Minister: Katherine Taylor
Organist: Iain Mackinnon
Welcome & Intimations
Call to Worship – (from Psalm 84)
How lovely is the house of the Lord!
We sing for joy to the living God
Happy are those who live in the Lord’s house
The Lord is our sun and our shield
The Lord gives all good things
Happy are those who trust in Him.
Hymn 112 God, whose almighty word
Prayer of Approach ending with the Lord’s Prayer
First Thought
Scriptures: Ephesians 6: 10-20 and John 6: 56-69 Reader, Linda McKee
Sermon – Standing Firm
Hymn 565 My life flows on in endless song
Doxology – spoken together
To God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Spirit, praise be done;
may Christ the Lord upon us pour
the Spirit’s gift for evermore.
Prayer of Dedication for the Offering
Prayers for the World
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Hymn 535 Who would true valour see
Benediction
Closing Voluntary – March from the Occasional Overture. GF Handel (1685-1759)
INTIMATIONS
Sunday Services – Services continue at 11 am. Please remember that some Covid-19 requirements are still in place; please arrive by 10:55 at the latest.
Next Sunday, 29 August, the service will be led by members of the congregation.
Opening the Church -The church building and garden are open to all on Tuesday and Friday mornings between 10 am and 12 noon. Please add your name to the rota in the church vestibule if you are available to help.
Project Ecuador – There is a place for donations to be made on leaving the service to support this project which sponsors children’s education. During the pandemic, children had to stay at home and their high school was unoccupied. Everything has been stolen – from computers to light bulbs- and the teachers have asked for donations to help to re – equip the school.
Today is the last opportunity to donate to this. The total raised by us so far is £334. Many thanks to all who have contributed
Message from Betty Mackenzie – May I say a very warm “thank you” to all those kind friends in North Leith who remembered my birthday last week. I got a card and a lovely bunch of flowers from the Church. I also got many other lovely cards and good wishes from many of you and this is the easiest way thank you all. It is nice to know I am not forgotten after all this time.
My love and best wishes to you all.
Betty
Prayer for this Sunday evening – Visit the Church of Scotland website to hear the prayer
Join in prayer this Sunday in response to the pandemic | The Church of Scotland
“To whom do we turn to find the answers to the many difficult questions that now confront us? The questions of the day are many and there are seldom easy answers to be found. In part, the challenge we face is how to live with the difficult questions whilst continuing to seek honest answers.
“In the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded as having been asked difficult questions to which He then gave honest answers. The consequence of these answers is that some of those who had previously followed Him began to turn back. In turn, Jesus asks His twelve closest disciples if they also wish ‘to go away’. With characteristic boldness, Peter answers: “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life?” (John 6: 68) In following Jesus, we soon discover that many of the difficult questions still remain.
“In continuing to follow Jesus, we recognise by faith that He is the One through whom God reconciles the difficult questions and continues to offer to us the gift of life.”
We pray:
Living God,
Who reconciles all things through Christ,
We come to You
With the questions of the day.
We come that we might find One who will listen
And who will embrace our concerns.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
Who reconciles all things through Christ,
We come to You
To seek answers to the questions of life
And we come in the company of others.
Grant that we may hear You speak amidst the clamour of the day.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
Who reconciles all things through Christ,
We come to You
With the hard questions
And those that defy our attempts to resolve.
Grant us grace to live with the hard questions at this time.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
Who reconciles all things through Christ,
We come to You
For You have the words of eternal life.
Grant us grace to believe
And to know that You are the Holy One of God.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
