St James' Church of Scotland, Lossiemouth
For Christ, For You
Sunday 15 October 2023 is the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost.
Today’s main Bible reading (from the second Book of the Old Testament, Exodus) tells the story of how the Israelites turned away from God to worship a Golden Calf they had made. Rev. Geoff McKee discusses how we can prevent ourselves falling into the many forms of “idolatry” – of which the Golden Calf is only one example – and the part the “Golden Rule” plays in that.
This is the service materials for 08 October 2023.
Below, you will find the main scripture reading for today and the video recording of today’s service.
Exodus 20: 1-4, 7-9, 12-20 (The Message Bible Translation)
20 1-2 God spoke all these words:
I am God, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of a life of slavery.
3 No other gods, only me.
4-6 No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me. But I’m unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments.
7 No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name.
8-11 Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don’t do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.
12 Honour your father and mother so that you’ll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you.
13 No murder.
14 No adultery.
15 No stealing.
16 No lies about your neighbour.
17 No lusting after your neighbour’s house—or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don’t set your heart on anything that is your neighbour’s.
18-19 All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid—they pulled back and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, “You speak to us and we’ll listen, but don’t have God speak to us or we’ll die.”
20 Moses spoke to the people: “Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won’t sin.”
[Read more…]Sunday 01 October 2023 is the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost and it is also Harvest Thanksgiving.
You can access the current weekly intimations for the Church here.
Rev. Geoff McKee asks us to consider what the harvest from our own lives will be and how we can take steps to leave a lasting and meaningful legacy for the benefit of others – even if there is no “harvest” during our own lifetimes.
Welcome to our Harvest Thanksgiving service this morning.
And a warm welcome to any visitors with us today.
Over the next two weeks we are collecting for the Christian Aid Libya Flood Appeal. Pick up your brown envelopes at the front door and return them over the next 2 weeks if you would like to donate towards this appeal.
As an example – £25 could provide one emergency kit with vital supplies for families who have lost everything in the floods.
This Thursday 5th October at 7.30pm will be our next Congregational Board meeting in the hall.
And the next Kirk Session meeting will be the following Thursday 12th October at 7.30pm.
The Indoor Bowling club started last week and will meet on a Friday afternoon from 2pm – 4pm in St James’ hall. They have 2 bowling carpets, fun and laughter, followed by a cup of tea and cake.
The Guild will meet every second Monday at 2pm so tomorrow there will be no meeting, next week Lynne Hawcroft will talk about working with people with impaired hearing.
Sunday 24 September is the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost. The main Bible reading today is Exodus 16:2-15. The story of God reponding to the grumbling of the Israelites in the wilderness – helping out the Israelites’ leaders, Moses and Aaron, in the face of their disgruntled people.
Rev. Geoff McKee discusses how God hears and answers prayer but how, to His glory, he often confounds our expectations in that regard.
[Read more…]