BURTON JOYCE COMMUNITY CHURCH
A short service for use at home:
Sunday 15th November 2020
Prepared for Burton Joyce Community Church by Phil Colbourn. Prayers prepared by Dr Francis D. Henman. Spend time with God as we share together this time of worship.
It’s November. It may be dark & dank & drear but we are here to worship
WELCOME
We begin with this rousing hymn:
HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 1076.
We are marching in the light of God
PRAYER AND PRAISE
Loving God, we have come to worship. Help us to remember that you are here with us. May we pray in faith, sing your praise with gratitude and listen to your word with eagerness; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
The Collect for this Sunday:
Almighty God, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to be the light of the world. Free us from all that darkens and ensnares us, and bring us to eternal light and joy; through the power of Him who is alive and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Praise and glory to our God, Father Son & Holy Spirit. Amen
HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 298.
Jesus, name above all names
CONFESSION
Loving God, we have sinned against You in what we have thought, said and done. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We are truly sorry and turn away from what is wrong. Forgive us for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Silence
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
This is His gracious word:
‘Your sins are forgiven.’
Amen. Thanks be to God.
HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 1419.
Light of the world
READING: Colossians: 1 13-20 The Light of the World
REFLECTION:
Into the darkness comes the light.
Pausing to remember on Wednesday at 11/11/11, reminds me that the ‘war to end all wars’ did not end all wars and, if anything, it just made things worse.
This is what Jesus comes to tell us, if we are prepared to listen.
Jesus is the Light of the world and this light reveals what is wrong but it does more than that. It is curative. Jesus purifies and heals and makes well.
This is re-Creation. Everything holds together in him. Jesus is the beginning and the end. In him everything is made *good*. Amen
HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 308.
Jesus, the very thought of thee
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
Let us make our prayers for others. After each bidding say:
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Pray for those affected by the pandemic, naming any you know of personally who may be ill or suffering financially because of the measures in force.
Pray for world peace, naming any places of concern, and those in government. Pray for this place where you live and work and for local government.
Pray for individuals you know or care about, holding each name up into the presence of God. Remember any you know who have died. Commend them to God’s care and pray for those who mourn.
Pray for the whole Christian Church.
Pray for one another, especially during this further period of ‘lockdown’.
Lord, hear our prayers, Amen
We say The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father …
HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 1555.
The Spirit lives to set us free (Walk, walk in the light)
CLOSING PRAYERS
The blessing of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit rest and remain with each one of you, now, today and for evermore. Amen
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Additional hymn
Christ, be our light!
Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.
Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.
Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has pow'r to save us.
Make us your living voice.
Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.
Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.
Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
making your kingdom come.
Singing the Faith 706; © Bernadette Farrell 1993.
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Church Notices
Weekly Collection suspended
Extra donations to Charities
Weekly Collection suspended
As the church building is still closed, with little prospect of it being open soon, the Stewards have decided that the regular weekly collection should be suspended for the time being. If you make regular payments from a bank, you may want to change these, but that is entirely up to you.
We have sufficient financial reserves to meet our outgoings & obligations at the moment.
Extra donations to Charities
The Stewards are also considering using some of the church funds to help charitable causes in the run up to Christmas.
Among the charities suggested are:
· All We Can (the Methodist relief fund)
· Action for Children
· MHA (Methodist Homes for the Aged)
· British Legion (in lieu of buying a wreath)
We have already made donations to The Friary, Framework and Emmanuel House as part of our Harvest thanksgiving. If you have other suggestions, please let one of the Stewards know.
We would also encourage you to make your own personal donations, as you are able, to support people in need during this difficult time.
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