 Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on All Saints Sunday. PLEASE REMEMBER to put your clocks/ watches BACK an hour.
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Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they will rise up with wings as eagles. They will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint. Hymn 740 – For all the saints (1,2,8) Prayers of Adoration and Confession God of goodness and purpose, in you we live and move and have our being. You are the Fountain of Life, and you refresh us. You are the Light of the world, and you show us the way. You are the Spirit of life, and you move in us each new day. So, we join our voices with the angels and archangels, with the saints and disciples of every time and place, to worship you as Creator, Healer, and Source of our hope and our joy. Praise be to you, God most holy, ever Three and ever One, world without end. God of goodness and mercy, we confess that we have been indifferent to your will, staying silent when we should have spoken up for justice. We have heard your call to put our faith into action, but fear holds us back. There is work to be done in Jesus’ name, but we often seek an easier way. Forgive us, O God, and give us courage and commitment to serve as your saints in this time and this place, whatever the challenges may be. Lord’s Prayer Readings – Isaiah 25: 6-9 Revelation 21: 1-6 John 11: 32-44 Hymn 730 – From the falter of breath (1,4) Weekly Prayer God of All the Saints we ask that we might be a holy church, a praying church, a giving church, a serving church. May the saints in heaven be an example for us today as we trust in God and rejoice in His salvation. We come again to drink from the spring of the water of life as your people, and thank you for your promise to be with us and to be our God. Amen Reflection Who is your favourite saint? Some might be patriotic and like Andrew or George or Patrick. With Cop26 in mind what about Francis? There are plenty of female saints like Mary or even Joan of Arc. If you want to get local, then Cuthbert. You have plenty to choose from. In the Holy land I always enjoyed visiting a new church in a Palestinian town, which had pictures of saints running on a frieze right round the church and finishing with modern day saints in their dresses and trousers, including, wonderfully, Desmond Tutu, who was the only one not to have a halo. That is simply because he isn’t dead yet! Today is All Saints Day, when we remember the saints who have gone before us. But what makes a saint? We tend to think it is someone who has done some extraordinary deed, slayed a dragon or two, fasted on top of a pillar for twenty years, was martyred in some brutal fashion. But are we celebrating today only the select few who somehow made it and are in this ‘Hall of Fame’ - or are we looking wider? At the many whose names are now forgotten, but who have been faithful and are part of the multitude gathered for the great feast in the Kingdom of God that we read about in Isaiah. This was a picture of God’s new future, where the tears are wiped from every eye. Our Revelation reading picks up many of the same themes. Someone once defined the saints as ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Some have been very single-minded, some positively weird, some definitely not easy to live with! But most have been faithful people just quietly getting on living out the Kingdom values. People who had no desire to be put on a pedestal, but who somehow lead us to God. But the New Testament is clear that the saints are not just those who have gone before us in the faith, but also those sitting round about us in the here and now. Paul had at times a fraught relationship with the Christians in Corinth, who seemed to be quite divisive, but he still called them the ‘saints’. Equally, all of us are saints, trying our best to be a light in our dark, often troubled world. In the Gospels we read about Jesus raising Lazarus from the tomb. There are different people in this story. There is Mary, who in her grief at losing her brother chides Jesus, saying that if he had come sooner, Lazarus would still be alive. There is Martha her sister, famous for being so practical, but in this story, gives a tremendous confession of faith which prompts Jesus to say, I am the Resurrection and the Life. There is Lazarus, a symbol of Christ’s life-giving power. There is Jesus bringing Lazarus to life again is shown By the Gospel writers as the one who brings life in all its fullness to us now and who brings life in the hereafter. But there is someone else as well, because Jesus turns to someone in the crowd and says, ‘Unbid him and let him go’, and to me that person in the crowd is you