1

Hello! There will not be a service delivered in a paper form until the week beginning 13th. I am on holiday for a fortnight, Blessings Robert 29th August 2021

Psalm 84-1-4

How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she 2

may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all And also with you

Opening response

All we bring today is part of ourselves, Lord, our words, your wisdom born in us; our song, your song alive in us; this is who we are today and we long to see who you will yet make us be.

A period of silence

Prayer

God of creation, whose creative power and love are seen in the beauty, the majesty, the wonder of the heavens and the earth we praise you for each act of creation which tells of your glory and witnesses to your love. We praise you for summer days; for the long sunlit hours; for the vibrant colours, and heady scents, of the summer flowers that assail our senses. We praise you for days of rest and recreation; time to set aside the normal activities of our lives; to enjoy the beauty of the natural world, to inspire us, to renew us, to refresh us. We pray that through the beauty and wonder which surrounds us our spirits will be lifted, and our physical and mental health restored after so many months of 3

hardship, anxiety, fear and despair. Lord Jesus Christ, you came to bring us new life, and sent the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into your people, encouraging and equipping them for the service of your kingdom. We pray that, as we look to the beauty and wonder of creation for days of rest and recreation, we can turn to you that through the Holy Spirit’s presence we will be given all we need to live full lives, to serve you, to see around us the evidence of your love, and to receive that new life which you have promised. God - the Creator, the Redeemer, the Enabler help us to walk more closely with you; willing to follow where you lead; trusting in you for the future; looking to you for the present in the knowledge that in all things, at all times and in all places, we are held in your love. Amen

Looking Back: Ecumenical Event at Butlin's Friday August 6

‘Chapel of Unity’ Dedicated

THE popularity of the holiday camp at the Heads of Ayr increases year by year; and it was a fine act by Sir William Butlin to erect an inter-denominational church there – the first permanent ecclesiastical building on any of his camp sites. The chapel, which cost £80,000 to put up, is in an advantageous position facing the sea.

It was dedicated by the Most Rev Francis Moncrieff, Primus of the Episcopal Church in Scotland; the Rev of New College preached the sermon; and other clergy from the Roman Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church and the were in attendance.

At a subsequent reception in the camp, Sir William revealed the fact that between 30 and 40 Church conferences are held in Butlin camps each year.

198- ”Let us build a house where love can dwell”

‘Let us build a house’. Marty Haugen’s inspired words are now part of the core body of hymns known in our churches. It celebrates the church but also calls us to be a better, truer church, where the message, the love, the hope of the gospel is expressed in a multiplicity of ways. If your congregation haven’t sung it yet, and you have a choir or singing group, let them (or a soloist) sing the verses and all the people affirm the very simple chorus, ‘All are welcome’.

4

Let Us Build A House 3 Jun 2016 257 12 SHARE SAVE

Hymn Channel 6.37K subscribers

Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live, a place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive; built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace; here the love of Christ shall end divisions:

All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.

2 Let us build a house where prophets speak, and words are strong and true, where all God's children dare to seek to dream God's reign anew. Here the cross shall stand as witness and as symbol of God's grace; here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:

3 Let us build a house where love is found in water, wine and wheat: a banquet hall on holy ground, where peace and justice meet. Here the love of God, through Jesus, is revealed in time and space, as we share in Christ the feast that frees us:

4 Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone to heal and strengthen, serve and teach, and live the Word they've known. Here the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God's face; let us bring an end to fear and danger:

5 Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard and loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word. Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace, let this house proclaim from floor to rafter.

James 1:17-27

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfilment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 5

Hearing and Doing the Word

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore, rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, ongoing away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.

If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

'A Big Part In My Life'

Monday August 9

Teenager Abbie Hair from Port Glasgow explains why she wants to become a member of the Church of Scotland.

MY name is Abbie Hair, and I am 17 years old. I attend Port Glasgow New Parish Church in Inverclyde and I have been a part of the church my whole life. I was christened in the church when I was three years old along with my brother who was only a few months old at the time. At this time, my church was called St Andrew’s Church. Last year St Andrew’s Church merged with St Martin’s Church and formed Port Glasgow New Parish Church.

