First Sunday of Advent
Sunday 08 Dec, 2019 – 11h00
Welcome to the Scots Kirk Paris
Welcome and Intimations
If you are settling in Paris, may you find a home here. If you are visiting, know that you are welcome and please take the greetings of the Scots Kirk Paris back home. Please sign the “visitor’s book” on the entrance table and join us for refreshments after the service. Mobile phone switched off…?
Lighting of first Advent Candle
Children’s address
Hymn 282 Christmas is coming (1 & 2)
Call to Worship
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
Hymn 279 Make way
Prayer
Hymn 772 In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful
Reading
Matthew 9:27-31 NIV
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
Romans 5:1-5 NIV
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Sermon
A NEW BEGINNING… SERIOUSLY???!
Last Sunday we thought about “a new beginning”
Advent is the beginning of a new year in the church calendar
We had the dedication of a baby
And thought about the inspiration of a poem
which is prompted by “a new insight”
Today we question the idea of “beginning”
asking… Seriously? How???
Prayer
Offering
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 359 He came down that we may have love
Benediction
May the Lord bless you
May the Lord keep you
May the Lord make his face
To shine upon you
May the Lord bless you
May the Lord keep you
May the Lord make his face
To shine upon you
And give you peace
And give you peace
Sunday 08 Dec, 2019 – 11h00
Welcome to the Scots Kirk Paris
Welcome and Intimations
If you are settling in Paris, may you find a home here. If you are visiting, know that you are welcome and please take the greetings of the Scots Kirk Paris back home. Please sign the “visitor’s book” on the entrance table and join us for refreshments after the service. Mobile phone switched off…?
Lighting of first Advent Candle
Children’s address
Hymn 282 Christmas is coming (1 & 2)
Call to Worship
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
Hymn 279 Make way
Prayer
Hymn 772 In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful
Reading
Matthew 9:27-31 NIV
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
Romans 5:1-5 NIV
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Sermon
A NEW BEGINNING… SERIOUSLY???!
Last Sunday we thought about “a new beginning”
Advent is the beginning of a new year in the church calendar
We had the dedication of a baby
And thought about the inspiration of a poem
which is prompted by “a new insight”
Today we question the idea of “beginning”
asking… Seriously? How???
Prayer
Offering
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 359 He came down that we may have love
Benediction
May the Lord bless you
May the Lord keep you
May the Lord make his face
To shine upon you
May the Lord bless you
May the Lord keep you
May the Lord make his face
To shine upon you
And give you peace
And give you peace
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Gifts for the homeless men: please see the list of items on the wall above the basket and bring what you can to help the homeless men in Paris through the work of the "Missionnaires de la Charité".
On Sale for Church Funds: "The Tartan Pimpernel" by the Rev Donald Caskie, Scots Kirk tea towels & notelets and the Scots Kirk Recipe |
Bible Study on Wednesday at 11am
Church will be open on Wednesday from 12h.00 – 14h.00. Bible reading suggestion for December Read one chapter of the Gospel of Matthew every day of December. |
Upcoming Updates
Nativity Service
Our Nativity service will be on Sunday 15 December followed by a Soup and Sandwich social. You have ample time to decide which role you will “play” at the service: angel, shepherd, Mary, Joseph, star…? Or bringer of soup???
Christmas Eve Service
Tuesday 24 December at 19h00
Advent Again—Time for Practicing Hope
By Vinita Hampton Wright
The thing about the Christian year is that it keeps coming around. Over and over again, we get to try our hearts and minds and hands at Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time. We get to dust off the liturgies and speak or sing them again. We get to try old prayers in new ways—or try new prayers on old themes. We get to pick up our symbols and phrases and turn them slowly and look at them and listen to them repeatedly and allow their many layers and nuances to speak to us.
This is called spiritual practice. So, yes, it’s Advent again. But that is how it should be. We have a season ahead of us in which to rehearse and reenact the sacred story of God Is on the Way! God Will Soon Be with Us in the Most Extraordinary Way! Hope is coming; love is coming. A shining realm of peace and wholeness is, truly, coming.
We have a season in which to give our faith a workout, in which to exercise our hope muscles. Some years make that exercise more difficult than others. But it’s Advent now, and, as people of faith, we are called upon to exercise our hope.
If hope isn’t created for times such as these—when countries are divided, when civil war annihilates whole communities and sends refugees fleeing, when hungry children are ignored because their interests are of no interest to powerful entities, when human beings are trafficked by the thousands to be used for sex or cheap labor, when industry and wealth win over the health of the planet and all its creatures and the global community—if hope isn’t created for times such as these, then why have hope at all?
