Sunday, March 14. 2021Audio of Ian & Julie's Zoom Service for 14th March 2021
BBP Zoom service
Audio of Ian & Julie's Zoom ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
at
12:07
Sunday, March 14. 2021Saturday, March 13. 2021Ian & Julie's Zoom service for Sunday 14th March 2021
The service for Sunday is attached. For those able to join us by Zoom at 11.00 am the joining details are as follows
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3540351038?pwd=Ti9Wb3F6N2h1amRtb0FzWVg5WFYzQT09 Meeting ID: 354 035 1038 Passcode: 717837 Just a reminder also that Session 4 of our Lent Bible Study meets on Monday at 7.30pm - same joining details.Sunday 14th March 2021 Call to worship Called by you to worship and praise Not to be condemned but to be forgiven. God’s people have gathered Let us worship God together. HYMN: For the beauty of the earth 1 For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies: Lord of all, to thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise 2 For the wonder of each hour of the day and of the night, hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light: Chorus 3 For the joy of ear and eye, for the heart and mind’s delight, for the mystic harmony linking sense to sound and sight: Chorus 4 For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, friends on earth, and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild: Chorus 5 For thyself, best gift divine to the world so freely given, for that great, great love of thine, peace on earth and joy in heaven: Chorus Folliott Sandford Pierpoint (1835-1917) Prayers Let us pray Eternal God, you do not need our praise. The world itself tells of your glory… sunrise and bird song, the ruggedness of the landscape, the randomness of rain, beauty for the eye, nourishment for the body, music for the soul…. all these speak of your goodness these honour your name. You do not need our praise. Other places can do it better with finer music or fewer words with centuries of tradition or buildings of rare beauty. Other people can do it better, where two or three are gathered who live in poverty or under threat, and who, despite all that oppresses them. rejoice to be call your own. What can we add by way of magnificence or testimony when these are more eloquent? You do not need our praise, but we need to praise you. It is the yearning, the restlessness which you have planted in us. It is our desire for a true home and unconditional acceptance that brings us here. All the rumours we have heard about you are true: you love you forgive you transform And you know us… oh, how you know us, You perceive in us what needs to be forgiven, and what in us needs to be changed. We need no more words, just penitence. Lord have mercy upon us Christ, have mercy upon us Lord, have mercy upon us These are the words of Jesus. They are so strong and true, so believe them: “I am come that you may have life in all its fulness.” “Go in peace, your sins are forgiven: Come, each one, and follow me.” Now God, help us to live as a forgiven people – visibly different, gloriously free, for Jesus’s sake. Amen. In this confidence, let us pray the prayer of Jesus Readings Numbers 21:4-9 Complete Jewish Bible 4 Then they travelled from Mount Hor on the road toward the Sea of Suf in order to go around the land of Edom; but the people’s tempers grew short because of the detour. 5 The people spoke against God and against Moshe: “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? To die in the desert? There’s no real food, there’s no water, and we’re sick of this miserable stuff we’re eating!” 6 In response, Adonai sent poisonous snakes among the people; they bit the people, and many of Isra’el’s people died. 7 The people came to Moshe and said, “We sinned by speaking against Adonai and against you. Pray to Adonai that he rid us of these snakes.” Moshe prayed for the people, 8 and Adonai answered Moshe: “Make a poisonous snake and put it on a pole. When anyone who has been bitten sees it, he will live.” 9 Moshe made a bronze snake and put it on the pole; if a snake had bitten someone, then, when he looked toward the bronze snake, he stayed alive. John 3:14-21 New International Version 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[a] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. Reflection Here we are at the fourth Sunday of Lent. Mothering Sunday: What interesting readings have been set in the lectionary for today. Not only are we not in our buildings, with the ability or opportunity to hand out gifts to enable us to give thanks for our own Mothers, the fact that we are mothers, God mothers or Aunts, with the chance and privilege of showing a mothering type image to the young people in our families and friendship circles but we have readings that speak of struggle, darkness and even death! So where do we go from here…? I think that both of the readings are showing us, yes us in 2021, the caring nurturing even mothering side of God, in the Old Testament through Moses leading the Israelites through the desert, a complaining bunch of folk who are rather keen on getting things their own way rather than facing the struggles before them in order to reach the promised land. There are two things that really strike me from this reading, I have deliberately taken the passage from the Jewish Scriptures in order to illustrate the first. The Jews were so in awe of God that they believed that it was wrong to say the word God, hence the use of the name Adonai. Among many traditional Jews even the word "Adonai," meaning "My Lord" or "My God," is not spoken outside of prayer services. Because "Adonai" is so closely linked to the name of God. Furthermore, because YHWH and "Adonai" are not used casually, literally dozens of different ways to refer to God have developed in Judaism. Each name is linked to different conceptions of God's nature and aspects of the divine. For example, God can be referred to in Hebrew as "the Merciful One," "Master of the Universe," "the Creator," and "our King," among many other names. These are ways that show respect to the one who created us and in whose image we are made, I have thought for the first time this year that the person that we refer to as Mum, is the one who has grown and nurtured us helped to shape us into the individual that we are today and the only other person or people who affords her that title are our sibling’s. These are unique relationships to be cherished. I’m not suggesting that they will all be wonderful and plain sailing all of the time there will be easy times and darker times and even time when we grumble like made and stamp our feet! Much like the people that Moses is leading to better times and places are doing in the passage from numbers. Which brings me to the other point about this reading. Moses lifts a snake upon a staff for the people to look at, if they were bitten by a snake and looked upon the bronze snake on the pole they would be saved. All around the world the snake on a staff has become the symbol of medical institutions, when I was in the Air Force my lapel badges were actually brass clips of a snake around the staff with a pair of wings at the top, to represent that I was part of the Medical services. Anyone who has been in the medical professions or indeed required surgery will know that healing is often preceded by pain and discomfort. Sometimes hurt has to come before healing. Is that not the message of this season of Lent? The passage from John starts with a reference to Moses lifting up the snake and comparing it to Jesus being lifted on the cross. If we had read the verses at the beginning of this Chapter we would have heard of Nicodemus approaching Jesus at night, under the cover of darkness with his questions, but not only asking questions, getting to know Jesus and allowing Jesus to know him, building a living and loving relationship. Maybe much like the relationships with our Mums, there will be times when we don’t understand Jesus, there may well be times of doubt, anger and even rebellion. I think that all Mother /child relationships have their ups and downs. I can certainly remember my mum reminding me that while she would always love me there were times when she ‘didn’t like me very much’! I can’t say I blamed her either. Little by little however, trust and relationship grows until we have unconditional trust in Jesus Christ. This is the story of Johns Gospel, the story of the disciples’ growth, faith and trust; it is our story too… For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. I don’t believe that eternal life is something that we begin after death, it is the life that we are given to live today. It is the life of God that live in and through each of us and our actions each day. I believe that to save someone means to pull that person from danger so that he or she is not hurt, and a life is not lost. It is to liberate those who are held by oppression be that of their own making, it is to release prisoners all those bound by cords of guilt, anxiety and being held unjustly physically captive. I believe that it means to do all we can to heal or make whole, be that people or creation. Jesus came to save us from the fears that keep us locked up within ourselves. There are many, many reasons why opening ourselves to this new life may be too scary, too challenging; there will be times when the road ahead is rough and feels like a step too far, there might be stress and heavy winds, being in relationship with God isn’t an insurance policy that nothing bad will ever happen to us again. It is however, reassurance that as we navigate the twists and turns of life we don’t do so alone. It can take time for our own protective shells to weaken and the journey of openness to begin. The seed of the Spirit is within us as it grows, if we are aware of it and listen for it, we will hear God whisper into each of our hearts, I love you, just as you are. My prayer for all is that we will not only be conscious of that but that we accept it and want to respond to that love with love and so grow in love and learn to emerge from the shadows and live in the light. Amen. HYMN: Moses, I know you’re the man 1 'Moses, I know you're the man,' The Lord said. 'You're going to work out my plan,' The Lord said. 'Lead all the Israelites out of slavery, And I shall make them a wandering race Called the People of God. 2 'Don't get too set in your ways,' The Lord said, 'Each step is only a phase,' The Lord said, 'I'll go before you and I shall be a sign To guide my travelling, wandering race, You're the people of God.' So every day We're on our way, For we're a travelling, wandering race, We're the people of God. 3 'No matter what you may do,' The Lord said, 'I shall be faithful and true,' The Lord said, 'My love will strengthen you as you go along, For you're my travelling, wandering race, You're the people of God.' 4 'Look at the birds in the air,' The Lord said, 'They fly unhampered by care,' The Lord said, 'You will move easier if you're travelling light, For you're a wandering, vagabond race, You're the people of God.' So every day We're on our way, For we're a travelling, wandering race, We're the people of God. 5 'Foxes have places to go' The Lord said, 'But I've no home here below,' The Lord said, 'So if you want to be with me all your days, Keep up the moving and travelling on, You're the people of God.' Chorus Estelle White (born 1925) © 1969 Stainer & Bell Ltd and McCrimmon Publishing Company Ltd Prayers Loving God, our heavenly Father, in our worship today we say thank you for all that our mothers are to us and for all that they do for us. But we also know that for some people this is a difficult day holding hurt, grief and perhaps anger. We pray that you will draw alongside those who are hurting today to comfort them and surround them with your tender care. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. We pray: · for women who grieve because they are unable to have the children they so long to hold and love. · for mothers who grieve because, like Mary, they have had to see their child die too soon. · for mothers who grieve because they are cut off from their children by disappointment, anger or bitterness. · for mothers who are worried or afraid for their child’s well-being or safety. We ask you, heavenly Father, to bring healing, comfort, forgiveness and peace into the hearts and minds of hurting mothers. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. We pray: · for children who grieve because they have lost their mother through illness, accident or violence. · for children whose mothers have been unable to give them the love and care they need so that they now live in families and homes which are not their own. · for children who are still living in homes that are unsafe and with adults who cannot put the child’s needs before their own. · for children who through hardship and poverty are not being provided with an adequate diet or basic medical care. We ask you, heavenly Father, to bring love and security, courage and hope into the lives of hurting children today. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. We ask you heavenly Father, to bring healing and forgiveness into the lives of all those for whom today brings back painful memories of broken relationships and loss. Help us all to find in the brothers and sisters of Christ a loving family with whom we may show your love and tender care for all your hurting children. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. Loving God, trusting in your promise to hear us when we pray in faith, we ask you to bless all our relationships in the families of our homes, our church and our communities so that through our lives your loving will for us may be done. Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. HYMN: God’s Spirit is deep in my heart 1 God's spirit is deep in my heart; he has called me and set me apart; and this is what I have to do? what I have to do: He sent me to give the good news to the poor, tell prisoners that they are prisoners no more, tell blind people that they can see, and set the downtrodden free, and go tell ev'ryone the news that the kingdom of God has come; and go tell ev'ryone the news that God's kingdom has come. 2 And just as the Father sent me, so I'm sending you out to be my witness throughout the world? the whole of the world: Chorus 3 Don't carry a load in your pack; you don't need two shirts on your back; a workman can earn his own keep? can earn his own keep: Chorus 4 Don't worry what you have to say; don't worry, because on that day God's spirit will speak in your heart? will speak in your heart: He sent me to give the good news to the poor, tell prisoners that they are prisoners no more, tell blind people that they can see, and set the downtrodden free, and go tell ev'ryone the news that the kingdom of God has come; and go tell ev'ryone the news that God's kingdom has come. Words adapted by Hubert John Richards (born 1921) from New World , Alan Taylor Dale (1902?1979) © Oxford University Press Blessing May the grace of God, the love of Christ and the blessing of the Holy Spirit surround us and all God’s beloved people made in the divine image, now and evermore, Amen. All music copied and streamed under CCL 634229 & 138598, One Licence A735906 & PRS Licence 0021369. Intercessions from https://www.katharinesmith.org.uk
Ian & Julie's Zoom service for ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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12:33
Monday, March 8. 2021Audio recording of yesterday's Zoom service
Zoom service for 7th March 2021
Audio recording of yesterday's Zoom ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
at
10:07
Sunday, March 7. 2021URC national audio service for 7th March 2021
URC audio service
Opening Organ Music - Ach Gott Von Himmel Sieh Darein (“O God from heaven see this”) by Johann Pachelbel Introduction Hello and welcome to today’s worship for Sunday 7th March, the 3rd Sunday in Lent. My name is Helen Everard and I am an ordained minister serving in the Wessex Synod of the United Reformed Church. I am the chaplain to the present Moderators of General Assembly, Rev Clare Downing and Mr Peter Pay and I also minister at Wonersh URC in Surrey with particular responsibility for liaising with the youth & children’s organisations associated with the church. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be sharing worship with you today. Call to Worship People of God, on this wilderness journey, what will you eat? The word of the Lord is our daily bread. People of God, in this time of temptation, how will you live? Our faith is in the faithfulness of God. People of God, at this kingdom crossroad, whom will you serve? We worship the Lord our God alone. Hymn Sing for God’s Glory that Colours the Dawn of Creation © Kathryn Galloway Sing for God's glory that colours the dawn of creation, racing across the sky, trailing bright clouds of elation; sun of delight succeeds the velvet of night, warming the earth's exultation. 2: Sing for God's power that shatters the chains that would bind us, searing the darkness of fear and despair that could blind us, touching our shame with love that will not lay blame, reaching out gently to find us. 3: Sing for God's justice disturbing each easy illusion, tearing down tyrants and putting our pride to confusion; lifeblood of right, resisting evil and slight, offering freedom's transfusion. 4: Sing for God's saints who have travelled faith's journey before us, who in our weariness give us their hope to restore us; in them we see the new creation to be, spirit of love made flesh for us. Prayer of Approach Creator God, Yare all around us and the Earth and the Heavens praise you! We gather to worship you, together with the sun in the sky, the birds of the air, the creatures of the sea and life in abundance. We gather as part of your family, the family of your Son Jesus Christ, which stretches around the world, uniting us with people of faith everywhere and in all time. So as we worship you, help us to be aware of your presence with us, by your Holy Spirit which prompts us to pray, knowing that we come to you through your love for each of us. Amen Prayer of Confession Loving God, as we worship, we are aware of our faults and failings, forgive us Lord: for the times we have not seen you as you truly are, for the times we have not heard your voice, for the times we have followed our own way, despite the promptings of your word. We need your cleansing touch on our lives So that we may leave behind our sins and follow you anew. Declaration of forgiveness The Lord Jesus says to all who come to him in repentance “Your sins are forgiven; come, follow me” Amen, thanks be to God Prayer of Illumination Living Word of God, you show us the way we should go. So come to us now. Enlighten our hearts and our understanding, so that your wisdom may overcome our foolishness and your love illuminate all we do in your name, Amen Reading: St John 2:13-22 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. Hymn Living God, Your Joyful Spirit Jill Jenkins Living God, your joyful Spirit breaks the bounds of time and space, rests in love upon your people, drawn together in this place Here we join in glad thanksgiving, here rejoice to pray and praise: Lord of all our past traditions, Lord of all our future days. 2. As your bread may we be broken, scattered in community; we who know your greatest blessings called to share Christ's ministry. May we gently lead each other, share our hunger and our thirst; learn that only through our weakness shall we know the strength of Christ. 