The Lord be with you! Welcome, Cheviot churches and also those joining us from elsewhere. This is Colin, and I hope everyone is staying well and keeping safe. Come, people of God, let us worship together on this 4th Sunday after Epiphany.
Notices:
Call to Worship God’s praise endures forever, and eternity meets us in fleeting moments. God’s praise endures forever, and glory bursts into the ordinary God’s praise endures forever, and faith is steadfast even in the midst of change and challenge. Hymn 112 – God whose almighty word (1,2,4) Prayers of Adoration and Confession Loving God, you are the wisdom behind all mystery,the glory hidden in all that makes us wonder,the strength in all that nourishes.When our eyes are open and our spirits alert,we experience your glory around us.Scattered throughout the earth,smouldering deep inside us,radiating in acts of love,sparks of your glory reside.Deep is our joy each time we encounter you.So we gather in worship to express our reverence and praise. Together we celebrate the good we have experienced, knowing it all comes from your hand. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class, Father, forgive. The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own, Father, forgive. The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth, Father, forgive. Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others, Father, forgive. Our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee, Father, forgive. The lust which dishonours the bodies of men, women and children, Father, forgive. The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God, Father, forgive. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (From Litany of Reconciliation Coventry Cathedral) Lord’s Prayer Readings – Deuteronomy 18:15–20 Mark 1: 21-28 Hymn 74 – Not to us be glory given (Psalm 115) Weekly Prayer Lord God we pray for ourselves as we start the week ahead. We ask that in all we do, we may walk more closely with you at our side, safe in the knowledge that your Fatherly love and care knows no bounds. We too stand amazed at your teachings, and pray that we will cherish your words in our hearts. Amen Reflection When I was working in Israel, a new hotel was being built up the road, just on the shores of the Sea of Galilee at Migdal, where Mary Magdalene came from. Buildings had started to take shape – and then everything stopped. They had discovered ruins, and so it became an archaeological site. For several years the hotel was put on hold, no doubt to the annoyance of the developers, as the ruins of a whole town was uncovered, and in the middle was a 1st Century synagogue. It was so exciting to be in a place where Jesus had in all probability worshipped and even taught. While the Gospels don’t mention Jesus preaching in Migdal – or Magdala as it was called then, but they do mention him leading the worship at Capernaum just round the coast. He had just called the disciples; it was Sabbath, so they went to the synagogue. Jesus seemed to be known, and he was asked to preach. For the worshippers, it was just any other Sabbath; they went along, expecting to pray and hear Scriptures read and someone expounding them. But they would also meet friends, chat about the price of fish or who was new in the area. They didn’t expect anything out of the ordinary to happen. Little did they know! It is like us, coming to church week after week and expecting everything to be the same as usual. Maybe our worship can be a little tame. Two things happened in Capernaum. Firstly, the young man interpreting the Scriptures spoke with such authority. They couldn’t daydream or let their minds drift to what’s for dinner. He was offering something new; the Scripture came alive when he spoke. But the other thing that happened was that a man in the congregation started to shout out. Well, people just didn’t know where to look. How embarrassing. Mark tells us it was evil spirits, calling out Jesus, challenging Jesus, trying to get the upper hand over him. But Jesus confronted the spirits and spoke with authority, telling them to leave the man. And they did. It was the first healing. It may seem strange to us, something which happened 2000 years ago in Palestine, but not here in the Borders, not today. But think again. Jesus was confronting evil, and there is much that is bad, there is much that is evil in our society and in our world, all of which is opposed to God’s dream of what the world should be. In Scotland drug abuse causes so much suffering, and numbers are rising to the extent that we are number 1 in Europe. We need to confront it. We can talk about the evils of war and genocide, discrimination and racism; we need to confront them. But we must also think environmental damage and climate change, which has to be uppermost in our minds as we approach Cop 26 in Glasgow at the end of the year. And in a week that recorded the 100,000th death from Covid, we need to confront the various conspiracy theories floating around. There is so much seeking