An evening service, based on 1 Corinthians 9.
Welcome
Welcome. This evening we will reflect on a short but rich passage from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. We will listen to the Word of God, reflect in silence and in conversation, offer prayer, and take a moment to rest quietly in God's presence.
To start, I would like to read you the first verse of my favourite Psalm, 139:
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
These words remind us just how deeply and personally God knows each one of us, not in a distant or general sense, but with complete understanding and care. There is nothing hidden from Him, and yet we are completely loved. It’s a humbling thought: that the Creator of the universe is intimately familiar with every detail of our lives, and still chooses to draw near. In response to that kind of love and knowledge, we turn now to sing, to offer our worship and open our hearts. Let’s sing together.
Hymn 251: I, the Lord of sea and sky
Author: Daniel L Schutte
1 Corinthians 9 (read once, invite thoughts, and then read again)
Prayer
Let us pray and respond when I say: “I am Yours,” reply, “I am Yours.”
Leader: You call each of us in different ways, I am Yours.
All: I am Yours.
Leader: You shape our path for your purpose, I am Yours.
All: I am Yours.
Leader: Help us to serve with willing hearts, I am Yours.
All: I am Yours.
Leader: To meet people where they are, I am Yours.
All: I am Yours.
Leader: To share your love in ways only we can, I am Yours.
All: I am Yours.
Leader: All for your glory and your gospel, I am Yours.
All: I am Yours.
Let us now pray together:
Gracious Father,
We come to you with hearts full of many prayers: for health, for provision, for peace in our world, and for the well-being of those we love. Yet today, we pause to bring before you a request we so often overlook: the prayer for our purpose.
You created us with intention, formed every part of us with care, and planted within us gifts and desires that reflect your design. Yet purpose can often feel unclear. We admit our worries, about making the wrong choices, missing our moment, or not being enough. But you tell us, "Do not be anxious about anything." So we bring our questions to you.
Thank you that our purpose is not a burden but a journey. A path of discovery, growth, and trust. In every season of life, you are shaping us and calling us forward. Help us to listen for your voice, to follow your lead, and to take the next step, even when we do not see the whole way ahead.
We run the race with purpose in every step.
Draw us closer to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Teach us to remain in you, so that our lives may bear the fruit you have intended. May it bless others and reflect your love in the world.
Lord, lead me to initiate or find activities that can bring me clarity and validation of what I am being called to become. I trust You to provide the resources I need, and the patience to wait, or wisdom and creativity to move forward, as You lead me.
God of peace,
In the midst of conflict, let us hear Your voice.
Strengthen us with hope,
That we may stand against the injustice of war and violence.
We pray for Gaza and Israel,
Ukraine and Russia, and all who suffer.
We remember families here in Scotland.
We stand with families in Liverpool
Who are facing the long road of recovery and healing.
Bring compassion where there is hatred,
And comfort in the presence of pain.
Lord, give us the grace to run our race with purpose and discipline. Help us to serve not ourselves, but others, for the sake of your gospel. Make us faithful in all we do, for your glory.
Amen.
We now enter a minute of silent contemplation. Let go of words and thoughts. Rest in God's presence. If your mind wanders, gently return your focus to a word or phrase from the reading, such as "I do not run aimlessly" or "for the sake of the gospel."
Hymn 528: Make me a channel of your peace
Author: Sebastian Temple
Let us close with saying the grace together:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit be with us all now and evermore. Amen.
Useful notes for contemplation:
Financial Freedom
Although Paul may have been supported financially in some ways by patrons like Lydia (see Acts 16:15), he seemed to favour supporting himself through tent-making. Problems arose when the Corinthians observed other teachers accepting patronage. Because of Paul’s refusal to do the same, they began to question the authenticity of his apostleship. Paul argues that although he had the right to be supported by them, he also had the right to refuse support. He had also chosen to preach the gospel without pay so that he could not be accused of benefiting financially from what he taught. He was therefore “free of all men,” and constrained to preach only by obedience to Christ.
Mission
Anyone who shares Jesus’s message is a missionary. Mission can come through action, caring, supporting and welcoming, as well as through our words. See more resources for discussions about Mission here. We can take some guidance about how we can prepare ourselves from the Bible. In Chapter 22 of today’s reading, Paul explains, “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.” He got to know the people, their community and customs. Another example of this in action would be the Jesuit missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries, who travelled across Europe, Asia and South America, and translated the Bible into local languages, learned about their customs and beliefs, wore their local dress, and tried to meet them where they were at that point in time. We can take other inspiration from James 5:16 (Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective) to pray for individuals and their specific needs; Matthew 7:12 (do to others what you would have them do to you); Acts 5:29 (Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!) - perhaps quite apt - avoid local politics!
A Unique Mission for a Unique You!
Paul defends his right to receive material support for his ministry but chooses not to make use of that right. Paul shows that while others may rightly serve Christ in one way, he has been called to serve differently. His calling is shaped by his particular identity, experiences, and convictions, and he embraces this difference not as disobedience, but as devotion.
Christian mission is not one-size-fits-all. Each person carries a unique imprint of God’s handiwork, both in their created design and their life experiences. As Scripture teaches, “You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). And not only that, every moment, every breath, every breeze that touches our skin is governed by God’s providence. Nothing about who you are is random and no one else can reflect the glory of Christ exactly the way you can. Just as Paul was called to preach without payment while others received support, you may be called to express Christ's love through means that align with your own unique personality, background, and spiritual sensitivities.
This idea is quietly echoed in Revelation 2:17, where Christ promises a white stone with a “new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” This hidden name symbolises a deep, individual intimacy between you and Christ, a reminder that your identity and calling are personally and uniquely known by our Saviour.
So we shouldn’t measure our faithfulness by how closely we resemble others, but by how we do it in a way no one else ever could.
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