St James' Church of Scotland, Lossiemouth
For Christ, For You
It’s the Second Sunday in Lent (28 February 2021).
The 4 Lectionary readings for this week are: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:23-31;
Romans 4:13-25; and Mark 8:31-38. The passage from Mark forms the basis for Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon.
Jesus predicts his own death. From among Jesus’ disciples, Peter challenges Jesus’ prediction. In turn, Jesus delivers a rebuke to Peter that seems astonishingly harsh.
What are we to take from this significant “difference of opinion”?
The First Sunday in Lent arrives on 21 February 2021.
The Lectionary readings for this week are: Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Peter 3:18-22; and Mark 1:9-15. The Genesis text (God’s covenant with Noah after the flood) forms the basis of Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon.
Below you will find Genesis 9:8-17 and then the video service with prayers, readings and the sermon. Finally, there is Kath Robertson’s musicial selection for this week.
[Read more…]Transfiguration Sunday is 14 February 2021.
The Transfiguration of Jesus is a story told in the New Testament. There are obvious versions in Matthew, Mark and Luke’s Gospels.
During the Transfiguration, Jesus radiantly shines in glory upon a mountain. He has gone there with 3 of his disciples – James, John and Peter – to pray. The disciples see Jesus begin to shine with bright rays of light. Jesus is then joined by the Old Testament prophets, Moses and Elijah, and he speaks with them.
The version of this story which forms the basis of Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon here is from Mark. The Transfiguration – viewed in the light of Jesus’ resurrection – provides a glimpse of the glory that exists beyond the strife and the struggle.
Below, you will find the video service with the 4 scripture readings from the Lectionary for this Sunday, prayers and the sermon. At the end, you will find Katherine Robertson’s musical selection for this week. The text from Mark 9:2-9 precedes the video below.
07 February 2021 is the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany.
Today’s virtual service has Mark 1:29-39 as the Gospel text which forms the basis of Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon.
The Lectionary texts are: Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147:1-11, 20c; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; and Mark 1:29-39. These are contained within Geoff’s video service, below, along with prayers and the sermon. As usual, Kath Robertson has selected an appropriate hymn to conclude this post.
The sermon considers the story of how Jesus healed many people in a short burst of activity, including Simon’s mother-in-law, and then disappeared off on his own for a period – to the extent that the disciples had to go searching for him. In a world currently afflicted not only by a viral pandemic but also other more insidious conditions such as workplace burnout and stress, what can we learn from Jesus’ behaviour in this section of Mark’s gospel about prioritisation of tasks and taking care of our own well-being?
31 January 2021 is the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany.
The Lectionary texts for this week are: Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 111; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; and Mark 1:21-28.
The passage from Mark, in which Jesus drives out an impure spirit from a man in the synagogue, forms the basis of Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon. That Bible reading is set out immediately below.
After the main reading is the video of the service, including all Scripture readings, prayers, and sermon. Finally, there is Kath’s musical selection.
[Read more…]