3. Lord, when we grow tired of giving, feel frustration, hurt and strain, by your Spirit's quiet compulsion, draw us back to you again. Guide us through the bitter searching when our confidence is lost; give us hope from desolation, arms outstretched upon a cross. 4. Living God, your power surrounds us, as we face the way Christ trod, challenge us to fresh commitment to the purposes of God: called to share a new creation, called to preach a living word, promised all the joys of heaven, through the grace of Christ our Lord. Sermon Let us pray, Lord may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer, Amen. This account of Jesus cleansing the Temple is a familiar story, occurring as it does in all 4 gospels. But in John’s account, which we read today, it is placed near the beginning whereas in the other 3 gospels, it comes directly after Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem, so during the final week of Jesus’ ministry. It is unlikely that this event occurred twice. So is John trying to make a point about Jesus ministry by placing this story at the beginning of his gospel? John Marsh’s view in his commentary seems to me to make a lot of sense. He says that John places the Temple cleansing at the beginning of his gospel account so as to underline the fact that Jesus has come to replace the old temple worship with its insistence upon animal sacrifice with a new worship – and this is evidenced by the final verses in our reading today – that the disciples did not at first see the significance of what Jesus said – but later it made sense to them. I will return to this point later. Is this Jesus, angry, armed with a whip, driving animals out of the Temple, turning tables over the kind of Jesus we are comfortable with? Is this the Saviour we would normally cling to? What happened to “come to me all who labour and I will give you rest?” What happened to Jesus welcoming little children? This can and should be a deeply shocking event – shocking for the Jews at the time and we should be taking note as well. Because here we see Jesus taking action against wrongdoing and injustice which is taking place at the very heart of the worship of God. And it is action which shows us how Jesus was indeed human, with flesh and blood feelings and at the same time divine, seeing his Father’s house turned into a marketplace, a marketplace which was designed to limit access to the worship of God to those who came. Remember, this was Passover time when groups of pilgrims came to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. They would have come, singing the psalms of ascent in praise of God and of the place where they believed God dwelt. Psalm 122 for example – “I was glad when they said to me, we will go into the House of the Lord”. And then, having arrived, they are greeted by the moneychangers who refuse to take corrupt coins some with the idolatrous Caesar’s head on. Instead they have to change any money they want to use to special temple money. All this with the supposed motive of purity and giving God the best but actually being open to corruption and blocking access for many who came. Then the pilgrims have to use this temple money to buy the animals they want to sacrifice. The emphasis for the Temple authorities was all on the purity of the animals. They had not heeded the warnings of Amos, who rejected the rich sacrifices of those who oppressed the poor: or Micah, who said “Will the Lord be pleased with ten thousands of rams?...What the Lord requires is to do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with your God” or Hosea saying “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God and not burnt offerings.” So we should expect Jesus, God made human, to be angry at the abuses he saw in the place of worship and to take action. I think we need to take this aspect of Jesus ministry very seriously – I mean the way that Jesus spoke out against injustice and welcomed all who came. The Jesus who contradicted his disciples to call the children to him is no different to the Jesus who called the Pharisees hypocrites. The Jesus who healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, who welcomed undesirables from his own society is the same Jesus who drove out the animals from the temple. Why did he drive out the animals? In order to make way for a new kind of worship, where all are welcomed into God’s presence. The holy has come to the ordinary and showed what God has always shown – that love is at the heart of God and that God values each person for who they are not for the animal they can bring. This love needs to be demonstrated in many ways and when anger on behalf of others is needed, then God in Jesus shows that. When were you last angry on behalf of someone who has suffered injustice? Angry enough to do something about it? That is what makes many of us give to food banks, and write to our MP protesting about the necessity for food banks. It is what makes us pray for refugees, and write again to our government to protest about the hostile environment. It is what makes us write to prisoners of conscience, raise money for charity, fast in various ways in Lent. Jesus shows us that it is not enough to merely disagree with injustice, we need to take action against it. We need also to beware of the image of God in Jesus that we carry with us, which colours everything we do as people who make up the church. We need to take care that this image is rooted in the very real portrayal that the gospel writers give us. I feel that we are in danger of losing the dynamic, exciting Jesus who took on his critics and answered them in ways which we often lose as we read the Bible as a sacred story, in little chunks, not giving credit to Jesus for his wit and in danger too of not understanding his flesh and blood vitality, his authority as he taught the crowds. In this account of the story, the Jews asked Jesus for a sign to explain why he had driven out the animals. Jesus spoke of himself, saying “destroy this temple and in 3 days I will raise it up”, and they did not understand him. Yet the disciples remembered this and came to understand what he had meant. We would do well also to keep on reminding ourselves of everything Jesus said and did, not just the bits we agree with – so we can continue to make sense of who Jesus was and how we can convey his good news to all around us. Our worship as the church centres itself on the death and resurrection of Jesus, not around a building, however much loved or beautiful and we forget this at our peril. The worship which the body of Christ, the church has been able to offer during the long months of lockdown has had to reach beyond the walls of our buildings and into the places where we live. We have come to a new understanding of how we have been excluding people from worship who have not been able or willing to either enter church buildings or prevented from attending at the times we have chosen. Our new understanding of worship which is not limited by a set time or place but is able to reach into our homes by means of old style paper and ink, or audio as well as new internet technology is a gift from God which we need to take on board just as the first disciples needed to move away from animal sacrifices to an understanding of the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, once for all. This new understanding of how we can welcome many people who were excluded from our buildings by many different barriers must inform how we express ourselves as church going forward. We belong to a tradition which began when the gospel became accessible to ordinary people in a radically new way. Let us not return to old ways which worked for some but not for all. Let us follow Jesus in all his radical and transforming ways so that God can be flesh and blood reality for all not just for some and his sacrifice which is our way to salvation, be open to everyone in the way God means it to be. Amen Hymn Jesus Christ is Waiting John Bell, Iona community Jesus Christ is waiting, Waiting in the streets; No one is his neighbour, All alone he eats. Listen, Lord Jesus, I am lonely too. Make me, friend or stranger, Fit to wait on you 2: Jesus Christ is raging, Raging in the streets, Where injustice spirals And real hope retreats. Listen, Lord Jesus, I am angry too. In the Kingdom’s causes Let me rage with you. 3: Jesus Christ is healing, Healing in the streets; Curing those who suffer, Touching those he greets. Listen, Lord Jesus, I have pity too. Let my care be active, Healing just like you. 4: Jesus Christ is dancing, Dancing in the streets, Where each sign of hatred He, with love, defeats. Listen, Lord Jesus, I should triumph too. on suspicion’s graveyard Let me dance with you. 5: Jesus Christ is calling, calling in the streets, ”Who will join my journey? I will guide their feet.” Listen, Lord Jesus, Let my fears be few. Walk one step before me; I will follow you. Affirmation of Faith As followers of Jesus Christ, living in this world— which some seek to control, but which others view with despair— we declare with joy and trust: our world belongs to God! From the beginning, through all the crises of our times, until His Kingdom fully comes, God keeps covenant forever. our world belongs to God! We rejoice in the goodness of God, renounce the works of darkness, and dedicate ourselves to holy living, for our world belongs to God! As committed disciples, called to faithful obedience, and set free for joyful praise, we offer our hearts and lives to do God's work in his world, for our world belongs to God! With tempered impatience, eager to see injustice ended, we expect the Day of the Lord. And we are confident that the light which shines in the present darkness will fill the earth when Christ appears for our World belongs to God! Intercessions Almighty God, we pray for our world We pray for all who work for peace and justice All who work to challenge injustice and change unjust structures That they may be empowered by your love and your righteousness Lord in your mercy hear our prayer Lord Jesus, healer of many hurts We pray for all who are sick in body mind and spirit For all who work to care for them And for all who research and produce new medicines, vaccines and methods of healing. We pray especially for all who have been disadvantaged by the Covid 19 pandemic around the world. And for all who are working to overcome obstacles of hunger, thirst, access to education and employment So that we may all come together in love at your table Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer Holy Spirit, Comforter, Come to all who are lonely, who are separated from loved ones, who mourn the loss of family and friends Come to the discouraged, the downtrodden and those who feel they have been forgotten Reassure them of your great love for them In a moment of silence we pray for those particularly in our thoughts this day (pause) Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers And we gather these and all our prayers as we say the words Jesus taught us, saying Our Father… The Offertory As God has showered us with an abundance of gifts and blessings, so we pledge ourselves and all that we have to God: Generous God, Of your goodness you continually give us more than we can ask. So receive from each of us gifts of our time, our service, our money, ourselves and use them so that your Kingdom may come wherever we are Amen Hymn Bring Forth the Kingdom Marty Haugen © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Performed by Marty Haugen. You are salt for the earth, O people: salt for the Kingdom of God! Share the flavour of life, O people: life in the Kingdom of God! 2: You are a light on the hill, O people: light for the City of God! Shine so holy and bright, O people: shine for the Kingdom of God! Bring forth the Kingdom of mercy, Bring forth the Kingdom of peace; Bring forth the Kingdom of justice, Bring forth the City of God! 3: You are a seed of the Word, O people: bring forth the Kingdom of God! Seeds of mercy and seeds of justice, grow in the Kingdom of God! 4: We are a blest and a pilgrim people: bound for the Kingdom of God! Love our journey and love our homeland: love is the Kingdom of God! Blessing And now may the peace of God Which passes all understanding Keep our hearts and minds In the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ our Lord And may the Blessing of God Almighty The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit Be upon us and remain with us always. Amen Closing Organ Piece - Songs of Praise Toccata by Robert Prizeman Sources and thanks Ach Gott Von Himmel Sieh Darein (“O God from heaven see this”) by Johann Pachelbel (organ of The Spire Church, Farnham – 2020) Songs of Praise Toccata by Robert Prizeman (organ of St Andrew’s, Farnham – 2019) Both pieces played by, and received, with thanks, from Brian Cotterill http://briancotterill.webs.com Sing for God’s Glory that Colours the Dawn of Creation. © Kathryn Galloway. Sung by the Rev’d Paul Robinson Bring Forth the Kingdom - Marty Haugen © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Performed by Marty Haugen. Living God, Your Joyful Spirit - Jill Jenkins, sung by the choir and people of Plymouth Church, UCC, Des Moines Jesus Christ is Waiting - John Bell, Iona community © 1988 Wild Goose Worship Resource Group. French carol tune 15th Century, performed by the Reading Phoenix Choir. Thanks to John Wilcox, Helen Sharpe, Sarah Wilmott, Mandy Hibbert, David Shimmin, Jean Stokes and Marion Thomas for reading various spoken parts of the service. Where words are copyright reproduced under the terms of Barrhead URC’s CCLI licence number 1064776, Some material reprinted, and streamed, with permission under ONE LICENSE A-734713 All rights reserved. PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762
URC national audio service for 7th ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Saturday, March 6. 2021Ian and Julie's Zoom service for 7th March 2021
For those able to join us by Zoom at 11.00 am the joining details are as follows
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3540351038?pwd=Ti9Wb3F6N2h1amRtb0FzWVg5WFYzQT09 Meeting ID: 354 035 1038 Passcode: 717837 It is a Communion service so please have bread and wine handy (or equivalent) if you wish. Just a reminder also that Session 3 of our Lent Bible Study meets on Monday at 7.30pm - same joining details. Sunday 7th March 2021 Call to worship Come here to meet God Come here to worship Come to share bread and wine Come because God calls us here HYMN: O Lord, my God 1 O Lord my God! when I in awesome wonder Consider all the works Thy hand hath made, I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed: Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee, How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art! How great Thou art! 2 When through the woods and forest glades I wander And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur, And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze; Refrain 3 And when I think that God His Son not sparing, Sent Him to die-I scarce can take it in. That on the cross my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin: Refrain 4 When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation And take me home-what joy shall fill my heart! Then shall I bow in humble adoration And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art! Refrain Stuart K Hine (1899-1989) © 1953 Stuart K Hine/The Stuart Hine Trust/Published by kingswaysongs.com. www.kingswaysongs.com. Worldwide (excl. North & South America). Used by permission. Prayers Holy God, we worship you. [Pause]. Lord of all time and space, as we come together in worship, we see the work of your hands revealed in the myriad of creation. We see your mark on all that is around us, we hear your voice throughout all the earth, and feel your gracious touch. You refresh our very being with justice and truth, you bring joy into our hearts and inspire life and light. Holy God, we are here to worship you. [Pause]. We know your commandments, Not given as a stern foreboding God in order to limit our freedom, But in order that all people may live in a fair and just world. To live and love you with all that we are and to demonstrate that love to others. Lord, no matter how we try, we will make the wrong choices. Sometimes for the right reasons and sometimes because we have lost sight of you. Be with us in our mistakes in order that we are not held back by remorse, Teach us to accept your real forgiveness and enable us to see each other and ourselves as you see us. As we claim that forgiveness promised through Jesus, let us join in the pattern of prayer that he gave to us, as we say…. The Lord’s Prayer Amen. Readings Psalm 19 1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament[a] proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; 4 yet their voice[b] goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens[c] he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hidden from its heat. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent;[d] do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. John 2 v 13-22 13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!’ 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’[b] 18 The Jews then responded to him, ‘What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?’ 