Recorded in the Weir Chapel in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, this Sunday Dr Bruce comes to Chapter 5, looking at verses 1-14. "During the service, I will be exploring how being distinctively different is part of the Christian call, and should characterise the life of the church – whether in its approach to sex and relationships, or how we use humour. Any light the church has is ‘borrowed’ from Christ, who is the light of the world,” he said.
Joining the Moderator this week is the turn of the Presbytery of Tyrone. During the service Presbytery Moderator, Rev David Leach, minister of Lecumpher Presbyterian and Union Road Presbyterian Church in Magherafelt, will be joined by Presbytery Clerk, Rev Tom Conway. They will introduce the Presbytery in a short video, read and pray.
Presbytery of Tyrone
Despite the name, much of the Presbytery of Tyrone is not actually in the County. Almost all of the northern congregations in the Presbytery are in south County Londonderry and many of the congregations that are in County Tyrone are not in the Presbytery at all.
The Presbytery was formed in 1659 and currently consists of 33 congregations (16 County Londonderry leaving 17 in County Tyrone). With a combined Presbyterian family of over 9,300 people, the Presbytery is situated on the western shore of Lough Neagh and runs from Swatragh in the north to Upper Clonaneese in the south. There are three distinct areas in the Presbytery with congregations that look to Magherafelt in the north, Cookstown in the centre, and Dungannon in the south.
Songs and hymns in this week’s service include:
- Behold our God
- Lead kindly light
- Take my life
To help respond to God today, the Moderator has asked one of his predecessor’s, Very Rev Dr Andrew Rogers, who was Moderator of the General Assembly in 1993, to lead in prayer for others. Now retired, Dr Rogers served for most of his ministry in the Monaghan and Tyrone Presbyteries.
Next week…
Next week, Dr Bruce will explore how the Church of which PCI is a part, needs to be a praising Church. Joining the Moderator will be members of the South Belfast Presbytery, along with some of PCI’s chaplains.