to undermine us; let us put our trust in the one who spoke with authority and liberates and heals the broken. Let us challenge the evils in our society in the small ways we can and speak ever of God’s love. In the words of Amanda Gorman, who spoke so meaningfully at Joe Biden’s inauguration: ‘For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it’. Hymn 782 – Lord of life Prayers of Dedication, Thanksgiving and Intercession Lord Jesus, we bring our gifts to you, asking that you bless them so that they may accomplish more than we can ask or imagine in your name. We thank you for the simple pleasures of each day, and for the strength to meet the challenges that arise. When it feels like we have come to the end of our own resources, replenish us with the energy of your Spirit, so that we know you are there for us and with us. In these strange times of isolation and distancing, we are grateful for prayer in its many forms, for the intimate ways we can find communion with you: in word and in silence, in music and movement, in the Spirit’s breath within us. We pray for those who feel overwhelmed by the additional pressures of home schooling, for those whose relationships are at breaking point. We pray too for those whose lives are blighted by anxiety and stress. We pray for the health services and charities trying to support them. Hear us now as we pray for the earth, this precious and fragile home to all living things: For declining species of plant and animal life, For the earth’s climate, For the oceans and the rainforests. Teach us how to be more faithful stewards of your earth and live more respectfully in your creation. We pray for our own circle of family and friends. Heal, bless, lead and encourage them. We pray this week, when the figure of deaths has reached 100,000, for all who have lost loved ones to Covid. Remind us that we belong to each other and to you and help us respond to one another with compassion and kindness. Finally, in silence, we pray for all those on our hearts and for all those who have no one to name them in prayer. Amen Hymn 360 – Jesus Christ is waiting (1,3,5) Benediction The blessing of God be upon you, the One who loves us, the Christ who calls us, the Spirit who sends us into the world, today and always. Amen.
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The Lord be with you! Welcome, Cheviot churches and also those joining us from elsewhere. This is Colin, and I hope everyone is staying well and keeping safe. Come, people of God, let us worship together on this 3rd Sunday after Epiphany.
Notices:
Call to Worship God alone is our rock and our salvation. We will not be shaken! Trust in God at all times, O people. We will pour out our hearts to God, our refuge. In this time of worship, let us turn our lives to God and accept the good news. We will listen for Christ’s call and follow him. Hymn 104 – The Lord of heav’n confess Prayers of Adoration and Confession O God of Life and Hope In these still early weeks of this year we gather in our different places, and yet mysteriously together, to worship you. We are here to be renewed by you, O God, so that we may be able to renew others; to hear in the quiet places of our beings that word of love and divine friendship; to gain fresh vision so that we may help draw others into that circle of truth, life and service that is your Kingdom. Our longings after you are deeply true, O God but they are not always wholly pure. We are dusty with sin; we have compromised when we ought not to have and in those things where love said “give way” we have instead held fast. Forgive us, and restore us in the many dimensions of our lives. Make our longings for you and for the life of your Kingdom, the truth of our lives. Make the words of our hearts and mouths, the actions of our hands, more nearly match our true hearts. The God of mercy, who forgives all sin, forgives us. May this God also strengthen in us all goodness, by the power of the Holy Spirit. So be at peace with God, with yourself and with each other, in the name of Christ our Lord Lord’s Prayer Readings – Jonah 3: 1-5, 10 Mark 1: 14-20 Hymn 340 – When Jesus saw the fishermen Weekly Prayer Almighty God, today finds us in the midst of the Week of Prayer for Christian unity; help us to listen to your voice still calling us to unity in our diversity. Help us to repent and believe the good news, and to follow Jesus as He calls us again today. Amen Reflection Remember the time when libraries were open? You could go in and choose from fiction or biography, the children’s section or so many different types of non-fiction from travel to gardening. The Bible is often called a library of 66 books and has history and poetry, biography collection of letters and far more beside - even, I would suggest, comedy. Comedy? Or maybe, gentle humour. Certainly, whenever I read the book of Jonah, I have a smile on my face. Now, today we are remembering Christian Unity, but also the 25th marks the birthday of Rabbie Burns, Scotland’s national