Sunday service for 24 November 2024, Christ the King Sunday

Sunday 24 November 2024, Christ the King Sunday
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson
Manse: 632143
Email: TPeterson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk
Email Charlene, Parish Assistant: CMitchell (at) churchofscotland.org.uk

Prelude Music (praise band)

We Gather As God’s Family (As the Bible is brought in, we stand and sing)
A family gathered in love,
striving for justice and joy,
blessing the broken-hearted,
and sharing the hope of God’s kingdom.

Call to Worship
1: Come into the presence of the Holy
2: Come to sing your praise
1: Come to offer your prayer
2: Come into the presence of the Holy
All: Our Sovereign God is here!

Hymn 111: Holy, Holy, Holy

Prayer
Bring us into your realm today, O God,
into your holy presence
where we can hear your heart
and see your movement.
Holy One, we dare to come before you,
aware that there is nothing we can say.
Our hands are so full of things that are empty,
our hearts are distracted,
our minds and mouths bearing words that reveal our brokenness.
What can we say, in the face of your holiness?
What can we say, in the presence of your goodness?
All we have is our silence,
our recognition that things are not as they ought to be,
and our awareness we are a part of that wrong, one way or another.
In this community of prayer,
we seek you even as we tremble at the possibility of being seen.
Cleanse us, O God.
Heal us.
Forgive us.
In your gracious love, receive our silence as prayer
and bring us ever closer to you,
until we hear your whisper cutting through the noise.
Make us ready to receive,
and ready to share,
whatever your word may be.
Make us holy as you are holy, Lord.
Amen.

Brownies 100th Birthday

Hymn: Give Me Oil in My Lamp (praise band)

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 6.1-8 (New Revised Standard Version)
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

For the word of God in scripture
for the word of God among us
for the word of God within us
thanks be to God.

Sermon: Ready and Willing

no manuscript this week — sorry!

Hymn 251: I, the Lord of Sea and Sky

Sanctuary Offering and Response: The Doxology (tune: Old Hundredth)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Christ all creatures here below;
Praise Holy Spirit evermore;
Praise Triune God whom we adore.
Amen.

Announcements
*Evening Service
*Teri doing Time for Reflection at Parliament this Tuesday
*Wednesday Bible Study NOT meeting this week
*Conversation Corner Thursdays 11-noon
*Family ceilidh for St Andrew’s Day
*Next Sunday begins the season of Advent
*Bubblegum & Fluff

That’s a lot going on in our community! Please consider yourself invited to participate, and to pray for all the activities, ministry, and mission God is calling us to do together. And now, let us join together in prayer. We will end with the Lord’s Prayer and you are invited to join in. The version we use will be on the screen, but you are also welcome to pray by heart, if we say a few different words God can still hear us. Let us pray.

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Holy and glorious God,
you have an eye on the world,
you see all that is,
and you care for your creation and your people.
We thank you for your attentive love
even when you are leading us toward challenging times in service of your kingdom vision.
We thank you for the ways you bring us close to you,
inviting us to recognise your presence,
making us ready to carry out your will.
And we bring with us our worries about a world that seems to be falling apart.
We want things to be calm and easy,
but you turn things upside down,
tearing apart injustice in order to build anew the world you have in mind.
So we pray for those who are unsettled,
those who are shaken by the up-ending of the ways we know,
those who struggle to imagine where you are leading.
May they trust that your will for all creation is good.
We pray for those who suffer the way things are now,
those who live every day in fear,
those with nowhere to turn,
those who are hungry, and hungry for justice,
those who can no longer imagine peace.
May they be comforted, and may your kingdom come quickly.
We pray for a world that feels like it’s falling apart,
for creation that groans under our weight,
for nations that can never find peace in a system founded on injustice,
for our neighbours near and far who can’t wait for the slow arc to bend.
May the cracks let in light that reveals the way toward healing.
We pray for those who lead our human communities,
those who are doing their best to move the world toward your vision,
those who choose to simply smooth things over rather than do the hard work of change,
and even those who perpetuate the status quo for their own sakes, even knowing it isn’t good.
May leaders be filled with your wisdom and courage, to do what is right and seek the common good.
We pray for those who feel isolated from their community,
those feeling unworthy or un-loveable,
those unable to receive the encouragement and invitation of others,
those missing loved ones or favourite places or routines that gave meaning to their days.
May they hear your Body surrounding them, sharing your love and offering friendship and belonging.
On this 24th day of the month we join our hearts as your St John’s church family to pray:
*For the nurseries and parent-toddler groups in our area — for the children, the staff, and the young families served. We ask for your blessing and guidance as children grow and learn and make friends, for your strength and protection from harm, and for your patience and grace for those who teach and nurture.
*For the music ministry of St John’s: for the choir, the praise band, the organist, and all who enable our worship and prayer through music.
*For the land, people, and governments of the nations of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Aruba, and Curaçao.

