'Lament' - worship for Sunday 13 July

WELCOME to worship this week. We're continuing our series on the Psalms, this week, exploring Ps 22 - a lament of David. Our 'take-away' question is 'Where are you, God?'

As we listen to David, and hear a little of Job's story, we find that rather than a sign of doubt, to ask questions of God is much more a demonstration of faith...

The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE and is now available to access.

CHURCH NOTICES/
Hymn nominations: planning a little ahead, for our Songs of Praise celebration service in 10 August, it's time to get nomination your favourite hymns for possible inclusion. Either message me via the 'contact us' facility on the right hand side of the page, or simply leave a comment under today's blog post.

These are all the notices, so until next week, may you know God's presence with you throughout this coming week.

Nikki 

'Faithful' - worship Sun 29 June

WELCOME to worship this week as we continue our travels through the Psalms. This week, we explore Ps 145 and reflect on God's faithfulness.

The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE.

CHURCH NOTICES/ 
Clydesdale Food Bank: just to say a very appreciative thank you for the donations given to the Food Bank this month.

Clydesdale Trinity Cluster: Douglas Valley 'Souper Sundays' - our friends from Douglas Valley asked if we would flag up their upcoming Souper Sundays after their time of worship to which representatives from the wider cluster are very welcome to attend.
The dates are:
6th July 2025; 17th August 2025; 28th September 2025; 26th October 2025; 16th November.
They’re also planning a Big Summer Breakfast Event for 27th July.

Meanwhile, may you know the blessing of the One who is faithful, over the course of this week.

Take care
Nikki 

'Forever' - worship Sun 22 June

WELCOME to worship this week. We continue our wee daunder through Psalms, this week, reflecting on Ps 118 - and our key word is 'forever'.

The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE

CHURCH NOTICES
Cluster and potential union update: just to note that I'll be updating our dedicated page soon to keep you all in the loop on where we're currently at in the process.
Otherwise:
Clydesdale Food Bank: just a reminder that this is a food bank month, so all donations gratefully received. To go directly to the Clydesdale Food Bank donations page CLICK HERE.

As you go into this week, may you know God's steadfast love, which endures forever.

God bless
Nikki

'The imitation game' - worship 1 June, 2025

WELCOME to worship, where we find ourselves in the third and last week reflecting on the words of the prophet Micah, on what the Lord requires of us: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.

Just a quick recap – in week one, we examined the Micah passage through the lens of 1st Corinthians, which reminded us that we do what the Lord requires as a community – each bringing our different skills and talents to the mix.
Last week, we thought about the appropriate industrial work kit for the task, as we looked at Micah through the lens of Colossians where we were encouraged – to ‘clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,’ and a little further on: ‘above all, clothe yourselves with love – which binds everything together in perfect harmony.’

This week, the lens we’ll explore Micah’s words with come from Ephesians which urges us to ‘be imitators of God’…

So, if you like, in a nutshell -
Week 1 – community
Week 2 – clothes
Week 3 – copying

Our WORSHIP LINK IS HERE and the service will be available sometime after 8pm Sunday evening.

CHURCH NOTICES:
Only the one, which is that as this is a month in which communion falls, we're once again flagging up the work of Clydesdale Food Bank. There'll be a box in the vestibule for items of food and other goods over the Sundays of June. To help online just CLINK THIS LINK which will take you to their website, where you'll be able to make a donation.

May you know God walking with you through this week, and until next time, 

God bless,
Nikki

In Philippi, wk 3: Stumbling into grace

WELCOME to worship this week, where we continue delving into Paul's Letter to the Philippians. We're on chapter three and exploring the theme of grace, with Paul, sometimes referred to as the 'Apostle of grace'. Let's see where our reflections take us.
The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE

CHURCH NOTICES 
Christmas newsletter: a reminder of our upcoming Christmas newsletter and Dee, our Editor's request that any items you wish to be included reach her by Sunday evening the 5th of November. Ideally, we'd like to get it distributed in the week before our December communion service. Thanks in advance!

