Minister: Katherine Taylor
Organist: Iain Mackinnon
Welcome and Intimations
Call to Worship – (Psalm 146: verses 1-6)
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever.
Hymn 93 Let us with a gladsome mind
Prayer of Approach ending with the Lord’s Prayer
First Thought
Hymn 685 For everyone born a place at the table
Scriptures: James 2:1-10 and 14-17 and Mark 7: 24-37 – Beryl Curlett
Sermon – Plain Speaking
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 237 Look forward in faith
Benediction
Threefold Amen
Closing Voluntary – Blessing Honour Glory and Power. Louis Spohr (1784-1859)
Picture Stained glass window from the National Cathedral in Washington DC
INTIMATIONS
Congratulations – Many congratulations to Katherine who has accepted the call from Tranent Parish Church to be their new minister.
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.
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 – The final total we raised was £404 and a letter of thanks has been received.
Kirk Session Meeting – The Session will meet on Wednesday 8 September 2021 at 19:30.
Newspaper collection appeal – Inverkeithing High School is collecting newspapers to make geodesic domes – they need a lot of them! If you would like to help, please recycle papers to Jenny Martin.
Prayer for this Sunday evening – Visit the Church of Scotland website to hear the prayer
Join the Church of Scotland in prayer this Sunday | The Church of Scotland
“’If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbour as yourself”, you are doing right.’ (James 2: 8)
“Given all that we face today: How do we know we are doing the right thing? In our personal life and in our shared life, the challenge of doing the right thing is something that we continually face.
“As we reflect upon this, we recognise that knowing “the right thing to do” is not always easy. Nevertheless, throughout Scripture there runs an ancient thread that links the original call to love our neighbour to the summary of the Law given by Jesus. (Leviticus 19: 18; Mark 12: 31)
“The call to love our neighbour is described by James as the ‘royal law’ and is the surest guide we have as to knowing “the right thing to do”.
“As we face the challenge of renewing our society and, at the same time, continuing to face the ongoing pandemic, the need of a sure guide remains constant.
“The ‘royal law’ has been gifted to us by our Creator and renewed by the Lord Jesus Christ. We take it as our guide for these times.”
We pray:
Living God,
In the times in which we live
You reveal Your way to us through the royal law.
We turn to You as our Creator
And ask for grace and strength
To live according to that law.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
In the times in which we live
You reveal Your way to us through the royal law.
We turn to those beside us as our neighbours
And ask for wisdom that we might do to others
As we would have them do to us.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
In the times in which we live
You reveal Your way to us through the royal law.
We turn to face the challenges of the day
And seek to renew our society
That it might better reflect Your Kingdom which is to come.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Living God,
In the times in which we live
You reveal Your way to us through the royal law.
We turn to the world before us
And seek to do right in Your eyes
That we might bring glory to You, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.