Welcome to this online service of worship from Mayfield Salibury Parish Church. View the video below or alternatively directly on YouTube HERE
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Sunday 2 May 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag2-shDsMuw
Led by Revd Dr Sandy Forsyth and Patricia McDonald, Kate Pearson,
Stuart Mitchell, the Chamber Group and the congregation in church and online
A downloadable PDF order of service is available here
AS A DIVERSE PEOPLE, THE CHURCH GATHERS TO WORSHIP ALMIGHTY GOD
Organ Voluntaries
Tranquillo, ma con moto, (from the unpublished manuscripts) Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
Partita on Adoro te devote (Humbly I adore thee) Flor Peeters (1903-1986)
Welcome & Intimations
The Grace
Preparatory Silence for Worship
Call to Worship
Adapted from words by Katherine Hawker
Leader:
Come with what you have.
For you who come with gladness today
know that your joy will find its home amongst us all.
All:
As God loves us,
we are called to love one another.
Leader:
Come with what you have.
For you who are weighed down, wounded or low today
know that you can bring the broken pieces of your heart and lay your burdens down.
All:
Loved by one another,
we discover God's love for us.
Leader:
Come with what you have.
For you who have the answers today,
know that new avenues and journeys will await you.
All:
As God loves us,
we are called to love one another.
Leader:
Come with what you have.
For you who are seeking today,
know that your questions and doubts are heard by God.
All:
Loved by one another,
we discover God's love for us.
Leader:
Come with what you have.
All:
We bring love for each other,
for love is from God.
Hymn 519 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art.
Visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.
Come, Almighty, to deliver,
Let us all thy life receive.
Suddenly return, and never,
nevermore they temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish, then, thy new creation;
true and spotless let us be.
Let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love and praise.
Prayer of Approach, Praise and
Confession & Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
The Collect said by all
Risen Christ, your wounds declare your love for the world and the wonder of your risen life: give us compassion and courage to risk ourselves for those we serve, to the glory of God the Father.
Reading Acts 8:26 – 40 Patricia McDonald
26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ 31 He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:
‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.’
34 The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ 38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptised him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Anthem If ye love me
Words: John 14: 15 - 17
Music: Thomas Tallis (1505 – 1985)
If ye love me, keep my commandments
and I will pay the Father,
and he will give you another comforter,
that he may bide with you for ever,
even the spirit of truth.
Reading 1 John 4:7 - 21
God Is Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world. 15 God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16 So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21 The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
Sermon
Radical Inclusion and God’s Love
Revd Dr Sandy Forsyth
Hymn 115 Love is the Touch of Intangible Joy
Sung by Stuart Mitchell
Love is the touch of intangible joy;
love is the force that no fear can destroy;
love is the goodness we gladly applaud:
God is where love is, for love is of God.
Love is the lilt in a lingering voice;
love is the hope that can make us rejoice;
love is the cure for the frightened and flawed:
God is where love is, for love is of God.
Love is the light in the tunnel of pain;
love is the will to be whole once again;
love is the trust of a friend on the road:
God is where love is, for love is of God.
Love is the Maker, and Spirit, and Son;
love is the kingdom their will has begun;
love is the pathway the saints all have trod:
God is where love is, for love is of God.
Prayer of Dedication and Intercession
Hymn 123 God is Love, Let Heaven Adore Him
Sung by Stuart Mitchell
God is Love: let heaven adore him;
God is Love: let earth rejoice;
let creation sing before him,
and exalt him with one voice.
He who laid the earth's foundation,
he who spread the heavens above,
he who breathes through all creation,
he is Love, eternal Love.
God is Love: and is enfolding
all the world in one embrace;
with unfailing grasp is holding
every child of every race.
And when human hearts are breaking
under sorrow's iron rod,
then they find that selfsame aching
deep within the heart of God.
God is Love: and though with blindness
sin afflicts the souls of all,
God's eternal loving-kindness
holds and guides us when we fall.
Sin and death and hell shall never
o'er us final triumph gain;
God is Love, so Love for ever
o'er the universe must reign.
