Sun 29 Dec: worship - Lessons and Carols

Our traditional Lessons and Carols service this morning, where, through scripture, poetry, and song, we shared once more in the greatest love story ever told - that of God's love for us.
A gentle service for the end of the year, and an opportunity for singing a few more carols. After worship, mince pies abounded during morning tea, as did Christmas chocolate.

This coming Sunday will be the Twelfth Day of Christmas, and so we'll be thinking about Wise Men following a star,
and looking ahead at the start of a new year as we give out 'star words' - words to use for reflection and mediation over the year. There'll also be the chance to sing one or two stray carols before we pack up the season of Christmas, along with the decorations and the tree.

Meanwhile, a Christmas blessing...

When the presents are unwrapped 
and the living room strewn, 
I wish for you one more gift: 
God with us. 
When the visitors have arrived 
and finally gone home again, 
I wish for you one more guest: 
God with us. 
When ‘Merry Christmas’ has been exchanged 
in words of greeting, 
I wish for you one more word: 
Emmanuel, God with us. 
When the crackers are pulled 
in an explosion of disappointment, 
I wish for you a better surprise: 
God with us. 
When the carols have been sung 
and the angels return to heaven, 
I wish for you a louder song: 
Alleluia: 
God is with us. 
When the TV takes over 
and the sofa’s cushions beckon, 
I wish for you a deeper peace: 
God with us. 
When the day is complete 
and the festivities ending, 
I wish for you a new beginning 
of God with us. 
And when the Christmas tree lights go out 
and the dark of winter returns, 
I wish for you 
the eternal light of God now with us.

Lessons and Carols service

Join us tomorrow for our traditional service of Lessons and Carols

Worship Sun 22 Dec: Advent 4

A cheerful and busy day, with morning and evening services...
At our 10.30am service in the parish church at Abington, we:
compared Christmas jumpers [some amazing designs] and wondered what they might tell us about the true meaning of Christmas...
told the old, old story of the Nativity as together, we built a nativity set -
24 lucky people were handed a number as they entered, and as their number was called during the service, each came up to reveal what was hidden behind an Advent door,
which was then used to build up our Nativity set. We were, alas, missing a Wise Man,
and wondered if he'd taken a cheeky tea break at the last oasis before Bethlehem.
There were also issues with a 3-legged camel, and some very bad
'winky, wonky, plinky, plonky' donkey jokes.
A fun and busy service, with reflections, carols, and good humour.
A good number stayed on for morning tea - with the added gift of some excellent tablet.

In the evening, we held Scotland's highest carol service - accompanied by our
friends from Leadhills Silver Band. Some excellent playing and singing, followed
by mince pies and a cuppa.

At both services, a truly lovely atmosphere, as we entered into the season of good cheer
and good news for all.

Join us, from 11pm in the church hall at Abington for a pre-Watchnight service cuppa and mince pie...
and then come through into the church for our Watchnight service at 11.30pm

Christmas services at Upper Clyde Parish

'Tidings of comfort and joy' service...

A quieter time of worship where we remember those who are no longer with us...

All welcome. After our time of remembering tea and coffee will be available in the hall...

News and events: wk beg. 2 Dec

Week beginning 2 Dec:

Clydesdale Foodbank - Our Foodbank box is once again available in the vestibule
  and we'll happily receive donations over the upcoming Sundays. As we'd like folk
  to receive items before Christmas, the box will be uplifted and delivered on Sunday
   22 Dec. Thanks in advance for your continued, generous support of this project.

Tues 3 Dec, 7pm: Lanark Presbytery meets at Greyfriar's, Lanark

Sun 8 Dec. 10.30am: Morning worship pulpit swap - Worship this morning will be
   conducted by Mr Bill Love, Interim Moderator and Locum of Douglas Valley Church of Scotland.
   The Minister will be sharing in worship with the congregations at Douglas and Rigside.

Further ahead:
Wed 11 Dec., 2pm: Guild meeting in the church hall. Our guest this month is Mrs Poppy Brown,
   who will be sharing Christmas craft ideas with us.

Thurs 12 Dec., 7pm: 'Wordworks' writing group meets at the Colebrooke Arms. All welcome.

Sat 14 Dec., 2.30pm: 'Tidings of comfort and joy' service - a quiet, reflective time of worship
  as we meet together and remember those who may not be with us this Christmas.
  After the service, the hall will be open for a cuppa and space to chat.
   All welcome.

