 Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on this 2nd Sunday of Epiphany Notices:
Call to Worship How precious is God’s steadfast love! We will find refuge in the shelter of God’s wings. Come and feast on God’s abundance. We will drink from the river of God’s delights. For with God is the fountain of life; And in God’s light we will see light. Hymn 327 – Brightest and Best (1,3,4) Prayers of Adoration and Confession God of light and life, as the new year unfolds before us, we begin to feel the sunlight coming back to brighten the winter. Our spirits grow stronger in the light. You shine your light into our lives in your Son Jesus. Your Spirit strengthens us to face whatever this year will hold. Ever-hospitable God, the storehouse of your love never runs dry. We taste and see your goodness, overflowing, spilling into our lives and the life of the world— love, grace, and mercy enough for all, and more besides. Generous God, forgive us when, in fear, we withhold your grace, worrying that there may not be enough to go around; or, when we judge that others may not be worthy of your blessing. Forgive us when we share your grace with those ‘like us’ and those who like us, forgetting that all of humanity is our neighbour, and all are invited to your feast. Be assured. No power in heaven or on earth can separate us from God’s great love. Take heart, and know that we are forgiven. Lord’s Prayer Readings – Isaiah 62:1-5 John 2:1-11 Hymn 201 – Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness (1,3,4) Weekly Prayer Heavenly Father, as your Son Jesus began his earthly ministry at a wedding celebration and through the miracle of changing water into wine showed us the abundance of your wonderful love for us. May our Lord continue to transform the water of our everyday lives into the new wine of your kingdom as we put our faith in Him, transforming by his love the ordinary into the extra-ordinary. Amen Reflection I was visiting my Syrian friends in Galashiels earlier in the week, and I was chatting away to Youssef, when Hania, his wife, appeared with a tray of big bowls of a Syrian type rice pudding sprinkled with coconut. Not something I would ever choose, I must say, but I couldn’t refuse. I managed to clear my bowl, only for Hania to reappear with another bowl. I did refuse this time. Then a plate of fruit appeared – each. Banana, apple, pear, grapes. Eat, eat, eat! It was Middle Eastern hospitality. They don’t have much, but are very generous. Our Gospel reading today talks about abundance at a wedding reception - though it could have gone so very wrong! It is interesting that John should begin Jesus’ ministry at a wedding reception. First things matter. In Matthew, Jesus begins his ministry with the sermon on the Mount with Jesus as a Moses figure, giving the law. Mark has Jesus immediately into the fray, casting at demons, while Luke has Jesus preaching a sermon on liberation and healing in his home town of Nazareth. Each sets the tone for their Gospels. But John chooses what at first seems a rather frivolous story of turning water into wine. But it was a sign, and John has seven of these signs – like the feeding of the 5000, the walking on water, the raising of Lazarus, all pointing to the kind of person Jesus was, pointing to what he was coming to do, and the first of these was at the wedding reception. Weddings can last several days in the Middle East, but at this one, the wine ran out. Inconvenient, to say the least. Positively embarrassing for the family, you could acknowledge. But at that time and in that place, it was a real disaster. For wine was more than a social lubricant, but symbolised God’s harvest, God’s blessing. It would be an awful start to anyone’s marriage, if the wine ran out. There was no point looking at who was to blame; something had to be done! Enter Jesus’ mother. She gave Jesus the ‘look’ and told him to get on with it. He protested his time had not yet come, but Mary had a steely determination about her, and Jesus soon was asking that six big stone jars be filled with water, and when tasted, it was the best of wines, so good that the steward remarked on the family keeping the best wine till last. The day was saved, as were the family’s blushes. Some commentators look at the six stone purification jars and see the emptiness of the religion at that time, contrasted to what Jesus brought- something new, something out of the ordinary, something transformative. He brought the sign of God’s abundance, for the six jars would have produced 1000 bottles, more than enough for the reception. In Isaiah 25, there’s a banquet on God’s mountain, where all are satisfied; the Messiah would bring this about. In Isaiah 62, which we read this morning, Israel would be transformed and given a new name – they would no longer be forsaken, but called Hephtzibah, my delight. We have been going through a difficult time, and certainly we are not out of the woods yet, but in this sign John is pointing to God’s extravagant love and abundant grace. As Jesus was committed to the wedding family, so God is committed to us. The story of the wedding in Cana is all about the joy and abundance that Jesus brings in his kingdom, where no-one gets the dregs and where worry is turned to wonder and embarrassment to joy. In this act, Jesus shows the best is yet to come. ‘Don’t worry’, he says, ‘I have saved the best till last’. Hymn 697 – Let’s praise the Creator Prayers of Intercession O God, Jesus brought the joy into lives that needed hope and a new beginning. We pray for all those who need a new beginning this year: Individuals trying to make a new start, Families trying to sort through difficulties, Groups hoping to accomplish good things for others, Refugees building new homes in a new land, Students and teachers beginning a new semester, Businesses and congregations trying to rebuild in uncertain times. Show each one how much they matter to you, and renew their courage and resolve to make a fresh start. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. O God, Jesus changed water into wine to show us that you can accomplish extraordinary things through ordinary lives. We pray for all those volunteering their energy and concern to make a difference for others in this community. We pray for our elected leaders and for all workers trying to manage their responsibilities in such challenging times. We pray for those working for justice, raising awareness to problems in society and for the earth itself. And we pray for one another and for each good purpose we undertake with new resolve this year. Give us a glimpse of how our hands become your hands, blessed by the Spirit. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. O God, Jesus faced the suffering around him with compassion, reaching out to those in pain and grief with healing and hope. We remember before you those whose lives are wrapped in sorrow or despair, and those facing tragic death or critical illness… We remember those burdened by pain or problems that seem to have no end… Embrace each one with your comfort and courage, and show us what we can offer to make a difference. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. O God in whom we live and move and have our being, thank you for giving us the courage and commitment we need to follow Christ in good times and in hard times. Thank you for the strength we find together as part of your church and the gifts you give us in each other. Help us trust in the promise of your love for us and energize us with your Spirit so that we can recognize the opportunities you give us to live out the grace and mercy we know in Jesus Christ. Amen Hymn 700 – As man and woman Benediction
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 Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on this 1st Sunday of Epiphany Notices:
Opening Words By the light of the Lamb shall the nations walk, and to it the kings of the earth will bring their splendour. Revelation 21:24 Collect Eternal God, by a star you led wise men to the worship of your Son. Guide by your light the nations of the earth, and the whole world may know your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever Hymn 326 As with gladness men of old – vv. 1,2,3 Prayers of adoration and confession Our dearest Father, who is changeless but who makes us able to change; you who are the Unmoved Mover who inspires us to move; Lord who is both our origin, our destination and our route, we creep towards you in humble wonder. We would not know where to journey except you magnetised our hearts, our minds, our souls that we might seek you who knew the paths we have been set. We give thanks for the way along which we must pass: for the lengthening days at the darkest times, for the very first signs of your return as the earth begins to awaken, for the constellations that seem to turn like clockwork until the meteors erupt, unexpectedly. Holy Jesus, before your infant form, sages took the knee and acknowledged your lordship over all power and wisdom. Grant us also clear vision and courage, that in the light of your light we may devote our power and potential to your service, even that requires us to go home by another way. Spirit, who is still ahead of us, still guiding us, still and forever beckoning us onwards, we thank you for not having left us alone, stranded in the maze of the world. Be with us at all times, and guide us always, whether that voyage is inwards or outwards, to understand that we are loved by you, the Son and the Father. We have often strayed and been misled along the road. We have allowed self-pride and self-satisfaction to make us loiter. We have ignored the needy by the wayside and have looked to pomp and earthly power rather than to the stony track ahead. We have been lazy, prideful and have kept our riches for ourselves rather than made them into gifts. We know that you see all our failings, but we know that you are merciful, gracious and forgiving. We pause, for the way is long, and think of what we might have done differently and what we did foolishly and what we did maliciously. With contrite hearts and clear eyes, we are meek to say the family prayer that you established, saying: