大象传媒

大象传媒 Audio staff: 听Ken Garden, Lead / John Carmichael

OPENING ANNOUNCEMENT FROM RADIO 4 CONTINUITY
大象传媒 Radio 4.听 It鈥檚 time for Sunday Worship, which today comes live 听from Paisley Abbey, and opens with a Celtic Prayer by the Director of Music, George McPhee.

MUSIC: 听CELTIC PRAYER 听(McPhee) 听
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REV JIM GIBSON

Welcome to Paisley, and to Paisley Abbey.听 I am the Reverend Jim Gibson.

This Abbey is a former Monastic church built by the monks of the Cluniac Order from Much Wenlock in Shropshire in the 12th Century. Today, it is a parish church of the Church of Scotland; standing at the heart of the largest town in Scotland.

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Over the years, the Abbey鈥檚 outreach has been to a town made rich through the development of the weaving and cotton manufacture, giving rise to the Paisley shawl and Paisley pattern.听 In more recent times, the mills have closed and the town has suffered their loss. The Abbey鈥檚 presence is all the more crucial to the town鈥檚 restoration and people鈥檚 wellbeing; as it continues to be a sanctuary of peace and a place of challenging faith.

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The Abbey鈥檚 strong choral tradition has been nurtured by Dr George McPhee, who celebrates his 60th Anniversary as Organist and Director of Music later this month. This metrical psalm was arranged by one of his predecessors, R A Smith: 鈥楢s pants the hart for cooling streams鈥�.

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HYMN:听 AS PANTS THE HART FOR COOLING STREAMS 听(Tune: Martyrdom)听听听
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JIM

I once heard someone claim that: 鈥楥hristian faith is 10per cent inspiration and 90per cent perspiration鈥�.听 What do you think?

Let us pray 鈥�.

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Creator God, you are the true Mother and Father of all humankind; your nature is mystery and your personality is love.
Beyond defining, beyond imagining: you hold all things in being.听 And so, from our scattered lives we join together now:听
you we worship, for mystery and wonder have captured the eyes of our souls;
and our senses are stirred to marvel at the works of your hands.
We have come to know you as the source of life鈥檚 fulfilment:
for you can put a song in our heart and fill our life with meaning and purpose.
Your love for us is such that even our greatest shame is forgiven.听 May the power of your Spirit calm our restlessness, tolerate our foibles and pardon our shortcomings as we ask you to touch our lives with that forgiveness from which our deepest peace comes.

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MUSIC: KYRIE (James MacMillan)

JEAN:听 OLD TESTAMENT READING

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The first lesson is from the Book of Micah, chapter 6.

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What shall I bring to the Lord, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him?听 Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to him?听 Will the Lord be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil?听 Shall I offer him my first-born child to pay for my sins?听 No. The Lord has told us what is good.听 What he requires of us is this: to do what is just,听 to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.

Here ends the first lesson.

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MUSIC: BENEDICTUS ES DOMINE听听 (McPhee)听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

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DEREK:听 NEW TESTAMENT READING

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The second lesson is from the Gospel of St Matthew at chapter 25.

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When the Son of Man comes as King, and all his angels with him, he will sit on his royal throne,听 and the people of all nations will be before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.听 He will put the righteous people on his right and the others on his left.听 Then the King will say to听 the people on his right, 鈥楥ome, you that are blessed by my Father!听 Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink;听 I was a stranger and you received me in your homes; naked, and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; in prison and you visited me.鈥�

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The righteous will then answer him, 鈥榃hen, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink?听 When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes; or naked and clothe you?听 When did we ever see you sick, or in prison, and visit ?鈥櫶�听 And, the King will reply, 鈥業 tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these brethren of mine, you did it for me!鈥�

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Here ends the second lesson.

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MUSIC:听 ALLELUIA RESPONSES (McPhee)

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JIM:听
In a few moments we will hear a reflection by a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, The Very Reverend Dr Lorna Hood.

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But first, the hymn, 鈥淐hildren of God, reach out to one another鈥�.

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HYMN:听 CHILDREN OF GOD, REACH OUT TO ONE ANOTHER 听(Tune: Highwood)

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LORNA:

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If these walls could talk, they would echo with tales of witnessing and discipleship over nearly 1,000 years.听 Through the Reformation, industrialisation and huge changes, this ancient church has stood in the centre of Paisley 鈥� a town until recently renowned for its mills and engineering industries, now long silent and gone.

