Matthew 22:15-46

14th October 2018 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 and evening is led by Rev John Murdo Nicolson. 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 us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eaglaisnis or via Google by entering ‘@eaglaisnis’ for more information and audio content. If you would like information posted on the website, please contact Chris on 810113 or email the website www.crossnesschurch.com crossnesschurch@gmail.com Cross Ness Church of Scotland is a registered Scottish Charity No.SC000991 12 o’clock Communion Service led by Rev John Murdo Nicolson. During this service the sacrament of the Lord's Supper will be taken. We give a warm welcome to our new communicant member who has joined the congregation over this Communion season. We give thanks to God for her desire to profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and pray that God will bless her abundantly now and in the days to come. Reading – Luke 1: 1-38 (NIV) How Great is our God 1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. 5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. 6.30pm Service (Church) – Rev John Murdo Nicolson. Communions The Kirk Session would like to place on record our grateful thanks to all whose contributions in different ways have helped during the Communion season. There are too many to name but we are indebted to you all. Special thanks to the Rev John Murdo Nicolson and Rev Duncan Macaskill, who have faithfully brought God’s word to us at each service and led us in worship over the Communion season. Also thanks to Murdina and Murdo John for opening and preparing the church. Above all we give our grateful thanks and praise to God for His presence with us and for His strength in our lives day by day. The Week Ahead Mon 15th October 7pm Thanksgiving Service led by Rev John Murdo Nicolson. Wed 17th October 7 . 3 0 – Midweek Prayer Meeting. Sat 20th October 9am - Men’s Breakfast in Comunn Eachdraidh Nis. All men are welcome to come along for a roll and tea/coffee, quiz, praise and guest speaker Services next Sunday 21st October 2018 11am – Church: Murdo Maciver. No Sunday School. 6pm - Church Hall: Donnie MacDonald Dates for your Diary 23rd October – Tues 7.30 Church Hall – Everyone welcome to come and hear our prayer partners David and Rebecca Morton reporting on their final season in Nkhoma Hospital, Malawi. 30th October – Church Hall 8pm - Ladies Chit Chat Group. Speaker will be David Morrison talking about Endangered Big Cats. 4th November - Youth Alpha starts for all secondary school ages. 8th – 11th November - School Canteen The Faith Mission will be holding a series of meetings as a follow-up to their visit in May. More details will be announced closer to the time. 20th November 7pm – Church Hall CPR training is being offered by the local first responders to anyone in the congregation who wants to learn about using a defibrillator and CPR techniques. The nomination committee would value the congregation’s prayers at this time for Gods guidance, wisdom and discernment as they continue to search for a new minister.