poet. Burns had an uncomfortable relationship with the Church, though many friends were ministers. He lambasts the ‘unco guid’, those who had a high conceit of themselves. Jonah was one of the unco guid, who no doubt enjoyed being a prophet; it had a certain status in society. But then God drops a bombshell and wants Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach. Now, Nineveh was not just up the road; it was thousands of miles away in what is now Northern Iraq and was the capital of Israel’s dreaded enemy, Assyria. That was the last place Jonah wanted to go, so he went down to the harbour and caught a boat going to Tarshish, near Gibraltar, the ends of the earth at that time, entirely the opposite direction from Nineveh. He thought he could escape God, that he could leave God behind in Israel. On the boat he must have been smiling to himself thinking he has won, when there was suddenly a storm, when there was suddenly a great fish – which swallowed Jonah and which ultimately dumped Jonah right on the doorstep of Nineveh. He learned that there was no escaping God. In the passage we read today Jonah is given the same task – to call Nineveh to repentance. The humour goes on, for in a feat to make Billy Graham green with envy, he gives a 30 second sermon and becomes a preaching sensation: today, he would have millions of followers on Twitter. All the inhabitants of the city repent, even the animals wear sackcloth. You would think that would have made Jonah happy, but he is livid – he wanted God to destroy Nineveh. He doesn’t want them to be forgiven, he doesn’t want them to know God’s love. Many scholars think that Jonah was written at the time of Ezra and Nehemiah when some of the exiles had returned from Babylon to Jerusalem and found that people had intermarried with the other nations around. But some of the returning exiles were quite fanatical and wanted a stricter interpretation of the Law. They wanted people to send away their foreign wives. They felt that God only belonged to them and no-one else. The writer of Jonah was making a plea for greater tolerance. For them, the exile proved that God wasn’t confined to Jerusalem, but was with those exiled in Babylon too. God was far bigger than they imagined, and the book of Jonah is suggesting that God’s love is universal and that all nations are within God’s embrace. People may be very different from us, but that doesn’t exclude them from God’s love. It is an appropriate message for the week when we remember Christian Unity. People may worship in different ways, and that should be something to rejoice about. Yes, there are issues which still divide the churches, and we need to be honest about them. But there is so much which unites. We should rather focus on the call to show God’s love to others. Jonah was a reluctant prophet, but fortunately in our Gospel the fishermen accepted the call to follow Christ – and the world was turned upside down. Hymn 533 – Will you come and follow me Prayers of Dedication, Thanksgiving and Intercession God of wisdom and integrity, you call your people to live together in joy and in justice. Hear us as we pray for the needs of the world. We pray for those whose faces and stories we have seen on the news this week; For those who live in places of fear and war, For those whose decisions affect the lives of nations, and we remember those making hard decisions about Covid, but also thank you for all involved in the vaccination programme. For Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, as they take over leadership of the United States, where there are so many divisions. In this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity we ask you to help us to see clearly the divisions in our churches and be willing to engage in honest dialogue with those whose ideas and traditions differ from our own. We pray for the unity of your Church. Help us to see ourselves as rays from one sun, branches of a single tree and streams flowing from one river. May we remain united to you and to each other, because you are our common source of life. We pray for the leaders of our churches. As a church may we be faithful to your call to work together and share our resources with those in need. We pray for those who are sick or sad or in trouble and for those who care for them. We pray for those who have died and their families and friends who miss them so much. And in a moment of silence, we pray for our own needs and hopes and dreams. Amen Hymn 516 – We are marching.. Benediction May you know God’s peace in your heart and in your home. May you find God’s strength in the moments of your need. May the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, the friendship of the Spirit be yours today, and for every day to come. Amen. The Lord be with you! Welcome, Cheviot churches and also those joining us from elsewhere. This is Colin, and I hope everyone is staying well and keeping safe. Come, people of God, let us worship together on this 2nd Sunday after Epiphany.
