Icon by Elisabeth Lamour, France (used with permission) © www.icones-lamour.com
As we look forward to the lifting of pandemic restrictions and ‘beginning again’, we are considering four scenes of the very first beginnings of the Church.
This morning, the story of Perpetua, a young woman of Carthage in the great city of Carthage North Africa at the beginning of the third century. She is a Christian, not by birth but by conversion. She lives during a time when Christians are not understood and are indeed persecuted. Perpetua was a ‘witness’, a ‘martyr’, even to death, shown here with her loyal servant and fellow Christian martyr, Felicity. ‘The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church’.
One of the hymns of our service this morning is also from the third century, praise from the pen of Clement of Alexandria (170-220 A.D.) – ‘Jesus, our mighty Lord, our strength in sadness, the Father’s conquering Word, true source of gladness’.
As we recall Perpetua and so many like her, surely we ask … What is our Christian witness in this time and place? What sort of witnesses to Christ are we?
We invite you to join us in prayer and praise by live-stream at https://youtu.be/qKlSZsve8Tg. Organ preludes will begin around 10:25 a.m. and the service will commence at 10:30 a.m. Previous services can be found on the St. Andrew’s Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/StAndrewsPresbyterianChurchKingston
Have a look at the Order of Service and hymn lyrics and announcements below – you can print them out if you wish and refer to them as the hour unfolds, or even through the week. We invite you to join us in worship, study and service as you are able.
Immediately after the service, enjoy a time of fellowship with others this morning at 11:45 – a greeting from the minister, followed by casual conversation … just like in St. Andrew’s Hall … but now online and open to folks who happen to be out of town (or even country) also! Here’s the link! https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81854705429?pwd=cG5QY2FjWXl6KzJVSGxQMytVUVlJQT09