麻豆约拍

麻豆约拍 RADIO 4 SUNDAY WORSHIPSunday 14 September 2014

from

ST MARY鈥橲 EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL, EDINBURGH

Led by The Provost, The Very Revd Graham Forbes

Preacher: Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland,

The Right Revd John Chalmers.

Cathedral Choir directed by Duncan Ferguson

Organist: Donald Hunt

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V Rev GRAHAM FORBES:

Good morning from Edinburgh as we look forward to a momentous week in Scotland鈥檚 story.

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And welcome to St Mary鈥檚 Cathedral. I鈥檓 often asked which is my favourite part of the cathedral. I love the stillness of the Lady Chapel, the grandeur of our 3 spires dominating Edinburgh鈥檚 sky line, the magnificence of the marble High Altar.听 I do have a favourite. 听It鈥檚 the north door.听 Standing there I can see if not the kingdom of heaven, on a clear day I can see the kingdom of Fife. And if I look to my right there stands an Iona cross, carved by the Cathedral鈥檚 stone masons. It鈥檚 not that old, it鈥檚 a copy of the one that stands near the Abbey on that most holy of Scotland鈥檚 isles, but its symbolism is the same.听 I often stop and reflect on the Iona cross and how the twists and turns of the Celtic knot bring us back full circle, to the God and Father of us all, who ever enfolds and encircles us, and how the arms of the cross stretch beyond the confines of our round world.听 St Columba caught something of that vision as he paddled his coracle across the seas to Iona.听 More than 1400 years ago he stepped out into the unknown, knowing only that the Lord journeyed with him.听 Each day we step out into the seas of life, they might be calm, they might be stormy, but the risen Jesus journeys with you, us, challenging us to reach out in love to all around us.听 That was his vision.听

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Hymn:听 Be thou my vision (Slane)

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Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;
be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armour, be thou my true might;
be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:
be thou mine inheritance now and always;
be thou and thou only the first in my heart;
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven, thou heaven's bright Sun,
O grant me its joys after vict鈥檙y is won;
great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.

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GRAHAM:

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Lord God,

Be thou my vision, my wisdom, my breastplate

Guide us to follow in the steps of Columba and all the saints

Enfold and encircle us and all whom we love in thy love

That we may journey with Christ, this day and always

Amen

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ANNA:听 Reading:听 Mark 12: 13-17

The first reading is from the Gospel of Mark Chapter 12, verses 13 to 17.

Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. 14And they came and said to him, 鈥楾eacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? 15Should we pay them, or should we not?鈥� But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, 鈥榃hy are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.鈥� 16And they brought one. Then he said to them, 鈥榃hose head is this, and whose title?鈥� They answered, 鈥楾he emperor鈥檚.鈥� 17Jesus said to them, 鈥楪ive to the emperor the things that are the emperor鈥檚, and to God the things that are God鈥檚.鈥� And they were utterly amazed at him.

Here ends the first reading.

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CHOIR + PIANO:听 Song:听 Ps 34 听I will always bless the Lord

(Tune: Taladh Chriosda) verses 1-3

From Scottish Church Hymnary 4th Edition pub. Canterbury Press

Harmonisation by Duncan Ferguson

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I will always bless the Lord,

praise his name and love his word鈥�.

听(Copyright material)

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SHEILA:听 Reading: 听听Romans 15:听 1-7

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A reading from Romans Chapter 15 starting at the first verse.

15We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2Each of us must please our neighbour for the good purpose of building up the neighbour. 3For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, 鈥楾he insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.鈥� 4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. 5May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7听Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Here ends the second reading.

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GRAHAM:

Between our readings, the choir sang some verses of Psalm 34 set by John Bell to the tune of a well-loved Gaelic lullaby to the Christ Child.听

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We now sing a joyful proclamation from the gospel of Luke; Mary鈥檚 song of praise to the Lord鈥檚 greatness.

