To know someone by name.

Light Reflective Music

Bible Enters (Organ)

Welcome / Intimation (Rev. Bosch)

I greet you in the Name of God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe - in the care of Christ Jesus.May it be that we receive mercy, peace and love.

Intimations, Funerals, Baptisms (remember to share this before Sunday Worship)

Feedback: Johnny Moat Housing (Katrina) / Harlawhill Day Care Centre (Fiona) / St-Gabriels (Alex)

Mothersday: Stay behind… to organinse something special.

Last week we inducted a new member as Elder into our church. We also reflected on the theological idea reminding God of His goodness especially when we get the impression that God might have forgotten. We saw how Moses had to do this. He had to remind God of his faithfulness. God was very angry at the Israelites because they promoted a lie. The Israelites were saying that which was not true, therefore God became angry. The teaching was do not lie, esspecially if God is involved.

Today we will reflect on a beautiful reading. The reading is about Moses and God have a dialogue. We will delve into this dialogue to find out what God wants to teach us.

Call to worship:

Minister: Do not be angry Lord.

All: Forget your wrath against us.

Minister: Do not be angry Lord.

All: Remember to forgive your children.

Let us worship God!

Hymn: CH 173 - Sing to God new songs of worship

Declaration:

Blessed be the name of the Lord now and evermore.From the rising of the sun to its setting, the Lord’s name be praised. Let us pray:

Prayer of Approach and Confession (Rev. Bosch)=- Lord, by your Holy Spirit, transform our words of praise into songs of joy. Each prayer that we speak, may it reach your ears in heaven. We express this morning our love for you. Lord, you are the King of all creation and the source of life. Without your power nothing would existed. Glorious God, almighty Lord we are in awe of your wonder. We bow before You who alone is the Lord. It is you, Lord, who has graciously soaked our lives with grace and mercy. You know us by name. You know us personally. Help us to get to know you this morning. Show us the way/ the road so that we may truly understand your goodness. Bestow on us your rest this morning. A rest that will last forever. From your hand we have not only received the gift of life but the offer of new life in Christ through the HS. You have not only given us eyes to see your world, but inward sight to recognise your presence all around. The richness of your gifts of sences allows us to experience your creation. You are the provider of all goodness and you strengthen those going through dark times. We praise you Father God reveald through Jesus. Thank you for the gift of the HS making our knowledge of You pure. We come with songs of thanksgiving and hearts ready to receive forgiveness.

Forgive if we do not walk your path truth.

Forgive if we do not realise that you know us.

Forgive if we do not fully realise your Holiness.

Bless, heal, and transform us this morning. Lord, we rejoice that in you there is hope, life, and renewal. As your people we will sing praise for the hope and joy found in you. Let pray together:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Hymn: Open the eyes of my heart

(Children enter.)

Children’s Address: To know someone by the name!

Hymn: Our God is a great big God

(Children exit.)

Reading: Exodus 33: 12-23

Moses’ Intercession 12 Moses said to the LORD, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” 17 And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

Sermon: (Rev. Bosch)

Moses needed some kind of reassurance.  I am sure many of us have needed a word of comfort or support especially when facing a difficult task.

Moses wanted to know who God would send to support him as leader.  Even though God has acknowledged that He knows Moses by the name, he still longed for some kind of reassurance. 

We can imagine how comforting it is when someone gives a word of comfort at the right time and place.  Here, we have Moses acknowledging that God knows him, yet it is not enough. It is not enough for Moses to know that God knows him. He asks that God would also reveal his ways.

Why would Moses ask for this? He asks so that he, Moses, would also get to know God.

In other words, we learn, God can position us in a way so that we may get to know Him. This type of theological approach directly enriches our own spirituality by suggesting that we also can ask God to give guidance in such a way that we may get to know Him.

God can position and guide us so that we may get to understand His holiness. 

God responds to Moses' request by saying something very beautiful. 