My church has played a big part in my life and through my many years of attending I have met so many amazing and kind people as well as having so many opportunities within it.

I also attend 1st Port Glasgow Girls’ Brigade which is linked to the church and have gone through Explorers, Juniors and Brigaders and I am now moving on to train to be an officer in the company. I am also going to become a member of 6

our church when things go back to somewhat ‘normal’ and I am really looking forward to it, as becoming a member means I can have more involvement in our church and different things that happen within it.

Growing up a Christian, I was always proud to say I attend church every Sunday and attend Girls’ Brigade on a Thursday night. In primary school, there were only two out of 30 of us in the class that attended church, and our classmates would always be interested in what we had done in church and what we spoke about.

As one of the only church attenders, I was interested in what other people’s views and beliefs were and was always keen to listen to what everyone else was saying.

I quickly realised that not everyone had the same beliefs and that no-one’s beliefs were wrong. Everyone was accepting of each other’s beliefs which made it easier for everyone to talk about them as a group.

The last year has been very strange to us all to say the least and to me, it has been even stranger not attending church, but watching the services online.

Our minister, the Rev William Boyle, started live streaming our church services on Facebook and YouTube last year at the start of the pandemic. Along with my mum, I have watched all services on Facebook, and they have been very enjoyable.

It has been very strange not being in the church for services and instead, watching them from home but as they are all online, it also means that a larger group of people can tune into the services and can also watch them later on in the day if they want to re-watch or were unable to watch the service live in the morning

600-“Spirit of God unseen as the wind”

A lovely hymn set to a Hebridean melody which sees the Holy Spirit as our teacher and celebrates ‘the written word’ through which the Spirit may speak.

SKYE BOAT SONG SPIRIT OF GOD 26 Nov 2012 157 8 SHARE SAVE

HIMaachen 28.4K subscribers

7

Spirit of God, unseen as the wind, Gentle as is the wind; teach us the truth and help us believe show us the Saviours love.

1/ You spoke to us long, long ago, gave us the written word; we read it still , needing its truth, through it Gods voice is heard. Chorus

2/ Without your help we fail our Lord, we cannot live his way; we need your power, we need your strength, following Christ each day. Chorus

Easter Prayer

Monday April 5

We are Good Friday people, shocked and stunned by the death of One who loved us with a love we had never dared to expect. Amazed that you have given Heaven’s Son to die for us, and before us God who has navigated death. The place we’ve never been and so much dread Cancel our fear, remind us of our hope, the freedom and ‘It is finished’ You have won for us. Let your grace fill us to overflowing with the unique refreshment of total forgiveness We are Holy Saturday people, waiting and in limbo with doors locked for fear, we weary disciples wonder what to say, how to pray, as day bleeds into empty day, God, we are disorientated,we are less than our full selves. See us in our depletion please be patient with our addled minds and tongues that can’t quite find the words We are Easter Sunday people Astonished and delighted by the news We declare it, announce it, herald it: ‘Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!’ God, let this truth ring out for eternal change Let a weary world hear it, receive it, process it, believe it, let this nation know that God is bigger than any virus, life wins, love wins, Christ wins, God wins! God, may Easter joy revive a jaded world Let defiant jubilation resound from your people! Let death be mocked and life take off! May the words of the risen Christ Permeate every disciple’s heart and mind and spill out in every corner of the land ‘Peace be with you!’ Amen

8

Reflection

The Coronavirus Diaries: The Mission of the Church Has Not Changed

Wednesday September 2 2020

Sandra Reis is General Secretary of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of

Portugal

In the local cemetery, I was facing 10 people crying in front of the casket.

