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Printed Service – Sunday 22nd March 2026
Prepared by Rev. Vivienne Smith
God is bigger than the mountain!
Call
This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Hymn STF55 Immortal invisible
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Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
and wither and perish but naught changeth thee.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all praise we would render, O help us to see
’tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.
Prayer
Holy God, We gather to worship you in reverence and joy.
You are the Maker of heaven and earth, the One who spoke light into darkness and life into being. Your glory fills the heavens and your mercy fills the earth.
You are faithful in all your ways, righteous in all your works, and gracious in all your dealings with us. From everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
We praise you for your love made known in Jesus Christ— for his compassion, his truth, and his saving power. In him we see your heart; through him we are drawn into your life.
Send your Holy Spirit among us now, that our worship may be worthy of your name, our praise sincere, and our hearts lifted in wonder.
For you alone are holy, you alone are Lord, you alone are worthy of all honour and glory, now and for ever, blessed be your name!
Lord, we come this morning as we are Yes, to worship and adore you But also to ask, once again, for your grace and your mercy. Lord, we confess that we have failed you so often in thought word and deed.
In silence we examine our hearts and make honest confession for those things we find there, which sadden the Lord. SILENCE ……..
Thank you, Lord, that the scripture promises that the one who is truly repented will be forgiven. Help us now Lord to forgive ourselves, and pour your grace upon us that we might go from here to live lives that are pleasing and honouring to you. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your amazing grace and thank you for your compassion. Thank you that you never leave us nor forsake us. Thank you that you are our helper, there especially when there are mountains to be climbed! Thank you also that you are here with us this morning. Move amongst us Lord. Touch each heart.
In Jesus’ name. we pray. Amen.
Bible reading : Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved, he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and you’re coming in from this time forth and for evermore. M
Hymn – STF631 I lift me eyes up
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lift my eyes up, to the mountains
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from You
Maker of heaven, Creator of the earth
Oh how I need you Lord
You are my only hope
You’re my only prayer
So I will wait for you
to come and rescue me
Come and give me life
Sermon in one sentence – God is bigger than the mountain!
In Psalm 120 we find David in a place he really didn’t want to be. Temporarily away from home he finds himself living among lying, deceitful, war-mongering people. You get the impression from Psalm 120 that David was utterly fed up at this point.
Have you ever experienced what it is to be fed up? And I’m not talking about food! Many of us have.
So, what did David do?
He reminded himself over and over again that God was watching over him. God had not forgotten him.
And so, he writes psalm 121. Six times in these eight verses David talks about the fact that God “keeps” him, that God watches over him. And I suspect that being mindful of that fact brought real comfort, as it has to millions over the years. And may it do so for us today.
It takes me back many years ago when I would visit Arthur in the hospice. Every time I went, he would ask me to read Psalm 121. Despite his pain and grief, he found real comfort in these words. “I look to hills, from whence cometh my help? My help comes from the Lord.”
At the time that David wrote the psalm, remember, he was away from his beloved home. And so, when he talks about looking to the hills from when comes my help, I suspect he was thinking about the about the hills upon which Jerusalem was built. Jerusalem is built on a series of hills and ridges in the Judaean Mountains; approximately 2,575 feet above sea level.
It was there that the Ark of the covenant was housed, and it may well have been that it was there that David felt closest to God. He was longing for home.
But over the years the psalm has also become a psalm for the pilgrim. For those on the move. For those who are having to travel from A to B.
And I’m not just talking physically.
Metaphorically there are hills that have to be climbed. And some of them are mighty large! And daunted by the climb we face, we can faint and despair. Fear can take hold. The words, “I cannot do this!” pour out of us. “I just cannot!”
How wise it is at those moments in life to remind ourselves that actually God is our helper. We do not have to climb alone! Every step he sees. ‘He will not let you slip or fall”. He will carry you! He will be your shade when it gets too hot to bear! And he will be your warmth in the cold. He will be your light in the darkness. And fear not, He never sleeps! He watches over you even in the night.
A mountain there may be, and we may be daunted by it. But our God is bigger than the mountain!
According to the apocrypha, “The mountains…shake with trembling when he looks upon them.”
Psalm 97 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.
Micah 1 And the mountains will melt under him and the valleys will be cleft, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.
Mountains they may be, but they tremble in His presence!
Then finally…
Interestingly over the years this psalm has been sung. It’s a hymn, that was sung in parts. An individual singer would sing…
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The congregation would then reply…
He will not let your foot be moved, he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The soloist would then sing back to the congregation…
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.
And then to end the psalm the congregation would sing in response…
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore.
By singing it that way the people of God were encouraging one another that all would be well for God was with them.
There is a lesson in that for us too today.
May we encourage one another as we journey together. We are never meant to journey alone.
And when the moments are right may we remind each other that though the mountains be great, God is so much bigger!
Amen
Prayers of intercession
Gracious and loving God, we come before you with thankful hearts, trusting in your mercy and goodness.
We pray for your Church throughout the world.
Strengthen all who proclaim the gospel, guide those who lead your people, and unite us in faith, hope, and love, that your light may shine in every place.
We pray for the nations of the world.
Grant wisdom to those who govern, integrity to those in authority, and a spirit of justice and peace among all peoples. Where there is conflict, bring reconciliation; where there is oppression, bring freedom and dignity.
We pray especially for Ukraine and the Middle East.
God of peace and mercy, Bring comfort to those who suffer, protection to the innocent, and grant wisdom to those who hold power. Where there is hatred, sow understanding; where there is violence, bring peace; where there is fear, give hope.
We pray for our communities.
Bless our homes, our schools, our workplaces, and our neighbourhoods. Help us to care for one another,
to welcome the stranger, and to serve those in need with compassion.
We remember before you those who suffer:
the sick, the lonely, the anxious, the grieving, and the poor. Surround them with your comfort and healing,
and make us instruments of your love in their lives.
We give thanks for those who have gone before us in faith.
May their witness inspire us to live with courage and hope until the day when all creation is made new in your presence.
All these prayers we offer to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn 693 Beauty for brokenness
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Beauty for brokenness
Hope for despair
Lord, in the suffering
This is our prayer
Bread for the children
Justice, joy, peace
Sunrise to sunset
Your kingdom increase!
Shelter for fragile lives
Cures for their ills
Work for the craftsman
Trade for their skills
Land for the dispossessed
Rights for the weak
Voices to plead the cause
Of those who can’t speak
God of the poor
Friend of the weak
Give us compassion we pray
Melt our cold hearts
Let tears fall like rain
Come, change our love
From a spark to a flame
Refuge from cruel wars
Havens from fear
Cities for sanctuary
Freedoms to share
Peace to the killing-fields
Scorched earth to green
Christ for the bitterness
His cross for the pain
Rest for the ravaged earth
Oceans and streams
Plundered and poisoned
Our future, our dreams
Lord, end our madness
Carelessness, greed
Make us content with
The things that we need
Lighten our darkness
Breathe on this flame
Until your justice
Burns brightly again
Until the nations
Learn of your ways
Seek your salvation
And bring you their praise
Offering
Hymn – STF465 Guide me, O thou great Jehovah
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Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.
Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell’s Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.
Blessing : May the Lord, who made heaven and earth, be your help and your keeper. The Lord watch over your going out and you’re coming in, from this time forth and forevermore. And the blessing of God the Father Son and Holy Spirit Be with us all now and for ever. Amen