Welcome to the online service of worship for The Fifteenth Sunday After Trinity 2020   

The YouTube only playlist may be found here     Or view below.....

  

MAYFIELD SALISBURY PARISH CHURCH

EDINBURGH

Sunday Services of Public Worship: 10.00am
Worship Online from 8.00am Every Sunday

Sunday 20 September 2020

 

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity 

 

Pied Beauty

Glory be to God for dappled things –
For skies of couple-colour as a brindled cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough;
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: praise him.

Gerard Manley Hopkins

 

         

AS A DIVERSE PEOPLE, THE CHURCH GATHERS TO WORSHIP ALMIGHTY GOD

 

 Welcome Boyd McAdam and The Revd Helen Alexander 

(AMENDED) NOTICE OF NOMINATION – Section 22(2)

At a meeting held at Edinburgh on 8 September 2020, the Nominating Committee chose the person who they wish to propose to this congregation of Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church to be our new minister. The name of the person proposed is The Reverend Dr Alexander (Sandy) Forsyth.

Arrangements have been made for Sandy Forsyth to conduct public worship in Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church on Sunday the fourth day of October 2020 at 10:00 hours.

The Presbytery of Edinburgh have approved that:

As current Covid-19 restrictions place a strict limit on the number of people who may attend, a recording of Sandy Forsyth conducting public worship will be available on Sunday the fourth day of October 2020 from 15:00 online at www.mayfieldsalisbury.org and by dialling 0131 546 4337 for an audio only stream.

Should any member or adherent of the congregation of Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church not have access to the internet and wishes an audio cassette of the service to allow them to listen they should contact the Session Clerk, not later than 18:00 hours on Tuesday the sixth day of October.  Charles Garland may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 0131 241 2754 or 07762 908343.

Immediately after that service, a vote on whether or not Sandy Forsyth should be appointed as the new minister of this congregation of Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church will be opened. Anyone whose name appears on the Electoral Register of this congregation of Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church shall be entitled to vote. No-one else shall be entitled to vote. Those who are entitled to a vote shall receive before 4 October a letter with a voting paper and details of how to cast their vote. Every vote returned must have a unique number written on it. Each person eligible to vote will receive their unique number in the letter. Votes returned without a unique number will not be counted. The unique numbers will not be linked to how votes are cast. All votes must be cast or returned not later than noon on Tuesday the thirteenth day of October.

Anyone who wishes can update their contact address by emailing the Session Clerk This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. not later than the first day of October 2020 - 18:00 hours.

Neil Gardner Interim Moderator  18 September 2020

 

Helen: After these welcome and encouraging words, I invite you to join me in a short period of silence in preparation for worship.

 

Scripture Sentences

 I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever.
 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
 The Lord is good to all,
    and his compassion is over all that he has made.

Let us pray

Let us bless the Lord for his grace and favour:
for the gift of the earth and all that is in it;
for warm hearths and loving homes;
for the presence of peace and a sense of security.
Let us bless the Lord.

Let us bless the Lord for this church and its witness;
for this stage in its journey;
for all pleasure in the past;
for grace in the present and openness to new beginnings.
Let us bless the Lord.
Let us bless the Lord for compassion and mercy:
for forgiveness of sin;
for the assurance of eternal love;
for grace to make amends and courage for the living of our lives.
Let us bless the Lord.

Let us bless the Lord for creativity and imagination;
For the stimulation of art and music;
for wisdom wherever it is found;
for solitude, and the company of friends.
Let us bless the Lord.

We bless the Lord, and with all thankfulness of heart, receive all blessings from the heart of heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

The Collect  - Said by all

Almighty God, creator of the heavens and the earth, teach us who are made in your image to discern your hand in all your works and to serve you with reverence and thanksgiving; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.   

 

Children’s Address  Hillary Leslie

Good morning! Thanks for coming to the online service today. I hope you’re all doing well. Although it’s been sad to say goodbye to the summer and our summer holidays, I’m really excited about the autumn; I love watching the leaves change colour over time.