19 Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’ 20 They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[c] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. I have been a fan of Morecambe and Wise since my youth. (In 2013 when we visited Morecambe, I had to have my picture taken next to the statue of Eric attempting to do the pose!). One of my favourite sketches is the Grieg Piano Concerto when Andre Previn accuses Eric of playing the wrong notes. Eric stands up and insists that he is playing the right notes but not necessarily in the right order (I know the feeling!). The reason this came to mind when I was reflecting on the Gospel reading. You may have noticed that this comes early on in John’s account whereas all the other Gospels have it in the last week of Jesus’s life. John has Jesus make several visits to Jerusalem during his ministry and reflects on the final week through a series of discourses rather than a series of events, so you could conclude that John uses the turning of the tables as part of the growing hostility between Jesus and the religious authorities, thus fulfilling the part of the prologue which tells us that God through Jesus came to his own people and they did not receive him. John’s placing of the story suggests he is playing the right notes but not necessarily in the same order but that has the effect of causing some jarring clashes and disharmonies which we ignore at our peril. Many scholars are agreed that the cleansing of the Temple is a symbol of judgement on the Temple, the sacrifice system and the abuses tolerated by the religious authorities. So far, so good. Where I have an issue with the account that has come down to us is the descriptive language used. Rather than use the same terms as used in the other Gospels, John uses the umbrella term ‘the Jews’ as he does frequently throughout the Gospel. The danger is that some Christians can and have taken this term literally to encompass all the Jews of the time and ever since which down the years has led to hostility or indifference to the plight of the Jewish people culminating in the Holocaust but continuing ever since. When this happens, it ignores the blatant truth that Jesus lived and died a Jew. He was sent to the lost sheep of Israel and though his ministry did extend to Gentiles, it was a mainly Jewish ministry. Here he is following the line of Old Testament prophets in demonstration God’s displeasure with the way things are through graphic signs and demonstrations. However, the scriptures that have come down to us are the product of the time that they were written down and John’s Gospel reflects a time when there had been a decisive break between the Jewish faith and the early church with both sides regarding the other as a threat. John sees things in black and white – dark/light, good/evil, life/death with people being on one side or another. Human society has always operated on the basis of heroes and villains. The earliest murder in the Bible – Cain on Abel – is generally thought to reflect the early struggle between those who grew crops and those who kept animals. Brexit and Covid have brought many divisions to our society but the reality is that they have always been there – urban/country, rich/poor, powerful/powerless, national, religious, gender and age. These divisions have always been exploited by others to make money or to strengthen power and influence. ‘Divide and Conquer’ is a well-trodden path throughout history and throughout the world. Quite often this is done by placing themselves on the side of the angels, describing situations in black and white and most importantly, presenting simple answers to complex questions. It therefore follows that we must be either on their side or the side of the enemy because there always has to be a villain and there always has to be a war. Why are our strings still pulled by this? Partly it’s down to what is called our reptilian part of the brain where the most basic reactions come from, especially the one which deals with ‘flight or fight’ and is triggered by a danger to us. If there’s an argument and both sides come prepared for a fight you can see how things can escalate quickly. The prayer of Jesus later on in John was that his followers might all be one. Sadly we have signally failed to do this because of some of the human factors that we’ve just reflected on. No one individual or group is the repository of all truth or knowledge but so often we act as if we are. We’re all capable of utilising material from the Bible to justify our positions and acting as if we are right and everyone else wrong. One of the hardest things I’ve had to wrestle with recently because of my family and chapel upbringing is the realisation not also that I am not always right about everything but also that I do not have to be right about everything – I can and must listen to others who have better answers. Like many sources, there is a great deal of useful truth in the Gospel of John but there’s some things that need to be treated with caution. I’m less concerned about the order that John puts things in than some of the language that is used, especially against the Jews. It may have felt appropriate in the circumstances of the time but that doesn’t mean that it’s appropriate now. As Christians, I believe that we are called to speak out against the injustices of the world and the threats facing God’s creation. In this we seek to imitate Jesus. However, we should always remember that though we all bear the image of God, we are unique beings who see things in different ways and do not always agree on the right solution to the challenges we face. It’s easy when faced with a threat to see things in terms of heroes and villains/black and white when the issues are often much more complex. Often, attitudes and views of others when handed down can be a distraction and cause as much damage as the original threat particularly in these days of social media when things said in haste can come back and haunt you many years hence. Perhaps the wisest thing is to listen and then think before we speak or write using the words of the Psalmist - Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. HYMN: God, in his love for us… 1 God in his love for us lent us this planet, Gave it a purpose in time and in space: Small as a spark from the fire of creation, Cradle of life and the home of our race. 2 Thanks be to God for its bounty and beauty, Life that sustains us in body and mind: Plenty for all, if we learn how to share it, Riches undreamed of to fathom and find. 3 Long have our human wars ruined its harvest; Long has earth bowed to the terror of force; Long have we wasted what others have need of, Poisoned the fountain of life at its source. 4 Earth is the Lord's: it is ours to enjoy it, Ours, as his stewards, to farm and defend. From its pollution, misuse, and destruction, Good Lord deliver us, world without end! Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000) © 1973 Stainer & Bell Ltd Prayers God of compassion, we offer thanks for your goodness and for your blessings. Seeing injustice, we pray - for those crying in despair; - for the continually hungry; - for those ‘let down by the system’; - for your guidance for those who hold authority. Walking alongside, we pray - with those enduring pain; - with victims of violence; - with people in dark places; - help us to show empathy and understanding. Offering hands of blessing, we pray - over those in pain; - over relationships at breaking point; - over those who weep in grief; - for courage to bless our homes and communities with your love. Strengthen us to be who we are in you, and to show your light in all that we do so that your will be done, on earth as in heaven. We pray these and all our prayers in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Invitation to Communion Come, without the need to bring anything to this joyful feast. Come, without the need to prove a point or win an argument to this generous table. Come to this place to meet others who are also made in the divine image. Come, whoever you are, to meet Jesus here because he invites you. Come, just as you are. HYMN: Let us build a house 1 Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live, a place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive. Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace; here the love of Christ shall end divisions: all are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place. 2 Let us build a house where prophets speak, and words are strong and true, where all God's children dare to seek to dream God's reign anew. Here the cross shall stand as witness and as symbol of God's grace; here as one we claim the faith of Jesus: all are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place. 3 Let us build a house where love is found in water, wine and wheat: a banquet hall on holy ground, where peace and justice meet. Here the love of God, through Jesus, is revealed in time and space; as we share in Christ the feast that frees us: all are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place. 4 Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone to heal and strengthen, serve and teach, and live the Word they've known. Here the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God's face; let us bring an end to fear and danger: all are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place. 5 Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard and loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word. Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace, let this house proclaim from floor to rafter: all are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place. Marty Haugen (born 1952) © 1994 GIA Publications Inc. 7404 S. Mason Avenue, Chicago, IL60638, USA Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth: 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Prayer of Thanksgiving We praise you and thank you, loving God for making the beautiful world that we live in and making us with something of the divine within each one of us. Thank you for giving us laws and instructions to help us understand how to live with you and each other. Yet despite all this, we decided that we knew better than you. We found ways around your laws and instructions, ways in which to exploit each other and make sure that we had the power and control that we craved. We discovered that we could act in our own interests while covering our actions with a veneer of faithfulness to you which disguised our true intentions. Still you did not give up on us. You sent prophets and leaders to call us back to you through words and signs but we did not listen to them. Rather than act on the message, we tried to silence or marginalise the messenger. Even when you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, the good religious people of the day sought to silence him through death. Death did not have the last word, however. You raised him from the dead and he ascended back to you in the heavenly places. You gave us the Holy Spirit to continue the work of Christ and guide us to follow you in new ways. Nevertheless, we are here at your invitation to meet you, remember what you have done for us, and look forward to the coming of your Kingdom in all its completeness. We ask you to send down that same Holy Spirit here and now transforming this bread and wine into the very essence of Jesus so that we might receive him in our hearts through faith. May the Spirit also transform us so that our lives may resemble our Saviour more and more as we seek to share God’s love with the world. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Here is our Lord coming to us in bread and wine The gifts of God for God’s beloved people. We share bread and wine Loving God, we thank you for this time when we have been joined with you and united by each other. Send us out from here to be renewed people in your world, working for you and showing your love to everyone we meet, even the people we disagree with. In the name of Christ. Amen. HYMN: All my hope 1 All my hope on God is founded; He doth still my trust renew. Me through change and chance he guideth, Only good and only true. God unknown, He alone Calls my heart to be his own. 2 Pride of man and earthly glory, Sword and crown betray his trust; What with care and toil he buildeth, Tower and temple, fall to dust. But God's power, Hour by hour, Is my temple and my tower. 3 God's great goodness ay endureth, Deep his wisdom, passing thought: Splendour, light, and life attend him, Beauty springeth out of nought. Evermore, From his store New-born worlds rise and adore. 4 Still from man to God eternal Sacrifice of praise be done, High above all praises praising For the gift of Christ his Son. Christ doth call One and all: Ye who follow shall not fall. Meine Hoffnung stehet feste Joachim Neander (1650-1680) paraphrased Robert Bridges (1844-1930) Blessing May the blessing of God the Creator, Christ the Saviour and the Holy Spirit who guides us into the future be with us and all God’s beloved people made in the divine image, now and evermore. Amen. All music copied and streamed under CCL 634229 & 138598, One Licence A735906 & PRS Licence 0021369
Ian and Julie's Zoom service for 7th ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Tuesday, March 2. 2021Audio recording of Ian & Julie's service from last Sunday
Ian & Julie's service 280221
Audio recording of Ian & Julie's ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Sunday, February 28. 2021URC audio service for 28th February 2021
URC audio worship
The Second Sunday in Lent The Rev’d Jenny Mills – Secretary for Education and Learning Introduction Hello- Welcome to worship today, Sunday 28th February. I am Jenny Mills, I am a Minister of Word and Sacraments currently serving as Secretary for Education and Learning for the United Reformed Church. I began in the role between lockdown 1.0 and 2.0 in October 2020. I am recording this from Newport Pagnell, famous for its service station, and also for being a place where there was a dissenting academy to train ministers in the 1800s. This academy became part of Cheshunt college, which in turn became part of Westminster College, Cambridge. A noble claim to fame! As I record this, I have family on Zoom calls and hope you do not hear them in the background- such is the joy of online meetings and gatherings in a family home! Come, let us worship God Call to Worship People of God, on this wilderness journey, what will you eat? The word of the Lord is our daily bread. People of God, in this time of temptation, how will you live? Our faith is in the faithfulness of God. People of God, at this kingdom crossroad, whom will you serve? We worship the Lord our God alone. Hymn God of grace and God of Glory H E Fosdick 1878-1969 God of grace and God of glory on you people pour Your power. Crown Your ancient Church’s story bring its bud to glorious flower. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the facing of this hour, for the facing of this hour. 2: Lo! The hosts of evil ‘round us scorn our Christ, assail His ways! From the fears that long have bound us free our hearts to faith and praise. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the living of these days, for the living of these days. 3: Save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore; let the gift of thy salvation be our glory evermore. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, serving You whom we adore, serving You whom we adore. 4: God of grace and God of glory on your people pour Your power. Crown your ancient Church’s story bring its bud to glorious flower. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of this hour, for the facing of this hour. Prayers of Approach, Confession and Assurance of Forgiveness: God of grace and God of glory. You are the divine, the almighty, the Lord of all. You created and love all that is. You created and love us all, just as we are, without exception. Not because we deserve your love, not because of what we have done. but because you are God. You know us, know the things we like and value about ourselves, the things we struggle with and dislike. You know the ways we behave, our thoughts, words and actions. And still you love us, unconditionally. Gracious God, may we truly absorb, believe and appreciate this, worship and praise you, and seek to live our lives for you, through the power of your Holy Spirit and following Jesus’ example. And yet, despite all we can profess to understand and all we commit to do, we fail to truly live as people who are blessed by your love. We limit you. We box you in. We make up rules and processes that keep you away from others. We live in ways that directly contradict your ways revealed through Jesus. We falsely convince ourselves that you have favourites and like some people more than others. We elevate ourselves to the ‘good’ pedestal whilst knocking others down, judging them and finding them wanting and then make excuses and justifications for our words and actions. We look at ourselves through rose coloured spectacles and look at others from positions of power and arrogance and pride. We think of ourselves more than others and live with unchallenged prejudices and hate. We are guilty of failing to act to bring justice and peace, we are guilty as individuals and as members of humanity. So often we do not even do it consciously. So often we do not even know we are doing it. So often we do not even see what we are doing. And yet we fall short. Help us to take steps closer to you, to be a truer reflection of Christ in how we live in this world. Help us Lord to stop and reflect: on our words and actions, our attitudes and ways. Reveal again to us your compassion, your justice, your will and way. Help us turn from the self-absorbed and insular, to focus on the wider world and on others. May we be seen as light and love, not judgment and condemnation. Gracious God, forgive us our sins and help us turn again to you knowing we are loved and forgiven. Jesus said: ‘Come to me all you who are heavy-laden and I will give you rest’. We come, we bring our burdens, lay them down and seek that rest. Let us then help others, forgive others, love others, and forgive ourselves, in Jesus’ name. Amen. Prayer of Illumination Loving God, open our eyes, hearts and minds to your joy, light and love as we listen for your Word brought to us in these words. May we respond to your call and step out in your name, living out the love we have heard and reflected on. Amen. Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.’ Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, ‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.’ Romans 4: 13-25 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. Hymn To Abraham and Sarah Judith Fetter, 1984 To Abraham and Sarah the call of God was clear: “Go forth and I will show you a country rich and fair. You need not fear the journey, for I have pledged my word that you shall be my people and I will be your God. 2: From Abraham and Sarah arose a pilgrim race, dependent for their journey on God’s abundant grace; and in their heart was written by God this saving word: that “You shall be my people and I will be your God.” 3: We of this generation on whom God’s h and is laid, can journey to the future secure and unafraid, rejoicing in God’s goodness and trusting in this word; that “You shall be my people and I will be your God.” Sermon What words stood out for you in today’s readings? What images? What did you hear that made you think? The wonder of the Bible is that, even if we have heard the same reading many times, each time we hear it we hear something different, something new. And while it is helpful to have people to offer reflections and words on the Lectionary readings, we must never forget that God gave us all the ability to hear, discern and respond to the words of Scripture ourselves. For me, the words ‘promise’, ‘faith’ and ‘faithful’ stood out. Abraham was encouraged to be faithful and through his faithfulness and the faithfulness of his descendants, we have the encouragement that through faith we, too, are part of God’s promise. Abram was old, very old. He had had experienced God’s word to him on many occasions and had lived according to God’s will and yet in this reading, we hear, God appeared to Abram and did something new, massive, life changing, transformational and enduring. God chose him and made a covenant with him, a lasting covenant, an everlasting covenant that still has ramifications today. God’s promise to one man and one woman grew and grew and became possibility, opportunity and blessing for many. And because of that covenant, we are here, listening, reading and reflecting on God’s Word still today. God did not put any limitations on what was going to happen. God didn’t choose the strongest or the best, God didn’t choose the likeliest candidate: God chose an old man. We don’t have to look far to see that this was, and is, God’s way. God still chooses those whom society may consider the unlikely, the least and the lost. God chose Abram, then God renamed him. God acknowledged who Abram was and, to signify the new beginning, changed his name. He was known and he was named and Sarah too. Powerful stuff. How do we experience the story of Abraham, the father of our faith? We revere, we hold him up as an example of solid faith. In Romans we heard that Abraham did not weaken in faith, that he did not distrust and that he hoped against hope. And yet in the next verse in our reading, verse 17 in Genesis 17, Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself: ‘can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?’ What we see here is a fallible human being. A man who was open to question, to challenge, to feel uncertain. God’s promise to Abraham seems impossible. And yet what did he have to do? Walk before God and be blameless! Not a great ask, some may say- but we already know Abraham and how his treatment of Hagar, his wife’s slave girl, was awful and so God’s word was a challenge to him. God also made it clear that the covenant was something that was two-sided: Abraham and the people of Israel had to keep their side of the bargain by practising circumcision. And this was a massive issue for the post-exilic people of God and went on into the Epistles in the New Testament, where we hear of the struggles of the people of God who believed they were being unfaithful if they did not demand circumcision of all. The added complexity of covenant related to circumcision and then the idea of the land as perpetual holding brings us into increasingly difficult territory. This is what the Bible does- it challenges us! It is not an easy read! My offering here is that we cannot use the Bible as an instruction manual but are to read it as a narrative of God’s relationship with humankind and the growing understanding and revelation of that relationship. The risk we run if we do not see it as a collection of books written by ordinary people is that we allow it, not to challenge and change us, but to perpetuate and excuse poor behaviour and we do so in God’s name. We can look at history and see how things that were widely accepted in society, and were condoned and supported using biblical texts, are no longer considered appropriate: slavery, the vilification of unmarried mothers, the refutation of divorce, the condemnation of same gender relationships or the prejudice towards different races and the acceptance of white supremacy. Condemnation, criticism, triumphalistic narratives of hate or hurt have no place in God’s kingdom. And so, as we move on in time and in narrative to the words of the letter to the Romans, the story of God’s covenant through Abraham and the people of God is taken on and transformed by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus: the covenant with God continued not because of the actions of anyone, but because of the faith of the people. The faithfulness of the people matters more than sticking to the letter of the law. Being trumps doing. And so it endures. Faith is believing in an all-loving God, it is an understanding of God’s will and way being made real in the world through Christ and through human beings and it is trusting the divine presence of God to guide, uphold, enable, inspire and help us to live well as we seek to bring God’s kingdom here on earth. As we learn more, as God is revealed in new and exciting ways, it becomes clear that God’s love is unchanging but God’s interaction with humankind develops and grows and so does our understanding of society and what needs to change. Abraham was named, known, loved and sent out to grow the kingdom of God. We, too, are known, named, loved and called to go out and grow the kingdom of God. Not by preaching limitations and narrow boundaries, but by sharing the extravagant, transformational, abundant and life giving love that was shared with humankind in the promises to Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses; in the promises brought in Christ to the disciples and given to the people by the apostle Paul and those writing in his name. As we make our Lenten journey, as we walk the road to Jesus’ crucifixion and consider, once again, the sacrifice he made for us and for the whole of humanity, may we continue to consider how our faith impacts our daily lives, how we can use that faith to change the world around us, seeking to follow God and live blameless lives . May we also endeavour to share the promise and blessing of our faith so that others may find fulness of life, inspiration, hope, peace, joy and love and strength, all made possible by a covenant God. Amen. Hymn: God who sets us on a journey. Joy Dine (1937 – 2001) God who sets us on a journey to discover, dream and grow, lead us as you led your people in the desert long ago; journey inward, journey outward, stir the spirit, stretch the mind, love for God and self and neighbour marks the way that Christ defined. Exploration brings new insights, changes, choices we must face; give us wisdom in deciding, mindful always of your grace; should we stumble, lose our bearings, find it hard to know what’s right, we regain our true direction focused on the Jesus light. End our longing for the old days, grant the vision that we lack – once we’ve started on this journey there can be no turning back; let us travel light, discarding excess baggage from our past, cherish only what’s essential, choosing treasure that will last. When we set up camp and settle to avoid love’s risk and pain, you disturb complacent comfort, pull the tent pegs up again; keep us travelling in the knowledge you are always at our side; give us courage for the journey, Christ our goal and Christ our guide. Affirmation of Faith As followers of Jesus Christ, living in this world— which some seek to control, but which others view with despair— we declare with joy and trust: our world belongs to God! From the beginning, through all the crises of our times, until His Kingdom fully comes, God keeps covenant forever. our world belongs to God! We rejoice in the goodness of God, renounce the works of darkness, and dedicate ourselves to holy living, for our world belongs to God! As committed disciples, called to faithful obedience, and set free for joyful praise, we offer our hearts and lives to do God's work in his world, for our world belongs to God! With tempered impatience, eager to see injustice ended, we expect the Day of the Lord. And we are confident that the light which shines in the present darkness will fill the earth when Christ appears for our World belongs to God! Intercessions Loving God, our world can be beautiful, supportive, united, thrilling and joyful. Life can be enriching and easy, simple and untroubled. And for these times and these experiences, we give you thanks. For the times when life is easy and each step is an exciting adventure, we give you thanks. For the times when happiness and peace and faith come easy, we give you thanks. And yet, life in this 21st century world so often feels like a storm: like the rain obscuring our vision and stopping us from rational responses, like the cold chilling us and making us moan, like the wind blowing us from place to place as we are tossed around at the whim of others, and then the overwhelming floods that make it almost impossible to carry on daily life, making it hazardous and difficult. Life in this broken and troubled world becomes tough, exhausting, isolating and hard. We live in a world where we can struggle for glimpses of you. And yet, Gracious God, we know you love everyone and everything that you have created. And we know that you are as saddened by the devastation, pain and conflict in this world as we are. You are the God who wills good for your world, and you work through, in and with us. Help us to listen for the promptings of your Holy Spirit calling us to step up and step out, for the inspiration needed to change and the resilience to keep that change going. We bring to you now those places, people and situations around the world who are affected by the storms of life. Those who are experiencing the worst this world has to offer, who feel abandoned and forgotten. The anxious and the broken, the fighting and the fearful, and all those whose lives feel hopeless. In this time of quiet we offer the words of our hearts. (Silence) Loving God, life is sometimes so hard. When it is and we are in need, may we risk being vulnerable and reach out to ask for help. May we also seek to find ways to help each other, love, support, assist and care for each other, however, whenever and wherever that is possible. We believe that you can do things beyond our imaginings, influencing change and bringing love, in places and people so often neglected or ignored. All these prayers we offer in Jesus’ name, who showed us what love is and what relationships can be and we pray as He taught us saying: Our Father… Offertory God calls us to share what we have and to do so with a willing heart. Loving God, we come giving thanks for your love in our lives and the blessings we find in being joined together in community, whether online, on the airwaves or on paper. We offer our thanks and our lives to you, that our time and money, our gifts and talents may be used to glorify you and enable your kingdom to flourish here on earth. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Hymn: Peace, perfect peace Words and Music: Kevin Mayhew Peace, perfect peace, is the gift of Christ our Lord. Peace, perfect peace, is the gift of Christ our Lord. Thus says the Lord, will the world know my friends, peace, perfect peace is the gift of Christ our Lord. Hope, perfect hope… Joy, perfect joy…. Blessing Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. And may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with us, those we love, those we are yet to love and those we struggle to love. Now and forever, Amen Sources and thanks God of grace and God of Glory - H E Fosdick 1878-1969 Sung by Sanctuary Choir, First Methodist Church, Houston, Texas. To Abraham and Sarah - Judith Fetter, 1984. Unknown church choir on Youtube God who sets us on a journey - Words: Joy Dine (1937 – 2001) © The Revd Mervyn Dine. Reproduced with permission Sung by Michael Schoepe accompanied by Paul Dankers Sunday, October 4th, 2020 Peace, perfect peace - Words and Music: Kevin Mayhew. Performed by a Primary School Choir for the BBC’s Come and Praise CD Call to worship from Feasting on the Word Affirmation of Faith taken from Stanzas 1 and 2 of Our World Belongs to God - a contemporary testimony of faith available in the worship edition of the Psalter Hymnal of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC Publications, 1987; 1-800-333-8300; www.FaithAliveResources.org). Organ Pieces Ein Feste Burg (“A mighty fortress”) by Max Reger. (organ of Basilica Santo Spirito, Florence, Italy – 2016) Nun Danket Alle Gott – Marche Triomphale (“Now thank we all our God”) by Sigfrid Karg-Elert (organ of All Saints’, Odiham – 2020) Both pieces played by, and received, with thanks, from Brian Cotterill. http://briancotterill.webs.com Thanks to John Cornell, Anne Hewling, Marion Thomas, David Shimmin, Karen Smith and Alison Jiggins for reading various spoken parts of the service. Thanks to the choir of Barrhead URC for the Call to Worship and Affirmation of Faith. Where words are copyright reproduced under the terms of Barrhead URC’s CCLI licence number 1064776, Some material reprinted, and streamed, with permission under ONE LICENSE A-734713 All rights reserved. PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762
URC audio service for 28th February 2021 Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Friday, February 26. 2021Ian & Julie's Zoom service for 28th February 2021
For those able to join us by Zoom at 11.00 am the joining details are as follows
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3540351038?pwd=Ti9Wb3F6N2h1amRtb0FzWVg5WFYzQT09 Meeting ID: 354 035 1038 Passcode: 717837 Sunday 28th February 2021 Readings Call to worship Come, just as you are, to the God who made you. Come, just as you are, to the God who loves you. Come, just as you are, to the God who will transform you. Come. HYMN: Jesus calls us here to meet Him (Tune: Hyfydol) 1 Jesus calls us here to meet him as through word and song and prayer we affirm God's promised presence where his people live and care. Praise the God who keeps his promise; praise the Son who calls us friends; praise the Spirit who, among us, to our hopes and fears attends. 2 Jesus calls us to confess him Word of Life and Lord of All, sharer of our flesh and frailness saving all who fail or fall. Tell his holy human story; tell his tales that all may hear; tell the world that Christ in glory came to earth to meet us here. 3 Jesus calls us to each other: vastly different though we are; creed and colour, class and gender neither limit nor debar. Join the hand of friend and stranger; join the hands of age and youth; join the faithful and the doubter in their common search for truth. John L Bell (born 1949) and Graham Maule (1958-2019) © 1989, 1998 WGRG, c/o Iona Community, 21 Carlton Court, Glasgow, G5 9JP, Scotland. Prayer Loving God, we are here because you have called us together from separate lives and separate homes. We thank you and praise you that you made us for a life connected with you and a spirit that connects us to the divine spark of the Holy Spirit. We thank you too for Jesus, who shows us what a human life fully connected to the divine is like. Forgive us that we do not always reflect your image in our own lives due to our selfishness and delusion that we are self-sufficient. Forgive us when we either mould you into our image or permit others to mould us into patterns which meet their needs and desires. God who made us Jesus who knows what it is to be fully human Holy Spirit, spark that connects us with the divine Have mercy on us Loving God, who calls us not to have our worst condemned but our best transformed, set us free from our past and through your Spirit, transform us so that our lives might reflect Jesus, pattern for our human life. So, as forgiven and beloved people, let us join together in the prayer that Jesus left us through his disciples…. The Lord’s Prayer Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 New Revised Standard Version The Sign of the Covenant 17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty;[a]walk before me, and be blameless. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be Abram,[b] but your name shall be Abraham;[c] for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring[d] after you. 15 God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Mark 8:31-38 New International Version - UK Jesus predicts his death 31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. ‘You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’ 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.’ Reflection Do you ever think that you’re the only person who thinks the way that you do? Feels just the way you do? Or perhaps see yourself as part of a group of friends, a family in which everyone understands and accepts each other with out question or exploration; with everyone just getting on with life the best way that they can. I have a bit of an admission to make (with apologies to those who will read this and have known me all of my life!). When I was a child Karen, my little sister and myself spent -it seems most of the long summer school holidays at Nanna’s house. Just down the back lane from her home was a play park, it had swings a climbing frame and a see – saw. We loved being there and would often go early in the morning so that we could play uninterrupted. I just loved the see-saw but one of the things that I always wanted to try and never did, was to walk along it! Start at one end, walk up towards the centre and then gently edge my way down without the other end dropping too fast and me falling off. I was a scaredy cat in those days! In conversation with our Aunt recently she reminded me how I was frightened of my own shadow. Maybe secretly I still am! Now you may well be wondering why I’m telling you all that now. It’s because I see in both of this week’s readings echo’s of being in the middle of a situation and which ever direction is taken there is a risk of the end of the see-saw dropping too quickly and it all going wrong! Abram is entering in to covenant with God for a third time, the first time at his home in Haram and God called him to leave everything that he knew and make a journey, which would involve a new beginning. At that time he was only 72, then when he was 86 and God promised him a son, he tried to help God’s plan a little by entering into relationship with Hagar, after all Sarai couldn’t possible bear children at her age, could she? I do have to admit that this passage can cause me sleepless nights if I let it! And now we read, at the ripe old age of 99 God is again telling this faithful pair that they will become parents, not just of a child but of many nations. On top of that God is going to give them new names as markers of their new relationship with God. The passage from Mark comes immediately after the climactic moment when Peter, speaking for the disciples acknowledges for the first time “You are the Messiah”; hooray! Whilst expectations differed amongst first century Jews about what that meant, there was a general idea that the longed for and expected Messiah would deliver the Jews from the Roman oppression and the revolutionary activity that was prevalent at the time. Poor Peter, goes from hero to zero when Jesus declares that he must undergo suffering, rejection and death, of course he also announces that he will rise again after three days but this detail is understandably missed. Is it any wonder? At the mention of suffering, rejection and death all listening stops! They can take no more, Peter goes into overdrive and takes Jesus to one side and rebukes him! Anyway – there will be no need for a resurrection if the previous part is not allowed to happen. Just imagine the scene – Peter walks over to Jesus and drapes a friendly arm around his shoulders, he just needs a friendly chat, Peter just wants to put Jesus right about this idea of Messiahship. “Suffering, rejection, death, what are you talking about? They’re not on the agenda. Prestige, power and dominion, that what all this is about – surely. It’s David’s throne we’re after, we signed up for a crown, not a cross! Peter it seems is blinded by his own ideas, his own agenda, his own convictions of who the Messiah should be rather than is. Of course we could never be blinded by our own misconceptions of what being a Christian is would we? Peter’s rebuke reflects the way that humans think. Jesus refers to him as Satan, not because he believes that Peter is evil but because Satan is viewed as the tempter, the deceiver. Peter is deceived by his humanity, Jesus wants to teach not just Peter but the disciples and the crowd that there is another way. Perhaps this Lent rather than being as GUS (giving something up), or a TOM (take on more) we could spend time, in whatever way is helpful for each of us to think about what it means to be a Christian. Perhaps it might mean that you need or want to go back a step further. To think about who you are. How does the world see you? how would your family and friends describe you? Who are you when you think of yourself as created in Gods image? I am keeping a Lenten journal, I’m trying to be completely honest when I write draw, scribble, paint or record in it. That should be easy, you might think but there is always the human way of seeing ourselves as we would like to be seen rather than who we really are. It is safe to do so because I know that nobody will ever see it unless I choose to show them. I’m learning lots about myself, in doing so I’m learning about what it means for the ME created in God’s image might not be the me that I or the world around me see me. I believe that, our Christian faith, like that of Abraham, Sarah, the disciples and all of us who want to take up our cross, is a pilgrimage, it will twist and turn we may even be led where we don’t want to go. If we take time to be the unique individual we are created to be, we will be better equipped as we journey towards God, when we strive to be like others that we admire, trying to be like someone that we are not our direction is away from God. We can only ever be ourselves, we after all are the only ones qualified to be that. The journey may not always be easy and we may be called to bear burdens for those who are unable to bear them alone for a time. We don’t however go alone, one has gone before us and is with us even if sometimes he would like us to get behind him! For me, in this time and in this place taking up the cross means loosing the self I strive to be and learn to live as the human being I was created to be, letting go of all the expectations put on us by the world and take up the expectations of God. I would like to end with a poem, it is written by Clare Lind, I know nothing about her but her poem is in a book that was a gift to me from a friend when he visited New Zealand. The words resonated with me: - Across the paddocks by the willows there’s a track. If you take the track the track will take you down along the river to where the mud gives way to sand and the river gives way to the sea. And this landscape of surrender finds an echo deep within in the Spirit’s quiet insistence, ‘Come, give way to me.’ It’s a landscape of surrender. If you take the track the track will take you… take you and remake you, for your trust will be rewarded and your loss will be your gain. HYMN: To Abraham and Sarah 1 To Abraham and Sarah the call of God was clear: 'Go forth and I will show you a country rich and fair. You need not fear the journey, for I have pledged my word that you shall be my people and I will be your God'. 2 From Abraham and Sarah arose a pilgrim race, dependent for their journey on God's abundant grace; and in their heart was written by God this saving word: that 'You shall be my people and I will be your God'. 3 We of this generation on whom God's hand is laid, can journey to the future secure and unafraid, rejoicing in God's goodness and trusting in this word: that 'You shall be my people and I will be your God.' Judith A. Fetter (born 1937). © Judith A. Fetter Prayers Let us pray For the healing of bodies we pray; for a holy healing which deals with both pain and its causes; for healing which leads to a new love for the body, a new care for the body: and also, where mortal life wearies for the end, the healing of death Loving God Hear our prayer For the healing of minds we pray. for a holy healing which deals with memories as well as madness, abuse as well as anxiety, depression as well as dementia, stigma as well as the suffering of a tortured mind and also, where people have been hurt by religion, for the healing of faith. Loving God Hear our prayer For the healing of relationships we pray: for a holy healing which will not make things nice but will make things possible; for the mending of love which has been fractured, for the cherishing of those whose true sexuality has been deemed aberrant, and for the holding in brokenness of those whose love has been undermined by deceit Loving God Hear our prayer For a healing of our world we pray: for a holy healing, for the tearing down of cruel barriers and the building of bridges for peace; for the ending of needless exploitation and the growth of reverence for our planet; for replacing what the wealthy want with an abundance of what the world wants Loving God Hear our prayer Hear all our prayers as we ask them in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen HYMN: For ourselves no longer living 1 For ourselves no longer living, let us live for Christ alone; of ourselves more strongly giving, go as far as he has gone: one with God who chose to be one with us to set us free. 2 If we are to live for others, share as equals human worth, join the round of sisters, brothers, that encircles all the earth: all the fullness earth affords, is the people's, is the Lord's. 3 Fighting fear and exploitation is our daily common call; finding selfhood, building nations, sharing what we have with all. As the birds that soar in flight, let us rise towards the light. 4 Let us rise and join the forces that combine to do God's will, wisely using earth's resources, human energy and skill. Let us now , by love released, celebrate the future's feast! Fred Kaan (1929-2009) © 1975, 1988 Stainer & Bell Ltd Blessing Lead us on and bless us, loving God as we move forward into the future with you as changed people, more closely reflecting your image within us so that transformed in this way we may be ready to play our part in the coming of your Kingdom and the renewing of our world. Amen. All music copied and streamed under CCL 634229 & 138598, One Licence A735906 & PRS Licence 0021369
Ian & Julie's Zoom service for ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Monday, February 22. 2021If you missed the service on Sunday.....
...you can find an edited version here.
Zoom service recording
If you missed the service on Sunday..... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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19:04
Sunday, February 21. 2021URC audio Service for Sunday 21st February 2021
URC audio service
URC audio Service for Sunday 21st ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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09:01
Sunday, February 21. 2021Zoom service for 21st February 2021
Service for 21st February 2021
If you are able to join us by Zoom at 11am, the codes are as follows; Join Zoom Meeting Zoom service Meeting ID: 354 035 1038 Passcode: 717837 Call to Worship Lenten God, we come to you at the beginning of this season: seeking change, seeking renewal, seeking your Spirit of transformation to come amongst us. Lenten God, come and move amongst us today, as we worship. Amen HYMN: Great is thy faithfulness 1 Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee; thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not, as thou hast been thou for ever wilt be. Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided - great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me! 2 Summer and winter, and spring-time and harvest, sun, moon and stars in their courses above, join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Chorus 3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! Chorus Thomas O Chisholm (1866-1960) Copyright © 1923, renewal 1951 Hope Publishing Company. Used by permission. Opening prayers Living God as we enter this Lent season we pray, Be with us in the wildernesses of 2021. We remember Jesus who was tempted for 40 days in the wilderness but was with God; we hold together with those going through their own wilderness experiences. As we come to you in worship and thanksgiving, Be with us in the wildernesses that we face each day. As we come to pray, to sing, to reflect, and to hold silence, Be with us in the wildernesses of not being in our buildings. As we come, knowing that we are far from perfect and have fallen short of your glory, Be with us in the wildernesses of our lives. [Pause] Thank you for your forgiveness of us, and accepting us just as we are. As we come, with responsibility and facing temptation, Be with us in the wildernesses we see in others. As we come, standing together with all those individuals, families and communities who have been ravaged by Covid 19 and horrendous diseases that rage around the world. Be with us in the wildernesses of all who suffer and all who make a difference. As we come, we your church offer you this time, and invite your Spirit to move amongst us. Be with us in the wildernesses of all that keeps us from you. For ourselves Lord, we hold a moment silence as we know the Lord that was with Jesus is with us here now by the power of your Spirit. So we say together: The words of the prayer that have been handed on from Christ… Amen. Genesis 9 v 8-17 (New Revised Standard Version) 8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 ‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark.[a] 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ 12 God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ 17 God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’ Revelation 4 v 1-12 (Contemporary English Version) 4 After this, I looked and saw a door that opened into heaven. Then the voice that had spoken to me at first and that sounded like a trumpet said, “Come up here! I will show you what must happen next.” 2 Right then the Spirit took control of me, and there in heaven I saw a throne and someone sitting on it. 3 The one who was sitting there sparkled like precious stones of jasper[a] and carnelian.[b] A rainbow that looked like an emerald[c] surrounded the throne. 4 Twenty-four other thrones were in a circle around that throne. And on each of these thrones there was an elder dressed in white clothes and wearing a gold crown. 5 Flashes of lightning and roars of thunder came out from the throne in the center of the circle. Seven torches, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning in front of the throne. 6 Also in front of the throne was something that looked like a glass sea, clear as crystal. Around the throne in the center were four living creatures covered front and back with eyes. 7 The first creature was like a lion, the second one was like a bull, the third one had the face of a human, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and their bodies were covered with eyes. Day and night they never stopped singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, the all-powerful God, who was and is and is coming!” 9 The living creatures kept praising, honoring, and thanking the one who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever. 10 At the same time the twenty-four elders knelt down before the one sitting on the throne. And as they worshiped the one who lives forever, they placed their crowns in front of the throne and said, 11 “Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. You created all things, and by your decision they are and were created.” In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth where there had previously been chaos. The waters are then brought under control, and a separation made between earth and sea. This is important. By and large, the Israelites were not a seafaring people and therefore the fear of the waters breaking their barriers was very real. The Creator stood between them and the return of the chaos. This brings us to the account of the flood. Many ancient cultures have a flood story usually involving a heroic figure who battles their way through the chaos to overcome the flood. Usually, the flood is instigated by the gods who human beings have displeased in some way. The Genesis version has God as judging the earth with the flood but differs in that God not only sets a limit on the duration of the flood but selects a family and gives them instructions to ensure the continuation of life after the waters have receded. Nevertheless, the flood is an extremely traumatic event. The chaos which God has held in check has now been released and it appears to be a return to the primeval state of creation. All the gains since the beginning of time seem to have been wiped out. We pick up the story towards the end. The waters have drained away and Noah, his family and the living creatures are able to move upon the earth again. There is a chance of a new beginning and God makes a covenant with Noah on behalf of all living beings. God’s sign of this new covenant is the rainbow in the clouds. Some of you may know that Julie and I are very fond of rainbows. When I preached with a view at Abergavenny, we saw so many rainbows on the way back to Devon that we felt God was saying that if you get a call, it’s the right thing to do to accept it. Rainbows do not appear by demand or desire though. In a box of papers which Julie and Karen found after their mum’s death were the words to a song – ‘Look for me in rainbows’ which was played at her funeral. Since then, no matter how much we may have wanted to see one, rainbows have been at a premium. It should go without saying but you cannot have rainbows without the rain – they are a phenomenon that requires both sunshine and water vapour. If we see rainbows as a sign of hope, they appear after a period of darkness and pain – you cannot have one without the other. The rainbow first comes to our notice in scripture after a very traumatic episode in the life of creation. To me, this suggests that joy and pain, sunshine, rain and rainbows come together as an integral part of life. Remarkably, no two people see the same rainbow in the same way as no two people experience events in quite the same way – rainbows are as unique and individual as each one of us. The rainbow comes as a sign of hope. No matter how bad things get, no matter how dark the present may seem, the rainbow reminds us that there is a limit beyond which things will not go – although there are times when the limit seems rather too high for our liking! In Genesis, God declares that no matter how bad the world may get in the future, the reset button will not be pressed in the way that Noah has just experienced. This sets the Biblical account apart from the other flood stories where the gods grudgingly concede defeat. For a feature which seems so significant in Genesis, you may be surprised to know that rainbows don’t appear much in the rest of the Bible. Perhaps they were so everyday, so commonplace, that they didn’t merit much mention as everyone knew what they signified. It’s only in the final book of our Scriptures, the Revelation, that they merit a mention in two places as a feature of the heavenly places. I have to say that I’m not altogether sure what their purpose is in Revelation but taking the book as a poetic vision of the end times, I take some comfort from the fact that as rainbows appear at the beginning of the Bible, they reappear at the end. What has this got to say to us? We may not have suffered a great flood, but we are still in a global pandemic which has changed life as we know it. There is still a great deal of uncertainty about where we end up – it’s almost as if there are signs that the tide may be receding but there is still a long way to go before we reach dry land. Of course, if we’re being carried along by the current, there is no guarantee that where we land will be anywhere like where we set off from. It is very tempting as we approach the anniversary of the first lockdown to see it in terms of a year lost. A year when we’ve been unable to meet together, sing together, eat and drink together, or even say goodbye to people who are no longer with us. However, I believe that it is a year in which we have also gained. We have stuck together in adversity and learned new ways of being church together which may give us a pointer towards the future. Some of you will feel that these gains are outweighed by the losses, but I believe that the gains are a means of showing that God still has work for us to do even in adversity. However we may feel about the past year, we still need reassurance and hope for the future. In the same way as the rainbow is a sign that God has not given up on the earth and the human beings placed in it, there are signs that God has not given up on us and still has work for us to do. This does not mean that everything will be perfect in the future. The only other thing that we are told about Noah is he planted a vineyard and got drunk – something that many people who have been confined to a particular space with their family may have sympathy with. Writing this on Ash Wednesday brings home our flawed humanity and sinfulness but the covenant of hope that God makes with all of creation reminds us not only that we have a God who is merciful and patient but also that we, as creatures made in the divine image, are called to live lives of mercy, patience hope and, above all, love. Amen. HYMN: O love, that will not let me go 1 O Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee: I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be. 2 O Light that followest all my way, I yield my flickering torch to thee: my heart restores its borrowed ray, that in thy sunshine's blaze its day may brighter, fairer be. 3 O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee: I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain that morn shall tearless be. 4 O Cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from thee: I lay in dust life's glory dead, and from the ground there blossoms red life that shall endless be. George Matheson (1842-1886) Prayers of intercession We pray for the restoration of our broken relationship with the environment, Help us rediscover a covenant of care with all your creation. For the animals we hunt to extinction, For the forests we burn in our wilful self-destruction, For the air we pollute with our selfish habits, God of covenants, Lord of rainbows, lead us in your truth, and teach us your ways. We pray for the healing of our relationships with each other, Help us to forge a humanity of love and peace, Destroy the relationships of inequality and injustice, Forge and nurture love and compassion in us, God of covenants, Lord of rainbows, lead us in your truth, and teach us your ways. We pray for those who have promised to care of, and love those who are sick: For doctors and nurses, We hold in your embrace those on the front line dealing with breaking bad news and supporting loved ones of all whose lives have been limited or shortened because of delayed treatments. For care and social workers, For chaplains and visitors. We pray for those who care for those in our prisons, For prison guards and probation officers, God of covenants, Lord of rainbows, lead us in your truth, and teach us your ways We pray for broken families, broken homes, and hostile communities. Fulfil in their time the reassurance of your promises, God of covenants, Lord of rainbows, lead us in your truth, and teach us. We pray for the healing of the broken body of Christ, Rekindle in us the zeal to share the good news. Give us the vision to see beyond the rainbow of our horizons, Come and dwell in us that we may go out and serve your people, God of covenants, Lord of rainbows, lead us in your truth, and teach us your ways. We bring these prayers in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ who restores us to our wholeness. Amen. HYMN: Rainbows are God’s promise to us Rainbows are God’s promise to us as they arc above the land; reassurance when we need it that we’re held in God’s own hand. First to Noah, when all seemed hopeless, colours showed across the sky; promises from God in heaven, humankind no more need die. Then again in Revelation, with God's Glory all around, when at last in heavenly splendour, with a rainbow all are crowned. It needs rain, along with sunshine, to see colours always there. How amazing what God shows us when we look to heaven in prayer. It is when the world seems darkest, the bow seems brighter up above, asking those who know the Saviour to be reflections of his love. Rainbows are God’s promise to us as they arc above the land; reassurance when we need it that we’re held in God’s own hand. © JK Blessing People of wilderness, God bless us as we step out into the wildernesses of 2021, with the Spirit of God at our side. People of God, be blessed as we step out into God’s world, and encounter the living God – already at work in our midst. People of this Pastorate, be blessed as we go and be colourful people that are the church, every day, every hour, every moment, this Lent and beyond. Amen.
