Newhaven, North Leith, and South Leith Parish Churches Joint Service
Minister: Rev Peter Bluett
Music: Iain Mackinnon, Organist, and combined Music Group
Theme: What is God like?
Welcome and Intimations
Call to Worship
(from Iona Abbey Worship Book) An affirmation from South Africa
Minister: It is not true that this world and its inhabitants are doomed to die and be lost
Congregation: This is true: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him shall not die, but have eternal life.
Minister: It is not true that violence and hatred shall have the last word, and that war and destruction have come to stay forever;
Congregation: This is true: for to us a child is born, to us a son is given, in whom authority will rest, and whose name will be Prince of Peace.
Minister: It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil that seek to rule the world;
Congregation: This is true: To me is given authority in heaven and on earth, and, lo, I am with you always;
Minister: It is not true that we have to wait for those who are especially gifted, who are the prophets of the Church before we can do anything;
Congregation: This is true: I will pour out my Spirit on all people, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young people shall
True worshippers will worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
Hymn 160 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven
1. Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
to his feet thy tribute bring;
ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
who like me his praise should sing?
Praise him! Praise him!
Praise the everlasting King.
2. Praise him for his grace and favour
to our fathers in distress.
praise him, still the same forever,
slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Praise him! Praise him!
glorious in his faithfulness.
3. Father-like he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows;
in his hands he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes:
Praise him! Praise him!
widely as his mercy flows.
4. Frail as summer’s flower we flourish;
blows the wind and it is gone;
but, while mortals rise and perish,
God endures unchanging on.
Praise him! Praise him!
Praise the high eternal One.
5. Angels, help us to adore him;
ye behold him face to face;
sun and moon, bow down before him;
dwellers all in time and space.
Praise him! Praise him!
Praise with us the God of grace.
Prayer of Approach and Lord’s Prayer Karen McKay
First Thoughts – Communication Gavin Booth
Hymn 641 Seek ye first the kingdom of God
1 Seek ye first the kingdom of God
and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you;
allelu, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 Ask, and it shall be given unto you;
seek, and ye shall find;.
knock, and the door shall be opened unto you;
allelu, alleluiah.
3 You shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord;
allelu, alleluiah.
Scripture Readings: Psalm 30 and John 4: 7-11 – Diane Ratcliffe
Sermon
Hymn 528 Make me a channel of your peace
1 Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love;
where there is injury, your pardon, Lord;
and where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved, as to love with all my soul.
2 Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope;
where there is darkness, only light;
and where there’s sadness, ever joy.
3 Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
in giving of ourselves that we receive;
and in dying that we’re born to eternal life.
Doxology – spoken together
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Hymn 519 Love divine, all loves excelling (Tune: Blaenwern, 468)
1 Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
2 Come, almighty to deliver;
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
3 Finish then thy new creation:
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee,
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Benediction and Threefold Amen
Closing Voluntary – Prelude in A Minor. JS Bach (1685-1750)
INTIMATIONS
Sunday Services: North Leith welcomes all, and especially congregational members from Newhaven and South Leith, to today’s joint service led by Rev Peter Bluett. Please join us for tea/coffee in the hall after the service.
Next Sunday, 2 October, will be North Leith’s Harvest Thanksgiving service and will be led by Rev Dr Jessie Fubara- Manuel.
Gifts of non-perishable food will be accepted for the Food Bank; gifts of money will be sent to Christian Aid’s East Africa Hunger Crisis Appeal.
Messy Church: Leith St Andrew’s and St Margaret’s Restalrig are starting up Messy Church again. This will run monthly and the first session will be today, Sunday 25th September, from 4-6pm in the Easter Road Hall at Leith St Andrew’s Church.
Messy Church is an all age, child friendly, hands on time of celebration, eating together and activities of all sorts for all the family. It’s particularly suitable for families with primary school aged children. Please do pass this on to anyone you think might be interested.
Newhaven church also runs a Messy Church, the most recent of which was on Friday evening past.
Kirk Session Meeting: Following the postponement of the North Leith September Kirk Session meeting, the Session will meet on Wednesday, 28 September, at 7.30pm in the Session House.
