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ST COLUMBA’S, PONT STREET
MORNING SERVICE & FAMILIES’ COMMUNION
FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, SUNDAY 28TH JUNE 2026, 11AM
Welcome
Call to Worship
Hymn 112 God, whose almighty word (Moscow)
1 God, whose almighty word
chaos and darkness heard,
and took their flight;
hear us, we humbly pray,
and, where the gospel day
sheds not its glorious ray,
let there be light.
2 Saviour, who came to bring,
on your redeeming wing,
healing and sight,
health to the sick in mind,
sight to the inly blind,
now to humankind
let there be light.
3 Spirit of truth and love,
life-giving, holy dove,
speed forth your flight;
move o’er the water’s face,
bearing the lamp of grace,
and in earth’s darkest place,
let there be light.
4 Blessed and holy Three,
glorious Trinity,
Wisdom, Love, Might;
boundless as ocean’s tide
rolling in fullest pride,
through the earth far and wide
let there be light.
Call to Prayer
Prayers of Approach & 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 530 One more step along the world I go (Southcote)
1 One more step along the world I go,
one more step along the world I go;
from the old things to the new
keep me travelling along with you:
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
keep me travelling along with you.
2 Round the corners of the world I turn,
more and more about the world I learn;
all the new things that I see
you’ll be looking at along with me:
3 As I travel through the bad and good,
keep me travelling the way I should;
where I see no way to go
you’ll be telling me the way, I know:
4 Give me courage when the world is rough,
keep me loving though the world is tough;
leap and sing in all I do,
Keep me travelling along with you:
5 You are older than the world can be,
you are younger than the life in me;
ever old and ever new,
keep me travelling along with you:
Old Testament Reading: Genesis 22:1-14
After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt-offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.’ Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, ‘Father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ He said, ‘The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.’ So the two of them walked on together.
When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’ And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt-offering instead of his son. So, Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’
Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:40-42
‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’
Anthem: Let all mortal flesh keep silence, Bairstow (1874-1946)
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And stand with fear and trembling
And lift itself above all earthly thought.
For the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Christ our God,
Cometh forth to be our oblation,
and to be given as food for the faithful.
Before him come the choirs of angels
With every principality and power;
The cherubim with many eyes, and wingèd seraphim,
Who veil their faces as they shout exultingly the hymn:
Alleluia!
Sermon
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 657 Father most loving, listen to your children
(Christie Sanctorum)
1 Father most loving, listen to your children
who as your family gladly come together,
singing the praises of your Son, our Brother,
Jesus beloved.
2 We stand attentive, listening to God’s Gospel,
welcoming Jesus as he speaks among us,
mind and heart open, ready to receive him,
lips to proclaim him.
3 Father in heaven, bless the gifts we offer,
signs of our true love, hearts in homage given!
Make them the one gift that is wholly worthy,
Christ, spotless victim.
4 Father, we thank you for your Son’s dear presence,
coming to feed us as the Bread of heaven,
making us one with him in true communion,
one with each other.
5 Praised be our Father, lovingly inviting
guests to his banquet, praised the Son who feeds us,
praised too the Spirit, sent by Son and Father,
making us Christ-like.
Followed immediately by
Hymn 19 Ye gates lift up your heads on high (St George’s Edinburgh) Psalm 24
Ye gates, lift up your heads on high;
ye doors that last for aye,
be lifted up, that so the King
of glory enter may.
But who of glory is the King?
The mighty Lord is this;
even that same Lord that great in might
and strong in battle is.
Ye gates, lift up your heads; ye doors,
doors that do last for aye,
be lifted up, that so the King
of glory enter may.
But who is he that is the King,
the King of glory? who is this?
The Lord of hosts, and none but he,
the King of glory is.
Coda:
Alleluia! alleluia!
alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!
Amen, amen, amen.
Celebration of Holy Communion
After the Elements of Bread and Wine have been set apart:
Minister: The Lord be with you;
Congregation: And also with you.
Minister: Lift up your hearts;
Congregation: We lift them to God
Minister: Let us give thanks to God our maker;
Congregation: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
During the prayers that follow:
Minister: And as one with your people on earth, north and south, east and west, we join our praise, singing the song of your eternal greatness.
Congregation: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord
God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory,
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he, who comes in the name
of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
After the breaking of the Bread and the lifting of the Cup:
Minister: Jesus, Lamb of God
Congregation: Have mercy upon us.
Minister: Jesus, bearer of our sins
Congregation: Have mercy upon us.
Minister: Jesus, redeemer of the world
Congregation: Grant us peace.
The congregation are invited forward to receive communion
Communion Anthem: Teach me, O Lord, Byrd (1542-1623)Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes:
and I shall keep it unto the end.
Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law:
yea, I shall keep it with my whole heart.
Make me to go in the path of thy commandments:
for therein is my desire.
Incline my heart unto thy testimonies:
and not to covetousness.
O turn away mine eyes, lest they behold vanity:
and quicken me in thy way.
O stablish thy word in thy servant: that I may fear thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:
As it was in the beginning, and is now, and ever shall be:
world without end, Amen.
Intimations & Word of Farewell to Catherine Olver, Assistant Organist
Hymn 465 Be thou my Vision (Slane)
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me save that thou art.
Thou my best thought by day and by night;
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true Word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father, I thy dear child;
Thou in me dwelling, with thee reconciled.
Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight.
Thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tow’r;
Raise thou me Heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’ns Sun!
Heart of my heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Benediction & Choral Amen
Organ Postlude: Toccata, Boellmann (1862-1897)
Retiring Offering
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