OPENING SENTENCE
Show me your ways, O Lord and teach me your paths.

HYMN

GREETING

Grace and peace to you from God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

COLLECT FOR PURITY

Almighty God

to whom all hearts be 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 Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

SUMMARY OF THE LAW

Our Lord Jesus Christ said: The first commandment is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.”

The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.

Amen. Lord, have mercy.

CONFESSION

God is love and we are God’s children.

There is no room for fear in love.

We love because God loved us first.

Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith.

God our Father, we confess to you

and to our fellow members in the Body of Christ

that we have sinned in thought, word and deed,

and in what we have failed to do.

We are truly sorry.

Forgive us our sins,

and deliver us from the power of evil,

for the sake of your Son who died for us, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

ABSOLUTION

May the God of love and power

forgive you and free you from your sins,

heal and strengthen you by his Spirit

and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.

GLORIA
sung by Sue Turner

COLLECT

O God, the protector of all who trust in you,

without whom nothing can be whole

and nothing can be holy:

increase your mercy towards us,

that, with you as our ruler and guide,

we may so enjoy the good things of time,

as not to lose the things of eternity;

through Jesus Christ, our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, world without end. Amen

FIRST READING
AMOS 7: 7-17 read by Kate Lidwell

This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,

“See, I am setting a plumb line
    in the midst of my people Israel;
    I will spare them no longer;
the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
    and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
    and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

Amaziah Complains to the King

Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very centre of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said,

‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
    and Israel must go into exile
    away from his land.”

And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there, but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”

Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

“Now therefore hear the word of the Lord.
You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
 and do not preach against the house of Isaac.’
Therefore thus says the Lord:
Your wife shall become a prostitute in the city,
 and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword,
and your land shall be parcelled out by line;
you yourself shall die in an unclean land,
and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.”

SECOND READING
COLOSSIANS 1:1-14 read by Andrew Ratnam

Salutation

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Paul Thanks God for the Colossians

In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, so that you may have all endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

HYMN

GOSPEL READING
LUKE 10: 25-37 read by Rev James Clark Maxwell

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St Luke chapter 10 beginning at verse 25

Glory to Christ our Saviour.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall 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 your neighbour as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

But wanting to vindicate himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and took off, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, treating them with oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Give thanks to the Lord for his glorious gospel

Praise to Christ our Lord

SERMON

Racially motivated Hate Crimes are the highest reported type of Hate Crime in the UK. A total of 85,268 racially aggravated offences were recorded in 2020/2021 – up 12% on the 76,158 in 2019/2020. According to Victim Support, race and nationality Hate Crimes rose by a shocking 73% in 2021. I find this statistic shocking and scandalous. I see it happening in sport. Racist abuse continues to blight English football. The three England players who missed a penalty in the UEFA Euro 2020 final were subject to online racist abuse from supporters after the match, and many players since have suffered racial abuse as they are booed on the football pitch.

Whilst football can get a bad name at times for its behaviour, other sports are also guilty of this crime. Take cricket for example, The Yorkshire County Cricket Club racism scandal developed from complaints made in 2018 by former Yorkshire cricket player, Azeem Rafiq. Rafiq alleged that he was subjected to racist abuse and bullying during his two tenures at the club between 2008–2014, and 2016–2018 and accused the club of being institutionally racist. He complained officially in 2018, but an independent inquiry was not launched until 2020, leading to criticism of Yorkshire County Cricket Club for its handling of the affair. The chairperson resigned in November 2021. If you think this problem is only down south and only in sport, sadly you are wrong. It is here in Dumfries and in different areas of work and leisure. Two of our own congregational members spoke out about their experiences of racial abuse. I was saddened by their stories for we are all made in God’s image and all are to be respected and treated with equal dignity.

Fear, insecurity and arrogance cause racism to emerge. Sadly, racism is a problem that unfortunately has been prevalent throughout history. As far back as our Gospel story we are conscious of racism being an issue. Our story is about Jews and Samaritans who despised each other because of their race. Jesus’ teaching in our gospel reading today addresses this problem of racism and highlights how we are to live and treat one another. This teaching comes in response to a question a lawyer puts to Jesus.

The lawyer can read the law, but his question is what should I do… he is in the position of most people. He can cite what the law is, but he cannot act it out. He has conceptual knowledge, but he does not have realised understanding. Realised understanding leads to doing. Although the lawyer may see his exchange with Jesus as a battle of wits, Jesus the true teacher is crafting a response to the lawyer’s request. Jesus is trying to give the lawyer the ability to live out the double commandment of loving God and neighbour.

The lawyer is hampered by “do to get thinking”. He thinks that if he does something, what he does will win him his inheritance of eternal life. His action will only have value because of the reward attached to it. Jesus subtly corrects his “do to get” thinking. He tells him “Do this and live.” There is no gap between the present and the future. The action is its own reward. It is not a matter of doing something and waiting for a reward, presumably after death. It is a matter of participating in eternal life here and now through loving God and neighbour. When the lawyer combines realised thinking with acting, he will be experiencing the eternal life he desires.

