We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15am), when we celebrate communion. Everyone who loves the Lord is welcome to participate.
Call to Worship Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness Come into his presence with singing. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Hymn 63 All people that on earth do dwell Prayer of Adoration and Confession Creator God, we marvel at the wonders of your creation! You have painted the sky with sun rises and sun sets, you scattered the universe with stars and planets so that we can be awestruck by your creative force. You pay attention to each and every living creature, no matter it’s size or assumed importance, including us. We praise you this day. God most holy, You are known to us as the Almighty, Eternal Ruler and Lord. We call you our Shepherd and Guide. We praise you with many names, but you are beyond our imagination, so much greater than our words. We praise you with our lips and with our lives to offer you honour and love, now and always. God most merciful, We confess that we have failed to love fully or forgive wholly. You offer us freedom but we settle for the familiar. You offer us hope but we prefer knowing what will happen next. Teach us to give up cautious faithfulness, so that we can offer you our whole lives, and commit to following Jesus into the future you are creating. Hear the Good News. God’s compassion never fails. God’s loving kindness is steadfast. Know that you are forgiven by the grace of Jesus Christ. Forgive each other and live in peace and harmony. Amen Readings – Ephesians 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46 Hymn129 – The Lord is King Weekly Prayer Faithful God, we give thanks to you for all that you do in our lives. We pray for the gift of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we may get to know you better by serving those who are in need in our world. We remember your sacrifice for us on the cross and come with grateful hearts. Amen Sermon Do you like surprises? Sometimes we enjoy giving someone a surprise, throwing a surprise party, though I must admit that I don’t like being surprised myself. I like to be prepared and know what’s happening. Though on my trip up north last week, I was surprised going out in Elgin that the restaurants were all very busy – a Monday night in November! I was surprised in Dundee at how many young people there were, but then I was in a student area. In our Gospel reading today there is a degree of surprise. Jesus is in his glory and divides the sheep from the goats. Not such as easy task in the Middle East where they do look so alike. Jesus says, I was hungry and you fed me – or not as the case may be. Both those identified as sheep and those named goats are surprised. “Lord, when did we…” and “when didn’t we…” both capture the shock each group expresses when Jesus commends or condemns their behaviour. But what exactly are they surprised by? That they acted either in a righteous way by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting the imprisoned or, on the other hand, in an unrighteous way by neglecting to do the same? No. Neither group denies their behaviour. Rather, they are surprised by their failure to recognize the Son of Man. Or, more to the point, they are surprised by where the Son of Man hangs out. No one expects to see Jesus in the face of the disadvantaged, the poor, the imprisoned, and all those who are in manifest need. Perhaps that’s to be expected. When we think of God, we typically think in terms of power and might and glory and all the rest. And, indeed, the parable begins by describing the coming of the Son of Man in glory to sit on his throne attended by angels, seemingly only reinforcing our preconceptions. But maybe it shouldn’t, as the God we know in Jesus seems to delight in such surprises. After all, God didn’t come to reign over humanity in Athens or Rome or Jerusalem where one would expect God to arrive, but rather God came to identify with us by being born in lowly Bethlehem in the form of a vulnerable infant. And God didn’t come to conquer the world with military or political might, but in the scandal, shame, and pain of the cross. He doesn’t come in conquest but crucifixion. Not in power but in weakness. And so, God continues to come where we least expect God to be: in the plight of the homeless, on the side of the poor, in the face of the needy, and in the company of the imprisoned. He comes to surprise us, disarm us and overturns all our expectations and judgements. Jesus shows us a new kind of kingship where compassion and humility are what matters; and a new kind of kingdom where service is paramount. Jesus showed that compassion and concern for the marginalised throughout his ministry and in this parable calls us to do the same, to see him in the poor and the hungry. Jesus showed his service for others as he suffered the mockery of the soldiers, as he carried the cross through the streets of Jerusalem to be crucified on the same cross, his body broken, his blood shed, all so we might be saved and know fullness of life. We celebrate that at communion today, and we remember that sacrifice Christ made for us. That’s a surprise that God loves us so much he gave his only Son. But the challenge is there too, for as we take the bread and wine, we also realise that we have the responsibility to care for those in need in our world, for in doing so, for Christ is there among them. Someone said that you could draw a line with those who are in on one side and those who are out on the other – Christ would always be on the other side. He continues to surprise us with his inclusive love. Prayers of Dedication and Intercession Generous God, you envision a world where the hungry are fed and strangers are welcomed. We bring you our gifts to put your vision into action. Bless them and the