Zoom service for 21st February 2021 Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
at
08:58
Sunday, February 14. 2021URC audio service for 14th February 2021
To listen to the service
URC audio service You may wish to gather your bread and wine/grape juice at this point, before the service begins. URC Daily Devotions Sunday Worship 14th February 2021 The Rev’d William Young Introduction Good Morning! I am William Young, formerly a URC minister, now Pastor of the Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ in Washington, DC. I am blessed and privileged to share worship with my faith family in the United Reformed Church on this Valentine’s Day and the last Sunday of Epiphany, and I bring you American greetings from our denominational affiliations: the United Church of Christ, the American Baptist Churches of the USA, and the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. I invite you now to magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt God’s name together! Call To Worship Come and see the grace of God, Christ our teacher and our friend. Come and see the son of God, Christ our healer and salvation. God is moving in this place. Come and see! Come and see. Hymn: Immortal Invisible Walter C Smith (1867) 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. 2 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. 3: 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 nought changeth Thee 3 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! Prayers of Approach, Confession and Assurance of Forgiveness Living and Loving God we give thanks for all that You are to us and all that You have done for us. O God, you are beyond words and description, your love is beyond knowledge and explanation. You mystify us and yet You come close to us. We reflect on the many ways we have experienced you Power, Your Love, Your Mercy in our lives. Then sings our soul, our saviour God to Thee, how great Thou art! Yet, we confess that, like Peter, we have wanted to stay. “It’s good for us to be here. Let’s get comfortable.” We are often tempted to keep the experience of the Divine to ourselves, to enjoy the company of the saints instead of going back down the mountain to continue the work of Your Kin-dom. Forgive us when we are complacent and comfortable with keeping the riches of your love to ourselves. Keep calling us down from our mountains of comfort. Keep expecting more of us as your disciples. Keep reminding us to listen to your Son, in whose name we pray. Amen. Listen Beloved: Whether we hear a voice from the heavens or a still small voice in our hearts, listen carefully for the love of God. Believe and accept God’s love and live in God’s freedom. Thanks be to God! Prayer of Illumination Prepare our hearts, O God, to accept Your Word. Tune our ears and defrost our hearts. Make us a people who will hear and live Your Word. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. St Mark 9:2-10 (Common English Bible) Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain where they were alone. He was transformed in front of them, and his clothes were amazingly bright, brighter than if they had been bleached white. Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus. Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s make three shrines—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He said this because he didn’t know how to respond, for the three of them were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice spoke from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I dearly love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Human One had risen from the dead. So they kept it to themselves, wondering, “What’s this ‘rising from the dead’?” Hymn: Praise to the Lord, the almighty, the King of creation Joachim Neander (1650-1680) Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation! Come ye who hear, brothers and sisters draw near; praise Him in glad adoration! 2: Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth, shelters thee under his wings, and so gently sustaineth! Hast thou not seen all that is needful has been granted in what he ordaineth 3: Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee! Surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee; ponder anew what the Almighty can do, He who with love doth befriend thee! 4: Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore Him! All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him! Let the Amen Sound from His people again; Gladly for aye we adore Him. Sermon In the novel The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, the protagonist, Hiram Walker, is a 19th century slave in a rundown plantation, with a peculiar gift, called “conduction”. Call it a superpower, an intuition. In Coates’ vibrant words, Conduction made the earth “fold like fabric”, and Hiram can use it to transport himself and other slaves across great distances. He can literally set others free with his gift. But in order to do it he must access the memories of his ancestors. He needs to remember his mother dancing. Now, Hiram, can remember everything — faces, stories, facts — with photographic recall. His gift is exploited by the plantation owner who also happens to be his father. But he cannot remember his mother. And the novel is largely about Hiram’s struggle to live with his gift, and to remember what is too painful to recall. Memory can be too painful to recall; People of African descent on both sides of the Atlantic have tried to magnify, remember and honour lives taken away by police and civilian brutality in order to gain justice. Sometimes it has seemed all for naught. However, if we learn to live with our memories they can transform our perspective. When we learn to be, as Toni Morrison said, “objects of history, not subjects within it”, we may be able to transform not only our perspective, but also the world. Perhaps this is what Jesus had in mind When he invited Peter, James, and John up a mountain that day. Since I first heard the story in Sunday School, I have often struggled to imagine what The Transfiguration looked like. A psychedelic scene, Jesus glowing but not burning up. The word itself in Greek is metamorpho. The word means to change the outside to match the inside. To change the outward so that it matches the inward reality. Jesus is offering to three ‘knuckleheads’ a meaningful memory, not a place to stay. We see Moses, Elijah and Jesus: The Law, the Prophets, and Mercy (Jesus) in a conversation. We see Peter, James and John where their knees should be: falling in awe and joyful wonder. Then we see Peter, James, and John where their head should not be: dreams of grandeur. Enjoying the mountain view. Pensive about going back to civilisation. But the way of Jesus is not a pit stop, it is not an insular journey. I wonder what Peter’s proposed temple would have looked like. If it would have been anything like Abraham’s actual tomb in modern-day Hebron, it most likely would not be adorned with flashing lights from God, but with Israeli soldiers on every corner and monitored by check-points all around. Jesus knew the danger in making monuments over making meaningful memory. Peter’s proposed monument of Transfiguration would have been, like sacred places have often become, symbols of injustice in the world rather than emblems of God’s mercy. Peter’s suggestion reminds me of what a doctor was telling me of a growing problem in her profession. “Patients enter my consulting rooms armed with a file of Googled results. They sit down, and instead of telling me their symptoms, they proceed to tell me the diagnosis of their condition and what medication they want me to prescribe!” I hear that’s a common problem. Instead of depending on the doctors for advice, they feel their research makes them qualified to tell the trained doctor what to do and how to do it! But thank God for our best laid plans failing so that we can gain some perspective. Their best laid plans of “Let’s build three booths up here …” is cut short by The Voice that thunders, “This is my beloved Son, LISTEN TO HIM” Now here is something the disciples, and the church they founded, is not good at. We are unable to really listen to Jesus. We let our anxieties get in the way. Could it be that our files of Googled answers deafen us to what Jesus is really saying to the church? The disciples want to build booths and Jesus says, “Get up, shut up, stop being afraid, let’s go!” Esther de Waal has reflected on the experience of people who visit places that completely overwhelm them, like a cathedral or a historical site—they tend to gravitate toward the various plaques and placards which dot the walls. The placards which describe this stained glass window, or that work of art. She said that people gravitate towards those things as anchors, so that they don’t emotionally and spiritually become overwhelmed. It’s kind of the way we treat certain types of music: so many people say they “hate” classical music or jazz. What they really mean is they don’t understand it. But we have our placards that allows a little meaning to shine through, albeit superficial—the occasional advert playing a tune and we hum it in our house. It’s a defence mechanism to get us through the experience. The problem is, of course, that if you spend most of your time with the little square plaques or allowing the “Go Compare” advert to inform you on what opera is, you miss out on the opportunity to truly experience something—something that, if you let it, might end up blessing your life, changing your life. Go Compare just does not compare to the real experience! The story of faith, the faith of Abraham, is a story of encounters, not certainties. Messy encounters. Grace-filled, sacred, and holy encounters. Certainties can become casualties in these encounters, our static beliefs and misinformed opinions perish when the universe calls for a pause. Too many of us have learned that lesson in the past year. God is never static, God is always moving—on the mountain one moment…and the next moment God wants you to listen on the way back to civilisation. The beauty of the transfiguration is that Jesus does not allow the mountain to tell his story. Jesus relies on his friends, disciples, us—to tell our metamorphosis story. Because you can argue about the validity of it if you like, but 30 years after this experience, the same Peter who was misty-eyed and stupefied on the mountain is an older fellow, still telling people of that extraordinary experience and he passes it on to the early church…and to us. In the beginning of Peter’s second epistle he reminisces: “We weren’t making up stories…we witnessed his majesty with our own eyes. He received honour and glory from God the Father when a voice came to him from the magnificent glory, saying, “This is my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. In addition, we have a most reliable prophetic word, and you would do well to pay attention to it, just as you would to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:16-19 CEV) But that day, they weren’t going down the mountain talking about the mountain, but about how Jesus was going to rise from death. Jesus didn’t want a temple built in his memory. Jesus does not seek to wait for a building program to complete. A tomb won’t be able to contain him. Jesus desires to dwell within us. We are the sacred place, and if the law, the prophets and mercy— if righteousness, hope and love are to live anywhere, it must be us. May it be so! Hymn: Lord, the Light of Your Love Is Shining Graham Kendrick © 1987 Make Way Music Lord, the light of your love is shining, In the midst of the darkness, shining; Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us; Set us free by the truth you now bring us, Shine on me, shine on me. Shine, Jesus, shine, Fill this land with the Father's glory; Blaze, Spirit, blaze, Set our hearts on fire. Flow, river, flow, Flood the nations with grace and mercy; Send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light! 2: As we gaze on your kingly brightness So our faces display your likeness. Ever changing from glory to glory, mirrored here may our lives tell your story. Shine on me, shine on me. Affirmation of Faith In Jesus of Nazareth, true humanity was realized once for all. Jesus, a Palestinian Jew, lived among his own people and shared their needs, temptations, joys, and sorrows. He expressed the love of God in word and deed and became a brother to all kinds of sinful men and women. But his complete obedience led him into conflict with his people. His life and teaching judged their goodness, religious aspirations, and national hopes. Many rejected him and demanded his death. In giving himself freely for them, he took upon himself the judgment under which everyone stands convicted. God raised him from the dead, vindicating him as Messiah and Lord. The victim of sin became victor, and won the victory over sin and death for all. Intercessions Loving God, You call us down from the mountain of epiphany to notice the broken realities lived and experienced. Hear our prayers, now, as we lift up all those who are overwhelmed in the valley. For all who are lonely, those whose relationships have been broken or who have never enjoyed the relationships they might have had; those who feel rejected by society and unsure of their worth; those feel hopelessly isolated; the homeless, the exiled, all who have no land to call home; those approaching death and grief. Give to each one the knowledge that You are with us always, and we pray that You enrich their lives with companionship and friendship. We lift up those who keep our world going even when plagues ravage our lands. From essential workers and medical staff, to neighbours who check up on us. We pray that lessons will be learned from this pandemic era that will provoke systemic change that will give healing and renewal to the lives of the most vulnerable and exploited, and our environment, for generations to come. We lift up those who hold the power and wealth of nations upon their shoulders, particularly those who manage new routes for trade, security and services for people in the United Kingdom. We pray that sense, sensibility and righteousness will be the order of the day. So much to pray for, so we pause to call out to You in silence the concerns of our own hearts… In Your mercy, Lord, keep us living in hope and never again in fear. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Offertory What shall we render to the Lord for all God’s benefits towards us? We shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon God’s name. Creator, how we thank you for the capacity and the privilege of giving. We only ask that you accept us first, God, then our gifts, that they and we may be used for your honour and glory. Amen. Communion It was night… the meal of the Passover… It was an upper room in the city… Outside people were moving… pilgrims from other lands… travelling here for this feast… so we remember that this meal began among wanderers… refugees… The disciples… themselves in no one’s own home… but in a strangers… themselves having been travellers for three years… and now in a country they didn’t recognise, so different it was from the Galilee… and Capernaum… In the middle of this ark of memory is Jesus, himself a refugee, “Out of Egypt”, with no place to lay his head… Here they gathered… refugees remembering refugees… and sharing a common… hurried meal… The bread lay in his hands… and he tore it… and it broke into pieces… crumbs crashing to the ground in slow motion… bouncing like a shard of heaven…And he says to his friends: “My body… broken for you all… eat of it all of you… in remembrance of me”… And the bread was passed… broken… and continued its own migration round the table… The cup was filled in Jesus hands… he held it up to the candle light… yet a greater light lay within in… and Jesus says to his friends: “My blood… shed for you all… drink in this covenant… all of you… and remember me”… And Paul said to the church in Corinth, “As often as you do this, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he returns.” Let us pray: Loving God, May this bread and This wine be more than they seem to be to us, yet still remain the crumbs of grain and the fermenting of grape. And as we see those greater truths in these elements, may we recognise those same truths in the people close to us: more than they seem to be. And as we pass this bread and share this wine may we remember the cost of passing one life onto another. May our communion be with a Saviour who is passed once more from one to another: May our great thanksgiving come in encountering The One who did nothing more holy than persist in being the traveller, the border crosser. The one who had no home no place to lay his head. Amen. Music for Sharing Keep Your Eyes on the Prize, Sweet Honey from the Rock. Introduction to final hymn Our final hymn is a gift from our congregation to you, wherever you are. In the United States, the month of February is Black History Month, and African American churches (with a growing number of traditionally White American congregations in solidarity) traditionally sing the hymn that is known as our “alternative” National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing. It was written by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamund Johnson over a century ago. It is about shared memory and shared responsibility—to God and to each other. It is sung for us