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ST COLUMBA’S, PONT STREET,
SUNDAY 22nd March 2026 11.00 A.M.,
MORNING WORSHIP WITH ABURI OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION (AOGA)
{10.30 – 10.55am Welcome songs of praise. Worship led by Edith Maafo,
Aburi Old Girls’ Association}
Call to Worship
Hymn 739 The Church’s one foundation (Aurelia)
1 The Church’s one foundation
is Jesus Christ her Lord:
she is his new creation
by water and the word;
from heaven he came and sought her
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.
2 Called forth from every nation,
yet one o’er all the earth,
her charter of salvation:
one Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
and shares one holy food,
as to one hope she presses,
with every grace endued.
3 In toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation
of peace for evermore,
till with the vision glorious
her longing eyes are blest,
and the great Church victorious
shall be the Church at rest.
4 Yet she on earth has union
with God the Three in One,
and mystical communion
with those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with thee.
Prayers of Approach and Lords 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.
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 61:1 – 4
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
Hymn 172 Sing for God’s glory that colours the dawn of creation
(Lobe Den Herren)
1 Sing for God’s glory that colours the dawn of creation,
racing across the sky, trailing bright clouds of elation;
sun of delight
succeeds the velvet of night,
warming the earth’s exultation.
2 Sing for God’s power that shatters the chains that would bind us,
searing the darkness of fear and despair that could blind us,
touching our shame
with love that will not lay blame,
reaching out gently to find us.
3 Sing for God’s justice disturbing each easy illusion,
tearing down tyrants and putting our pride to confusion;
lifeblood of right,
resisting evil and slight,
offering freedom’s transfusion.
4 Sing for God’s saints who have travelled faith’s journey before us,
who in our weariness give us their hope to restore us;
in them we see
the new creation to be,
spirit of love made flesh for us.
Gospel Reading: Luke 4:16 – 21
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
Anthem: All in the April evening Roberton (1874-1952)
All in the April evening
April airs were abroad;
The sheep with their little lambs
Pass’d me by on the road.
The sheep with their little lambs
Pass’d me by on the road;
All in the April evening
I thought on the Lamb of God.
The lambs were weary and crying
With a weak, human cry.
I thought on the Lamb of God
Going meekly to die.
Up in the blue, blue mountains
Dewy pastures are sweet;
Rest for the little bodies,
Rest for the little feet.
But for the Lamb of God,
Up on the hill-top green,
Only a cross, a cross of shame
Two stark crosses between.
All in the April evening,
April airs were abroad;
I saw the sheep with their lambs,
And thought on the Lamb of God.
Sermon: Dr. Gertrude Dzirasa-Payne
Anthem: Anthem: Civitas sancti tui Byrd (1543-1623)
Civitas sancti tui facta est deserta.
Sion deserta facta est.
Jerusalem desolata est.
Your holy city has become a wilderness.
Zion has become a wilderness.
Jerusalem has been made desolate.
Dedication of our Offerings
{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.
Hymn: 605 Thanks to God whose word was spoken (St Helen)
1 Thanks to God whose word was spoken
in the making of the earth.
His the voice that called a nation,
fired her vision, tried her worth.
* God has spoken:
praise him for his open word.
2 Thanks to God whose word incarnate
came to save our human race.
Deeds and words and death and rising
testify to heaven’s grace.
God has spoken:
praise him for his open word.
3 Thanks to God whose word was written
in the Bible’s sacred page,
record of the revelation
showing God to every age.
God has spoken:
praise him for his open word.
4 Thanks to God whose word is published
in the tongues of every race.
See its glory undiminished
by the change of time or place.
God has spoken:
praise him for his open word.
5 Thanks to God whose word is answered
by the Spirit’s voice within.
Here we drink of joy unmeasured,
life redeemed from death and sin.
God is speaking:
praise him for his open word.
* This line of each verse is repeated.
Address by Judith Zormelo, President AOGA U.K.
School Anthem sung by the Aburi Old Girls’ Association
Our school is built on Hill
Bepow so Hann is our Motto
We are always victorious
As we work in God’s name
O Aburi Girls x2
O Aburi Mighty eagles
We shall never (ever) lose our fame
Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession
Intimations
Hymn Lift every song
Lift every voice and sing
till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of liberty.
Let our rejoicing rise
high as the listening skies;
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us;
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun
of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod,
bitter the chast’ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died.
Yet with a steady beat,
have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered.
We have come, treading our path thru’ the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way,
Thou who hast by thy might
led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee.
Shadowed beneath thy hand,
may we forever stand,
True to our God, true to our native land.
Benediction & Choral Amen
Organ Postlude: Paean by Moore
Retiring Offering for the continuing life and ministry of St Columba’s. It is possible to donate via the website. We are most grateful for all that we receive.