and me. We are drawn into Christ’s life-giving work and live out the resurrection now. At All Saints we remember and celebrate those who have gone before who are now in the nearer presence of God, but also those around us participating in God’s work of caring and loving and standing alongside the suffering and indeed with our planet. I mentioned the church in the Holy Land. On the frieze – after Desmond Tutu, there was a space. Maybe for any new saints. But I like to think it could be for you and me. Hymn 742 – Rejoice in God’s saints (1,3,4) Prayers of Dedication & Intercession God of all generations, past, present and future, we offer our gifts in gratitude for the inheritance of faithfulness we have received as followers of Jesus. Bless these gifts so that today’s ministries may flourish and provide an inheritance for those who come after us, as you guide them into a future only you can see. On this Sunday marking the faithfulness of all your saints, we give you thanks for people in our lives and across the ages who have shown us your loving kindness through their witness to Christ in so many different situations. Inspire us by their examples and show us how we, too, can live out our faith in the midst of challenging times. We thank God for knitting us into one common fellowship; for the people who have gone ahead of us in the faith and who loved us, formed our faith and served God with joy and grace. Loving God, You keep calling us to care for those in need and show hospitality to strangers in our midst. Thank you for your persistent love which continues to comfort and challenge us all. Open our hearts and eyes so that we can see how to offer that love to others in the midst of challenging times. Living God, You bring new life to the discouraged and those facing danger and death. Thank you for signs of hope which break into pressures of the pandemic and its consequences for so many, in the midst of challenging times. Creating God, we praise you for the beauty of this world and the rhythms of nature which sustain us. Give us courage to act on behalf of your creation where it is stressed or broken, and nurture our commitment to act as your stewards within creation in the midst of challenging times. (silence) Lord in your mercy hear our prayer. Amen Hymn 738 – Glorious things of thee are spoken (1,4) Benediction Go on your way rejoicing, Surrounded as you are by such a great cloud of witnesses. May the blessing of God Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you, now and ever more. Amen
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 Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost.
Notices:
We lift up our eyes to the hills— from where will our help come? Our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Hymn 251 – I the Lord of sea and sky Prayers of Adoration and Confession O Lord our God, you hear the voice of those who cry out to you and you respond with love. You reach out to us when others have turned away. You offer us compassion when others dismiss our worth. You heal us when we thought we were beyond repair. Your amazing love transforms our lives over and over again, and so, we offer you our humble praise in the name of Jesus, your love made flesh. Receive our gratitude in this time of worship, as we join with your whole creation to bring you honour and glory, now and always. Lord of love and mercy, we worship you as the source of every good and perfect gift, but we confess our gifts to you are less than perfect. We honour you when it fits into our schedules. We forget that your love should set our priorities, and pursue our own desires instead. In your loving-kindness, forgive our wavering hearts and reawaken our commitment to you. Lord’s Prayer Readings – Ruth 1: 1-18 Mark 10: 46-52 Hymn 557 – O love that wilt not let me go Weekly Prayer Everlasting God, we thank you that your written Word continues to inspire us, showing us examples like Ruth and Bartimaeus, whose faith and actions so dramatically changed their lives and those around them. Thank you for revealing yourself to us, how you love us, how we should live, and what we can be. Amen Reflection ‘When it is gone, it’s gone’. That is the slogan at Lidl’s. They have good prices anyway, but some things are at a special price – but if it’s gone, it’s gone! So, the marketing ploy goes, take the opportunity and buy while you can – for if you leave it too late, you will miss out. In the story of Ruth, we find three women left alone, their husbands have all died. The mother-in-law Naomi decides to return home to Bethlehem after many years living in Moab. She tells her daughters-in-law to stay, to be with their own families and try to marry again. Orpah reluctantly stays and says