Their pain was overflowing. Not only because of their loved one’s death, but because of an illness present elsewhere, this wife, mother, grandmother, died alone in the hospital, and now all of the people I was facing were crying alone. No family, no friends, no neighbours were there sharing their grief - the rules say that only 10 people are allowed at funerals. At a distance, two old women, with flowers in their hands were trying to go unnoticed, as they cried for their lifetime friend. Everyone felt the cruelty of death and was feeling alone. 9

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we live as human beings: how we bury our dead, how we care for our elderly, how we educate the new generation, how we act as human beings.

Life goes on, and nowadays it almost seems natural not to see each other’s faces, to assume that today someone will have died from Covid, no hugging, no handshakes… but the void is growing inside of us.

On Sundays, churches are filled with people wearing masks, doubt, and anxiety.

What is our mission? In this world that has changed in just months, has the mission of the church changed as well? Not really. The mission has not changed: time with God has not been cancelled. Prayer for the sick is not prohibited. The contact with friends and family remains just a phone call away. Helping others is still available and with no limits. Feeding the hungry is allowed. Being a Church, living in faith and gratitude is not prohibited. So here we are, fighting the good fight. In a different world, but with the same mission:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (Luke 4: 18-19) As I was writing these words, I remembered an old hymn I once heard in a Church of Scotland Assembly. These old words are crucial to face this new era:

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me, save that thou art. Thou my best thought, by day or by night; waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

The Coronavirus Diaries: 'The Air is Clear'

Wednesday May 13 2020 10

The Rev Kate McDonald reports from the Holy Land, where the lockdown is beginning to ease but people are still wary

In any other year, this is the time when the Sea of Galilee’s beaches would begin to fill with caravans and tents, and local hotels would be fully booked. Smoke from dozens of barbecues would be hanging like a fog around the shores. The disco boat would be sending its music echoing off the Golan cliffs as it travels around the lake. The main roads would be at near standstill as sunbathers and water-sports enthusiasts flock to Tiberias and the kibbutzim of the Galilee. But this year, the beaches are empty and hotels are closed. The air is clear. The disco boat remains moored in silence. And until last week, traffic was practically non-existent.

As Covid-19 began its spread here in Israel, the government acted earlier than many other countries, closing its borders to foreign nationals, restricting businesses, and imposing limits on movement within the country. At the time of writing, Israel has ‘only’ had 16,400 cases and 254 deaths, and in the last 24 hours, fewer than 20 new cases were reported. Now the restrictions are slowly starting to ease. Many shops are beginning to open again, some of the younger students are back in school, and people are once again allowed to travel freely around the country. Though people seem happy to no longer be restricted to their homes, there is still a sense of wariness and concern that we may quickly face another wave of infections, possibly worse than the first. The parts of the West Bank under Palestinian Authority control have also been in lockdown since early March when the first cases of Covid-19 were found in Bethlehem, and the PA has extended the state of emergency until June 4. Around 525 cases have been recorded, and four people have died. Gaza has also thus far managed to avoid a wide outbreak of the virus with only 20 people infected and no deaths. The only cases found have been in those in the quarantine facilities and they have been quickly isolated. The spread of Covid-19 would be catastrophic for the population there, most of whom live in densely populated areas, with limited access to clean water, and a health care system already on the brink of collapse. Though the virus seems to have been largely contained for now, the measures taken to contain it have created a multitude of other issues. Those working in the tourism and pilgrimage industry have been particularly impacted, and our partner Wi’am in Bethlehem has seen a spike in requests for food aid from families of Christian tour guides whose main source of income is now gone. Other partners such as B’tselem, Physicians for Human Rights, and WhoProfits have expressed concerns that while the world’s attention is focused on preventing the spread of the virus, we are witnessing a rise in settler violence against Palestinians, unsafe and crowded housing provided by employers for 11

Palestinians temporarily staying in Israel for work, and heightened forms of surveillance in the name of public safety. When I think of the past couple of months, the word that often comes to mind is ‘apocalyptic’ — not in the sense of an end-times destruction, though it has felt like that walking through the empty streets of Tiberias some days — but ‘apocalyptic’ in the sense of uncovering, unveiling. This virus is revealing to us injustices and inequalities already present in our global economy as it disproportionately affects the poorest in our society. It is revealing to us those whose work is most needed to keep our communities running, many of whom are underpaid and under-appreciated. But it is also revealing to us what we most fear, what we most cherish, what we most hope for. So, I pray that in this time, we may also know God’s desire for a flourishing world being revealed to us.