Notice that the lawyer stands to address Jesus, which is a social courtesy and a greeting of respect. He addresses him with the title “teacher”. The use of this title is an affirmation that Jesus is at least an equal. Although he called him a teacher, he was not seeking to be taught. He considered himself the teacher and Jesus the student. His plan was to test how extensive and insightful Jesus’ knowledge was. However, Jesus answered a question with a question and the quizzer became the quizzed. Things did not go as planned and Jesus turned the tables and tested him. Although he recited what he was asked to retrieve and passed the test well, the exchange ended with Jesus giving him a command. Jesus was telling him what to do. Although in his mind the lawyer saw himself better than Jesus, he looked the lesser and that was not acceptable so he begins the testing process again- “Who is my neighbour?” As a lawyer he wants some legal wrangling about boundaries and obligations. This is where our story in the gospel begins.

A certain rich man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho. We can surmise that this man was probably a Jew because this was a road going through the heart of Judea. He had probably been up to Jerusalem to worship and now he is going back to the city of Palm trees. It was a very long serpentine road starting at Jerusalem the highest point- 2,500 miles above sea level, and going straight to Jericho, nearly 800 feet below sea level.

The Jericho Road was a notoriously thief- infested stretch of rocky mountain road, a long lonely 17 miles, crowded with caves and danger. Since the road was so often travelled by religious pilgrims and business and because it was so crooked, robbers often frequented the road. In fact, the road was so ripe for pillage that it had been nicknamed ‘the Bloody Pass’. By the time you rounded a bend the bandits were there and you really had no chance to escape. I suppose if there had been newspapers it would not have been unusual to read about the latest mugging on the Jericho Road and so too the particular traveller in Jesus story fell victim. He was ambushed, robbed, beaten, stripped and left to die in a pool of crimson red. Now the question in the story is who is going to stop and help?

The first passer-by, as it happens, was a priest from the local temple who saw this beaten man. It may seem curious to us that he makes no effort to stop and help but this priest was probably thinking that the man was probably dead and that the time for help had now passed. But probably too in the back of his mind was the thought that according to temple law whoever touched a dead man was considered unclean for seven days. That would mean that he would lose his turn of duty in the temple. His obligations to the temple obviously came before his obligations to this beaten man, a man whom he didn’t even know! It was ceremony before charity. It was religion before compassion. Compassion is on trial here. The beauty of compassion is that it is in variably hidden. Compassion is seen in action. I can think of several people who have given up their work to look after an elderly relative with Alzheimer’s disease, with never a complaint but a heart full of love. That is compassion in action. In St John’s I have seen countless examples of compassion in action. Compassion is not strong at all in the priest and so he passed by on the other side.

The next passer-by was a Levite, a man literally born to the synagogue. He slowed down and curiously approached this beaten victim. Often these bandits had a habit of using a decoy. One of their number would play the role of the beaten victim. When an unsuspecting traveller, then the others would come running out and pounce on him. The Levites motto was safety first. In life you need to be careful what you commit yourself to- so he too passed by on the other side.

The third person, as you know, happens down this road and this individual as it turns out is not a Jew but a Samaritan. But this Samaritan stops and tends to the victim’s needs, applies first aid, puts oil as a disinfectant on the wounds, bandages him up and takes him to a nearby inn. He is attentive to this man’s needs. Nothing is too much. His generosity is seen in how he pays the bill for the injured man before he leaves. This Samaritan’s love of God makes him compassion ready and the robbed and beaten man triggered what was already in him. Although this way of acting may seem exceptional, we have all experienced it. There have been times when compassion has stirred in us before thought could intervene. We have not pondered or argued- we have simply moved. At a later stage we may be judged reckless or foolish, but at this moment we are riding a spirit that is deep within – compassion. Equally we have all known the opposite. We have stood and watched and passed by on the other side. We are numb and indifferent to the plight of another. Our feelings are frozen and our mind manufactures good reasons not to act. Like the lawyer we have the knowledge but fail to act.

Having finished his story Jesus asks the lawyer who was the neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers? The lawyer replies the one who showed mercy. He couldn’t bear to say the name Samaritan.

Now a very interesting thing has happened- lawyer has asked the question which in effect is-what is the outer perimeter of my responsibility? At what point am I no longer liable? Where does it cut off? In effect he is asking- where can I quit loving? The answer he probably wanted was – all faithful members of the Jewish faith- outside that that’s where you can stop being a neighbour. But Jesus answer says look you are asking the wrong question. The real question is not who is my neighbour? It doesn’t make any difference who your neighbour is out there- the real question is who am I? The question is not who is my neighbour but am I a neighbour? Am I a person who has the love of God within them and who will respond with compassion to human suffering wherever they find it? Compassion or mercy is not qualified by race, status, religion, or any other barrier that society might erect. This lawyer was looking to where he could stop loving but Jesus said- look it is sharing love and compassion that makes a person a neighbour.

