August services: catchup

August services: catchup 

 Well, that's odd. I thought I had loaded these up. Where did they go?

Apologies if you were looking for them. Here they are now. First, the service for 23rd August then, following on below, the service for 30th August 2020.

BURTON JOYCE COMMUNITY CHURCH

Sunday worship for 23rd August 2020

In fellowship with Nottingham North East Circuit of the Methodist Church 

Prepared by Rev’d Moses Agyam adapted by Phil Colbourn. Spend a few moments with God, knowing that other people are sharing this act of worship with you. 

WELCOME 

This week, we continue in the theme of time, with Mary and Martha in Luke’s gospel. Let us draw near to God with open heart and mind

DRAWING NEAR 

Yesterday, today and tomorrow: God is present with us

Here and now, in this precious time: Let us meet with God.

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 108

Fill thou my life, O Lord my God, in every part with praise

PRAYERS OF APPROACH 

God of time and eternity, we praise you for the gift of your presence. In our activities we seek to serve you but sometimes we let you down. As we reflect on our failings, we ask forgiveness & for the chance to start again. 

Silence for personal confession. Thank you, Father, for your love. Amen. 

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 79 Dear Lord and Father of mankind

THE WORD: 

Luke 10, 38-42. Mary & Martha

REFLECTION: The Gift of Time

Entertaining people in your own home can be enjoyable, but it can also be stressful especially if you are the cook! If you are not the cook, you probably wonder what all the fuss is about. But which is better: to spend time with people or wow them with your cuisine? People appreciate the time we spend with them; the gift of our attention. We can understand why Martha is distracted and annoyed with her sister! But equally, we can understand why Mary made the choice she did. It was her last opportunity for time with her Lord. Martha remained the poorer for fussing over the preparations. ‘Only one thing is needed [and] Mary has chosen what is better,’ says Jesus. Every day is God’s gift. Let’s cherish the time we spend with our families, friends, neighbours & colleagues. Such moments are precious, unrepeatable and it is in such times as these that we know God’s presence with us. 

Time to reflect 

on how we use our time  ·  on quality time and memorable occasions  

on missed opportunities  ·  on whether we are like Mary or Martha. 

HYMN: Dark is the night (Tune: Abide with me.) 

Moses writes: I came across this beautiful hymn written for Easter Eve this year by Anglican priest hymn writer Rev’d Ally Barrett and I really liked it. The words capture so well these dark times.

Dark is the night, the passing hours are long, 

Lone voices whisper sorrow’s silent song, 

Each faltering prayer will fear it’s made in vain. 

When will we sing the world to life again? 

Dark is the night; not all are blessed with sleep. 

Some wake and work, and some must watch and weep:
Angels disguised, they tend a world in pain, 

Off’ring the hope that there’ll be life again. 

Dark is the night, the silent hours are slow, 

Heav’n’s tears anoint the suffering earth below, 

Blessing with dew the secret springing grain, 

A pledge that the world will soon know life again. 

Words: ©2020 Ally Barrett Reproduced with permission. 

PRAYING FOR OTHERS AND OURSELVES 

Eternal God, we bring you our concerns for the world and for ourselves:

We pray for all suffering violence or oppression or domestic abuse 

We pray for all who have suffered the loss of hopes & dreams 

We pray for all who grieve & all who are in pain

We pray for all who long for freedom & forgiveness

In a time of stillness, we bring our personal prayers to God: Silence

Lord of eternity, we trust in you – today, tomorrow and always. Amen

In confidence, we unite our prayers, saying: Our Father, who art in heaven 

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 415 O God, our help in ages past

CLOSING RESPONSES & BLESSING 

All time is in God’s hands. Lord, we have met with you this day

Into your hands we commit our lives. Bless us, O Lord God of life

Send us out in your name. Abide with us now and always, we pray.

May God bless, preserve and keep you, now and for evermore. Amen.

And now, the service for the last Sunday in August:

BURTON JOYCE COMMUNITY CHURCH

A short service for use at home: Sunday 30th August 2020 

Prepared for Nottingham North East Circuit of the Methodist Church by supernumerary minister Revd David Monkton and adapted for BJCC by Phil Colbourn. Spend a few moments with God knowing that others share in this time of worship with you. 

 

WELCOME

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 411. O for a heart to praise my God

PRAYER OF ADORATION AND THANKSGIVING 

We begin our worship, O God, with a yearning to serve you better. Free our hearts to give thanks for all the good things we receive and for all people of goodwill, through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

CONFESSION

For our thoughtless use of your creation:   Lord, have mercy.
For our failure to care for others:                  Christ have mercy. 

For our selfishness in prayer:                         Lord have mercy. 

Here is good news. Jesus says, ‘your sins are forgiven.’

Amen. Thanks be to God 

READING: EXODUS 3:1-15 [v.14 a key thought]

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

REFLECTION

How did Moses come to take on this tremendously difficult job of leading the nation of Israel out from Egypt to a land of their own? Like many people in the world today, the Children of Israel were used as cheap labour, slaves. Midwives were ordered to kill Hebrew boys as they were born but we have the lovely story of the baby Moses hidden in the bulrushes and found by Pharaoh’s daughter. 

As a young man, Moses kills an Egyptian he sees cruelly mistreating a Hebrew slave. When this becomes public knowledge, he fears for his life and flees the country. Looking after his father-in-law’s sheep, he sees a bush on fire that is notitself burnt. God calls to him and tells him to take off his shoes because he is standing on holy ground. 

These are vital moments. Moses has been chosen to lead his people out of slavery to ‘The Promised Land’. If people ask his authority, he is to say “I AM has sent me”: The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. ‘I am’ and ‘I will be’: God says, I will be with you now and in the future. It is going to be hard, but God is with you all the way. 

Today, Jewish people celebrate Passover to remind them of the beginning of their journey of freedom and the hymn ‘Guide me, O thou great Jehovah’ reminds us we that we too are a pilgrim people. Jesus leads his people out to freedom for the whole of humankind. 

In the 60th anniversary of my ordination, I believe more strongly than ever that Jesus is central to our lives and we need to progress to a mature understanding of what this relationship is all about. If there is one thing we do know about God, it is that God is love. 

“For the love of God is broader than the measures of man’s mind and … the heart of the eternal is most wonderfully kind.” (Faber)

Life is full of surprises, and many jolting experiences, but we will find that God is love. Jesus leads us through the uncertainties of life so that we may know at last God’s everlasting love. Amen. 

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 148. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS 

For the church throughout the world, in these troubled times 

For those who care for others & supply our daily needs 

For the lonely, ill, bereaved and unemployed

For all who suffer cruelty, injustice and neglect 

Hear all our prayers, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 307. Jesus, the name high over all

CLOSING PRAYERS 

Redeemer God, you heard the cry of your people and sent Moses to lead them out of slavery. Free us from the tyranny of sin and death and, by your Spirit, lead us to your promised land.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with us now and for evermore. Amen.