Sun Worship 1 Dec: Advent 1 - Shhh! Can you hear it? Listen...

This morning we shared together in the bread and wine of Communion.
Our Advent theme today: hope...
And, due to Communion and Advent candles, and such, a slightly shorter sermon.

READINGS Ps 122; Isaiah 2:1-5; Matt 24:36-44

SERMON 
Let’s pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord,our strength and our Redeemer, Amen.

Shhhhh!
Can you hear it?
Listen…
Can you hear?
Somewhere ahead…nah, let’s be blunt,
sometime a wee while back about the beginning of October
the relentlessness of the ‘Greatest hits of Christmas’
begins blasting from every shop –
a continuous loop of musical kitsch
with a wee backing track
of people passing by who chorus:
‘it’s waaaay too early!’

Shhhhh!
Can you hear it?
Listen…
Can you hear?
Somewhere ahead, not too far ahead,
a symphony of ‘pings’ on the pc
confirming purchases made,
and the rattle and hum of vans
with deliveries on their way.

Shhhhh!
Can you hear it?
Listen…
Can you hear?
Somewhere a little way ahead,
the rustle of paper as objects
are surreptitiously wrapped and hidden,
and ends with a flustered ‘phew’ of the giver
as they tick another name off their list.

Shhhhh!
Can you hear it?
Listen…
Can you hear?
Somewhere ahead,
underneath the noise of tacky tunes,
of clicking keyboards,
of vans groaning under the weight of oh-too-many things,
even underneath the subdued whisper
of paper puckering at the touch
of small probing hands quietly exploring
the not quite so hidden depths of cupboards…
maybe
there’s something else for ears to hear.

Shhhh!
Can you hear it?
Listen…
Can you hear?
Somewhere ahead,
below the rustle of wings,
and a star’s glimmer –
to the ‘clink’ of coins being counted,
an Emperor takes stock of his empire,
of his lands,
of his subjects,
of his power…
And, in a backwater of that empire
in a crowded town,
footsteps sound
as a couple seek shelter for the night.

Shhhh!
Can you hear it?
Listen…
Can you hear?
Somewhere further along the road,
there’s the sound of impending birth –
a young woman groans with the pain of it,
her man holds her hand
tries not to look panicked,
and offers quiet words of reassurance
while animals look on in a stable
and a mouse scuttles past in the hay.

Shhhhh!
Can you hear it?
Listen…
Can you hear?
Somewhere, ahead in the distance,
sounds:
the bleat of a startled sheep,
the quiet gasp of shock from shepherds in a field;

Shhhhh!
Listen…
Can you hear?
Somewhere, up ahead,
there’s a vast choir of angels
singing in the heavens –
if you stretch yer ears,
you might just catch
a snatch of hallelujah’s song;

Shhhhh!
Listen…
Can you hear?
Somewhere a wee bit further,
there’s the pad of camel hoof on sand,
a Wise Man yawning
as he watches heaven’s sign
and cradles a gift fit for a king.

Shhhhh!
Listen…
Can you hear?
these are the noises
alerting us to get ready,
to wake,
prepare.
These are the sounds –
for those with ears to hear –
that tell the beginnings of
a story stirring:
a story of a life –
the great story of new life.
Within the story
after the waiting,
after the watching,
there will be other sounds,
adding to the story
of the One born in the manger.
If you listen,
you may just hear
the crackle of crusty bread
being broken and shared,
the gush of wine
poured into cup...
and a little further on,
after more waiting,
and a little more watching,
the crack of a stone
rolling back
as a breath is taken
and death is done forever.

Shhhhh!
Can you hear it?
Listen…
Can you hear?
Time itself, is ticking
and the story has begun –
the story of hope
and of light in the darkness;
a story where we need not go up
to the House of the Lord,
for God, in Jesus,
has come down to us.
Rejoice,
...and prepare for his coming.

Let’s pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, 
we await your coming,
We wait filled with hope,
knowing your light 
will shine in the darkness.
We wait anticipating your peace,
believing that one day 
it will fill our world.
We wait, embracing your love:
may we reach out to share it 
with our neighbours.
We wait with joy bubbling within us
in expectation of your birth.
Lord we wait –
Come soon and fill us with your life. Amen.*
                                              *prayer - Christine Sine