St James' Church of Scotland, Lossiemouth
For Christ, For You
Merry Christmas!
Today we celebrate the amazing message of hope that is wrapped up in the birth of Jesus.
Please note that this week’s Sunday Service (Boxing Day – 26 December) is only at St Gerardine’s High Church, at 11.30am.
Next week, 02 January, the Sunday Service will only be at St James’ Church, at 10:00am. The service will be taken by Elders from both churches as Geoff (Rev. Geoff McKee) has a well-deserved day off.
19th December 2021 is the Fourth Sunday of Advent.
The main reading this week is from the Old Testament book of Micah. The text below takes in verse 1 of Chapter 5, though the official Lectionary reading only begins at verse 2.
Rev. Geoff McKee explains why various Biblical references to the counting of people is significant in understanding the signs associated with the birth of Jesus – someone who essentially ‘slipped through the net’.
In this week’s service, we welcome ‘old friends’, Emily and Craig, for their song performance after the Children’s Address. Just before that, we mark Vida’s retirement from the choir – after 62 years. Well done to all of you.
Eagle-eyed viewers will note that the background screen which is normally in use during services was not in use here. That was due to a computer failure scuppering the SongPro (PowerPoint equivalent). The service has still recorded okay – it’s a different laptop for that – but the recording ends abruptly because the laptop battery ran out…
The Church has a new laptop on its Christmas ‘list’ 🙂
12 December 2021 is the Third Sunday of Advent.
By this point in the Season of Advent, the mood has changed.
We are preparing ourselves to be surprised again and again by God.
The main Scripture from the Bible this week is from the Old Testament: Zephaniah 3:14-20 – the final section of Zephaniah’s prophecy. It’s a text that celebrates the fact that God does, and will, take care of us.
This forms the theme of Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon today. Below, you will find the main scripture reading, the Video of the service, and a Musical Selection chosen by our Musical Director, Kath Robertson.
[Read more…]It’s the Second Sunday of Advent – 05 December 2021 – and there’s irony in our headline.
The main Biblical text for today is from the Old Testament Book of Malachi. It was written at a time when, across the land, the blame for the unacceptable state of society fell on the foreigners, the migrants and on the poor and the weak.
How lucky we are to live in more enlightened (!) times…
Malachi 3:1-4 (New International Version)
3 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.
It’s 28 November 2021 and it’s the First Sunday of Advent. The first Sunday of a new church year.
Watch the video immediately below – paying close attention to the number of passes – and then watch the video further down below – of the service from St James’.
Rev. Geoff McKee, in his sermon, emphasises the need for Christians to look hard in this Advent season for the signs of God’s reign in Christ we might otherwise miss. Are you failing to see the obvious*?
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