Lossiemouth Church of Scotland

16 April 2023 is the Second Sunday of Easter.

In his sermon today, Rev. Geoff McKee includes the following quote from Malcolm Muggeridge:

“Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my 75 years in this world,
everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my experience, has been through affliction and not through happiness.”

How can that be?

Joy is sown in tears. That’s the Easter model. That’s what the Easter story brings to us.

Main Scripture for today

1 Peter 1:3-9 (from The Message Bible Translation)
A New Life
3-5 What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.

6-7 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

8-9 You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you’re looking forward to: total salvation.

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Sunday 09 April 2023 is Easter Sunday.

On this day, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. For example, in Lossiemouth, people gathered on the East Beach at 0600 for an Easter Sunday Sunrise Service.

Rev. Christine McWhirter leads today’s worship and the thread running through her two All-Age Talks in the service is how we come to believe in the resurrection of Jesus – that the impossible is possible.

Order of Service

Welcome/notices
Call to worship
Hymn – CH4 194 This is the day
Prayer of approach and Lord’s prayer
Easter Song/Video – Tiffany Coburn
Hymn – CH4 404 I danced in the morning
All-age talk 1
Children’s hymns
All-age talk 2
Hymn – CH4 410 Jesus Christ is risen
Prayer
Hymn – MP 295 I serve a risen Saviour
Blessing and Amen

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Sunday 02 April 2023 is Palm Sunday, the last Sunday before Easter Sunday.

Main Bible Reading for Palm Sunday

Matthew 21:1-11 (from The Message Bible Translation)
The Royal Welcome
21 1-3 When they neared Jerusalem, having arrived at Bethphage on Mount Olives, Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions: “Go over to the village across from you. You’ll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you’re doing, say, ‘The Master needs them!’ He will send them with you.”

4-5 This is the full story of what was sketched earlier by the prophet:

Tell Zion’s daughter,
“Look, your king’s on his way,
poised and ready, mounted
On a donkey, on a colt,
foal of a pack animal.”

6-9 The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, “Hosanna to David’s son!” “Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!” “Hosanna in highest heaven!”

10 As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, “What’s going on here? Who is this?”

11 The parade crowd answered, “This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee.”

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26 March 2023 is the Fifth Sunday in Lent. The main scripture today is Psalm 130.

We follow Psalm 23 last Sunday with this darker Psalm, but we must remember that both psalms share a common belief in a God who is so interested and committed to the individual’s existence that he is able to offer real help.

As Rev. Geoff McKee mentions in his sermon, at the beginning of 2023, following the sudden, unexpected death of a much-loved traditional musician in Ireland, called Séamus Begley, a close friend of his sang an old Irish ‘keening’ song and uploaded the clip to her Twitter account. This was a very fine example of a lament – a crying out for comfort and succour in the midst of loss. The clip of the keening song can be accessed via this link.

Main Bible Reading for this week

Psalm 130 (from The Message Bible Translation)
130 1-2 Help, God—I’ve hit rock bottom!
Master, hear my cry for help!
Listen hard! Open your ears!
Listen to my cries for mercy.

3-4 If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,
who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,
and that’s why you’re worshipped.

5-6 I pray to God—my life a prayer—
and wait for what he’ll say and do.
My life’s on the line before God, my Lord,
waiting and watching till morning,
waiting and watching till morning.

7-8 O Israel, wait and watch for God—
with God’s arrival comes love,
with God’s arrival comes generous redemption.
No doubt about it—he’ll redeem Israel,
buy back Israel from captivity to sin.

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Sunday 19 March 2023 is the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

The main scripture reading today is the 23rd Psalm – The Lord’s My Shepherd. A text that is known widely both within and outwith Christianity.

Rev. Geoff McKee reflects on why it is the case that Psalm 23 is included in the lectionary readings for four Sundays every year and so is unique in the frequency of its appearance.

The main Bible reading for today

Psalm 23 (King James Version)

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalm 23 (from The Message Bible Translation)

23 1-3 God, my shepherd!
I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.

4 Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I’m not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook
makes me feel secure.

5 You serve me a six-course dinner
right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.

6 Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I’m back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life.

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