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“God is light; In him there is no darkness...”  

[1 John 1:5]

Dull and Weem Parish, Church of Scotland

Sunday Service 9 30 am.

Minister : Rev. Neil M Glover

Senior Elder : Mr C. Thom

Phone 01887 820174   e mail

Roll Keeper : Mr T. Pringle

Phone 01887 820931   e mail

Session Clerk : Mr P. Hobbs

Mobile 07967 226824   e mail

Treasurer : Mr R. Chadburn

Youth Worker : Jamie Pringle

Mobile 07399 589422   e mail

PA to Rev Neil Glover : Judy Ewer

Mobile 07836 565528  e mail

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Link to Church of Scotland Congregations of the Upper Tay, and of Tenandry Sunday Services 28th February 2021

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Worship this morning from Logerait Church

February 28th 2021

We give you a warm welcome this morning from Logierait Church, here on the banks of the Tay, very close to where the river joins the Tummel.

Let us begin our worship by singing No. 61 in CH 4, words from Psalm 98.

1. Oh, sing a new song to the Lord,
   for wonders he has done:
   with his right hand and holy arm
   the vict'ry he has won.

2. The Lord has made this triumph known,
    displayed his saving might;
    he has revealed his righteousness
    in every nation's sight.

3. He mindful of his grace and truth
    to Israel's house has been.
    the saving power of God our Lord
    earth's farther ends have seen.

4. Earth, shout aloud to God the Lord
   and make a joyful noise;
   break into song and celebrate,
   sing praises and rejoice.

5. Sing to the Lord with sound of harp,
    let harp and voices ring:
    with blare of trumpets, blast of horn,
    acclaim the Lord, the King.

6. Let seas, and all within them, roar,
   the world, and dwellers there;
   let streams clap hands, and mountains sing-
   as one their joy declare.

7. Let these all sing before the Lord
   who comes earth's judge to be;
   he'll judge the world with righteousness,
   Its folk with equity.

Opening Prayer

Oh God,

In the beginning

You saw darkness and chaos

And by Your Word

You said, "Let there be light."

And we praise You,

For Your Word

Will always bring light out of darkness.

Oh God,

Many years ago,

You promised Abraham and Sarah a son

And though their bodies were past the age of bearing children,

Sarah bore Isaac, the boy who brought laughter.

And we praise You,

For you keep Your promises

And bring laughter when we had given up.

Oh God,

Many years ago

You walked among us as Jesus.

You loved without constraint.

You suffered all the worst of human malice.

You formed a family from every nation.

So we praise You

For loving without constraint,

For bearing the weight of our suffering,

For calling us into a family where we belong.

You are God,

Beyond all our expectations

You are God,

Breaking all our narrow conventions

You are God,

Leading us into life

And this morning we praise You.

Forgive us our sins.

Forgive us when we make You small.

Forgive us when we give up on hope.

Forgive us when our love is small.

Forgive us,

And through the death and rising of Jesus

Remake us.

In Jesus name we pray. AMEN

SERMON - The Ladder   

Reading: Romans 4:13-25

On Law and Faith and Work and Ladders

The Roman society that Paul wrote his letter to was like a ladder with many rungs.

At the bottom of the ladder were the slaves,

But even amongst the slaves there were hierarchies.

If you were a child, you were less than an adult.

If you were a woman you were less than a man.

If you were a slave of a peasant, you were less than

if you were a slave of Caesar.

And above the slaves were the people who had bought their freedom: the freedmen.

And above them were the people, the Plebeians.

And above the Plebeians were the Equites.

And above the Equites were the Patricians.

And above the Patricians was the Emperor.

And this rigid hierarchy was muddied:

Laws were passed which allowed Plebians to marry Patricians.

And many Plebians became wealthier than Patricians,

But still that sense of what you were worth seeped in,

Told you something about yourself.

And it was deeply corrosive and never satisfying.

There is a story told of perhaps the one venerated as the greatest Emperor, Caesar, at the very top of the ladder, coming across a picture of Alexander the Great one day in Spain and weeping, because in comparison to Alexander, he, Caesar, had achieved so little. And this was what motivated him to carry out the conquest of Gaul, an incredibly violent and brutal campaign in which many died.

This stuff kills us, it never satisfies.

And it exists still, because we love to create a ladder.

When I grew up in Edinburgh, I was very conscious of where we stood on the ladder, above some secondary schools, below Royal High School, below Independent Schools, the greatest of which was Fettes which stood right outside our gate.

And that sends you a message about worth.

And this can also apply to our bodies,

It can apply to our educational achievement.

It applies to our wealth and the signs we send out about our wealth.

And it seeps into our religion, the sense that some are better at the whole God thing than others, that others do it better and so earn the approval of God.

