Online worship: Sunday 26 July 2020

26th Jul

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:

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Preparing for Worship

Hidden God
whose wisdom compels our love
and unsettles our values;
fill us with desire
to search for her truth,
that we may transform the world
becoming fools for her sake,
through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Janet Morley

Welcome

Call to Worship Spill the Beans

The Kingdom of God is…
within us all.
The Kingdom of God is…
found in the most surprising of places.
The Kingdom of God is…
hidden in the everyday things of life.
The Kingdom of God is…
small but very precious.
The Kingdom of God is…
here and now.
Let us worship God
who reigns over the Kingdom with love.

Hymn 189 Be still for the presence of the Lord

Be still, for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One, is here;
Come bow before him now with reverence and fear
In him no sin is found, we stand on holy ground.
Be still, for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One, is here.

Be still, for the glory of the Lord is shining all around;
He burns with holy fire, with splendour he is crowned:
How awesome is the sight, our radiant King of light!
Be still, for the glory of the Lord is shining all around.

Be still, for the power of the Lord is moving in this place;
He comes to cleanse and heal, to minister His grace:
No work too hard for him, in faith receive from him;
Be still, for the power of the Lord is moving in this place.

Words and Music: David J Evans (b. 1957)

Opening Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

Most wonderful God,
we want to worship you with all that we have and are.
Let your Spirit move in our hearts and minds,
so that we focus our whole being on you.
You are always teaching us more about ourselves and about you.
Help us always be open to discovering new ways of seeing,
and new ways of serving you.
For nothing is hidden from you, and nothing is foreign.
You know and embrace the ordinary times and the extraordinary times.

Lord, forgive us
when we seek to operate out of our own strength, rather than relying on yours,
when we seek our own will rather than yours,
and when we get distracted by voices other than yours. (pause)
Remind us that your grace is more than sufficient.
May we seek to lighten one another’s burden however we can:
by connecting, by listening, by being the neighbours you invite us to be.
May we bear one another’s burdens and share one another’s grief.
And, in time, may we rejoice together in your love.

In the midst of uncertainty and anxiety,
may we see you quietly at work, calling us to follow.
The way ahead may be unfamiliar
but you assure us that you are with us and will never leave us.
May that assurance strengthen us
to continue to step out in faith,
holding the Christ light for one another,
knowing that you go before us, ever leading us towards your kingdom.

Hear us now as we pray together the prayer our Saviour taught saying:
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 13:31-33, 44-52 (NRSV)

He [Jesus] put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Anthem: Sanctus Clemens non Papa (ca 1575-1659)

Reflection

Hymn 141 Oh, the life of the world

Oh, the life of the world is a joy and a treasure,
unfolding in beauty the green-growing tree,
the changing of seasons in mountain and valley,
the stars and the bright restless sea.

Oh, the life of the world is a fountain of goodness
overflowing in labour and passion and pain,
in the sound of the city and the silence of wisdom,
in the birth of a child once again.

Oh, the life of the world is the source of our healing.
It rises in laughter and wells up in song;
it springs from the care of the poor and the broken
and refreshes where justice is strong.

So give thanks for the life and give love to the Maker,
and rejoice in the gift of the bright risen Son,
and walk in the peace and the power of the Spirit
till the days of our living are done.

Words: Kathryn Galloway (b. 1952)

Prayers of Intercession

Lord Jesus Christ,
how thankful we are that you consider us to be your children;
You assure us that nothing can separate us from your love.
Lord, sustain all who seek to make you known across our world.
May people see
your love and your call.

God of love and compassion,
We pray for all who seek to make a difference in the lives of others.
Be with carers and counsellors, medics and mediators,
be with those with listening ears and those with caring hands,
be with those who are weary or laid low.
We name before you now those you have laid on our hearts… (silence)
May people see
your love and your call.

God of justice and peace,
we pray for all who seek peace with justice.
Be with the politician and the protester,
the activist and the pacifist,
the vocal and the silent.
We pray for our sisters and brothers in Malawi and in South Sudan.
We pray for the ongoing work of Amnesty International and Christian Aid.
May people see
your love and your call.

Hear us and help us to see you in this day.
Help us make your love known this day and every day,
for you are the treasure,
the pearl beyond all price,
and you promise to bring the kingdom of heaven out of what is old and what is new.
Most loving God, we pray knowing that you are already doing things far beyond our capacity to understand or imagine.
Give us eyes to see,
through Christ Jesus, our persistent Saviour,
in whose name we ask and act. Amen.

Benediction

Take the smallest seed
and produce life.
Add yeast to the bread of life
and it will grow.
Find the hidden treasure in your life,
invest all you have in living for God.
Cast wide your net
and haul in the catch.

All these blessings and more are yours
from God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
there for you today and always. 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
Opening Prayer: Wendy Davidson
Reader: Johanna MacLeod
Prayers of Intercession: Carolyn Scott
The Choir of St Andrew’s and St George’s West, directed by Brigitte Harris
Vocal ensemble: Eleanor Cozens, Eleanor Wilson, Caitlin McGillivray, Drew Crichton, Andrew Carvel
Piano accompaniment: Jamie Lang and Eleanor Cozens
Communications: Alison Bruce and Susan McLarty
Service produced by Andrew Carvel

Photograph: Pixabay
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