Good morning, Cheviot Churches! This is Colin, and I hope everyone is staying well and keeping both safe and sane. We have our service today for Pentecost. The Moderator is leading worship for the whole of the Church of Scotland on Sunday morning at 10 am on the church website https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/, and I would encourage everyone to tune in, if you are able. We do have our podcast as usual, and you may wish to listen to that earlier or else later on.
 
Notices:

• The podcast of this service can be accessed on the Podcast page of the website - or by clicking HERE.
  
• The Roots material for today can be accessed HERE
• Remember to join Christians throughout Scotland and light a candle at 7pm every Sunday. There is an excellent prayer to say as well, found in the article HERE:
• Although we are not meeting physically, the work of the Church goes on, so please do remember to fill your envelopes. Brian Kelly, our treasurer, will be happy to help with any questions.
  
  

Call to Worship
Come, Holy Spirit; fill us with your peace.
Come, Holy Spirit; unite us in our worship.
Come, Holy Spirit; raise us by your power.
Come, Holy Spirit, come now.
 
Hymn 584 – Like fireworks in the night
 
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Exuberant Spirit of God,
bursting with the brightness of flame
Into the coldness of our lives
To warm us with a passion for justice and beauty,
We praise you.
Exuberant Spirit of God,
Sweeping us out of the dusty corners of our apathy to breathe vitality into our struggles for change. We praise you.
Exuberant Spirit of God,
speaking words that leap over barriers of mistrust
to convey messages of truth and understanding,
we praise you.
 
Come Holy Spirit! Exuberant Spirit!
Flame, wind, speech
Burn, breathe, speak in us and fill your world with joy and with love.

Merciful God, forgive us when we bar our minds and hearts to Your Spirit at work. Forgive us when we refuse to acknowledge the Spirit’s action in others and in situations out-with our own comfort zones. Forgive us when we block the Spirit’s constant promptings to share the good news with others, by word and loving action. Forgive us when we choose safe and comfortable paths in place of the sometimes risky routes of service to which the Spirit directs us.
 
Friends, hear and believe the good news of the Gospel! In Christ, we are forgiven and set free to begin again in the renewing power of the Spirit. Thanks be to God.

Lord’s Prayer
 
Readings: Acts 2: 1-13
                      John7: 37-39
 
Hymn 582 – O day of joy and wonder (vv 1,3)
 
Here is our weekly prayer from Arthur and Kathleen: Creator God, on this Day of Pentecost, we rejoice in the wonderful gift of your Holy Spirit. Send Him again into our hearts, into our lives, and into our world so that we may experience Your salvation and know Your peace . Amen

Reflection
Happy birthday! I know that many of us have celebrated birthdays in lockdown. One of our members had her 90th birthday a few weeks ago, and I know the Session Clerk and Treasurer and even the minister have had birthdays during this time. Happy birthday to all. And today happy birthday, dear… Church! Happy Birthday to you. For Pentecost is often marked as the day the Church came into being.
 
On the day of Pentecost, a mighty wind surged forth from heaven, pushing the followers of Jesus out of the house where they had been skulking, and into the streets. They went public. Flames danced above their heads, their tongues began to wag, and suddenly all barriers of gender and age, language and culture were blown down by the wind, and Peter gave a sermon which would cause Billy Graham to turn green with envy – and three thousand people were baptised. The Church certainly started with a bang.
 
One of the countries that has coped well with this Coronavirus crisis has been New Zealand with its Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. She was on television earlier this week, when the studio began to shake – an earthquake! But she seemed to take that in her stride and continued with what she was saying. I would have been terrified. But reading the story of that first Pentecost, I would have been terrified if I had been there. What with gusts of wind and flames of fire, it doesn’t seem to have been a safe experience at all. Luke, the writer of Acts, was trying to put into words the sheer energy of the Spirit coming upon the disciples and transforming them. It is sometimes not safe to be Christian. Someone gave the illustration of fishing boats being safest in the harbour, looking so pretty, but that isn’t what boats are for – they are made for the high seas with all its potential dangers. After Pentecost the disciples couldn’t keep hiding away in safety; the days of fear and whispering were over – they went out into the world, propelled by the Spirit, ready to be the Church in a dangerous world.
 
Pentecost can be frightening; it can also be very exciting. It was the Jewish festival of Shavuot, 50 days after Passover, and celebrating the barley harvest and also the giving of the law to Moses on Sinai. People had gathered from all over the Mediterranean world and beyond to celebrate it, but suddenly they heard the disciples speaking in their own languages. How I envy the disciples! Having struggled with German irregular verbs and Arabic plurals and various African languages, how I wished that I could just wake up and be able to communicate with ease. It never happened. The disciples were, however, able to communicate to the people around in their own language. That is a challenge to us, both to realise that we are part of something global, but also to communicate to the people around us in ways they understand – and probably most so in the language of love and kindness and service.
 
Pentecost also signalled movement. The Church was on the move, led by the Spirit. We can have our dreams and our visions. We can think that we in the Church are doing the Spirit’s work – but the Spirit is always one step ahead, calling us to catch up. R.S. Thomas said, ‘Such a fast God. Always before us, and leaving as we arrive’. It reminds me of hill-walking and going at a slower pace. My friends are ahead further up the hill, but kindly wait for me to catch up, only to move immediately on the moment I get there, when all I want to do is rest.
 