her goodbyes. But Ruth has to make her decision. She has this one opportunity – does she stay or will she go. Of course, she decides to go and accompany Naomi. She expresses her commitment in the wonderful lines: ‘Wherever you go, I will go…’ (vv16-17) Bartimaeus in the Gospel has to make a similar decision. His life is sitting at the roadside in Jericho, begging for food or maybe some cash. He is blind and that is all that is open for him to do. But today it is someone different who passes by. He hears the excited murmurs- it is Jesus, the young rabbi from up North, who has healed a number of people. Bartimaeus has heard stories about him. There is this one opportunity; if he misses it, it will have gone forever. So he cries out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy upon me’. The crowd tell him to be quiet, but Jesus hears him and calls him. Bartimaeus throws off his cloak and approaches Jesus. ‘What do you want?’, Jesus asks. Bartimaeus replied ‘To see’ and he was healed and he followed Jesus. What do we see here. Firstly, Bartimaeus has a name. He is not anonymous like the 10 lepers or the paralysed man. Perhaps he was involved in the early church. He was known. And God knows each and every one of us by name. We are known and loved and valued. Secondly, the crowd around him tried to hush him, so he didn’t disturb Jesus. We are good at that – just keeping quiet, not letting our emotions show. I have just finished a book by a Canadian author, Mary Lawson, and she says that Presbyterians are particularly good at ‘not making a scene’. But Bartimaeus makes a scene, so that Jesus hears and asks him what he wants. It is interesting, because just before this, Jesus had asked James and John what they wanted, and they wanted positions in Jesus’ cabinet – the seats to his right and left. But to his credit, Bartimaeus doesn’t ask for food or money, but asks to see. And he is granted his wish and is healed. If Jesus were to ask us the same question, what would we say? Maybe we should ask for sight or insight. Often things are so familiar, we no longer see them. We fail to see the poverty and distress that some people face. But lastly, there is the little detail about Bartimaeus throwing his cloak away. His cloak kept him warm on cold nights and was perhaps the tool of his trade, but he cast it aside. By throwing it away perhaps it signalled a new start. With the climate crisis, we will be asked to make sacrifices and adjust how we do things. Like Bartimaeus, we must be ready to make sacrifices. He threw away his cloak, got up and, being healed, left his old life behind and followed Jesus. Hymn 555 – Amazing grace Prayers of Dedication & Intercession Good and gracious God, we bring our offering in gratitude for all that makes our lives good, even in uncertain times. Bless these gifts and use them to touch lives in need of your goodness, in Jesus’ name. We pray for those who govern their nation, including our own governments, asking that they will ensure justice and equality for all, so that no one goes hungry or lives in substandard housing. For those who are chief executives or company directors, asking that they don’t just seek profit but ensure that they help to build a better world of fairness, free of exploitation. For parents and teachers, asking that they might nurture younger generations, encouraging them in the way to go, supporting them as we recognise many are facing mental health issues. For those in the medical and caring professions who have faced unprecedented challenges this last 18 months, praying that they might find new strength and fresh resources so that those in their care might know healing and wholeness. For those who are discriminated against because of their race, gender or sexual orientation praying that they would know that in your eyes they are precious and loved and asking that others would reach out to them in support. For those who are suffering as a result of the climate emergency, praying for their protection and asking that those making decisions would bring us back from the brink of disaster and focus their power in caring for your planet. We pray for our world leaders who will be meeting shortly to set targets and challenge all the nations to make the environment a priority. We pray for those who are suffering in body, mind or spirit, asking that they might know healing and hope. (silence) Lord in your mercy hear our prayer. Amen Hymn 130 - Ye servants of God Benediction The grace of Christ be yours wherever you go, the love of God be yours whatever you do, the friendship of the Spirit be yours whatever you have to face, today and always. Amen  Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on this Harvest Thanksgiving.
