Second of Advent
Welcome!
We know not everyone who is part of Westwood Church is able to be in church on Sunday morning however, we thought it would be good to offer some excerpts from the Sunday morning service. Where we can, we offer parts of the service in text and audio, whichever works best for you. If you want to plug in headphones to your computer, tablet or mobile phone now is a good time to do it ! If you want to offer some comment or feedback just use the comment box at the end of this post.
Your Weekly Church Notices
Scripture
Isaiah 11: 1 – 10
Romans 15: 7 – 13
Praise – Hark the glad sound
Prayers
Lord as we come to worship together during this Advent season, refresh our hearts with the wonder of Your story. Guide us by Your Holy Spirit into deeper revelations of Your love, mercy and hope. Lord, we want to understand your purposes, we want to know what you have in store for us, where you are leading us and why? Reveal your will to us.
Father God, You led your people through the dry weariness of the desert to start a new life in a land of promise. We too are waiting for your leading and the promise of your kingdom. The path is dusty; our shoes are worn; our spirits are worn out and our hearts are weary. And sometimes we do not know where You are taking us; yet we trust in you to come again and lead us to new life.
Through countless generations your prophets and preachers have prepared the way for your coming. They have spoken boldly of your love and your justice. We give thanks for those who were bold enough to prepare the way even though it cost them dearly. We thank you for the calling you place upon us to prepare the way for others; may we learn how to speak with boldness about the things of God until at last, the Son returns to claim us as His own.
With timid hearts we offer ourselves to You Lord, cautious of what faith in you might ask us to do. Yet with hearts that are ready to rejoice we accept all that you offer to us. We receive your grace, your promises, your strength and prepare the way for the coming of the Christ.
Hear us as we join in the words of the Lord’s Prayer saying…
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 forever. Amen.
Address
Is it so implausible to believe that God has so arranged and organised human lives that all our experiences, both good and bad, can be used to fulfil God’s purposes. We probably all know someone, it might even be ourselves, who has endured life’s more painful experiences and found that it has in fact deepened faith in God. I don’t believe our God is a God of vengeance who sends suffering and pain upon us, but God can and does use those moments to bring us closer to him and to deepen our faith in him.
We only have to look to the Cross of Christ to see that suffering is an unavoidable part of human existence; even the Christ had to embrace suffering to truly know what this life is like. His suffering was extreme but through it , every human being is enabled to find hope and strength and faith. Even the Lord himself grew spiritually through his ordeal, for his crucifixion resulted in a glorious resurrection. And we too always have the opportunity through any suffering we might experience, to come closer to the Christ and become more like him. Our sufferings mould us, shape us and prepare us for what is to come.
Paul the Apostle sees the whole history and culture of the Jews nation as a preparation for the revelation of Jesus as Saviour of the whole world. In today’s reading from Romans, Paul selects appropriate Old Testament passages to show that Jesus was destined to be the Messiah for Gentiles as well as for the Jews.
There was already a Christian church in Rome before Paul’s visit there, but we don’t know who founded it or how it began. The Church in Rome probably contained Jews and Gentiles. It was an uneasy relationship between these two groups. Paul’s letter to the church in Rome calls upon all the Christians to “live in harmony with one another”.
The big obstacle to unity at that time was the issue of circumcision. The Jewish Christians led by James and other elders in Jerusalem, proclaimed that it was impossible to be part of God’s family without accepting the sign of circumcision. Paul on the other hand supported the Gentiles, proclaiming that although it was necessary in the past, circumcision was now unnecessary. All that was needed to be a child of God was faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul believes that the promise expressed through circumcision, and indeed the whole of the Old Testament, was a preparation for the coming of God as Jesus Christ. The Jews, naturally enough, could not see how God’s promise could be fulfilled in anyone without the sign of circumcision.
