The Parish of Braemar and Crathie

 

29^th January, 2012

 

 

 

Welcome to Worship!

Whether you are a first-time visitor,
a regular participant, or a returning friend,
we are glad you have been able to join us today. 
We trust that you might sense something of
the peace and presence of God amongst us.

 

 ‘Within these walls let no-one remain a stranger’

 

Notices

• Together we make a Difference: In common with many parishes throughout the Church of Scotland, we are about to embark on a three-year programme, in which we will reflect on how we might best use our resources (time; talents; money) for the glory of God, and for the benefit of the wider community.  Tomorrow night the co-ordinating team will meet in the Manse at 7 p.m. (NOT 7.30 p.m.!)
• Jubilee Celebration: (Note for your diaries). At its recent meeting, the Kirk Session agreed that a special event will be held at Crathie Kirk and its surroundings on the afternoon of Sunday 3^rd June.  At small team has been appointed to co-ordinate this celebration and more information will follow in due course.
• Pastoral Cover: The minister will be taking holiday shortly, and emergency pastoral cover will be provided by the Reverend Frank Ribbons (013398 87265) from 3^rd – 6^th February, and by the Reverend Tony Watts (013397 54014) from 7^th-10^th February.  In the first instance please contact Allan Harrison (013397 55061).

 

Thought for the Day

“(As preachers), we want the same thing, come Sunday.

We do not desire simply to provide more information about this text.

We do not desire to add to all the other words ever uttered from pulpits, just because that's what preachers do on Sunday mornings.

No, we hope that our words,
infused with the power of the One who speaks through us
and on whose behalf we speak, will cause something to happen"

(Dr Mike Graves – Feasting on the Word)

 

CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsive)

Min:    The Lord is risen!

All:      He is risen indeed!

Min:    This is the day that the Lord has made

All:      We will rejoice and be glad in it.         

Min:    The Lord be with you!

All:      And also with you

 

Hymn 6                  God shall endure for aye

 

PRAYER OF APPROACH
& THE LORD’S PRAYER (‘debts’)

 

THOUGHT FOR ALL AGES
‘If Dougie was here he would tell you!’

Hymn 340             When Jesus saw the fishermen

 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION (Unison)

God of mercy and grace, you know our faults and failings, those seen by all and those we hide. We confess that we can be harsh in judging others, yet blind to our own faults, we can be quick to look for praise and recognition of what we do, yet slow to acknowledge the work of others. So often we remain silent rather than speaking words of encouragement. As we hope to be forgiven, O Lord, teach us also to forgive, And help us, by our deeds and actions, to show love, one for another. These prayers we make in the name of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

AMEN.

 

 (A short silence will be kept)

 

ORGAN PRELUDE

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON:  ²³Deuteronomy 18:15-20

¹⁵(Moses describes the role of God’s chosen messenger)

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. ¹⁶This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: “If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die.” ¹⁷Then the Lord replied to me: “They are right in what they have said. ¹⁸I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. ¹⁹Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. ²⁰But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak – that prophet shall die.”

 

THE EPISTLE: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

8Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. ²Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; ³but anyone who loves God is known by him. ⁴Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “no idol in the world really exists,” and that “there is no God but one.” ⁵Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth – as in fact there are many gods and many lords – yet ⁶for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

⁷It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸“Food will not bring us close to God.” We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. ⁹But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. ¹⁰For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? ¹¹So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. ¹²But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. ¹³Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.

 

GOSPEL LESSON: St Mark 1:21-28

²(Jesus’ authority as a teacher)

They went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. ²²They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. ²³Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, ²⁴and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” ²⁵But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” ²⁶And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching – with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” ²⁸At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

⁴

Hymn 598            Come, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire

 

SERMON

‘A Gracious Authority’

 

Hymn 252             As a fire is meant for burning

 

OFFERING

 

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION

 

Hymn 352             O for a thousand tongues to sing

 

BENEDICTION