Notices:
Call to Worship Before we were born, God knew us. God knit us together in the womb. God searches out our paths and tracks our way. So we praise God, because we are fearfully and wonderfully made. There’s nowhere we can go where God is not with us. How wonderful are all God’s works! Let us worship God together. Hymn 52 – How lovely is thy dwelling place Prayers of Adoration and Confession God ever creating, ever loving, ever leading,You are stillness when we are frantic;You are truth when we are confused and perplexed.You give us freedom when we are paralyzed by fear;You send us light when we stumble in the darkness.You are love when we feel lonely and empty.For all that you are, all that you have been, and all that you will be for us,we praise you, Creator, Christ, Spirit.We turn to you in worship, to listen for your voice and seek your way for us. Merciful God, you call us to fullness of life but we have settled for much less.We have wandered from your ways and wasted your gifts. We ignore the pain of others, and turn our faces from injustice.Forgive us our small faith.Give us courage to listen and respond when you call. There is nothing on earth or beyond death that can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. You are forgiven. You are loved. You are reconciled to God. Go and live with the love of God. Amen. Lord’s Prayer Readings – 1 Samuel 3:1–10 John 1:43–51 Hymn 251 – I, the Lord of sea and sky Weekly Prayer Father God, you spoke to awaken Samuel with Your call, and as we listen to your voice again today help us to believe your message. Unite us with the Church worldwide, as we declare with Nathanael that you are indeed the Son of God. We rejoice in the call to belong to your Church. Send us out into the coming week ready to demonstrate our calling in all that we do and say. Amen Reflection Whenever we went to Edinburgh, when I was a child, we always drove from Ayrshire to Douglas and up what was called the ‘Lang Whang’. We passed a little village called Glespin – just a few houses in the middle of the moor, in what seemed the middle of nowhere. But I always thought that it must be the most dreadful place to live on the planet. I was reminded of it when reading the passage from John today. Philip has met Jesus and is enthusiastic for his friend Nathanael to meet him too. But when he mentions where Jesus comes from, Nathanael is contemptuous, is dismissive, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth’. Nathanael was from the lakeside, and Nazareth was up in the hills, hillbilly country. But to his credit, Philip persists and says, ‘Come and See’. Nathanael did ‘go and see’ and his prejudices immediately disappeared, as he discovered that Jesus truly lived up to Philip’s billing. If I had discovered more about Glespin, I may have found out that it was the most wonderful place where people were incredibly neighbourly. How important it is not to rush into judgements, because of where a person comes from or their background, but to ‘go and see’. Jesus had been baptised and immediately starts to gather around him a group of disciples. Andrew was the first; he had called Jesus ‘Rabbi’, teacher, and asked him where he lived. Jesus replied, Come and See. He did, and they spent the day together, at the end of which Andrew was not calling Jesus ‘rabbi’, but rather ‘Messiah’ and immediately sharing the news with his brother Simon. We see this again and again in John’s gospel – Jesus engages with people, letting them ‘come and see’ and offering them a new way of living. Niocodemus, the Samaritan woman, the man born blind, Martha and Mary. He offered them life in all its fullness. ‘Come and see’ meant discovering who Jesus was, but also who they were themselves, especially in their relationship to God. Our reading from Samuel is also about discovering God. It is one so familiar from Sunday School days, the boy Samuel hearing the voice in the dark and mistaking it for the High Priest Eli. Eli ultimately realises it was God calling to Samuel and tells him to respond. It is a story about discerning the voice of God, of being open to God speaking to us where we don’t expect. But also it was about Samuel taking the first steps in discovering more about God and learning to serve. Often we stop there at verse 10, It is not enough to say "here I am". We need to be ready to follow through as well. If we read on, God’s message to Samuel was actually a condemnation of Eli and his sons, whose shocking abuse of power was damaging the reputation of the priesthood. I suppose it was about accountability, and those in high office are always to be held accountable for their actions, especially when they do abuse power – that is something in the news just now over in the States, and nearer to home too, but equally we have to look at ourselves and ask whether we live up to God’s calling to be light in the