We don’t have the same arguments today over circumcision. But we need to remember that in the past, people risked their lives and their reputations so that we might worship freely. Starting with Paul and the Gentiles in the early Christian church and going on through the Inquisition and the Reformation and even the Covenanters and a multitude of other upheavals, the way has been prepared for us by courageous Christian ancestors.
Maybe one of our prime tasks as Christians is to prepare the way for others. And perhaps we might never know quite what way we’re preparing, or quite who we’re preparing it for. Maybe we’re not even conscious of preparing the way, but all our actions, our words our thoughts affect the way things are. The presence in this world of every single one of us has meaning and purpose; suffering has purpose. Our purpose is to make the way smooth for those who come after us.
Even Jesus needed a herald to prepare the way for him, and didn’t John suffer for the message he brought; and we have certainly needed people to prepare the way for us; people who suffered so we could hear the message of hope and faith and salvation. Now it’s our turn to make things as ready as we can for future generations. We dare to stand up for what we believe in, we live by faith, and endure suffering for the sake of Christ.
Praise – I cannot tell
Prayers for Others
Lord God, we remember today how so many looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, the one who would save Israel even though they had no real knowledge of who or how that would come to be. They simply trusted that You would fulfil your promise but we remember also how it became harder to go on believing as the years went by; how hope began to falter and dreams began to fade until in due time, the prophecy was fulfilled, You came to live amongst us as Jesus Christ, the definitive expression of Your love.
We remember with gladness how He brought hope throughout His ministry, a sense of purpose to those for whom life seemed pointless – the poor, sick, outcasts and broken-hearted – light shining in their darkness, joy breaking into their sorrow, new beginnings in what had seemed like the end. Hear us as we pray asking that you bring fresh hope to our world even through us and the faith, we treasure…
Hear us as we pray for those caught in the grip of despair – those for whom the future seems bleak, optimism seems foolish and trust seems futile. Reach out in love, and may the light shine into their darkness. Lord of all, the Word made flesh, bring hope to your world today. Lord hear us in our prayers…
Hear us in our prayers for those who mourn, or who wrestle with illness, or who know suffering in their lives to which they can see no end. Reach out in love and grant them your strength and comfort. Lord of all, the Word made flesh, bring hope to your world today. Lord hear our prayers…
Praise – On Jordan’s Bank
The Grace
And now… May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and all whom you love, now and for evermore. AMEN.
]]>First Sunday of Advent
Welcome!
We know not everyone who is part of Westwood Church is able to be in church on Sunday morning however, we thought it would be good to offer some excerpts from the Sunday morning service. Where we can, we offer parts of the service in text and audio, whichever works best for you. If you want to plug in headphones to your computer, tablet or mobile phone now is a good time to do it ! If you want to offer some comment or feedback just use the comment box at the end of this post.
Your Weekly Church Notices
Scripture
Romans 13: 11 – 14
Matthew 24: 36 – 44
Praise – Christ be our light
Prayers
Lord Jesus Christ, in a world obsessed by speed, when there are not enough hours in the day, where time is short and tomorrow is too late, you tell us to slow down. You give us permission to take time. In a world demanding answers, you simply pose questions.
In a world teetering on the edge of insanity, you offer calm. In this time of waiting and wondering, steady our minds; unravel the tangle of frantic action with which we have smothered our lives; open that place of wonder and awe that allows the mystery of grace and hope to enter into all that we do and all that we are.
Loving Lord, remove from us the self-absorption that blinds and deafens us to the needs of others. Help us examine our lives without fear, recognise our many failings, and look to you for mercy and hope. Strengthen us that we may break free from the chains of selfishness, pride and doubt, and walk with purpose in the paths of light.
May the Lord, who brings freedom to our spirits, restore our fractured lives, mend our broken hearts and grant us mercy and peace.
This may be all that we have to offer Lord, nothing more and nothing less than our humanity awkward and self-conscious, fragile and frail, yet here we gladly accept the healing and wholeness that you offer to us through your deep and gracious and undeserved love.
Hear us as we join in the words of the Lord’s Prayer saying…
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 forever. Amen.
