Welcome to this Service of Worship from Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church
Third Sunday of Lent Sunday 20 March 10.30am
‘Even if I knew tomorrow would go to pieces,
I would still plant my apple tree,’
Attributed to Martin Luther
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 - A Gaelic Blessing
Words: Adapted from an old Gaelic rune
Music: John Rutter (b.1945)
Deep peace of the running wave to you,
Deep Peace of the flowing air to you,
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you,
Deep peace of Christ the light of the world to you.
Call to Worship
One: Lord, from war to peace
All: Let peace fill our world
One: From hating to love
All: Let peace fill our world
One: From fleeing to safety
All: Let peace fill our world
One: From suffering to life
All: Let peace fill our world
Hymn 550 As the deer pants for the water
(t. As the deer pants)
As the deer pants for the water,
so my soul longs after you.
You alone are my heart's desire,
and I long to worship you.
You alone are my strength, my shield,
to you alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart's desire,
and I long to worship you.
I want you more than gold or silver;
only you can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy-giver,
and the apple of my eye.
You're my friend and you are my brother,
even though you are a King.
I love you more than any other,
so much more than anything.
Prayer of Approach, Confession
& The 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.
First Reflection
Hillary Leslie
Hymn 575 Over My Head, I Hear Music in the Air
(t. Over My Head)
Over my head, I hear music in the air;
over my head, I hear music in the air;
over my head, I hear music in the air;
there must be a God somewhere.
1 cantor: Oh, when the world is silent,
all: I hear music in the air;
cantor: oh, when the world is silent,
all: I hear music in the air;
cantor: oh, when the world is silent,
all: I hear music in the air;
there must be a God somewhere.
2 And when I'm feeling lonely,
and when I'm feeling lonely,
and when I'm feeling lonely,
there must be a God somewhere.
3 Now when I think on Jesus,
now when I think on Jesus,
now when I think on Jesus,
there must be a God somewhere.
Young people leave for Sunday School
0 - 3s and 4 - 6s Lower Hall
7 - 8s Newington Room
9 - 11s Fountainhall Room
12 - 16+ Youth Room
Reading Isaiah 55:1 - 9
Read by Sandra Carter
Invitation to the thirsty
55 ‘Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labour on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendour.’
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,’
declares the Lord.
9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Anthem - Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks
Words: from Psalm 42
Music: Herbert Howells (1892 -1983)
Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks
so longeth my soul after thee, O God
My soul is athirst for the living God
yes, even for the living God.
When shall I come to appear
before the presence of God?
My tears have been my meat day and night,
while they daily say unto me
Where, where is now thy God?
Reading St Luke 13:1 - 9
Read by Sandra Carter
Repent or perish
13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the
Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus
answered, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the
other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless
you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the
tower in Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than all
the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you
too will all perish.’
6 Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig-tree growing in his vineyard,
and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the
man who took care of the vineyard, “For three years now I’ve been coming
to look for fruit on this fig-tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why
should it use up the soil?”
8 ‘“Sir,” the man replied, “leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig round
it and fertilise it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”’
Hymn 485 Dear Lord and Father of mankind
(t. Repton)
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways;
reclothe us in our rightful mind;
in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise.
in deeper reverence, praise.
In simple trust like theirs who heard,
beside the Syrian sea,
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us, like them, without a word
rise up and follow thee.
rise up and follow thee.
O Sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
where Jesus knelt to share with thee
the silence of eternity,
interpreted by love!
interpreted by love!
With that deep hush subduing all
our words and works that drown
the tender whisper of thy call,
as noiseless let thy blessing fall
as fell thy manna down.
as fell thy manna down.
Drop thy still dews of quietness,
till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain & stress,
and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace.
the beauty of thy peace.
Breathe through the heats of our desire
thy coolness and thy balm;
let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
O still small voice of calm!
O still small voice of calm!
Second Reflection - ‘You’ve Got it Coming!’
Revd Dr Sandy Forsyth
Hymn 489 Come down, O Love Divine
(t. Down Ampney) Discendi, Amor santo
Come down, O Love Divine,
seek out this soul of mine,
and visit it with your own
ardour glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear, and kindle it,
your holy flame bestowing.
O let it freely burn,
till earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes,
in its heat consuming;
and let your glorious light
shine ever on my sight,
and clothe me round,
the while my path illuming.
Let holy charity
my outward vesture be,
and lowliness become my inner clothing;
true lowliness of heart,
which takes the humbler part,
and o'er its own shortcomings
weeps with loathing.
And so the yearning strong,
with which the soul will long,
shall far outpass
the power of human telling;
we cannot guess its grace,
till we become the place
wherein the Holy Spirit
makes a dwelling.