Hymn 470 – Jesus Shall Reign where’er the sun - vv. 1,2,4 Readings: Isaiah 60: 1-6; Matthew 2: 1-12 Hymn ( CH3 185) – All poor men and humble – vv. all Weekly Prayer Heavenly Father, you sent your son to guide your people, just as you sent a star to guide the Wise Men to worship him. We pray that you will send, your Holy Spirit to guide our Church as we begin a New Year and may we rise and shine as we reflect your light in our community. Amen Sermon I have a friend, Sarah, whom I mentored when she studied Creative Writing in Edinburgh. Although she was working thereafter the government decided she wasn’t earning enough to stay on a student visa, and so she went back to America, to North Carolina, then Texas, and now is in Paris. She was one of the few I knew who was Christian, but she had an unusual background. She and her father were Episcopalians, and her mother and siblings were Orthodox. When I asked her about this she said “it’s brilliant. I get two Christmases! The 25th for us and January 6th for them!” We have a strange relationship with Epiphany. It seems, to use an awful newly coined word “betwixt-tide”. Christmas is over, and Epiphany is a vague nod. I do like that some denominations call it the “Little Christmas”. We are still adjusting to what has just happened in Bethlehem and are beginning our journey to Lent. So what does Epiphany mean for us? I am sure you have heard many standard sermons on the Magi or Wise Men or Kings. There is the version where you point out that they came after the lowly shepherds, inverting the hierarchy. There is the version where you say “well, the Bible doesn’t say three kings” at all, and the Syriac Church has twelve. (Their traditional names, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar originate from the 8th century, but they were venerated from the 4th century). Everyone who has been carol singing knows the symbolism of the gifts: gold for royalty, frankincense for priesthood, myrrh for death. There is the post-colonial version as they supposedly represented Africa, India and Arabia. But what do the Magi mean? The first thing to say is that it is unusual that they are in Matthew’s Gospel. Luke, who gives us the shepherds, was far more attuned to the mission to the Gentiles, whereas Matthew was more concerned with Jewish tradition. But it is Matthew who introduces the Gentile worshippers and Luke who commemorates the startled shepherds. Already, things are being inverted and turned upside down by the Nativity. The second is – and I say this as someone who is quite clever – clever people are stupid. Yes, the Magi might have been astronomers or scientists or sorcerers seeing an unusual star and inferring a new King, and yet, they went straight to Herod. That was, frankly, dumb. They didn’t keep looking and studying but scurried to power instead. It would have disastrous consequences. It also shows the virtue of knowing the scriptures: Herod’s advisors give away where the Messiah is by quoting Micah 5, which presumably these scholars did not know. Nevertheless it is interesting that God speaks to them in dreams to say it might be best to be circuitous and not to go back to Herod. He shall do the same with Joseph in the next chapter. What do we learn from the Epiphany? The Greek work epiphaneia does not occur in Matthew’s account – it does appear in 2nd Timothy and in Revelation, always about the second, not the first coming. But the Greek means “an appearance or a sudden realisation”. It is a little like Archimedes having his “Eureka” moment or Newton realising the apple which has just hit him on his head and the moon are governed by the same force. In literature, it was a trademark of Modernist writers. I won’t discuss James Joyce or Virginia Woolf, but Agatha Christie has one of the best examples in one of the Marple novels: how did you know Jane? Well, they passed the salt and pepper too politely. It is about suddenness more than anything. And we must be prepared for God to be sudden. It is also about the extensiveness of God’s love, for Israel, for the Gentiles, for you and for me. He will in crisis intervene, unexpectedly. What I really take from it is the ending of the reading. “They returned to their country by another route”. If we meet the Christ, in whatsoever circumstance, there is no going back the same way, no way to retread. It will require us to be brave and require us to be daring, but the encounter means we are changes. That option is open, always, forever, to us. Prayers of intercession Father, we pray for the world, which you imagined, created and sustain still, and into which you entered, in a time of conflict, repression and bigotry. Millennia have not changed that. For every place marred and maimed by warfare, intolerance and catastrophe we ask that you help us to know how to help. We ask that you focus our minds, so that news about Kazakhstan does not allow us to forget Yemen, or that news about Myanmar does not distract us from Haiti; nor let us forget the injustices here which are suffered and in which we are complicit. You came into the world not for a tribe or sect or natin or empire but for the whole world, and for the whole world we pray. We pray for the church, in all its forms. Keep uppermost in our minds that it does not matter which day we celebrate or commemorate, but that we do. Give us fortitude as we go into a New Year which will bring changes and challenges, instilling in us the knowledge that your first church was nothing more than a stable and yet it reached out to the ends of the earth. We pray for all those who hold power, that they use it wisely, are cautious always to consider their impact on the least and lowest in society, and that they behave with due dignity. Make each person who has impact be mindful of that impact, and whether it works towards fairness, equality and justice. We pray for all those who need not just prayers, but for us to act; for those who are ill, lonely, lacking employment or security or purpose, those who are lost and those who have lost loved ones. We pray for those with not enough food or inadequate shelter, for those in hospital and those in prison, for those who lack what we often take for granted. We pray for anyone in any kind of need – material, physical or spiritual – that you comfort them as you enlighten us as to how to bring help to the helpless and hope those without hope. We give thanks for all those, particularly in this time of pandemic, who are caring for the unwell, who are using their intellects to find solutions, those who are picking up the pieces. Strengthen them and make us, in whatever manner is right in your sight, means to improve the lives of others. Make us, Lord, the world, the church, those with power, those with none, each and every one of us here fit for your purpose. Amen. Hymn 646 – Forth in the peace of Christ we go – vv. 1, 3, 4, 5 Benediction Go out now, and do not return the same. Go with confidence that the Father will be behind us, the Son beside us and the Spirit ahead of us. In the name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Spirit, bless us, protect us and encourage us. Amen.  Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on this 2nd Sunday of Christmas.
Notices:
Call to Worship A new year has begun O Lord, call us so we may hear Your voice The world turns to hopes and dreams of the future O Lord, keep us in Your ways and on Your path We enter this new year with hope O Lord, guide us as we look to You and worship You. Hymn 161 – O God, our help in ages past (1,4,5,6) Prayers of Adoration and Confession God of our lives and the times in which we live, we come before you on this first Sunday of the year, marvelling that another year has passed. For some of us, time has slipped by and we wonder where another year went. For others, the pressures of the pandemic have been intense; the sorrows, heavy; the conflicts, challenging. O God, you have seen us through this peculiar year and we are grateful. In the year to come, be our help and company. Hold our hands as we journey onwards and may your dream of shalom, where all will be at peace, be our guiding star. God of our lives and the time in which we live, we know you are with us through thick and thin, in times of great joy and at moments of disappointment. We confess we sometimes feel let down when the joy of Christmas has passed. Our hope seems to get folded away with the gift wrap, our energy for the future feels a bit tattered. Forgive us when our faithfulness flickers like a Christmas candle burning down. Renew our hope and energy for the year ahead through the steadfast grace of Christ our Lord. Lord’s Prayer Hymn 324 - Angels from the realms of glory (1,2,5) Readings – Ecclesiastes 3: 1-13 Matthew 25: 31-46 Hymn 305 – In the bleak mid-winter (1,4,5) Weekly Prayer Father God, help us to remember that the Christmas story did not end in the stable but continued as Jesus grew into a man. As a New Year begins and with it, the next chapter of our lives, help us to grow in faith and wisdom and to recognise that you have set eternity in our hearts. May we experience your peace and joy throughout the year ahead and may your presence be with us in all we do and say. Amen Reflection Welcome 2022 and Goodbye to 2021! Are you glad? This last year has been dominated by the Pandemic, and we have had to adjust our lives accordingly. But the year was also marked by tensions over Brexit and the pull-out from Afghanistan and also a greater awareness of the Climate Crisis and the fragility of our Earth. There have also been births and weddings and somehow life goes on. So what will 2022 bring? In the carol ‘O little town of Bethlehem’ we hear the words ‘the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight’, and inevitably there will be the hopes and fears, the good and bad. New Year is a time to look backwards and to look forward and take stock. Maybe it is appropriate that we look at Ecclesiastes, which reflects on time. We live in a time-obsessed society. We live by the clock; have time-saving devices like microwaves – where would we be without them. We become agitated if a bus or train happens to be 5 minutes late or if we have