As I look out the window at the sun dancing on the Sea of Galilee, I hear the hymn:

In simple trust like theirs who heard beside the Syrian sea the gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, without a word rise up and follow thee.

In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

710-“I have a dream, a man once said” (Repton)

‘I have a dream’. Here is a wonderfully comprehensive vision of the world we would like to see, one that stirs in the Gospel as it points to a new Kingdom, but it needs more dreamers to strengthen its approach.

"I Have A Dream," A Man Once Said (Repton) - Grand Piano 22 Jan 2018 21 0 SHARE SAVE

Chad Hilman Piano Cover By Chad Hilman / Tune: Repton - Sir. C. H. H. Parry

12

1/ I have a dream, a man once said, where all is perfect peace; where men and woman black and white, stand hand in hand, and all untie in freedom and in love.

2/ But in this world of bitter strife the dream can often fade; reality seems dark as night, we catch but glimpses of the light Christ sheds on humankind.

3/ Fierce persecution, war and hate are raging everywhere; God calls us now to pay the price through struggles and through sacrifice of standing for the right.

4/ So dream the dreams and sing the songs, but never be content; for thoughts and words don’t ease the pain: unless there’s action, all is vain; faith proves itself in deeds.

5/ Lord, give us vision, make us strong, help us to do your will; don’t let us rest until we see your love throughout humanity uniting us in peace

The last line of each verse is repeated.

Intercession Prayer

May we find space, unfilled with yesterday, and left empty for tomorrow; may we find poetry unwritten and waiting, for lines not yet voiced; may we find silence unhurried and hopeful, for what is still to be imagined; may we find time, unclaimed and eager, for our dogma to be reframed; may we find truth, unbiased and abiding in what pandemics reveal about us; may we find faith, unafraid and daring, to guide us on the way; in such times as these, where a creative saviour invites tomorrow, and dares us to follow; and holy words are cast in what is yet to be; and sacred stories speak in unfamiliar ways for this unfamiliar time; and the kingdom calls us to prepare, be ready, and newly imagine ourselves, our church, our communities; may we find you, O God, unbound and resurrected, in this new moment of faith.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen

Life and Work Sunday

13

Life and Work: The Magazine of the Church of Scotland

If there is one individual who can be said to have shaped the Church of Scotland of the 20th century, it is probably the minister and theologian Archibald Charteris (1835-1908).

Charteris, Moderator of the General Assembly in 1892, was instrumental in the founding of the Guild, restoring the office of Deaconess in the Church, and helping to establish the national social care initiative that would evolve into the Social Care Council (CrossReach).

And in amongst all that, he found time to start a magazine.

Charteris, and his Committee on Christian Life and Work, identified that there was a demand for a distinctively Scottish Christian magazine for ministers to circulate in their parishes, complaining that the many English publications were ‘very nearly unintelligible to the untravelled Scot’.

The General Assembly of May 1878 was persuaded, and eight months later Life and Work was born. Later editors would recall that the new publication faced scepticism and even ridicule from elements of the Church establishment but, distributed through the parish churches with a supplement for local news, Life and Work quickly became part of the furniture and - with the exception of a two-month break because of a printer’s strike in 1959 – it has published monthly ever since. Typically, Charteris handed over the editorship and moved on to his next project after a year, but by then he had established the template that in many ways remains to this day: news of the Church at local, national and international level, commentary on the key issues of the day from a Scottish Christian perspective, spiritual guidance and Bible study, interviews and profiles of key figures within the Church. At the union with the United Free Church of Scotland in 1929, the churches’ magazines merged too, becoming ‘Life and Work: the Record of the Church of Scotland’. Colour started to appear on the covers of the 1950s, and the magazine eventually went full colour in 1996.