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Hymn: 听Tell out my soul the greatness of the Lord (Woodlands)

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord;
Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;
tender to me the promise of his word;
in God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name;
Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
his mercy sure, from age to age the same;
his holy Name--the Lord, the Mighty One.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might;
Powers and dominions lay their glory by.
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,
the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word;
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
to children's children and for evermore.

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GRAHAM:

The Cathedral is honoured once more to have as our preacher this morning the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, John Chalmers, a good friend. 听John used to be the minister of Palmerston Place church, literally just across the street from us, and 2 of his children were choristers here.听 Cathedral and kirk are naturally proud of their respective traditions, but despite differences we share so much in common, best symbolised every Easter day at dawn for more than 25 years when our 2 congregations gather to celebrate the resurrection.听 We start just outside my favourite north door with the lighting of the Easter fire, then process into the cathedral, candles are lit, baptismal vows renewed, and then the minister of the kirk, John for so many years and now Colin, celebrates the Eucharist for us all at our altar.听 This sharing of the bread and wine of the upper room, the Lord鈥檚 Supper, obeying Jesus鈥� command to do this in remembrance of him, always speaks to me of the great heritage we share.

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Rt Rev JOHN CHALMERS:听 Sermon

There鈥檚 a very well-known story in the Bible, in the Book of Kings, where Elijah faces the people of Israel with a challenge about their faith; he asks them 鈥淗ow long are you going to sit on the fence 鈥� make up your minds!听 And nobody said a word; nobody made a move.鈥�

Well I don鈥檛 know about you but I know that this coming week brings me to a similar challenge 鈥� it may not be as spiritually profound as Elijah鈥檚 challenge to the people of Israel about their loyalty to the faith and it鈥檚 certainly not a choice between good or bad, right or wrong.听 But the referendum asks us to consider questions about the future of Scotland which include our understanding of the values that underpin our future; and it also includes questions about our personal and corporate identity 鈥� and that鈥檚 about as close to the soul as it gets.

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And this week 鈥� I with many others will have to get off the fence and make a choice.

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It will be hard, because I鈥檓 one of those people who has spent a lifetime trying to see both sides of every argument, trying to work out complicated 鈥渕iddle ways鈥� that keep as many people as possible content, but I鈥檓 not going to get away with that this week. On this issue like the people of Israel standing before Elijah I need to come off the fence.

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My favourite stories of Jesus are the ones where he sees the wider perspective. In our first reading from the Gospel of Mark, the Pharisees try to catch Jesus out with a question which they think has a straightforward answer 鈥� 鈥淛esus鈥�, they say, 鈥渨e know that you are a man of integrity. You aren鈥檛 swayed by others, you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Should we pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?听 鈥淚f only it were that simple,鈥� says Jesus 鈥� the coin has two sides, heads and tails, 鈥淕ive to Caesar what is Caesar鈥檚 and give to God what is God鈥檚.鈥� That answer left them amazed.

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This week it won鈥檛 be a case of heads or tails, we need to work harder than that to make a decision 鈥� a decision that will affect our future.

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It seems to me sometimes, that the world divides pretty neatly into two kinds of people, those who need the answers to everything and those who can live with open questions 鈥� and that applies to people of all political persuasions this week.听 It鈥檚 like that in religious life; some people order their faith around a close and precise doctrinal rule and, with that code to hand, they are able to emerge from all manner of moral, ethical, political and social questions with clear and concise answers. With that kind of precision of thinking many people already know how they will vote on Thursday.

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Others however, are wavering over the question - they can see both sides of the coin and perhaps they wish that it was not a simple binary question. BUT IT IS. So the undecided reach the end of the road of open questions and they finally have to decide; so there will be no more - Maybe Aye, Maybe No.