The Spirit is moving even in this Covid crisis, urging us to discover new ways of being the Church. Some of us have discovered new ways that technology can be used, and these are lessons to be learned for the future. While we yearn to be back in our church building singing our hymns, it may not be for a while yet, we have to be open to new ways.
 
Therefore this Pentecost let us call on the Spirit of God, the encourager, the one who prods us on, that a fire may be kindled in our hearts that will defrost what has become cynical and safe, that we may travel on, like the apostles, with courage and openness to face our future ever with hope and ever with the Holy Spirit.
 
Prayer of Dedication
God of fire, burn brightly in your Church. Consume our petty concerns and jealousies, purify our deeds and intentions, kindle in our hearts the fire of your love. Spirit of grace and power, bless the gifts we offer, so that they accomplish surprising things in Jesus’ name. We offer ourselves, too, so that our lives may proclaim the Good News with your grace and power. Amen.
 
Hymn 600 – Spirit of God, unseen as the wind

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us on this day of Pentecost and renew our faith.
Re-awaken our love for God, let your flames warm our hearts with trust in Jesus Christ and dare us to do great things in his name.
 
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and give us energy to serve you in Christ’s church.
Open our eyes to recognize needs for ministry and mission, and to learn from this time when we have had to do things differently in worship and pastoral care.
Open our hearts to connect with those for whom the time of social distancing has been very difficult.
Open our hands to share in the tasks that need doing,
and open our lips in prayer and praise.
 
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and give us understanding:
For those whose lives seem so different from ours
and those facing situations because of the pandemic that we haven’t encounter;
Understanding for problems and challenges at home, at work, and in our world as the restrictions are slightly eased.
We pray ever for wisdom for our leaders and for your blessing on those on the frontline in hospitals and care homes.
 
Wind of the Spirit, blow through us and bring healing
for all who face pain or illness, discouragement or disappointment, made so much keener because of isolation;
healing for all who know sorrow, sadness or grief,
and for those who face stress and pressure as they try to rebuild their lives.
Bring healing to the earth, to places of upheaval, where war and discrimination and persecution are rife.
 Bring healing to our world and ecosystems at risk.
 
Silence
Amen
 
Hymn 616 – There’s a spirit in the air
 
Benediction
we leave this space of worship
And while so much of the road ahead is uncertain,
the path constantly changing,
we know some things are as solid and sure,
as the ground beneath our feet,
and the sky above our heads.

We know God is love.
We know Christ’s light endures.

We know the Holy Spirit is there,
found in the space between all things,
closer to us than our next breath,
binding us to each other,
until we meet we again,

Go in peace. May the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you and be with all whom you love, this day and even forevermore. Amen.

Good morning, Cheviot Churches! This is Colin, and I hope everyone is staying well and keeping both safe and sane. We have our service today for Ascension Sunday and we are invited to embrace the breadth and depth of God’s vision for the whole of creation.
 
Notices:

• The podcast of this service can be accessed on the Podcast page of the website, or by clicking HERE.
• The Roots material for today can be accessed HERE.
• Kathleen, our prayer convenor, sends out a prayer letter by email every week. If anyone wishes to receive it, please let Kathleen know at [email protected]. Also, if there are any prayer requests, please let Kathleen know.
• The Moderator has encouraged us to be involved in the ‘Thy Kingdom come’ prayer initiative, which runs from Ascension to Pentecost. The prayer journal offers a reflection for each of the days - click HERE to find out more.
• Many of us will remember Marian McIntyre, the Guild National President, who led a joint service in Yetholm last September. She has now completed her year, and you can access her reflections on the Guild Facebook page.
• Trish is our eco-church rep and forwarded their monthly newsletter tome, which is full of good information. You can sign up for the newsletter on their website - HERE.
• If anyone without internet access would like a hard copy of any of the above links, please get in touch.

 
Call to Worship
We know you and we do not know you
YOU ARE MYSTERIOUS AND FULL OF JOY
You know us and you understand us
 YOU ARE LOVING AND FULL OF TRUTH
You welcome us and you live in us
 YOU ARE HOLY AND FULL OF HOPE
Let us worship God
 
Hymn 438 – The head that once was crowned with thorns (vv 1,2,6)
 
Prayer
God of majesty and might,
your glory shines throughout the universe:
from the highest heaven to the deepest sea;
in all the creatures you have made;
in the seasons that shape our living.
Your glory shines through who you are
and through what you do.
The power of your glory
touches your creation and exalts it.
To you we offer our worship;
to you we offer our praise;
before you we come in adoration.
 
Lord Jesus,
you are greater than we can ever imagine,
before all, beyond all, in all and over all.
Forgive us for losing sight of your greatness and for underestimating the breadth of your love;
for tying you down to the things of this earth rather than opening our hearts to the breadth of your vision for the whole of creation.
 
Forgive us for our short sightedness
and call us to the down-to-earth message
of Your love,
to care for the needs of those around us,
especially the oppressed and marginalized.
Broaden our vision, enlarge our understanding and kindle our imagination, that we might glimpse your glory and work more faithfully for your kingdom.
 
People of God, know that you are forgiven and loved by the God who made the earth and who made you,
Go, share the Good News.
 