Sun 29 Oct, 5pm, Evening worship: Oops, one other notice: evening worship will be held in Leadhills Village Hall this coming Sunday, 29th October at 5pm. It will be a Taize-style service and there will be prayers for peace.

Have a good week - stay safe out there in the stormy weather. 

God bless,

Nikki

In Philippi wk 2: 'Humility' - Worship for Sun 15 Oct

WELCOME - welcome to our time of worship. We’re in week two of our explorations into Paul’s letter to the Philippians and there’s more mention of joy as we move into chapter two, along with a wider theme of humility, which is our worship theme for today. To go straight across to the service on YouTube click on the link: WORSHIP LINK IS HERE

CHUCH NOTICES - Unusually rare to have so few notices! Just the one today, which is a reminder about the upcoming Christmas church newsletter. The deadline for submitting material is by the evening of Sunday the 5th of November - this, so we can prepare it and then allow time for the printing and then sending out just before our December communion. If you have any Advent or Christmas oriented items you’d like to include, please do get in touch with either Dee or myself via the 'contact us' link on the right hand side panel of this page. Many thanks.

In Philippi: wk 1 'Joy' - Worship Sun 8 October

WELCOME/ 
Today we begin a four week series on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians – looking at a chapter a week. What do Paul’s words to the Christian community at Philippi nearly 2 000 years ago have to say to us today? Let’s explore over these next few weeks. 

Due to unexpected visitors, I am late this week... the WORSHIP LINK IS HERE and is uploading even as I type this. It should be available from about 4.30 this afternoon...
Apologies once again.

Meanwhile...
CHURCH NOTICES/ 
Thank you: again, to say thank you to everyone for all your efforts last week to help make our harvest thanksgiving and breakfast such a lovely event in our worship and social calendar. I was able to drop the food bank items off to friend Ben on Sunday afternoon, who works as a volunteer at the food bank, and who kindly delivered them up the road for us. So thank you for your generosity.

Christmas Newsletter: Christmas is coming… and along with it, our Christmas newsletter!
Dee, our editor, would be delighted to hear from you, if you have items that you’d like to include.
You might like to share a favourite Christmas memory, or why a particular carol is your favourite, or, even … perhaps a family or cultural tradition that you grew up with that was very much part of your Christmas? Christmas jokes or a favourite Christmas poem are also welcome. The deadline for any items is for Sunday the 5th Nov.

Guild, 11 Oct.: a reminder that the Guild meets this week on Wednesday – and it’s an outing to Langloch. So hopefully the weather will be a little drier than we’ve been having. If you’d like to go along and need a lift, please do get in touch with Heather Watt.

Have a great week,
God bless

Nikki

'Meals with the Messiah' wk 4: A meal to remember

WELCOME to worship where we end our 4 weeks of 'meals with the Messiah', thinking about the meal Jesus created for his followers. You'll find the WORSHIP LINK HERE and below, a copy of the church notices...

CHURCH NOTICES
Funeral of Pam Dunn: It's with sadness that I pass on the news of Pam Dunn's death. Her funeral will be held on Tuesday the 12th of September, 11am at the parish church. Please remember her family in your prayers...

September is food bank month where we're collecting items to donate to Clydesdale Food Bank and which will be uplifted with our Harvest donations. In church, the box is back in the vestibule to drop items in. Or, you can make a donation online by CLICKING ON THIS LINK Many thanks, in advance for your kindness. 

Sun 10 Sept. 10.30am: Songs of Praise service and Guild Dedication - If you've not yet sent your nominations for hymns for our Songs of Praise service, get them in quick: cut off is 7pm Wed evening.
We'll also be rededicating our Guild as they begin a new session.

