Online worship: Sunday 21 June 2020

21st 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:

Third Sunday after Pentecost

Preparing for Worship

‘Until the missing story of ourselves is told,
Nothing but told can suffice us.
We shall go on quietly craving it.’

Laura Riding

Call to Worship

Sisters and brothers, will we take the risk
of seeing our world through the eyes of God?
With God’s help we will.

Will we so believe in the grace of God that
we can dare to feel the longings of others
mingled with our own frailty?
With God’s help we will.

In Jesus we see a God
who reaches out with healing hands to make us whole.
Thanks be to God!

Let us worship in spirit and in truth.

Hymn: I owe my Lord a morning song

I owe my Lord a morning song
for God has made this day.
Through fears of night and hidden light
God moves and wills my way.

I owe my Lord a morning song
for Jesus rose at dawn;
He made death die and would not lie
that others might live on.

I owe my Lord a morning song;
the spirit gave me voice,
nor did she force my soul to praise
but honoured me with choice.

I owe my Lord a morning song.
How can I help but sing
when God is all in all, and I
am one with everything?

Words: John Bell
Tune: Stracathro

Prayer of Approach, Confession, and Assurance of Pardon

Loving Father, we come to worship you this morning,
still unable to be together in our church building,
but very much together in spirit as we have been these past weeks.
Help us to bring to you our whole attention, so that we may hear you speaking to us, and, when we have heard, help us to obey.

We come to you seeking your help in the great need of your suffering world, but, nevertheless we are overwhelmed by the wonder of your creation, inspired by the mysteries of life, and amazed by the beauty of your world.

We are grateful for all your gifts – the gift of life, the gift of love, the gift of technology which enables us to worship in this way, undreamt of three months ago, and for your so many other gifts. Let us never forget all you have given us.

We are conscious that, during this past week, we have again failed to live up to the example of your Son Jesus Christ in many ways. We act in ways we shouldn’t and also fail to act in ways we should.
We have wasted your gifts and have not always been able to fulfil the promise of our lives. We know, and you know, how we have let ourselves and you down. Help us to do better in the days to come.

We confess all this and our great need of your love. Yet, we believe if we confess our sins you will welcome us with a smile and forgive us. Renew us and give us new hope. Thank you for your forgiveness so we may live as those who know they are forgiven.

And now we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us:

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

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 139: 1-10, 23-24

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
You hem me in, behind and before
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Anthem: Down to the river to pray

As I went down in the river to pray
studying about that good ol’ way
and who shall wear the starry crown.
Good Lord, show me the way.
Oh, sisters, let’s go down,
let’s go down, come on down,
down in the river to pray.

Words: Traditional
Music: arr. Philip Lawson

New Testament Reading: Romans 6: 1b-11 (NRSV)

Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Hymn 694: Brother, sister, let me serve you (verses 1 and 2)

Brother, sister, let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.

We are pilgrims on a journey,
and companions on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.

Reflection

Hymn 694: (verses 3 and 4)

I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping;
when you laugh I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow
till we’ve seen this journey through.

Prayers of Intercession

Lord, you are always with us. We thank you that we can bring to you the thoughts and concerns that fill our hearts.
We pray for those who find it hard to understand the changes in their lives. For young children missing their grandparents and friends, for people with dementia, especially those separated from their families.

We pray for those who are anxious looking ahead – for those whose education has been disrupted, and who are worrying how it will affect their future. For people who have built up a business, and see its future in doubt. For all whose livelihoods are at risk. We pray for those waiting for operations, worried about going into hospital, but anxious too about delay.

We pray for all who are carers – in hospitals and care homes and at home, and for all the volunteers giving their time and care in the community.
And we pray for all who have lost someone close to them. We particularly remember those in our church family who are suffering loss.

Loving God, Hear our prayer

We pray for your church throughout the world. Though we can’t be together in person, we can be together in spirit. We pray for wisdom for our leaders, working towards a new way of being the church for all generations.

We pray for the work of Bethany, and for the hundreds of homeless people in Edinburgh who have been given shelter during lockdown, for those who have been rehomed as a result, and for the opportunity we have as a church to feed homeless people.

Loving God, hear our prayer

We pray for our political leaders, wrestling with the precarious balance between saving lives and preventing economic collapse. Give them wisdom, we pray, so that political divisions are replaced by a will to work together for the good of the whole nation.

We remember the scientists and researchers who are devoting time and expertise to manage the virus, and to find a vaccine.

Loving God, hear our prayer

Help us to hear the voices of the marginalised throughout the world.
We know that we are all equal in your sight. Help us to respect each other, whatever our differences, and to work toward a truly just society where opportunity and respect is equal for all. We pray that we can all learn from history and move forward together with hope for lasting change.

Loving God, hear our prayer

Help us each day to see light coming through darkness, as we’ve learned to help each other, as we’ve got to know our neighbours better, and as we’ve learned new skills and new technology to keep in touch, though we thank you that we don’t need Zoom to communicate with you.
Help us to see that as the sun rises each day, so you are always with us; that even if we are isolated, we are not alone, and that you hear our prayers.
Amen

Hymn 694: (verses 5 and 6)

When we sing to God in heaven
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together
of Christ’s love and agony.

Brother, sister, let me serve you,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.

Words: Richard A. M. Gillard (b. 1953)
Tune: Servant Song

Benediction

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
abide with you this day and evermore. Amen.

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.

Minister: Rosie Magee
Director of Music: Brigitte Harris
Opening Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer: James Crerar
Old Testament Reader: Pam Russell,
New Testament Reader: George Russell
Prayers of Intercession: Dorothy and Alastair Mackenzie
The Choir of St Andrew’s and St George’s West
Vocal ensemble: Eleanor Cozens, Eleanor Wilson, Caitlin McGillivray, Tim Cooper,
Drew Crichton and Andrew Carvel
Communications: Alison Bruce and Susan McLarty
Service edited and produced by Andrew Carvel

Photograph: Frances Cooper

Hymn 694 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