Address
Monday morning, I looked and felt like a half shut knife. I’d love to tell you that I had been burning the midnight oil all in pursuit of the Glory of God and Westwood Church but that would not be the case.
Jet, our lovely Spaniel, decided to lie downstair whimpering and whining. It’s most unusual for him to be like that. So, at three in the morning, I got up and let him out. Jet then went back to sleep but I didn’t. By five in the morning, he was again whimpering and whining downstairs. This was very annoying so we told him to be quiet and go back to bed. Jet went quiet. I assumed he had gone back to sleep. Good for him!!! I was wide awake with two hours to go until the alarm.
I should have got up for Jet at 5 in the morning. It might have avoided the puddle of dog vomit on the kitchen floor!!!
When we don’t get a good night’s sleep the next day is pretty much written off.
In Victorian times a regular nine hours sleep was the norm but in these hectic days of constant work and pressure we are on average down to six hours sleep; some survive on less than that. At times of worry it must be a common experience for us all to spend the wee small hours lying in bed wide awake, the brain churning the problems over and over, then falling asleep just before the alarm goes and spend the rest of the day feeling exhausted.
And there are times when people act as though they’re half-asleep even when they should be wide-awake and alert. In today’s gospel reading Jesus tells us not to be like that. “Keep alert,” he says, “for you don’t know when God will approach you.” He goes on to say that God approaches suddenly and silently and unexpectedly, and those who aren’t ready will miss him. If we are half-asleep, we are likely to miss the moment God comes.
Paul picks up the theme of being ready for God coming into your life. “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber,” he says, “…the night is nearly over; the day is almost here.” He’s referring to the Day of the Lord, when it was widely believed that Jesus would reappear. Back in the days of the Old Testament, the Day of the Lord was thought to be the final day when God would appear to crush sin out of existence. Isaiah says, “See, the day of the LORD is coming –a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger– to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.” (Isaiah 13:9). And Joel says, ” Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand–” (Joel 2:1).
Amos sees the day of the Lord as a time of darkness: “Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light,” he says (Amos 5:18). But Paul tells us that the time of darkness is nearly over. Since the coming of Jesus darkness has been banished from the land, and Jesus will reappear in a blaze of glory, not in darkness. It’s time, therefore, for all Christians to emerge from the darkness and come into the light, for only those who live in the light will be able to recognise the Prince of Light when he comes.
The candles in the Advent crown going from their dark colours to the lighter pink and then the white are there to show that progression from darkness to light; the dawn is rapidly approaching. It’s time to wake from our sleep, to prepare for his coming and the dawning of His light upon all humanity. Darkness has been banished by God Himself coming into our world as a human being.
As Christians we are called to wake people from their sleep, to welcome the dawn, to spread the light. To draw back the curtains and welcome the sunrise. This Advent as we pledge ourselves anew to our Lord, let us remember that the world is not just waiting on the Christ but is waiting us to wake from our sleep and bring the freshness of a new dawn to people everywhere.
Praise – Come thou long expected Jesus
Prayers for Others
Life’s times of hardship and darkness
Loving Father we know that life’s journey has many twists and turns, times of light and shade, times of darkness, times of chaos and of peace. For those travelling through life’s darker moments we come to you in our prayers. Help us to remember that no matter how dark it may seem darkness does not hide us from you. You are always close seeking to share our burdens and bring light into our living. Lord hear us in our prayers as we think on those journeying through life’s darker moments…
Hong Kong Tower Block infernos
In scenes reminiscent of Grenfell Tower, we witnessed seven of the eight public high rise towers in the Tai Po District of Hong Kong become an inferno. 55 have died, there may be more, and hundreds of the 4600 residents are missing. We cannot think on this as anything other than a human tragedy. Where families grieve, where justice needs to be found, where practices need to change, Lord be present. Grant that your peace may come to the broken hearted, grant that the anger of your justice may come to those who bear responsibility, grant the wisdom and the grace to learn and create a better future for all. Lord hear our prayers…
Russia Ukraine Conflict
The war and the politics continue though not quite as headline grabbing as once, they were. Leaked peace deals, allegations of the US coaching Russia, just more of the same rhetoric and blaming and unprofessionalism we have come to associate with this sad and painful conflict. While politicians fill the headlines help us Lord to remember that there are those who serve on the frontlines of conflict. They know the darkness of war, the pain of loss and long for the light of your peace to come again. Give them faith in you Lord that You can cause wars to stop and bring peace to their land and to their hearts. Hear us in our prayers…
Praise – Make Way Make Way
The Grace
And now… May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and all whom you love, now and for evermore. AMEN.