The story is powerful and the story is also disturbing for we all know that we have passed by someone in need or trouble. We too have passed by on the other side. One winter Michael Peterson was asked to appear on television talk show in Toronto. At the end of the first day of taping he was on his way back to his plush, high rise, cable TV, 24room service hotel when he saw something he had never seen before. Lying on the pavement against a building of 4 inches of snow was a man sleeping with only a cardboard blanket to keep him from being completely exposed to the freezing cold. What really broke Peterson’s heart was when he realised that the man had no socks or shoes. He thought that he should stop and help the man but he wasn’t quite sure what to do. As the traffic light turned green it seemed life was demanding that he move long. So that is what he did- back in his hotel he promptly forgot about the man.

Several days later, prior to his morning taping, he was having coffee in the green room of the TV station. All the important people had left and only he and the janitor were in the room. When Peterson asked the janitor how he was feeling today, the humble man told him that he’d been riding his bike to work in the snow and he had been feeling sorry for himself when he saw a man sleeping down on the street corner with just a piece of cardboard and no shoes or socks. Peterson said he almost choked as he heard the simple janitor go on to relate how he was so moved with compassion for this homeless man that he went around the corner to a store and bought the man a pair of socks and shoes.

As Peterson listened, he saw in his mind a poster that used to be in a friend’s bedroom when he was a teenager. It was a picture of a child handing someone a flower. The caption read “the smallest deed always exceeds the grandest of intentions.” One day my sister was out with my mum in the garden centre café and she chatted briefly to the gentleman in front of her, but when she came to the cash-desk she was surprised to discover that the gentleman had already paid her bill. This was his way of being a good neighbour! Each of us has the capacity to care. Small opportunities to care come our way every day. It is within our power to say a kind word, to offer a little sympathy, to give a little support or encouragement. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho represents the road of life

There is no place for racism on this road, only room for compassion, respect and dignity for all. All races and people journey on this road, and all who journey along this road are made in God’s image and we are invited by Jesus to be a good neighbour to all. Amen

NICENE CREED

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one substance with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father.

With the Father and the Son,

he is worshipped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism

for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

In humility and love

let us draw near to God,

and pray to him now.

Lord God, we pray that our lives

may be compassionate and holy;

that our church communities may shine

with goodness and love,

humility and truth;

we pray for ourselves

that we will have the courage

to stand up like the good Samaritan

for what is right,

and be advocates of truth and justice.

God of compassion and mercy

Hear our prayer

Lord God, we pray

that many may be empowered to recognise evil,

and fight against it.

We pray that many will discern

the sparks of goodness and love in others

and encourage them to good works

for your name and glory.

God of compassion and mercy

Hear our prayer

Lord God, we pray

that our households and neighbourhoods,

our places of work and leisure,

may be regarded as places of love and thankfulness,

not only when things and life are going well,

but also, in those moments of hardship and difficulty.

God of compassion and mercy

Hear our prayer

Lord God. we pray for those

who have given into evil and

because of their crime are in prison.

We ask that you will help them seek forgiveness

and that by your help they may be renewed and restored.

God of compassion and mercy

Hear our prayer

Lord God, we pray for those

who have been brainwashed,

and led to believe that killing

in your name is justified and good.

Open their minds and hearts to the truth,

and folly of their ways.

Protect too our own teenagers and students

that they will remain independent thinkers,

and people who will always uphold peace, justice and love,

to all people of all nations, religions, faith and none.

God of compassion and mercy

Hear our prayer

Lord God, we pray for those who are suffering at this time,

thinking especially of those,

who are imprisoned because of their faith,

or those who have spoken out about injustice

and inequality in their country,

or have challenged the lack of freedom

in their ability to speak or write freely,

give them strength and courage to keep going

and we ask for their release

and lift to you agencies working on their behalf.

God of compassion and mercy

Hear our prayer

Lord God, we pray for those

who are weak in body, mind or spirit at this time.

We lift to you those,

battling with mental illness

and ask that they might know stability and peace.

We lift to you those who are worried about their health,

those facing heart problems,

those undergoing treatments against cancer,

those recovering at home from surgery,

and ask for your loving and healing presence

to be with them and meet them at their point of need.

God of compassion and mercy

Hear our prayer

Lord God, we remember those in prayer

who have lost recently a loved one.

We remember too those families for whom

this month is an anniversary of a death.

Be their comfort and stay in these days.

God of compassion and mercy

Hear our prayer

Lord God, we pray for ourselves

that we might have more thankful and courageous hearts

that we would not be shy in helping others

and speaking your truth,

and that by our love we would be seen as the disciples of Christ.

Merciful Father accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,

our Saviour Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those

who sin against us.

Do not bring us to the time of trial

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

HYMN

BLESSING

The peace of God,

which passes all understanding,

keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,

and of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord:

and the blessing of God the Father,

the Son and Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always. Amen

DISMISSAL

Go or stay in peace to love and serve the Lord. In the name of Christ.