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The banqueting table is prepared: God calls us to feast together. We have come from east and west, from north and south, to sit together at the Lord’s table. O taste and see that the Lord is good! Hymn 230 – Praise God for the harvest (1,4,5) Prayers of Adoration and Confession Praise be to you, O God, for the wonders of your creation. You spin the shining stars and stretch out the seas to the furthest horizon. You lift the curtain of dawn so light can chase away the night. You give the earth its seasons and each creature its lifespan, breathing life and love into each precious soul. And so, we come to praise you. Breathe your Spirit into us once more, to inspire us to serve you with creativity and commitment, and with the honesty and humility we meet in Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Ever present God, When you invite us to your table, you ask us to come with clean hands and clean hearts. You ask us to come in peace, seeking reconciliation with you and with each other. We confess that the church has not always sought reconciliation within or beyond its walls. In this silence, we hand over to you the broken relationships, disagreements and disappointments that keep us from living in your peace. Free us from the burdens we carry, so that we may be a source of peace in this troubled world in the name of Christ who is our peace. If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! Know that you are forgiven and have the courage to forgive one another. Amen Readings – Job 38:1–7 Mark 10:35–45 Hymn 137 – All things bright and beautiful (1,4) Weekly Prayer Creator God we join together at this harvest time in remembering the Son of man who came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. We thank you that you are always more ready to hear our prayers and to respond to them in ways that are sometimes beyond our expectations or imagination. Help us to be part of your response as we seek to serve those around us, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Reflection The sight of combine harvesters in fields of wheat or hay gives us such a good feeling inside, knowing that year after year the harvest is brought in. The sight of the hills around with a rainbow painting the sky gives us a good feeling, as we reflect on the majesty of creation. The sight of a spectacular sunrise or sunset can fill us with awe and make us feel that God is speaking to us– or, if we travel north and see the Northern Lights, as some have this week, we can feel the same. But what about a violent storm? We used to say that thunder was God moving the furniture about. Does God speak in the storm? Or in the whirlwind? They seem to wreak such violence and destruction. Yet in our passage from the Old Testament, God speaks to Job from the whirlwind, and you can just imagine how awestruck Job would have been. Job is an interesting character. He is a good and faithful person, one of the best. But he lost his wife and family, his business and home; he even lost his health and is covered in sores. It was one misfortune after another. And he asks why! He asks why bad things happen to good people; he asks why people suffer. His friends rally round, but they say that it must be his fault, that he must have sinned, but Job disagrees with them and demands to speak with God. In our passage today, that is what happens. God speaks from the whirlwind, and it must have been a terrifying experience. God doesn’t give a definitive answer to the problem of suffering, but rather asks Job where he was when the earth was created, whether Job asks the sun to rise each day. In other words, Job is given a new perspective. He sees only part of the picture, but God sees the whole. In a way, he is left facing the mystery of God. God is too big to comprehend fully. Paul said that now we see in a mirror darkly, but then face-to-face. Now we know in part, but in the fullness of time we will know fully. Here at communion we face the mystery of God. We gather and share in bread and wine and feel that closeness to God. We can’t explain everything, but our faith opens itself to the mystery of God. But what we do know is that Jesus called his disciples together for one last meal, took bread and took wine, and he told them to do so to remember him. What we know is that he took the bread and broke it, and we remember his broken body on the cross. He took the wine and poured it, and we remember his blood shed on the cross. In the mystery of faith we believe that he died for us on that cross, his arms stretched out in a saving, all-encompassing embrace. At this meal, he meets us still and feeds us still with the sustenance we need to continue to be his people in the world today. Hymn 510 – Jesus calls us here to meet him (vv1,4) Prayers of Intercession Great and gracious God, we offer you these gifts, small tokens of our love for you. Bless them with the power of your Holy Spirit so they may accomplish more than we can even imagine, in the name of Jesus Christ Christ, the servant king: When we seek power and glory for ourselves and overlook the needs