Lossiemouth Church of Scotland

It’s the Fifth Sunday in Lent – 03 April 2022.

God says: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!”

But, what does that mean in practice?

Main Scripture Reading for today

Isaiah 43:16-21 (New International Version)
16 This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
17 who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
20 The wild animals honour me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise.

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It’s the Fourth Sunday in Lent – 27 March 2022.

Below, you will find the main scripture for today, the order of service, the video of today’s service led by Rev. Geoff McKee and a Musical Selection by Kath Robertson, our director of music (which is the opening congregational hymn in today’s service too).

Main Bible Reading for today

Joshua 5:9-12 (New International Version)
9 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.

10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. 11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.

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It’s the Third Sunday in Lent – 20 March 2022.

This week the teaching is about refusing to take the easy way. Why? For the sake of glories to come…

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It’s the Second Sunday in Lent – 13 March 2022. The main reading for today features Abram’s encounter with God in the first book of the Bible – Genesis – at Chapter 15.

Somehow, Abram did not seem worthy of the astonishing promise God made to him – but that’s how God works.

Below, you will find the main reading set out in full, then the Order of Service and, today, also the prayers. Towards the foot of this post is the video of today’s service from St James’.

Main Scripture for today

Genesis 15:1-12 (New International Version)
The Lord’s Covenant With Abram
15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.”

2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”

10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

…

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—

Note that volunteers from our congregation are currently bell-ringing for Ukraine.

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The First Sunday in Lent falls on 06 March 2022. Rev. Geoff McKee’s Gospel text is Luke 4:1-13, in which Jesus is tested by the Devil in the desert.

Below, you will find the main scripture for today (taken from The Message translation of the Bible) and the video of today’s service from St James’ Church.

Main Scripture for today

Luke 4:1-13 (The Message)
Tested by the Devil
4 1-2 Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry.

3 The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: “Since you’re God’s Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread.”

4 Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to really live.”

5-7 For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. Then the Devil said, “They’re yours in all their splendour to serve your pleasure. I’m in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. Worship me and they’re yours, the whole works.”

8 Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”

9-11 For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, “If you are God’s Son, jump. It’s written, isn’t it, that ‘he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you; they will catch you; you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone’?”

12 “Yes,” said Jesus, “and it’s also written, ‘Don’t you dare tempt the Lord your God.’”

13 That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.

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