A downloadable PDF order of service is available here

Jesus said… ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever
comes to me will never be hungry'
John 6:35

There are people in the world so hungry
that God cannot appear to them except in
the form of bread.
Mahatma Gandhi

Led by Revd Dr Sandy Forsyth
with the congregation in church and online

***

AS A DIVERSE PEOPLE, THE CHURCH GATHERS TO WORSHIP ALMIGHTY GOD

Echo Fantasia in D minor Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562 - 1621)

Welcome & Church News

The Grace

Preparatory Silence for Worship

Introit
Thou visitest the earth
Words from Psalm 65
Music: Maurice Greene (1696 to 1755)

Thou visitest the earth, and blessest it:
Thou crownest the year with thy goodness

Call to Worship
Leader: For the beauty of this world You created.
All: We praise you Lord for sight.
Leader: For the songs of the birds in the sky.
All: We praise you Lord for hearing
Leader: For the taste of food we have grown.
All: We praise you Lord for taste
Leader: For the coolness of fresh water on our face.
All: We praise you Lord for touch
Leader: For the sweet fragrance of flowers in the garden.
All: We praise you Lord for smell.
Leader: For all the good things you have created.
All: We come to give thanks and praise.

Hymn 233 Come Ye Thankful People Come
(t. St George’s Windsor)

Come, you thankful people, come,
raise the song of harvest-home:
all is safely gathered in,
ere the winter storms begin;
God, our Maker, will provide
for our needs to be supplied:
come to God's own temple, come;
raise the song of harvest-home.

All this world is God's own field,
bearing fruit his praise to yield;
wheat and tares together sown,
are to joy or sorrow grown;
first the blade and then the ear,
then the full corn shall appear:
Lord of harvest, grant that we
wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come,
and shall take his harvest home;
from his field shall in that day
all offences purge away;
give his angels charge at last
in the fire the tares to cast,
but the fruitful ears to store
in his storehouse evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly, come;
bring your final harvest home:
gather all your people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin;
there, for ever purified,
in your presence to abide:
come, with all your angels come,
raise the glorious harvest-home!

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, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Hymn    To God of All the Harvest
Adapted from Christian Aid/Adam Haggarty, 2021

To God of all the harvest,
we bring our thanks and praise,
and we will now be joyful
for everything He’s made.
We see the fruitful harvest
our gracious God provides,
and how, in his abundance,
our needs are satisfied.

He sends the yearly seasons,
and feeds with joy and care;
pure light and living water
poured out for all to share.
This world of His creation
unfolds before our eyes,
the birds sing out God’s glories,
his wisdom fills the skies.

There is another harvest,
the workers are so few.
We’ll tend the seeds he’s planted
and see his word bear fruit.
Creation groans in longing
for earth to be restored,
that day of celebration:
the harvest of the Lord.

Reading Psalm 8
Read by Anne Graham

O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?

5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
and crowned them with glory and honour.
6 You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet,
7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Anthem   Praise, O praise
Words: Sir H W Baker (1821 – 1877)
Music: Martin How (b 1931)

Praise, O praise our God and King;
hymns of adoration sing:
[Refrain: for his mercies still endure
ever faithful, ever sure.]
Praise him that he made the sun
day by day his course to run: [Refrain]
And the silver moon by night,
shining with her gentle light: [Refrain]
Praise him that he gave the rain
to mature the swelling grain: [Refrain]
And hath bid the fruitful field
crops of precious increase yield: [Refrain]
Praise him for our harvest-store;
he hath filled the garner-floor: [Refrain]
And for richer food than this,
pledge of everlasting bliss: [Refrain]
Glory to our bounteous King;
glory let creation sing:
Glory to the Father, Son,
to the Spirit, Three in One.

Reading John 6:25 - 35, 47 – 51
(New Revised Standard Version)

25 When [the disciples] found him on the other side of the lake, they
said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ 26 Jesus answered them,
‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs,
but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food
that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the
Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set
his seal.’

28 Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of
God?’ 29 Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you
believe in him whom he has sent.’ 30 So they said to him, ‘What
sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe
you? What work are you performing? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna
in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to
eat.”’ 32 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not
Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who
gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that
which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ 34 They
said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’

35 Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me
will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty…

47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the
bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and
they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that
one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came
down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and
the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

Hymn 231   For the Fruits of All Creation
(t. Ar Hyd Y Nor)

For the fruits of all creation,
thanks be to God;
for these gifts to every nation,
thanks be to God;
for the ploughing, sowing, reaping,
silent growth while we are sleeping,
future needs in earth's safe-keeping,
thanks be to God.