Sun 1 Oct. 9.30am: Harvest Service - if you're able to join us in person this week, the doors will be open from 9.30 for a cheerful Harvest breakfast before we move from the hall into the worship space at 10.30 for our Harvest Service. Thanks in advance to our schools, who are preparing to make banners for us, as part of this year's decorations.
The church will be open on Saturday from 2pm-4pm for decorating, and for dropping in of harvest/ food bank items

Meals with the Messiah, wk 2: 'Party invites'- Sun 20 Aug

WELCOME to worship, where, this week, we'll encounter some status-conscious Pharisees and hear about a wedding feast that escalates rather dramatically.
The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE

CHURCH NOTICES 
Sun 3 Sept. 10.30: Communion - will be held on Sunday the 3rd of September at the parish church in Abington (our current worship series is very much designed as a lead in to communion) All are welcome for it’s Christ’s table and he is the host, and it is he, who invites us. 

Sundays in September - supporting Clydesdale Food Bank: as September is a communion month, we'll be accepting items for the food bank over the course of the month. The box will be in the vestibule as you come in (or, for online donations, simply click the link on the right hand side of the screen).We'll incorporate these into our Harvest food bank uplift on the first Sunday in October. Thanks in advance for your kindness.

Sun 10 Sept. 10.30: Songs of Praise service & Guild dedication - given we've been learning a few new songs, we'll have the opportunity to have a bit of a hymn-fest with some of our favourites. If you have a favourite, please do let me know by phone, email, or by using the 'contact us' link to the right of your screen. Nominate as many of your favourites as you like, and get them to me by Monday 4th September. I'll then work through the hymn choices until whittled down to 7 hymns... the 8th will be the Guild hymn, as we'll be rededicating the Guild as they begin their new session

Abington Show update: the winner of our 'Guess how many sweets in the jar' competition was Ivor Foley - congrat's Ivor, I'll drop them in at some point during the week!!
We still have a huge stash of mini-Haribo bags - which we were giving away to all who entered our scavenger hunt yesterday at the Show. Please let us know if you'd like some for and small ones you know. Also, a good number will be donated to the food bank, because... it's nice to have treats, no matter what.

That's all the news updated as far as I'm aware, so as you move into a new week,
God bless!

Nikki

Worship Sun 13 Aug - 'Meals with the Messiah': wk 1/ 'U' and 'non-U'

WELCOME to worship as we begin a new series exploring 'Meals with the Messiah'. Over these next four weeks we'll be sitting at various meal tables with Jesus - this week, reflecting on the company he keeps and what it might tell us about the Kingdom of Heaven.

The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE

CHURCH NOTICES
Just to flag up that this coming Saturday is the Abington Show. Upper Clyde will be having a wee stall there as part of being church in community, and to flag up our farming chaplaincy work. If you're around, come and say hi to Angela and I. And, just for a bit of fun, there's a scavenger hunt organised, as well as your opportunity to guess (and if correct, win) the number of sweets in a rather large jar. So fun for young and the young at heart.

Thanks to Heather Watt and Elsie Macrae for looking after things while I was away on leave!!

God bless as you move into a new week,
Nikki

'On Gratitude' - worship for Sun 23 July

WELCOME to worship...
This week, we finish on a theme of gratitude – and as we do so, we’ll be hearing from psalms 100 and 103.

If you'd like to go straight across to our YouTube site for the service the WORSHIP LINK IS HERE

Meanwhile, below, some church notices...

Minister on annual leave: I'll be on annual leave from Monday the 24th, up to and including Wed. the 9th of August. The following arrangements are in place while I'm off: 

• For general parish matters, Heather Watt has kindly agreed to be our contact person, so if something comes up, get in touch with her on 01899 850211 
• For urgent pastoral matters, the Rev. Elsie Macrae from Moffat will be providing cover – 
  01683 225159 or at elsie.macrae@churchofscotland.org.uk 
• Worship: over the next two Sundays onsite, pulpit cover is being provided by Jane Fucella from Biggar, and then, Denham Macdougall from Cairngryffe.
  As to music, this will be provided by Shenna Fox.
  Online, I’ll leave links here in a post that will pop up on Monday 24th to other online services that you might like to visit while I’m off…

Evening worship, Leadhills: please note that we take July off for summer break, so we'll resume again on the last Sunday of August.