]]>Christ the King Sunday
Welcome!
We know not everyone who is part of Westwood Church is able to be in church on Sunday morning however, we thought it would be good to offer some excerpts from the Sunday morning service. Where we can, we offer parts of the service in text and audio, whichever works best for you. If you want to plug in headphones to your computer, tablet or mobile phone now is a good time to do it ! If you want to offer some comment or feedback just use the comment box at the end of this post.
Your Weekly Church Notices
Scripture
Colossians 1: 11 – 20
Luke 23: 33 – 43
Praise – Be still for the presence
Prayers
Father God, for Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God, we offer you our praise and thanks. In Him we know You in Your fullness, a loving and compassionate creator, the One who reconciles us to each other, restoring that which is broken and ruptured.
Thank You Lord God, for Jesus’ message of hope, His steadfast living out of all You are; for the Spirit, which draws us into new communities of compassion and healing.
We thank You for human companionship, which builds up and restores the soul.
We thank You for people around us who show us the way of the kingdom of God.
For those who care for us when we are sick and delight us in so many ways by being just who they are. And for the random kindness of strangers which turns the ordinary into a moment of joy and meaning.
Living God, in the stillness of Your presence we know ourselves in new ways.
We see more clearly where and when we have failed to love with the love of Christ. We have compromised when we should have stood firm, and judged others by standards to which we rarely hold ourselves.
We have been quick to anger and slow to love. We have not lived as people who know the kingdom of God is among us.
Loving God, You have given us confidence to turn back to You as forgiven people,
through the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Your Son Jesus. Like prodigal children we are ready to begin again and like the loving parent in the story Jesus told, You are watching for us to return and ready to take us into Your arms. In the stillness of Your presence may we know ourselves in new ways, as loved and accepted and forgiven.
You give us of yourself, in all your fullness, and through our offering, and in this time of worship, and in our daily living, we give of ourselves fully to you Lord.
Hear us as we join in the words of the Lord’s Prayer saying…
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 forever. Amen.
Address
The man formerly known as “Prince” was the quip I saw on Facebook. You will, of course, know who I’m referring to; Andrew Mountbatten Windsor formerly known as Prince Andrew. We were assured by Royal commentators that it was impossible to remove the title “Prince” as it was a birth right. But it just goes to show how much the Royal Family are trying to distance themselves from the problems Andrew is creating. Problems which have followed them for a few years now.
It is not easy being a Royal. There is always controversy, comment, opinion, scrutiny and criticism knocking at your door if you are a Royal. And if you are thinking that the Queen, Elizabeth II never courted such controversy then sadly that’s not entirely true. For some she could never be Queen Elizabeth II of Scotland because Elizabeth I was only ever Queen of England and Ireland, not Scotland.
And that’s the way it has been the world over for thousands of years. Even in ancient Israel of Old Testament times, God’s people felt that they wanted to be the same as other nations and have a King and Royal family of their own. So, they set themselves on such a path and choose for themselves a King. We might be familiar with the names of some of them like King Solomon – remembered for his Wisdom; King David – once a shepherd boy who became a just and fair leader of his people but blotted his copy with an act of adultery and then murder. But there were others, most famously King Herod who was cruel, greedy and vain. The old Jewish saying, “It is better to be a pig than Herod’s son” was coined in the aftermath of Herod executing his sons in case they might try to take his throne. Herod was insane in his jealousy.