Do any of you really like music? I’m a big fan of music myself! I love to listen to it and dance to it, as well as sing and play instruments. I think it’s such a fun way to get in touch with our feelings: music can make us feel happy when we are feeling down, it can bring us energy when we are feeling tired, it can help us relax when we are feeling worried, and it can even help us to not feel alone when we are feeling sad or lonely.

Another thing that is really cool about music, is that the words in the songs we sing are written as poetry. Poetry, as you may have learned in school, is a type of writing in which feelings and ideas are strongly expressed through a very specific type of writing and rhythm. When we think about the word rhythm, we think about the way something moves or repeats.

Did you know that one of the books in the Bible is a collection of songs and poetry? You may remember learning this in church last year! I wonder if anyone can remember which book of the Bible that is. The Book of Psalms is a collection of poetry meant to be sung. We sing many Psalms here at Mayfield Salisbury! Different churches around the world may sing the same Psalms, but all to a different tune! Singing the Psalms can help us understand our feelings, just like singing other songs on the radio can. Because the Psalms were written as prayers to God, saying or singing the Psalms can also help us connect with God and share our feelings with God.

Today in church we are reading from Psalm 145. When this Psalm was written in its original language, Hebrew, it was written as an acrostic poem. I wonder if some of you may know what an acrostic poem is. In an acrostic poem, the first letter of each line spells a word. The word is the subject of the poem. In the original Hebrew language of Psalm 145, the author spelled out the Hebrew alphabet instead of a word. I thought it was pretty cool to learn about that!

When we sing or read Psalms in church, I pray that we can feel close to God through the words and music. I wonder if we might try to write our own acrostic poem as a prayer to God today, using the phrase ‘DEAR GOD’. This might be something you’d like to do with your family this week, too!

Dear God,
Each day we are thankful
Aware of your presence
Remembering how much you love us.

Guide us in your way
Our hearts shaped by you
Discovering ways to love others. Amen.

I hope you have a great week! See you soon.ߘবt;/span>

 

 

HYMN 181  For the beauty of the earth   Laudate Laudoniae

For the beauty of the earth,
for the beauty of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies:

Christ, our God, to you we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of light:

For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind's delight,
for the mystic harmony
linking sense to sound and sight:

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth, and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild:

For each perfect gift and sign
of your love so freely given,
graces human and divine,
flowers of earth and buds of heaven:

Folliott Sandford Pierpoint (1835-1917)
Played by Kate Pearson
Sung by Milda Zinkus

  

WE LISTEN FOR THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN SCRIPTURE

  

Reading  Exodus 16: 2 - 15   NRSVA    Julie Morrice

  

Reading  St Matthew 20: 1 - 16  NRSVA  Kay McIntosh DCS

The Labourers in the Vineyard

20 ‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. ² After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; ⁴ and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. ⁵ When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. ⁶ And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” ⁷ They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” ⁸ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” ⁹ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. ¹⁰ Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. ¹¹ And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, ¹² saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” ¹³ But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? ¹⁴ Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. ¹⁵ Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” ¹⁶ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’

 

Reflection   Revd Helen Alexander

The title normally given to the parable in today’s Gospel is The Labourers in the Vineyard. This is fair enough, if a tad bland. The tale does indeed feature a vineyard and its workers, though the heading gives no hint of the unusual circumstances in which the workers found themselves at the end of the day, nor the all-important character of the landowner.  

So an alternative title might be Trouble at t’Vinyard, as in the expression ‘trouble a t’mill’, despite the difference between any historical dispute that may have occurred between mill owners and workers in the industrial north of England, and trouble in a 1^st Century Palestinian vineyard. Here the difficulty was that everyone had received the same wage at the end of the day, despite the different times they’d begun work. To those who had worked all day, this was patently unfair. For the boss, the problem was their refusal to be content with the agreed contract, and their comparing their situation unfavourably to that of the others. 

It puts one in mind of the ending of Luke’s Parable of the Prodigal Son when the elder brother remonstrated with his father over his generous treatment of the prodigal and refused to join the party.

Perhaps we all know something of this predicament whereby we just can’t quite find it in our hearts to rejoice at others’ good fortune, especially when they’ve been favoured by someone else and we long for that favour ourselves, and anyway judge the favoured ones as less deserving. In this case, today’s parable might be entitled Sour Grapes!