With the editor answerable only to the General Assembly for the content of the magazine, Life and Work has never been a conventional ‘in-house’ publication or the mouthpiece of the Church hierarchy. Instead, it has been positioned as a critical friend: always wanting the best for the organisation, but free to publish negative opinion or to stray outside the official line. With the coming of the internet, it moved online, firstly on Facebook and Twitter and then with the launch of www.lifeandwork.org, which offers up-to-date news, exclusive features and extracts from the magazine. You can now also read the whole magazine in digital form. 14

But however, you choose to read, Life and Work remains an essential news source and platform for discussion for the whole Church.

A Prayer for Life and Work Sunday (Written by The Very Rev Dr Derek Browning) Let us pray

Ever-Present God You are our life. You are the One Who, from the chaos of creation called us into being, shaping who and what we are. You are the artist and the architect. You are the poet and the musician. You bring colour and form, words and harmony into the world where we live, And the lives that we live. Ever-Active God, with You we work: To bring peace and justice, to bring comfort and blessing into the world where we live. In partnership with You and with others, we shape and reshape our world to make it a place where all are welcome, and all find a place to be safe. There is life to be lived; There is work to be done; For life continues to refresh around us each day, and work continues to unfold in the vision You give us and, in the dreams, we have for what our world and our communities might yet be. God of life, God of work, blend these twin realities for us, that in our living and in our working, we may honour You, and follow You, and change this world, to Your unending glory. Amen

The Lords my Shepherd- Stuart Townend

The Lord's My Shepherd - Stuart Townend 2 Nov 2012 15K 923 SHARE SAVE

Trinity Fellowship The Lord's My Shepherd (Psalm 23) by Stuart Townend

Verse 1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want; He makes me lie in pastures green. He leads me by the still, still waters, His goodness restores my soul.

Chorus And I will trust in You alone, And I will trust in You alone, For Your endless mercy follows me, Your goodness will lead me home.

Verse 2 He guides my ways in righteousness, And He anoints my head with oil, 15

And my cup, it overflows with joy,I feast on His pure delights.

Verse 3 And though I walk the darkest path,I will not fear the evil one, For You are with me, and Your rod and staff Are the comfort I need to know. Benediction

As we go from this space, give us eyes to see afresh the beauty of relationship, give us ears that are quick to listen, give us mouths that are slow to speak, give us hands whose actions are compassionate, give us feet to walk only with You, and give us a heart to know and share the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that the whole world may be transformed. Three- fold Amen

This service has been taken from the “Live and Work” to show people some of the articles you can read if you order “Life and Work today.”

Life and Work Sunday

Life and Work – an appreciation

Within the Church of Scotland, it is easy to be proud of the fact that we are Presbyterian, when actually, many of us, whether we are aware of it or not, are in fact Congregationalist! For most of the time our focus is on our congregation, our minister and our building. There is nothing wrong with taking the local seriously. Indeed, if we don’t the danger is that we become spectators rather than participants. But we shouldn’t stop there. We can be immeasurably enriched as we learn more about other churches, their stories, insights and experience. We can support them in prayer and other ways when they face challenges. We can learn from them and be inspired by them as they take opportunities to do new things or things in a new way. One of the best ways of learning about the churches that make up the Church of Scotland is by reading Life & Work. Monthly through the post or electronically, and more frequently on social media, it helps its readers to feel part of something bigger than the local church. The articles range over a number of areas. We can read reports on what has been going on or briefings about what is going to happen soon. We are given cameos on places and people 16

within our church or who have taken their faith into the public arena. Issues are discussed and insights given on aspects of the faith. The letters from the reader’s page reminds us how seriously people take their faith and how passionately they feel about it. I have found over the years that it has enlarged my understanding of the Church I am glad to serve. It is given me material to reflect on that shows the width of our Church. There has been a warmth in it which has meant that I have felt included “as part of the family.” It has helped me keep in touch. It has made me not only part of a Church of Scotland congregation but part of the Church of Scotland.

