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BLAIRGOWRIE EVANGELICAL CHURCH
Worship was held in person and online on Sunday.
Pastor Derek Johnston said: “We began our service on Sunday with Iain leading the singing of ‘Shout To The Lord’ and ‘The Steadfast Love Of Lord Never Changes’.
“I then shared some notices and led the congregation in prayer.
“After the reading of Acts ch 4, vv 1-22, we sang a new song we have been learning, ‘Behold Him’.
“We then looked at the passage from Acts which records the investigation of a miracle performed by the apostles Peter and John.
“They were arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, the very same people who condemned Jesus to death.
“Yet they clearly and courageously explained to the Sanhedrin that it was Jesus’s power which had been responsible for the miracle.
“The Sanhedrin responded by ordering them to no longer speak about Jesus and threatened them.
“We saw that this account shows us that just as Jesus was opposed sometimes His church also faces opposition, even today.
“One area where the church can face opposition is with regards to the exclusive claims concerning Jesus being the one and only Saviour, as mentioned by Peter in the passage.
“Holding such a belief can be misunderstood in this pluralistic society as being arrogant.
“However, we saw that truth claims are not arrogant in themselves if true.
“But it is vitally important that the church does not behave arrogantly in holding those beliefs but respects and loves all regardless if they agree or not.
“The service concluded with Iain leading the singing of ‘I Stand Amazed In The Presence’.
“We are looking forward to our guest speaker next week, Jim Crooks of Tayside Christian Fellowship.”
For details regarding attending services, see the website www.bechurch. co.uk.
BLAIRGOWRIE PARISH CHURCH
The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was celebrated during morning worship at Blairgowrie Parish Church on Sunday.
Members of the congregation were given the elements in small containers as they entered church or in their pews.
Rev Benjamin Abeledo said his call to worship was from Psalm 103, Bless the Lord.
The opening hymn ‘Praise to the Lord, the Almighty’ was followed by prayers of approach and confession and the Lord’s Prayer.
The scripture reading by Dorothea Cooke was from Psalm 46, God is with us.
The reading was followed by the hymn ‘Rock of Ages’ and Mr Abeledo’s sermon, titled from Psalm 46, ‘A Very Present Help.’
In 1527 Martin Luther had been leading the Reformation in Germany for 10 years. He suffered health complications and generally was not a well man. He thought the end of his life was near. He partially regained strength but the Black Plague entered Wittenberg in Germany and many people fled for their lives. Thousands died and yet Luther and his wife Katie remained believing it was their duty to care for the sick and the dying.
Luther’s house was transformed into a hospital where he watched many of his friends die. When his one-year-old son Hans became ill and with death surrounding him on every side Martin Luther was driven to seek refuge in God’s Holy Word. And he did so as he had never done before. And that is when Psalm 46 became the skin of his soul. It became the impetus for his most famous hymn, ‘A Mighty Fortress is Our God’.
Mr Abeledo said: “Like Martin Luther, 494 years later perhaps we too need to be reminded that we too have a refuge in the midst of the trials and adversities of life. And there are many, including a virus. Perhaps we too can find comfort and protection in Psalm 46.
“Psalm 46 was written around the seventh century before Christ. It was written as a psalm of praise and worship, and holy confidence based on God Himself. From Psalm 46 we can grow
comfort just as Martin Luther did. He was reminded of the faithfulness of God who keeps His promise.
“We were going to celebrate communion to remind us of the faithfulness of God. We are totally unworthy to take part and yet in His faithfulness and mercy He says ‘Come, I am with you.’
“Regardless of where your faith level might be through adversity, sickness, worry or anxiety, it will never take away or detract from the reality of God, and He is with us this morning.
“We may not see a way through life’s unknown future yet with God’s help and strength we can look forward in faith.”
At the close of the sermon members of the congregation were asked to stand for The Apostles’ Creed.
Mr Abeledo then led the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, in an unfamiliar way without the close involvement of elders at the Communion Table.
Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession were followed by the hymn, ‘Now Thank We All Our God’ and the service closed with the benediction.
