Lossiemouth Church of Scotland

25 August 2024 is the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost and the main text for Rev. Geoff McKee’s preaching for this day comes from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians.

In the Apostle Paul’s New Testament letter to the Church at Ephesus, he talks about prayer.

He tells them that that should pray on all occasions with all kinds of requests.

Ephesians 6:18: And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

But, to pray “all the time”: how can you do that?

Is it even possible?

There are many occasions when we don’t know what to pray.

When we don’t know what to say to God.

When we don’t know how to put our feelings into words.

On other occasions, we don’t know how to pray – we’re so mixed up.

Maybe we’re feeling low or sad or depressed. What do you do then in those situations?

How on earth do you pray “ on all occasions”?

One solution might be to employ the use of a “Holding Cross”.

Often, a Holding Cross is made of olive wood.

They come with instructions!

“This cross is designed for holding when praying. Or, if you’re not able to pray, just to hold.”

If you’re not able to pray, just hold on.

This is what Paul is talking about when writing to the Church in Ephesus. How they must make sure that they are fully ready, by putting on the Full Armour of God.

He talks about things like helmets and shields and swords but, in the end, he says put it all on so that you can stand.

Not necessarily so that you can fight.

But so you can stand.

And, he says, so that you can keep on standing.

So that you can hold on and keep holding on.

Sometimes we go through things in this life that are very difficult and we don’t have words.

We don’t have the thoughts even to be able to formulate something in our minds to offer to God.

It’s good during such times to know that our God understands.

He still hears our prayers even though we cannot speak them out or make any sense of them in our minds.

The Holding Cross is a great reminder of that fact

When there is absolutely nothing there for you to draw from: hold on. And hold on tight if you have to – because our God is faithful and He is not going to let you go.

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18 August 2024 is the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost.

Rev. Geoff McKee preaches today and his main Bible text is (from the New Testament) Ephesians 5:15-20.

The Apostle Paul is thought to have written his letter to the Church at Ephesus around AD 60 – so, within about 30 years of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The relevant part of Ephesians – from The Message Bible Translation – reads:

Ephesians 5:15-20 (The Message)
11-16 Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep,
Climb out of your coffins;
Christ will show you the light!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!

17 Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.

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28 July 2024 is the Tenth Sunday after Pentcost. Today’s service is led by our Minister, Rev. Geoff McKee.

Below you will find the main Scripture reading from the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Ephesian Church (from the New Testament).

The theme for today is essentially “Unity in the Church”.

Today’s main reading from the Bible which forms the basis of the sermon

Ephesians 3:14-21 (From The Message translation of the Bible)
14-19 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

20-21 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

No full recording of service from Lossiemouth Church of Scotland today

We’re sorry there was a technical issue and we did not pick up either vision or audio on our recording, unfortunately.

In substitution, please find the text of Geoff’s sermon and an audio (phone) recording of Geoff’s children’s address – discussing the start of the 2024 Olympics in France and Emil Macron’s meeting with French Rugby star, Antoine Dupont.

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