It is hard to explain therefore, why the bible would want to portray Jesus as a King. It is not a title that paints a consistent picture of what we might expect Jesus to be like, will he be kind or cruel, honest or deceitful, above reproach or a real scoundrel, honest in his dealings or just a bit shady, wise or foolish?
Luke depicts Jesus as a King in a way that calls us to completely re-think what we understand King-ship to mean and to re-think who we believe Jesus to be. On the cross Jesus is crowned, the ring of thorns placed on his head, the pain and mockery of which is hard to bear. Yet from this place of suffering is able to offer his neighbour, a man sentenced to death as a common criminal, a place within His Kingdom. They are each suffering, they are each broken, one no different to the other, apart from hope and faith in God’s love for each and every one of us. Gone are the worldly expectations of unchallenged royal power to be replaced with the obvious “powerlessness” of Jesus on the cross, as powerless as the criminals next to him, as powerless as we all are in the face of life’s events, its twists and turns and unpredictability.
Through all the shouting voices and the baying of the crowd the only true dialogue that takes place is between Jesus and that criminal who sees in Jesus the undeserved suffering of an innocent man, and asks Jesus that he be remembered when Jesus comes as King. Jesus responds with the promise of Paradise.
The Kings of ancient Israel, and for that matter, our own Royal family, were and are flawed human beings. Jesus, God’s son, the Word made flesh, was not flawed, but he was broken and subjected to the sinfulness of the human race that is borne out of our flawed humanity. He knows injustice, he knows pain, he knows what it is to be human and has experienced it all first hand; and at our hand. He meets us in our broken condition, He embraces us in our misery.
When that day comes, and it will come, because it comes to us all, when we are asking ourselves, is there not something better than this, is this all that life is about, is it just an endless round of toil and strain, deception, broken promises and the ugliness of abuse, when we are done following those who grab at power or wealth or status we might look for someone who can find, who has found, a way through the darkness and the brokenness. We will look for someone who only seeks to lift us from our misery. We will seek a King who comes as a suffering servant.
Remember me when you come as King.
I promise you will be with me in paradise.
Praise – From Heaven you came
Prayers for Others
On this Christ the King Sunday we remember that Christ’s kingship does not shy away from the agony of the cross, the vulnerability of the incarnation, the risk and betrayal of human relationships in times of danger and threat.
Christ our King, as we prayers for others, we commit those we pray for into your hands for you know the frailties and troubles of human life.
We pray then with compassion for those who hurt and fear and cry today
because they have been let down by systems or circumstances or the ones they love. Where hearts are broken and spirits are crushed, where hope is gone and dignity has been stolen; Lord bring healing…
We pray with love for those who are lonely or in pain, and for those who care for family and friends in times of need. We acknowledge the stress of being a carer
and the sometimes-conflicting feelings of those who are cared for. Bring comfort and encouragement, dear Lord, to situations of conflict, and rest for those who bear the heaviest burdens. Lord, hear our prayers…
We pray with faith for those we love the most, and for those who have no-one to offer a prayer for them. May Your presence surround and bless them today and always. May they know they are loved and known and seen by You. May your love reach into the most distant of hearts and bring them peace. Lord, hear our prayer…
For those who grieve the loss of one they have loved, we pray especially that You will encourage them with loving memories and a confidence in Your loving purpose, which holds all souls in life. May we all take comfort from Your words,
“Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Lord, hear our prayer…
We give You thanks for the witness of those who knew and followed You as their Lord and King, and have shown to us what it means to be a follower of the Christ.
May they know of our grateful love for them, now and always. And may our witness to Christ inspire generations to come to follow their Lord and King, Jesus Christ.
AMEN
Praise – Colours of Day
The Grace
And now… May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and all whom you love, now and for evermore. AMEN.
