Presbyterian Moderator, Rt Rev Dr David Bruce, continues his recorded weekly service of worship for the whole Presbyterian Church in Ireland family. While some restrictions are still in place, Dr Bruce will bring this service to you during the summer months. Today he explores the theme, ‘A living church’, from the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians and includes his personal testimony of coming to faith in Christ.

Recorded in the Weir Chapel in Assembly Buildings in Belfast, Dr Bruce looks at Ephesians 2:1-5. “There is bad news and good news this week. The bad news is the depths to which we have descended as a human race. This is not merely a matter of our questionable conduct and poor moral choices, but of our very nature. Paul says we are ‘dead in … transgressions and sins’. But the good news is that God has ‘made us alive with Christ’, which changes everything,” he explained.

“This week I want to reflect on this, and include my own personal story of when I came to faith in Christ as an 18-year-old in December 1975. It actually happened when I was attending a Christian concert in the same building where we are recording this service.”

As in previous weeks, members of one of PCI’s presbyteries will take part in the service. Joining the Moderator this week is the turn of the Presbytery of Templepatrick.

Presbytery of Templepatrick

One of PCI’s 19 regional bodies, during today’s service, Rev Trevor McNeil, will introduce it to us. He is the minister of Duneane and First Randastown Presbyterian Churches, and Moderator of Presbytery for this year.

Taking in 20 congregations and around 10,700 people who make up the local Presbyterian family, the Presbytery includes the towns of Antrim, Crumlin, Randalstown and Templepatrick. Bounded by the northern and the upper eastern shores of Lough Neagh, the Presbytery extends to just before Toome in its northern reaches and as far as Ballyeaston to the northeast and Dundrod in the south. At its most eastern edge, the Presbytery extends to Mullusk.

During the service Trevor, and the Clerk of the Presbytery, Rev Desi Paul, minister of Crumlin Presbyterian, will pray and read from the Bible.

Hymns and worship songs in today’s service will be:

• Before the Throne of God Above
• Who You Say I Am
• His mercy is more
• Christ, Our Hope in Life and Death

Next week

Next week the Moderator will explore how this living Church is a 'risen church', when he will be joined by members of the Presbytery of Derry & Donegal – and he looks forward to your company then.