This whole system of achievement and worth is what Paul refers to as "works."

It is set up by a system which he refers to as "law."

And the culture, the spiritual animus to play this game, he calls the "world."

And the inherent sense of what we were born into, he calls "flesh."

This ladder game, he says, ultimately gets you nowhere. If God has made us promises and is determined to get us there by law, by ladder, then it will lead nowhere.

And all of us carry around within us

This sense of not being good enough,

This sense of not having done enough,

This sense that Caesar had when looking at Alexander –

and weeping because we have been outshone.

We are too far down the ladder,

And this leads to wrath, anger, frustration,

And nullifies the promise.

And God does away with all of this, through Gift.

Gift that is not earned,

Gift – and this was an extremely important consideration in the ancient world –

Gift that was given to those who were not worthy of the gift!

In Romans 4, our chapter for today, Paul says the Gift was given to those who were ungodly.

Romans 4 is a reflection on the story of Abraham.

A story of God making a promise to someone, before they had done anything to deserve it.

And that the person's response was to trust – to have faith – faith simply in God's ability to be relied on and that act was credited to him as righteousness. Before Abraham was circumcised, regardless of anything that Abraham had done. God gave a gift, and Abraham trusted.  In other words,

God is not motivated by who has done the best.

God pays little attention to qualification that comes from law.

God is utterly opposed to qualification on basis of birthright,

Or the conflicting passions that drive us up the ladder – flesh.

God is not interested in the values that we are meant to aspire to – world.

It is not just that the ladder is leant against the wrong wall -

God is just not interested in the ladder.

Mary is now going to read for us Romans 4: 13 – 17.

13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, 'I have made you the father of many nations')—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 

Creating a society where all are one, there is no boundary, where there is a radical togetherness is one of the purposes of Jesus's life.

Here in Logierait, we see it in the graveyard, this diverse community of people.

There would have been landlords here, and cottagers, people who were wealthy, and people who were poor, all of them part of the family of God.

And a particular feature of the graveyard here in Logierait is this - perhaps the best looked-after part of the graveyard – particularly, the part visited most often, the graves that are used by Travelling People.  These were a group of people we had prejudices against at school, but here, in the kingdom of God, all human barriers are broken down.

This is what we celebrate happens in Christ.

And there is also a further aspect of Jesus, that Abraham teaches us - this is hope.

Mary is now going to read for us, Romans 4: 18-25

18 Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become 'the father of many nations', according to what was said, 'So numerous shall your descendants be.' 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already[a] as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as

he gave glory to God, 21 being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 Therefore his faith[b] 'was reckoned to him as righteousness.' 23 Now the words, 'it was reckoned to him', were written not for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

In Abraham's story there is this great hope. The way that Abraham and Sarah defiantly hope - that great hope against hope.

What does "hope against hope" actually mean?  I think it means something to do with the way that we hold to the biggest hopes, even when we are tempted to give into them, to be drawn to smaller hopes.  I think it means to have hope when you feel you are holding it against everything.  Even hope itself.

It is a hope that is rooted in the character of God, who can do things which no one else would ever have presumed or thought possible.  Sarah giving birth at 90 stands for the ridiculous possibility of holding on to hope.

So where has God given you hope?

And where are you hanging on by your fingernails?

Where do you feel that you wanted to hope for something, but now it feels it is gone?

Above all we hope for the rightness that was given to Abraham in the story.

To be made right,

To play the part we were made to play,

To bear our blessing to the next generation.

This is how the poet Jan Richardson reflects on these verses, in her poem, Rough Translations.

Hope nonetheless.

Hope despite.

Hope regardless.

Hope still.

Hope where we had ceased to hope.

Hope amid what threatens hope.

Hope with those who feed our hope.

Hope beyond what we had hoped for.

Hope that draws us past our limits.

Hope that defies expectations.

Hope that questions what we have known.

Hope that makes a way where there is none.

Hope that takes us past our fear.

Hope that calls us into life.

Hope that holds us beyond death.

Hope that blesses those to come.

So be blessed. Be made right. Have faith and have hope. Hope against hope,

Just like Abraham and Sarah.  AMEN.

Let's sing our next hymn: God it was who said to Abraham…….

1.God it was who said to Abraham,

 "Pack your bags and travel on."

 God it was who said to Sarah,

 "Smile and soon you'll bear a son."

 Travelling folk and aged mothers

 wandering when they thought they'd done,

 this is how we find God's people,

 leaving all because of One.

2. God it was who said to Moses,

"Save my people, part the sea."

God it was who said to Miriam,

"Sing and dance to show you're free."

Shepherd-saints and tambourinists

doing what God knew they could –

this is how we find God's people,

liberating what they should.

3. God it was who said to Joseph,

"Down your tools and take your wife."