Lord’s Prayer
 
Reading: Acts 1: 6-11 Luke 24: 50-53
 
Reflective Reading
A cloud? A bit dramatic wasn’t it, Jesus? A bit over the top!
Hands raised. Floating heavenwards …… And I’ll lay odds that future artists will dress you in shining white, and paint the sky deep blue – to ‘match’ your eyes. OK – so there were some precedents: Elijah and his chariots and that fiery cloudy pillar thing that moved around the wilderness; but those were the old ways – you aren’t like that.
Is this really what you want us to remember about you, Jesus? That you disappeared in a cloud and that you now live somewhere above the skies, way beyond our reach?
What about your stories, your friendship; your tears, your pain, your laughter?
What about the way you believed in us, trusted us, sent us out to teach and heal?
I’m not sure that you being alive somewhere where we cannot see you, talk with you, laugh and cry with you, is going to be much help to us, Jesus.
Please, can’t you find a way of living with us, close enough somehow for us to know that you’re near?
You said something once about a Spirit, a holy Spirit from God, who would come to us. Does that mean you’re coming back to us?
And if you are – no dramatics this time, please Jesus. Just come back to us quietly … No more clouds! (Ruth Burgess)
 
Hymn 439 (vv 1,4)– Look ye saints
 
Now we have our weekly prayer from Arthur and Kathleen:
Almighty God, may our prayers ascend to you just as Jesus Christ, your son, was taken up to heaven.  As we celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus let it inspire in us feelings of joy and hope rather than fear and separation as we await the coming of the Holy Spirit. Amen
 
Reflection
Last weekend should have been the Eurovision Song Contest. Needless to say, it didn’t take place, but instead there were a few programmes about Eurovision, one of which featured the acts who would have performed this year from 40 odd countries under the theme ‘Love shine a light’, which apparently was a winning UK song!! Having been abroad for the last 25 years and Eurovision-less, I had a lot of catching up to do, as all these songs had somehow passed me by. But what really struck me was that everyone in Europe has been affected by Coronavirus, but that there was tremendous goodwill and a sense of togetherness with people from so many countries: that we were all in it together and working together to send a light that we will not be defeated.
 
I thought it was a powerful message at the start of Mental Health week, for our mental health has disturbed by the lockdown, by not being able to see loved ones, by uncertainty about the future.
 
We are in the last Sunday of this season of Easter. The mental health of the disciples must have been disturbed by the events of the crucifixion, but the Risen Lord had come to them, encouraged them, walked beside them. It couldn’t last. There had to be a break, and Christ had prepared them, promising the Spirit would be there to support them. That break would come at the Ascension, and today is Ascension Sunday.
 
Luke in the reading from Acts pictures Christ going into the sky, and in Linton Church, and indeed in Hoselaw, we have a stained-glass window of the ascended Christ, with the disciples, including the women, gazing up in wonder. As a child of the 60s I had always a picture of Jesus rocketing into the sky. But this was Luke’s way of saying that the break had come. Luke’s way of saying ‘Now, it is going to be different’. A new normality for the disciples, you might say, with no going back to the old ways.
 
When Jesus was with them, the disciples grew accustomed to him being there – he became too familiar, part of the furniture. They had to learn to stand on their own feet and, yes, make their mistakes, but always living their lives in love in and through him.
 
I love the two men in white in Acts, scolding the disciples for gazing at the sky after Jesus and saying ‘Get on with it. There is work to be done, a broken world to be healed’. In his Gospel, Luke has the disciples saying their goodbyes to Jesus, but returning to Jerusalem ‘with great joy’, their sleeves rolled up for the work.
 
Jesus is no longer with the disciples physically, but is there spiritually, through the Holy Spirit. No longer bound to 1st Century Palestine, but alive in the here and now and able to speak to us in the here and now of Coronavirus Britain.
 
And that is another theme for Ascension. The disciples were commissioned to take the Gospel message, not just to home area Galilee, but to ‘Judaea and Samaria and to the end of the earth’. They were being given a broad vision and so had to let go of their old life in Galilee, their narrow way of thinking, that they could receive the Spirit, empowering them to a new expansive vision, which took in all the world.
 
We can be preoccupied with our own situation, but God is always challenging us to look beyond and shine the light of love with compassion and kindness in our own community, but even to all the world. For we are all connected. Amen
 
This is the time in our service when we would usually give our offering, and do remember the church at this time.
Eternal and ever-present God, we offer you these gifts in thanksgiving for the work of Christ in our lives. Bless them and us with the power of the Spirit, enlisting all our gifts for the work of reconciliation Christ has given us to do in the world you love. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession
You are free, Lord,
your Ascension has set you free:
free from the constraints of human existence,
outside the limitations of time and space;
free to be here with us now,
in our worship and fellowship;
and free to be with us always;
for in your freedom
you have bound yourself to us with a promise:
“Lo! I am with you always
even to the very end of time.”
 
God of creation, stretch our imagination to share your vision of a world in balance and harmony. Help us to care for our environment, to repair the damage we have done and to live sustainably in the future.
 
God of all nations, expand our horizon to include your whole human family, in your web of belonging. Help us to build bridges of trust, so that we may resolve conflicts that divide us and to live peaceably with all. May the leaders of nations follow your ways of justice. Guide their way through the challenges of this pandemic. Protect all politicians and advisors from sickness and burn-out. Despite our own needs, keep us mindful of the needs of others, especially refugees and prisoners.
A brief silence.
O God, incline your ear to us:
Make haste to deliver us.
 