lives they will touch so that the love of Jesus Christ wears a human face again for those who need him in our time. Amen. Lord Jesus Christ, you proclaimed God’s kingdom among us and within us. In the power of the Spirit, your love is always at work, bringing good out of evil and life out of death. We thank you that your love never lets us go, for you have known the good times and the hard times of this life before us. You came as one who was hungry and thirsty. Where people live on the streets today, suffer from hunger, or beg for a meal: Your kingdom come. Your will be done. You came as a stranger in need of welcome. Where people live lonely lives or feel like strangers in a strange land; where people face rejection for the colour of their skin or the language they speak: Your kingdom come. Your will be done. You came as one who was naked. Where people lack enough clothing, shelter, or life’s basic resources; where people live without dignity, exposed to every kind of pain and hardship: Your kingdom come. Your will be done. You came as one who was broken. Where people feel pain in body, mind or spirit; where someone grieves the loss of a beloved or the future they planned; in places where disaster has struck and desperation has moved in: Your kingdom come. Your will be done. You came as one who was in prison. Where people are treated unfairly, targeted or tortured; where justice has failed and people are punished with cruelty: Your kingdom come. Your will be done. Nicene Creed (Hymn 649) Invitation to the Table This is the Lord’s Table. The Lord Jesus invites us to share this joyful feast. From east to west, from north and south, People will come and take their place At the banquet in the kingdom of God. Hymn 19 - Ye gates Communion Hymn 449 – Rejoice the Lord is King Benediction Let us go out as Christ’s hands and feet, sowing seeds of harmony and community, challenging injustice and promoting peace, dancing together in the eternal dance of humanity, united by the love of God and empowered by the Holy Spirit. And may the love of God Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer bless you, along with those we love and those we struggle to love. Now and forever, Amen.
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We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15am).
Call to Worship From the darkness of death, God calls us into glorious light. From the tumult of war God call us into the beauty of peace. Children of light, God calls us today to remembrance. In light and in peace We will remember them. Hymn 161 – O God our help in ages past Prayer of Adoration and Confession God of yesterday, today and forever, You are the God of every generation, and your love endures forever. You have protected us during difficult times, for your compassion is everlasting. In this time of worship, we declare our love and loyalty to you, and offer you our service this day and every day. At this solemn season of Remembrance, we are aware of how much war has cost the world you love. In spite of fighting between nations and neighbours, you have come to us in Jesus Christ and want us to experience life in all its fullness. Renew in us the hope that you will turn our swords into ploughshares and lead the world from the study of war to the promise of peace with justice for all your peoples. God of mercy, with sorrow we confess that in our hearts we keep alive the passions and pride that lead to hatred and war. We are not worthy of your love, nor of the sacrifice made by others on our behalf. Forgive us we pray. Christ died so that we might live. Through his undying love, we have been forgiven. Rejoice in the forgiveness God offers us. Be at peace with God and yourself, and make peace with your neighbours, for Christ’s sake. Lord’s Prayer Will the congregation please stand, if you are able Let us remember the courage, devotion to duty and self-sacrifice of the men and women of the armed forces and the toil, endurance and suffering of those who were not in uniform. Let us remember those who fell in battle, those buried at sea or in some corner of a foreign field; and especially those we have known and loved, whose place is forever in our hearts. Let us remember those who were our enemies, whose homes and hearts are as bereft as ours. Let us remember those who came back; those whose lives bear the scars of war; who have lost sight or limbs or reason; who have lost faith in God and hope for humanity. Let us remember the continuing grace of God, whose love holds all souls in life, and to whom none is dead but all are alive for ever. They shall grow not old As we who are left grow old; Age shall not weary them Nor the years condemn At the going down of the sun And in the morning We shall remember them. (Silence) Readings – Isaiah 25: 1-9 (pg 708) Matthew 5: 38-48 Hymn 192 – All my hope (1,2,5) Weekly Prayer Everlasting God, wash away the wounds of war, violence, and hatred, help us to recognise how blessed Jesus named the peacemakers and to know that if we really wish for a peaceful world we should honestly pray – “Let it begin with me.” Amen Sermon Many people, including schools, have travelled to the war cemeteries in France and Belgium and are moved as they see row after row of graves. If you look at the dates, they are young people who died at the age of 18 and 19 and 20, their whole lives ahead of them, but cruelly cut short. I have never been to Flanders, but I have been to the Commonwealth cemeteries in Gallipoli and Cairo, so ordered and beautifully cared for. Places of peace amid the noise and bustle of the city. Most graves have crosses, but a number have the crescent moon for Muslims or the Star of David for Jews. There was a separate section for Hindus and even those of smaller faith communities like the Parsees. Whenever you look at the rows of tidy graves, you say NEVER