In your compassion, Lord,
give us hearts to see you
and in your grace,
give us courage to accept your call,
to say “here I am.”
Set us to your work,
for the sake of the world you so love.
We ask in Jesus’ name
We ask these and all things in the name of Christ, whose kingdom has no end
and who taught us to pray together:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

Sanctuary Hymn 530: One More Step Along the World I Go (praise band)

Benediction
95% of discovering the will of God is being willing to do it before we know what it is — go from this time of encountering the Living God ready to follow wherever God calls.
And as you go, may the Spirit of God go above you to watch over you. May the Spirit of God go beside you to be your companion. May the Spirit of God go before you to show you the way, and behind you to push you into places you might not go alone. And may the Spirit of God go within you, to remind you that you are loved more deeply than you can possibly imagine. May the fire of God’s love burn brightly in you, and through you into the world. Go in peace. Amen.

Sung Benediction Response (John L Bell, tune Gourock St John’s)
Now may the Lord of all be blessed,
Now may Christ’s gospel be confessed,
Now may the Spirit when we meet
Bless sanctuary and street.

Announcements

* We worship in the sanctuary on Sundays at 11am, and Sunday worship is also online. If you are able, please enter by the front door in Bath street, and only those who need step-free access should use the back door. If you feel unwell, please worship online, to protect both yourself and others in our community.
The Sunday evening service is TONIGHT, and on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. We have toasties and sandwiches together from 5:30 and the service will start at the back of 6. All are welcome for this simple meal and time of worship. The Sunday evening service is informal and reflective, with guitar-based music, Bible readings, and prayer for our parish. Come along and discover practical ways to apply the word to your life, in a chilled vibe that fosters connection and reflection.

* The first Sunday of the month at 11am is now an all-age service, with different ways of encountering God’s word without a traditional sermon. All people — young and old, different personalities and learning styles, are welcome! You’ll find a more informal service with a variety of music, a Bible story, prayer, and some more interactive elements. The online service for the first Sunday will therefore also be different — there will still be a reading, prayers, and music, but usually not a sermon.

* Bowl and Blether is on the first and third Mondays of each month through the winter, the next one is Monday 2 December. Doors open at 11:30am, soup and toasties are served from noon – 1:30. All are welcome to join us for lunch and a chat in our cozy warm hall. Volunteers are also needed and welcome, please speak to Teri or Charlene if you’d like to volunteer for set up, toastie-making, serving, or clean up. 

* The Contact Group meets on Tuesday 10 December at 2pm when we will celebrate our service of lessons and carols. Our Syllabus of Events is available for £5.

* The Gourock Schools and Churches Together community afternoon tea concert will be held at Clydeview Academy on the afternoon of Monday 16 December. Tickets available soon!

* Starter Packs are in need of bathroom/kitchen cleaner, shaving foam, shampoo, hand wash.
The FoodBank are in need of diluting juice, long-life juice, tinned ham, tinned tuna, and UHT milk.
You can bring donations to the church and place them into the boxes in the vestibule. Thank you!

* Did you know that the ministry we do at St John’s costs about £3000 per week? Everything we do is funded by your generous giving — all our support for young people, older people, bereavement care, community outreach, worship, study, spiritual growth, and community work is because of your offering. If you would like to set up a standing order in order to facilitate your spiritual discipline of giving, or if you would like to make an extra gift to support the ministry St. John’s does in our parish, you can give online by clicking here. If you would like to set up a standing order, please contact Teri and she can give you the treasurer’s details. You can also send your envelopes to the church or the manse by post and we will ensure they are received. 
It is also possible to donate to the work of the parish assistant, speak to Anne Love about how to go about directing new donations to that new item in the budget.

* Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Youtube, and to sign up for our email devotions! Midweek you can watch Wine and the Word on Youtube, pray with video devotions on Facebook, and consider a new angle on something with a devotional email. 

* Wednesday Evening Bible Study is reading the gospel according to Luke on Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm in the manse. All are welcome! — No meeting this week, we’ll be back together on Wednesday 4 December, reading from Luke 2.

* Free period products are available in the church toilets for anyone who might need them, thanks to Hey Girls and Inverclyde Council.

* Charlene is available for Conversation Corner (Vestry Hour) on THURSDAY MORNINGS in November, from 11am-12noon. Just ring the bell at St John’s Road and she’ll have the kettle on for you! Come in to chat about anything you’d like.

* On St Andrew’s day (Saturday 30 November) we are having a free family ceilidh in the sanctuary! Come along at noon for some traditional Scottish fun — with the band Canned Haggis playing the music and calling the dances. All are welcome!

* The chaplaincy team is running Bubblegum & Fluff, a programme for P5 pupils to learn the real christmas story, on Monday and Tuesday the 2nd and 3rd of December, in OGA, and Wednesday and Thursday the 4th and 5th of December in St Margaret’s. If you would be able to volunteer to help from 9-12 please speak to Teri. The volunteers we have from the local church is crucial to this outreach. Thank you!

* The Christmas Post will be on again this year! Our youth organisations will deliver your cards for just 50p per card. Bring them to church starting next Sunday, and no later than 11am on 15 December, for delivery before Christmas.