Welcome to the sound of the bells of the Old Parish Church of Peebles, and with our linked partners the Parish Churches of Eddleston, Stobo and Drumelzier we would wish to say to you this morning “Thank you for joining us, we are truly delighted to have so many we count as family - and we invite you too to consider yourselves as our brothers and sisters in our family of Christ.
The online service today is led by Locum Minister Revd John Smith, while the in-person service at the Old Parish is led by the very Revd David Arnott. There is also morning worship at 11:30 at Stobo, again led by David Arnott.
Our theme today is based on the story from Exodus, where Moses and Aaron were losing the confidence of the people who had followed them out of Egypt. “If only we had stayed in Egypt where there was plenty bread. it would have been better than dying of hunger in the desert.”
The online worship asks “What happens next?”
When the bells fall silent, our first hymn this morning is “O God of Bethel! by whose hand thy people still are fed."
HYMN: O God of Bethel
10th Sunday after Pentecost
PRAYER
Hidden God, we worship you, by ourselves we could not know you,
no human wisdom can discover you, no argument lead to you no enterprise reveal you;
in the wealth of its knowledge the world fails to find you.
But you came to search for us in the frailty of a human life;
you trusted yourself to the fragile faith of wavering disciples.
We praise you that in your very weakness we can know you the stumbling blocks become stepping stones,
and the foolishness of the cross the very truth that leads to life.
We confess , O God, the we breathe the proud spirit of the world,
the spirit which scorns the way of weakness boasts of its cleverness
clings to knowledge as a means of power, and seeks to prove its worth by belittling others.
Lord have mercy
CHRIST HAVE MERCY
Lord have mercy.
( © The Panel of Worship of the Church of Scotland 1994 )
THE LORD'S PRAYER
LESSON
Exodus 16; 2-4, 9-15
The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses
and Aaron in the wilderness.
The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the
LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of
bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole
assembly with hunger."
Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from
heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough
for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my
instruction or not.
Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the
Israelites, 'Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.'"
And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites,
they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in
the cloud.
The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
"I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, 'At
twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of
bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"
In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the
morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.
When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness
was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.
When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?"
For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread
that the LORD has given you to eat."
HYMN: Fairest Lord Jesus
Reflection
PRAYER
Friends in Christ,
God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers as dear to us as our own needs.
Loving our neighbours as ourselves,
we offer our thanksgivings and our petitions on behalf of the church and the world.
God of love and power.
We pray for your Church in our towns and villages and throughout the world.
that, through the courage and faith of your people, your word may be preached and lived.
We pray for our Queen, and those who seek to govern in Westminster and in Holyrood.
In the fulfilling of their duties they may be guided by your Spirit and upheld by your grace.
We pray for our world, disturbed and threatened by bitterness and strife.
For all those whose lives are diminished by pandemic, and by disease,
famine, poverty, war or terrorism. May the nations of our world be
strengthened in these dangerous times, and seek ways of justice, truth
and peace.
We pray for all in trouble.
That those who are sick may be cared for,
those who are lonely sustained, those who oppressed strengthened,
those who mourn comforted.
Hear our prayers, God of power,
and through the ministry of your Son free us from the grip of the tomb,
that we may desire you as the fullness of life and proclaim your saving deeds to all the world.
Amen
Hymn: Love divine, all loves excelling
THE BLESSING and BENEDICTION
Proclaim the message, press it home, work to spread the Gospel.
And the Blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
be with you this day and in all the days to come.
AMEN.
Voluntary