to wait longer than expected at traffic lights. Africa, on the other hand, is time-rich. Church services would begin late and often go on for hours. Visitors from Scotland found it difficult to cope. Maybe the answer lies somewhere in between. Ecclesiastes! In the original Hebrew it is called Qoheleth, which means the Preacher. The Preacher reflects on time. Some view the book as being quite cynical, and the line, ‘All is vanity’ comes up over 20 times in the book, though not in our passage this morning. In other words, what’s the point! In the Middle East there is one phrase you hear again and again. ‘Inshallah’. We will meet tomorrow inshalla. It means ‘God Willing’. It is quite fatalistic, but recognises that everything is in God’s hands, but a distant God in some far-off corner of the universe. But there are others who would say Qoheleth was more a realist, a practical theologian who refused to look at the world through rose coloured glasses. He says it as it is, and certainly in our reading today, there is a time and season for everything under heaven –a time to laugh and a time to cry, a time to be silent and a time to speak, and I think immediately of Desmond Tutu speaking out. Even some of the ‘seasons which jar, like a ‘time to kill’ can have meaning as we think of old habits that need killed off this new year. In the end the Preacher recognises we must stand in awe of God, who ‘puts eternity in our hearts’. Yes, everything is in God’s hands, but we see another picture of God in the bible, and that is of a God who is continually doing new things. God is in the business of newness. Behold I am doing a new thing, writes Isaiah, while John the Divine had a vision in Revelation of a new heaven and new earth, a new Jerusalem. And scripture makes it clear that God is a God who takes a risk. A God who did a new thing by taking the gigantic risk of being born as a child among us in a draughty stable, as Emmanuel, God with us. This is a God who is involved, not far off in a distant heaven, but hands-on. Who calls us to be involved too, feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger. Dag Hammarskjold was UN General secretary, whose plane crashed in Zambia while he was trying to make peace in the Congo in the early 60s. He was a very spiritual person and he wrote, For all that has been – thanks. For all that shall be – YES. I love the yes, for that is a Yes which works for peace and justice, for inclusion and unity, for a greener world, for a world in which we are kind to one another, for as our Gospel reminds us, we do it to Christ. 2022 lies ahead of us, and who knows what kind of year it will be. But with God, we can move forward giving thanks for the past and saying Yes to the future, for God accompanies us and will never forsake us. Hymn 526 – This is a day of new beginnings Prayers of Intercession God of majesty and mystery, we bring our gifts to you, grateful that you are with us in good times and hard times. We do not know what the year ahead will hold but your love shines like a star to guide us. Bless these gifts that they may keep the light of Christ shining through the church to offer the world truth and wisdom, healing and hope in Jesus name. God of all time and space, as we gather in prayer, we recognize that our lives are but small details in the vast expanse of your universe. We thank you for attending to the details of our lives. We thank you for the year just past, for walking through the good days and the hard days with us. The pandemic has been exhausting in so many ways but we are grateful for your steadfast love. Thank you for friendships that sustain us in uncertain times. We ask for your Spirit to guide us into the future, and create new possibilities for ministry and mission through our congregation. God of all people and places, The year just ending has held sorrows for so many in our community and around the world. We remember dear ones of have died and pray for those who look ahead in loneliness or sadness. We pray for those who face challenges in health, in their families or at work; for all who are ill or mourning. Support each one who needs you close by. God of community and commitment, We pray for wisdom and courage in the year ahead. Strengthen us as a congregation to be a lively and committed witness to your love. Help us reach out to our community in faithfulness and service. Guide leaders in our nation and around the world so that justice and peace may prevail, especially in troubled places and vulnerable lives. Show us all how to honour and protect your creation, even when that takes sacrifice on our part. Receive our humble prayers and encourage us onward in the name of Jesus our Christ. Amen Hymn 235 – God is working his purpose out (1,3,4) Benediction God of time and eternity, Alpha and Omega, beginning and end Bless us now in your unconditional love, that this may be a year of grace for us and for all the world. And the blessing….  We gather at this Christmastide to celebrate the child who was born in the stable at Bethlehem, bringing joy and hope to the world. So we come as we are and offer our worship to Jesus. Lord, come close to us as we come close to you.
Notices:
Call To Worship Lord Jesus, for whom there was no room in the inn Help us to make room in our hearts for you. Lord Jesus, a star shone brightly in the sky to announce your birth Lead us to your light that we might worship you Lord Jesus, angels sang at your birth filling the heavens with a celebration of divine love Fill us with joy as we sing the praises of the Christ child, who is God-with-us. Carol 306 – O come, all ye faithful Prayer Our God, You turn night to light; your glory shines in the deepest darkness; your grace breaks the power that would keep us down. You are the giver of life and bringer of hope; answering the yearnings of our hearts. You point to a different way, where justice, righteousness, and peace blossom; where sorrow is swapped for the sounds of singing, and where joy abides forever. Great Giver of Gifts, this night we celebrate you. We wonder with the shepherds, we rejoice with the angels. We hear again that ancient story made new in us once more that warms our hearts and reminds us of mercy, fashioned in flesh and bone. With the angels, and with countless generations through the ages, we cry: ‘Glory to God in the highest!’. O, God, whose glory shines upon us in this season of long nights, whose light flickers in the darkness and cannot be put out, whose love warms even the coldest of hearts, we sometimes lose our way, our bearings, as we journey on your path. May the star that shone above the stable in Bethlehem reorient us, and lead us back to you. May we be your people of peace, proclaiming your kingdom of justice and righteousness with joy, with hope, and with love in our hearts. And may the message of the child in the manger be born in us this day. Amen Carol 321 – Come and join the celebration Reading – Isaiah 9: 2-7 Luke 2: 1-14 Hymn 300 – The Virgin Mary had a baby boy Prayer God of mystery and manger, as we listen to the familiar story of your coming among us as a child of flesh and blood, open our minds and hearts so that we may hear these wondrous events with new understanding, wisdom and joy. Reflection I was speaking with the school children this week – the first time for 2 years. I was asking how many had Advent calendars, and most of the hands went up – the teachers; hands too. I think most of them would have chocolate calendars. I have one this year, but not a chocolate one; rather, it tells the story of Sami, a boy whose family has fled Syria and who settle in Lebanon. They have no shelter, no shoes, no clothes, but are met with kindness, and by window 24 Sami is at school and integrated into the community with everybody helping one another. There is always the excitement of opening each door to find out the next part of the story. There are of course open doors and shut doors in the Christmas story. When Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem, Joseph had not booked ahead! So they went to the inn, the house where travellers would have stayed, but because of the census, it was busy. We are all familiar with the words from Luke’s Gospel that there was no room at the inn. A shut door, and often the innkeeper is portrayed as boorish and ready to slam the door in their face. However, I was reading an account of this story, and, yes, the innkeeper had been saying ‘No’ all night. No, you can’t get a room for tonight. No, you can’t have more towels. No, you can’t have seconds. No, you can’t have your mother-in-law and her whole family to share your room. No, no, no…. When the bell rang once more, he swung it open ready to launch into his usual spiel, when he hesitated. He was trying to say ‘No’, but the man looked so concerned and the woman was about to have a baby and instead of no, his lips moved in another direction and he said ‘yes’. But we haven’t asked you anything, the couple said. The innkeeper just said ‘yes’. ‘So you have a room’? ‘Yes’. In here or round the back? ‘Yes’. It was a new experience for him to say Yes, that he was positively beaming. ’Which’, and he took them round the back to the stable. And once the baby was born, and people like the shepherds came to the door asking for the family, the innkeepers answer was always Yes. Such has been the way of all those caught up in the Christmas story. Mary said yes to the angel, telling her she would bear the son of God. Joseph said yes. The shepherds said yes to the choir of angels and now the innkeeper. The answer to Christmas is ‘Yes’ and it changes everything. For at Christmas God says ‘Yes’ to the world. By the birth of the baby in the manger, so vulnerable, God was fulfilling the prophecies of the likes of Isaiah that a boy would be born, with the titles: wonderful counsellor, prince of peace. God was saying ‘Yes’ to a careworn people, full of anxiety: You are deeply loved, Just as you are, forgiven, loved and challenged to be The very best you can be. So I am speaking to you in the only way I know how- From a stable, In a child born in poverty, Soon to grow to maturity, born to show you in a human life the love of God. God