A simple service for Sunday 29th March

A simple service for Sunday 29th March

(Hymn numbers refer to Songs of Fellowship)

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BURTON JOYCE COMMUNITY  CHURCH

SUNDAY 29^TH MARCH 2020

Love and Greetings to you all

A simple service for this week

Hymn 400 My song is love unknown  
(see the Virtual Church page)

A prayer of thanks, and praise and confession

Reading:  John 11, verses 1 - 45

There is so much to think about here.  Thomas is brave, not doubting; Jesus is moved to tears;  Martha declares her faith before her brother is raised.  Have I got that faith?

A prayer of intercession – we pray for the world, our community, our family and friends, our fellowship……..

Hymn 744  O for a thousand tongues to sing

We ask a blessing.

Sunday morning

Sunday morning

The Community Church gathers for worship at 10.30am every Sunday morning. This morning, we will not be meeting at the building on the corner of Meadow Lane but we will come together none the less, from our own homes, connected by our shared act of worship.

You can find the service outline for Mothering Sunday in an earlier post on this blog and additional resources on the Virtual Church page of this website.

Join us this morning or at any other time convenient for you.

We'll begin with a prayer:

Heavenly Father, as we meet this morning, separate in our own homes but together in your love, we ask that you join us together by your Spirit and give us joy in your presence, peace in our hearts and love for one another, in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

May God bless you this and every day:

May you know love
find peace 
and discover an inexpressible joy...

... no matter how bleak or sad the world may seem to be.

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And now for a cup of coffee - or tea, or fruit juice, or simple plain water - and a biscuit.

Remember Jesus' words: 

I am the bread of life, the living water. 

In other words, I am the one who sustains you today and every day.
 

Food delivery service in Burton Joyce

Subject: Food Delivery Service in Burton Joyce

Information via U3A:

In reply to my earlier email, I've been advised that both Rhubarbs and Willow Tree are offering a delivery service of their menu.

Sue at Rhubarbs has also offered to source general shopping as she will continue to have a daily delivery service. (T.rolls and hand gel not available) Milk and unfilled rolls are also on offer.

Let's hope we can support our local small businesses so that they survive when we emerge the other side of these difficulties.

Sue at Rhubarb's:-  tel. 9314142.  

Elizabeth at Willow Tree:-  tel.9314343.

Delia Smith: A Feast for Lent. Friday week 3

Delia Smith: A Feast for Lent. Friday week 3 

I brought some Lent books home from the church library so that I could share some of the reflections here on the website. I'll put some up here on the blog and others on the Virtual Church page.

Living Word

The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like a two edged sword but more finely, it can slip through to the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or the joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open. This is the one to whom we must give an account of ourselves.  (Hebrews, 4, 12-13)

Delia comments: 

Jesus knows what it is like to be human. So we can approach him with confidence and be sure of finding help. So to sum up: we must not be afraid to let the word of God penetrate our lives because Jesus understands and gives grace and the help we need. There would, after all, be no point God sending a saviour if there was nothing to save us from!

A prayer:

Search me, O God, and know my heart.
Test me and know my thoughts.
See that I do not follow the wrong path
and lead me into the path of eternal life.
Amen

Virtual Pop-ins, Friday 20th March 2020

Virtual Pop-ins

This is me right now: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hi! Grab yourself a cup of coffee and let's have a chat!
Pull up a chair.
There you go.
Have a biscuit. No? OK. No problem.

What kind of biscuits do you like best?

We have All Butter Shortbread Fingers (Morrisons), Ginger Nuts - (No comments, please) - McVities Digestives, Fig Rolls ... I'm sure we have some Chocolate Digestives (dark chocolate) somewhere. Who's hidden them?

Ah. There they are! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
It's not quite the same, I know, but we don't have to be alone even if we are on our own and restricted in what we can do. The restrictions placed on our lives in response to the coronavirus outbreak (covid-19) may seem rather draconian but, from the evidence of what has been happening in places like China, South Korea, Italy and Spain, they are very needed.

But you don't want to talk about that. You want to talk about something else. Why not pick up the phone and give someone a call? Or if you have your mobile handy, send someone a text message, or WhatsApp, or Facebook, or whatever these things are called.

Look at these flowers. Aren't they beautiful? 

What else is in the news?

Everything's been cancelled, right, left and centre: schools, libraries, what have you. Oh, by the way, if you go to the library today or tomorrow morning, you can borrow up to 48 items to keep you going during the siege. Forty-eight! I couldn't carry them. You'd need an articulated lorry to take them all home.

And anyway is it safe? I mean the books. They might all have coronavirus. How do you know? I've taken to carrying a pack of disinfectant wipes around with me all the time. But think of wiping down 48 books! Crazy. And anyway, does it work? Who knows.

Might be best just to download stuff on Kindle or whatever. Virtual books. It's virtual everything, these days, isn't it? On the other hand, I've got loads of books already. Here's my shelf of "Books I intend to read when I get round to it":

Well, I should have plenty of time now, shouldn't I?

I'm having another coffee, I don't know about you.

The floods! Remember them? Look. I've got some pictures on my phone:

It's one thing after another. Like the Biblical plagues. 

(Talking of the Bible. There is a virtual service all ready for Sunday here on the blog.)
  
