Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 17 July 2022. ‘The task of the church is to remain centred on Jesus and His teaching. It is still to focus on the salvation that He has wrought and which none other has or can.’
Archives for 2022
Trinity 4: A message for our time
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 10 July 2022. ‘If we love God with all that we have and are, with heart and soul, strength and mind, then we can’t possibly fail.’
Sunday worship for 10 July 2022, Trinity 4
We open today’s Liturgy of the Word in Westminster Abbey with the Abbey Choir and the Choristers of the Chapel Royal singing John Rutter’s anthem ‘This is the day the Lord has made’ at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton …
Sunday worship for 3 July 2022, Trinity 3
‘Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ has taught us that what we do for the least of your children we do also for him. Give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all.’ We open our Liturgy of the Word with hymn 7, Hills of the north, rejoice …
Trinity 3: The long haul
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 3 July 2022. ‘Paul warns the church that it can live for itself or for the name and purposes of Jesus. Its members can live for themselves and all their physical and emotional appetites, or they can be moved and empowered by the Spirit of the Lord.’
Leslie Macleod’s farewell
On Saturday 29th May 2022 a special Choral Evensong marked the retiral of Leslie Macleod as organist of All Saints.
Sunday worship for 26 June 2022, Trinity 2
The music accompanying today’s Liturgy of the Word includes some favourite hymns, one featuring a New York artist/chorister whose work is a much-loved part of our St Mary’s Cathedral. We open our worship with hymn 238, New every morning is the love …
Trinity 2: The costs of discipleship
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 26 June 2022. ‘We do not have to be heroic figures like Elijah. Most of us are called to be Elisha figures – but this is no trivial thing and in the sight of God we also can be mighty in the land.’
Sunday worship for 19 June 2022, Trinity 1
‘O God our defender, storms rage about us and cause us to be afraid. Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and daughters from fear, and preserve us all from unbelief.’ We open our worship with hymn 146, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty …
Trinity 1: This sense of turbulence makes today’s lessons look very up to date
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 19 June 2022. ‘Whatever the battering we have had to face personally and as a church, the Lord still has a new plan and a new purpose for us.’
General Synod reports
What happened at the Scottish Episcopal Church’s ‘annual conference’, held earlier this month.
Trinity Sunday: And so we enter the mystery…
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 12 June 2022. ‘The whole of God is the total love and commitment of Father, Son and Holy Spirit to one another.’
Sunday worship for 5 June 2022, Pentecost
We open our Liturgy of the Word for Pentecost Sunday in the company of the choristers from of St Michael’s, Highgate, in London with hymn 137, Come down, O Love divine …
Pentecost: Is there more that we can ask for and expect to receive?
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 5 June 2022. ‘The Holy Spirit is not a special gift for the specially holy: He is there for all who ask and who do so from within their own sense of need and even inadequacy.’
Sunday worship for 29 May 2022, Ascension
We open our Liturgy of the Word this week in the company of the congregation of Chet Valley Churches in South Norfolk with hymn 130, Hail the day that sees Him rise …
Ascension: He rose so that we may open ourselves to His vision for our lives and church
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 29 May 2022. ‘Today, He is present with the soldiers of Ukraine facing the onslaught of their invaders, and with the starving of Africa as they lack simple access to food and water in the face of drought and civil war and the plundering incompetence of their own governments. He is there with every grieving parent, every crying child and trafficked soul, sold into a nightmare of exploitation and abuse.’
Sunday worship for 22 May 2022, Easter 6
This week we are in the company of musicians and singers from Los Angeles, Moscow and South India as well as Westminster Abbey and Ely Cathedral, opening our Liturgy of the Word with hymn 263, All creatures of our God and King …
Easter 6: A vision for the present of the church
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 22 May 2022. ‘This is what the release of the Holy Spirit was going to be about. He would be there in the person of Jesus in every time and place and situation.’
Commentary: Regather before God in the confidence that He will never fail us or forsake us
Writing these notes near the end of Eastertide, I am now looking towards the Ascension of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost, writes Rev Sydney Maitland. They are linked in that first of all the church was celebrating the ascension of Jesus to His place in heaven where He would be accessible to all believers…
Sunday worship for 15 May 2022, Easter 5
This week we are in the company of musicians and singers from Cambridge, Nigeria and Wisconsin, opening our Liturgy of the Word in Norfolk with hymn 130, Hail the day that sees Him rise …
Easter 5: Where we lack the wisdom on how to act, we can always ask
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 15 May 2022.
Sunday worship for 8 May 2022, Easter 4
We open our Liturgy of the Word this week in the company of the congregation of St Paul’s Cathedral with hymn 334, All people that on earth do dwell …
Easter 4: A matter of personal faith and personal relationship
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 8 May 2022. ‘If we start with God then our faith will increase as we come to know God better in Jesus Christ and as our relationships with one another also find a deeper foundation in Him.’
The Rt Revd Edward Luscombe RIP
The Rt Rev Edward Luscombe, former Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, has died at the age of 97 after a period of illness. Bishop Ted, as he was best known, was Bishop of Brechin for 15 years and served as Primus from 1985 until his retirement in 1990. He was ordained deacon at St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow in 1963 . Previously he had held the posts of vestry member, lay representative and diocesan treasurer in Glasgow & Galloway.
Sunday worship for 1 May 2022, Easter 3
‘O God, your Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread. Open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work.’ We open our worship with hymn 345, Christ is the King, O friends rejoice …
Easter 3: My way??
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 1 May 2022. ‘Jesus has personal agenda for each of us – and He looks to us to follow Him before all others and all else.’
Sunday worship for 24 April 2022, Easter 2
‘Almighty and eternal God, the strength of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt, may we, who have not seen, have faith and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing.’ We open our worship with hymn 117, The day of resurrection…
Easter 2: The central task of the church in every land and in every generation
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 24 April 2022. ‘Where the gospel message is honoured then we also are empowered. When it is not then we also falter.’
Sunday worship for 17 April 2022, Easter Day
‘Lord of life and power, through the mighty resurrection of your Son you have overcome the old order of sin and death and have made all things new in him. May we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ, reign with him in glory.’ We open our worship with hymn 124, Ye choirs of new Jerusalem …
Easter Day: A message of life in its fullness
Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 17 April 2022. ‘Whatever the world may throw at the disciples, it would never undo the power of Jesus’ resurrection.’