Guild outing, 25 July: For all those going on the Guild outing on Tuesday, to Durisdeer – have a lovely time, and do take some photos that we can put up on the blog!

In the meantime, over these next few weeks, a challenge: let's practice some intentional gratitude by finding 3 things at the end of each day that we can give thanks for. Let me know how you get on!
Take care folks, and catch up when I'm back at work.
God bless,

Nikki

Worship 16 July 'Waiting'

WELCOME to this week's worship online. We're in week 4 of our 'Psalms for Summer' series; this week 'waiting'. Our psalms of the week are Ps 13 and Ps 40.

Given it's summer, only the one notice - which is a reminder about the Guild outing to Durisdeer Church on the 25th of July. If you're wanting to go, please get in touch with Heather...

The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE.

Have a good week,
God bless, 
Nikki

Worship 9 July: 'Questions'

WELCOME to worship, where we're continuing on with our 'Psalms for the Summer' series. It's week 3, and we're reflecting on Psalm 10 and Psalm 74, and wondering if it's okay to ask God questions...
The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE

As to church notices - only the one, which is to flag up the Guild summer outing on the 25th of July to the historic Durisdeer Church. After the tour, we'll head into Thornhill for a spot of lunch. If you'd like to come, and haven't yet been in touch with Heather Watt, do let her know.

In the meantime, have a good week and God bless,
Nikki

Worship 2nd July - 'Known'

WELCOME to worship. We're continuing on with our 'Psalms for Summer' series, this week exploring Psalm 139, and thinking about what it is to be known by God, and to be fearfully and wonderfully made.
Our WORSHIP LINK IS HERE 

With school off, and summer now in full swing and various community organisations taking a wee break, there are no church notices this week. 
Take care and have a good week,

Nikki

Worship Sun 25 June: 'Earth's crammed with heaven'

WELCOME to worship this week, as we begin a wee sermon series: 'Psalms for the summer'. Today, our theme is 'on creation' as we explore and reflect on Ps 104, a great psalm of praise to our Creator God.
Over these weeks we'll also be adding a new hymn to our repertoire 'Fill thou my life, O Lord my God'... by the end of the series, you should have a handle on it.

OUR WORSHIP LINK IS HERE
and below church notices...

CHURCH NOTICES
Evening worship - today at 5pm at Leadhills Village Hall. This will take the form of a Taizé service. All welcome, and there'll be a cuppa and a chance for a blether after the service. 

Otherwise, hope you find moments to look around at God's creation, and then look up, to God our Creator. 

God bless
Nikki

Worship Sun 5 March - Lent 2: 'Moving on'

WELCOME to worship where we continue our Lent theme
‘On the move’.  
Last week, we were moving out… out of the garden with Adam and Eve and into an unlooked for, unwanted, and unknown future. This week, we’re moving on, this time, by invitation: with Abram and his family – as take a step of faith, and make a journey into the unknown.

Church notices are copied below, and our WORSHIP LINK IS HERE 

CHURCH NOTICES/
Congregational meeting today - onsite in the parish church we'll be having a congregational meeting to discuss the presbytery plan. For those of you worshipping online and who are members, or, who live within the parish bounds, we want to make sure you get to have your say as well. If you have any questions, or would like to share your thoughts, get in touch with me - Nikki - either by phone, or email, or via the 'contact us' link to the right of this page. We want to hear from as many of you as possible.

Church newsletter - just a reminder that the deadline for our Easter newsletter is coming up: if you have any items for inclusion, please send them to Dee or myself by 1pm this coming Sunday the 12th March. Thanks.

