Online worship: Sunday 14 June 2020

14th Jun

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

Second Sunday after Pentecost

Welcome

Call to Worship

In the times of trouble, when all seemed hopeless, I cried out to God.
And the Lord heard my pleas and answered me.
When I felt lost and alone, I looked for God.
And God found me and brought me home.
When my life was filled with joy and blessing, I danced and praised God.
And God danced and rejoiced with me. Thanks be to God.

Opening Hymn 166: Lord of all Hopefulness

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

Words: Jan Struther (1901-53)
Tune: Slane

Opening Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

Eternal Spirit of life, in Jesus Christ you revealed the fulfilling potential of love.
Draw close to each of us this day as we offer worship and praise.

We are created in your image, and in Christ we are taught that our potential is only realised by receiving and by giving the gift of love. We are seekers after God, who in our journeying need constantly to be reminded that all around us are signs of your abundant love.

Lord have mercy.

In the strangest of places are you to be found; in the lives and loves, in the pain and the pleasures, in weakness and in strength, in wealth and poverty.

Forgive us if we have looked for you in the wrong places;
forgive us if we have listened to the wrong voices;
forgive us if we have followed the wrong pathways.

Christ have mercy

Touch us by your Spirit and alert us to the wonder and mystery of your love.
Use that power within us and around us, to direct our seeking;
to sharpen our hearing and to follow willingly in the pathway of Jesus of Nazareth.
Continue with us in our worship, blessing us and enabling us by your power to be a blessing to others.

Lord have mercy.

May your Spirit lead our searching,
guide our listening
and keep our feet firmly in the footsteps of Jesus.

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

New Testament Reading Matthew 9:35-10:8 (NRSV)

The Harvest Is Great, the Labourers Few
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.”

The Twelve Apostles
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

The Mission of the Twelve
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.”

Anthem: Think of how God loves you

Think of how God loves you!
He calls you his own children,
And that is what you are.
You have put on Christ; in him you have been baptised.
Alleluia!

Words: 1 John 3 and from the baptismal rite
Music: James MacMillan (b. 1959)

Reflection

Reflective music from Jean Kleeb, Missa Brasileira (2016)

Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te.
Translation:
We praise thee, we bless thee, we adore thee, we glorify thee.

Hymn 533: Will you come and follow me? (verses 1, 2, 4 and 5)

Will you come and follow me
if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown
in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind
if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind
and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare
should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer
in you and you in me?

Will you love the ‘you’ you hide
if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside
and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found
to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound
in you and you in me?

Lord, your summons echoes true
when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you
and never be the same.
In your company I’ll go
where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow
In you and you in me.

Words: John L. Bell and Graham Maule
Tune: Kelvingrove

Prayers of Intercession

God of life-giving love

you meet us when and wherever we are,
not just on Sunday mornings in a grand church building
but here and now in our hearts and in this moment.
We bring our prayers to you now
for others, for ourselves and for our community of faith,
as we try to live out our commitment as your disciples.

God of compassion

we weep with those who weep,
with those who have lost someone special,
with those who are in pain,
with those who are anxious.
We take a moment to bring them to you by name –
may they know your healing touch.

God of justice

when we hear the cry “I cannot breathe”
let us not turn away
but face the full reality of injustice, inequality and cruelty.
May we make space for different voices and different viewpoints
and work together to remake communities
of trust and compassion.

God of wisdom

we give thanks for those who care
who heal, who feed, who teach, who share
and we hold up to you in prayer those in power,
that they may become the leaders we need for this time
of change and renewal.

God of the journey

as lockdown eases
may we reflect on how we are all changed.
We cannot go back to normal
but only forward in faith.
So keeping You at heart of all we think, say and do
be with us as we step into the world in your service.

Hear our prayers, loving God, offered in your name. Amen

Benediction

Leader: We go as individuals
All: to serve as God calls us into a world in need of his co-workers.
Leader: We go as a community
All: to serve as God calls us as living witnesses to the kingdom values of right relations.
Leader: We go as the people of God
All: to be stewards of his generous giving, and to reflect his triune love in all we do and say.

Sung Blessing: The Lord bless you and keep you

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.

Visiting Minister: Rev Matthew Bicket
The Choir of St Andrew’s and St George’s West, directed by Brigitte Harris
Reader: Andrena Crawford
Prayers of Intercession: Alison Bruce and Jane Brown
Vocal ensemble: Eleanor Cozens, Eleanor Wilson, Caitlin McGillivray, Drew Crichton, Tim Cooper, Andrew Carvel
Soloist for Laudamus te: Caitlin McGillivray
Cello: Joanna Stark
Piano accompaniment: Jamie Lang and Drew Crichton
Communications: Alison Bruce and Susan McLarty

The service was produced by Andrew Carvel

Photo: Frances Cooper

Hymns used under licence from CCLI 247862
Streaming licence 351013

St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church of Scotland Edinburgh. Charity SC008990
www.edinburghnewtownchurch.org.uk