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Although the site dates back to an old Celtic church, the true beginnings of the Abbey were established when those thirteen monks from Shropshire set up a priory, which in 1245 was raised to the status of an Abbey.听 The motivating force of the Cluniac tradition was their belief in the care of the poor.听 Today in post-industrial Paisley, this Abbey Church seeks to continue that work in its mission, following Jesus鈥� command as we heard in Matthew鈥檚 gospel, to care for those in need.

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The churches of many denominations in Paisley have come together to provide comfort, food and friendship to those who are homeless.听 One of the Abbey鈥檚 elders, John Kitson, can be relied on to co-ordinate the churches鈥� efforts, as well as getting his sleeves rolled up with the Befriending group.

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JOHN:听 I鈥檓 quite happy to be doing the administration, but I鈥檒l go and help sort out the piles of clothes or food that are needed to be distributed, happy to make the tea, wipe the tables and put the tables away at the end as well.

But the lovely thing about it with our friends 鈥� after they鈥檝e been there a little while, they also like to do that, and you can do it together, and it鈥檚 the togetherness that is the real befriending.

The Council and the homeless services enormously value it.听 They are very supportive.听 At the moment of course they鈥檙e struggling for cash - they feel this is something that is actually hugely beneficial, and they literally couldn鈥檛 do it.

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LORNA:听 We鈥檙e also of course in, not only Paisley but in the West of Scotland, and the West of Scotland can be, well let鈥檚 say remembered or known for its sectarianism.听 Has this helped in the understanding of people from the different denominations getting together?

JOHN:听 Enormously. We really feel we鈥檙e doing this together, and it doesn鈥檛 matter which church door someone comes to, it will be able to work together.听 And it just works as a 鈥� it works as a family for the wider family.听 And it鈥檚 help not interference.

A young chap came into a drop-in, and he was there every week, very much part of it.听 And he actually asked us, Could I bring my friends in for tea next week?听 And we said, Well of course!听 He said, Oh!听 He was so pleased, because he goes to their houses but he鈥檚 no house to take them.听 And he felt that our drop-in was his space, that he could entertain.听 And I thought that was so powerful 鈥� here鈥檚 somewhere where it鈥檚 their space.听 They鈥檝e got friends, and they make friends there.听 They find that folk that are there help them, and help one another.

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The history of the Abbey resonates with the history of Scotland itself. Not only the final resting place of six High Stewards of Scotland, the wives of King Robert II, along with King Robert III - 听it also claims to be the 鈥榗radle of the Royal House of Stewart.鈥櫶齅arjory Bruce, the daughter of the famous Scottish king Robert the Bruce, died at the Abbey following a tragic riding accident in nearby Gallowhill. But her baby, King Robert II of Scotland was saved, born in the Abbey itself.

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It is perhaps appropriate then that in this cradle, the Talk it Over Group, was established in the Abbey to meet the needs of new mothers suffering from anxiety or post-natal depression.

Margaret Sharp and Fiona Small, both elders in the Abbey, are conscious of the need and seek to provide a place and a space.听

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MARGARET:听 I think some people can feel quite guilty about not feeling elated at the birth of a child.听 It maybe turns out not to be quite the experience that they thought.听 And some young mothers might find that their partner doesn鈥檛 actually understand how they鈥檙e feeling, and the same with the family 鈥� or they may not have family nearby.

And she鈥檒l find that there are others that say, Yeah, I felt like that as well, don鈥檛 worry, you鈥檙e not the only one.

We鈥檝e been very fortunate to find people in the congregation and we鈥檝e managed to keep it going.听 Now, if they recognise that someone would benefit from individual counselling, then we arrange for one-to-one appointments with a trained counsellor who works with us.听 But usually, just talking together is enough and makes a huge difference.

Jesus told us to love our neighbour, didn鈥檛 he?听 And I believe that involves helping anyone in difficulty or suffering in any way.听 If a member of our family needed help we would be there for them.听 I feel this group is part of the outreach of the Abbey to the people of Paisley.

LORNA:听 Fiona, do you see the benefits of this group, do you see any change in the women that come along?

FIONA:听 Yes, absolutely.听 Mums come in, they can be teary, heads down, and as the weeks go on they all start to open up, share with each other a lot more and you see them really blossom.听 They actually want to go back to work, want to get out there.听 The group that we had the last time they鈥檝e actually formed a group together and they actually now go out, swimming with their babies together, they鈥檙e meeting each other socially.听 And so that helps them to form more connections.听

We go through lots of tissues in this group, but to see them move forward and blossom, it鈥檚 just amazing.

