Sunday 16 January 2022

 

A service of worship to be used at home Sunday 16 January 2022

Prepared by Phil Colbourn, local preacher at Burton Joyce.
Hymns in Singing the Faith (StF)

Call to worship Psalm 36: 1-6

I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: there is no fear of God before their eyes. 2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. 3 The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. 4 Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.

5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You preserve both people and animals.

Hymn StF 476 - One more step along the world I go

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:

Chorus:
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

Opening prayer

Lord, our God, we bless you with our full heart. You are joy beyond all joy, peace above all peace, love above and beyond all love. All good comes from you and we praise your name. We praise and adore you. Hear us. Speak to us. Be with us. In Jesus name. Amen

Let’s share the prayer Jesus taught us: Our Father ...

Readings

Isaiah 62: 1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. 2 The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. 3 You will be a crown of splendour in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married. 5 As a young man marries a young woman, so will your builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.

Luke 2: 17 - 40

17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of
Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on
him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marvelled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[e] She never left the

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temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Hymn StF 479 -The King of love my shepherd is

1.The King of love my shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his,
and he is mine for ever.

2.Where streams of living water flow, my ransomed soul he leadeth,
and where the verdant pastures grow, with food celestial feedeth.

3.Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, but yet in love He sought me,
and on his shoulder gently laid, and home, rejoicing, brought me.

4.In death's dark vale I fear no ill with thee, dear Lord, beside me; thy rod and staff my comfort still, thy cross before to guide me.

5.Thou spread'st a table in my sight; thy unction grace bestoweth;
and O what transport of delight
from thy pure chalice floweth!

6.And so through all the length of days thy goodness faileth never:
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise within thy house for ever.

Reflection Speaking out

There are three things we know about Anna:
she is a prophet; she is very old and she has been waiting a very long time. 

We all need to hear God say: “My grace is sufficient for you” and Anna knew this truth. When she saw Mary with the baby and heard Simeon sing, she knew God had come good.

She was full of gratitude and started to tell everybody about the child.

That’s all she needs: grace, patience, gratitude; the complete set. She is a prophet and she’d found her voice, so she speaks God’s word. Presented with the living Word of God in person, what else can she do but speak?

Psalm 36 begins: I have a message from God in my heart Isaiah 62 begins: For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent

It is a characteristic of God’s people all down through the ages, that they speak. It is not surprising: God spoke the world into being and Jesus is the Word of God from the beginning and at least three of the gifts of the Spirit are specifically speaking; one is prophecy. The gifts are given by the Spirit for a place and time; they don’t have to be once-for-all-time endowments. If God needs a prophet to speak here and now, it might be any one of us.

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Are we ready to speak? Have we found our voice? Do we know what God wants to say? I believe God needs prophets now: to speak truth to power, to speak into existence a new world, to speak new creation. Are we ready?

I’m reminded of the vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 where, by the river of grace flowing from under the “throne” of God, are trees whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. Perhaps we can share something of that vision; something of God’s new & different Kin-dom.

Hymn StF 272 - From heaven you came

From heaven you came helpless babe enter'd our world Your Glory veil'd
Not to be served but to serve
And give Your life that we might live

This is our God, the Servant King - He calls us now to follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering Of worship to the Servant King

2.There in the garden of tears
My heavy load He chose to bear His heart with sorrow was torn
Yet "Not my will but Yours", He said

This is our God...

3.Come see His hand and His feet - The scars that speak of sacrifice Hands that flung stars into space To cruel nails surrendered

This is our God...

4.So let us learn how to serve And in our lives enthrone Him Each other's needs to prefer For Christ we're serving

This is our God...

Intercession

Father, we pray for those in need
For those on our minds and in our hearts
For our neighbourhood and local community
For those in positions of power and responsibility
For those who live out your grace in humble obedience
For ourselves, that we may take the next step along the way

Silence

Help us to find our voices and speak your creative word into the void, into the darkness, into the chaos of our world; to speak healing, to speak peace; to speak hope; to speak love; to speak joy. Help us to speak truth without fear or favour; to teach, to encourage, to comfort and to speak light.

Hear our prayers for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Hymn StF 355 - Jesus, lover of my soul

1.Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly, While the nearer waters roll, While the tempest still is high. Hide me, O my Saviour, hide, Till the storm of life is past; Safe into the haven guide; Oh, receive my soul at last.

2. Other refuge have I none, Hangs my helpless soul on Thee; Leave, ah! leave me not alone, Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring; Cover my defenceless head
With the shadow of Thy wing.

3.Thou, O Christ, art all I want, More than all in Thee I find; Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, Heal the sick, and lead the blind. Just and holy is Thy Name, Source of all true righteousness; Thou art evermore the same, Thou art full of truth and grace.

4.Plenteous grace with Thee is found, Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; Make and keep me pure within.

Thou of life the fountain art, Freely let me take of Thee; Spring Thou up within my heart; Rise to all eternity.

Closing prayers

Thank you, Father, for your love that, in Jesus, brings in your new way of doing things. Thank you for the grace which is sufficient and more than sufficient. May we catch and live in your vision. Amen. May we express your desires, pray your prayers, in all our communication, face to

face, on the phone or via social media. In Jesus name. Amen

Blessing

The blessing of God, who makes all things new and gives grace upon grace and love beyond love, be upon you and remain with you, and with all you love, this day and always. Amen.

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