say it together, confidently and openly, in the version we know best. And when it comes to the phrase I know as “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”, and many others know as the rather longer “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”, and others are saying something completely different in other languages, there is a pause, a waiting for all to finish. It feels to me that there is wisdom in that waiting. No attempt to make everyone say the same. No desire for uniformity or neatness. A respect for others and a space for divine otherness to be experienced.
In that moment of respectful but expectant waiting, there is an acknowledgement of a wisdom that goes beyond words. The moment is enabled by the sharing of the familiar, the Lord’s Prayer: it’s like the opening of a conversation. If you’ve ever heard the noise made by a tuning fork being struck, there is a moment when the note fades into silence- and that moment may have a similar still quality about it. If we are willing to wait, and to hear, and to share in that strange otherworldly conversation, there may be the beginning of wisdom. It’s not meant to last or to be escaped into forever, but it offers a breathing space from which action, and love and life might flow.
In worship, in advent, at home and at work, may we strive for such wisdom. It is a gift from God, if we are ready to receive it.
MUSIC: Bach – Jesu, joy of man’s desiring (Choir)
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION – Scott + Christine
Let us pray.
Almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of the cosmos,
the Life of all life,
the Eternal seeping through the physical,
we praise You for Your creation,
for its beauty and infinite diversity and, in humanity,
its capacity for consciousness, rational thought and love.
We thank You for Your Self-Revelation
in the birth, life, teaching, death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus of Nazareth:
in Him, in prayer and study, we discern Your Wisdom,
Your Presence, comfort and direction perceived in and through our thoughts.
We are grateful for the Spirit’s Presence,
the Breath within our breath, the Spirit within our soul,
the One who invites, leads us, to sit within the circle of love of the Trinity,
in silence, intimately, listening to the silence of God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Christine
With love in our hearts, we pray for the Church and the world.

Heavenly Father, bless the Church
and bless the traditions and institutions of the churches.
We thank You for the wisdom and visions of the prophets,
biblical story-tellers and poets,
for the commitment and sacrifice of the martyrs,
and for the faith of every follower of every generation
that is the true treasure of the Church.

Scott
We pray for our nation and its leaders:
for the Queen, her governments in Westminster and Holyrood;
for the judiciary, teachers, broadcasters and journalists and all who help shape the common good;
we pray for organisations and individuals who call for fairness
in our economic system,
who speak the word of truth to those in authority;
and for those suffering anxiety and hardship as a result of the economic situation;
we pray for all who work to overcome prejudice and eradicate the evils of
racism, homophobia, sectarianism and sexism;

We remember the unrest in the Middle East, in Syria and Egypt: we pray for an end to violence and for the birth of peace, prosperity and security in the region.

Christine
In our prayers this day,
we pray for those whom we love, whose well-being rests heavily on hearts;
bless our homes that they maybe be places of security and kindness,
bless our workplaces that they may be marked by mutual respect and just reward.
Bless those who are anxious, and the dying and the bereaved.
Help those around them to minister Your stillness and peace to them;
in Your Wisdom, there is peace and spiritual healing which no other can bring.

Scott
Bless those whom we love, who have departed this life, but are alive in You.
May we draw strength from the faith of all who have gone before us
and we look forward to the day when all people shall be one,
all will be insiders, and all will be seated at Your heavenly banquet.

These prayers we offer in the Name of Jesus and we pray together in the prayer He taught us:

ALL: Our Father, which art in heaven …

ALISON

Our closing hymn looks forward joyfully to a time when all things are
Revealed - and the wisdom embodied in the earthly Jesus is seen by all.
‘Lo! He comes with clouds descending.’
MUSIC: Congregational Hymn 477 Lo he comes with clouds descending
BENEDICTION – SCOTT
The blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be upon you now and remain with you always.
SUNG AMEN
ORGAN VOLUNTARY
CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENT FROM RADIO 4:
Sunday Worship came live from Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church in Edinburgh, and was led by the Reverend Scott McKenna. The preacher was the Reverend Dr Alison Jack. Edinburgh University Music Society Chorus was conducted by Iain McLarty, and the organist was John Willmett.
The producer was Mo McCullough.
And searching for light is the theme of our Advent Sunday Worship next week from Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Cambridge.