now by the Director of Music at Covenant Baptist UCC, Mr. Aaron Myers. Hymn: Lift every Voice and Sing James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamund Johnson Lift ev’ry voice and sing, ‘Til earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise High as the list’ning skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on ’til victory is won. Stony the road we trod, Bitter the chastening rod, Felt in the days when hope unborn had died; Yet with a steady beat, Have not our weary feet Come to the place for which our fathers sighed? We have come over a way that with tears has been watered, We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, Out from the gloomy past, ‘Til now we stand at last Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast. God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who has brought us thus far on the way; Thou who has by Thy might Led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee, Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee; Shadowed beneath Thy hand, May we forever stand, True to our God, True to our native land. Blessing We leave you with this benediction, the final words of the late John Lewis: “Keep walking with the wind and may the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be our guide.” And may God our Creator, our Redeemer and our Sustainer be with us and in us, today and always. Amen! Sources and thanks Call To Worship Affirmation of Faith Prayers of Approach “The Indescribable Radiance of Love”, Service Prayers for Transfiguration Sunday, was written by the Rev. Dr. David Bahr, pastor of Park Hill Congregational United Church of Christ in Denver, Colorado. Communion Adapted from a liturgy by Rev Roddy McDowell, New Kilpatrick Parish Church, Glasgow Immortal Invisible - Walter C Smith (1867). Taken from BBC’s Songs of Praise. Praise to the Lord, the almighty, the King of creation - Joachim Neander (1650-1680). Taken from the BBC’s coverage of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee service. Lord, the Light of Your Love Is Shining - Graham Kendrick © 1987 Make Way Music. Taken from BBC’s Songs of Praise. Lift every Voice and Sing. James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamund Johnson sung by Aaron Myers Organ Pieces Fugue in G Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach (organ of The Spire Church, Farnham – 2020) Procession by Arthur Wills (organ of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, Venice, Italy – 2014) Both pieces played by, and received, with thanks, from Brian Cotterill http://briancotterill.webs.com Thanks to Steve Summers, Graham Handscomb, Andy Braunston, Sue Creswell and Elizabeth Gray-King for reading various spoken parts of the service. Thanks to Alison Jiggins, Marion Thomas, Christopher Whitehead, Christine and David Shimmin, Kath Haynes, Ray Fraser, Phil, Carys and Lythan Nevard for the Call to Worship and Affirmation of Faith. Where words are copyright reproduced under the terms of Barrhead URC’s CCLI licence number 1064776, Some material reprinted, and streamed, with permission under ONE LICENSE A-734713 All rights reserved. PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762
URC audio service for 14th February 2021 Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
at
09:56
Saturday, February 13. 2021Zoom service for 14th February 2021
If you are able to join us by Zoom, the adjoining instructions are as follows:
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3540351038?pwd=Ti9Wb3F6N2h1amRtb0FzWVg5WFYzQT09 Meeting ID: 354 035 1038 Passcode: 717837 14th February 2021 Call to worship We prepare ourselves for worship, once more. We come, we open ourselves out, knowing that we must be more honest with ourselves than we are comfortable. We come, we gather, we hold each other in prayer and love. And we worship you, Lord God. Amen. HYMN: Immortal, invisible 1 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. 2 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. 3 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 changest thee. 4 Great Father of glory, pure Father of light, thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight all laud we would render: O help us to see 'tis only the splendour of light hideth thee. Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908) Prayers We stand at the foot of the mountain, anticipating the climb with feelings of apprehension and expectation. We are not sure what we will find but we know we will experience your presence and that scares and excites us. As we climb, things get mistier for a time as we venture through the clouds, but then we reach the summit. Dazzling God, what can we say when we experience you close to us? What words do we have when faced with your power, authority and majesty? Our prayers, songs and language cannot do you justice. Yet you draw us here, not to condemn us but forgive us, not to restrain us but to transform us into what we are intended to be, beloved human beings bearing the image of You. We are human, and even though we feel your presence we are still fallible and so we want to confess this. Gracious God, we ask your forgiveness • for the times when, like Elisha we have closed our ears to the news of coming transition which we must face. • Forgive us when we follow the example of Peter in wanting to set up memorials to encounters. • Free us from the misconception that just because we have met You in a particular way in the past all future encounters must also follow this pattern. • Forgive us when we are more concerned about setting up memorials to the past as a means of avoiding the transformation you call us to in the present. Loving, forgiving God, help us to overcome our fear of the transformation which Jesus Christ, our crucified Saviour offers us and help us through your Holy Spirit to travel on with you into your future of hope, love and joy. The Lord’s Prayer Readings: 2 Kings 2:1-12 (New Living Translation) 2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!” So they went down together to Bethel. 3 The group of prophets from Bethel came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?” “Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.” 4 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to Jericho.” But Elisha replied again, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together to Jericho. 5 Then the group of prophets from Jericho came to Elisha and asked him, “Did you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?” “Of course I know,” Elisha answered. “But be quiet about it.” 6 Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me to go to the Jordan River.” But again Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together. 7 Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. 8 Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground! 9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.” 10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.” 11 As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress. Mark 9:2-9 (New Revised Standard Version) The Transfiguration 2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one[a] on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings,[b] one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved;[c] listen to him!” 8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, but only Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. Reflection I wonder if I were to ask you to think of some words that begin with the letters ‘trans’ you would come up with quite a lot, off the top of my head – and yes – I know I had more time to think about it than you did! I came up with – transfigure – I hope that was obvious in light of the reading, transcend, transcript, transport, transplant, transport, transform, transpire, transexual, transact, transfer and translate. If you look in the dictionary or ask whatever search engine you use, it will provide you with hundreds of them. You may well be feeling by now, that I’ve lot the plot and what has this got to do with the readings. Bear with me! I don’t know if you will have noticed but all of the ‘trans’ words mean a change or transition of some kind, be that in location thinking or who we are. I think that the passages from scripture are very clearly pointing us towards the future, asking what changes we can or perhaps even need to make so that we can Walk the Way – live the life of Jesus today, - to use the words of the United Reformed Church ethos. In the text from the second books of Kings there is a change of leadership in progress, a shift in dynamics. We can observe a gap in prophetic continuity as God initiates a transfer of spiritual leadership. One era is ending but as yet the new has not begun. Everyone in the story is caught up by the implications. Much like when there is new Ministry in a pastorate the old needs to be let go of in order for the new to flourish. Such in between times give rise to theological questions too – you know – the ‘what is God playing at?’ questions. We find it difficult to align our sense of time with eternal time, the infinite Spirit with finite humanity and the nature of faithful response in the face of the unknown or unknowable. The prophets from Bethel and those from Jericho tell Elisha twice that Elijah will be taken away, each time Elisha tells them to be quiet! I have a picture in my mind of a fully grown adult engrossed in a difficult conversation with others, this one person has their fingers in their ears, and is ‘la la la-ing’ in order not to hear what is being said, well we all know don’t we, if we don’t hear it it’s not happening, well maybe it is BUT it can’t hurt me! Can it? Elijah appears again in the Gospel reading, which lies at the very centre of the Good News that Mark shares with us. Half way between the Baptism of Jesus, when we heard those words ‘This is my Son….’ For the first time and His resurrection when it at last begins to dawn on others who Jesus Christ really is. Here God is saying ‘Listen to Him’ – that is believe his word, which poor Peter had disputed; God is also saying that rejection, suffering, death and resurrection are all part of the Messiah’s message and that the way of the cross is integral and inescapable for all who follow him. Has it ever occurred to you that neither God or Jesus Christ ever explain why this must be so or, for that matter what cross bearing entails for non -messiahs? I believe that if we say that we are not sure what the way of the cross is, its important to be clear about what it is not. My faith leads me to believe that it doesn’t mean that we should seek or regard suffering as some kind of spiritual good, saving or redemptive. Jesus didn’t die to purge the world of sin and evil. He died because the powers of evil sought to destroy his witness to nonviolent love, justice and truth. The Passion of Christ revealed the evilness of evil, it’s violence BUT it also revealed the transforming power of divine, powerful, assertive love that doesn’t dominate as much as challenge, expose and seek to transform it. Sunday is of course St Valentine’s day, a day that at least the Western world has taken to represent the day of lovers, although it seems to me in later years it seems to have become a day that celebrates love for one another. As it falls on a Sunday this year we are also celebrating Racial Justice Sunday, wouldn’t it be great if we could turn our love for others to include all who are excluded because of race and of course all the many other reasons that human beings are treated unjustly. We are not called to exhibit a private, passive love that simply tries to be good or to avid evil, even if we do so for the sake of Jesus. I think that we are called to demonstrate a love that refuses to play the worlds games of dominion, exploitation, greed and deception. The telling of the transfiguration reveals Jesus as utterly unique, not to be equated with even the greatness of spiritual men like Moses and Elijah. Yet as Mark tells us his uniqueness and divinity are not a matter of public record. These things are known only to those to whom it has been revealed. I like to think of this as pieces of a jigsaw falling into place until at last when we are ready to respond, the picture is revealed to us. It is not up to us to make Christians, that’s God’s job. It is up to us to love them into a place where they are ready for Christ to be revealed to them. So as we continue to wrestle with the rules and regulations that might seem unnecessary, lets keep loving one another, lets keep holding each other in prayer, and lets hold the Pastorate in Gods transforming love and light that we may be transformed by it. High on a mountain, in a moment of glorious splendour, Jesus was indeed clothed in the dazzling light of God – but only briefly and only to a select few. The Heavenly mystery was unveiled, only to be veiled again on a cross – and to be revealed again, not in the glorious light of a resurrection appearance, but in and empty tomb with a solitary human announcing his resurrection and a return to Galilee. Amen HYMN: The Kingdom of God 1 The kingdom of God Is justice and joy, For Jesus restores What sin would destroy; God's power and glory In Jesus we know, And here and hereafter The kingdom shall grow. 2 The kingdom of God Is mercy and grace, The prisoners are freed, The sinners find place, The outcast are welcomed God's banquet to share, And hope is awakened In place of despair. 3 The kingdom of God Is challenge and choice, Believe the good news, Repent and rejoice! His love for us sinners Brought Christ to his cross, Our crisis of judgement For gain or for loss. 4 God's kingdom is come, The gift and the goal, In Jesus begun, In heaven made whole; The heirs of the kingdom Shall answer his call, And all things cry glory To God all in all! Bryn Rees (1911-1983) © Alexander Scott Prayers In these uncertain times, we pray for lives undergoing change and transformation. • We remember children and young people, parents and teachers struggling to adapt to changes and concern about the future. Through our lives and by our prayers, Your kingdom come • We pray for businesses struggling with the pandemic and the aftermath of Brexit. and politicians struggling to deal with the effects of their decisions. Through our lives and by our prayers, Your kingdom come • For the chapels we belong to and the wider church, coming to terms with a different future, yet fearing for what may be lost. Through our lives and by our prayers, Your kingdom come • For couples and families in lockdown trying to establish new relationships, maintain existing ones or realising that a relationship is ending. Through our lives and by our prayers, Your kingdom come • For scientists and environmentalists seeking to rescue us from the changes that we have made to the earth and encouraging us to imagine a transformed and renewed creation. Through our lives and by our prayers, Your kingdom come • For those mourning the death of someone, or adjusting to live with serious illness Through our lives and by our prayers, Your kingdom come • For anyone on our hearts and minds this morning (Silence) • Through our lives and by our prayers, Your kingdom come Hear all our prayers, spoken and unspoken as we offer them in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. HYMN One more step 1 One more step along the world I go, One more step along the world I go. From the old things to the new Keep me travelling along with you. And it's from the old I travel to the new. Keep me travelling along with you. 2 Round the corners of the world I turn, More and more about the world I learn. All the new things that I see You'll be looking at along with me. Chorus 3 As I travel through the bad and good Keep me travelling the way I should. Where I see no way to go You'll be telling me the way, I know. Chorus 4 Give me courage when the world is rough, Keep me loving though the world is tough. Leap and sing in all I do, Keep me travelling along with you. Chorus 5 You are older than the world can be, You are younger than the life in me. Ever old and ever new, Keep me travelling along with you. Chorus Sydney Carter (1915-2004) © 1971 Stainer & Bell Ltd. Blessing Go with the Spirit of God in your hearts. Go and be transformed, transfigured, changed by the love of God. Go and be catalysts of change for a world in need. Amen. All music copied and streamed under CCL 634229 & 138598, Calamus Licence A735906 and PRS Licence 0021369