Bereavement support group - we meet on Thursday at 1.30pm in the Abington Community Hub. 

Kirk Session - meets online via zoom on Thursday at 7pm. Link will be emailed out.

Foodbank donations this month - as this is a month in which we have a formal communion, you’re invited to make a donation to the Clydesdale foodbank over any of the Sundays in March. You can do this by dropping in items in the box under the vestibule table, at the manse, or by making a donation online via their website…. at CLYDESDALE FOOD BANK DONATIONS

As you move on, into another week of Lent, be blessed and take care,
Nikki

Worship Sun 19 Sept' - 'Keeping up appearances'

WELCOME/
Hello and welcome to worship where we gather both online and in our church building to worship the God who calls us ‘beloved’. We continue to journey through the Letter of James, this week reflecting on how to be God’s people within a culture that tells us that who we are and what we have is not enough.
Just a couple of notices today – the first is just to flag up that this week I’m on call to provide any urgent pastoral cover for Douglas Valley Church; and the second is to pass on a message from Angela, our community worker – which is to let those of those of you involved in the ‘let’s get growing’ project that she will be down at the old council yard in Crawford this coming Sunday, the 26th after morning tea – so, roughly, from 12 to 1pm – if you have any potatoes, you can drop them off to her there.
OUR WORSHIP LINK IS HERE

Whatever your plans for this coming week, may you know God's presence with you, and know yourself beloved.
God bless
Nikki

Worship, Sun 18 Oct: 'Joy' - pt 4 of our series on Philippians

WELCOME -

Hello and welcome to worship with Upper Clyde Parish.
It is always good to remember that, no matter how we gather, it is always good to offer God our worship, for God is truly worthy of our praise.

Over these last few weeks, we’ve been delving into Paul’s letter to the Philippians, and we have arrived at our final chapter – chapter 4. If you wanted a brief summary of this chapter, you could probably do it in two words:

‘Joy’ and ‘Peace’ - and I can almost hear the very long sigh of a certain Rev. I. M. Jolly at the thought of joy...!!

CHURCH NOTICES:

Guild Quiz -

Our friends in the Guild have set a quiz for us all. The quiz sheets are £1, and available at the Abington Store, or get in touch with Heather Watt or Mary Hamilton.

All proceeds go to the ongoing projects that the Church of Scotland Guild supports.
Many thanks to our Guild for organising this and for giving us a little light relief in what for some us are difficult times.

And a little advance notice: there’ll also be a quiz out in December...

Church building -

It's a long, slow process, I'm afraid, however, I’m hoping to have a little bit more information next week on what’s happening. We have received a quote for all the electrical work, so a meeting of the Session needs to happen, along with a wee discussion on finances for the work.
That said, given the current stricter lockdown regulations in force in South Lanarkshire, the Session is not really minded to push opening the doors just yet – even if we could... 

We want you to feel safe and not take unnecessary risks.
Thanks, as ever, for your patience.

WORSHIP AND RESOURCE LINKS -
In the meantime, turning to worship, here are the links -
first, for all-age resources
ALL AGE LINK

and for further bible study and reflection
STUDY LINK

Also, don’t forget, if you’d like to continue to support the work of Upper Clyde, you can now donate online, and many thanks to those of you have been able to make your donations that way
CHURCH DONATIONS LINK
Click 'donate to a congregation' and type in 'Upper Clyde Parish'

And finally, here is our WORSHIP LINK that will take you across to our YouTube channeL for our time of worship

Worship, Sun 4 Oct - wk 2 Philippians: 'Aim low, and you're never disappointed'

WELCOME/
Hello, and welcome to our worship link page. Here you'll find links to take you across to our YouTube channel for a time of worship, and also links to resources for worship, and beyond.

