Lossiemouth Church of Scotland

30 October 2022 is All Saints’ Sunday, ahead of All Saints’ Day on 01 November 2022.

The Good News of Jesus Christ declares that, despite our human frailty and our failure to live lives of holiness, every day is a day to begin again with God.

Ephesians 1:11-23 (from The Message Bible Translation)

11-12 It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

13-14 It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This down payment from God is the first instalment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

15-19 That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

20-23 All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the centre of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.

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23 October 2022 is the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost. Our service today is again led by our Assistant Minister, Christine McWhirter.

The key points today are about recognising being in another time and place, recognising the experiences others have, knowing God’s love for us and for others, and sharing that love, peace and grace.

Order of Service

Welcome and notices
Call to worship
Hymn – CH4 600 Spirit of God, unseen as the wind
Prayers of Adoration and Confession (including Lord’s prayer)
MP – 167 Give me oil in my lamp
All-age talk
Children’s hymns – Our God is an awesome God and Did you ever talk to God above?
Readings – Psalm 40:1-5 and Luke 10: 25-37
Hymn – MP 631 Tell out, my soul
Message
Prayers for others
Hymn – MP 708 To God be the glory!
Blessing and threefold Amen

Main Scripture for today

Luke 10:25-37 (from The Message Translation of the Bible)

Defining “Neighbour”
25 Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?”

26 He answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?”

27 He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbour as well as you do yourself.”

28 “Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.”

29 Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbour’?”

30-32 Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.

33-35 “A Samaritan travelling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’

36 “What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbour to the man attacked by robbers?”

37 “The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded.

Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”

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Today’s service – 16 October 2022 – is led by Rev. Christine McWhirter and the sermon text is from Luke’s Gospel (Luke 10:38-42) – The Story of Martha and Mary (and Jesus).

Our work in the church, or with our family, or on the job may be important, but it is not the most important thing in God’s kingdom. Have we lost sight of what is important and, if so, what should we be doing about it?

Order of Service

Welcome and intimations
Call to worship
Hymn – MP 41 At the name of Jesus
Prayers of Adoration and Confession
Hymn – CH4 550 As the deer pants
All-age talk
Children’s Songs
Readings – Psalm 24 and Luke 10:38-42
Hymn – MP 784 Ye servants of God
Message
Prayers for others (including Lord’s prayer)
Hymn – MP 313 I will sing, I will sing
Benediction and threefold Amen

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Sunday 09 October 2022 is the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Our main Lectionary reading comes from the New Testament of the Bible – from Paul’s first letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 6:6-19).

As Paul explains to Timothy – and Rev. Geoff McKee expands upon in his sermon – “godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” (1 Timothy 6:6-8; New International Version of the Bible).

Main Scripture for today

1 Timothy 6:6-19 (from The Message Translation of the Bible)
6-8 A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough.

9-10 But if it’s only money these leaders are after, they’ll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after.

Running Hard
11-12 But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.

13-16 I’m charging you before the life-giving God and before Christ, who took his stand before Pontius Pilate and didn’t give an inch: Keep this command to the letter, and don’t slack off. Our Master, Jesus Christ, is on his way. He’ll show up right on time, his arrival guaranteed by the Blessed and Undisputed Ruler, High King, High God. He’s the only one death can’t touch, his light so bright no one can get close. He’s never been seen by human eyes—human eyes can’t take him in! Honour to him, and eternal rule! Oh, yes.

17-19 Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.

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