St James' Church of Scotland

We continue our journey through the New Testament book of Ephesians on this the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, 01 August 2021.

The main text for today is Ephesians 4:1-16 – Paul’s words to the Church in Ephesus about the importance of unity in the Church. This is as resonant for the modern Church as it was 2000 years ago and yet much of the intervening history of the Christian Church has been of fracturing and disunity.

Below you will find the main Scripture, the Order of Service for today and then the embedded YouTube video recording of the service conducted by Rev. Geoff McKee – prayers, readings, hymns and the sermon.

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We’re in the New Testament Book of Ephesians for our main reading this week. It’s the Ninth week after Pentecost and we’ve been making our way through this letter of the Apostle Paul during the Seventh and Eighth weeks after Pentecost as well.

The theme this week is inclusion, drawing on Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians and J.K.Rowling’s ‘Cupboard Under The Stairs’, among other things.

Below, you will find the main scripture for this week, then the Order of Service with time stamps referring to the relevant points in the video of Rev. Geoff McKee’s morning service at St James’ for Sunday 25 July 2021. As an additional element, this week, there is the audio of Geoff’s Reflection (also in the video), with a link to an Amnesty International online article which features the image he discusses in his talk. Finally, you can find Katherine Robertson’s Musical Selection for this week, linking to a video on YouTube.

We are thankful that Moray has moved into “Level Zero” Covid-19 restrictions which means much wider access to Church of Scotland buildings than has existed for a while. It’s no longer necessary to make a prior booking through our Session Clerk, Susan McSheffrey, ahead of time in order to attend any of the services in the church.

The capacity of the church for services is now 107. Singing is permitted for all, but the congregation must wear masks at all times.

We hope very much to be able to welcome you in person to a Sunday Morning Service at St James’ before too long.

This week’s main reading

Ephesians 3:14-21 (New International Version)
A Prayer for the Ephesians
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

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18 July 2021 is the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost and, like last week, the main teaching this week is based on a text from the New Testament book of Ephesians.

In the Intro to Ephesians in The Message, Eugene Peterson notes that “Paul’s letter to the Ephesians joins together what has been torn apart in our sin-wrecked world.” He describes “the energy of reconciliation” as “the dynamo at the heart of the universe”.

It is “imperative that we join in vigorously and perseveringly” so that “every detail in our lives contributes to what Paul describes as God’s plan worked out by Christ.”

This is a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in Jesus – “everything in deepest heaven and everything on planet earth.”

Today’s main reading is specifically about a reconcilation of Paul’s time: reconcilation of Jews and Gentiles.

Below you will find the main reading followed by the video service which includes the other readings, prayers and Rev. Geoff McKee’s sermon. At the end of this post for today, you will find Katherine Robertson’s Musical Selection.

The Order of Service is set out below with time stamps for the the relevant point in the video so you can skip to your favourite hymn or fast forward through the sermon 😉

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11 July 2021 is the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost.

Feeling fated to despair and failure? Feeling rejected, shamed and guilty? Everyone does at times and today’s Scripture is a place to turn for reassurance. Ephesians, Chapter One.

Below, you will find the main Scripture we’ve mentioned and then Rev. Geoff McKee’s video service from St James’ Church, including prayers, further Bible readings and the sermon. There is also Kath Robertson’s musical selection, featuring a “future hit” at St James’… 🙂

This week , we have included a full Order of Service with “time stamps” for the different elements of the service so you can find them quickly within the video service, if you wish. Is this a help?

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Sunday 23 May 2021 is Pentecost.

On this day, Christians celebrate the birth of the Church – when Jesus’ disciples (all together in a house in Jerusalem) were filled with the Holy Spirit (a violent wind blowing from heaven, with ‘tongues of fire’) and visitors to the city from many nations were amazed to hear these Galileans speaking to them in the visitors’ own languages.

We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!

Acts 2:11

Below, you will find the main scripture for today from the Book of Acts, a Musical Selection by Kath Robertson, our musical director, and Rev. Geoff McKee’s video service with readings, prayers and sermon.

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