 Welcome to our services at Yetholm (10am) and at Morebattle (11.15). Trish Gentry will lead our services.
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 Welcome to our services at Yetholm (10am), where we have the Kirking of the Bari Gadgi and Bari Manushi, and Morebattle (11.15). We also welcome any visitors and encourage you to sign our visitors’ book and stay for refreshments.
Call to Worship Hymn 212 – Morning has broken Prayer of Adoration/ Confession Lord’s Prayer Reflection 1 Readings – 1 Samuel 8: 4-11, 16-20 Mark 3: 20-35 Hymn 530 – One more step Reflection 2 Hymn 710 – I have a dream Dedication of Offering / Prayers of Intercession Hymn 476 – Mine eyes have seen the glory Benediction  Welcome to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Linton (11.15). We also welcome any visitors and encourage you to sign our visitors’ book and stay for refreshments
Call to Worship Come! Celebrate God's creation! We come, created wonderfully by God. Come! Ready to hear God's voice. We come, with open ears and hearts. Come to worship the God of light. We come, open to the extraordinary power of God! Hymn 166 – Lord of all hopefulness Prayer of Adoration/ Confession Readings – Psalm 139: 1-18 Mark 2: 23- 3: 6 Hymn 96 – You are before me, Lord Weekly Prayer Heavenly Father wherever we see nature’s beauty or daily miracles, help us to see your hand at work and thank you for the grace to live and enjoy it to the full. We thank you that although you have searched us and know us, you still love us with an everlasting love. Truly your thoughts are precious to each one of us. Amen Sermon Hymn 596 - Breathe on me, breath of God Prayers of Dedication & Intercession Hymn 594 – Come, Holy Spirit, come Benediction  We welcome Rev. Norman Smith, Presbytery Clerk, who is leading our worship today. We also welcome any visitors and encourage you to sign our visitors’ book.
Call to Worship Hymn 111 – Holy, holy, holy Prayer of Adoration/ Confession/ Lord’s Prayer All-age chat Reading – John 3: 1-17 Hymn 189 – Be still for the presence of the Lord Weekly Prayer We raise our prayers : To God the Father, who first loved us, and made us in His own image; To God the Son who loved us, and washed away our Sins in his own Blood; To God the Holy Spirit, who spreads the Love of God abroad in our hearts. May the word of Christ dwell richly in our hearts and knit us together in the bond of your love. Amen Sermon Hymn 483 – Father of heaven whose love profound Dedication of Offering / Prayers of Intercession Hymn 110 – To God be the glory Benediction  This Sunday we have a united service at 11am, held at the Rustads’ garden at Yetholm Hall. All very welcome. There will be communion and also a picnic after as we celebrate the birthday of the Church. Please note that there will be NO services in either Yetholm Kirk or Morebattle Kirk.
Practicalities: there will be some chairs, but it would help if you bring your own, along with a picnic lunch. There is some parking, but those who are able should park on the Main Street of Town Yetholm and walk the short distance (last house on left as you exit Yetholm in the Kelso direction). Notices
Order of Service Call to Worship I will pour out my spirit on all flesh Your sons and your daughters will prophesy Your old shall dream dreams Your young shall see visions Even on my servants, male and female In these days I will pour out my spirit. Hymn 582- O day of joy and wonder Prayer of Adoration and Confession Talk 1- Birds of Pentecost SGP 13 – Bind us together Readings – Acts 2: 1-13 (Pg 1093) John 16:5-15 (Pg 1084) Weekly Prayer Mighty God, we pray for your church which daily gathers to praise you and to hear your holy word. Holy Spirit we ask that you will guide us into all truth and help us to live out your message of forgiveness and salvation to all our friends and neighbours. Amen Talk 2 – Communicating God’s love SGP 102 – The Spirit lives to set us free Prayers of Dedication & Intercession Hymn 600 – Spirit of God unseen as the wind Communion Hymn 622 – We sing a love Benediction  We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15) on the Ascension/ Christian Aid Sunday.