of the humble and weak, Help us to follow your example of service Where there are those who rely on food banks and on benefits, help us to follow your example of service Where stronger nations ignore the plight of the poor; where food and medical supplies are stockpiled while others cry out in need. Help us to follow your example of service When our neighbours are sick, imprisoned by addiction, cold through lack of shelter, lonely through isolation or tearful because of bereavement, Help us to follow your example of service When our personal ease and comfort leads us to ignore the threats to the future of our planet, Help us to follow your example of service and be your people in the world. Amen Invitation to the Table The table is set for all; around it there are no divisions. Just as one loaf is made from many grains, and as one cup is filled from the fruit of many grapes, so, we, though many, are made one in Christ, nourished by him to nourish the world. Jesus calls us to this table, and all are welcome here. Hymn 19 – Ye gates (v 1 + Alleluias) Communion Now listen to the story of how God’s reconciling love set this table for us. On the night he was arrested, Jesus came to the table with those he loved to share a meal that promised freedom, freedom that required courage and sacrifice. He took bread and blessed the God of all creation. He broke the bread among his disciples and said: Take this, all of you, and eat it. This is my body, given for you. When the supper was ended, he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He passed the cup among his disciples and said: Take this, all of you, and drink from it. This is the cup of the new covenant, sealed in my blood for the forgiveness of sin. Do this to remember me. So now we do as Jesus did. We take this bread and this wine, ordinary things of the world. In these, Jesus has promised to be present; through these, Christ can make us whole. The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving The Lord be with you; And also with you. Lift up your hearts; We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God; It is right to give God thanks and praise. It is our greatest calling and greatest joy to give you thanks and praise, Lord God, Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth. You spoke, and all things came into being: the sun, moon and stars, the sky, earth and waters and all they contain. Your Spirit swept over creation, and brought order out of chaos, life from the formless void. From the elements of the earth, you created humankind, each unique, all made in your holy image. Your breath gave us life and called us to live with you in loving service to neighbour and stranger alike. Yet when we turned away from you, you never turned from us. Through the prophets, you called us back to your ways. You sent Jesus, your Son, born of a mother’s flesh, to reveal the full extent of your grace and love. Again and again, you welcome us to your side with the open arms of a loving father. Therefore, we join our voices with those from every time and place, to proclaim your glory in the unending hymn: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy is your Son Jesus, O God. Walking this earth, feeding the hungry, calling the lost and lonely, he brought healing and wisdom to those who sought him out, and revealed your kingdom taking shape in this world. As we break bread and share wine in his name, with your people here and in every place, we recall the mystery of our faith: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. Pour out your Spirit upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine. Gather your church together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom where peace and justice are realized, and joy will be shared at the banquet you prepare for us when heaven and earth join hands. And now we pray the words which Jesus gave all his followers: The Lord’s Prayer The Lord Jesus, on the night before he died, took bread, and after giving thanks to God, he broke it and said, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Break bread) In the same way, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do it in remembrance of me.” Every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. O lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us O lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us O lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, Grant us thy peace This is the body of Christ, broken for you This is the blood of Christ shed for you Peace Prayer after Communion Lord Jesus Christ, you have nourished us, body and soul, in this meal. We have heard your love proclaimed, now send us out to speak it to others. We have seen your love poured out, now send us out to show it in everything we do. We have been fed by your love at your table, now send us out to share it so the world may believe. And let all things be done for your glory. Amen. Hymn 518 – Lift up your hearts (1,4) Benediction May the God of all guide and keep you today, tomorrow, and always.  Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on this Harvest Thanksgiving.