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LORNA:

The Abbey dominates the town and anyone entering it is conscious of its history and great musical tradition. But history alone no matter how distinguished does not justify the existence of any church building or congregation as we seek to eke out dwindling resources yet continue to have a presence in every part of Scotland.听

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The congregation here are seeking new ways to be the church in this place 鈥� finding its mission in service and serving 鈥� open to the wider family of Paisley -a mission and cause that has not changed throughout its proud and varied history.

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The separation of the sheep and the goats from Matthew鈥檚 gospel is not pleasant reading for any of us. Both sheep and goat ask the same rhetorical question that haunts our minds.听 鈥淲hen exactly did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked, sick or in prison?鈥� And in answering听 Jesus reaffirms one of the bedrock convictions of both Jewish and Christian ethics, also shared with the other major faiths, namely that compassion shown to the stranger or the hungry or the prisoner equals love for God.

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This call to serve is costly. We are asked to give of our own time, prosperity and compassion to those in need 鈥� those known and unknown to us 鈥� and that is challenging. 听But that call to serve is at the very heart of the Incarnation, God dwelling with us 鈥� the Divine in our midst. There鈥檚 a lovely quote by William Blake that puts it so simply:

鈥淚 sought my God and my God I couldn't find;
I sought my soul and my soul eluded me;
I sought to serve my brother in his need, and I found all three;
My God, my soul, and thee.鈥�

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In loving your neighbour, you love God; when you serve the stranger, you serve God.

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The two halves of Jesus鈥� Great Commandment 鈥� the love of God and the love of neighbour 鈥� are really the same love: conjoined, intertwined, inseparable.

MUSIC:听 O RADIANT DAWN听听听 (Sir James MacMillan)

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JIM

Let us pray.

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Lord of the Powers, present, past and to come, none is beyond you, none can defeat you, none can claim they are greater, for love is the engine of survival; and in that knowledge we are secure: safe in the purpose of buying back the world from society鈥檚 emptiness, the shackles of the tyrant鈥檚 terror, the chains of human sinfulness: all of which would deny you the glory that is rightfully yours.听 And so, before you we gather our thoughts as we join with Christian people everywhere in offering prayers for the world and its peoples.
Lord, in your mercy: 听听ALL:听 hear our prayer.

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For places torn by conflict, for nations at war, and societies divided by sectarianism or political ideology, we pray.
Especially for the peoples of Ukraine and Russia, that ways may be found to bring peace.
Lord, in your mercy: 听听ALL:听 hear our prayer.

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For the nation in which we live, we pray; giving thanks for its rich heritage and traditions, its cultures and the beauty of its lands.听
We pray for our King and Queen;
and ask that all entrusted with great powers of governance may use their influence with compassion and wisdom for the wellbeing of all people.
Just as we also pray for the world鈥檚 friendless folk: the frightened, the unfree, the ones who wake each day with dread, the restless and those who can find no peace of mind.
For them, may your Church be a source of hope and strength and a sanctuary of peace and safety.
Lord, in your mercy: 听ALL:听 hear our prayer.

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God of mercy and grace, we offer now our own prayers, whatever they may be鈥� remembering all known to us who may have great need of our prayers and our help; and remembering in love all who experience this day great hurt, or loss, or fear: the terminally ill and all who mourn.听 Into the loving care of your hands we place them. Lord, in your mercy:听 ALL:听 hear our prayer.

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And now we sum up all our prayers by saying together the words of Jesus:

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ALL:听 Our Father who art in heaven

Hallowed by 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 trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.

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

For thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.

Amen.

HYMN:听 HOW SHALL I SING THAT MAJESTY听 (Tune:听 Coe Fen)

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JIM听 BENEDICTION

And now, into God鈥檚 care and keeping I commit you.

May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always.听 AMEN.

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MUSIC:听 ROSE RESPONSES

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MUSIC:听 ORGAN VOLUNTARY

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Closing Announcement [from Continuity]

The Allegro Assai Vivace from Mendelssohn鈥檚 Sonata Number 1 in F, bringing to a close Sunday Worship, which came live from Paisley Abbey, with the Reverend Jim Gibson and the Very Reverend Doctor Lorna Hood.

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Paisley Abbey Choir was directed by George McPhee and the organist was Mark Browne.听

The producer was Mo McCullough.

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Next week鈥檚 Sunday Worship marks World Space Week, and comes from the Chapel of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in London.

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