Only Matthew tells this story, and he puts it in his Gospel immediately after Jesus’ teaching on the Last Judgement when those who have truly followed him are promised a place in the throne room of heaven, but not without a warning that there will be surprises: “Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. 

Then it’s as if Matthew underlines this point through the parable as if to say: ‘so don’t make your expectation of reward the basis from which you seek to follow Christ, for this isn’t what it’s about at all. Rather rely on the grace of heaven that all in the end will be well for you, as for everyone else who works for the kingdom, however and whenever they may do so.’

So another title for the story might be The Parable of The Bountiful Giver.

If our story of the vineyard and its owner is to be taken as an allegory of God’s dealing with his people, then it does indeed indicate a perception of bounty and generosity at the heart of the Eternal, as does the account of the showering of the Children of Israel with manna in the desert, despite their grumbling. 

St Matthew had a vision of the reality of divine love and a grasp of the tolerant, topsy-turvy generosity of that love expressed through the ministry of Jesus.  Like the other Evangelists, his aim was to encourage his readers to take heart from this generosity and to seek to shape their lives in response to it.

This can be easier said than done. There are some people in the world whose generosity of spirit, if not also of means seems to flow naturally. For others it’s more of a struggle: due to difficulties in infancy, perhaps, where for whatever reason, generous love was not experienced immediately or consistently enough, or overwhelming traumatic experience in later years that blocks the possibility of creative, open-hearted response to situations and circumstances, or perhaps the inexplicable mystery of personality that enables one to respond generously whereas another might close down emotionally in a similar situation. 

We’re complex beings, and none of this is reason for condemnation. Trying to understand ourselves and one another better and being prepared to give the benefit of the doubt is in itself an act of generosity.

We might also choose to live as if we are generous, regardless of feelings at the time: to practice hospitality of heart and generosity in the spirit of the Bountiful Giver, because we can see that that this choice might open up new opportunities; whereas the opposite can lead to a narrowing of the possibilities in relationship and a kind of shrivelling of the soul.  

Might there be yet another title for today’s parable that allows us to frame it not only in terms of personal relationships but as a way of thinking about the society in which we live today? If so, we might call it The Parable of The Good Economist.

In his book Faith in the Public Square ^(*) Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, now Master of Magdalene College Cambridge points out that the root of the word ‘economy’ is ‘housekeeping’ and invites consideration of what ordinary  housekeeping actually entails: keeping the common life of the household intact and stable whereby the young and old are cared for according to their need; the active members are enabled to work in the wider world to sustain the household; and all enjoy leisure and recreation and the strengthening of relationships with one another. He contrasts this model of balance and stability with “an economic climate in which everything reduces to the search for maximized profit and unlimited material growth” ^(*) and invites us to question the elevation of this in today’s world.

While fully acknowledging that theologians aren’t economists, Williams suggests that thoughtful Christian faith still has its part to play in public discourse through its rightful concern for the furtherance of long term well-being.  He highlights the central importance of mutuality: a belief in our common identity in which he writes “each person is both needy and needed, both dependant on others and endowed with gifts for others…..To separate our destiny from that of the poor of the world, or from the rejected or disabled in our own context is to compromise that destiny and to invite a life that is less than whole for ourselves”.

Williams doesn’t analyse parables in this context, yet it doesn’t seem to me too much of a stretch to see the story of the vineyard’s owner and his workers with differing capacities, all with their distinctive needs and endowments, contributing together for their own good and that of the whole as an illustration of our Christian hope for the well-being of society and the world, however difficult it may be to achieve this.     

Recognising this, Williams’ second point is that Christian discourse must recognise that external regulation alone won’t deliver shared well-being without a process of internalisation of these externals - that is a willingness to regulate ourselves, along with the recovery of the language and practice of virtue and integrity, and honest awareness of the assumptions, corruptions, adversarial competitiveness and self-denials that humanity is capable of. This takes us well beyond a simple parable, yet the figure of the principled yet perspicacious owner of the vineyard whose virtues were laced with generosity might be worth remembering.