In the just reward of labour,
God's will is done;
in the help we give our neighbour,
God's will is done;
in our world-wide task of caring
for the hungry and despairing,
in the harvest we are sharing,
God's will is done.

For the harvests of the Spirit,
thanks be to God;
for the good we all inherit,
thanks be to God;
for the wonders that astound us,
for the truths that still confound us,
most of all, that love has found us,
thanks be to God.

Sermon – ‘The Bread of Life’
Revd Dr Sandy Forsyth

Hymn 229  We Plow the Fields and Scatter
(t. Wir Pflügen)

We plough the fields and scatter
the good seed on the land,
but it is fed and watered
by God's almighty hand;
he sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain,
the breezes and the sunshine
and soft refreshing rain.

All good gifts around us
are sent from heaven above;
then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,
for all his love.

He only is the Maker
of all things near and far;
he paints the wayside flower,
he lights the evening star;
the winds and waves obey him,
by him the birds are fed;
much more to us, his children,
he gives our daily bread.

We thank you then, O Father,
for all things bright and good,
the seed-time and the harvest,
our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
for all your love imparts,
with what we know you long for:
our humble, thankful hearts.

Prayer of Dedication
and for Others

Hymn 167 Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah
(t. Cwm Rhondda)

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand:
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,
feed me till my want is o'er.
feed me till my want is o'er.

Open now the crystal fountain
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through:
strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield.
be thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside!
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side!
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee.
I will ever give to thee.

Closing Responses
Leader: We have gathered to celebrate the harvest.
All: We thank you for all you have given us.
Leader: We have worshipped in our prayers and our singing.
All: We thank you for your Word and all its meaning.
Leader: As we leave this gathering, fill us with the bread of life.
All: We thank you for your Spirit who leaves within us.
Leader: As we go into your world, with your love in our hearts.
All: We thank you that you will be with us always.

Benediction

Threefold Amen

Voluntary in G major Maurice Greene (1696-1755)

THIS MORNING’S CHAMBER GROUP MUSIC
The introit is a Psalm setting by the English Georgian Baroque
composer Maurice Greene, organist at the Chapel Royal and
Master of the King’s Musick. He was a contemporary of Bach
and Handel. It is the in the style of an elegant minuet. The
charming melody is first sung by a tenor solo and then repeated
by the chorus Martin How was closely associated with the Royal
School of Church Music as a renowned choir trainer and composer.

The anthem in a popular quite “jazzy” style is a setting of a
much-loved Harvest hymn, adapted by Henry Baker from a poem
by John Milton. Largely in unison. it has a quieter middle section
and the final Gloria has a lively descant

THIS MORNING'S ORGAN MUSIC Sweelinck was, for most of his
life,and at a time of greast religious and political turmoil in the
Netherlands, organist of the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam. He was
famous as an organist, teacher and composer, and was known
as "The Orpheus of Amsterdam" and "The maker of German
organists" - the latter because of the number of German organists
who studied with him. Sweelinck wrote several Echo Fantasias,
each of which makes use of the fact that organs in Northern Europe
had more that one manual (keyboard) on which different sounds,
some loud, others quiet, could be prepared. Such pieces would
have been played at Sweelinck's public recitals in the Oude Kerk.
Maurice Greene held appointments as Organist of St Paul's Cathedral (London),
Professor of Music at the University of Cambridge, and
Master of the King's Musick. The Voluntary in G major is in two
movements: a gentle Andante followed by an Allegro that features
a cheerful right-hand solo.

***

NEWS AND INTIMATIONS

THE SECOND BILL MCDONALD LECTURE Dr Rutovitz founder of the
Edinburgh Direct Aid. The lecture will be at 7.00pm in the Sanctuary.
No booking required but please be ready to provide contact details
for test and protect on entering by the West Door. The event will
also be live streamed on the church website. All welcome. 

MIDWEEK PRAYERS You are most welcome to attend a time of peace,
prayer and reflection in the church sanctuary, this Tuesday at 10.00am.

SUSTAINABLE HEATING AND DEVELOPMENT Part of the future for
Mayfield Salisbury may involve some significant planning about how
we achieve the eco targets set for the church. This may involve how
we upgrade our heating systems; how we wish to optimise the use of
space we have; how we integrate changes into the sanctuary and other
areas of our buildings.

The Kirk Session wishes to set up a working group on sustainable heating
and development to explore the issues so that when the way forward for
Mayfield Salisbury become more clear we are well placed to understand
the options and opportunities and can begin to make these long term
investment decisions. While some members will be drawn from elders,
the session is keen to ensure that the views and expertise of the congregation.
If you are interested in taking part in the working group please let me know
at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

YOUTH GROUP 3 OCTOBER ALL AGES from 6:00-7:30pm in the Bill
McDonald Hall. We will be talking about climate change and Christianity
together, and creating a badge for the COP26 banner! Bring along any
fabric or material you'd like to recycle.