says ‘Yes’, affirming the world that he will not abandon us, but rather is born among us as a baby. Looking at that scene in the stable demands some response from us. We are invited to say ‘Yes’ too and live our lives according to God’s ways, showing the Advent gifts of joy and hope and love and peace to all. Carol 309 – Still the night Prayers of Intercession God of the starry heavens and the good old earth, Eternal God, God with us, Tonight you come among us in the figure of a baby, a newborn reaching out to us, to bring a smile to our lips and hope to our hearts. Thank you for your tenderness with which you touch our lives. Tonight as we remember the baby lying in a manger, We pray for peace: Peace in all the places where there is anger or war or fear… Peace in all the hearts that know sorrow or stress… We pray for people who will not sleep safely tonight because of conflict in their lives….. Cradle all these people and places in your love so the world may sleep in heavenly peace this night. Tonight as we remember the mother Mary rocking her baby, we pray for all children born this Christmas season… Watch over mothers and fathers and grandparents, hoping for the best for their newborns… Help us create communities where every child is valued and every family has enough … May families rejoice because Christ the Saviour is born for each of us and for all of us. Tonight as we remember the father Joseph protecting his little one, we pray for all those watching over the helpless and the hopeless... Be with all those who must work tonight to keep the world safe and to care for those in need…. Be with those who are sick or sad or lonely so each one will know your comforting presence. God of the starry heavens and the good old earth, Eternal God, God with us, Tonight as we remember the shepherds coming in haste, and the wise men coming in wonder, open our hearts to reach out to the Christ Child, to receive the gift you offer us in him, even as we offer our love to you in his name. Bless us in the year ahead so we can share your love with all the lives that touch ours. Amen Carol 303 – It came upon the midnight clear (1,3,5) Benediction May the news of the angels fill your heart with great joy. May the star that guided the wise lead you to the truth of understanding May the witness of the shepherds affirm in you the message of the Gospels May the presence of the sacred baby bring you peace and joy And May God this Christmas bless you, comfort you and inspire you as you journey into another year, Amen.  Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on the Fourth Sunday of Advent
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God who spoke to Mary and Elizabeth, speak your Word to us now. God who blessed them with new life, bless us with great expectation. God who gave them songs of praise to sing, receive our joyful praise. Hymn 315 – Once in royal David’s city (1,2,4) Prayers of Adoration and Confession O God, our Saviour, With Mary, our spirits rejoice in you this day, for you look with favour on all your children. You have done great things for us. You have scattered the proud and lifted up the lowly. You have filled the hungry with good things, and kept the promises made to our ancestors. Your mercy is known from generation to generation. And so, we praise and magnify your holy name with hearts full of gratitude, trusting you will do great things once again through Christ our Lord, born for us, born to be with us. God of Life and Love, The stories of Advent remind us that you are a God of surprises. You surprised Elizabeth with news she would bear a child late in life. You surprised Mary with news she would bear our Saviour. Your surprises overturned their lives We confess we do not always meet life’s surprises with the same courage. Forgive us when we hesitate to greet you in the unexpected. Forgive us when we prefer routine over new possibilities. “Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, love divine. Love shall be our token, Love for plea and gift and sign.” We have made our plea for mercy, trusting in God’s gift of love made flesh in Jesus. Now receive God’s forgiveness as a lasting token of God’s love Lord’s Prayer Lighting of Advent crown We light this candle for love. God, as we wait for your promise, Give light, give hope. Hymn 284 – Love is the candle (v3) Talk 1 Hymn 292 – It’s rounded like an orange (1,2,5) Readings – Micah 5:2–5a Luke 1:39–45, Talk 2 Hymn 302 – It was on a starry night Reading - Luke 1:46–56 Hymn 322 – Good Christians all rejoice (Yeth) Choir Anthem (M/B) Weekly Prayer Everlasting God, we share today with Mary and Elizabeth their love and joy as the waiting for Jesus’s birth nears its end. Quieten our hearts and lives so that we can hear your voice bringing peace amongst the hustle and bustle of everyday life as Christmas approaches. Amen Reflection I had a disappointment the other day. I had ordered a crate of oranges. This was no ordinary crate of oranges but organised through Fiona Kendall, one of the Church’s mission partners, who works with refugees and migrants in Italy. She has a link with a fair-trade organisation growing fruit in Calabria, who support the migrant fruit pickers. BUT red tape, linked to Brexit, has meant that they have been delayed at the border, so they won’t arrive until January. I had hoped to hand them out today, but you will have to wait! We have all had disappointments, and now with Omicron, our Christmas celebrations are going to be affected again. So it is good to read this morning about some hope, about two women celebrating together over such unexpected news – that they would bear children. Unexpected in that one was older and the other one young. It was of course Mary and her older cousin Elizabeth. You can imagine the scene, with lots of hugs and excitement, but also the fears of giving birth. They celebrated new life, but also a new age dawning. Mary and Elizabeth, in a day and age that so much of the time overlooked women, become the people through whom the Lord of grace makes his entrance. In a day and age when women were often given little voice, Mary and Elizabeth shout and sing and become examples of the power in believing…in believing that God might be up to something new…in believing that the miraculous might happen. Where would we be without the faith of Mary and Elizabeth? Elizabeth’s baby kicked in the womb in recognition of Jesus, and Elizabeth was the first to call him ‘Lord’, the title Jesus would be known by after the resurrection. Zechariah the priest was struck dumb by his doubts, but it was his wife Elizabeth who uttered the prophetic word. And Mary? She sees a world where God has put everything to rights, where the people who are proud and who have everything and who cling to power are removed from everyone’s list of role models and those who are humble, weak, and lowly are lifted up as the examples to follow. She sings of a world where the hungry and the needy are satisfied with more than leftovers and where those who have a lot finally learn to live with less. We don’t typically think of Mary’s Song as a Christmas carol, but in many ways is the first one, and maybe the most essential. Mary magnifies the Lord. A magnifying glass makes something bigger, and somehow when we look at Mary and Elizabeth’s faith, we see it magnified, and that gives us hope for the future. Real Advent hope is not just sitting hearing the promises again. It is about active hoping, allowing God to shape and fill us, so that like Elizabeth and Mary we become the signs of God’s new world, where the lowly play their full part and the poor are heard to speak the truth of God. Hymn 322 – Good Christians all rejoice (M/B) Prayers of Intercession God of love and joy, God of peace and hope, we are so grateful for these Advent gifts, which bring comfort and courage even in the most challenging times. Receive our gifts as tokens of our love and loyalty. Bless them so that they will bring love to those who need it so much this year.We pray for all your people around the world, no matter their colour or creed, language or diversity, as this Advent draws to a close, may they know the importance of this week in all its earth-shattering fullness. May they see the immensity of your gift that goes on giving. For those for whom Christmas will be especially hard this year through the challenges, changes and consequences of this past year and more; those who have lost family or friends, homes or employment, health and well-being; for those who feel life as they have previously known it is slipping away with uncertainty and insecurity. For the thousands affected by catastrophic weather conditions, floods, rains, wind, storm, tornedo, snow; for health and social services, their staff and clients, that in the midst of illness and need, in the midst of birth and death, in the midst of pain and distress, in the midst of their darkest and most worn-out nights, the light of Christ may shine into their world. For those who will travel this week, or hope to travel, for those who will need to stay at home, for those visiting and those receiving guests, may they together be aware of each other’s needs, especially in these Covid times; give us all a sense of care and compassion that we may comfort the distressed and show care for all. For those who go above and beyond what is expected of them; those who show extra love and generosity; for the Food Bank donors and organisers; for all who share the gospel message of love, life, joy and hope. And for ourselves and our families and friends, whether we meet with them or not over the Christmas season, may we be a blessing to each other sharing love, joy hope, good news and gospel stories. These prayers and the prayers deep within our hearts we offer to you this day Lord God. Amen. Hymn 301 – Hark! The herald angels sing Benediction May the song of the Angels, the joy of the Shepherds and the peace of the Christ Child be in your hearts this Christmas and may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and those whom you love and those whom we are called to love, this day and even forevermore. Amen  Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday.