world. For Philip, he had something good to share with his friend Nathanael and said Come and see. Jesus told Nathanael that he had seen him sit under the fig tree, and Nathanael was amazed, maybe by the fact that he had been noticed and valued. I am sure Jesus could have muttered under his breathe- ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’! This is a challenge to us today to share the good news that we have and to invite our friends to come to church / watch the video/ listen to the podcast and let them discover something about this Jesus for themselves. Hymn 602 – Is it spooky, is it weird? Prayers of Dedication, Thanksgiving and Intercession God of new possibilities, receive our gifts. Use them and us to create new possibilities in the world for those who are uncertain about what the future holds. We remember before you today people living face to face with so much economic uncertainty, for those who have lost their jobs or worry what may happen as this year unfolds: God, speak to us a word of reassurance: Embrace us with your love. We remember before you today people living face to face with discrimination and social prejudice, for those who are bullied at school, at work or at home, for those who are made ashamed of who they are: God, speak to us a word of dignity: Embrace us with your love. We remember before you today people living face to face with illness and suffering, for those struggling with disability, made more complex these days, and for those who know grief or anxiety, especially those cut off from comfort or support by months of pandemic isolation: God, speak to us a word of healing: Embrace us with your love. We remember before you today people divided by differences of race or creed, of culture, gender or generation: and we pray for all those who seek to build bridges of understanding and co-operation across differences: God, speak to us a word of reconciliation: Embrace us with your love. We remember before you today your whole creation and its many vulnerable facets and faces. Teach us how to care for the rips and tears in the fabric of the world you love so we may live together wisely: God, speak to us a word of wisdom: Embrace us with your love. Amen Hymn 530 – One more step Benediction God bless us today that we may be a blessing -in our seeing, In our hearing, In our speaking, in our thinking, In our feeling, In our loving: and may God’s blessing from Father Son and Holy Spirit be with you, now and forever Amen The Lord be with you! Welcome, Cheviot churches and also those joining us from elsewhere. This is Colin, and I hope everyone is staying well and keeping safe. Come, people of God, let us worship together on this 1st Sunday after Epiphany.
Notices:
Call to Worship This the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. We are the family of God. And are called by God’s name. We are heirs of Christ’s kingdom. And born of the Spirit. Let us, therefore, come together in worship Hymn 327 – Brightest and best (vv 1,3,4) Prayers of Adoration and Confession On this first day of the week, you began your new creation, raising Christ out of the darkness of deathand breathing new life into your world and your people.On this first day of the week, you call us to waken from our slumbers and come together in your holy name. We gather, wherever we are, to listen and wonder, sing, pray, and be fed.You call us to be your instruments of hope in a hurting world, and so we come to answer your call and bring you our prayer and praise. Trusting in God’s steadfast love, we offer our prayers of confession:God of majesty and mercy, forgive our wrongdoing:things we have done knowingly…things we have left undone…hurts we have inflicted unintentionally…and hurts we have tried to disguise.Forgive our acts of selfishness,harmful things we have done to please others,and those done to please ourselves.In the week ahead and the year ahead, help us choose a better way. Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Believe the good news of the Gospel! In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and set free to make a new start Lord’s Prayer Readings – Genesis 1: 1-5 Mark 1: 4-11 Hymn 334 – On Jordan’s bank (vv 1,2,5) Weekly Prayer Creator God, we thank you for the light of your love which shines upon us dispelling our darkness. Help us to be like the seed that fell on good soil producing much fruit, and thank you for the promise that you listen to our supplications and answer our requests. Amen. Reflection During the week I received a video of one friend and the photo of another, being vaccinated. Both live in Israel, where they seem to be quite forward in their vaccination programme. There was almost a party atmosphere, a sense of a new start after the long months of the pandemic. Here we too are excited by the roll out of the vaccine, but also face a stricter lockdown again. Some