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All are welcome in this place
St John's Kirk of Perth
From Sunday 28 March 2021 the live streaming of the Sunday Service will commence at 09.30am
Letter from the Minister, the Reverend John Murdoch
The Manse of St John’s Kirk and St Leonard’s in the Fields
On the Threshold of Easter : Late March leading into early April
I got me flowers to straw thy way:
I got me boughs off many a tree:
But thou wast up by break of day,
And brought’st thy sweets along with thee.
The Sun arising in the East,
Though he give light, and th’East perfume;
If they should offer to contest
With thy arising, they presume.
Can there be any day but this,
Though many suns to shine endeavour?
We count three hundred, but we miss:
There is but one, and that one ever.
George Herbert
My dear friends in Perth and all who connect with us via the Internet
We are now able to come back to Church: Rev’d Alex Stewart and I welcome you most sincerely!
I think we doubted –were we of little faith ?– that by Easter this could happen. Standing on the edge, the threshold of Holy Week, the door opens and we shall indeed once more be within a holy place where no one is ever a stranger and, in fellowship one with another, celebrate all that Easter means.
To make our return to Church as straightforward as possible I have decided to reduce the five traditional weekday Services to one Service : on Good Friday. Below there are timings and venues for Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Day. There is also a Protocol which I would ask you to read with care.
One additional, new and exciting opportunity has arisen: for any not on the internet, you may now listen to the live Service by telephone: because this is an entirely new venture and I have been informed that it will work as of Palm Sunday, I am very much hoping and praying it will! Please dial 01738 239002 just prior to the time of the online St John’s Service and you will be connected to the Service as it takes place.
Although writing this letter to you on St Patrick’s Day 17 March, I feel on the ‘Threshold of Easter’, surrounded by a cloud of witnesses as it were–for 16 March was St Margaret’s Day, 19 March St Joseph’s Day and 20 March St Cuthbert’s Day; with these Christ-like ambassadors blazing trails for the Gospel, we keep our eyes on the prize of taking up our cross in obedience to Jesus and enter Holy Week on Palm Sunday with hope; we walk by faith, we serve with love, we worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness whether we are in Church at home at work or at play, doing all we can to bring glory to God.
May all that you enjoy at Easter be a reflection of the love of God in your life as we survey the wondrous cross and view near-by the empty tomb, the mystery of our faith which declares that Christ has died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again.
I send every possible good wish at this time of new beginnings and pray for God’s richest blessings upon you, your families and all whom you love.
H A P P Y E A S T E R!
John
Church Services in Holy Week
PROTOCOL
There will be a booking-in system, see below, for Services on Good Friday and Easter Day
but NOT for Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday 28th March
Morning Service in St John’s at 9 30 am [also live-streamed]
Morning Service in St Leonard’s in the Fields at 11 15 am
For both Services, the maximum attendance is 50. If that number should be reached, Elders would leave the Church Building to enable parishioners to attend.
Good Friday 2nd April in St John’s at 7 pm [also live-streamed]
Easter Day 4th April in St John’s at 9 30 am [also live-streamed]
Again, the maximum attendance within the Church building is 50
If you wish to attend the Good Friday Service in St John’s and/or the Easter Day Service, please telephone Margaret Steele on 01738 582319 during Holy Week: from Monday 29th March to Thursday 1st April, from 9 am – 1 pm on those days: if Margaret is unavailable, there will be an answering machine, so please be sure to leave your name and the day or days you wish to attend Church.
For Easter Day 4th April in St Leonard’s in the Fields at 11 15 am
If you wish to attend, please telephone Mrs Pat Giles from Monday 29th March - Friday 2nd April; again, if Pat were unavailable, please leave a message with your name and number.
Pat’s number is : 01738 625805
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It will be very special to welcome everyone to Church on these days. Please, though, be aware that face-masks must be worn, that no singing by the Congregation is allowed and that as you leave the Church building, you must move away from other people and sadly not gather around the door of the Church to greet one another.
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Neither St John’s nor St Leonard’s in the Fields is open for Private Prayer. No Services of Holy Baptism are currently allowed. Weddings are permitted with a maximum number of 5 attending. Funeral Services are permitted with a maximum number of 20 attending.
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Please, if you have any concerns about any matter, email me or telephone me as below
Rev’d J A H Murdoch : 01738 628378 or 07578 558978
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Minister's Welcome
Reverend John Murdoch
As Minister I want to invite you as you read these lines to come inside this very special Church and meet the Congregation of a Kirk which has immense significance historically and nationally. It is a Kirk at the heart of Perth, with a community of faith which offers Worship on Sunday mornings at 9:30am or on Wednesday afternoons at 1pm.
Here we worship and serve God within ancient walls which tell of God’s grace and care over centuries and also within the Parish and community surrounding this sacred and holy place of pilgrimage, peace and prayer. Many visit St John’s every day and last year over 10,000 people entered the Kirk from almost every part of the world. I invite you to be part of our Kirk life where I hope you will find an oasis for Christian nurture, friendship and worship in our midst.
St John’s is an ancient and sacred space which allows you to be still, to sing, to pray and to commune with God as His Living Word in Jesus Christ is proclaimed by Grace.
Please, do come and join us as we do our best to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
"Let no-one be a stranger within these walls"
We invite into these ancient walls all who search for God and who seek the transforming love of Jesus Christ in Sacraments, in Scripture and in fellowship – with silence, prayer and music to uplift.