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We gather together to celebrate God’s bounty and blessing, to proclaim God’s goodness and love, to remember the many ways in which God has provided for our needs, and to offer ourselves in the work of God’s kingdom. Praise the God of harvest and hope! Let’s worship together Hymn 233 – Come, ye thankful people come (1,2) Prayers of Adoration and Confession God of all creation, in this season of thanksgiving for the harvests of the earth, we are struck by the beauties of autumn, leaves in bright colours, hedgerows with berries, fields ripe with produce. Such beauty speaks of your goodness, your desire to provide what each beloved creature needs. As we gather this day, renew our sense of thanksgiving for what you give to us in the fruitfulness of creation, and in Christ Jesus who teaches us how to walk wisely on the earth you made. For all your good gifts we honour you with thanks and praise, now and always. God of our lives, when we give thanks for your good gifts around us, we know that we enjoy an abundance many cannot even imagine. Yet we confess we do not always see the blessings in which we share. We worry about the future, if we can recover from the pandemic, whether we will have enough for our families to flourish. Forgive our fears of going without, and our failure to be grateful for how much goodness is already ours. In mercy God forgives our sins. Let us live in peace one with another. Lord’s Prayer Readings – Joel 2: 21-28 Matthew 6: 25-33 Hymn 240 - God in such love for us lent us this planet Weekly Prayer Lord of the harvest, with joy we offer thanksgiving for your love in creation: by your grace plant within us a reverence for all that you give us and make us generous and wise stewards of the good things we enjoy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Reflection ‘Come, ye thankful people, come, bring the song of harvest home. All is safely gathered in’. Over the last month or so, the tractors have been going up and down the roads, there has been lots of activity in the fields, as the harvest has been brought in. We give God thanks once again for all the food in our shops -I know the blueberries are from Caverton, but I like to think the broccoli and cauliflowers are local too. In Zambia, the maize harvest was the most important. Everyone had their field, and there was real satisfaction when the cobs were collected and stored – food to last till the next harvest. Unless, of course, the harvest failed, and that would have been a disaster, and people would have gone hungry. In the book of Joel we are given a picture of a good harvest; a picture of trees bearing fruit and vines laden with grapes. The threshing floors are filled with grain, and vats are overflowing with olive oil. I can imagine their sense of joy, having been involved in an olive harvest. All the necessities of life are there, and it is a picture of abundance. BUT – if we were to read the book of Joel from the beginning, we have a different picture, for the fields were devastated by an army from the North. But not an army of soldiers, but of insects. An army of locusts, which stripped the fields of all their crops. It was a disaster. The people were helpless in the face of the plague of locusts; there was nothing they could do except watch their food for the year be eaten up by the insects. Last year in Ethiopia and Eritrea, there was a plague of locusts, and even with modern technology, it was an uphill battle to try to control it. How much worse in biblical times. The locusts had devoured everything – in some versions their names are given as Hopper, Cutter, Devourer. But it passed, and in this passage, God is seen addressing the people who have known famine and fear and saying ‘Do not be afraid’. And then there is the most wonderful phrase – ‘God will restore the years the locusts have eaten’. They had been through this dreadful experience, but God promises better things. Locusts are not something our farmers have to be wary of, though I did hear on the radio of a bug from Asia found on a farm down south. Farmers have other things to be anxious about as they seek to keep on top of new technology and it can take its strain. But then have our worries – for many it is the increased energy prices, though not so many of us are affected by gas. We have personal worries about finance or our health or families. We have wider concerns about the economy, the environment and the climate emergency. We can let our anxieties overwhelm us, as we look to the future. But in Matthew Jesus tells us not to worry. He says this 4 times in our passage. Why? Because the heavenly Father knows our needs. God delights in creation – the birds of the air, the flowers in the field, and how much more will God provide for us, His children! Don’t worry. Trust in God, that’s Jesus’ message. We do that by, first and foremost, seeking God’s kingdom and working to see that kingdom, of peace and hope, of justice and fairness, prevail We do it by looking for the ‘God moments’ in each day, recognising where God is at work in us and in those who we meet; in the way we treat others and in our care for the environment. We do it by being Kingdom builders in our