Church News
Blairgowrie Parish Church
Morning worship in Blairgowrie Parish Church on Sunday was conducted by Rev Harry Mowbray and commenced with the choir singing the introit, Just As The Father Shows His Love, followed by the minister’s welcome and intimations.
The hymn, Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim, was followed by prayers of approach and confession and Mr Mowbray’s First Thought.
The minister said the Olympiad, which had just started, has familiar and new sports. Sportsmen and women have worked hard for four years to perfect their standards and look forward to the future in hope, which comes from faith in their abilities. God gives hope as a response to faith, trusting in God’s goodness.
The hymn, I Need Thee Every Hour, was followed by scripture readings by Bruce Dow from Isaiah ch 1 v 1, 10-20, Judah called to repentance, and Hebrews ch 11 v 1-3, 8-16, The honour roll of the faithful.
The hymn, All I Once Held Dear, was followed by Mr Mowbray’s sermon.
The current Olympics includes a team of refugees who have sacrificed statehood and chosen a separate life with faith in their future. Congregations are called to be faithful, rather than successful, and they mustn’t become complacent. There is a ministry to help those in need and people must persevere.
Faith gives substance for hopes. Faith is believing in what people can’t see and leads to action. Response to faith is to choose the life that God offers, seeking God’s kingdom, of justice, peace and love. People must seek justice to combat the inequalities of this world. Churches are leading in correcting this imbalance and people have their part to play.
The hymn, Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, was followed by the uplifting of the offering and prayers of thanksgiving and intercession.
The service closed with the hymn, Put All Your Trust In God, and the benediction.
Musical offerings by organist Lex Dunlop included Chorale Prelude, All Glory Be To God On High by Bach; Aria by William Lloyd Webber; and Short Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, sixth of the Short Eight, by Bach.
There will be an early service in the church hall on Sunday at 9.30am.
The next Messy Church will be in Rattray Hall on Sunday, August 21, at 9.30am.
The next praise service in Blairgowrie Parish Church hall will be on Sunday, September 4, at 7pm.
Ushers: Archie Mitchell beadle, Bob Strachan, Wendy McLaggan, Isabelle Howes, Brenda Kerr, Fiona Bain, Ron McLaren.
Crèche: Julie Chignell and Mary Macdonald.
East Perthshire Action of Churches Together in Scotland
An annual retreat is arranged for May 1-4 at the College of the Holy Spirit, attached to the Cathedral of the Isles. Details will be made available soon.
Because of anticipated high winds on Saturday, August 7, the Songs of Praise event, normally taking place in the Wellmeadow, had to be moved indoors. The St Catharine’s Centre in George Street, Blairgowrie, kindly provided an alternative venue.
While it lacked the usual interest from passers-by, the group of 50 or so who attended sang along enthusiastically with the soloist, Anna Auchterlonie, accompanied on guitar by Rev Harry Mowbray and Andy Lang, with John Wilson on piano. The work of volunteers was appreciated, especially in the provision of refreshments and food.
The next committee meeting is planned for Thursday, September 15.
Riverside Methodists
The preacher on Sunday was Julya Walsh, a church member and local preacher who now lives in Bulgaria.
The service came via Skype, but those gathered felt they in Bulgaria – enjoying the sweltering temperatures and sharing Julya’s struggles with an unfamiliar language.
Julya is slowly finding God’s purpose for her in her new homeland and took ‘Faith’ as her theme, with a reading from Hebrews 11 beginning: “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.”
The preacher for Sundaywill be Marcia Mackenzie, in the usual location at the Wellmeadow Café on Blairgowrie’s Gas Brae. All welcome to join worship, followed by a cup of tea or coffee.
Coffee mornings are held on the first Monday of each month 10-11.30am in the same location.
The next one is on September 5. See www. riverside-methodist-church.co.uk.
St Stephen’s RC Church
Parishioners gathered to celebrate the 19th Sunday of the ordinary time of the year.
Opening hymn was Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer, played by parish organist Marilyn Galbally.
The first reading was taken from Wisdom ch 18, v 6-9 and included a lesson from the Exodus – whoever trusts in the Lord will not be disappointed.
The second reading was taken from Hebrews ch 11, v 1-2 and 8-19, a note in praise of faith, and of Abraham.
The gospel was taken from Luke ch 12, v 3248, and the narrative encourages saying, fear not, little flock but be vigilant, faithful.
In his homily, Fr Gregory Umunna noted that the metaphor of waiting is used to help respond in faith to God’s invitation.
He said: “God is constantly at work in us. He is not done with us yet, for God is building us
up to fit the plan he has made for us before we were born. He is the master craftsman and we are tools in his hands.
“We need to trust, have faith and be patient with him. We need to cooperate with him.”
Remaining faithful while waiting for the return of the Lord ran through Sunday’s gospel. Jesus uses two parables to make the point.
In the Parable of the Watchful Servants Jesus encourages his disciples to be vigilant and ready for action as they wait for the coming of the Master. That he will come is certain, but when is unknown.
In the second parable, the Parable of the Faithful or Unfaithful Servant, Jesus reiterates the lesson of the first parable under the heading of faithfulness.
He portrays two different attitudes of disciples in the absence of the Master. The wise disciple remains steadfast at his duty post even in the master’s absence. The foolish disciple takes to a complacent lifestyle and takes the law into his own hands.
The day of reckoning comes with the master’s return. The faithful servant receives a promotion; the unfaithful one goes empty handed.
Fr Gregory continued: “The Metaphor of Waiting is a difficult metaphor because, in our culture, we experience waiting as something negative. We live in a fast moving society and are sometimes impatient with others on the queue at the check-out or waiting to be served, at the post office, banks, stores etc. We often say to people: ‘How could you keep me waiting?’.
“For the Bible, however, waiting is a creative moment, or at least can be if we enter freely into it. When I wait for others, I give them the space to be themselves, paying them the respect of letting them exercise their creativity, and I do it not with indifference or grudgingly, but with love, so that we can walk together in solidarity and mutual enrichment.”