Zoom service for 14th February 2021 Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Sunday, February 7. 2021URC audio service for Sunday 7th February 2021URC Audio Service URC Daily Devotions Sunday Worship Sunday 7th February 2021 The Revd. Sue Fender Introduction Hello. My name is Sue Fender and I am the minister of the Hartlepool and Teesside URC Group. We are four diverse congregations within the Northern Synod. Hartlepool sits on the North east coast and is home to the Royal Naval museum. Stockton is renowned for its part in the development of the railways. Thornaby was built on and around an RAF base and Billingham was significant for its role in the chemical industry. All four towns have experienced significant changes over the years. Today they are all places to come and enjoy coast and countryside and to try our local delicacy, The Parmos! Call To Worship Come and see the grace of God, Christ our teacher and our friend. Come and see the son of God, Christ our healer and salvation. God is moving in this place. Come and see! Come and see. Hymn How Firm A Foundation Unknown, 1787 How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He has said, you who unto Jesus for refuge have fled? 2 Fear not, He is with thee, O be not dismayed; for He is thy God, and will still give thee aid; He'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by His righteous, omnipotent hand. 3 When through the deep waters He calls thee to go, the rivers of grief shall not thee overflow; for He will be with thee, in trouble to bless, and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. 4 When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, His grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply; the flame shall not hurt thee; His only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine. 5 The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose, He will not, He cannot desert to His foes; that soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake, He never will leave; He will never forsake. Prayers of Approach, Confession and Assurance of Forgiveness We come before God in prayer, let us pray; Living God, what delight we find in your presence, what joy we find in your love for us. You call us together as your people, desiring us to live in the light of your great mercy and love. As we take time to worship you this day, ready to listen for you, wanting to hear your words for us. We gather to sing your praise, to offer you our discipleship and to seek your forgiveness. We give thanks for the wonders of your creation, a place for us to live and breathe, a place to find comfort and strength, a place to serve and a place to rest. Generous God, within the beauty of your creation we see all that is good and honourable. Food for our bodies, stimulation for our minds, for your generosity knows no bounds. We thank you for the wonder of life, for the many fresh experiences each new day brings, for laughter, and for tears, for the joys and sorrows that come from loving and being loved. May we recognise your mark on all our moments, your hand in all our encounters. You bless us with abundance, yet we confess we do not always share your generous Spirit. All too often we are selfish and greedy, placing our needs above the needs of others, placing ourselves above you. Merciful God, you keep us in your grace, forgiving our mistakes, offering us new opportunities to serve you freed from the guilt of our past. Renew and refresh us, offer us your mercy and grant us peace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Prayer of Illumination Lord God as we gather around our scripture readings this morning, may we find in them the words we need to hear today. Amen Isaiah 40 21-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Mark 1 29-39 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.’ And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. Hymn Everlasting God Brenton Brown and Ken Riley 2006 Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord. We will wait upon the Lord. We will wait upon the Lord (repeat) Our God, You reign forever; Our hope, our strong deliverer You are the everlasting God, the everlasting God. You do not faint, You won't grow weary. Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord… Our God, You reign forever… You're the defender of the weak, You comfort those in need; You lift us up on wings like eagles Our God, You reign forever… You're the defender of the weak…. From everlasting to everlasting God, you are everlasting. Sermon Today we are offered the opportunity to reflect on the relationship between God and humanity and are called to remember the foundations of that relationship and all that it has meant for the people of God throughout the ages. This powerful poem from the beginning of second Isaiah, comes shortly after the well-known verses of comfort found at the beginning of the chapter, that we hear during Advent – the time when I am writing and recording this act of worship. In these verses we are invited to see the significance of God in creation and our own weakness and powerlessness reflected in it. As we wrangle with the words of Isaiah’s poetry, we find our hope, our place within the creative order and perhaps find something more of our true selves as the people of God. We see a God who is on the side of God’s people. The God who is both above the circle of the earth and down with the people. The God who provides shelter for the grasshoppers and reduces the mighty from their thrones. The God who is with the people in the good times and the joys of life but also with the people when life is tough and when the winds have blown them off course. I once heard this phrase, used in a different context but meaningful to me at a time in my life when I really needed to know that God was there with me and for me. At a particularly difficult time in my life I was reflecting on being named a child of God and these words were offered to me. To be known is to be loved and to be loved is to be named. Isaiah reminds us that we are brought out by a God who numbers us and calls us by name. That is where I found my strength and the power from within me to fight injustice and to grow in faith. Despite all our limitations, the power of the one true God is there to be seen and heard. The stories we share, the tales we tell of the wonderful acts of God are what we are called to declare. Have you not known, have you not heard? For the people of Israel, these words were a call to remember. You have known and you have heard, and yet all too often you have forgotten and turned away. You have known and you have heard, there is only one God, Yahweh. It is in this God alone they should place their undivided trust, the loving and just sovereign of the universe. The days of wandering and doubt are to be left behind. It is a call to put God at the forefront of their living always. To carry these words with them in all times and all places, to remember them always. All too often the people of Israel have found something other than Yahweh to place their hope and trust in. So the prophet calls them to remember all they have known and all they have heard of the mighty power of God; The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth! There is no comparison between the power of God and the power of rulers and Princes. God’s word is first and last in all matters, God is the Holy One before whom they stand. These verses from Isaiah are a powerful reminder to us today. We, like the people of Israel, time and again move from faith to doubt and doubt to faith and back again, weaving our human misunderstandings of the divine with our hope in the promises we hold dear. This is a call to remember the power of God in our lives. Do not let these foundations of our faith become withered. Take them deep into your soul where they may flourish and thrive. Forget them and they will wither and be carried away on the winds. Mark’s Gospel doesn’t hold back on reminding us of the divine nature of Jesus Christ, God incarnate. No stories of birth, of shepherds nor angles, but straight in to give us signs and wonders of God at work in the person of Jesus. Jesus calls his disciples, heals a man with many unclean spirits and immediately we have the declaration of who Jesus is, ‘I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’ In our reading from Mark this morning we are shown the ministry of Jesus right from its start. The many healings at the home of Simon, a whole city gathered around the door watching, listening, as Jesus cured them from their illnesses and drove out the demons within. A whole city! Just think of that – even in terms of a small village today, all gathered around. How would they respond later to the questions, have you not known, have you not heard? A whole city saw the power of God in people’s lives for themselves! Jesus is eager to move on – to proclaim his message and to do God’s work and will in as many places as possible. His disciples might have wanted to stay in Capernaum, be with this miracle maker as he performed acts of wonder. Perhaps they were enjoying the attention they undoubtably received as friends of the great new hero in town. But Jesus knows his work is not for one town alone. He must keep on moving, sharing all that he is and all that is within him with others too. So many of us listening today, have heard of the awesome power of our God. So many of us listening today, have known and experienced the wonders of God at work in our lives and the lives of those around us. We know, although often we fail to recognise fully, the power of God’s Spirit within us. Sometimes we are just too afraid to let go and let the Spirit of God flow in and through us. But are still some who have not known or have not heard of God today. Sadly there are many have heard and have seen but can’t fully grasp the story is for them too so fall away. How do we take the message of God’s power, love and compassion to all people? As the numbers of those who have known and those who have heard appear to be decreasing, we might ask, is our understanding of God declining with each generation? The stories we take for granted of this Creator God, to whom we are intimately bound are known and lived in by so few today. The God who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them like a tent to live in is no longer part of the experiences of many. Yet we remain connected, in relationship with all God’s people through the ages. Too often we are like the people of Israel, questioning, unfaithful, doubting and tiresome. But our joy is that we share in the good news, that God came in human form to restore the failing relationships and to remind us that the creator God doesn’t tire of us, and God understands our failings and works with them to mould us and shape us into the people we are called to be, even still leaving us room to, for right or wrong, imprint something of ourselves into the plan. As we work to be the people of God in our homes, churches and communities, may God give us the strength we need, to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint and to accept with joy and thanksgiving all we have known and all we have heard of our everlasting God. Amen Hymn Jesus Christ is Waiting John L Bell & Graham Maule 1988 Jesus Christ is waiting, Waiting in the streets; No one is his neighbour, All alone he eats. Listen, Lord Jesus, I am lonely too. Make me, friend or stranger, Fit to wait on you 2: Jesus Christ is raging, Raging in the streets, Where injustice spirals And real hope retreats. Listen, Lord Jesus, I am angry too. In the Kingdom’s causes Let me rage with you. 3: Jesus Christ is healing, Healing in the streets; Curing those who suffer, Touching those he greets. Listen, Lord Jesus, I have pity too. Let my care be active, Healing just like you. 4: Jesus Christ is dancing, Dancing in the streets, Where each sign of hatred He, with love, defeats. Listen, Lord Jesus, I should triumph too. On suspicion’s graveyard Let me dance with you. 5: Jesus Christ is calling, calling in the streets, ”Who will join my journey? I will guide their feet.” Listen, Lord Jesus, let my fears be few. Walk one step before me; I will follow you. Affirmation of Faith In Jesus of Nazareth, true humanity was realized once for all. Jesus, a Palestinian Jew, lived among his own people and shared their needs, temptations, joys, and sorrows. He expressed the love of God in word and deed and became a brother to all kinds of sinful men and women. But his complete obedience led him into conflict with his people. His life and teaching judged their goodness, religious aspirations, and national hopes. Many rejected him and demanded his death. In giving himself freely for them, he took upon himself the judgment under which everyone stands convicted. God raised him from the dead, vindicating him as Messiah and Lord. The victim of sin became victor, and won the victory over sin and death for all. Intercessions God who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in, you care for all you have made and so we turn to you now in prayer. We pray for a world facing a humanitarian crisis through disease, war, famine and natural disasters. Lord we have so much, give us generous hearts and a desire to serve you as caring, charitable people. We pray for those throughout the world who have endured humiliation, torture and death because of their embodiment of love, freedom and justice. We give thanks for the continuing efforts by the church, civil governments, the United Nations and other agencies to create an enduring culture of peace. We pray for those people who live with the hard realities of persistent poverty, hunger, malnutrition, homelessness and unemployment. Farm workers and indigenous peoples, who are endangered by the loss of their lands and livelihoods. We give thanks for the homes in which we live, the people who designed and built it and assisted us in the buying or renting of it. We pray that our homes will reflect all that we know and experience through our faith in you and that they may be a place of welcome and hospitality to all who enter into them. Sustaining and redeeming God you know how much we need encouragement and affirmation in our daily lives. When we are feeling low and anxious help us in imagination to hear and see the great crowd of witnesses who encourage us to do well in the things you ask of us. Make us, too, encouragers, always ready, not just to see the good in others, but to tell others that we see it in them. We ask that you surround all those whom are ill or in mourning. Hold them gently in the palm of your hand. Help them through this time of struggle and suffering they may know your truth and promise of eternal life. When we are weary, unable to run the race of the day and feel faint in our faith, sustain us and grant us your strength So may love and faith and hope grow in us and in those with whom we share this journey. Amen Offertory In some of our churches within the group we use the words of the first verse to Hymn 404 as our offertory prayer Lord of all good, our gifts we bring to thee, Use them thy holy purpose to fulfil; Tokens of love and pledges they shall be That our whole life is offered to thy will Hymn Canticle of the Turning Rory Cooney (1990) Music: Star Of The County Down (Irish Traditional Folk Song) My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great, And my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the one who waits. You fixed your sight on the servant's plight, and my weakness you did not spurn, So from east to west shall my name be blest. Could the world be about to turn? 2: Though I am small, my God, my all, you work great things in me. And your mercy will last from the depths of the past to the end of the age to be. Your very name puts the proud to shame, and those who would for you yearn, You will show your might, put the strong to flight, for the world is about to turn. My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn. Wipe away all tears, For the dawn draws near, And the world is about to turn. 3: From the halls of power to the fortress tower, not a stone will be left on stone. Let the king beware for your justice tears every tyrant from his throne. The hungry poor shall weep no more, for the food they can never earn; These are tables spread, ev'ry mouth be fed, for the world is about to turn. 4: Though the nations rage from age to age, we remember who holds us fast: God's mercy must deliver us from the conqueror's crushing grasp. This saving word that our forebears heard is the promise which holds us bound, 'Til the spear and rod can be crushed by God, who is turning the world around. Blessing May the mystery of God enfold us, may the wisdom of God uphold us, may the fragrance of God be around us, may the brightness of God surround us, may the wonder of God renew us, may the loving of God flow through us, may the peace of God deeply move us, may the moving of God bring us peace. Amen Thanks and sources Blessing: Words by Joy Cowley New Zealand (Hymn 95 in Alleluia Aotearoa) Organ Pieces Liturgical Prelude by George Oldroyd (organ of The Spire Church, Farnham – 2020) Toccata from Suite Gothique by Leon Boëllman (organ of St Thomas-on-The Bourne, Farnham – 2016) Both pieces played by, and received with thanks from Brian Cotterill http://briancotterill.webs.com How firm a foundation: Unknown 1787. Sung by Maddy Prior. Everlasting God: Brenton Brown and Ken Riley 2006 © Integrity Music Sung by Chris Tomlin Jesus Christ is Waiting: John L Bell & Graham Maule 1988 © The WGWRG from the Album Songs of Iona a Celtic Celebration Canticle of the Turning: Paraphrase of Luke 1:46-58 Rory Cooney (1990) Music: Star Of The County Down (Irish Traditional Folk Song) Thanks to Andrew Mann-Ray, Christopher Whitehead, Morag Donaldson, Diana Cullum-Hall, Dan Morrell, Elizabeth Gray-King for reading various spoken parts of the service. Thanks to Alison Jiggins, Marion Thomas, Christopher Whitehead, Christine and David Shimmin, Kath Haynes, Ray Fraser, Phil, Carys and Lythan Nevard for the Call to Worship and Affirmation of Faith. Where words are copyright reproduced under the terms of Barrhead URC’s CCLI licence number 1064776, Some material reprinted, and streamed, with permission under ONE LICENSE A-734713 All rights reserved. PRS Limited Online Music Licence LE-0019762
URC audio service for Sunday 7th ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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