Harvest Thanksgiving, 3 October 2021

 BURTON JOYCE 

COMMUNITY CHURCH

Harvest Service 

3 October 2021

Prepared by Revd Louise Gee; adapted by Phil Colbourn with prayers and reflection from Christian Aid. 

Hymns: Songs of Fellowship (SoF)

Opening sentences: Psalm 19:1-6

The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. 

Hymn SoF 290 Jesus is Lord! 

Prayers 

In silent prayer, give God thanks for autumn and whatever you most enjoy about this season. ‘Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!’ We are grateful for every breath, conscious that Covid19 reminds us how every breath is precious. Creator God, from the tree of the garden of Eden, to the tree in the city in Revelation, we thank you for your vision of creation healed. Help us be your agents restoring, tending to the beauty of the Earth and healing the nations. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer 

Readings: Joel 2: 21-27 and John 4: 31-38

Hymn SoF 585 We plough the fields and scatter

Reflection

It is our Harvest Festival service today, and we are remembering the climate emergency and the risks and dangers it poses for all of us in every part of the world. In Africa, for example, Christian Aid works alongside Women’s Groups. Climate change affects people like Janet and her friends in their local group. In this Women's Group, they work as a team to harvest the fruit of the baobab tree, making juice to sell at market. Using the trees, these women have transformed their lives and the lives of others. 

The baobab tree is remarkable. It is a tree of life: a source of water, food, vitamins, medicine, fibre, shelter and much more. Individual trees can live for a thousand years or more. It has a special place at the heart of African culture and the baobab fruit is a common sight in African markets. It has a light, citrusy taste which makes an excellent refreshing juice. This tree, and its fruit, has made all the difference to Janet and her friends. But the tree is threatened along with other plants and animals by the climate crisis. If temperatures keep rising, these ancient trees may die and people who depend on them become displaced as refugees.

So, this Harvest, Christian Aid are also supporting the Young Christian Climate Network (YCCN) who are on a pilgrimage across the UK to raise awareness forclimate justice. Young people are taking turns walking in relay all the way from the South West of England to Glasgow, to the UN climate talks at COP26, calling for immediate action to stop global warming. 

Climate change has a disproportionate impact on the lives of people in the global south who do not have many resources. The richer nations must step up and act to secure a just future for all.

Hymn SoF 466 Praise, my soul, the king of heaven 

Intercessions

Pray for Christian Aid’s church partners in Africa as they work to encourage conservation farming. Thank God that this needs less work, uses fewer chemicals and produces larger harvests. 

Ask God to help farmers to work together. Pray for communities sharing tools, resources and better techniques. Pray for success as farmers seek fair prices and new markets for their crops. 

Pray for long-term impacts, that profits from pigeon peas, baobab and other crops will pay for nutritious diets for children and for schooling. Pray for investment to give security in future droughts.

Ask God to help Janet and her friends in the Women’s Groups to make a secure living from the fruit of the land.

Pray for COP26, for the preparations & for climate justice

Hymn SoF 405 Now thank we all our God

Final Prayer Let us share the Grace together. Amen

Alternative worship

Alternative worship

Just a reminder that there are plenty of alternatives online when it comes to worship during a pandemic. We may not be able to meet in the church building but, virtually, we can join up with people when ever we want to both local and national and, for that matter, international. Online, we can go anywhere in the world.

Here are some suggestions.

Local

Methodist Circuit 

On Facebook: “Nottingham North East Circuit”

On YouTube: “Nottingham North East Circuit”

https://www.nnemethodist.org.uk/

To listen to the latest service on the phone, see below*

URC Synod

On Facebook: “URC East Midlands Synod”

https://www.urc5.org.uk/

St Andrews with Castlegate, Nottingham

St Helen’s, Burton Joyce, Reverend Anna Alls

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RevdAnna/videos/

https://www.facebook.com/RevdAnna/

Southwell Minster

https://www.southwellminster.org/theme/worship-online/

National

Online resources 

There are many excellent collections, for example:

• All Souls, Langham Place: YouTube, Facebook  
• https://www.allsouls.org/
• St Martins in the Field: 
• https://stmartins.digital/
• Central Hall, Westminster: 
• https://methodist-central-hall.org.uk/

(But note, other churches are available!)

* Nottingham North East Methodist Circuit phone-in services

 

August

August 

Where did August come from? 

What happened to the last three weeks?

Playing catchup: Three Sunday services for the price of one today.

We have been away, meeting up with distant family after months of lockdown.

It is all rather disorientating.

Disconcerting.

Neither here nor there.

Perhaps the reflections, the readings and the hymns in these three services can help us get back on an even keel. Thanks to Moses, Helen, Dinah and Phil for putting them together.