Musical contributions by organist Lex Dunlop included Prelude on a Welsh hymn tune by Noel Rawsthorne, and Postlude on ‘The Paderborn’ by Paul Bryan.
Pew cushions are to be re-placed and Bible and hymn books are not to be issued, in line with the current Covid-19 restrictions.
However, anyone attending a service can bring their own cushion, Bible and hymn book but they must take them home with them.
Family services are to be held during the summer months on July 11 and 25.
For more information and to book places, contact Susan Whiteford at messychurchblair@outlook.com.
To book a place at Sunday services in advance, call 01250 874715, 07716 510605 or send an email to pamela@thehowats. net.
Alternatively, see the website www. ticketsource.co.uk/ blairgowrieparishchurch.
RIVERSIDE METHODISTS
Sunday’s message was delivered by Rev Nik Wooller.
She said: “In this week’s gospel reading, from Mark ch 6, vv 1-13, Jesus sends the disciples out two by two, telling them to focus on their mission, not wasting time where they are not welcome, but moving on to the next place.
“The way in which they are to carry out this mission is almost as material beggars: no bread, no bag, no money, no second tunic, no boots only sandals – in other words, none of the resources that would make them independent of the people they are going to visit.
“These are the things that a prudent traveller would carry in order to be able to eat and to keep themselves warm at night. But they are not even to carry the necessities of life, let alone arrive and impress people by their glossy wealth and generosity, in the way that many presentday missions attempt to do.
“This is an open-handed mission and the first open hand belongs to the disciples, asking for hospitality.
“Ironically, it is this vulnerability that means that the disciples are invited into the heart of a village, staying with local people, hearing their stories and their concerns and speaking to them in a way that is direct and personal about the good news of the kingdom of God, rather than delivering a pre-packaged message.”
Rev Wooller continued: “At the beginning of the film The Mission, Father Gabriel enters the jungle to preach to the Guaraní community.
“Previously, it has been hostile to outsiders, but Father Gabriel goes alone and plays his oboe, hoping that the music will reach them.
“The Guaraní creep close, listening to the magical sound. One tribe member becomes angry and breaks the oboe in half. Another gestures for Father Gabriel to play it again. He gestures back to show that he cannot because it is broken. The man examines the oboe and beckons Gabriel to follow him to the village where he repairs it. This is the true start of the mission, when Father Gabriel is in need and the Guaraní people help him. It is like the moment that the disciples entered a village asking for hospitality.”
Rev Wooller went on: “By today’s ultracautious standards, Jesus’ instructions to his disciples appeared cavalier at best, and reckless at worst.
“We live in a time when everyone is encouraged to plan and prepare for every eventuality. Not to do so is regarded as careless. Jesus’ approach flies in the face of such materialistic convention; it is a ‘less is more’ concept – less reliance on ourselves, via what we have, and more on God and others.
“This involves an unburdening of oneself to the point where a person is no longer in control. The idea of being vulnerable and out of one’s comfort zone is never a comfortable experience, but it is often during those times that we are most receptive to God and his plans for our lives.
“To hold onto God is to loosen our hold on wealth, status or prestige. Life is full of choices and there is not enough time to pursue the unimportant ones. Our faith is not an added extra to our social standing, our education or our wealth – a kind of bolt-on spirituality that gives enhancement to an already rich life.
“Sometimes our privilege misleads us, making us feel richer than we truly are.
“Sometimes our calling from God will undermine our popularity. We need to choose.”
For information and updates from the Riverside Methodist Church, see online at www.riverside-methodist-church. co.uk.
SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCHES
Services are taking place as usual under lockdown rules in all the churches each Sunday at the following times:
St Catharine’s in Blairgowrie (9.30am), St Ninian’s in Alyth (11.15am) and St Anne’s in Coupar Angus (11.15am).
It is essential that worshippers reserve a place at services in advance.
For St Catharine’s ring 01738 710440 or email sarah@thegammells.com, for St Ninian’s call 01828 640591 and for St Anne’s call 01828 650732.