Very Rev Colin A M Sinclair Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 2019

Life and Work is the magazine of the Church of Scotland

During this challenging period, Life and Work is committed to helping keep our Christian community connected. The magazine will continue to be published as normal and distributed to our loyal readers. If you need to contact our team please email editorial enquiries to [email protected] or all other enquiries to [email protected]. Any updates will be published here and also on our Facebook and Twitter pages

17

Life and Work Sunday Special offer

To celebrate Life and Work Sunday and support the magazine of the Church of Scotland we are offering new subscribers the choice of two money saving subscription offers.

Annual PRINT Subscription Buy 12 issues for the price of 10 and pay ONLY £30 Purchase and save at www.lifeandwork.org/subscribe using promotion code LWS2021

Annual DIGITAL Subscription Receive 34% OFF when you buy 12 issues and pay ONLY £13.99 Purchase and save at https://pktmags.com/lwspromo Promotions valid until 30 September 2021

29th August 2021 18

Psalm 84-1-4

How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all And also with you

Opening response 19

All we bring today is part of ourselves, Lord, our words, your wisdom born in us; our song, your song alive in us; this is who we are today and we long to see who you will yet make us be.

A period of silence

Prayer

Story - Looking Back: Ecumenical Event At Butlin's

198-” Let us build a house where love can dwell” Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live, a place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive; built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace; here the love of Christ shall end divisions: All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.

2 Let us build a house where prophets speak, and words are strong and true, where all God's children dare to seek to dream God's reign anew. Here the cross shall stand as witness and as symbol of God's grace; here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:

3 Let us build a house where love is found in water, wine and wheat: a banquet hall on holy ground, where peace and justice meet. Here the love of God, through Jesus, is revealed in time and space, as we share in Christ the feast that frees us:

4 Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone to heal and strengthen, serve and teach, and live the Word they've known. Here the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God's face; let us bring an end to fear and danger:

5 Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard and loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word. Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace, let this house proclaim from floor to rafter: 20

James 1:17-27

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfilment of his own purpose, he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing the Word

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore, rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, ongoing away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing. If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world

'A Big Part In My Life'

600-“Spirit of God unseen as the wind”

Spirit of God, unseen as the wind, Gentle as is the wind; teach us the truth and help us believe show us the Saviours love.

1/ You spoke to us long, long ago, gave us the written word; we read it still , needing its truth, through it Gods voice is heard. Chorus

2/ Without your help we fail our Lord, we cannot live his way; we need your power, we need your strength, following Christ each day. Chorus

An Easter Prayer

Reflection

“The Mission of the Church Has Not Changed” / 'The Air is Clear' 21

710-“I have a dream, a man once said” (Repton)

1/ I have a dream, a man once said, where all is perfect peace; where men and woman black and white, stand hand in hand, and all united in freedom and in love.

2/ But in this world of bitter strife the dream can often fade; reality seems dark as night; we catch but glimpses of the light Christ sheds on humankind.

3/ Fierce persecution, war and hate are raging everywhere; God calls us now to pay the price through struggles and through sacrifice of standing for the right.

4/ So dream the dreams and sing the songs, but never be content; for thoughts and words don’t ease the pain: unless there’s action, all is vain; faith proves itself in deeds.

5/ Lord, give us vision, make us strong, help us to do your will; don’t let us rest until we see your love throughout humanity uniting us in peace (The last line of each verse is repeated).

Intercession Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen

The Lords my Shepherd- Stuart Townend

Verse 1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want; He makes me lie in pastures green. He leads me by the still, still waters, His goodness restores my soul.

Chorus And I will trust in You alone, And I will trust in You alone, For Your endless mercy follows me, Your goodness will lead me home.

Verse 2 He guides my ways in righteousness, And He anoints my head with oil, And my cup, it overflows with joy,I feast on His pure delights.

Verse 3 And though I walk the darkest path, I will not fear the evil one, For You are with me, and Your rod and staff Are the comfort I need to know. Benediction / Three- fold Amen

22