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God of hope, who brought love into this world, be the love that dwells among us. God of hope, who brought joy into this world, be the joy that dwells among us. God of hope, the rock upon which we stand, be the centre, the focus of our lives always, and particularly in this Advent time. Hymn 277 – Hark the glad sound (1,3,5) Prayers of Adoration and Confession Loving God, we gather in this season of promise to worship you and sing your praise. We praise you for your love and faithfulness, for you are the source of all hope, and from you all joy springs. You are the one we expect, but your coming is always unexpected. You are the one who turns everything upside down and you make all things new. Advent God of surprise, we worship you and we wait for you to awaken our wonder and astound us with your arrival. In this season of excitement and weariness, open our hearts to your presence, for we know you meet us and hold us: in and beyond the business; in and beyond the glitter; in and beyond the rush. When we are tired and frayed and lose sight of what it is all about, when we put ourselves first and forget that you come to bring love, come close and forgive us and restore us. Mend our broken hearts and help us to know ourselves forgiven and loved. Lord’s Prayer Lighting of Advent crown We light this candle for love. God, as we wait for your promise, Give light, give hope. Hymn 284 – Love is the candle (v3) Readings – Philippians 4:4–9 Luke 3:7–18 Hymn 291 – When out of poverty is born Weekly Prayer Merciful God, who sent John the Baptist to proclaim the Good News, help us to be true heralds of the coming of Christ and to proclaim the Gospel through all we do and say. We ask that in this special season of Advent we may experience the peace of God which transcends all our understanding, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen Reflection I feel for politicians or anyone giving press conferences. There are always certain topics they want to avoid like the plague, but inevitably these topics that the journalists present will home in on. Boris Johnson the other day was intent on focusing on Covid restrictions, but all the journalists wanted to hear about was about parties in Downing Street last Christmas and ‘the video’. That was a video of staff members practicing how they would explain away parties that may have broken guidelines – that’s if they happened at all. They were practising how to gloss over something unpleasant, something that wouldn’t go down well with the public. There was no gloss for John the Baptist. He had missed the sermon preparation class at theological college. Rather he launches straight in and addresses his audience with ‘You brood of vipers’. How to win friends and influence people! But at least it would have caught their attention. John was direct, he saw things in black and white terms and he didn’t mince his words. He called people to repent. They couldn’t rely on being descended from Abraham, on religious pedigree, on past glories. They had to bear responsibility for themselves. Understandably the people asked, ‘What then should we do?’ It was a fair question, and John answered by telling people to share what they had. If you have two coats, give one away. That’s quite a thought. How many coats do you have? I am sure I have quite a number and would do my best to justify them – this is for summer, this is for wet weather at the cemetery, this is for something more formal, but all the time knowing that maybe I could share some of my coats and shoes. John is telling us to share, and we should and so should governments, especially the vaccines. John then tells people like the tax collectors and soldiers not to overcharge or to extort. He doesn’t tell them to give up their jobs but rather to live fair and simple lives and live justly. Paul says something similar in his letter to the church in Philippi, telling them to focus on all the positive things – whatever is true or noble, just or lovely, think on these things – the best, not the worst, the beautiful and not the ugly. Paul was writing this from a prison cell, but encouraged the early Christians to think on the positive and put it into practice. Moreover, he told them to rejoice. The Message has ‘celebrate God every day. I mean, revel in him’. Let your whole life be a thanksgiving. There is a song by Leonard Cohen, the Canadian songwriter, called ‘Hallelujah’. I can never quite understand what the song is about, but I always feel that the hallelujahs are defiant. Despite all the problems in the world, I will still hope and I am going to say Hallelujah. It is like Mary’s Magnificat. Mary’s teenage life is being radically disrupted and she is danger of being exposed to shame, but still her heart glorifies the Lord. Despite all the uncertainties of life, and there are many, we should say Hallelujah and look to the future in hope, living kindly and generously and looking outwards to those in need around us. Not paying lip service, but life service. John lastly pointed to the Messiah who would come, maybe sooner than John expected. Jesus would have a less abrasive manner, but would tackle the barrage of questions of Scribes and Pharisees, and show the way of love and sacrifice and commitment, and his whole life a massive Hallelujah. Hymn Christ is coming! Yes He's coming to show God is with us. As a child He'll dwell among us to live out God's love. Like the sun in the morning every new day adorning, His light shines with beauty to make us His own. Christ is coming! Yes He's coming, and asks if we're ready, with our arms spread wide in welcome, and hearts filled with love. Like the sun … Christ is coming! Yes He's coming! His Kingdom is dawning. With the precious gift of Jesus we know God is love. Like the sun … (Rev Tom Gordon) Prayers of Intercession As we have lit candles to celebrate Advent and as we have reflected on your words so, Lord God, our thoughts turn now beyond our needs, whose cries and anguish trouble and disturb us. News seems to surround us piling one tragedy on top of another, the world seems a hard place and our tears are for those whose pain is etched deeply within their being, for those cast out of their own lands, cast adrift from family and friends, thrown into the arms of strangers, some of whom are caring and some who are not. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. For those who trudge through strange lands looking for guidance with hope for a better future, straddling borders, hoping; for those who have nothing but what they stand in and walk with; for those who risk life and limb in fragile boats seeking escape from poverty and tragedy but so often finding both and left seeking safety, welcome, warmth and security. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. For the homeless nearer to home who have no walls to shelter them, no place to cocoon them, no safety to protect them, no warmth from the winter weather, no family to support them and little hope for a settled future. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. For those who live with hunger, not just of the spirit, but of the body; for those families who can’t manage proper meals and nutrition, who eek out the pennies the best they can; for those who have the courage to seek foodbank help and for those who greet and meet them when they stretch out for the food that is given; for those who are cold and hungry, not just of body because they can’t afford heating and food, but cold of friendship and the warmth of love. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. For families impacted by Covid and all its ramifications; for those for whom the illness itself has deprived them of health and well-being, short and long term; for those who have seen family and friends lose their battles for life and who have not been near at the time of death and those who will have an empty seat at the Christmas table; for those who are separated by the miles, by country and continent, who have missed so much growing up and growing old; for those who are fearful of vaccines, those unable to have vaccines, those deprived of vaccines, those who develop and deliver vaccines. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. For countries at war with others and with themselves, where peace is a distant memory and a very distant prospect; for those who keep the candle of hope burning believing that in the end peace will prevail. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. For those who have never heard the message of Advent hope, who have never encountered the presence of the Christ child, who have never felt their hearts moved by the Christmas story of Emmanuel, God with us. May their lives be touched by those of us who meet them, whose lives touch ours and ours theirs. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. And let our cries come unto you. Amen Hymn 286 – Tell out my soul (1,3,4) Benediction The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God; and may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and those whom you love and those whom we are called to love, this day and even forevermore. Amen  Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on Second Sunday of Advent
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A messenger will be born. Peace is coming. Someone to show the way. Peace is coming. A world is waiting. Peace is coming. Lord, we, your people, wait patiently, hanging on for Advent peace. Let us worship God. Hymn 472 – Come thou long-expected Jesus (1,3,4) Prayers of Adoration and Confession Living God, in our worship, we seek to be ready to meet with You. We prepare ourselves; we still ourselves; we organise ourselves; we get ourselves in the right frame of mind. And now we come to You in prayer. We come with thanksgiving, for the beauty of this day, for the wonder of life, for the fellowship of this place, for the freedom to meet and worship, and for the Gospel message of this Advent Season. So we rejoice, with the universal Church, as we journey through Advent in worship and in faith. Make us ready for the coming of our Lord. But are we ready yet? Are we really prepared to meet You here? We look at how we are and who we are, and we wonder how we will look to You. We still wear our garments of sorrow and affliction. For life may have been tough for us this week, and the burdens we carry might be hard to bear. We're still dressed in the garments of failures, promises made and promises broken, acts of kindness missed and acts of sinfulness offered. We are still clothed in unrighteousness. And we are ashamed. Forgive us we pray. Zechariah said, ‘Tell the people they will be saved by the forgiveness of their sins.’ God’s promises endure for ever; so let us be assured, our sins are forgiven. Lord’s Prayer Lighting of Advent crown We light this candle for peace Remembering that we are not alone, but held in the promise of God’s love. Hymn 284 – Peace is the candle (v2) Readings – Philippians 1:3–11 Luke 3:1–6 Hymn 283 – The voice of God (1, 2, 5) Weekly Prayer Almighty God, give us faith like John the Baptist, strong enough to believe that even in a desert you and your kingdom are always close to us. May our love for you and those around us increase, and make our hearts strong like his, not swayed by trials or snared by false pleasures. Give us the courage to be faithful until your promises are fulfilled. Amen Reflection I was in a house the other day, 1st December in fact, and someone was wearing a bright Christmas jumper. A day or two before that, I was in Galashiels as I visit a Syrian family, and the area in which they live is one with lots of young families. It was like entering another world, because there were big inflatable snowmen and reindeer; a Santa was escaping outside a bedroom window, and there were coloured lights everywhere. It wasn’t just a couple of houses which had been decorated like this, but quite a number. The effect was quite magical. Meanwhile my first Christmas card came in the post. Is it the pandemic? Or is Christmas getting earlier? At church we take a more gradual approach and we have the season of Advent, a time of watching and waiting, of anticipation, as we renew our strength and await the coming of Christ. On this Second Sunday of Advent we focus on John the Baptist. We read from Luke, and Luke was something of a historian of the 1st Century variety. He wants to set everything in context and gives us a list of names – the Who’s Who of 1st century Palestine. There is Tiberius, the Roman emperor, Pontius Pilate is mentioned and then the puppet rulers of the surrounding areas, though the Roman administration was where power lay. The religious hierarchy is also mentioned, Caiaphas and Annas. These were the movers and shakers of the day. Yet the Word of the Lord did not come to them; rather, it came John the son of Zechariah in the desert. It came to a nobody. It came to someone without much pedigree and living in the obscurity of the wilderness. God chose a nobody to prepare the way for God’s own son to come amongst us. And that is a regular theme in Luke, for God chooses the insignificant to do magnificent things – like Mary the teenager bearing Jesus; like the shepherds at the lowest end of the economic ladder being the audience for the heavenly hosts. God chooses people who are easily overlooked to participate in world changing events. God still does that today and works through us to transform the world for the better in our small ways. How do we do that – by keeping our communication channels with God open. In our gospel reading we have the quotation from Isaiah that every valley be exalted, often associated with the aria from Handel’s Messiah. ‘The winding roads straightened and the rough paths smoothed’. It sounds like colossal roadwork project in the Ancient Near East. But the prophet was addressing the Jews living in exile in Babylon. Jerusalem had been destroyed, and they were living throughout the Babylonian Empire, and many were very settled. However, permission had been given to return to Palestine and rebuild Jerusalem, but the response was lukewarm. It would be a long arduous journey with a lot of hard work at the destination. But the prophet Isaiah urged them. He wasn’t just talking about the physical journey, but their spiritual journey. The people had discovered that they could worship God in Babylon, and that was great. But for some, their relationship with God had become long-distance. There were mountains of indifference and valleys of spiritual lethargy separating them from God. They road to God needed to be made straight to bring them to the heart of God. John prepared the way for Jesus. At this time of Advent let us also be open to Christ’s coming among us, not by keeping a comfortable distance, but by opening our hearts to God. Hymn "Prepare the way!" the Baptist cried as people gathered round. "Repent! Believe! The time is now!" he called out to the crowd. "Your Lord is here! God has come down To live with you today. Be ready now to welcome Him. You should prepare the way!" "Prepare the way!" This is our part as Advent days slip past, to meet our God in human form, the Love that's made to last. Rise up! Be tested by the call! Don't dither or delay! For Christ will come! He's born for you! So come! Prepare the way! (Rev Tom Gordon) Prayers of Intercession As we have lit candles to celebrate Advent and as we have reflected on your words so, Lord God, our thoughts turn now beyond our needs, whose cries and anguish trouble and disturb us. We pray for the Church, both worldwide and for this congregation here, for all who minister to one another in our community, in the compassion of our caring, and in the mission of the Gospel, individually and together. May the Peace of Christ bless us. May the Love of Christ work through us. May the Light of Christ shine in the darkest places. We pray for our community, our country, and our world. Bless with compassion and tenderness those we know who work tirelessly for the good of others. Bless with wisdom and character those who have responsibilities in Holyrood and Westminster. Bless with purpose those who are leaders, teachers and role-models for us all. Bless with Your strength those who walk the corridors of power, and who make decisions for the good of all humanity. We pray for those striving earnestly for Climate change to be tackled with care and justice, for all who seek to quell the needless destruction of our fragile world and who strive for the best that humanity can be; for those nearer to home feeling the impact of climate change, snow and storms and gales beyond what is expected. We pray for those in need: those close to us; those who struggle for direction; those who are weak and frail; those ill at home or in Hospital or care home; those who are ground down by worries and troubles. And in the silence, we name them before You: SILENCE We pray for ourselves, as we prepare in thoughtfulness for the coming of Jesus, that we might be honest with ourselves and open to Your grace. And we give thanks for the Communion of Saints, those who have prepared our way, who have offered us their guidance, and wisdom, and example, that we might boldly walk the paths of righteousness and truth. Bind us ever with them, that we might journey on as one people under God. Amen Hymn 476 – Mine eyes have seen the glory (1,4) Benediction May the One, long-promised, who brings hope to the people, shower you with hope that you may be signs of the Kingdom; and may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and those whom you love and those whom we are called to love, this day and even forevermore. Amen  Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on first Sunday of Advent
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From a branch sprouting hope is coming. The heavens are shifting, hope is coming. A troubled world waits. Hope is coming. Lord, we, your people, wait patiently, hanging on with Advent hope. Lord, we bring you ourselves, we bring you our worship. Hymn 273 – O come, o come Emmanuel (1,4,5) Prayers of Adoration and Confession God of light and love, our praises and prayers overflow with hope as the season of Advent opens. You come to your people to dwell with us. You come with power—not to dominate, but to transform. You come with promises—not to give us what we want, but to make all things new. You come with signs of your deep love for the world. You come, and your truth breaks forth, shattering lies and half-truths, setting your people free. Your coming is our hope, and so, we offer you our worship in gratitude and anticipation. Come into our lives again, O God, and show us how to hope in the face of all that is discouraging, for we gather in the name of Hope made flesh, Jesus Christ, your promise and our desire. Surprising God, Forgive our sleepiness in the presence of your splendour. Forgive us for abandoning hope so quickly, and expecting the same old thing in the same old way. Forgive us for underestimating your power to do a new thing. Awaken us to your holy, hopeful presence. Awaken us so we may watch and wait for you. Come, Lord Jesus, come. The One who comes with justice also comes with mercy. The God of Judgment is the Christ of compassion. Do not be afraid but rejoice in the God who comes to us. Lord’s Prayer Lighting of Advent crown We light this candle for all God’s people, Struggling to be bearers of hope in a troubled world. As we wait for your promise, give light, give hope. Hymn 284 – Hope is the candle (v1) Readings – Jeremiah 33:14–16 Luke 21:25–36 Hymn 339 – Sing of Andrew Weekly Prayer Almighty God, as the new day dawns on this Advent Sunday, we give thanks for the first glimmers of the light which remind us of the coming of your Son Jesus Christ into our world. We believe that your light has the power to overcome all our darkness and pray that throughout the Season of Advent we may share in the mystery of the incarnation. Amen Reflection It was 1905, and a librarian in Brooklyn in the United States had taken exception to the book ‘Huckleberry Finn’. She didn’t think it was appropriate reading for children and wanted it banned from the children’s library. The Director of libraries for New York contacted the author, Mark Twain, who in his ironic reply said he quite understood, as his parents had forced him to read the Bible from cover to cover in his early teens and he had found it a traumatic experience. He recommended that the Bible be removed from the shelves too. The passage we read from Luke this morning can make uncomfortable reading, especially at the start of Advent when we look for something warm and comforting. The whole chapter talks about nation rising up against nation; there are earthquakes, famines and plagues. There’s persecution, and in our passage today people are perplexed by the waves and tides. The whole world seems to be falling apart. It is easy for us to see signs of disaster, to look at what is happening around us and be anxious. The Cop 26 conference has drawn attention to the extreme weather patterns, if we hadn’t noticed them already, and the climate emergency. The Covid pandemic is still very much with us, and some states in Europe are going back into lockdown. The migrant situation is bad with many so desperate for safety that they take enormous risks, and as we saw this week some die in crossing the channel. There is so much talk of racism and misogyny and sleaze. There seems to be a lot of bad news about. The prophet Jeremiah is often accused as being a prophet of doom and gloom, but in our reading today he gives hope as he talks of a green shoot sprouting, which would bring safety and security to Jerusalem. Equally in the Gospels, Luke records this litany of bad news, but then in verse 28 says, ‘Stand up and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand’. In other words, don’t be anxious, don’t give into fear, for there is hope. Luke goes on to talk about the fig tree bursting into blossom in the summer. Advent is a season of hope, as we