Closing Words
From the Book of Hours, 1514 Spoken together
God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at my end, and at my departing.
Benediction
Organ Voluntary
Assurance, arr. John Ness Beck and transcribed by Janet Linker Based on ‘Assurance’ by Phoebe P. Knapp and ‘Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring’ by J.S. Bach
Since Christ Himself loved us when we were by no means worthy of love and still loves us with all our unworthiness, our job is to love others without stopping to enquire whether they are worthy
Thomas Merton
Today’s Anthem
The anthem, a gem of elegant simplicity, was composed in around 1552., by Thomas Tallis, one of the foremost composers of the Tudor period. It became popular with the Elizabethan reformist clergy. During the reign of King Edward VI (1547-1553) it was mandated that the services be sung in English, and that the choral music be brief and succinct ‘to each syllable a plain and distinct note.’ The motet is in two sections with the second section repeated.
INTIMATIONS
ZOOM COFFEE TODAY NOTE NEW TIME OF 12 NOON!!!
Everyone welcome after the service for Zoom Coffee and Chat!
The link is: https://zoom.us/j/91620889282?pwd=SWVlZmQzMk9YZ2lBaTRCVlUvZ215dz09
Bring your own coffee (or tea/juice!) If you prefer to phone in,
the number to call is 0131 460 1196.
CHANGE TO WORSHIP PATTERNS – IMPORTANT NOTICE
The service next week (9 May) will be at 9.30am. Thereafter, the services will alternate week by week between 10.45am and 9.30am
We understand that this may be confusing at times so please do call the church office (0780 801 1234) at any time or check the website www.mayfieldsalisbury.org for further information.
Forthcoming dates and times are:
• Sunday 9th May 9.30am All Age Worship
• Sunday 16th May 10.45am Traditional Service
• Sunday 22nd May 9.30am All Age Worship
PLEASE NOTE Due to current restrictions, Revd Dr Sandy Forsyth is regrettably unable to meet after the service today. Please feel free to be in contact by telephone 0131 667 1286 or by email at
YOUTH GROUP: THIS SUNDAY (2 May) at Youth Group on Zoom, we will be playing 'Backyard Games' together. All ages will meet together at 7pm. We will meet on Zoom and then transition to the game platform. For log-in info, please contact Hillary.
PASTORAL CARE It is indeed good news that we are now allowed to visit friends outside in the garden. If you are a pastoral visitor, please abide by the official guidelines and remember to record where and when you visited, just in case. If you know of anyone who is ill or going into hospital, please notify Sandy, our Minister. Kay McIntosh - Pastoral Assistant
SUPPORT MAYFIELD SALISBURY CHURCH Regular and one-off donations, now possible through: www.give.net/20311853
OUR E-MAIL PRAYER CHAIN IS UP AND RUNNING! If you or anyone that you know would like prayers to be offered to God for a particular person or situation, there is a group of members waiting to do so. Our Pastoral Assistant, Kay McIntosh, has kindly agreed to be the initial co-ordinator, and all prayer requests should be sent to
Ecotip: Switch to renewables
ECO UPDATES Please read our Eco Group page on the church website here: www.mayfieldsalisbury.org/eco
CORNERSTONE BOOKSHOP If you are looking for a book to help you on your inward journey, expand your knowledge of Christian history, doctrine or the Bible, then please support our local bookshop Cornerstone Books for all your book buying needs. More information at: www.cornerstonebooks.org.uk
Books for the Journey
Walter Brueggemann, Virus as a Summons to Faith, (2020)
Steve Aisthorpe, Re-Wilding the Church, (2020)
Jonny Baker & Cathy Ross, Imagining Mission with John V. Taylor (2020)
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Forthcoming Deadlines
Order of service for next week: Thursday at 6.00pm.
Next Grapevine: Friday 25 June at 6.00pm.
Please send submissions to the Church Manager, William Mearns.
Phone: 0780 801 1234 or email:
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Copyright Notices
SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS
Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church holds a CCLI Streaming License: #88916
Images – Some courtesy of Pixabay
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Social Media
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www.youtube.com/user/MayfieldSalisbChurch
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Scottish Charity Number SC000785