God it was who said to Mary,

"In your womb, I'll start my life!"

Carpenter and country maiden

leaving town and trade and skills –

this is how we find God's people,

moved by what their Maker wills.

4. Christ it was who said, "Zacchaeus,

 I would like to eat with you."

 Christ it was who said to Martha,

"Listening's what you need to do."

 Civil servants and housekeepers,

 changing places at a cost –

 this is how Christ summons people,

 calling both the loved and lost.

5. In this crowd which spans the ages,

with these saints whom we revere,

God wants us to share their purpose,

starting now and starting here.

So we celebrate our calling,

so we raise both heart and voice,

as we pray that through our living

more may find they are God's choice.

John L Bell and Graham Maule  1989, 2002 WGRG  CCL Licence No: 1060608

Prayer for Others

Hope.

Dear God, would you give us, please, the gift of hope.

Hope despite……Hope regardless……..Hope nonetheless……..Hope always.

Hope as the lockdown continues. Hope as we wait for vaccines.

Hope for all the nations to come out of this time together.

Hope where the peacemakers must work the hardest: in Syria…..in Tigray…in Yemen.

Hope for our communities to be places of diverse belonging.

Places where you are known,

Places where we might be ambassadors of hope.

In the silence now, we give to you our hopes, we give to you our prayers…

Silence for about 5-10 seconds

And now hear us we pray in the words which Jesus taught us:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.  AMEN.

We sing the hymn Hymn:  Amazing Grace  

Amazing grace - how sweet the sound -
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed.
 

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

When we've been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun,
we've no less days to sing God's praise
than when we've first begun.

John Newman 1725 – 1807

Blessing
May the God of Abraham bless you with the faith that makes you right
And hope that is defiant.
May the God of Sarah bless you with a newness that restores your youth
And brings you laughter.
May the God of Jesus Christ walk with you, 
Fill you with the Spirit
That you would be blessed
To be a blessing.  AMEN.

Linkage Newsletter – 25 February  2021

 Sunday Services – 28 February 2021

 SUNDAY MORNING ONLINE WORSHIP WITH REV NEIL GLOVER FROM LOGIERAIT PARISH CHURCH

 NEW  PART TO OUR ONLINE SERVICES  –  AN ALL -AGE MOMENT

Georgia Brockway will be leading our All - Age Moment telling us the story of a woman being forgiven by Jesus.

YouTube Services

Sunday onwards

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpA-Ianua69JOCtTV2zBDxw

Traditional Dial-In

Sunday morning onwards

Dial 01887 440446

Zoom Service

10.30am

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9205989200

or Zoom from tablet or phone:
Zoom meeting room 920 598 9200

Password  - 316316

Post-service Zoom coffee and biscuits

11.30am

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9205989200

or Zoom from tablet or phone:
Zoom meeting room 920 598 9200

Password  - 316316

Funerals

Gilbert McGillivary – Aberfeldy Parish Church  - 3 March 2021

Annie Paxton – Logierait Parish Church – 9 March 2021

Details are available from Gaulds Funeral Directors,  Aberfeldy

World Day of Prayer - Friday 5th March 2021.  Building on a Strong Foundation

– written by the women of Vanuatu.

 This year when it is not possible to hold services throughout the country, the Scottish WDP Committee invite you to a service from Edinburgh by Zoom at 2pm.

The link to join is as follows: Webinar ID: 895 9398 3883 – Passcode: 901656.

You can also hear the service on your landline phone by dialing 0131 460 1196. You will be asked for the ID & passcode above.  There may be cost involved.

The service will be available later on the website (www.wdpscotland.org.uk) or WDP Scotland Facebook page.  There are a number of service booklets available for the linkage. If you would like a copy, please contact:   for Dull and Weem – Liz Bruce 01887 829753;

for GLS - Elizabeth Stenhouse  07952003327  elizabethstenhouse29@gmail.com ;

for Aberfeldy – Grace Steele 01887 820025   gsteele@churchofscotland.org.uk .       G Steele

 Lent course organised by the Episcopalian Church

We are running a Lent Course on 'Theme from the Lord's Prayer in Art' on Zoom from 24th of February for 5 weeks it is open to anyone who wishes to join in.

Here is the publicity and the link to the first zoom service if any body is interested.

If people would like to attend all we ask is that you let either myself or Lesley Whitwood know, people can drop in to any session.

Lesley's email: lesleywhitwood@btinternet.com

If anyone would like help with zoom please let me know.

