Inverleith St Serf's Church

21/10/2026

Wednesday Reflection
Whose is this image?
This question came from Jesus to those trying to trip him up by asking about taxes. People were paying taxes to the Roman rulers and to the temple. But who should they pay them to? A very clever question. Surely, whatever answer Jesus gave would upset lots of people.
So, Jesus asked to see a coin and asked whose is this image that is on it?
And it was Caesar. So, the riposte is, pay Caesar what is his and give to God what belongs to Him.

But deeper is the thought that if God is Creator then all things are His.
And what is the image of God?
In Colossians, speaking of Jesus, we read, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation”
and we have the stamp of his image upon us through the Holy Spirit.

What are the marks of Jesus life?
Love that took him to death and then to resurrection.

The stamp of the Creator is love.

20/10/2026

A reminder about this concert which we are hosting on Friday this week.

14/10/2026

Wednesday Reflection
The Kingdom of Heaven is like ….

We thought about feasts on Sunday. A wedding feast in particular which Jesus used to great effect as a parable for his listeners to think more deeply about the Kingdom of Heaven. In this parable the invited guests did not turn up so servants were sent out to ask anyone at all whom they met to come to the feast.

As we started the service we used these words from Isaiah 61 as a call to worship,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me;
for he has sent me to bring good news to the humble, to comfort all who mourn, to give them garlands instead of ashes, oil of gladness instead of mourners’ tears, a garment of splendour for the heavy heart.
Let me rejoice in the Lord with all my heart, for he has robed me in salvation as a garment and clothed me in integrity as a cloak.”

And as we ended we thought about being clothed in the love of Jesus like a garment.

Blessing
Ubi caritas et amor
Where there is charity and love, God is there.

08/10/2026

A Reminder for all creative people, to send any contributions to Matthew Bicket by the end of the month. More details were in the last 2 Outlook magazines.

07/10/2026

Wednesday Reflection
On Sunday, at our Harvest Service, gifts were collected for Granton Food bank and there was a Fairtrade Stall afterwards to purchase goods from farmers in other countries at a fair price so that their lives were improved.
Everyone from the youngest to the oldest collected a hazelnut to hold as we read words written by Julian of Norwich in the 14th century.
She saw the hazelnut representing the entire universe and everything God has made, showing how small and fragile creation is compared to the vastness of God.
And she realised three truths:- that creation lasts because God made it, loves it, and keeps it.
There is a hymn (142 in CH4) that we sang based on this vision,” A small thing like a hazelnut” written by Rae E Whitney with a repeated 2 line refrain:-
“God made you, God loves you, and God will always care for you!”

In our prayers we used these words which are words to go with us on our daily journey through life at whatever age we are, through whatever joys and happiness we have, through whatever ills and dangers present themselves.

God who created us, Jesus who loves us and the Spirit who sustains us.

06/10/2026

Our next Monthly Coffee House is on Friday of this week. This month we are raising Money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

06/10/2026

If you are attending the Lothian Guilds Together event today, please use the Clark Road entrance to enter the church.

05/10/2026

You can now watch the very interesting Sunday evening talk from 27th September by using this link below.
Herod the Great in Legend and History given by Dr Margaret Williams.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

30/09/2026

Wednesday Reflection
This week we sang this hymn by Frederick Pratt Green. The tune is a very good sing but the words are full of meaning and are worth reading slowly and savouring the deeper meaning.

For the fruits of all creation, thanks be to God;
for these gifts to every nation, thanks be to God;
for the ploughing, sowing, reaping, silent growth while we are sleeping,
future needs in earth’s safe-keeping, thanks be to God.

In the just reward of labour, God’s will is done;
in the help we give our neighbour, God’s will is done;
in our world-wide task of caring for the hungry and despairing,
in the harvest we are sharing, God’s will is done.

For the harvests of the Spirit, thanks be to God;
for the good we all inherit, thanks be to God;
for the wonders that astound us, for the truths that still confound us,
most of all, that love has found us, thanks be to God.

28/09/2026

This Saturday we are hosting the Meadows Chamber Orchestra performing the concert shown in the poster.