Prayer of Dedication and for Others
During which is sung seated, on three occasions after words
‘Lord, have mercy’, hymn 776 Kyrie Eleison (Ukrainian traditional chant)
Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison,
Kyrie eleison.
Hymn 352 O for a thousand tongues, to sing
(t. Richmond)
O for a thousand tongues, to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!
Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease;
'tis music in the sinner's ears,
'tis life, and health, and peace.
He breaks the power of cancelled sin,
he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean,
his blood availed for me.
He speaks, and, listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive,
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
the humble poor believe.
Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,
your loosened tongues employ;
ye blind, behold your Saviour come;
and leap, ye lame, for joy!
My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honours of thy name.
Closing Responses
Based on the ‘Five Marks of Mission’
One: Help us Lord, to live as people
who have good news to share
ALL: Mark us with your Word
One: Help us Lord, to live as people
who learn and love and grow together
ALL: Mark us with your Spirit
One: Who listen to and serve our neighbours
ALL: Mark us with your love
One: Who work for justice and reconciliation
ALL: Mark us with your peace
One: Who love and care for your creation
ALL: Mark us with your hope
One: Help us Lord, to share in your great mission of love
ALL: Mark us and send us, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing & Threefold Amen
Organ Voluntary
THIS MORNING’S CHAMBER GROUP MUSIC The introit, commissioned by
a Church choir in Omaha, is by the contemporary composer John Rutter,
much renowned for his justly popular arrangements and original
compositions of Christmas carols. It is a sensitive setting of the text with an
attractive of the flowing melody over a running accompaniment. Herbert
Howells as been described as the last English romantic composers. The
anthem is the best known, and perhaps most accessible, of a large body of
sacred choral music. The opening section by men’s voices beautifully reflect
the Psalmist’s longing for God before the whole choir join in a more
intense and heartfelt pleading. The opening melody is repeated, this time
decorated by a soprano descant, leading to the poignant questioning at the close.
***
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!
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 Our Pastoral Assistant, Kay McIntosh, will be off starting
Monday 14 March. Please address any pastoral matters to our Pastoral
Co-ordinators and Pastoral Visitor, or to the minister, as appropriate.
0131 667 1286 or
Climate Change and Home Energy
Heating domestic homes accounts for 17% of the UK’s carbon footprint.
We all know that to reduce global warming we should be reducing our use
of gas and oil to heat our homes. At present, most of us rely on gas boilers
and only 5% of home heating is from renewal energy sources. The
Government is committed to phase out gas boilers for new builds by 2025.
But what are the alternatives? The most common solution currently is to
use a heat pump, which works a bit like a refrigerator in reverse. These can
either be air source - which look like air conditioning units outside
buildings, or ground source - more effective but requiring a large outside
area, or access to major drilling equipment, or both. In the future hydrogen
may become a feasible alternative green energy source provided the
electricity used in its production is from renewables such as wind and solar,
and new boilers are now designed so as to be capable of running on
hydrogen rather than gas. Biomass is another energy source, whose major
drawback is the large storage capacity required.
For our existing properties, it is daunting to consider replacing our gas
boilers with, for example, heat pumps, bearing in mind the upheaval and
the capital expense, and may not even be feasible depending on the type
of property. Old boilers lose efficiency, and simply switching to a new, more
efficient model will reduce your carbon footprint.
But there are many simpler things we can do to make our homes more
‘energy efficient’ by reducing heat loss, including draught-proofing,
installing better insulation - in lofts, under flooring, and sometimes in wall
spaces - and upgrading old windows with double (or triple) glazing. Of
course, such measures, as well as being good for the planet, save on our
fuel bills, and considering how these have sky-rocketed recently with
further increases on the way, now is definitely the time to consider such
improvements. Some improvements are even eligible for government
grants.
For easily accessible, comprehensive and up to date advice on all aspects
of home energy saving and renewable home energy sources, we would
recommend the Home Energy Scotland website
https://www.homeenergyscotland.org/. It has links to all aspects of home
energy efficiencies and can answer all your queries from the simplest to
the most complex, with advice on available grants, local trades contacts,
and real-world examples. Home Energy Scotland can arrange for a
specialist assessment of your home’s energy performance, with free,
expert and impartial advice.
LENTEN SWISHING STARTS TODAY !!!!! What is this? Swishing is when you
exchange unwanted goods for someone else’s. During Lent the Eco Group
would like to experiment with this for clothes and accessories. Remember
that sale bargain you picked up and will never wear or that Christmas
present that is far too small. Well. if you have such an item, bring it along
on Sunday mornings during Lent and see if there is anything you might
exchange it for. All goods must be scarcely worn and clean and in good
condition. If there is something that catches your eye – please help
yourself. No cost is involved and all leftovers will be delivered to Bethany
after Easter. So in one fell swoop, you get rid of that unwanted item, save
a trip to the charity shop, reduce clothes manufacture and help with re-
cycling and reducing landfill. What could be better? Eco Group
UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AND CHRISTIAN AID’S RESPONSE
We have all been appalled by recent events unfolding in Ukraine. As
conflict intensifies, more than a million people have fled their homes.
