Welcome to our Guests The staff and congregation of Laurinburg Presbyterian Church welcome you to our church and to this service. We hope you find it uplifting and our members friendly. If you are seeking worship and fellowship just for today, thank you for celebrating with us. But, if you are searching for a new church community, we wish to respond in whatever manner will suit you best. Our services are open to all, and we will welcome you when and if you return. If you would like more information about participating more fully in the life of Laurinburg Presbyterian Church or have questions or needs to which we may respond, please call the church office (276-0831, x. 301). On this special day, we gather for the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan Service. “Kirk” is Scottish for Church, usually referring to the Church of Scotland. However, this service and ceremony, although based on Scottish history, legend and folklore, are of American origin. More details of the history and legends are found in the “Programme Notes” portion of this bulletin. John Knox, the Scottish Reformer, studied under John Calvin (1509-1564), the father of Presbyterianism, in Geneva in the 1500’s. Upon returning to Scotland, Knox wrote the first Book of Church Order and established the first Presbyterian Churches there. The Church then spread to Ireland. The immigrants from Scotland and Ireland brought the Presbyterian Church to America. The Scots Confession of 1560 has been referred to as the Charter of the Church of Scotland and of world Presbyterianism. The Scottish Parliament, at the conclusion of the civil war, invited John Knox and five colleagues to prepare a Confession of Faith for the church. It was the first Reformed Confession in the English language. Perhaps no symbol is more associated with the Scottish tradition than the colorful Highland dress. The tartan is an old tradition with many references to it in early Scottish literature. The ancient tartan was described as “chequered” or “striped” or “sundrei coloured.” For many centuries, tartans formed part of the everyday dress of the Highland people. It was there in Scotland that its use continued and developed until it became recognized as a symbol of clan kinship. Today we celebrate the olden Scots’ love of scripture, unwavering faith, devotion to their Kirk, persistence, and strong independence by proudly displaying the tartans to the stirring sounds of the pipes. These tartans, the playing of the pipes, the singing of psalms, and this special service of worship and praise are dedicated to the One, True, Triune, and Living God. We remember our Scottish ancestors’ struggle to affirm and to establish that our Lord Jesus Christ alone is the Head of the Kirk. On behalf of all of Scottish descent among us, these tartans are presented before Almighty God, seeking His blessings upon these colors and the clans they represent, as well as upon the entire “Clann Dia,” which is the Gaelic for all the “Children of God,” or all humankind. SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY The Fifth Sunday in Lent March 21, 2021 Eleven o’clock Thoughts for Reflection O God of life, who chooses creation over chaos and new beginnings over emptiness, we bring to you the disorder of our nations and world and the emptiness of our lives and relationships. Bless us and the nations with the grace of creativity. Bless us and all people with the hope of new beginnings . --J. Philip Newell, Celtic Treasure: Daily Scripture and Prayer , (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 2005) 10. The Iona Community is a Christian ecumenical community working for peace and social justice, rebuilding of community and the renewal of worship. It is one of the oldest and most important religious centers in Western Europe, recognized as the founding place for Christianity in the Western world. The Iona Abbey, built in 564, was a focal point for the spread of Christianity throughout Scotland. Processional Music Battle of the Somme/The Heights of Dargai Pipers Bill Caudill, Daniel Caudill American Flag Ed O’Neal Christian Flag Celeste McRae St. Andrews Flag Richard Mabry Red Rampant Lion Flag Richard Massey Crucifer (Bearing The Celtic Cross) John Clark Beadle (Bearing The Holy Scriptures) Bill Purcell, II Clergy (Bearing the Clergy Tartan) Dr. Sue Hudson Bearing the Family Tartans Participants WE GATHER IN GOD’S NAME The Blessing of the Congregation Edna Ann Loftus We thank you, God, for your Word which has ordained a rich heritage of faith and sacrifice from our ancestors: from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to David, so onward to the incarnation of Jesus Christ, to the establishment of his church: our brothers and sisters in Christ everywhere. Never let us forget that a heritage of faith is a joy to be shared. Bless us that we may be a blessing, O Lord. Thank you, O God, for the blessing of family; the warmth, comfort, and security of family love. Never let us forget that our family love is a gift to be shared, that the stranger may be as welcome as the sister or brother. Bless us that we may be a blessing, O Lord. We praise you, O God, for those who have lived and died in Christ that we might have the freedom to dwell in a community of faith. Never let us forget that the days of sacrifice are not yet over, that we, too, have lives to live in faith. Bless us that we may be a blessing, O Lord. On behalf of all clans, families, and nations, we stand before God in gratitude for our heritage, and we pray God’s blessing on His beloved children in all lands. We proclaim that we are all united in the covenant of Jesus Christ, for there is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God of us all. The Welcome and Announcements Dr. Sue Hudson The Call for the Community to Gather (Psalm 100) Edna Ann Loftus Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness; come into God’s presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God. It is God who made us, and we are his. We are God’s people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter the Lord’s gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to God, bless his holy name. For the Lord is good; God’s steadfast love endures forever. God’s faithfulness is to all generations. Praise the Lord! *Congregational Hymn From Highland Peaks Dr. Mary Louise (Mel) Bringle, nationally known hymnologist and former professor of religion at St. Andrews and former member of our chancel choir, was commissioned to compose this hymn for Laurinburg Presbyterian Church on the occasion of the church’s celebration of its 150th anniversary in 2009. It was first sung by our congregation on Sunday morning September 20, 2009 during the 150th celebratory worship service. Call to Reconciliation Dr. Sue Hudson Join me in imitating all who have gone before us, who trusted that if they spoke of their misdeeds and hollow hearts, God would not only hear them, but forgive them. Let us pray together our litany of confession and ever-present grace. *A Litany of Confession and Ever-Present Grace (Adapted from Scottish Reformer John Knox’s Liturgy of 1560) Almighty God, we have sinned against you. And yet, O Lord, as we acknowledge our sins, so also do we acknowledge you to be a merciful God, a loving God, to all who turn to you. And so, we humbly ask you, for the sake of Christ your Son, to show mercy to us. Forgive the sins of our youth, and the sins of our old age. By your Spirit, O God, take possession of our hearts, so that, not only the actions of our lives, but also the words of our mouths, may be guided and governed by you. Through Jesus the Christ, we pray. Amen. The Assurance of Pardon Hear and believe the Good News: The Lord is present to all who call upon him! God will hear their cry, and will save them. In Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven. *The Sharing of Christ’s Peace and Compassion Dr. Sue Hudson WE PROCLAIM GOD’S WORD The Prayer for Illumination (John Calvin) Chris Rhue O Lord, heavenly Father, in whom is the fullness of light and wisdom, enlighten our minds by your Holy Spirit, and give us grace to receive your Word with reverence and humility, without which no one can understand your truth. Amen. The Morning’s Lesson Jeremiah 31:31-34 Chris Rhue The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the LORD,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.