Lossiemouth Church of Scotland

In this brief audio sermon, Rev. Geoff McKee reflects on the various meetings Christians would ordinarily have during Holy Week and how these cannot happen this year.

On a visit to Milan in 2019 Geoff viewed Leonardo da Vinci’s late 15th-century mural of The Last Supper, one of the world’s best-known paintings.

He considers a cleverly-manipulated and topical version of that artwork (an image of Jesus alone – socially isolated – at The Last Supper) and the parallels this has for us with other aspects of the Easter story.

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Welcome to Rev. Geoff McKee’s Virtual Sunday Service for 05 April 2020 – Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter, when Christians celebrate Christ’s triumphant entry (on a donkey) into Jerusalem. In many Christian traditions, though not in the Church of Scotland, this involves processions in which branches of palms are carried.

This week’s service has an audio version of the sermon, which you can access below. Further down, you’ll find the prayers and readings from the service.

First of all, let’s look at the Bible story for today, taken from Matthew’s Gospel.

Matthew 21:1-11 (New International Version)
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

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This is the ‘virtual’ service for 29 March 2020, with there being no actual service due to the social distancing restrictions currently in force.

The resources here comprise prayers, Scripture and Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon.

You can download these materials in PDF format, if you wish, by clicking HERE.

In future weeks, we hope to provide audio – as well as written – content, as part of these posts.

A Prayer for these Times

For all that is good in life, thank you,
For the love of family and friends, thank you,
For the kindness of good neighbour and Samaritan stranger, thank you.
May those who are vulnerable, hungry or homeless, experience support.
May those who are sick know healing.
May those who are anxious or bereaved sense comfort.
Bless and guide political leaders and decision-makers with wisdom.
Bless and guide health workers and key workers, with strength and well-being.
Bless and guide each one of us as we adapt to a new way of living.
And may the light shining from our windows across road and wynd, glen and ben, kyle and isle be reflected in our hearts and hands and hopes.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

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There follows a letter for everyone in the linked Churches of St Gerardine’s High and St James’ – and beyond. If you would like to download a PDF of the letter to print and perhaps pass (as safely as possible) to someone else who is not online, click HERE.

Dear friends,

I have recently returned from a ten day break in Connemara in the west of Ireland. I returned to empty streets in Lossiemouth and I have started the period of life behind closed doors that many of you have already begun.

On holiday, I visited the beautiful woods at Coole Park, by Gort, near to Galway city. There in the walled garden stands a copper beech tree on which several famous Irish writers such as George Bernard Shaw and W.B. Yeats have carved their names. Yeats, living in a very different era, with different concerns, wrote of everything having changed, changed utterly. I’m sure we are all feeling and experiencing an utter change to our lives and circumstances. We are uncertain what will come our way and how long it will all last.

In the midst of the uncertainty, we need to turn to our God who is ever faithful in his love and care and we need to do all we can to support one another. We will miss our gathering together for worship each week and with time we will appreciate, all the more, how precious our freedom, in normal times, is.

However, with the benefit of technology, we can still communicate. We can phone one another; some of us can communicate via online technology. Each week I will endeavour to make available online my Sunday sermon and prayers via the St. James’ Church website. I encourage those in St. Gerardine’s High Church to access the material from the St. James’ Church website and in that way the churches can work together to support one another. I am aware that many in our congregations are not able to access online material and so arrangements will be put in place to help distribute worship material. I encourage everyone to listen to church services broadcast on the radio. This is an excellent way to experience participation in community worship which we miss so much at this time. The following web page links to excellent resources from the wider Church of Scotland family https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship

Please be assured of my thoughts and prayers during these troubling times.

Your minister and friend,
Geoff