wait for the coming of Christ at Christmas. This morning we sang that hope is the candle, which is never burnt up, but continues on. There are signs of hope around us. I get the ‘i’ newspaper, and every Saturday there is a page of good news stories, stories like the deaf actress Rose in Strictly Come dancing who with her partner seems to have made an impact, not least because she can’t always hear the music. But last week they started to dance, and then the music suddenly stopped and they continued, and suddenly the audience was in Rose’s world. I didn’t see it, but I could imagine how powerful it was. A sign of hope, and if we look around us, there are signs of hope everywhere. This Advent we prepare for the coming of Christ, who gave the world hope and whose words, we are told in Luke, will never pass away. As his followers, we are to be grounded in that hope and show that hope in our relations with the world and with those around us. The hope for the world born in Bethlehem and which allows us to reimagine a world which is just and fair, where we live out the radical love of Christ for all. Let us not be afraid, but live out the Advent hope. Hymn 509 – Jesus calls us o’er the tumult (1,2,5) Prayers of Dedication & Intercession Holy and Righteous God, we offer our gifts with humble hearts and with them we bring ourselves to be used ever in your service. O Spirit of Hope, When the world is confusing and bleak, you pierce the despair with your Word, and renew our vision of God’s possibilities for our lives. Thank you for lessons learned, for changes of heart, for new discoveries made and hope restored, even as the pandemic stretches on. As the world around us prepares for the long, cold sleep of winter, we pray for those who feel the burden of loneliness and isolation. We remember those without homes to shelter in, and those forced to leave their homes through conflict, natural disaster or political upheaval. We remember those who lost their lives in the English Channel and all risking the crossing. (Keep a brief time of silence) Spirit of Hope, shelter all these under your wings. Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer. O God of Peace, There is strife and disagreement all around us these days, sometimes in our own lives and relationships, and in many nations and neighbourhoods in the news. We pray for places where violence and cruelty appear to win the day, thinking especially of Afghanistan and Ethiopia, and situations closer to home that we carry on our hearts. (Keep a brief time of silence) God of Peace, work for just and peaceful resolutions to prevail. Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer. O Creator of Joy, We give you thanks for moments of joy and celebration in our lives, for pleasure given and received, for quiet times of reflection and conversation, and for the many ways that allow us to keep in contact with those we love. As the days grow colder, we remember those who feel bitter while others rejoice, those who grieve the loss of loved ones, and those who face a bleak winter for any reason. (Keep a brief time of silence) Creator of Joy, bring them light and warmth in the season ahead, and let your joy shine through us as compassionate companions. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. O Love divine made flesh in Christ, You call us into communion with you and community with one another. We pray for your church and our congregation, especially at this time when we envisage new kinds of ministry. May love guide all your people as we plan for our life and mission. We remember before you our families and friends, whether nearby or far away. (Keep a brief time of silence) Love divine, bless each one with your love and help us express our gratitude and concern for each other in word and action. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Amen Hymn 477 – Lo, he comes (1,3,4) Benediction Go in eager expectation, awaiting and watchful for the coming of Christ. May the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and those whom you love and those whom we are called to love, this day and even forevermore. Amen  Welcome on this last Sunday of the church year as we celebrate 'The Reign of Christ the King'.
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Make way Make space Make time Make peace The Lord your King is close The King of Love is near The Prince of peace approaches Make way for Christ the King Our first hymn is 129 The Lord is King! Lift up your voice v1,2 and 5 Prayer adoration and confession Alleluia to you Oh Lord our King, You are robed in majesty and girded with strength. You are the God who is and who was and who is to come, and reign over all that come before Your throne. Lord Jesus Christ, our Faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead and ruler of all. You put right the wrongs against Your children We praise your name, O lord our King. For loving us and freeing us from our sins by Your blood and making us Kingdom priests and priestesses serving God our Sovereign, To You be glory and Dominion forever Jesus You are the ‘Alpha and the Omega’, the Almighty; rescuing widows, orphans and those in bondage; reigning in victory, coming in the clouds. To You be glory and dominion forever. Loving God on this day we celebrate Christ as King, yet fail to let Him reign in our lives, our thoughts and deeds. We spout vain words while in His name we conquer. impose dominion and injustice and far too often we do not make time to pray. On others we impose our own will, not Yours, especially on the weak, poor and vulnerable. We design rules to satisfy ourselves, our wants, our desires and discriminate against those who do not fit our idea of humanity. Lord we have wronged You. Forgive us and help us to begin again, to love again and to live again the faith we would claim. The Lord’s prayer Today is also Crossreach Sunday. Crossreach is the social care arm of the Church of Scotland and works through the many departments to pick up the pieces of broken lives. Only this week I received a letter from them which included a story of abuse of a young girl in a disfunctional family. So it is not inappropriate the this week sees the beginning of 16 days against gender based violence especially looking for the elimination of violence against women and girls who make up the large majority of victims. There is a web site called ‘Thursdays in Black’ which will provide more information about the decades long initiative. On it I found a powerful poem which references incidences from the Bible . You can find this if you follow the resources link and scroll down to prayers and look for ‘We stop in our tracks’ or ask Trish gentry for a printed copy. It is a sensitive subject but as a woman growing up in the 60s when some forms of sexual harassment were considered normal ways of behaviour and as a Christian very aware of current events I could not ignore it. It is why I chose the next hymn and for those without access to a hymn book I will quote a couple of verses. Hymn 265 1 : Pray for a world where every child finds welcome in a sheltered place, where love is tender, undefiled, and firmness intertwines with grace. 4: Pray for a world where all have voice and none will batter, rape, abuse. Till then, may all have rightful choice and pray for wisdom as they choose. Bible readings; 2 Samuel 23;1-7 John 18; 33-37 Rev 1; 4b-8 Weekly Prayer Sovereign Lord though we are in awe of your power and Majesty we remember that you also came to serve and so we remember today the example of servant hood displayed in the work of Crossreach. Through the many different services it offers it helps, supports and encourages those finding themselves. in difficult circumstances and recognises their personal needs and aspirations and helps them to achieve the highest quality of life which they are capable of achieving at any given time. So we give thanks for the work and the care of all the staff and volunteers and ask for your blessing and comforting presence on them and for all that they serve. Amen. Address Some years ago I can remember Ian Clark leading worship on this Sunday, the last Sunday of the church year and commemorating Christ the King. As he so often does Ian asked a question, querying what picture came into our minds when we thought of Christ in glory. For some reason the picture that came immediately to my eyes was the Graham Sutherland Tapestry in Coventry Cathedral. Now that is really quite strange. The closest I have ever been to Coventry Cathedral was on the merry-go-round of a ring road I was desperately trying to get off, preferably in a northerly direction. Perhaps I had seen the tapestry depicted in a book or on TV and it had stuck in my subconscious mind. Had I ever visited the building no doubt I would have purchased some explanatory literature that would have helped with all the detail woven in to this huge work of religious art. I can tell you that it is 23 meters tall and 12 wide. Apart from the strong green background for something depicting ‘Christ in Glory’ the colours are somewhat subdued. When I think of royalty I tend to think of richly coloured velvet and ermine, shining gold and sparling jewels as seen in the cinema newsreel of nearly 70 years ago; of paintings of monarchs of old painted by the best artists of the time to show them in full regal splendour. Our reading from Samuel concerns David, someone who rose from being a shepherd boy to becoming a powerful ruler and remembered as a great king. I can’t help thinking that King David quite liked a bit of bling, but it was important I suppose, that people could easily recognised who and what he was and that his appearance had to stand out from the crowd. David’s career was very much liquorice allsorts and at time words in common parlance today often come to mind. You fill in the blanks - but he does give God the respect and glory due and where would we be without the Psalms. The verses from the beginning of Revelations gives us a brief but but concise sense of Christ in Glory and the words and phrases that have become part of our worship language; ‘ruler of Kings’; ‘Alpha and Omega’; ‘the Almighty’. In the account of the Transfiguration and of the Ascension, light and cloud come into the description of something indescribable. But let’s look for a moment at the Gospel passage. Jesus has been questioned by the high priest who doesn’t get the answers he is looking for. But now Jesus comes before Pilate, the Roman governor, who first asks him outright if he is the King of the Jews. He goes on to ask “What is it you have done?”