Welcome to this Service of Worship from Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church
Sixth Sunday After Epiphany Sunday 13 February 10.45am
Mary’s Song
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.
St Luke 1:46-55
WELCOME TO MAYFIELD SALISBURY PARISH CHURCH
This congregation is part of the Church of Scotland:
we are Reformed in our understanding of Christian faith,
Presbyterian in how we form our community, and a
member of the worldwide family of the Christian Church.
Whether you are in regular attendance at worship or this
is one of your first visits, you are very welcome as part of
this community and today’s service of worship. God bless
you. If you would like to keep in touch, please complete
the Connection Card on the back page of the printed
order or email
AS A DIVERSE PEOPLE, THE CHURCH GATHERS
TO WORSHIP ALMIGHTY GOD
Organ Voluntary
Welcome & Church News
The Grace
Preparatory Silence for Worship
Introit - O Holy Jesus
Words: John Keble (1792 - 1866)
Music: H Walford Davies (1869 - 1941)
Blest are the pure in heart, for they shall see our God. The secret of the
Lord is theirs, Their soul is Christ’s abode. Still to the lowly soul he doth
himself impart, And for His dwelling and His throne chooseth the pure
in heart.
Call to Worship
One: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
All: His mercies never come to an end.
One: They are new every morning.
All: Great is his faithfulness.
Hymn 153 Great is thy faithfulness
(t. Faithfulness)
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not,
as thou hast been thou for ever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided --
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
Summer and winter, and seed-time and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.
Thomas O. Chisholm (1866 - 1960)
Prayer of Approach, 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, the
power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Hymn 79 Teach me, O Lord, the perfect way
(t. York)
Teach me, O Lord, the perfect way
of thy precepts divine,
and to observe it to the end
I shall my heart incline.
Give understanding unto me,
so keep thy law shall I;
yea, even with my whole heart I shall
observe it carefully.
In thy law's path make me to go;
for I delight therein.
My heart unto thy gracious word,
and not to greed, incline.
Turn thou away my sight and eyes
from viewing vanity;
and in thy good and holy way
be pleased to quicken me.
Confirm to me thy gracious word,
which I did gladly hear,
even to thy servant, Lord, for I
thy holy name revere.
Turn thou away my feared reproach;
for good thy judgments be.
Lo, for thy precepts I have longed;
in thy truth quicken me.
Psalm 119, verses 33-40, The Scottish Psalter,1929
First Reading Jeremiah 17: 5 – 10
Read by Julie Morrice
5 Thus says the Lord:
Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals
and make mere flesh their strength,
whose hearts turn away from the Lord.
6 They shall be like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see when relief comes.
They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
7 Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
8 They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
9 The heart is devious above all else;
it is perverse - who can understand it?
10 I the Lord test the mind
and search the heart,
to give to all according to their ways,
according to the fruit of their doings.
Anthem - How beauteous are their feet
Words: Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748)
Music: Charles Villiers Stanford (1852 – 1924)
How beauteous are their feet, who stand on Sion's hill,
who bring salvation on their tongues and words of peace instil!
How happy are our ears that hear this joyful sound,
which kings and prophets waited for, and sought, but never found!
How blessèd are our eyes that see this heavenly light,
prophets and kings desired it long, but died without the sight!
The Lord makes bare his armthrough all the earth abroad:
Let every nation now behold their Saviour and their God.
Second Reading St Luke 6: 17 - 26
Read by Julie Morrice
Jesus Teaches and Heals
17 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd
of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem,
and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be
healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits
were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power
came out from him and healed all of them.
Blessings and Woes
20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
22 ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you,
revile you, and defame you[a] on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice on
that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that
is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
24 ‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
25 ‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
26 ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors
did to the false prophets.
Hymn 495 Spirit of God, descend upon my heart
(t. 96 Sursum Corda)
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
wean it from earth; through all its pulses move;
stoop to my weakness, mighty as thou art,
and make me love thee as I ought to love.
I ask no dream, no prophet-ecstasies,
no sudden rending of the veil of clay,
no angel-visitant, no opening skies;
but take the dimness of my soul away.
Hast thou not bid me love thee, God and King --
all, all thine own, soul, heart, and strength, and mind?
I see thy cross -- there teach my heart to cling:
oh, let me seek thee, and oh, let me find!
Teach me to feel that thou art always nigh;
teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
to check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.
Teach me to love thee as thine angels love,
one holy passion filling all my frame --
the baptism of the heaven-descended Dove,
my heart an altar, and thy love the flame.
George Croly (1780-1860)
Sermon
Revd Helen Alexander
Hymn 286 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
(t. Woodlands)
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings, give my spirit voice;
tender to me the promise of his word;
in God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name!
Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
his mercy sure, from age to age the same;
his holy Name, the Lord, the Mighty One.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by.
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,
the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.
Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
to children's children and for evermore!
Based on the Magnificat from The New English Bible
Percy Dearmer (1867-1936)
Prayer for Others
Hymn 192 All my hope on God is founded
All my hope on God is founded,
all my trust he will renew;
safe through change and chance he guides me,
only good and only true.