AGAIN. Never again the heartache, never again the horrors of war. There is also a Commonwealth war cemetery in Gaza, as two battles were fought there in WW1. Whether bombs have hit it, I don’t know, but certainly around it will be scenes of destruction and of death. At a time we remember the fallen, we are conscious of the terrible war in Ukraine that still goes on, but also the horrendous attack by Hamas on the kibbutzim, the farming communities in Israel, women and children among the casualties but also the subsequent bombing of Gaza. Disease is now rife, and as always the innocent are caught in the middle. George Anton is a Christian living in Gaza. He has three young children, and the family were told to leave their home, as bombs would target their area. They took refuge at the church, which was also damaged, then moved to the Christian centre, just built 4 years ago from money including that from the Carol sheets we use at Christmas. It is a place with trees and space, where Christians are trained and which was on the way to being self-sustaining. The youths were active finding water and food, but now it too has been destroyed. George and his family are now heading south, struggling to find water while the children have diarrhoea. George says, ‘We are incredibly vulnerable. There is no safe place in Gaza. We are under constant fire and are filled with terror and fear’. Will they survive? Leah lives in Israel. She lost a son in a terrorist attack, but has been helped to come to terms with her grief through contact with other families in the same position, including Arab families. They have managed to build bridges, but now her neighbours pick on her because of her friendship with Arabs and make snide comments. It is difficult to remain committed to peace, but Leah is strong and she continues to have a vision of Jews, Moslems and Christians living together. We see that in our reading from Isaiah, a vision of the holy mountain where there was a banquet for ALL people and where the shroud of death covering ALL nations will be destroyed and God will swallow up death and wipe every tear from ALL faces. It is a picture of people from all nations coming together in peace. We need to keep that vision alive. In the American Declaration of Independence, there is the phrase, ‘We hold that these things are self-evident that all men are created equal’. That was expanded in 1848 to be all men and women are created equal, while in his Gettysburg Address in November 1863 Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the emancipation of slaves. They were equal. This led to Martin Luther King’s vision that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed that all are created equal. It is still a problem in Israel where Palestinians are still second class citizens, but even in this country where some are more equal than others. But we need to hold on to the vision of living in harmony. Jesus told us to love our neighbours; he also told us to love our enemies. Often the same people, so GK Chesterton said. Jesus recognised that we do have enemies. People rub us up the wrong way. They are nasty to us, do bad things to us, and we want to lash out, take revenge, pay them back, give them a taste of their own medicine. But we are encouraged to look at them through God’s eyes and to work towards loving them. It can take time, but we persevere. For we remember how Jesus had bad things done to him and was surrounded by enemies who put him on a cross and as he died, he said, ‘Father Forgive them. They know not what they do’. He continues to love. So let us keep our vision of peace alive. Hymn 710 – I had a dream Offering Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession God of all the ages past, hope of years to come We gather in this season of remembrance, grateful that you hold each one of us in your memory and your mystery now and for all the time to come. Today we remember all those who have served to preserve justice and freedom in the wars of the last century, in conflicts of our own generation and in peace keeping and relief efforts around the world, thinking especially of those who have died and those who carry scars on body and soul. We remember their courage and we remember their families who still ache for lives surrendered at great cost. Today we remember the victims of conflict, hiding in forgotten corners of the world, longing for safety and peace; and those seeking refuge among us. We remember victims of violence in our own country, still fearful and uncertain about the future Help us remember to speak out for their protection and recovery. Today we remember all those around us who struggle to remember day by day; those who must cope with the fear of forgetting those who matter most to them and with the fear of being forgotten. Help us remember to reach out in comfort and support so no one is forgotten. Today we remember all those around us who carry on under the burden of sad and hard memories; those weighed down by grief or disappointment, by anger, pain and loss. Help us remember to offer a listening ear and an understanding heart. God of all the ages past, hope of years to come, help us remember you day by day. Keep us prepared to lift up the grace and truth of your Gospel to shine into the harsh and distorted corners of the world so that the world will see we are faithful followers of Jesus. Amen Hymn 159 – Lord for the years Benediction Let us go from this place with minds that never forget, with hearts that grow in hope, with lives that shine Christ’s light. Let us go to serve, to reconcile, to bring peace, and to stand united as children of the light. And may the blessing of God, Creator, Peacemaker, Peacebringer, go with you all, this day and every day. Amen Hymn 703 - National Anthem (v1) We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Linton (11.15am).