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Life changing decisions don鈥檛 come along every day, but when they do we know the measure of the challenge. Listeners across the country will be facing all sorts of hard life choices in this coming week

-听听听听听听 choices that will impact on relationships

-听听听听听听 choices that may have to be discussed with a doctor

-听听听听听听 choices that leave a career hanging in the balance

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There are all sorts of difficult life choices and these should be the subject of our prayers, just as my wrestling with the 鈥淵es/No question鈥� for Scotland will be the subject of my prayers.

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But there is another topic for prayer too and we also find this in the story of the coin with two sides 鈥� the two sides belong to the one coin, heads and tails may be on opposite sides but they are inseparably part of the same coin.

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And all of those who will vote YES and all of those who will vote NO; we need to remember that we belong together in the same Scotland. We cannot be separated - and even though on Thursday we may be on opposite sides we belong together. We should not let ourselves be defined by which side we are on, on the 18th of September. When we wake up on the 19th of September we need to be ready to work on the same side 鈥� to work for the future of Scotland and work with our near neighbours in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 鈥� whatever outcome.

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I am reminded therefore of the prayer of St Paul which we heard in our second reading:

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鈥�May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ鈥�.听

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The point of that prayer is that Paul does not pray for unison 鈥� where everyone sings the same line.听 He prays for harmony in Christ Jesus. That鈥檚 a prayer that all of the churches have to take seriously as they tackle their own internal differences, but it seems to me that today it is a prayer also for the nation; that we make space for different voices 鈥� that the deep bass and the mezzo soprano belong in the same choir.

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The wonderful thing about what has happened in Scotland over these past months is that almost everyone has been taking part in the discussion 鈥� some may think that it has been a cacophony of sound, I think it has been more like a choir backed by an orchestra with different voices and instruments (all the people and institutions of Scotland) contributing to a wonderful democratic concerto. And the real success of next Thursday will be that, whatever the outcome, every voice and every instrument continues to play its part in shaping the kind of Scotland that people in Scotland vote for. We cannot afford to lose the momentum and interest in Scottish civic life which this campaign has generated.

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But back to the beginning; I think the reason that some of us hover on the fence for as long as we do is that we fear for the future and we fear that we might make the wrong choice.听 But if we know that we will be part of shaping that future, always guided by love, we have much less to fear even if the outcome is not our choice. And for people of faith, to know that God will go with us into that future should be enough. AMEN

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CHOIR:听 Ubi Caritas (Durufle)

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GRAHAM:听

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The words of Ubi Caritas 鈥� where charity and love are, God is there - are the antiphons or special words sung on Maundy Thursday, in commemoration of the moment in an upper room when the Christ took up a towel and washed the disciples鈥� feet; a promise of intimate connection with the Lord.

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So let鈥檚 be still and hold the needs of our world, the life of the Church, those whom we know in special need, hold them all in our thoughts and prayers;

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PRAYERS

SHEILA:听

For our divided world we pray, for the healing of the nations and the gift and blessing of justice and peace for all peoples.听

For the peoples of Iraq and Syria, the peoples of the Holy Land, the peoples of the Ukraine, we pray

For the leaders of nations, great and small, and the work of the United Nations.

For the forces of the crown serving far from home this day and their families who await their safe return we pray.

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For the refugee and the exile

For the hungry and the thirsty and the homeless

For countries and people whose lives have been harmed by Ebola we pray

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Sung Response听 Taladh Chriosda with piano;

Words:听 Lord have mercy / Christ have mercy / Lord have mercy / Amen

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ANNA:听

For the life of the church in all its forms and denominations throughout the world, we pray

For the life of the churches in the British Isles, we pray

For leaders of church and mosque and synagogue, for Hindu and Sikh and Buddhist, and all people of faith, we pray

For those who are persecuted this day for their faith, we pray.

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We give thanks for the examples of those who have gone before us, St Columba and all others who lived lives of love.