* Rowan Williams Theology and economics: two different worlds? in Faith in the Public Square  Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2012 

 

RESPONSE TO THE SPIRIT OF GOD WITHIN

 

 

 

Thanksgiving and Intercession   Revd Helen Alexander

We give thanks for the gift of creation: for the creatures of the earth and the seas and for birds that soar high in the sky; for the gift of the particular: a bend in a river, the slope of a hill, the jewel of an island; the grace of a singular well-beloved tree, bush, flower.

We give thanks for our senses that enable openness to sight and sound and scent and that connect us to a world in which it is our privilege to share with all creation.

And we seek the earth’s healing, its welfare, its hope, even as we seek our own and that of the nations of the world.

We pray for the nations in these unprecedented times of danger, sickness and threat: for doctors and nurses everywhere; for those trusted with the welfare of the aged and of children and young people. We pray in hope for the sharing of skills and resources, for the delivery of health and stability; for wise government and the spirit of co-operation.

And where these hopes and prayers seem but a distant dream, we seek to offer our attention, our concern and our support to all who seek to deliver practical help and care anywhere in the world.

We remember the quiet of the earth: people doing their best to take of care their families; conscientious in work, loving in relationship, even as we remember those who feel cast adrift, without means, without support, encouragement and care.  

We pray for our nation in these difficult days; for the vast continent of Europe, the Americas, the lands of the East; for all difference in nationality, custom and creed, and for the inescapable connections that offer both blessing and potential for misery and division.

We pray for all faiths in these days of challenge and change. We remember the church throughout the world in all her variety in tradition and practice, and her foundational unity in Christ Jesus. We pray for the church in this city and for this congregation at a time of transition and change, giving thanks for all that has brought us to this stage of anticipation and hope, and seeking all blessing and grace for the future.   

We pray for those who matter most to us: people we may have known all our lives; those we may have welcomed to the world; those whose lives we celebrate unreservedly. We remember friends we have prized for years and new connections and acquaintances that bring us joy and hope. We pray for those we name who are ill or in trouble; frightened or lost, committing them all to the healing hands of Christ Jesus our Lord.

And we give thanks for all we have loved and lost and love still; for the Communion of Saints in heaven and on earth; for that unity in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

 

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy 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 thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

 

 

HYMN 167    Guide me, O thou great Jehovah      Cwm Rhondda

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand:
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,
feed me till my want is o'er.
feed me till my want is o'er.

Open now the crystal fountain
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through:
strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield.
be thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside!
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side!
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee.
I will ever give to thee.

William Williams (1717-1791)
translated Peter Williams (1727-1796)
Played by kate Pearson
Sung by Louise Thomson

 

 

BENEDICTION   Revd Helen Alexander

Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the Son of peace to you
And the blessing of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you all.

 

AMEN Choir

  

Behind the Scenes Recording

 

INTIMATIONS

 

URGENT - Request for help with distributing Voting-Paper Letters

We have some 500 envelopes to deliver over the next 2 weeks! Our hope is to hand deliver as many of these as possible.

From Tuesday 22 September envelopes will be available for collection from the church by appointment. If you are able to help, please contact Boyd McAdam by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 07773 587579.

Alternatively you may call in to the Church on Wednesday between 6.00pm and 8.00pm. To avoid disturbing 5 Minutes’ Peace, please enter the Bill McDonald Hall via the garden using the passage at the side of Church House. Envelopes will be grouped in districts. To minimize handling please take a prepared bundle or bundles.

Your help with this is much appreciated.

 

ECO-SUNDAY- NEXT WEEK - 27 SEPTEMBER 2020   The Eco-Service next Sunday will mark the close of the Season of Creation and focus on Climate Change. The Biblical readings will be Jeremiah 31: 31-34 and Revelation 21: 1 – 7, 22: 1 – 2.

 

YOUTH UPDATE

 

RETURN TO WORSHIP IN THE SANCTUARY

Thank you for our presence at the service today.

The church will be open at 9.45 on Sunday mornings for those who have booked to come to the service.