Be with those who are sick, sorrowful, or suffering from mental health issues. Comfort them in suffering, ease their distress, and carry their burdens. Be a strong presence with all who mourn.
A brief silence.
O God, incline your ear to us:
make haste to deliver us.
 
Protect and inspire all who work on the frontline, all the nurses and doctors, cleaners and porters in hospitals, the staff and the residents in our care homes and all who are active in making our lives more bearable at present time.
A brief silence.
O God, incline your ear to us:
Make haste to deliver us.
 
We pray at this time of financial turmoil,
for those who have lost jobs,
those who struggle to pay bills,
those who fear the future
and those who have the power to affect positive change. [Silence]
O God, incline your ear to us:
Make haste to deliver us.
 
Silence for own prayers
 
We remember before you for all who have died in the faith, those struck down by the coronavirus, and those whom we name now in our hearts.
A brief silence.
At the end, bring us all to you, who are our way, our truth, and our life. Amen
 
Hymn 441 (vv1,2,5) – Blessing and honour
 
Benediction
May God renew our faith, restore our vision and redirect our actions, that we may follow God into new adventures, and may the blessing of God Almighty, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, be with you and with all whom you love, wherever they may be, now and evermore, Amen
 
Blessing 786 – May the God of peace go with us

In this corona-virus era few people were able to attend Anne Stobart's funeral last Friday. However, for those who are interested, a video was made of the service and can be downloaded by clicking HERE. This link takes you to the WeTransfer site and from there you can download a copy which you can view and keep. Please note that this link will we only be valid until the 26th May.

Good morning, Cheviot Churches! This is Colin, and I hope everyone is well and safe. We have our service for the 6th Sunday of Easter, and today we focus on the Spirit being our advocate, the one to stand beside us in all the twists and turns of life.
 
Notices:

• The podcast of this service can be accessed on the Podcast page of the website.
• The Roots material for today can be accessed HERE
• Let us remember to light our candles on our Let us remember to light our candles on our windows at 7pm every Sunday evening.
• Heart and Soul usually takes place in Princes Street Gardens on the Sunday afternoon of Assembly week. This year there will be an abridged version of the event online with a mixture of worship, music, stories and some exciting ‘In Conversation’ guests and finishing with some rousing hymn singing. You can access this on Sunday 17th May from 2.00 – 4.20pm  on the Church of Scotland Facebook page or website: www.churchofscotland.org.uk
  
• Some people requested alternate ways of contributing to Christian Aid. You can do so by phoning 0207 523 2269 to make a donation, using cards. If you can only send a cheque it should go to: Christian Aid, 35-41 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL. It may take a little longer than usual to be banked and thanked. 

Call to Worship
Let us see you this day, O God,
Come to us as light.
Let us hear you this day, O God,
Come to us as truth.
Let us sense your presence, O God,
Come to us as love.
Come and let us worship, God.
We will rejoice in God, our Saviour.
 
Hymn 97 -O God, you search me and you know me. A paraphrase of Psalm 139 (vv1,2,5)

Creator, Christ and Spirit;
how awesome is your love, O God.
In you, we live and move and have our being.
In you, we find our beginning and our end.
In you, we find a judge who is kind and gracious.
We know you as Saviour, keeping watch over all your
people, calling us to walk in paths of justice and
peace, leading us away from trouble, toward the
hope you promise.
Here we offer you our praise and worship,
seeking to serve you in gratitude each and every day.

Creator, Christ and Spirit,
We also offer you our confession so that we might renew our faithfulness to you.
We have claimed to be wise when we were ignorant.
We have sought after things of little value,
and valued little the things of great worth.
We have failed to speak out for you.
Forgive us our foolishness.
Renew us by your mercy.
Restore within us a right spirit and guide us in your ways of wisdom.
 
Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and set free by God’s generous grace.

Lord’s Prayer
 
Readings:  Acts 17: 22-31
                   John 14: 15-21
 
Hymn 691 – Be still my soul (vv1,4)
 
Here is our weekly prayer from Arthur and Kathleen:
God of heaven and earth, companion in life, Spirit of truth, to you alone we turn our eyes and lift our hearts. We thank you that because you live we will live also. Help us to be always prepared to give the reason for the hope that we have in you, to keep your commandments and to love one another as you love us.  Amen
 
Reflection
Over the last few weeks, I have been looking out into my garden and have noticed occasionally pheasants appearing, which has been very nice. Yesterday I looked out my window and did a double take. A mother pheasant was there with some chicks. I grabbed my phone and rushed outside to take a picture, but they ran away. Today – they are back, and I think they have taken up residence in my garden. I have now counted thirteen chicks, which seems an awful lot, but the mother is very protective of them. It is always wonderful to see the care nature takes of their young. No social distancing here. Of course, it is a good excuse for me not to cut the grass, in case I scare them!
 
One of the very difficult things that many of us are going through just now is not being able to see family far away and being able to give loved ones a hug. Zoom, Skype, social media, the telephone have been godsends and have given us the chance to speak to loved ones. But it is not the same. We feel very much at a distance.
 
We have been reading from John’s Gospel these last few weeks, and the setting is the Thursday of Holy Week; Jesus is preparing the disciples for his departure. He has warned them that he would be betrayed and handed over to the authorities; he is trying to prepare them for the fact that he wouldn’t be with them. In the heightened tension of that time (his death on the cross was only 24 hours away), this news would have devastated the disciples. But despite all he himself was going through, the struggles within himself that would be seen as he prayed for the cup to be taken from him at Gethsemane, Jesus thinks about his friends and makes a promise to them.
 