More online worship material is available on URC, Methodist and village CofE websites:

URC Facebook

Methodist Youtube

Village CofE Facebook (Revd Anna)

Worship resources for May 2020

Worship resources

Burton Joyce Community Church 

Radio & Television | Circuit & Synod | Sunday worship plan

Radio & television

You could try some of these for worship & prayers during lockdown

BBC Radio 3 & 4 services

Daily Service: Radio 4 at 9.45am only on LW / DAB / internet (NOT on FM)

Choral Evensong: Radio 3 at 3.30pm Wednesday afternoon (repeated Sunday afternoon at 3pm)

Sunday worship: Radio 4 at 8.10am on Sunday morning on FM / DAB / internet

BBC television worship

Sunday Worship: BBC1 at 10.45am on Sunday morning

Songs of Praise: BBC1 at 1.15pm* on Sunday afternoon (*times vary)

Circuit & Synod

Methodist Circuit

on Facebook: “Nottingham North East Circuit”

Prayer of the Day

Daily reflections

Webpage: “Nottingham North East Circuit”

Sunday sermons via Youtube

URC Synod

On Facebook: “URC East Midlands Synod”

Live-streamed Evening Prayer at 9.30pm daily

Outline plan for Sunday worship at BJCC, May 2020

Bible readings are from the lectionary (more or less)

Date in May	Bible reading	Topic	Songs of Fellowship	Hymn
3	John 10,   1-18	Good Shepherd	533	The King of love
10	John 14,   1-21	Way, Truth & Life	1158	All my days (Beautiful Saviour)
17	John 21,   1-14	In Galilee	50	Break thou the bread of life
21 (Thursday)	Luke 24,  44-53 &     Acts 1	Ascension	302	Jesus shall take the highest honour
24	John 21,   15-19	“Do you love me?”	830	I, the Lord of sea & sky
31	Acts 2,       1-21	Pentecost	407	O, Breath of life

Daily Devotions from the URC

Daily Devotions from the URC

Tuesday 17th March A Hymn: Christ is our light! The bright and morning star (Highlands Cathedral) CH4 336 © Leith Fisher Christ is our light! The bright and morning star covering with radiance all from near and far. Christ be our light, shine on, shine on we pray into our hearts, into our world today. 2. Christ is our love! Baptised that we may know the love of God among us, swooping low. Christ be our love, bring us to turn our face and see in you the light of heaven’s embrace. 3. Christ is our joy! Transforming wedding guest! Through water turned to wine the feast was blessed. Christ be our joy; your glory let us see, as your disciples did in Galilee. St John 2: 1 - 11 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’  His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim.  He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’  Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. Reflection How often in life do we settle for second best or are we asked to accept something offered as a solution more in hope than expectation?  Maybe we’re happy with things that way as we’re able to appreciate the eventual solution all the more when it comes. Maybe, on the other hand, if you’re like me, you’d prefer an effective solution in the first place, one that is expected to work without the wasted resources and opportunities, not to mention the possible unnecessary suffering along the way. Jesus was aware there was a problem to solve.  People at a joyous occasion of a wedding were thirsty and the hosts will have been feeling embarrassed.  The previous wine offering had been perfectly acceptable as far as it went but what Jesus ‘brought to the party’ was in a different league. As Christians, why do we let those around us go about their lives in their own way in the hope that they’ll be OK, whilst keeping to ourselves the real light, love and joy that relationship with Jesus brings? Prayer Gracious God, help us to appreciate everything You have done for us, particularly Your gift of Light, Love and Joy that is Jesus Christ. Help us to share the Good News of Jesus at the earliest opportunity, rather than as a last resort. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Find the URC Daily Devotions webpage here

! *** Church closed *** !

Church closed

March 17th 2020

Burton Joyce Community Church will close today until further notice

There will be no Sunday morning services
There will be no groups, societies and activities in the church hall

This is in line with decisions of both national Methodist and United Reformed churches

Please follow this blog for further information and ideas


 

What's going on?

What's going on?

It's a good question. The world seems to have gone more than slightly mad and here at Burton Joyce Community Church there seems to be so much going on that it is difficult to keep up. Or is it just me? Let's pause for a moment and rewind. What has been going on?

Counting on my fingers:

• 1. The local Methodist circuit (Nottingham East) is merging with Nottingham North to form Nottingham NorthEast. Have I mentioned this before?
• 2. The local United Reformed church is reorganising into two areas Notts South and Notts North. We fall into Notts North.
• 3. The local Anglican church (I know, I know. We're just good friends) has been reorganised into a group of six churches but (big but) they have now appointed a new vicar. Hurray!  
• 4. Several of our long serving members at BJCC have died this year and we need to pause and celebrate their lives & their contribution to the church & to the village over the years
• 5. At our last church meeting we declared a Climate Emergency and agreed to sign up to the Eco Church scheme administered by A Rocha, a Christian environmental charity
• 6. We held our Harvest Festival on Sunday 8th September
• 7. Last month, some of us went to the first session of Seasons of my Soul organised in the Methodist circuit. It was good. We might go again.
• And there's more. Enough for fingers 8, 9 & 10 

 There is a sense here that we are moving forward

We may not know exactly where we are going but we know the general direction. We know, at least, that to move forward you have to put one foot in front of the other and that is what we are doing.  Step by step we are moving on. 

A few specific things coming up:

• Friday September 27th. MacMillan Big coffee morning, 10.30 at BJCC
• Tuesday October 1st. Seasons of my Soul, session 2, 10.30 at St John's, Standhill Road, Carlton
• Sunday October 20th. Final fellowship meal & service, 4/5.30pm at Mapperley Methodist Church
• Saturday October 26th. Ordination & induction of Amanda, the new minister, 3pm at Dales URC Church
• Monday November 4th. Induction of Anna, the new vicar, 7.30pm at St Helen's, Burton Joyce
• Friday November 8th. Farewell service for Peter, the retiring Moderator, 2.30pm at Sherwood URC

So, you see, we are quite busy.
But that's enough for now. Go well.