Sunday Morning Services
The normal order of service is as follows, but it does vary, especially when we have Family Services:
◦ Welcome to visitors and any announcements about the welfare of members and friends
◦ Short introduction to the service, to include the children
◦ Prayer
◦ Hymn
◦ Two readings from the Bible
◦ Prayer
◦ Hymn
◦ Exhortation (see below)
◦ Introduction to sharing the bread and wine, followed by a prayer for each
◦ Sharing the bread and wine
◦ Hymn
◦ Announcements about forthcoming activities
◦ Hymn
◦ Prayer
We use both the Christadelphian Hymn Book and Praise the Lord.
The purpose of our Sunday morning meeting is to worship God, to encourage one another as we seek to live lives acceptable to Him, and to remember our Lord Jesus Christ's life, death and resurrection.
Worship
Worship means "to recognise the worth of". We meet to express to God in our prayers, hymns and thoughts the appreciation we feel for the life He has given us, for our friends, family, opportunities, abilities, possessions, daily food - and for the spiritual goodness we receive from what God has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Encourage
We encourage one another by meeting regularly, reminding ourselves in the prayers, readings and the talk of what life in God's service should be like. The talk is often called the "exhortation" - an old word meaning encouragement. We also encourage one another by chatting together, sharing problems, and rejoicing together when things are good.
Remember
The first century churches (or ecclesias as they were called in Greek) appear to have met on the first day of the week to remember Jesus. At his last meal with his disciples Jesus said:
"Do this, as often as you drink it [wine], in remembrance of me."
The Apostle Paul added the comment:
"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."
Like the early ecclesias (churches) we meet weekly to break bread. The bread reminds us of Jesus' body, of the energy he displayed in his life and the cruel way he was treated on the cross. The wine (a symbol of Jesus' blood) reminds us of sacrifice and suffering. We remember many aspects of Jesus' life and death. It is by Jesus that we have ourselves been brought to know God and to meet together. We look forward to the time when Jesus comes again to this earth to rule in power and righteousness. We remember his resurrection to life, which confirms God's approval of his work and which gives us hope that we too, by God's grace, will rise to life again - eternal life in God's Kingdom.
Those who take the bread and wine as it is passed round are members of the Christadelphian Ecclesia here in Edinburgh (or members of Christadelphian ecclesias elsewhere), having been baptised into Christ in an adult, conscious commitment to him.
If you would like to join our church and take a full part in the Breaking of Bread meeting, please speak to one of our members and we will arrange to explain what we believe and how you can become involved.
Also at this meeting there are announcements about our various activities. We no longer have physical collections of money, as all donations are online.
Anyone is welcome to attend our meetings, although only those who are members take a full part.