He promises that he will not leave them alone, that he will not abandon them. In fact, he says ‘I will not leave you orphaned’. What does ‘orphaned’ mean to you. It might be something very personal for some of us, others might think of Dickens and Oliver Twist or Pip in Great Expectations. I tend to think of those orphaned by AIDS in Africa in another pandemic, very different but with some similarities to the one we are experiencing today. To be an orphan meant losing parents, but also losing a whole way of living and being left vulnerable and alone.
 
Jesus said to the disciples that he wouldn’t leave them alone and forgotten, but would send an Advocate to be with them, and that of course was the Holy Spirit.
 
When we hear the word ‘Advocate’, we think of it in the legal sense, but it is someone who stands up for you when you need it, who speak up on your behalf, who lends a helping hand, takes your side and won’t leave you when you are down, who stands by our side. The disciples needed to hear this promise, that in the trials and tribulations that they would face in their lives, that they would not be alone, but would have the Spirit to support and encourage them. Jesus would be with them – through the Holy Spirit.
 
Jesus continues to make that promise today – not to leave us orphaned or alone, you are not forgotten.
To those who have lost loved ones or miss loved one, You are not alone, you are not forgotten
To the person whose career is falling apart and who doesn’t know how bills will be paid, You are not alone, you are not forgotten
To parents with handicapped children, wondering how they will adapt to school again after this absence, You are not alone, you are not forgotten
To those of us in isolation, trying to cope day by day, You are not alone, you are not forgotten
To refugees or persecuted Christians, you are not alone, you are not forgotten.
 
We don’t have to face anything alone; the Advocate is with us. And that also propels us to be ‘as Christ’ to the people around, and be willing to stand up for and to stand alongside and lend a helping hand to the vulnerable and the marginalised in our society. Amen
 
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Loving God,
We thank you for calling us into a relationship with you, and setting us in the world you love. Through our prayers, we bring to you our doubts and fears, our joys and our concerns, and our deepest longings for your world.
 
Reconciling God,
We pray for our family and friends, those far away and those close by, any who are estranged from us and those whom we depend upon daily. Where our relationships are strained, bring understanding and new possibility. Bless and protect relationships that are joyful and life-giving.
 
Guiding God,
We pray for those in government and all who serve the public good day by day. Guide each one to uphold standards of good service above personal gain. Where they experience tension between their faith and their public roles, give them wisdom to make faithful decisions and courage when those decisions are unpopular. We thank you for journalists holding officials to account.
 
Caring God,
We pray for the people we encounter every day, both those who are shining lights in our communities and those whose lights have yet to be discovered. Help us be respectful of every neighbour, and treat each person we meet with kindness. We think of fellow Christians, especially those who live in a minority situation and can face levels of discrimination. And we also think of those from other faiths or cultures living in our midst whom we sometimes treat differently. Especially at this time we remember our Muslim friends at Ramadan.
 
Healing God,
We pray for those who are suffering from illness or chronic conditions, for those in grief or loneliness, and for any who feel frustrated or overwhelmed by what they face. Move in their lives with your healing grace and show them signs of your presence and compassion in life-giving ways.
(Silence)
Amen

Hymn 470  (vv1,2,4) – Jesus shall reign

Benediction
Now go in peace to love and serve the Lord, and may the blessing of God, the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer be with you and those whom you love, wherever they may be. Now and forevermore, Amen

Many people will be aware of the death of Anne Stobart recently, after a short illness. John Stobart would like people to know that Anne’s funeral will be on Friday 15 May at 3pm at the Borders Crematorium. Since attendance is restricted because of the virus pandemic, John has arranged that the hearse with Anne’s decorated willow coffin will be at their house, Greengarth, in Town Yetholm, for a quarter of an hour from 2.00 pm on Friday so that Anne can be given a respectful send off. There will also be a webcast of the service to give those who wish to do so the opportunity to play their part albeit remotely.

The webcast of the service can be accessed by clicking HERE
You will then have to  enter the Order ID - which is 30256
And then enter the password - pqvejzem

A pdf of the Order of Service can be found HERE.

Good morning, Cheviot Churches! This is Colin, and I hope everyone is well and safe. We have our service for the 5th Sunday of Easter, and today we are marking the start of Christian Aid Week. It will be very different from usual. There will be no door-to-door collections, but all charities are going through extremely difficult times, and it is so important that we support Christian Aid in the vital work they do amongst the poorest in our world.
 
Notices:

• The podcast of this service can be accessed on the Podcast page of the website.
• The Roots material for today can be accessed HERE at:
• Let us remember to light our candles on our windows at 7pm every Sunday evening.
• Anne Stobart (Yetholm) sadly passed away last weekend. I would encourage you to keep John in your prayers.
• Please do support the work of Christian Aid with your prayers, but also financially. Donations can be given through the following link:  HERE
  
• Christian Aid prayers for the Covid-19 pandemic can be accessed HERE
  
• Although there will be no General Assembly this year, the new Moderator, Rev Martin Fair, will be installed on Saturday 16th May at 11am. It will be livestreamed on the Church of Scotland website or its Facebook page.

 
Call to Worship
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
We are not troubled. We trust in God!
God’s house has many dwelling places.
Christ himself has gone to prepare a place for us.
We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
 
Gathering prayer
God of all the Earth, be present with us now, in each of our homes, as we connect together. Build us into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to you through Jesus Christ, our risen redeemer and healer. Amen.
 
