Acts 17

th   24 September 2017 A very warm welcome to our services of worship today. We pray that you will all know God’s blessing as we meet together. Worship this morning is led by Mr John Hebditch and this evening by Mr Iain Maclean Induction loops are fitted in both the Church and hall for the hard of hearing. Please set your hearing aid to position ‘T’. Recordings of all our services are available on our website www.crossnesschurch.com as free Podcasts. CD recordings are also made of the services and are made available free of charge to the housebound and elderly. Please ask one of the office bearers if you would like a copy. crèche available by request Follow via us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eaglaisnis or find us Google by entering ‘@eaglaisnis’ www.crossnesschurch.com for more information and audio content. If you would like any information posted on the website, please contact Chris at 810112 or email the website at crossnesschurch@gmail.com Cross Ness Church of Scotland is a registered Scottish Charity No.SC000991 Praise: Para 33 Praise: Hymn 435 Praise: Hymn 26 Reading –Esther 2 (NIV) Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. 2 Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it. 5 Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, 6 who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah.7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. 8 When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. 9 She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem. 10 Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. 11 Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her. 12 Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. 13 And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name. 15 When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. 16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queeninstead of Vashti. 18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up. 21 During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 22 But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. 23 And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king. Tea/Coffee will be served after the morning service to which everyone is warmly invited 6pm service – Mr Iain Maclean The Week Ahead Mon 25th Sept, 7.30pm – Bible study in church hall Wed 27th Sept, 10.15am - Women’s bible study, at Etta Morrison’s house, Dun Arnaistean, North Dell. All women welcome. Wed 27th Sept, 7.30pm – midweek prayer meeting (church hall). Services next Sunday 1st October 11am (church) - Mr Murdo Macdonald 11am – Sunday School for all P1 - S2 children 6pm (church hall) - Mr Donald Graham Home  Visits   'The Kirk Session have approved a suggestion for the congregation to visit those elderly and housebound, ill or bereaved, who are connected with our congregation but are unable for whatever reason to come to church. It is suggested that we visit them in pairs and take a bunch of flowers or gift such as biscuits. There will be collection box at the back of the church for donations to buy these as and when required. If you are willing to make a visit yourself, or know of someone who could do with a visit, please add your name to the list at the back of the church, or let one of the elders know.' Communion Season ‘As we look forward to our forthcoming Autumn Communion Season, we are pleased to announce that Rev Dougie Wolf, Barvas Church of Scotland, will be leading all our services. Communions start on Thursday the 5th October, and run to Monday the 9th. As always, the Kirk Session will be opened on Thursday night with the sole purpose of meeting with anyone who desires to profess their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and become communicant members of the Congregation. If anyone would like to discuss this matter privately and informally before the Communions, please get in touch with any of the elders. More details and service times will be printed in next week’s intimations.’