Call to Worship Our God has ascended with a mighty shout. The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring! Come, let’s sing praise to God together, for our God is sovereign over all the earth! Hymn 436 – Christ triumphant Prayer of Adoration/ Confession/Lord’s Prayer Readings – Acts 1: 1-11 (Pg 1092) Luke 24:44-53 (Pg 1062) Hymn 543 – Longing for light Weekly Prayer Holy God, open our minds and help us understand the scriptures as we anticipate your return. Send us out into the world today mindful that as witnesses, we should make you known wherever we are with acts of faith, hope and love. Amen Sermon Hymn 544 – When I needed a neighbour Prayers of Dedication & Intercession God whose love endures forever, Hear our prayer. Hymn 441 – Blessing and honour Benediction  We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Linton (11.15) on the Sixth Sunday of Easter.
Call to Worship Let us sing to the Lord a new song, for God has done marvellous things. Let us make known the Lord’s victory, for God’s steadfast love covers the whole earth. Let us sing joyful praises, and join all creation to worship God’s holy name. Hymn 184 – Sing to the lord a joyful song Prayer of Adoration/ Confession/Lord’s Prayer Readings – Acts 10: 44-48 (Pg 1105) John 15: 9-17 (Pg 1083) Hymn 357 – This is my will Weekly Prayer Faithful God, your Son Jesus Christ gave us a new commandment, of love for each other and so we ask you to teach us to love you in our neighbours that by serving them we might also serve you. Amen Sermon Hymn 522 – The Church is wherever Prayers of Dedication & Intercession Hymn 680 – You are called to tell the story Benediction  We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15) on the Fifth Sunday of Easter.
Like spring breaking through winter’s power, God’s power breaks into our lives Like the vine that supports blossom and fruit, God’s Word upholds the church in strength. Let us worship God who makes all things new. We will praise God who brings renewal Hymn 424 – Blest be the everlasting God Prayer of Adoration, Confession, Lord’s Prayer Readings – Acts 8: 26-40 (Pg 1101) John 15: 1-8 (Pg 1083) Hymn 604 – Holy wisdom, lamp of learning Weekly Prayer Father God, help us to use our influence to bring peace, joy and fun into people’s lives. As branches of the true vine, help us to always remain in you, bearing much fruit as your disciples. Amen Sermon Hymn 421 – Our Lord Christ is risen Prayers of Dedication & Intercession Hymn 513 – Courage brother Benediction  We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15) on the Fourth Sunday of Easter.
Call to Worship Jesus said, I am the Good Shepherd. We have come to follow him. We gather in the name of he leads us by still waters. We have come to be restored in him. He prepares a banquet for us. We have come to be fed by his love, so let us worship God. Hymn 16 – The Lord’s my shepherd Prayer of Adoration and Confession Loving God, our shepherd, guide and giver of life. You nourish our lives and lead us into green pastures. You restore our souls with rest and peace. You give us joy so our lives overflows with goodness and grace. You walk with us through the darkest valleys, offering us courage and compassion. At all times and in all circumstances, you are with us, Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit, so we praise you, Holy One, here and now, now and always. God of mercy, You lead us into green pastures, but our lifestyles put those pastures at risk. You offer us rest, but we like to pursue our goals, whatever the cost to the earth or our health. You call us to show compassion, but we are quick to judge others. Forgive us and humble us to live with respect in creation. Jesus said, Come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Friends, let us know ourselves loved and forgiven. Lord’s Prayer Readings – Acts 4: 5-12 (Pg 1095) John 10: 11-18 (Pg 1076) Hymn 409 – Jesus is risen. Alleluia Weekly Prayer Everlasting God, we ask that you would bless us here at Cheviot Churches with vision for the future and reverence for the past. Thank you for Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd as the ultimate model of leadership and salvation. Help us each day to bear witness to your name and to do your bidding, always mindful of your amazing love for us. Amen Sermon Driving from Yetholm to Morebattle last Sunday, I came to the top of Primside Brae, and before me lay the landscape of field and farm and hills. It was a gorgeous clear day, and in the distance was a flock of sheep being herded by shepherds. Except, being the 21st Century, the shepherds were on little buggies, darting here and there. And yet it was such a timeless scene -of sheep being cared for. Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, when every year we look at John’s Gospel, when Jesus says, ‘I am the Good Shepherd’. It is an incredibly comforting image, and always has been. Some of the earliest statues and paintings in Christian art, going back to the time the early Christians hid in the catacombs of Rome to hold their secret worship, were of Jesus with a sheep round his shoulders. The reason why this image is so beloved can be found in our reading today. The good shepherd knows the sheep, and the sheep know the shepherd, and John contrasts this with the hired hands, who are just doing a job, getting the pay, but are not invested in, not devoted to, the flock. We sang the 23rd Psalm earlier, and again it gives a wonderful picture of the shepherd, guiding the sheep to green pastures and streams where there is more of a chance of grass – not easy to find in Palestine. The shepherd wants the best for the sheep. The shepherd is there at good times, but also at bad times, ready to be with the sheep even at dangerous times. Even in the valley of the shadow of death, the shepherd will be there alongside the sheep. In John’s Gospel, the shepherd is ready to lay down his life for the sheep; ready to defend them against the dangers of robbers or wild beasts, such is the shepherd’s commitment. We see, of course, Jesus as the one who knows and who loves us, who knows even the hairs on our head and who is committed to us. We see Jesus as the one committed to the point of laying down his life for us on the cross of Calvary. We see Jesus as embodying the shepherd in the 23rd Psalm and who is the Good Shepherd. But it is interesting that the shepherd in Psalm 23 is the one doing everything. The shepherd guides and provides, accompanies and prepares. The flock are passive, being the recipients. There is something comforting about being looked after. Yet as God’s people we are also called to be the shepherds ourselves; we are called to look after one another, to encourage and support, even to the point of self-sacrifice. Yesterday we held our retreat on Holy Island. It is a sacred place associated with the saints down the ages. When Oswald became King of Northumbria in 634, he invited monks from Iona to come to convert his people, and Corman was sent. But he was abrasive and alienated the people. He wasn’t a shepherd, but Aiden was sent in his place. Aiden was a shepherd and drew alongside the people, encouraging them and showing a life of love and self-sacrifice. When Aiden died, Cuthbert, who was a shepherd looking after sheep, saw a vision, which prompted him to enter the monastery of Melrose. He again lived a life of service and hospitality, going out to visit the sick and uncared for, drawing them in. In turn he became bishop in Holy Island, caring for the people but also creation. We are cared for by the Good Shepherd, but we are also called to care for others. But there is also an intriguing verse in this passage in John, where Jesus says he has sheep in other folds. It catches us out, for what does it mean? Who does it mean? We are good at setting limits around God’s love. We feel we are qualified in determining who is in and who is out, who is included and who is excluded, who is going to heaven and who is going to hell. But then a verse like this pops up to shatter our complacency. God surprises us. Traditionally it is taken to mean the Gentiles, for in the early church, Philip encountered the Ethiopian eunuch, and he was included. Peter encounters Cornelius the Roman centurion, and he is included. Paul encounters Lydia, the business woman dealing in purple dye, and she is included. Slaves and woman and all sorts of people on the fringes of society are included. But even today God continues to surprise us with who is included within God’s love. The Good Shepherd cares for all the sheep and knows them all by name. We are challenged to consider who doesn’t feel part of the church and assure them that all are welcome in this place. Hymn 355 – You Lord are both lamb and shepherd. Prayers of Dedication & Intercession Living God accept these our offerings. Grant that they may go where we can’t go, that they may reach where we cannot reach, that they may do what we cannot do. Use them to strengthen Your Church and advance Your kingdom here where we are and far beyond for Jesus’ sake. Gracious and loving God, as a shepherd cares for the flock, so you care for each one of us. Move in our hearts and minds, our congregations and communities, and lead us to care for one another for the sake of Jesus, our Good Shepherd. Jesus you are the good shepherd hear our prayers for all who shepherd others in troubled times. Guide and strengthen leaders of nations and organisations; lead them in the ways of integrity and justice to strive for peace and freedom for all. Be with all who offer care to others at home, at work and in the Church and inspire all caregivers to serve with love and compassion. When we feel weary and disillusioned draw us close to your loving heart and restore our souls. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Jesus, you lay down your life for your sheep. Be with all who have lost loved ones at the hand of another and with those who feel as though they are walking through the valley of the shadow of death – in Gaza and Israel, In Ukraine Send your loving mercy on them, that they may not lose hope. In places of political tension bring your calming spirit and let the voices of restraint carry weight. Grant that all who hunger for bread may receive what they need and those who hunger and thirst for justice may see it come soon. Lead us, the people of your flock, in the way that leads to abundant life for ourselves and those in other folds. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Jesus, you desire that there should be one flock with one shepherd. We hold before you someone we know who feels on the outside, who yearns to be known and to belong. Give us your desire to break down barriers and to build bridges to connect with those who are different to us. In times of enmity and conflict between nations and peoples we pray for your blessing on those who seek to bring people of different faiths together in mutual love and respect. Strengthen the work of all who strive for unity and understanding and help us to be peacemakers in the places where we live and work. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. God our Shield and Defender, thank you for staying with us when we face danger or death. We pray for all those who live in fear: prisoners, exiles and refugees, victims of oppression, racism, and hatred, and those who face the threat of violence day after day.Be their steady companion and source of courage. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Jesus, loving shepherd, you know each of us by name, you find us when we are lost, your goodness and mercy follow us our whole life long. Hear us as we now name in silence the deepest longings and prayers of our hearts, for ourselves and our loved ones…. Lord, bring us to the place you have prepared for us at your banquet table, where our cup overflows with divine grace – even now. Amen. (@United Reformed Church - The Revd Camilla Veitch ) Hymn 702 – Lord in love and perfect wisdom Benediction  We welcome everyone to our services at Yetholm (10am) and Morebattle (11.15) on the Third Sunday of Easter.
Call to Worship What can bring us Joy? The love of God among us What can bring us peace? The justice of God around us Open our minds to the Scriptures Open our eyes to Jesus in our midst Hymn 413 – The day of resurrection Prayer of Adoration and Confession God our Maker, We praise you for all the wonders in your creation: For the detailed perfection revealed in a baby’s tiny fingers, tulips raising their heads to greet the spring, the delight of new-born lambs in the field. Such details lift our hearts to praise you. So let the life, teaching and resurrection of the Risen Christ lift and instruct our hearts this day, that we may greet a new week as an occasion to discover him in our midst, making all things new in the springtime of your Holy Spirit. We do not claim to understand resurrection but we trust in you, O God and in your son, Jesus. Our human minds are prone to doubt, forgive us Lord God, for those times we allow ourselves to give into those thoughts. We fear the cost to ourselves for faith and service, forgive us when we fail to choose the right path. Strengthen our resolve to believe, chase away all fear and give us courage to take up our cross and follow where Jesus leads. In the name of the risen one Lord’s Prayer Readings – Acts 3: 12-19 (Pg 1095) Luke 24: 36-48 (Pg 1062) Hymn 425 – The Saviour died and rose again Weekly Prayer Gracious God, we thank you that your Son Jesus Christ stands among us, and we have seen the marks of your saving love. Breathe on us with the power of your Holy Spirit and send us out to share the peace of Christ with all who may cross our paths in the days and weeks ahead. Amen Sermon First impressions are important. At interviews, you dress up well and hope that you give a good impression. At social events, again you are conscious of how you look. You want to present yourself well. But first impressions can be dodgy, for we can jump to conclusions that are not always accurate. Apparently when Jane Austen wrote her book, ’Pride & Prejudice’ she had first considered naming it ‘First Impressions’, because both main characters jumped to the wrong, rather negative, conclusions about the other. Their own prejudices came into play, and that affected how they viewed the other. We can have first impressions, but often the passing of time would confirm or deny how accurate they were. Our Gospel reading today is Luke’s take on the story that was read last week from John, about Jesus appearing to the disciples after his resurrection. They are gathered together, trying to process the news they had just heard. Two of their number had been trudging home to Emmaus, and a stranger had walked beside them encouraging them with Scripture and then when they sat down to a meal together, the scales had fallen from their eyes, and they recognised Jesus as he broke bread. They had rushed back to share this news. The disciples were still doubtful, for how could someone come back to life again. Jesus was dead, executed on the cross, laid in the tomb. And that is when Jesus came and stood among them. Here is how one writer imagined the scene: We were so slow to get it. When I look back at what happened now, I cannot understand why we were so slow on the uptake. But we were, we disciples, the chosen eleven, as we were by now, Judas Iscariot departed. We should have been the first to understand, but it felt like we were the last. The women came to us with messages from the tomb, unlikely messages, we thought, and we were still trying to process what we had witnessed ourselves of that empty tomb, then our friends came bursting in having walked all the way to Emmaus and back again! Yet some of us just stared at each other confusion and uncertainty, unable to grasp what was obvious to others. Have you ever heard the word, “Eureka”? I’ve heard the Greeks use it, down in the market place, they say it comes from Archimedes of