Worship - 6 July 2025

Summary of this week's theme

I saw some boys play football recently, which reminded me of days when I used to help to coach children's football/soccer in California. I watched as one team conceded a goal because all their defenders were watching the ball, not the players around them. The best players don’t just track the ball - they’re aware of everyone on the pitch.

That same principle applies when reading the Bible. It's a good idea not just to follow the main characters, but to notice the overlooked ones too. Take the story of Naaman, the Syrian commander with a skin disease. The headline is simple: he’s told to wash in the Jordan, reluctantly does so, and is healed. But how does he end up in Israel in the first place? Because of a passing comment by a young, displaced maid: ‘If only we were in Samaria.’ A seemingly insignificant voice that sparks a chain of healing.

Later, it’s Naaman’s servants who persuade him to listen to Elisha’s instructions, which he initially rejects out of pride. Their voices, humble and faithful, help break through his prejudice. Prejudice means pre-judging - dismissing others or ideas because they don’t meet our expectations. Naaman judged the river, the prophet, and even the method, because it didn’t fit his idea of what healing should look like.

And yet, healing came through humility - listening to those 'beneath' him, and embracing vulnerability. That’s where God’s grace often lives. We heard recently of Elijah, who found God not in the wind, or fire, or earthquake, but in a still, small voice - the sound of sheer silence.

Naaman’s story reminds us to listen for those quiet voices: the maid’s wistful words, the servant’s gentle advice. God often speaks through the humble, the young, the seemingly insignificant. And through them, great change can come.

Jesus sent his disciples out like lambs among wolves - vulnerable, but empowered. Vulnerability is central to our faith. We guard ourselves against it, but it’s often when we let go of our defences that God works most powerfully.

The preacher at my own ordination once said: ‘Even wolves have sheep inside.’ Those who seem threatening may simply be covering their own fear and hurt. That wisdom has helped me in ministry, and it still holds true.

In a world full of noise and division, let’s remember that God often moves through the quiet voices, the unlikely people, the unexpected paths. Don’t just watch the ball - pay attention to the whole field!