]]>23rd Sunday after Pentecost
Welcome!
We know not everyone who is part of Westwood Church is able to be in church on Sunday morning however, we thought it would be good to offer some excerpts from the Sunday morning service. Where we can, we offer parts of the service in text and audio, whichever works best for you. If you want to plug in headphones to your computer, tablet or mobile phone now is a good time to do it ! If you want to offer some comment or feedback just use the comment box at the end of this post.
Your Weekly Church Notices
Scripture
Isaiah 65: 17 – 25
Luke 21: 5 – 19
Praise – All my hope on God is founded
Prayers
Loving God, we praise you that we can put our hand into yours knowing that you will lead us, support us and hold us throughout our lives, that you will supply all our needs and far more besides. You have touched our lives through your grace. And we say thank you.
We praise you for our experience of that truth across the years – the way you have always held firm despite our faults and faithlessness, never letting go of us even when we let go of you. You have touched our lives through your grace. And we thank you.
Forgive us then for too often letting go of you, intent on going our own way. Forgive us for doubting you when times are hard, questioning your ability to lead us safely through. Forgive us for reaching out only when we have need of you expecting that you will lift us up. You have touched us through your grace. And we thank you.
Help us to put our hand in yours once again, in simple trust and quiet confidence. Fill our hearts with expectation sure in the knowledge that you will hold us firm. This is what you offer to us; grace we do not deserve, love we have not earned, redemption that is full and free. And what we seek to give back is as simple and unsullied as a loving heart.
Then hear us as we join in the words of the Lord’s Prayer saying…
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 forever. Amen.
Address
Luke presents us with a passage that could easily fit with Remembrance Sunday themes, and indeed sometimes, this passage, as we work through the Sundays of the Christian year, does coincide with Remembrance Sunday.
There’s a lot going on in Luke’s passage and a lot of it is scary. Earth quakes, famines and plagues; wars and revolutions. Everything in upheaval. Nothing constant, nothing remaining the same. And all of that stems from the disciples admiring the vast and beautiful and ancient Temple which seems to have stood the ravages of time. The Temple has been there forever and will be there forevermore. Only it won’t be. Nothing stays the same forever. One day the temple will be torn down.
I suppose the question the disciples ask is quite legitimate. When will all this happen Lord? How will we know? What will be the signs? Yet I wonder what their motive is for asking. Are they seeking to embrace the inevitable, embrace God’s will and plan OR is it so they can take action to save the Temple and maybe then, unwittingly thwart God’s plan?
And yet, when they, or we, see the most unimaginable things happen, when we see institutions and ways of life being torn down do we think this is part of God’s plan or do we strive to keep everything as it is, keep our institutions alive, our ways of life defended. How do we know which is the right thing to do?
The answer we find in Luke’s Gospel is not an easy one for us to hear. Jesus speaks about his followers being arrested and persecuted; His followers will be tried and put in prison. I can’t say the prospect fills me with joy! But it all comes from a need to have the message of the Gospel heard. The need for truth to be spoken, made known. Truth gives those who hear it the opportunity to stop and think, change direction if they need too. Truth that forms the very foundation of our humanity, how we relate to each other and how we relate to our God. We then, might suffer for the Truth if we dare to speak it and we may not save the institutions that are so familiar to us. New worlds will come from the Truth we are bold enough to speak but the foundations of love, mercy, justice, compassion are eternal.
Who would not look at our world now and not think that the great institutions of free speech and democracy are not on the edge of destruction. Who would not look at our world and come to see that love, and compassion and mercy are harder to find now than ever before. And justice; justice seems not to hear the cry of the victim anymore. Communities are divided on matters of race and immigration and there are those who exploit and increase that division.
And all of the foundations of love, mercy, justice and compassion are enshrined in the Kingdom of God, that place where relationships between individuals and neighbours, communities and countries and continents matter. Relationships matter because our God is a God of relationships, Father, Son and Holy Spirit three persons so utterly bound together in love as to be one. To find such depths of love is costly. The cross tells us that so clearly.