Please note that there may be member(s) of the congregation who are exempt on health grounds from wearing a mask. If this applies to you, it would be helpful if you   wear a lanyard or badge.

If you would like to bring a cushion to place in your pew, please feel free to do so but do take it home with you. 

At the close of the service, please remain in your place until stewards invite you to leave, and maintain social distancing as you leave the church premises. If you wish to speak to Helen Alexander or Kay McIntosh, you are asked to indicate this as you pass them. They will join you on the pavement once everyone else has left.

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Booking system

Phone: On Wednesdays, from 11.00am to 1.00pm, you may reserve a space by phoning the Church Office (0131 667 1522).

Internet: We would encourage anyone with internet access to use the Eventbrite booking system, which will be open from 4pm on Wednesdays. The system can be accessed from our website via this link: www.mayfieldsalisbury.org/attend Names and contact details will be required. While it is possible for a booking to be made by one person for a family, we will need to know how many adults and how many children will be in the group. The beauty of Eventbrite is that not only will we know when our ‘ceiling attendance’ has been reached, but we will also have the necessary contact details for Test and Protect. If you book but your plans then change please let us know, either by cancelling via Eventbrite or by phoning the Church Office; that way, somebody else will be able to have your space.

We appreciate that this is all rather different from what we have been used to. However, it will no doubt soon become familiar, and we hope that restrictions will be eased over time. Any changes to these arrangements will be publicised as widely as we can, and you can always check by having a look at our website for any updates. But if you have any questions please just ask me, or Heather Cubie, our Covid-19 task group chair, or William Mearns in the Church Office.

    

DIAL-A-SERMON Mayfield Salisbury Sermons by phone

Simply call the dedicated phone number 0131 546 4337 and listen on Sundays from 8.00am onwards. Alternatively, the recording may be heard at any other time over the week. Note: there may be a slight pause on connection! Important intimations regarding reopening of the church buildings, the ministerial vacancy and others will be included when appropriate.

Important! Read this before calling - Call costs! This is a local call so local geographic call charges will apply and will, in most cases, form part of any inclusive minutes or call packages you have i.e. standard local call rates may apply. Please make sure you understand the costs before using this service.

Please pass this message on in full to those who do not have access to the internet.

 

ONLINE OFFERING / DONATION The Church is very grateful to all those who give by standing order enabling us to maintain a large portion of our income through these difficult times. We now offer the ability to contribute to our work electronically through the ‘give.net’ facility which appears on the home page of the Church’s website. This provides the possibility of adding Gift Aid to donations. There is also a direct link to the new system which is: www.give.net/20311853                  With best wishes, Hugh Somerville, Free Will Offerings Treasurer

 

E-MAIL INFORMATION LISTS

Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church maintains several email lists to help distribute information throughout the congregation. Stay up-to-date on news, programs, and events at Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church with our email listsThe lists are as follows:

0930 Service list  Information pertaining to the Sunday 0930am All-Age Worship and related events.

Youth Newsletter Hillary Leslie, our Youth Worker, sends out a Youth Newsletter to parents of P6 - S6 youth. This keeps the parents and their kids in the loop about important youthrelated events and activities

Congregational list
General information relevant to the entire congregation. This includes general news, notices of lectures & special events and, importantly, details on the forthcoming ministerial vacancy.

Grapevine list The parish magazine, Grapevine, which is sent out seven times per year in PDF format.

If you sre interested in receiving any of these emails, please email me direct at the address supplied. If, after reflection, you change your mind I can remove your address from the list quickly - just let me know. Your information is secure and will not be shared with any third party. All emails are sent out privately to you only in a bcc’d (address not visible to others) email.  William Mearns Church Manager 0780 801 1234  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Forthcoming Deadlines

Order of service for next week: Thursday at 6.00pm.

Next Grapevine: Friday 25 September at 6.00pm.

Please send submissions to the Church Manager, William Mearns.

Phone: 0780 801 1234 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

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Copyright Notices

SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission.

All rights reserved worldwide.

Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church holds a CCLI Streaming License: #88916

 

Images – Some courtesy of Pixabay

 

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Youth Instagram: the.msyg

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