Liz

Highland Perthshire Linked Charge are inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Lent Course
Time: Feb 24, 2021 02:00 PM London
       Every week on Wed, until Mar 24, 2021, 5 occurrence(s)
       Feb 24, 2021 02:00 PM
       Mar 3, 2021 02:00 PM
       Mar 10, 2021 02:00 PM
       Mar 17, 2021 02:00 PM
       Mar 24, 2021 02:00 PM
 

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Weekly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZYpfu-grjgtHdar2wYSblnpnHui7fKJXAe1/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGqqjIsEtSWtx6FRpwQBor4M_zziHZagqdcjk3yOhNRbg3mOMpXO-V5O_Lo

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82496803772?pwd=bzVhTGIzbHlEUE1oaXhpYzBlVUE5QT09

Meeting ID: 824 9680 3772
Passcode: 681071
One tap mobile
+442034815240,,82496803772#,,,,*681071# United Kingdom
+442039017895,,82496803772#,,,,*681071# United Kingdom

Dial by your location
       +44 203 481 5240 United Kingdom
       +44 203 901 7895 United Kingdom
       +44 131 460 1196 United Kingdom
       +44 203 051 2874 United Kingdom
       +44 203 481 5237 United Kingdom
Meeting ID: 824 9680 3772
Passcode: 681071
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keWFJiRpo

Revd Canon Liz Baker
Rector, Highland Perthshire Linked Charge
Tel: 01796 472005
Mobile: 07896 263768Error! Filename not specified.

bethmaybaker@yahoo.co.uk

Website: www.hplc.scot

Eco Congregation Scotland

 Eco Congregation Scotland are running a webinar next Wednesday evening on how Churches in Scotland – both locally and nationally – can support a just and green recovery by divesting from fossil fuels and re-orienting investments towards a clean energy future. 

Scottish Churches' Webinar
COP26, Divestment and Investment in the Just and Green Recovery
Wednesday 3rd March 2021
7.00pm - 8.30pm
https://scottishchurcheswebinar.eventbrite.co.uk/

Breadalbane Community Larder

As you may know, Breadalbane Community Larder has been Aberfeldy Co-op’s ‘FoodShare’ partner since March, 2020 taking ‘Best Before’ and ‘Use By’ food which would otherwise be thrown away or sent to their bio-digester.  Not wanting to lose this valuable partnership, we will continue to collect these items and have this food available outside the rear of the church building for people to come and help themselves during Larder opening times (11.00am -12.30pm each Saturday).

We are also be piloting two other ideas:

·      alongside the ‘FoodShare store’ on a Saturday morning, customers can come to the Larder and collect items from the stock indoors, for a nominal fee. This reduces the stigma and helps maintain customer dignity

·      emergency deliveries of food parcels will continue.  This service can be accessed by calling 0345 30 111 00 Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm

If you know of anyone struggling to make ends meet please let them know about the support provided by Breadalbane Community Larder.

The Larder is a joint initiative of several local churches and also involves members of the local community.  If you would like to be involved please contact the team on 07513 652597 or email breadalbanecommunitylarder@btinternet.com

In addition to food the Breadalbane Community Larder is able to offer disposable face masks for those struggling to buy them.

Support

We recognise that for many the current restrictions and uncertainty can make life very stressful. The ministry team are able to offer pastoral support, but for a few this may not be enough. Perth and Kinross Council have an excellent directory of services. You can type in:

Perth and Kinross Mental Health Directory 2020 or hit the hyper link below.

https://www.pkc.gov.uk/media/46386/Mental-Health-Directory-of-Services-Covid-19/pdf/Mental_Health_Directory_of_Services_Covid19_(1).pdf?m=637353449218700000

Contact details

Neil’s email -  nglover@churchofscotland.org.uk

Neil’s mobile – 07779 280074

PA – Judy Ewer – judy.ewer@adwgls.org.uk

Mobile – 07836 565528

Future Services

March

7  - Neil - Tenandry

14 – Margaret  Yearsley - Dull and Weem

14 - Tom Sibbald – Evening Service

21  - Neil with the Youth Team - Aberfeldy

28 - Neil – Strathtay

HOLY WEEK

1 April - Maundy Thursday – Zoom Service - Supper with Communion (Ministry Team)

2  April - Good Friday – YouTube service led by Neil Glover

4  April - Easter Sunday – YouTube Service led by the Ministry Team

(There will be further details on these services in due course)

Judy Ewer
PA to Neil Glover

Minister - Aberfeldy (SC007899), Dull and Weem (SC001465) and Grantully, Logierait &  Strathtay (SC004275) Churches of Scotland 

judy.ewer@adwgls.org.uk

mobile - 07836 565 528

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Dull and Weem Parish Church is be found on the west side of the river Tay in Highland Perthshire.

Follow the road, from Aberfeldy, Crossing the historic Wade's Bridge, and continue down the avenue towards Weem.

As you enter the village of Weem, you will find the church on the right-hand side of the road. 

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” 

[Hebrews 4:16]

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