Call to Worship Come all you saints, from west and east and from south and north: we come and worship God. Come and worship, find here strength for the journey, forgiveness for failure and inspiration from Jesus our wounded yet triumphant Lord: we come and worship God. Hymn 740 – For all the saints (vv 1-2, 6-8) Prayer of Adoration and Confession O Most High, we come to rest from our labours and offer our praises to You, our Rock, Fortress, and Might. We come to meet You in word and song, movement and silence, knowing You hold us in the silence of Your love. O Incarnate Word, we come to confess Your name, as committed yet muddled disciples. We see Your saints of old, Lord Jesus, and admire their tenacity, faith, and determination to proclaim You despite the cost. Forgive us when we’re distracted disciples, when our faith fails and when our Christianity is compromised, when we’d prefer to flee to ocean’s farthest coast rather than proclaim You as Lord. O Eternal Flame of Love, give us time to change, time to see the world around us, grace to understand what proclaiming Jesus as King of Glory may mean for us now, and time to see the more glorious day that awaits us and all the saints. My friends God is gracious and kind, running with arms stretched wide in welcome when we turn back. Your sins are forgiven, have the grace to forgive yourselves and those who’ve wounded you. Lord’s Prayer Readings - Revelation 7:9-17 Matthew 5:1-12 Hymn 730 – From the falter of breath Weekly Prayer Vulnerable God, you challenge the powers that rule this world through the needy, the compassionate and those who are filled with longing. Make us hunger and thirst to see right prevail, and single-minded in seeking peace: that we may see your face and be satisfied in you, through Jesus Christ. Amen Sermon Hymn 744 -Hark how the adoring hosts Offering Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession Bless the gifts we bring, and inspire our discipleship so that our lives will also witness to your love in Christ’s name. Amen. God of all people, all places and all situations, we come seeking your strength and your direction, to know the comfort of your presence and the energy of your Spirit. You have called us to work towards reconciliation in the world. Help us to live out the ways of your kingdom in your Church and in our lives. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Jesus, you said, “Blessed are the poor”. We pray for those who live on the margins of our community, facing the challenges of low income and the insecurity it brings. Make us generous stewards of the abundance we enjoy so that there will be enough for all. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Jesus, you said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst”. We pray for people and communities facing famine and drought. Give strength to people and agencies dedicated to alleviating misery. Move us to share what we have with those who go hungry. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Christ, you blessed the peacemakers. We pray for those who work for peace and reconciliation in a divided world. Protect those who face violence, persecution, and chaos day by day, and bring an end to hostilities. Move us to serve as mediators and models of forgiveness in our relationships. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Jesus, you blessed those who weep. We pray for those who are dying, and those who mourn their loved ones. We name in silence those on our hearts this day, including those saints who have blessed us in days and years gone by: A time of silence is kept. Keep us united in love with all who rest from life in this world but live with you. God, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Amen Hymn 742 – Rejoice in God’s saints Benediction |