relationships and lifestyles, by using our gifts and talents, our listening and our praying, to bring a rich harvest. This harvest time is always one of deep thankfulness for God’s care of us. We put our trust in God and respond to God’s goodness in praise. In the words from the Joel passage, ‘Do not be afraid. Be glad and rejoice. The Lord has done great things. Rejoice in the Lord your God. Hymn 231 – For the fruits of all creation (1,3) Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession God, source of all life, the autumn is all around us now, beautiful in scarlet and gold. We have heard the Spirit of God in the rustling leaves and the rush of water, and we are so grateful for a generous harvest, for seeds of many kinds, sown and multiplied; for the sufficiency we enjoy. Transforming God, we cannot sow our seed with clenched fists. Help us to open our hands, to let go of grasping, that we too may scatter with hope and generosity our seeds of justice, peace, and joy. So may the fruits of our harvest be for the sharing of the earth and the blessing of your love. God of honey and harvest, of grain and grape of ocean and orchard: This harvest time may we both praise and pray; praise you for the abundance and pray that this harvest is not just shared, but shared justly. Merciful and Generous God, We bless you for the kindly fruits of the earth which you have given to our use. we remember and pray for the farmers whose labours grow our crops both from here and abroad. We remember all involved in growing and marketing our food, but also remember those who struggle to get by day by day, for farmers beset by worries, and we pray for those in our community reliant on foodbanks. We pray for all who depend on the earth for their daily food and fuel especially in the developing world, whose forests are destroyed for the profits of a few. We pray for those who labour in poverty, who are oppressed by unjust laws, who are banned from speaking the truth and even from worshipping as they desire, those who long for a harvest of justice. Healing and Generous God, we pray for all those anxious about their health or facing difficult times for whatever reason, and we pray for family and friends under stress or in sorrow whom we name in silence before you. Amen. Hymn 229 – We plough the fields and scatter (1,3) Benediction May the strength of God surround us; the promise of God protect us; and the grace of God guide us; so may we be markers of God’s mercy to those whom we love and serve. Recessional Hymn 804 – You shall go out with joy  Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on this National Giving Sunday.
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With wisdom and generosity, God created us. With grace and compassion, Jesus embraces us. With ideas and inspiration The Holy Spirit transforms us. Let us worship God. Hymn 153 – Great is thy faithfulness Prayers of Adoration and Confession God of heaven and earth, your splendour is infinite, your power incomparable, your holiness beyond our understanding. In your wisdom, you shaped the earth in wonder and mystery, and you made all things and called them good. You have given us life and blessed us with gifts and talents to share. And you have called us into community with one another where we come together to reflect your love and grace. And so, with our lips, we sing your praises, and with our lives we offer you our worship, this day and always. Forgive us Lord, when we take your gifts for granted. Remind us of the abundance You have poured out on us. Help us listen for Your voice leading us, prompting us to answer Your call, encouraging us to give back, to respond in generous humility to Your grace, goodness and mercy. Compel us to reflect something of Your love for us as we give to enable Your work in our communities, our nation and our world Anyone who is a new creation in Christ. The old life has gone; a new life has begun. Together we have confessed our sins to Jesus Christ. Know that we are forgiven and be at peace. Lord’s Prayer Readings – Philippians 2: 5-20 Mark 10: 2-16 Hymn 468 – Son of God, eternal Saviour (1,2)/ Hymn 229 – We plough the fields (1,3 Linton) Weekly Prayer God our creator, you have made us one with this earth, to tend it and bring forth fruit; May we so respect and cherish all that has life from you, that we may share in the labour of all creation to give birth to your hidden glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen. Reflection When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, you have taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. That is part of a hymn by Horatio Spafford. It is an old favourite hymn, though not included in our hymnary. Spafford was a successful lawyer and a Presbyterian elder in Chicago. He was travelling to Europe with his wife and 4 daughters, but was delayed by business. The rest of the family travelled ahead, but tragedy struck, and the boat sank. His four daughters drowned, though his wife was saved unconscious. He was distraught, but also had a strong faith, and even in his grief he could compose this hymn and write that it is well in his soul. His wife later said, 'It is easy to be grateful when you have so much, but be