Hymn 198 – Let us build a house (vv 1,4,5)
(It may seem strange to sing the lyric: ‘All are welcome in this place’ at a time when no one is welcome into our homes or to collective worship in our church building. However, at this time more than ever, we are learning that the church is not the building but it is us, the people.)
 
We have been encouraged to wash our hands frequently, and our prayer of confession uses this imagery:
Let us pray
As we turn on the tap, we turn our hearts towards you, O God. As we wet our hands, renew our thoughts, so we might be transformed. As we lather soap between fingers and over all our hands, purge from us all that brings us harm and might harm others. Remove the invisible guilt and shame that so often keeps us from you. As we rinse our hands, we trust in your overflowing grace, making all things new.
 
Friends, do not let your hearts be troubled; know that, in Christ, you are forgiven. Accept God’s grace and forgiveness this day, and extend it to others for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
 
Readings: Psalm 31:1- 16
                   John 14:1-6

One of Anne Stobart’s favourite hymns was ‘Hills of the North rejoice’, which is also a great favourite of mine and an appropriate one to sing as we reflect on the work of Christian Aid:
 
Hills of the north, rejoice;
river and mountain spring,
hark to the advent voice;
valley and lowland, sing;
though absent long, your Lord is nigh;
he judgment brings and victory.

Shores of the utmost West,
ye that have waited long,
unvisited, unblessed,
break forth to swelling song;
high raise the note, that Jesus died,
yet lives and reigns, the Crucified.

Shout, while ye journey home;
songs be in every mouth;
lo, from the North we come,
from East, and West, and South.
city of God, the bond are free,
we come to live and reign in thee!
 
Here is our weekly prayer from Arthur and Kathleen:
Risen and reigning Lord, assure our troubled hearts that you have gone to prepare a place for us, so that where you are, we may be also. We join with the psalmist declaring that you are our rock and fortress and in these difficult times, please be with us and help us to trust in you to lead and guide us. Amen
 
Reflection
I often find myself going to the book of Psalms. Some psalms are full of joy and thanksgiving and praise, some of confession, but in Psalm 31 we find a psalm of lament and of trust. The psalmist is obviously going through a difficult time. He feels shunned by his neighbours, at odds with the world, so turns to God, because he trusts in God and knows he will find a refuge there.
 
‘Be a rock of refuge, a fortress to save me’. The psalm seems to take on greater meaning in these times of the coronavirus, when our houses have become our refuge and indeed our fortress, as with disinfectant, sanitizer and masks we pull up the drawbridge against the invisible foe which is the virus.
 
A refuge is a place we feel safe and secure, whereas outside is a threat. These days we do feel secure in our lockdown homes, but I think one of the marvellous things has been the fact that people have been looking out for one another, have been caring for one another, have been looking beyond our refuge. Our neighbours are important.  And that is appropriate in this Christian Aid Week, when we are encouraged to think of our neighbours and what they are going through, especially those in other lands. For 75 years Christian Aid has been committed to working with the poorest and most disadvantaged in the world,  fighting against poverty that robs people of their dignity and allows injustices to thrive.
 
Zuze is a friend from Zambia. His brother worked for me for many years as a cook and driver. Zuze qualified as a nurse and is presently working in a hospital in the East of the country near the Mozambique border. It is pretty remote, but Covid-19 could reach there too. He would be on the frontline, but when I asked about protective clothes, he said that they had gloves and masks as PPE. Most of his patients would try to make a living from the land, but there has been a terrible drought in Zambia. Even the mighty Victoria Falls had almost dried up. Rain has come now, but too late for the crops that they had planted which shrivelled up in the heat. The climate seems to be changing, getting hotter, and this year people will go hungry and will be weaker to fight against the virus. I just hope and pray the virus doesn’t make inroads.
 
Ibrahim is a friend from Egypt. He is a refugee from Syria and I got to know him through the refugee programme my church there ran. He was working as an accountant in a shop, but Egypt has been hit badly by Covid-19 and is in lockdown too, and Ibrahim was laid off. There is no furlough there, and as a refugee he is especially vulnerable, for there are no food handouts to non-Egyptians. Even when the lockdown there is relaxed, he doesn’t know if his shop will reopen and whether he will have a job. Meanwhile, the rent is to be paid.
 
All of us are affected by this crisis. For the Psalmist in his troubles he first of all lamented. He gave voice to his suffering. He told God how things really were. He complained, you might say, to God, and we find this a lot in the Bible. People saying to God, ‘Why is this happening? Where are you?’ It is important sometimes to voice our feelings.
 
But the Psalmist also put his trust in God. ‘My times are in your hands’. He placed himself in God’s care, trusting that things would be well. And we too trust in the good Lord to get us through this crisis that we find ourselves in.
 
In the gospel, we find the disciples perplexed. It is the Thursday of Holy Week, and Jesus has told them he will be betrayed and handed over to the authorities, but he reassures them by telling them to ‘set their troubled hearts at rest’ and promising to prepare a place for them in his ‘Father’s house’ – it is a passage we often read at funerals. But Jesus was also going to commission the disciples. There was work for them to do first to build up the kingdom. I am reminded of the brilliant slogan that Christian Aid has of working for Life BEFORE death, enabling people to enjoy the fullness of life and have dignity in the here and now.
 