COP 26 - ENGAGE WITH YOUR MP The countdown to COP26 - the
meeting of world leaders at the UN climate change talks - is underway
and it’s more important than ever that we turn up the pressure on MPs –
showing them the depth and breadth of support for climate justice in
the UK. Our brothers and sisters living in the most marginalised
ommunities in the world – who have done the least to cause the climate
crisis – are paying the heaviest price. Crops are ruined, homes destroyed, a
nd lives lost as extreme weather takes its toll. COP26 is a decade-defining
moment and an opportunity for real, immediate, and lasting change. By
calling on your MP to act, you’re letting them know that as a community
we care, and we demand action. To make sure decision makers hear us loud
and clear, Christian Aid have created a template letter and parliamentary
briefing for you to share with your MP. You can find both on the CA
website by following the links:

Engage your MP COP26:
www.christianaid.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/engage-your-mp-cop26

Download the briefing:
https://www.christianaid.org.uk/resources/get-involved/mp-briefing-climate-and-debt-2021

COLLECTION    Most of those who attend worship support our work
through standing orders, but before the first lockdown we also had a
plate collection during the service for visitors and those who preferred
that form of offering. Covid restrictions still prevent us passing a plate
during the service. Instead we are now inviting those who would have
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 or by contacting our
Freewill Offerings Treasurer, Hugh Somerville on 0131 466 2446 or
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SALE OF PAINTINGS AND SCOTTISH BOOKS   in support of Christian Aid,
will be held at St Andrew’s & St. George’s West Church, George Street on
14 and 15 October, 10am – 3pm, and a Coffee Morning on Saturday 16
October, 10 – 12 noon. All welcome! 

SALE OF AUTUMN PRESERVES After a long absence, our popular
Autumn Preserves Sale returns on Sunday 24 October. Lots of delicious
jams, chutneys and marmalade will be on offer, every jar helping to raise
vital funds for Christian Aid. Look out for further details in the intimations.
Meanwhile, if you’re making jam or chutney during the next few weeks,
please consider making a little extra for our sale.

ECO ACTION There are lots of plans at Mayfield Salisbury to highlight
environmental and climate change issues around the time of COP26,
including the service on October 31 and a lecture by the renowned
Christian thinker and environmentalist Alastair McIntosh, author of the
highly acclaimed book on the climate crisis ‘Riders on the Storm’, on 28
November. At a different level, there will be one or two, mainly multiple
choice, fun questions in the pew leaflets each week. No prizes! but do
check your answers on the eco part of the MS website.

Eco Quiz
1. The fashion industry is responsible for
A) 1% B)10% or C) 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions

2. A glass of milk is more/less environmentally damaging than a glass of wine.

3. The average person in the UK uses
A) 59 B)100 or C) 150 litres of water per day

4. Sending an email uses
A) 1 B) 2 or C) 4 grams carbon

5. And sending an attachment or photo uses
A) 25 B) 50 or C) 100 grams carbon

RECOVERING FELLOWSHIP THROUGH THE GUILD The change that is
afoot in the Church of Scotland is echoed in how the Guild will go
forward. About 20 people from six of the churches in the South
Edinburgh Presbytery Cluster met recently to consider this. It starts
with a Songs of Praise on Tuesday 5 October at 2.00pm at Craigmillar
Park Church and runs to December when a Christmas carol party is
planned. All welcome

PASTORAL CARE   If you or someone you know is going into hospital
then please do notify us. If you would like to receive a visit from our
pastoral care team or a regular phone call contact Kay, our pastoral
assistant, and she will safely organise this for you. Contact Kay
McIntosh on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Forthcoming Deadlines
Order of service for next week: Thursday at 6.00pm.
Next Grapevine: Friday 26 November at 6.00pm.
Please send submissions to the Church Manager, William Mearns.
Phone: 0780 801 1234 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ecotip: Use LED light bulbs

Books for the Journey

Steve Aisthorpe, Re-Wilding the Church (2020)

Richard Frazer, Travels With a Stick: A Pilgrim's Journey to Santiago de Compostela (2019)

Walter Brueggemann, Virus as a Summons to Faith (2020)

Copyright Notices

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by
permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church holds a CCLI Streaming License: #88916

Some images from Pixabay / MotionWorship under licence.

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www.youtube.com/user/MayfieldSalisbChurch

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Youth Instagram: the.msyg

 www.mayfieldsalisbury.org

Scottish Charity Number SC000785