God unknown, he alone
calls my heart to be his own.
Human pride and earthly glory,
sword and crown betray God's trust;
though with care and toil we build them,
tower and temple fall to dust.
But God's power, hour by hour,
is my temple and my tower.
God's great goodness lasts for ever,
deep his wisdom passing thought:
splendour, light, and life attend him,
beauty springing out of naught.
Evermore, from his store
new-born worlds rise and adore.
Day by day the mighty Giver
showers gifts on us below;
his desire our souls delight in,
pleasure leads us where we go.
See love stand at his hand,
joy awaits at his command!
Still from earth to God in heaven
sacrifice of praise be done,
high above all praises praising
for the gift of Christ his Son.
Hear Christ call one and all:
those who follow shall not fall.
Robert Bridges (1844-1930) (alt.)
based on Joachim Neander (1650-1680)
Closing Responses
One: Go in peace to love one another.
All: We shall go out in peace to love.
One: Serve the Lord with grace and gladness.
All: With the Lord’s grace we shall gladly serve.
Blessing
Threefold Amen
Organ Voluntary
THIS MORNING’S CHAMBER GROUP MUSIC Sir Henry Walford Davies (of
“Solemn melody” and the “RAF March Past” fame) succeeded Edward
Elgar as Master of the King’s Music. He was music advisor to the BBC, a
renowned broadcaster who additionally held various professorships. The
short motet, to a poem of two verses based on the Beatitudes, is a concise
yet effective setting of the text.
The anthem is a late work by C V Stanford, a major and influential
composer who made a huge contribution to music for the Anglican
tradition. A simple melodic start is developed throughout the piece until
the thoroughly worked final verse leading to a majestic conclusion.
NEWS AND INTIMATIONS
OPEN TO ALL Coffee will be served in the Bill McDonald Hall at the close
of this service. Everyone is very welcome. Single use bio-compostable
cups will be provided but you are encouraged to bring your own cup! If
you are new to Mayfield Salisbury, you’re welcome to ask a member of the
welcome team in the vestibule to walk through with you.
TRADECRAFT STALL Is back today! Remember to spend some real money as
we will have a tempting selection of teas, coffee, biscuits and chocolate for sale!!!
MIDWEEK PRAYERS You are most welcome to attend a time of peace,
prayer and reflection in the church sanctuary, this Tuesday at 10.00am.
PASTORAL CARE AND PRAYER CHAIN We are very fortunate to have a
team of twenty eight pastoral visitors. It’s a time for new beginnings, so if
you now would like to have a regular visit or phone call, please do contact
me and I shall arrange that for you. If you would like to be held in prayer
or be one of the people on our confidential prayer chain. Please do contact
me with your prayer request. Please contact Kay on 07587 043 191 or
SOUTHSIDE GUILD The next meeting of the Southside Guild is at
Craigmillar Park Church Hall on Tuesday 1 March at 2.00pm. The title
of the talk is ‘The Man who never was!’ All welcome.
CHRISTIAN AID – MARMALADE! It’s that time of year again so if you’re
making marmalade, please consider putting a little aside for Christian Aid.
We hope to be able to hold our popular sale again sometime soon, and
judging by the speed with which the marmalade vanished from our stall in
the Autumn, it’s in high demand! Don’t worry if you’re short of empty jars
– we have a plentiful supply to give away. If you would like any please
contact Kate O’Brien on 1031 667 4362, or
Thank you!
YOUTH UPDATE
No Youth Group on 13 February - please note that we will not have Youth
Group tonight due to the Edinburgh school holidays. Enjoy your break!
Youth and Children This will be a joint service at 1030am led by young
people from the congregation. Hillary is looking for young musicians (of
all levels and abilities) to join with our music group that morning, as well
as those wanting to help out with readings and prayers in the service. If
this sounds like something you'd like to be involved with, please contact
Hillary by the end of the day on 13 February.
Pancake Breakfast Youth Fundraiser - 27 February: We will be having a
Pancake Breakfast Youth Fundraiser in the halls following the youth-led
service on 27 February! All donations will go toward the Youth Programme,
including the upcoming Youth Weekend Away in June. Please be advised
that attendees will be required to sit at tables, and while efforts will be
made to maintain distance, attendees may end up sitting closer to others
compared to the usual 1m; spaces will be limited to hall capacity; contact
details will be collected upon entrance to the halls. If you are planning on
attending and have any food allergies, please contact Hillary, our youth
worker, in advance. Please get in touch with Hillary if you have any
questions..
Youth Weekend Away Youth Weekend Away - P6 - S6 youth are invited to
the Youth Weekend away from 3 - 5 June 2022 at the Whitaugh Park Rock
UK Centre - a weekend of outdoor adventure activities! Registration
deadline is 15 March. Flyers are available: please speak with Hillary if you
have any questions.