It is a shame we are not able to have our door-to-door collection or any other fundraisers this week, but the work of Christian Aid goes on and we are encouraged even more to donate. The world’s poorest people are the most vulnerable in this crisis. They are less resilient, have less access to healthcare and less able to weather the economic impact. They are probably more open to risks, because they have to survive. We, through Christian Aid, stand with alongside them, as has been done for the last 75 years. Christian Aid will be with them through the crisis and afterwards, and we too need to have that same commitment to our neighbours throughout the world. Amen
 
Here is a favourite prayer written by the South African Joe Seremane:
 
You asked for my hands that you might use them for your purpose,
I gave them for a moment, then withdrew them for the work was hard.
You asked for my mouth to speak out against injustice.
I gave you a whisper that I might not be accused.
You asked for my life that you might work through me.
I gave a small part that I might not get too involved.
Lord, forgive my calculated efforts to serve you
only when it is convenient for me to do so,
only in those places where it is safe to do so,
and only in those who make it easy to do so.
Lord, forgive me, renew me, heal me, nurture me,
empower me, send me out as an instrument of your peace
that I might take seriously the meaning of the cross. Amen
 
Prayer of lament and intercession
God our refuge, we come to you with open hands, some of us with hearts full of questions, some of us bruised by bereavement, some of us fearful of what the future holds, all of us stunned by the events of this year. Draw close to us now in each of our homes as we place our hopes into your open, resurrected, yet scarred hands.
Hear the cry of our hearts, Lord, silent and aloud, for bereaved neighbours, near and far. Comfort those pained by being absent, and hold close those who are hurting alone.
God in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In this season of Easter, renew us with resurrection hope that while weeping lingers in this night, joy will come with the morning. On this Christian Aid Week Sunday, we pray for and with communities across the world who are most vulnerable to coronavirus. We pray for people living in refugee camps and city slums, with limited sanitation facilities, who are unable to wash their hands regularly, and have little opportunity to isolate from others. We pray for Christian Aid partners working to provide soap and buckets, communicating clear, accurate information, raising the voices of the most vulnerable and ensuring they are kept as safe as possible.
God in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those of us who are self-isolating, which can sometimes feel like we aren’t doing anything, remind us that we are all doing our part, and saving lives by staying at home.
God in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for much wisdom and resources for those in local and national authority and for all frontline and key workers here in Britain, Ireland and across the world.
God in your mercy, hear our prayer.
As we have clapped to honour them, we clap our hands now in praise of your glorious creation, and with the hope that the first shoots of another possible world are coming into view.
God in your mercy, hear all our prayers. Amen.
 
Hymn 710 – I have a dream
 
Benediction
May the presence of the Creator refresh you
May the comfort of the Son renew you,
May the inspiration of the Spirit restore you
to be love in action, even from a distance, in our neighbourhoods, near and far, this day and for evermore. Amen.

Good morning, Cheviot Churches! This is Colin, and I hope everyone is well and safe. Incredibly another month has passed, and we are now into May. We have our service for the 4th Sunday of Easter and today focus on Jesus as the Good Shepherd.
 
Notices:

• The podcast of this service can be accessed via the Podcast page of the website.
• The Roots material for today can be accessed HERE
  
• Let us remember to light our candles on our windows at 7pm every Sunday evening.
• The burial of Ernie Blood, formerly of Hayhope and Woodside, took place on Friday at the Yetholm Cemetery.
• In the podcast I said that the tune for ‘The Lord’s my Shepherd’ was Orlington. It is not: it is Brother James’ Air.

 
Call to Worship
Let us worship God in the name of Jesus Christ, the good shepherd,
who offers us abundant life.
Let us worship God in the name of the One who leads us by still waters,
and restores our souls.
Let us worship God in the name of the One who prepares a banquet for us,
and fills our cups to overflowing.
 
Hymn 15 (vv 1,2,5) – The Lord’s my shepherd
 (Tune Brother James’ Air)
 
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Lord God You are our Saviour and king, our Master and friend, our Shepherd and guide.
Wherever we go, You are with us. Wherever we stray, You seek us out. Whenever we call, You hear us.
You are our promise and our hope, our place of rest and peace, our security and our sureness.
Whoever we are, You accept us. Whatever we do, You love us. Whenever we fall, You lift us up.
We praise you.

We gather in our various homes
We are physically apart,
but spiritually we are together,
offering our love,
our commitment,
our hope,
and our prayers,
in service to one another and this world
as we face this new day.
 
Lord, you are our Shepherd. You seek us when we are lost and guide us in life-giving ways. Yet, we turn from you and heed the voices of thieves and bandits. You know us by name, but we refuse to hear your call and instead go our own way. Forgive us for failing to follow you. Quieten the noise around and within us, so that we might better recognize your voice and do your will. Come close, calm our fears, so that we might see you clearly, enter by the gate and know your presence and love.
 
Even though we walk through the darkest valley, we need not fear evil. God is with us. God’s rod and staff comforts us. God forgives and transforms us. Friends, believe the good news, through Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
Be at peace with God, with yourself and with one another.