If our voice is the only voice to speak that truth, to speak of love and compassion, mercy and justice; are we prepared in an increasingly hostile and divided world to carry the cost of loving.
Praise – Longing for light
Prayers for Others
Truth, Trust and the BBC
The debate and the headlines have wrangled on all week. Sometimes Father, we just switch off to the subject matters we are just not that interested in. Do we really care if a video of Donald Trump was badly edited or not? One video which only reinforced what we were thinking anyway. But maybe that is the point; one video that reinforced opinion, not fact, not unbiased truth. It didn’t inform or educated or challenge us to see another point of view. The BBC gave us Fake News. When trust is broken, we begin to question everything. We search for all the other places where we have been misled. How can we understand our world if we cannot trust those who profess to give us the truth; unbiased truth.
Lord God, in a world swamped with media outlets, fact and fiction, news and fake news, conflicting ideologies and divided opinions, help us listen to your words of Truth and discern where truth can be found in this world. Hear our prayer…
Those facing life’s struggles
Lord Jesus Christ, every day you entered into the choices and struggles that people faced. Ordinary people like us who don’t always have freedom or the power to change things. So, today we bring to You all who are struggling with life’s choices and pressures. We remember those who are facing tough choices and hard situations; those enduring physical or mental pain; those striving to come to terms with painful loss – of a loved one, of employment, of dreams and ambitions, of cherished hopes; those facing challenges for which they feel hopelessly inadequate.
Hold them in Your love and let them know Your peace and the sufficient strength of Your grace which is able to turn even calamity into a blessing. Lord hear our prayers…
Quietness for our own prayers
Lord Jesus, direct our thoughts now as from the quietness and stillness of your house we make our own prayers to you. We come with concerns for family and friend and even for ourselves, we pray for those who have nothing of their own. Wherever you take us in prayer, may these prayers be genuine and sincere, a prayer which comes from the heart and goes to the heart of God. Hear us in our prayers…
Praise – Jesus shall reign
The Grace
And now… May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and all whom you love, now and for evermore. AMEN.
]]>We are delighted to make known the outcome of the voting which was completed on Sunday 19th October at both congregations.
Vote for the Basis of Union
| Congregation | For | Against |
| East Kilbride Greenhills | 30 | 0 |
| East Kilbride Westwood | 88 | 0 |
Vote for Rev Kevin MacKenzie as Minister of the Charge
| Congregation | For | Against |
| East Kilbride Greenhills | 30 | 0 |
Both Kirk Sessions had the opportunity to vote on the union at a joint meeting held on Monday 8th September at which the outcome was also unanimously in favour.
We have every reason to move forward confidently into the future as we build the new congregation of Westhills Parish Church.
]]>The relevant Church of Scotland webpage can be found here
The Webinar Video and be viewed below
The General Assembly Livestream
]]>
Want to leave a comment? Use the comment box below.
]]>Here’s one from Rev David Cameron of the Assembly Trustees.
Church Reduces Costs to ensure Sustainability in Mission
Amongst the proposals from the Assembly Trustees is the readjustment of congregations which fail to meet their Giving to Grow allocation. This may also involve the severing of a pastoral tie (essentially making a minister redundant) so the congregation can be readjusted e.g. uniting with a neighbouring congregation, or perhaps dissolution.
This does come across as a pretty brutal approach and may portray the painful financial situation the Church of Scotland is in. There is no slack in the system to compensate for congregations who do not or cannot meet their financial targets. Let’s be clear it requires a congregational income of around £100,000 p.a. to pay for full time ministry and maintain, insure, heat and light the church building.
As one who wears a Dog Collar, I now know what it feels like to be a Football Manager!
The General Assembly opens on 17 May under the theme ‘Extravagant Love”. Yes, you read that correctly.
For the brave you can download the Volume of Reports to the General Assembly 2025 or read them online below
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