of us cope better than others, but all would agree that it can be quite oppressive. The people of Palestine at the time of Christ were feeling oppressed and longed for a new start. They were under Roman occupation and had to endure the daily humiliations that occupation brings. So, when John started to preach in the wilderness about repentance and a new start, people began to flock to him. He was somehow speaking their language and giving voice to their hopes and yearnings, especially when he talked of the Messiah to come. They came from all over and queued to be baptised in the River Jordan. And Jesus came from Galilee and joined the queue. Over the last few weeks, we have been looking at Matthew and Luke’s accounts of the Jesus’ birth. But Mark doesn’t focus on that at all. Mark dives straight in and tells us about the baptism. There are a lot of years between his birth and the baptism that we know very little about, but for Mark the baptism was the beginning, the new start, where his ministry all began by Jesus joining the queue to be baptised. Queuing has become a way of life for us, especially during this pandemic. We wait patiently till it is our turn to go into the shop or wherever. What would Jesus’ thoughts be as he joined the queue? He didn’t need to be there. We see Jesus as being without sin, so he had no need to repent. But for Jesus, being there was so important. He was standing shoulder to shoulder with the people; people who were not particularly religious, but were aware of their shortcomings, and so it was an act of solidarity with humanity. Although the Son of God, he stood alongside us – and still stands alongside us today in all the trials and tribulations that life throws at us. For Mark and the other Gospel writers the baptism was vitally important. Jesus goes into the waters and is baptised, and the heavens are torn open and the dove descends, the sign of the Spirit, the same spirit who was there in Genesis at Creation. And the voice comes from heaven, saying ‘This is my beloved son; marked by my love’. These words showed identity – Jesus was God’s son, God’s pride and joy. But it was also affirmation and acceptance, and with these words Jesus was able to start his ministry, strengthening, encouraging, showing the people that they are accepted by God. All of us need to be affirmed, to know that we are valued. The baptism of Christ was a celebration, where he was affirmed, but he went from there to affirm others in God’s love. The baptism was the start of Christ’s ministry; but every day can be a new start for us, as we ever seek to live our lives more like Christ. Hymn 336 – Christ is our light (vv1,2) Prayers of Dedication, Thanksgiving and Intercession God our Maker, we bring our gifts to you in thanksgiving for your gifts to us in Christ and in creation. Bless what we bring and who we are, so that our gifts will bless the world you love in Christ’s name. We thank you for the work of your church and for all we are able to do to bring your love, healing and justice into the world. We pray for churches that are struggling financially, for churches enmeshed in conflict, for those that are tired and in need of renewal; and for congregations that have found a new sense of purpose. Give them all wisdom and strength. As the pandemic still haunts lives and nations, we pray for those struggling with COVID-19 and its lingering effects, for those whose emotions are raw from fear or isolation, and for those exhausted by caring for others and serving the public day by day. We bring all who work in the NHS before you. We pray for children and young adults as their schooling is disrupted; for parents and teachers, forced to adjust schedules. We pray for our brothers and sisters across the world who are striving for unity in places of division; for justice in the face of oppression; for peace where violence has broken out; We pray especially for the United States at this time of division and transition and pray for the Biden administration as they prepare to take over. Give them hope and courage as they face many challenges. We pray for one another, our families, our communities, our church. May we support those who are unwell or grieving. May we bring fresh hope to those who feel forgotten and are vulnerable, and may we – both practically and prayerfully – share our faith in your Son Jesus in whose name we entrust these prayers to you. Amen Hymn 331 – Unto us is born a boy (1,2,5) Benediction Go in peace; love and care for one another in the name of Christ; and may the Spirit of God which filled John and Jesus, fill your hearts, souls and minds; may the power of God which upheld them, strengthen you for each day; and may the love of God which directed their every action be your guiding light and your shining star, both now and forevermore. Amen |
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