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MORNING WORSHIP & SUNDAY SCHOOL
ST COLUMBA’S, PONT STREET
SUNDAY 15TH NOVEMBER 2026
Welcome
Call to Worship
Hymn 54 Lord, you have always been our home (Psalm 90) (Athchuinge)
1 Lord, you have always been our home
through every generation known;
before the hills or earth were made
you are the eternal God alone.
2 From dust we came, to dust return,
for in your clear eternal sight
a thousand years pass as a day
or as a few hours in the night.
3 Our lives like grass spring from the ground
and flourish in the morning sun;
then evening comes, and brightness fades
and we and all our strength are done.
4 Teach us to value life’s brief span,
and let our minds be truly wise.
‘How long, O Lord, till you return?’
In mercy hear your servants’ cries.
5 At each day’s dawning, make us glad;
fill us with your love all our days;
and we will sing aloud for joy
and offer you our lifelong praise.
Call to Prayer
Prayer of Approach and 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.
Theme for the day
Hymn 522 The Church is wherever God’s people are praising (The Bard of Armagh)
1 The Church is wherever God’s people are praising,
knowing they’re wanted and loved by their Lord.
The Church is wherever Christ’s followers are trying
to live and to share out the good news of God.
2 The Church is wherever God’s people are loving,
where all are forgiven and start once again,
where all are accepted, whatever their background,
whatever their past and whatever their pain.
3 The Church is wherever God’s people are seeking
to reach out and touch folk wherever they are —
conveying the Gospel, its joy and its comfort,
to challenge, refresh, and excite and inspire.
4 The Church is wherever God’s people are praising,
knowing we’re wanted and loved by our Lord.
The Church is where we as Christ’s followers are trying
to live and to share out the good news of God.
Old Testament Reading: Judges 4: 1-7
4 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim. 3 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly for twenty years.
4 At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. 5 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgement. 6 She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, “Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. 7 I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.”’
Epistle Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11
5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 4 But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6 So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; 7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
Anthem: Os Justi (Bruckner)
The mouth of the righteous shall meditate wisdom,
and his tongue shall speak justice.
The Law of his God is in his heart
and his steps shall not falter. Hallelujah
Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:14-30
14 ‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” 21 His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” 23 His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” 26 But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Hymn 518 Lift up your hearts! (Woodlands)
1 ‘Lift up your hearts!’ We lift them, Lord, to thee;
here at thy feet none other may we see:
‘Lift up your hearts!’ Even so, with one accord,
we lift them up, we lift them to the Lord.
2 Above the level of the former years,
the mire of sin, the slough of guilty fears,
the mist of doubt, the blight of love’s decay,
O Lord of light, lift all our hearts today!
3 Lift every gift that thou thyself hast given;
low lies the best till lifted up to heaven:
low lie the bounding heart, the teeming brain,
till, sent from God, they mount to God again.
4 Then, as the trumpet-call in after years,
‘Lift up your hearts!’ rings pealing in our ears,
still shall our hearts respond with full accord,
‘We lift them up, we lift them to the Lord!’
Sermon
Anthem: Wie lieblich (Brahms)
How amiable are thy tabernacles,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth
for the courts of the Lord:
my heart and my flesh crieth out
for the living God.
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house:
they will be still praising thee.
Dedication of our Offerings, Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession
(If able, please stand as the offering is brought forward and the congregation sings)
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (CH4 807, Old 100th)
Prayer of Dedication:
Minister: Father, Son, and Spirit Holy,
we give you thanks and praise:
Congregation: We dedicate to you
our thoughts, our words, our gifts, our deeds,
the working of our hands,
the thinking of our minds,
the loving of our hearts. Amen.
A word about the London St Andrew’s Book Festival 2026, presented by Scots in London
Prayers of Thanksgiving, Intercession & Intimations
Hymn 470 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun (Warrington)
1 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
does its successive journeys run;
his Kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.
2 People and realms of every tongue
declare his love in sweetest song;
and infant voices shall proclaim
their early blessings on his name.
3 Blessings abound where Jesus reigns:
the prisoners leap to lose their chains,
the weary find eternal rest,
and all who suffer want are blessed.
4 Let every creature rise and bring
the highest honours to our King;
angels descend with songs again,
and earth repeat the loud Amen.
Organ Postlude: Nun danket alle Gott (Karg Elert)
Retiring Offering
(It is possible to donate via the website. All offerings towards the ongoing life of St Columba’s are very gratefully received. Thank you.)