"And God said, 'My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'”

What a wonderful Pastoral Comfort to know that God will be present and that He will give rest. What more can Moses ask for from God? 

God gives him rest and awareness of His holy presence. Can we think of any other gift beter than God's presence and rest? Keep in mind that all things will come to an end, but not the reign of God. To receive that which is forever from God, that of rest and holy presence, is in mind remarkable.

What is also remarkable is the continuing conversation between God and Moses. They convey almost as if they were friends for many years. The interaction between Moses and God is inspiring as it indicates what prayer can look like. Praying is asking God questions, listening to God and reminding God of his goodness. It is a type of prayer that reemphises’s God's favour, His knowledge, His rest and presence. As part of this engagement between Moses and God is this very important question:

The question entails how Moses and the Israelites will be seen as God's people. In other words, what sign will indicate that they are distinct and chosen by God? This is such an important question for us in Prestonpans. It is to consider what makes us unique and different from the rest of the world. The reading states that the world will know that the Israelites are different due to God knowing them through his presence and his rest.

The world will know we are different due to God knowing us by name. Especially in Christ Jesus and in the working of the Holy Spirit, we will be understood as being different. The rest that is from God, on and in, our lives will be a sign that we are different. 

Let us consider an illustration to explain. There was a world where everyone was cold and shivering. Nobody in that world had any idea how it felt to be warm and comfortable. The idea of warmth was so foreign, that the word "warm" was not even invented. One day, a man woke up to an idea. He thought to start wrapping himself with layers of wool, but before he knew it that normal feeling of cold and shivering went away. He did not know what caused him to wrap wool around himself, but it did not really matter, because, for the first time ever, he felt warm. As he went to town, people wondered why he dressed differently and why he did not shiver. He went about telling them about this great discovery called warmth and the advantages of having it. The sign that this man was different from the rest of His community was that he had warmth, and because of that, he was different. The sign that we in Prestongrange are different is due to the rest we have in God. When we are calm and restful that becomes a sign that we are different. We are different because we belong to God and God knows us by name and that there is a freedom to know God as well.  

I wonder if Moses really knew what he was doing when after this conversation he asked God to reveal his glory. Moses knew he was known by God, but still, he wanted to experience the holiness of God. He wanted to sense the real goodness of God.

And God said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ 

What a privilege to experience the holiness of God. But do not take this encounter lightly because experiencing God first-hand in the way Moses did was very dangerous. 

20 But,” God said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”

Truly seeing and experiencing God's holiness is dangerous. This made me wonder if we realise the holiness of God. Do we truly understand that God is really holy? Do we not tend to make light the seriousness of God’s holiness? Do we tend to skim over the Word of God and not truly consider the goodness revealed in God's holiness? When we interact with God, do we realise the holiness of that engagement? 

To engage with God is truly a holy experience!

Moses was engaging with God with the initial hope of some kind of reassurance. Consequently, he realises that God knows him by name and that he will experience deep rest with God. It could be that we long for some kind of reassurance from God. It could be that we want some kind of interaction with God. Doing so, may God reveal his favour on us through Jesus Christ our Lord. May it be that God wispers in our hears through the HS that he knows us and that He will show us the path. The path to get to know Him. Part of knowing God is to experience him through a deep sense of rest and peace. Rest and Peace will be the sign that we are different and that we are favourted by God. At Prestongrange Church, may we be a community that communicates our belonging to God through the indwelling of the HS giving that Holy rest and peace. Amen.

Hymn: CH 550 - As the deer pants

Prayer for Others (Get someone to lead):

Offering (The person at door duty brings the plate to the table.)

Prayer of Thanks

Hymn: CH512 - To God be the glory

Rethink and Blessing (Rev. Bosch)

Go with a restful heart, knowing that God is with you. We belong to God and He knows us by the name. There is also freedom to get to know Him.

In the presence of the Holy Spirit, may the peace of God,  which is beyond all understanding, guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Amen

Sing/Play Amen (Organ)

Bible Exits (Organ)