Online Worship: Palm/Passion Sunday 5 April

4th Apr

Welcome! Please click on the play button (the triangle) in the sound file above to listen to worship from St Andrew’s and St George’s West, Edinburgh. You can download a PDF of today’s Order of Service here or just follow it below.

Welcome

Hymn 212 Morning has broken

Morning has broken like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning,
Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word!

Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dewfall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight; mine is the morning,
Born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God’s re-creation of the new day!

Words by Eleanor Farjeon. Music: Bunessan, Gaelic Folk melody

Opening Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

Friends, God has given us another day for love and compassion. God waits for our prayers sung, spoken and silent.So now, in Christ’s Spirit, let us draw near to God in prayer. Let us pray.

Holy God, you come to us in Jesus, as a poor man riding on a donkey; there will certainly be no parades in the streets today; no sound of ‘hosannas’ ringing out across the Meadows. In fact, it’s hard to know what day it is.

It is Sunday, isn’t it?

The days can all blur into one with the absence of events that usually punctuate our calendars.
So, we come to you thankful that, yes, this is the Sabbath; a day designed to be different, a day when, whatever we are doing, or not doing, we lift our eyes more intently to you, our sole purpose, in this moment, to worship you together.

We thank you that, through your Spirit, we all join equally in this service of worship; that those speaking and singing are the prompters, signposts, liberating our spirits to fly free, through love of you, or, better said, to fly free through your love of us.

Eternal God, may our worship be sincere. Help us to be faithful, rather than fickle, as this Holy week unfolds. Grant us your forgiving love, and your strength to try again when we fail you.

God of hope, help us to honour you every day, so that we may experience in our everyday living the eternal reign of Jesus in the new Jerusalem. We pray in the name of the one whom we follow, as we share the words he shared with his closest friends:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us in the time of trial and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen

The Peace

Jesus says: ‘Peace I leave with you;
My peace I give you.
Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid.’
The peace of Christ be with you all.

Readings

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 131, A Song of Quiet Trust (NRSV)
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,  my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvellous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like the weaned child that is with me. O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.

New Testament Reading: Philippians 2:5-11, Imitating Christ’s Humility
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Hymn 96: You are before me, God, you are behind

You are before me, God, you are behind,
And over me you have spread out your hand;
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
Too high to grasp, too great to understand.

If I should take my flight into the dawn,
If I should dwell on ocean’s farthest shore,
Your mighty hand will rest upon me still,
And your right hand will guard me evermore.

Words from Psalm 139 Music: Alfred Morton Smith (1879-1971)

Meditation by Rev Dr Rosie Magee

Hymn 374 From heaven you came, helpless babe

From heaven you came, helpless babe,
entered our world, your glory veiled;
not to be served but to serve,
and give your life that we might live.
This is our God, the Servant King
he calls us now to follow him,
to bring our lives as a daily offering
of worship to the Servant King.

There in the garden of tears,
my heavy load he chose to bear;
His heart with sorrow was torn, ‘
Yet not my will but yours,’ he said.
This is our God, the Servant King
he calls us now to follow him,
to bring our lives as a daily offering
of worship to the Servant King.

Come see his hands and his feet,
the scars that speak of sacrifice,
hands that flung stars into space
to cruel nails surrendered.
This is our God, the Servant King
he calls us now to follow him,
to bring our lives as a daily offering
of worship to the Servant King.

So let us learn how to serve,
and in our lives enthrone him;
each other’s needs to prefer,
for it is Christ we’re serving.
This is our God, the Servant King
he calls us now to follow him,
to bring our lives as a daily offering
of worship to the Servant King.

Prayers of the People

Responses are marked in bold (from Sebastian Temple’s setting of the Prayer of St Francis, at Hymn 528)

Ever present and loving God, we turn to you with prayers for our uncertain and anxious world.
As a church family we seek your strength for this COVID-19 journey, whatever it may hold for each one of us, for all whom we love, and for all whom only You know by name.
We pray especially for those who find constant news bulletins overwhelming; those in higher risk categories; those who are homeless; and all who literally have nowhere to turn. We long for all to trust fully in You, and for Your light to be a constant guide.

Make me a channel of your peace; where there is hatred let me bring your love.

As a church family constrained by space, we turn to you Lord, remembering all who are vulnerable and unable to leave their homes; all who must isolate in challenging situations and strained relationships; and all who suffer from confinement within 4 walls. We pray that they will be sustained by the touch of your healing hands.

Make me a channel of your peace; where there is hatred let me bring your love.

As a church family restricted by regulation we turn to you Lord, praying for all separated by necessity from loved ones, particularly from those nearing death in hospital; those denied a funeral for their loved ones; those struggling to balance the pressures of home- working with home-schooling; and those who may lose their livelihood. May we remember that each statistic represents a life, and may each person feel the comfort and depth of Your unending love.

Make me a channel of your peace; where there is hatred let me bring your love.

Lord, we know the richness of the blessings You have bestowed upon us. Each new day we witness wonderful examples of people called to serve the needs of others, many in imaginative and creative ways. We offer our gratitude to NHS staff and people in front-line roles working tirelessly to provide care and maintain key services; all in positions of power striving to make decisions and legislation; and all ‘behind-the-scenes’ staff who will never make the headlines. We pray for their continued safety and stamina.
Hear these our prayers Lord, as we place our hope in You now and always, firm in the knowledge of Your ongoing promise of eternal life and love.

Make me a channel of your peace,
where there is hatred let me bring your love;
where there is injury, your pardon Lord;
and where there’s doubt, true faith in You.
Amen

Benediction

Sung Blessing

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Credits

Worship led by Rev Dr Rosie Magee
Reading by Jane Brown
Prayers of the People by Pat McKerrow, led by Jimmy Campbell
Vocal ensemble: Caitlin McGillivray, Eleanor Cozens, Drew Crichton, Andrew Carvel

Piano: Drew Crichton and Eleanor Cozens
Recording edited by Andrew Carvel

Hymns used under licence from CCLI.
St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church of Scotland Edinburgh. Charity SC008990 www.edinburghnewtownchurch.org.uk