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Order of Service
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ST NINIAN’S CHURCH Corstorphine Minister: Rev. James Aitken
Order of Service 7th March 2021 10.30am Sunday 7th March 2021 Lent 3 with Communion Good morning and welcome to everyone who has joined us on-line at St. Ninian's this morning. We hope you will enjoy our worship of God together today. As a congregation our mission is to, 'Worship God together, encourage personal faith and prayer, spread the Good News about Jesus Christ, and love and care for others in our community.' Services are online from 10:15am on Sundays: on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stninianschurch/and on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW-OUJ0F3JLO9vUD7KYMffA This morning we celebrate together the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Everyone is welcome to join us to share the Lord's Supper We are in the season of Lent, when we make ourselves ready to remember Jesus' passion and to celebrate his resurrection. This year Lent began on Ash Wednesday (17th February) and it ends on Good Friday (2nd April). During Lent we worship God on the road with Jesus Christ to Jerusalem and his crucifixion. On that road we reflect on the sinfulness of human nature alongside the faith and obedience of Jesus that kept him going despite the dangers and temptations that surrounded him. As we do so, we reflect on our own nature and character - what do want to keep and what should we discard? We look forward to rejoicing at our capacity to love; love that overcomes death and sets us free from sin. St. Ninian’s uses the Revised Common Lectionary is an approved week-by-week three-year cycle of biblical readings. The readings lead us from Advent through the Christian year, the Bible, and Jesus’ life through birth, baptism, his public ministry, his death, resurrection and ascension.
‘Pilgrim’s Chorus’ Wagner WELCOME, INTIMATIONS AND SHARING OF THE PEACE We welcome one another with Christ's words 'Peace be with you'. APPROACH TO GOD CALL TO WORSHIP Let us open our eyes, to see Christ among us. Let us open our ears, to hear God’s living word. Let us open our mouths, to speak and sing God’s praises. Let us open our arms, to feel Christ’s loving embrace. Let us open our hearts, to receive God’s Spirit. HYMN: 10 (based on Psalm 19) The stars declare his glory The stars declare his glory; PRAYERS OF APPROACH, CONFESSION AND LORD'S 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, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD SCRIPTURE: John 2: 13 - 22 (New Revised Standard Version) 13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the moneychangers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ 18 The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’ 19 Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ 20 The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
CHILDREN’S ADDRESS HYMN: 253 Inspired by love and anger Inspired by love and anger, disturbed by need and pain, informed of God's own bias, we ponder once again: 'How long must some folk suffer? How long can few folk mind? How long dare vain self-interest turn prayer and pity blind?'
From those for ever victims of heartless human greed, their cruel plight composes a litany of need: 'Where are the fruits of justice? Where are the signs of peace? When is the day when prisoners and dreams find their release?'
From those for ever shackled to what their wealth can buy, the fear of lost advantage provokes the bitter cry, 'Don't query our position! Don't criticise our wealth! Don't mention those exploited by politics and stealth!'
To God, who through the prophets proclaimed a different age, We offer earth’s indifference, ts agony and rage: “When will the wrongs be righted? When will the kingdom come? When will the world be generous to all instead of some?”
God asks, “Who will go for me? Who will extend my reach? And who, when few will listen, will prophesy and preach? And who, when few bid welcome, will offer all they know? And who, when few dare follow, will walk the road I show?”
Amused in someone’s kitchen, asleep in someone’s boat, Attuned to what the ancients exposed, proclaimed and wrote, A Saviour without safety, a tradesman without tools Has come to tip the balance with fishermen and fools. SCRIPTURE: Exodus 20: 1 - 17 (New Revised Standard Version) 1 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. 8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9 For six days you shall labour and do all your work. 10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. 12 Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13 You shall not murder. 14 You shall not commit adultery. 15 You shall not steal. 16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. 17 You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour. 18 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, 19 and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.’ 20 Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.’
SERMON OUR RESPONSE TO GOD HYMN: 200 Christ is made the sure foundation Christ is made the sure foundation,
To this temple, where we call you,
Here bestow on all your servants
Praise and honour to the Father, OFFERING AND PRAYER OF DEDICATION Freely given, our offering supports the work of Christ's church and symbolises our spiritual dedication to the building-up of the Kingdom of God. PRAYERS OF LAMENT & INTERCESSION We give thanks for our blessings, and cry out for help for others and ourselves. HYMN: 655 For your generous providing For your generous providing which sustains us all our days for your Spirit here residing we proclaim our heartfelt praise. Through the depths of joy and sorrow, though the road be smooth or rough, fearless, we can face tomorrow for your grace will be enough.
Hush our world’s seductive noises tempting us to stand alone; save us from the siren voices calling us to trust our own. For those snared by earthly treasure, lured by false security. Jesus, true and only measure spring the trap to set folk free.
Round your table, through your giving, show us how to live and pray till your kingdom’s way of living is the bread we share each day: bread for us and for our neighbour, bread for body, mind and soul, bread of heaven, and human labour broken bread that makes us whole. THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION Jesus took bread and wine, and shared them with his disciples as symbols of his life sacrificed to the cause of his ministry of love. He asked them to continue this practice in his memory. We take bread and wine as symbols of Jesus' body, broken for us, and share them with each other. Invitation and Confession of Faith Jesus invites us to the table. We respond by reading together a statement of what we believe authorised by the Church of Scotland's General Assembly. All: We believe in God: who has created and is creating; who has come in the true man, Jesus, to reconcile and make new; who works in us and others by his Spirit.
We trust him. He calls us to be his Church: to celebrate his presence; to love and serve others; to seek justice and resist evil; to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope.
In life; in death; in life beyond death, God is with us: we are not alone; thanks be to God. Amen.
Narrative of the Institution We hear Paul tell the story of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, and his instruction to them to repeat the meal in memory of him. Prayer of Thanksgiving We say thank you for God's work in creation, the new life of Jesus Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit bringing us into communion as the church, Christ's body on earth. Minister: The Lord be with you All: And also with you Minister: Lift up your hearts. All: We lift them to the Lord. Minister: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. All: It is right to give our thanks and praise. Minister: Generous God, thank you that you make this world marvellous for us to enjoy… All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. (Isaiah 6:3) Minister Eternal God, ….
Breaking of Bread In preparation for sharing bread we break it as a symbol of Christ’s body broken for us in solidarity with all broken humanity. Communion Minister: Jesus, Lamb of God, All: have mercy on us. Minister: Jesus, bearer of our sins, All: have mercy on us. Minister: Jesus, redeemer of the world, All: grant us peace.
Post-communion prayer SENDING OUT
HYMN: 130 Ye servants of God Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim,
BENEDICTION Go now in peace, never be afraid. God will go with you each hour of every day. Go now in faith, steadfast strong and true. Know He will guide you in all you do. Go now in love, and show you believe. Reach out to others, so all the world can see. God will be there, watching from above. Go now in peace, in faith and in love.
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