FAURÉ REQUIEM AND MOTETS BY DURUFLÉ, MESSIAEN AND POULENC
The Scottish Chamber Choir presents a programme of French music for
Lent and Holy Week, including Fauré's hauntingly beautiful Requiem along
with motets by Duruflé, Messiaen and Poulenc.
In the sombre season of Lent, a concert of radiant French choral music
ranging from the serenely beautiful to the vigorous and dramatic.
Fauré’s Requiem, with its haunting melodies, is the glorious centrepiece of
the performance. But equally entrancing are Duruflé’s subtle,
impressionistic reworking of Gregorian themes in his Quatre Motets;
Messiaen’s mystical, searching setting of O sacrum convivium!; and
Poulenc’s masterly Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence. These last
take the listener on a journey through Christ’s passion, concentrating all
the drama, pity and beauty into four short, searing a cappella masterpieces.
Saturday 19 March 2022, 7.30pm - Old St Paul's Episcopal Church - 63
Jeffrey St, Edinburgh, EH1 1DH. Tickets £12 / Students £6 / Under 18
free via Ticketsource or at the door (card only)
Covid risk mitigation measures will be in place as per the government
recommendations which will be on at the time of the concert.
OFFERINGS During this time when Church attendance is restricted, you
may continue to give offerings to support the work of the Church. Please
contact our Freewill Offerings Treasurer, Hugh Somerville on 0131 466 2446
or
put offerings in the plate during the service to do so at the close of the
service. In the halls entrance and in the vestibule, you will find a bowl or
plate marked ‘Plate Collection’. Regular and one-off donations, are still
possible online through: www.give.net/20311853
Ecotip:
When shopping, if buying only a handful of items, skip the shopping
bag. For larger purchases, bring your own eco friendly bags.
Message from the Ministers and Session Clerks of Craigmillar Park,
Mayfield Salisbury and Priestfield congregations
As you know, Presbytery have issued proposals for consultation on a
draft Presbytery Mission Plan based on a focus for mission and the
better expression of the Gospel in Edinburgh and recognising the reality
of the challenges in resources which the Church of Scotland now faces.
The proposals for Edinburgh involve creating new Mission Districts
from the merging of parishes into new unions, and the potential
formation of team ministries within a reduced number of paid ministry
posts, as instructed by the 2021 General Assembly.
As congregations we will have an opportunity to discuss these proposals
and consider whether we wish to take them forward as they relate to us,
or to propose alternative solutions to the challenges the Church faces,
including how to reduce the number of ministries as required. The
proposal at a local level is that the congregations of Craigmillar Park,
Mayfield Salisbury and Priestfield form a union to support a new wider
parish, served by two full-time ministers that are centrally funded.
Our ministers and session clerks met recently for an informal discussion
ahead of talks within and across our congregations. Without seeking to
influence the direction of these congregational conversations in any way,
we felt it important to meet and share with you our initial thoughts.
Overall, our meeting was friendly, enthusiastic and positive. We recognised
the challenges faced by the Church and Edinburgh Presbytery in drawing
up the plan for consultation, and the considerable amount of work that
has gone into it. Whilst questions were raised about the nature and
priorities of the plan as a whole, the suggested union at a local level
resonated with previous thinking to a significant extent.
We saw potential for the new union to bring together different social
groups, as well as all of our gifts, skills, experiences, age groups,
resources and activities, in ways that might enhance God’s mission in
the community. There are potential opportunities as well to deploy
the ministry posts and physical resources in creative and dynamic ways.
There would, of course, need to be many areas for discussion over how
the union - and any buildings - might be sustained into the future. There
would be issues to address over the structure of the new parish and the
role of the two nationally funded ministerial posts. How might we best
use the buildings that would be retained? What might the worship
arrangements be? How would the Kirk Session, finances and business
aspects be run? How do we knit together the new congregation
harmoniously, recognising the different histories and backgrounds we
each have?
These are all issues for the coming months. However, our initial
meeting agreed that:
• change was required and had to be undertaken.
• any discussions should proceed in a spirit of openness and as
equal partners
• a shared vision and future mission was important: indeed,
central to how we embed the Church in our local communities.
Over the coming weeks, we will each be reflecting on the proposals and
the detailed issues. We will have discussions within our respective
congregations and with the relevant Presbytery committee, and as the
proposals firm up, we will look to work across the congregations as
appropriate in a collaborative way.
Whatever the final structure of the new Mission Districts and parishes
ends up being, we are all agreed that we need to seize the opportunities
this restructuring presents and look forward to engaging with each other
positively in the weeks and months ahead. May God bless us all as we
look forward in love and in hope.
***
Welcome!
We are glad to see you worship with us today
and hope to see you again soon.
We would love to get to know you better!
If you like, please send an email to:
With your name, email address
We have several lists/ Let us know if yoiu would like to receive:
1 - A phone call/email from the Minister/ Pastoral Assistant
2- Information on house groups and ways of getting involved
3- Weekly news emails
4- Monthly parish magazines
www.mayfieldsalisbury.org
Scottish Charity Number SC000785
www.give.net/20311853