. I have never really thought about this question on its own before until it was put into the context of ‘blame culture’. Pilate can’t see what Jesus has done to deserve the fate his enemies want for him. His understanding of kingship cannot encompass the explanations given. Jesus has to have done something wrong, he must be at fault. Do you hear the echoes today when there is so much of a perception by so many people that a victim of violence or abuse must have done something to deserve or cause what has happened to them. Jesus, King of kings, Lord of Lords did not deserve what He suffered but He did it for us. So as the Advent season begins next Sunday, let us remember what we are really waiting for; enjoy the carols and the mince pies and the glitter and sparkle that light up these short, dull days and wait eagerly for the day we celebrate the Light of the World coming to earth but not just on one day but every day. Look for the Glory of God and His Son where ever you can find it and be surprised and heartened by some of the places you might find it. The greatest glory is beyond our imagining but there is much to see until that comes. Hymn 172 Sing for God’s glory that colours the dawn of creation v1,2 The prayers of intercession were written by Margaret McTavish Even as we give thanks and praise for all your goodness and mercy shown to us here in this sanctuary we come before you with our prayers for others, both near and far, known and unknown to us. We pray, O Lord, for PEACE for the many nations in conflict across our world, torn apart by war, violence or unjust rule; for peace for peoples living under extreme conditions and with the greatest humanitarian needs; especially we pray peace for the children of these lands. Lord hear our prayers We pray, O Lord, for WISDOM and JUSTICE for all who rule over others; those in positionsof power in any form; for those making decisions on behalf of others. Lord hear our prayers We pray, O Lord, for CALM in the face of unrest between nations; for calm in the face of rivalry between those of opposing views; and for calm in the face of misunderstanding between policies, peoples and families. Lord hear our prayers We pray, O Lord for REST for the weary; rest for the sick and dying and rest for those whose tirelessly care for them, institutions or at home, being your hands and feet here on earth and showing your love. Lord hear our prayers All these we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Hymn 459 Crown him with many crowns v 1,2 Blessing Christ is King, Christ reigns but there in the background (can you hear it?) the whisper of the prophets. Christ is King, Soon to be born among us, but let us go now as the year turns Christ reigns in the hopes of the people And may the peace of Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with us throughout the coming days. Amen  Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on this Remembrance Sunday
Notices:
From the darkness of death, God calls us into glorious light. From the tumult of war God call us into the beauty of peace. Children of light, God calls us today to remembrance. In light and in peace We will remember them. Hymn 715 – Behold the mountain of the Lord (1,5,7) Prayers of Adoration and Confession God of yesterday, today and forever, You are the God of every generation, and your love endures forever. You have protected us during difficult times, for your compassion is everlasting. In this time of worship, we declare our love and loyalty to you, and offer you our service in prayer, in praise, and in practice, this day and every day. At this solemn season of Remembrance, we are aware of how much war has cost the world you love. In spite of fighting between nations and neighbours, you have come to us in Jesus Christ and want us to experience life in all its fullness. Renew in us the hope that you will turn our swords into ploughshares, and lead the world from the study of war to the promise of peace with justice for all your peoples. God of mercy, with sorrow we confess that in our hearts we keep alive the passions and pride that lead to hatred and war. We are not worthy of your love, nor of the sacrifice made by others on our behalf. Forgive us we pray. Christ died so that we might live. Through his undying love, we have been forgiven. Rejoice in the forgiveness God offers us. Be at peace with God and yourself, and make peace with your neighbours, for Christ’s sake. Amen. Lord’s Prayer Act of Remembrance Let us remember the courage, devotion to duty and self-sacrifice of the men and women of the armed forces and the toil, endurance and suffering of those who were not in uniform. Let us remember those who fell in battle, those buried at sea or in some corner of a foreign field; and especially those we have known and loved, whose place is forever in our hearts. Let us remember those who were our enemies, whose homes and hearts are as bereft as ours. Let us remember those who came back; those whose lives bear the scars of war; who have lost sight or limbs or reason; who have lost faith in God and hope for humanity. Let us remember the continuing grace of God, whose love holds all souls in life, and to whom none is dead but all are alive for ever. They shall grow not old As we who are left grow old; Age shall not weary them Nor the years condemn At the going down of the sun And in the morning We shall remember them. (Silence) Hymn 712 – What shall we pray (1,2,6) Readings – Romans 8: 31-39 John 15: 9-17 Weekly Prayer O God of truth and justice, we hold before you those men and women who have died in active service throughout the world. As we honour their courage and cherish their memory, may we put our faith in your future; for you are the source of eternal life and hope, now and forever. And as we pray for peace in our troubled world, give us peace in our hearts. Amen Reflection I was speaking with one of our congregation during the week, and she was saying that her father had been awarded the Military Medal. He was in his early twenties and in the medical corps and was serving with a New Zealand regiment at Monte Cassino in Italy, a scene of bitter fighting. The Allies had retreated, but one of the soldiers was injured and had been left behind in what was now behind enemy lines. The young man immediately volunteered to go to treat the injured soldier, and was there for some hours and was also able to observe how the enemy was deploying its tanks and to report back. Eventually the injured man was brought to safety, saved by our member’s father. But what made him volunteer to take such a risky mission? He was going into the lion’s den and could very easily have been captured and even shot, as would the injured man. But of course, this was not a unique story, but one that happened over and over again, of comrades, on whatever side of the fighting, ready to make sacrifices, even the ultimate sacrifice for their friends. John says, Greater love has no-one than this; that they lay down their life for their friends. In this case, the young man survived the war, though bore its scars, as many did. But how many down the centuries have given their lives for their friends, for their family – ready to make the sacrifice. It is always with a sense of poignancy that I look at the various memorials around the parish. Behind each name there is a story. For some, it is the story of a young person from the Borders, who probably had never previously been out of their home area in their lives and ending up, in the case of some at Linton, at Gaza or Gallipoli. I am sure others in the years since have served on land, air or sea, in jungles of Malaya, in Korea, Cyprus, Kenya, Ireland, Afghanistan. Many survived, but some did not. In the ITV series ‘Grantchester’ a month ago there was a sub-plot of Geordie, the policeman, who had been in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, and one by one the prisoners died or were killed until it was just him and his friend left, and Geordie prayed it would be his friend, not him, taken away next. He had to live with that guilt. Behind each name there is a story, and behind each name there are stories of other people affected. Parents mourning the loss of a dear child; a fiancée perhaps who may never have married; colleagues who lost a friend. Even the recent withdrawal of soldiers from Afghanistan have left so many people behind, vulnerable to reprisals. There can be many heroic stories in war, but war is messy, horrific. On the Church of Scotland website this week is a story of a village in Burma raised to the ground, including church and pastor’s home. In the news there is civil war in Ethiopia. But we ever strive for peace and like Micah aim to turn swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks, a recycling project from 3000 years ago, turning weapons into implements to tend the land and grow plants. What’s more, in Romans Paul assures us that whatever we go through in life, God is there with us. Nothing, whether danger or even death itself, can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus showed that by walking the way of the Cross, being ready to die for his friends – and his friends include you and me and all the world. Hymn 706 – For the healing of the nations (1,2) Prayers of Dedication & Intercession God of all the ages past, hope of years to come: We gather in this season of remembrance, grateful that you hold each one of us in your memory and your mystery, now and for all the time to come. Today, we remember all those who have served to uphold justice and freedom in the wars of the last century, in conflicts of our own generation, and in peacekeeping and relief efforts around the world. Especially we pray for those who have died in this service and for those who carry scars on body and soul, having returned from conflict. We remember their courage and we pray for their families who still ache for lives surrendered at a great cost. O God, we remember before you the victims of conflict, hiding in forgotten corners of the world, longing for safety and peace. Especially we pray for people in Afghanistan who fear for their lives and their future. We remember victims of violence in our own country, still fearful and uncertain about what the future holds for them. Give us the courage to speak out for their protection and recovery. O God, we remember those around us who struggle to remember day by day; those who must cope with the fear of forgetting those who matter most to them, and those who face the fear of being forgotten. Help us remember to reach out in comfort and support so that no one is forgotten. O God, we remember those around us who carry on under the burden of sad and hard memories; those weighed down by grief, disappointment, anger, pain and loss. Inspire us to offer a listening ear and an understanding heart whenever we can. God of all the ages past, hope of years to come, help us to remember you day by day. Keep us prepared to shine the light of your gospel into the dark corners of the world. Amen Hymn 511 – Your hand, O God, has guided (1,3,4) Benediction Let us go from this place with minds that never forget, with hearts that grow in hope, with lives that shine Christ’s light. Let us go to serve, to reconcile, to bring peace, and to stand united as children of the light. And may the blessing of God, Creator, Peacemaker, Peacebringer, go with you all, this day and every day. Amen Hymn 703 - National Anthem (v1) |
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