Lord’s Prayer
 
Readings:  Acts 2: 42-47
                      John 10: 1-10
 
Here is our weekly prayer from Arthur and Kathleen:
Heavenly Father we know that Jesus is The Way into your presence and He is The Truth, The Life and also our Shepherd.   We pray that you will watch over and protect us from all danger, especially in this time of lockdown. Guide us into green pastures where we can be nourished by your word and lead us by pure still waters where we can be refreshed by your love. Amen
 
Reflection
 The last several weeks have been difficult ones, and we have had to adjust our whole way of living. Life will probably not be quite the same again. One article I read asserted that we will talk about how things were BEFORE Covid and AFTER Covid.  However, some things remain the same. I must admit I have enjoyed my daily exercise during this time and have so valued the opportunity to walk in the peace of the countryside, with new life bursting all around quite regardless of Covid-19. The blackthorn has blossomed, primroses are out at Linton – AND of course there are lambs in the field. Calves too, but today I want to concentrate on the lambs, for today is Good Shepherd Sunday.
 
In this area we are very used to shepherds, and a number of our members have connections with shepherding. In Palestine, shepherding has not changed that much since biblical times, and when I lived there, I would drive through the West Bank and often see shepherd boys with a flock of sheep, looking for pasture, and green pasture was not as common there as in our Cheviot hills.
 
In John chapter 10, Jesus uses the metaphor of a shepherd and a flock to illustrate our relationship with him. He will say, ‘I am the Good Shepherd’, but that is not in our passage today – it comes in verse 11. But what he does say in our passage is ‘I am the gate’. At night sheep were kept in circular stone enclosures, with a narrow gap for the sheep to enter and exit, and the shepherd would literally be the gate, stretched out across the gap to keep the sheep safe. Why? Because there were dangers. There were predators around – wolves, even big cats. But also there were thieves and robbers, trying to steal the sheep – and that is still a problem in UK today. The shepherd’s role was to keep the sheep safe.
 
But we have a lovely picture of inclusion, safety and gathering, of the sheep being safe and secure, protected and nurtured by the shepherd, who only wants their well-being. It’s a picture which speaks to us today as we try to look after our own and our loved ones’ well-being, but also it relates to our reading from Acts, which gives us a snapshot of life in the early church, where there is a sense of gathering and nurture, of belonging and oneness, as the early believers prayed together, learned together and supported each other. It is always an ideal passage which challenges us to be the church today, being open and welcoming and nurturing one another in the faith.
 
Another verse in the John passage catches my attention today, and that is when Jesus says that the sheep recognise the shepherd’s voice. Think back to ‘Before Covid’ times, when families would be at beaches or in a park, and children would all be playing together. Perhaps the mothers and fathers would all be chatting together. But if a child suddenly was in difficulties and called out, the parent would immediately discern the voice of their own child amid the hubbub of noise from the other children. Because from birth the parent attunes to the voice of their child, being able to tell when they are happy or sad. So the shepherd knows the sheep, being able to distinguish one from the other, and the sheep in turn learn to recognise and trust the voice of the shepherd.
 
As Christians we have to learn to recognise the voice of Christ, as we seek to live out our lives, and we do that by becoming closer to him in prayer and in study and in community with one another – the very things which the Christians in Acts were doing. This time of crisis has given some of us time to reflect on our own spirituality.
 
A final thought in this passage is that the shepherd desires the well-being of the sheep, and so Christ comes to bring abundant life, life in all its fullness. That can be different things for different people. In the previous chapter, Jesus heals a blind man, and for him abundant life could mean being able to see; for a single mother, abundant life could be help and support. For us in lockdown, abundant life may be meeting up with our families. For a minister in lockdown abundant life could be a congregation coming together and breaking bread together.
 
Life will be very different for us, after this crisis passes. We will be living post-Covid. But there will be things which will remain the same: God’s love towards us and nurture of us as a parent, who desires our complete well-being.
 
Song – Here is a song inspired by all these pictures of rainbows put up in our windows. It is written by Will Todd, who is the uncle of a friend’s god-daughter and can be found HERE
 
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Holy and gracious God, shepherd of our lives,
we come to you with thanksgiving for you are the one who nurtures and provides for us.
You transform our weary souls with your grace, wisdom and love.
You bless us each day with glimpses of resurrection and the promise of new life,
in signs of spring, in stories of kindness and perseverance during crisis.
 
Listening God, shepherd of the world, we bring you now our prayers for others. Hear them in your tender mercy:
We pray for people who are struggling with illness, loneliness, grief or sadness,
thinking especially of those whose lives have been redefined by COVID-19.
And we pray for those whose working life has been changed drastically by this pandemic, thinking of health care workers, those in the food supply chain, and all those whose jobs have disappeared.
(Silence)
May each life be touched by the power of resurrection and new hope.
 
We pray for countries and communities where it is not safe for people to live out their faith openly.
(Silence)
May all people of faith be granted the freedom to praise without fear.
 
We pray for people in the world who are victims of discrimination and acts of hatred.
(Silence)
May your desire for justice be made known and lived out.
 
We pray for our congregation and all people who make up your Church, forced now to consider how to be faithful in difficult times.
(Silence)
May we discover new ways to be your Easter people in the world.
 
We pray for our families, our friends and for ourselves.
(Silence)
May each of us know the power of your compassion and promise.
 
Lord, hear our prayer, in Jesus’ name. Amen
 
Hymn 462  (vv1,3,6) – The King of Love
 
Benediction
With Christ as our Gatekeeper, we go from here into fresh pastures. With Christ as our Gatekeeper we find life in all its fullness. Go in peace and may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit enfold and surround you today and always.