Leaving behind jobs, belongings and loved ones, they need shelter, food
and water.
Christian Aid is working with partner organisations in the ACT Alliance (a
global faith-based coalition), to offer assistance to Ukraine refugees fleeing
deadly violence. So far, one of their ACT partners has already distributed 28
tonnes of food supplies and other lifesaving essentials to people on the
Ukrainian borders. With your help, they can do much, much more.
Christian Aid is a member of the DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee),
which brings together leading UK aid charities to raise funds quickly and
efficiently in response to large-scale disasters. The UK government has
promised to match donations to the DEC’s Ukraine Appeal up to £20m
You can reach them https://donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal
Disasters Emergency Committee, to donate online. Thank you.
LENT AND HOLY WEEK The arrangements for joint services during Holy
Week are that there will be five morning services from Monday 11 to
Friday 15 April held at Craigmillar Park, for 15 minutes from 7.45am
followed by breakfast. There will also be two services in the evening at
7.30pm during Holy Week, being a Maundy Thursday communion service
on 14 April at Priestfield and a Good Friday Tenebrae service on 15 April at
Mayfield Salisbury.
Also on Good Friday there will be a Walk of Witness, with readings and
prayers, from Craigmillar Park to the Methodist Church in Nicolson Square
which will follow the morning service on 15 April.
On Easter morning, we will have a breakfast in the Bill MacDonald Hall at
8.30am, incorporating worship, and then a joint service in the sanctuary at
10.30am. On an entirely optional basis, there will also be a walk up
Blackford Hill for the sunrise on Easter morning at 6am.
Youth Group Sunday 20 March (ALL AGES 6.30pm)
We will be going to Fountain Park for a session of mini-golf at Volcano Falls! If
you signed up for this event, please remember to bring your consent forms
and money when we meet at Fountain Park.
Youth Worship Sunday 27 March (7.00pm) We will be meeting in the Bill
McDonald Hall for a night of praise, prayer and reflection. All ages invited!
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! The registration deadline has been extended
to 22 March. Flyers and registration forms are available: please speak with
Hillary if you have any questions.
PILGRIMAGE TO ST ANDREWS – MAIN DATE: SATURDAY 7 MAY
We’ll be completing the Fife Pilgrim Way to St Andrews in April and May,
having walked the first leg as a congregation from North Queensferry to
Dunfermline Abbey last September. The intention is to have another
congregational pilgrimage day on Saturday 7 May for the final leg from
Ceres to St Andrews, a distance of 9.5 miles. Once more, there will be the
option to walk a shorter section, or to simply join at the end, when we will
gather for a short service and then food and fellowship. In addition, the
minister will be walking the three preceding sections on Mondays in April,
and would welcome any fellow pilgrims along the way! The details are as
follows:
• Dunfermline to Cardenden (14 miles) – Monday 11 April
• Cardenden to Kennoway (15 miles) – Monday 18 April (Easter Monday)
• Kennoway to Ceres (8.5 miles) – Monday 25 April
• Ceres to St Andrews (9.5 miles) – Saturday 7 May
FOREST CHURCH – ‘EMMAUS WALK’ – SUNDAY 24 APRIL FROM 2.30-5.00pm
We’ll be joining with the Penicuik churches in their Forest Church on the
Sunday after Easter, to explore God in nature and walk, talk and be
together. More details to follow, but save the date and any queries at
present, feel free to contact the minister.
EVENING OF PIONEER PRACTICE WITH JONNY BAKER THURSDAY 5 MAY
7.00PM In the face of numerical decline in the traditional church
denominations, there is a renewed awareness of the importance of God’s
mission in the world. Do we just need to do the old things better or are we
being challenged to embrace the new: creative, innovative expressions of
faith, rooted in their context, in partnership with traditional forms?
Jonny Baker is Director of Mission Education at the Church Mission Society
in Oxford, and a renowned writer and inspirer on ‘pioneering’ forms of
mission and ministry. He is touring Scotland with musician and artist Gav
Mart – and working with local pioneers – to explore key themes of ‘Pioneer
Practice’, the name of his recent book. Mayfield Salisbury is hosting the
event for Edinburgh and the Lothians – all are welcome. Sign up on
Eventbrite here (cost £3 each) -
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exploring-pioneer-practice-4-7-may-2022-tickets-272673472697
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
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
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 under licence.
Forthcoming Deadlines
Order of service for next week: Thursday at 6.00pm.
Next Grapevine: Friday 22 April at 6.00pm.
***
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