And so it goes. Join in the conversation. Make a call. Send a text. You can even join in on Twitter if you want to. Search for Burton Joyce Community Church @bjcc_welcome 

Oh. Kettle's boiling. Don't forget your coffee, it's getting cold. Want a top-up?

Some web links you might find useful:

Nottinghamshire County Council 

Gedling Borough Council

If you can support the following charities, I'm sure they would be very grateful. In present circumstances, things must be very difficult for people. Let's help as much as we can.

Emmanuel House

Framework

The Friary

Local Food Banks
Drop something in the basket at the Co-op, Morrisons or Tesco

Burton Joyce Community Church supports
CARLTON TRUSSELL TRUST

      Main Street Methodist Church, Carlton Hill, NG4 1EE

             Tuesday 12.00pm – 2.45pm

             0303 040 1110

         0303 040 1110

              hope@hopenottingham.org.uk

                 www.hopenottingham.org.uk

......................................... ...............................    ........................       ..............           ..... 

If you have any suggestions for Virtual Pop-ins, drop me an email and I'll see what I can do

A Service for Mothering Sunday

A Service for Mothering Sunday

March 22nd 2020

Service outline developed by Dinah Dudley
[Please note: YouTube may put adverts before you get the hymn]

Welcome to Worship

SING: 

For the beauty of the earth
For the beauty of the skies 
For the love which from our birth 
Over and around us lies
Father, unto thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise 

On YouTube. Tune: England's Lane 

Ditto: John Rutter setting

PRAY: Thanks & praise
The Lord's Prayer (see the Virtual Church page)

SING: 

Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voices
Who wondrous things has done
In whom his world rejoices
Who from our mother's arms
Has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today

On YouTube (with lyrics)

READ: Psalm 136

Give thanks to the LORD for he is good
His love endures for ever 

READ: 2 Corinthians 1, vv 3-7

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others with the comfort we ourselves receive from God

SING:

May the mind of Christ my Saviour
Live in me from day to day
By his love and power controlling 
All I do or say

 On YouTube (with lyrics) (From Toronto, Canada)

 LISTEN

SING:

Brother, sister, let me serve you
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace 
To let you be my servant too

 On YouTube (with lyrics) (From BBC Songs of Praise)

 PRAY: For people and planet

SING:

In heavenly love abiding
No change my heart shall fear
And safe is such confiding
For nothing changes here.
The storm may rage without me,
My heart may low be laid
But God is round about me
And can I be dismayed?

On YouTube (with lyrics)

Go in peace to love and serve the LORD

Virtual Church

Virtual Church

Take a look at the **NEW** Virtual Church page (on the bar above)

Resources will be added to the page over the coming days, so keep checking back!

You can use these resources, and those on this blog, on Sundays but you can use them anytime because there will always be someone, somewhere praying too, alongside you.

 


 

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


 

A Short Act of Worship

A Short Act of Worship

The Methodist Church has published this short act of worship to use if you are unable to attend church.

Call to worship:
Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Hymn: All my hope on God is founded
(You can find this hymn on YouTube here)

Let's pray together:

Lord, you are steadfast in your love
and infinite in your mercy; 
I praise you for
what you have done in my life 
(Take a few moments to name some of the good things) 

Thank you for the gift of Jesus
who shows us what you are really like

You welcome everyone  
no matter what they've done
and invite them to be your guests
Forgive me for when I've thought of myself
as better than other people

I confess my faults
I know you forgive
Thank you

A reading from the gospels:
John 4, 5-42
This is the story of a meeting of Jesus with a woman at a well

Take a moment to think about this

The woman had something very simple that Jesus needed: water

What do you have that God can use?

It was, to say the least, unconventional for a Jewish man like Jesus to ask a Samaritan woman for anything.  By doing this, Jesus challenges the woman to think outside the box. What prevents us from sharing good things with other people? 

Jesus says to the woman: "You are right in saying 'I have no husband' because you've had five husbands and the man you are living with now is not your husband..." he shows that he knows the woman better than she knows herself. But he does not go on to castigate her or tell her off. God knows it all, even the things we would prefer to keep hidden, and still loves us. That's the miracle.

When the disciples come back with the shopping, they are amazed, shocked even, that Jesus is talking to the woman. Sometimes doing the right thing, the good thing, meets with disapproval from other people, even from our friends. Knowing what is the good thing to do and doing it is part of walking with God every day and being sensitive to his Spirit.

Sit quietly for a while

A time of prayer:

God of all hope
I call on you today.
I pray for everyone who is living in fear:
Fear of illness
Fear for loved ones
Fear of other people's reactions.

May your Spirit give us a sense of calmness and peace
Thank you.

We pray for your church 
here in Burton Joyce and around the world:
For anyone worried about attending worship
For everyone making difficult decisions
For those feeling isolated and alone

Give us wisdom and compassion
Give your peace
I pray for everyone troubled or ill,
anyone who needs my prayers 

(Take time to pray)

Holy God,
I remember that you promise
Nothing will separate us from your love
We can see that in Jesus.
Help us turn eyes, hearts and minds to you

Eternal God,
in Jesus you have filled our lives with love
Help us in our trials and  troubles
Make us strong even if we feel weak
Through our Lord Jesus Christ
Amen

The Lord's Prayer:
Our Father ...

Hymn:

Sing a verse of a hymn that comes to mind

Blessing:
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you now and for evermore.
Amen