Syracuse, some fellow good with numbers, I’m not so sure about that, but I love the word! It is perfect for how I felt that day, when suddenly the stories, the rumours, it all came crashing in on me as the reality of what was happening came to life, right in front of us. “Eureka!” Not content with chatting, showing us his scars, he then started scoffing our fish. We stared in wonder, fearful at first, then with that kind of elation that overwhelms you. “Eureka!” Was it a Eureka moment? First impressions – they thought Jesus was somehow a ghost. Now it wouldn’t be the first time they thought this – when he walked on the water, the Gospel writers say they thought it was a ghost. But Jesus immediately dispels this, by inviting the disciples to touch his wounds and indeed by scoffing their fish. Can a ghost eat, after all? Maybe that is when the penny dropped. Maybe that is when they had their Eureka moment. What do we see here? We see that the resurrected Jesus still bore the marks of his crucifixion. That is important, as it is a sign that he is the wounded healer, the one who has gone through what we go through, even death itself. In the Kelvingrove Art gallery there is the famous Dali painting of the Christ of St John of the Cross, a picture of Jesus on the cross. It was controversial because the marks of suffering were not there. We need to know that Christ has been through death. By his suffering we are healed. The second point is that Jesus appeared to the disciples when they were together. It was when they were in community that Jesus appeared, and community was so important in the early church. Together they were encouraged and together they became strong. Their experience of the Risen Jesus transformed them, so that only a short time after, the disciples like Peter and John were able to heal the lame man and to testify, as we read in the passage from Acts. It is a community which is no longer afraid. Here is a community that knows what it’s about. Here is a community where the weaker members in need were helped. Here is a community where the peace of Christ has both taken root and energised them in unity, proclamation, and compassion. Here is a community which is growing. Here is a community where people could testify to the power of Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus strengthened them in community. Some think they can worship God alone, no need for church, yet it is in community we grow in faith. But there is a third point to the passage – Jesus commissioned them to be witnesses. To testify to the Risen Lord. And they did, and by doing so they turned the world upside down, they turned from being a handful of frightened people to becoming the main faith community in the Roman Empire, so that all across the world, people gather in Christ’s name. We are witnesses today. Let us value our community here in Cheviot Churches and within the world church, and let us be a people ready to witness by word and by example. I will close with a quotation from the American writer, Madelaine L’Engle, ‘We draw people to Christ, not by loudly discrediting what they believe, but by showing them a light so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it'. We can be that light and draw people to Christ. Hymn 416 – Christ is alive! Prayers of Dedication & Intercession God our Maker, you have filled the world with so much abundance. We offer our gifts to you, knowing they are part of your abundance. Bless them and use them to bring hope and new life in Christ’s name to a world that so badly needs these gifts. Amen God our Maker, Source of Easter power and hope, we pray for our broken world. We pray for children and young people who must think about the future in uncertain times, facing threats old and new. Give them hope rooted in the knowledge that their lives matter to you. Show them how to make a difference in the world, whatever threats they face as they grow. We pray for people for whom age or experience, illness or disability create barriers to full participation in your world. Surround each one in pain or despair with your comfort and renew in each one a sense of dignity and purpose. Show them how much they matter to you and to us. We remember the places of war and conflict in our world, we pray for the people of Israel longing for security and their place in the sun, and for the people of Gaza, bombed, starved, and abused, longing for a ceasefire, hoping the world will not turn its back, as they yearn for security and nationhood in their land. We pray for the people of Russia, too often manipulated, and we pray too for the people of Ukraine, longing for peace and security, both applauded and ignored by the world, We pray for all those facing grief and any kind of loss. Give them strength and comfort. We pray for communities challenged by forces beyond their control: natural disaster and environmental threats, conflict and violence, economic hardship. Give courage to those facing these challenges, and wisdom to those who lead, so that wellbeing may be restored and hope for the future prevail. As signs of spring emerge, we pray for your creation, for creatures losing habitat and unique species at risk, for oceans clogged with plastic. Silence Amen Hymn 405 – We sing the praise Benediction |
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