careful not to be a fair-weather friend to God’. It was after this tragedy that the Spaffords moved to Jerusalem to work with the poor. They were able to bring something positive out of their tragedy. We have been through a very challenging 18 months. For many people it has been a nightmare. They have lost jobs, lost their houses, lost loved ones. They have lost their health, lost education, lost marriages, lost confidence. For many of us it has not been so extreme, but we have missed the social side of village life – the coffee mornings and so on- and while things are starting up again, it will be a while before we get back to anything near normal again. The Church has also suffered; in many areas, numbers have dropped and congregations are struggling. And yet we are being asked to give thanks with a grateful heart. In the Bible, from the Psalms all the way to the epistles, we are encouraged to give thanks, even at difficult times and count our blessings. In Philippians Paul encourages us to have the mind of Christ, and he reminds us that Christ was rich but for our sakes became poor; he emptied himself of all he enjoyed in heaven to become human and live amongst us and even die an all-too-human death. He challenges our presumptions over what is successful and prosperous, and we are called to change our priorities and show that same sense of humility and self-sacrifice as Christ. In Africa, there are ‘giving trees’. The dowadowa in Ghana is one example. It has pods which are good to eat and make a local delicacy. The leaves are eaten by cattle; its twigs can be used as toothbrushes; its gum hardens floors and glazes pottery; its flowers treat leprosy; its roots can be used for musical instruments. Its shade is wonderful to hold meetings, even church services under. It even gives of its branches and trunk to be made into wood for houses. It is a tree that gives so much to the community. It has a wonderful harvest, blessing all around, human and animal and even the environment. The tree is a parable for Christ’s self-giving, but also suggests that our gifts and talents, our life and work, being offered to God, can produce an abundant harvest. Christ has given so much to us, living amongst us and inspiring us to radical living; dying on the cross and rising, opening the way to everlasting life. We should not be fair-weathered friends or give God our unvalued left-overs, but rather give of our best to God. Christ gave of himself for us; in turn he calls us to give of ourselves to the world. For it is in giving that we receive; in welcoming that we are welcomed. In our Gospel reading the disciples were vetting who came to Jesus. Children were unimportant, so shooed away. But Jesus said, Let the children come to me, for to such as these belongs the kingdom of heaven. Everyone was included. We are all included in God’s embrace. In response, we are filled with such gratitude, that, as Paul writes, at the name of Jesus every knee should bend and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Hymn 500 – Lord of creation Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession Living God, we need Your presence here on planet earth. In these strange days throughout the world, we call on Your Spirit to fill us with love. Help us to wash the feet of our communities, going the second mile, giving the cup of cold water. Help our churches to be loving, reaching out to all we meet. Holy Spirit, guide us in our finances, to wisely use the resources You have given us, to plant fruitful seeds for Your kingdom. On this National Giving Day, we pray that our time, talents and money can be used to further Your mission. Where there is division between us heal us with Your uniting presence. Help our churches to be communities where we live in peace, not the peace of differences hidden from sight, but the peace of discussion and dialogue and mutual respect. Generous God, we confess that we are often much quicker to express our grumbles than our gratitude, to focus on the situations which inconvenience us and limit our freedom, than to notice those upon whom our community and society depend. So we would give thanks for all those who at great cost to themselves have done so much through the months of lockdown to protect us, and care for us, and heal us. We remember gratefully before You those who have donned the face masks and shields and just got on with the job so that the very fabric of society could be supported, and our basic needs met. As we reflect on how much we owe to other people, make us generous in our attitudes and actions, through Jesus Christ in whose life and death we see the fullness of Your love for us all, and in whose name we pray Loving God we pray for all who are sick and undergoing operations. For those anxiously waiting for treatment. We pray for the bereaved that they will know your presence with them. In silence we bring before you those on our hearts this day. Amen Hymn 182 – Now thank we all our God Benediction Bless to us, O God, the road that is before us, Bless to us, O God, the friends who are around us, Bless to us, O God, your love which is within us, Bless to us, O God, the light that leads us home. |
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