Last time in worship, we began a 4-part series on Paul's letter to the Philippians, looking at Chapter 1.
We saw that Paul was currently under house arrest, a prisoner in - scholars believe - Rome.
Paul wrote to his fellow believers in Philippi, encouraging them to stand firm in the faith under difficult circumstances, and this encouragement was mutual - as he encouraged them, so they encouraged him.
So, our 'take-away' from last time was very much focused on the power of encouragement, and of the importance of both being encouraged and being an encourager.
This time around, in Chapter 2, Paul urges the Philippians to continue on in the faith by suggesting that the best example is Jesus himself - 'be imitators of Christ', he encourages them, and as he describes just who Jesus is, and what he gave up, we find a theme of practical love in action: loving and serving God and each other for the benefit of all... self-giving, not self-seeking.

For those of you with all-age households, for the younger members of the house, you'll find accessible worship material here: 
ALL-AGE RESOURCE LINK
And for those of you who would like to reflect a little more deeply on the bible passage itself, you can find material for further study and reflection here:
BIBLE STUDY LINK

Just to flag up that if you'd like to help support the ongoing work of Upper Clyde Parish, you can donate online by clicking the following link:
UPPER CLYDE DONATE ONLINE
This will take you to the Church of Scotland website. Just click the 'donate to a congregation' option, type in 'upper clyde parish church' and follow the instructions.
And thank you to all who continue to support the work in this and in other ways.

No news yet of the building opening...
In the meantime, you'll find worship available online by clicking on this link:
THIS WEEK'S WORSHIP 

I hope you enjoy and are spiritually fed by this time of worship.
God bless
Nikki 

Worship, Sun 27 Sept - Philippians series wk1: 'It's a hard knock life for us'

WELCOME:

Hello and welcome to worship with Upper Clyde Parish. No matter how we gather, it’s good to be able to make time and worship our God, the One who unites, and calls us into community, and who stands with us every moment of our lives.

Previously, in our last time of worship, we spent time hearing about the newly-liberated Israelites, who were wandering in the wilderness.
With supplies seemingly so scarce, how would they survive?
We also heard a story told by Jesus, about the owner of a vineyard who was in need of workers to bring in the harvest, and who, at the end of the day's work, paid all his labourers a full day's wage, regardless of when they may have started working.
In both cases, we reflected on God's justice, and God's generosity.

This week we begin a 4 week series exploring Paul’s Letter to the Philippians...
And in Chapter One, we'll see what Paul, the Philippian Christians, and little orphan Annie might just have in common...
This cartoon might also feel topical, as we reflect... 

If you prefer to skip the following and go straight to worship, you'll find the WORSHIP LINK HERE
Otherwise, a link is also provided at the end of our notices...

CHURCH NEWS:
There's not much to flag up in the way of church news:

Opening of church Building:
Nothing yet to report on the electrical work in the church building - once there’s news, I’ll make sure it’s passed on to you all.

Clydesdale Foodbank:
A quick reminder: if you’d like to support the ongoing work of Clydesdale foodbank, the online address is just here for online giving -
FOODBANK DONATIONS LINK

If you have any food or household items, do get in touch with me and we can organise either a drop off at the manse or church or some such – and my phone number is 01864 502139
And, if you find yourself or someone you know, needing some help, do get in touch with me and I can organise a referral.

All-age worship resources and Bible study material:
Don’t forget that if you have an all-age household, or you’d like to explore the reading a little further, links are below for both all-age worship material, as well as study material for personal reflection -
ALL-AGE WORSHIP RESOURCES and... REFLECTION and BIBLE STUDY

Just for a laugh: 
a certain minister's Aussie Dad enjoys a dire pun [yes, this is where I get it from!] and during the week he sent me several 'humour for times such as these' cartoons.
So, including the following just for a wee smile - or groan!

I hope that this time of worship will help to encourage and strengthen you as you follow in the way of Jesus. To access worship via our YouTube channel please CLICK WORSHIP LINK
Take care, and have a good week...
Nikki