So let’s try Advent once again. Let’s practice a hopeful way of being in the world.
Sing the songs.
Ring the bells.
Put up the decorations.
Tell the stories.
Give to worthy charities.
Open your home to those who need welcome; pretend that each one of them is the baby Jesus, born on the road and needing help.
Use your creative gifts: to write, bake, paint, act, make quilts or sound financial plans.
Go to church.
Go to the neighborhood hang-out or the family party.
Pay attention to the kids and welcome their very selves.
Don’t leave pets out in the snow.
Don’t give up prayer because life feels raw and scary.
Don’t hurry through Advent because you’re not terribly good at living it; just let it live in the real life you have.
Don’t forget that God loves you.
And please don’t forget that God loves everybody else too.
He came for us all. Together, we wait for the holy child.
Nativity Service
Our Nativity service will be on Sunday 15 December followed by a Soup and Sandwich social. You have ample time to decide which role you will “play” at the service: angel, shepherd, Mary, Joseph, star…? Or bringer of soup???
Christmas Eve Service
Tuesday 24 December at 19h00
Advent Again—Time for Practicing Hope
By Vinita Hampton Wright
The thing about the Christian year is that it keeps coming around. Over and over again, we get to try our hearts and minds and hands at Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time. We get to dust off the liturgies and speak or sing them again. We get to try old prayers in new ways—or try new prayers on old themes. We get to pick up our symbols and phrases and turn them slowly and look at them and listen to them repeatedly and allow their many layers and nuances to speak to us.
This is called spiritual practice. So, yes, it’s Advent again. But that is how it should be. We have a season ahead of us in which to rehearse and reenact the sacred story of God Is on the Way! God Will Soon Be with Us in the Most Extraordinary Way! Hope is coming; love is coming. A shining realm of peace and wholeness is, truly, coming.
We have a season in which to give our faith a workout, in which to exercise our hope muscles. Some years make that exercise more difficult than others. But it’s Advent now, and, as people of faith, we are called upon to exercise our hope.
If hope isn’t created for times such as these—when countries are divided, when civil war annihilates whole communities and sends refugees fleeing, when hungry children are ignored because their interests are of no interest to powerful entities, when human beings are trafficked by the thousands to be used for sex or cheap labor, when industry and wealth win over the health of the planet and all its creatures and the global community—if hope isn’t created for times such as these, then why have hope at all?
So let’s try Advent once again. Let’s practice a hopeful way of being in the world.
Sing the songs.
Ring the bells.
Put up the decorations.
Tell the stories.
Give to worthy charities.
Open your home to those who need welcome; pretend that each one of them is the baby Jesus, born on the road and needing help.
Use your creative gifts: to write, bake, paint, act, make quilts or sound financial plans.
Go to church.
Go to the neighborhood hang-out or the family party.
Pay attention to the kids and welcome their very selves.
Don’t leave pets out in the snow.
Don’t give up prayer because life feels raw and scary.
Don’t hurry through Advent because you’re not terribly good at living it; just let it live in the real life you have.
Don’t forget that God loves you.
And please don’t forget that God loves everybody else too.
He came for us all. Together, we wait for the holy child.
Contact
17 rue Bayard, 75008 Paris
Minister: Rev Jan Steyn
Tel. 01 48 78 47 94
Session clerk: Dorothy Mure
Pianist: Mr Paul Snelgrove
e-mail: scotskirkparis@orange.fr
Website: www.scotskirkparis.com
Facebook page: ScotsKirkParis
Follow us on Twitter
@ScotsKirkFrance https://twitter.com/ScotsKirkFrance
Amis: https://amisskp.wixsite.com/amisskp
Donate/Contribute: Name of the account: Assoc Church of Scotland
(BNP Paribas). IBAN number: FR76 3000 4015 3300 0100 9031 587
17 rue Bayard, 75008 Paris
Minister: Rev Jan Steyn
Tel. 01 48 78 47 94
Session clerk: Dorothy Mure
Pianist: Mr Paul Snelgrove
e-mail: scotskirkparis@orange.fr
Website: www.scotskirkparis.com
Facebook page: ScotsKirkParis
Follow us on Twitter
@ScotsKirkFrance https://twitter.com/ScotsKirkFrance
Amis: https://amisskp.wixsite.com/amisskp
Donate/Contribute: Name of the account: Assoc Church of Scotland
(BNP Paribas). IBAN number: FR76 3000 4015 3300 0100 9031 587