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Sung response

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WILLIE:听

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For all in special need this day we pray

For all troubled in body, mind or spirit we pray

We ask for God鈥檚 blessing on all people and places of healing

And we hold in our thoughts those we know who have asked for our prayers

We remember those who have died, those whom we have known and loved but see no more, all whose hearts are heavy with grief this day.

We think especially of David Haines, brought up in Perth, aid worker, held hostage and now killed by Jihadist militants.听 We pray for him and his family.听 We honour his humanitarian work.听 May he rest in peace.

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Sung response

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GRAHAM:

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We ask for God鈥檚 blessing on this land and all who serve in our parliaments and assemblies.听 For all who specially mourn the passing of Ian Paisley we pray, and for all who hunger and thirst to break down barriers and build up communities we give thanks.

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Here in Scotland, for those of us who will vote in the Referendum on Thursday we ask for wisdom.

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And we sum up all our prayers in the words that Jesus taught us:

听听

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Our Father, who art in heaven,

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Hallowed be thy name;

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done;

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 On earth as it is in heaven.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Give us this day our daily bread.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 And forgive us our trespasses,

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 As we forgive those who trespass against us.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 And lead us not into temptation;

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 But deliver us from evil.听听

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Amen.

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GRAHAM:

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Psalm 23 is one of the pieces of Old Testament scripture which people have held close to their hearts through the storms of life from century to century.听 Brother James, or to give this 19th century Pitlochry minister and author his full title, James Leith Macbeth Bain, was also famous as a hymn writer.听 He set Psalm 23 to music, and听听 Brother James鈥� Air is loved throughout Scotland and beyond.听

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CHOIR:听 Song:听 Ps 23 (Brother James鈥� Air)

1. The Lord鈥檚 my Shepherd, I鈥檒l not want.

He makes me down to lie

In pastures green; He leadeth me

The quiet waters by.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me

The quiet waters by.

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2. My soul He doth restore again;

And me to walk doth make

Within the house of blessedness

E鈥檈n for His own Name鈥檚 sake.

Within the house of blessedness

E鈥檈n for His own Name鈥檚 sake.

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3. Yea, though I pass through shadowed vale,

Yet will I fear no ill;

For Thou art with me; and Thy rod

And staff me comfort still.

Thy rod and staff me comfort still,

Me comfort still.

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4. My table Thou hast furnished

In presence of my foes;

My head with oil Thou dost anoint,

And my cup overflows.

My head with oil Thou dost anoint,

And my cup overflows.

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5. Goodness and mercy all my days

Will surely follow me;

And in my Father鈥檚 heart always

My dwelling place shall be.

And in my heart for evermore

Thy dwelling place shall be.

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GRAHAM:

St Columba gave this blessing to his monks about to leave the Abbey on Iona.听

God be with you in every pass;

Jesus be with you on every hill;听

Spirit be with you on every stream, headland, ridge and law, each sea and land, each moor and meadow, lying down and rising up, in the trough of the waves or on the crest of the billow.听 Each step of the journey you go, go with God.

Amen

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Praise to the Holiest in the Height (Gerontius)

1听 Praise to the Holiest in the height,
and in the depth be praise;
in all his words most wonderful,
most sure in all his ways!

2听 O loving wisdom of our God!
When all was sin and shame,
a second Adam to the fight
and to the rescue came.

3听 O wisest love! that flesh and blood,
which did in Adam fail,
should strive afresh against the foe,
should strive, and should prevail;

4听 and that the highest gift of grace
should flesh and blood refine:
God's presence and his very self,
and essence all-divine.

5听 O generous love! that he who smote
in man for man the foe,
the double agony in Man
for man should undergo.

6听 And in the garden secretly,
and on the cross on high,
should teach his brethren, and inspire
to suffer and to die.

7听 Praise to the Holiest in the height,
and in the depth be praise;
in all his words most wonderful,
most sure in all his ways!

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Organ voluntary 鈥� Bach Fugue in E flat (St Anne Fugue) 听BWV 552 (ii)