Sunday September 6th 2020

 Sunday September 6th 2020

BURTON JOYCE COMMUNITY CHURCH

A short service for use at home: Sunday 6th September 2020 

Prepared for Burton Joyce Community Church by Phil Colbourn and Dinah Dudley. Spend a few moments with God knowing that others share in this time of worship with you. 

WELCOME

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 466. Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven

PRAYER OF ADORATION AND THANKSGIVING 

Father Lord, we worship you as our Creator God.  We see you in the beauty around us; we see you in the wind and the storm; we see you in the love and care we receive from those around us.  We thank you for the love of your son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus, and we thank you for your Holy Spirit, who walks with us in the light of the day and the darkness of the night.  We are surrounded by your love and your goodness. 

CONFESSION

And yet, and yet we know that there are times when we choose not to work for you, when we ignore the needs of those around us, and those who suffer quietly on their own.  There are times when we do not speak out in your name against wrong, and not speaking out is acquiescence in that wrong.  There are times when we hug your love around ourselves, and do not spread it to others.  

Lord we pray for that forgiveness that we see in Jesus and for the strength to do your will.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.    Amen   

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 28. As we are gathered

READING: EXODUS 12:1-14

The Passover meal

REFLECTION

This is the second of a series of five services in which we follow the story of the Exodus from the call of Moses (last week) to the escape of the children of Israel.

The children of Israel are oppressed, exploited and persecuted but God has heard their cries and is coming to the rescue: “Let my people go!” Moses has been negotiating with the government but Pharaoh says: “No. No. No.” The situation in the country is dire and going from bad to worse. There are floods, swarms of frogs, insects and, now, infectious diseases. Perhaps, after the year we’ve had, we can sympathise a bit with the Israelites as they cower at home with their families on Passover night, wondering if it is going to be alright.

God says: “You’ll be leaving tomorrow no matter what Pharaoh says. Get ready. Have roast lamb and flat bread for supper and put the blood on the lintel and on the doorposts. Make sure you are packed and dressed before you go to bed. (Remember. Remember.) When you get up in the morning, just go, go, go.”

God is on the side of the underdog and God is with you - if you are oppressed, exploited, persecuted and powerless. Power is not love and love is not power. “Help someone” is the universal law of life. You have to go right down to the bottom of the pile if you want to come out at the top. Don’t stop. Go. Go. Go. 

As Christians, we should know. Christ leads us out on a new Exodus, dies on the cross as the lowest of the low and, on the night before he dies, he takes bread and wine and says: ‘Do this. Do this.” Don’t be like Pharaoh. Treat people with dignity and respect and “let my people go”. Sometimes we say we are a pilgrim people but it’s worse than that. We are a refugee people. We are an asylum-seeking people. We are a migrant people. Remember what God did (and why).

Help me, O Lord, not to hear your word only, but to do it. Amen

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 21. And can it be

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS 

We pray Lord for - all those suffering from conflict and in asylum camps                                                                - all those affected by the virus wherever they are                                             

- all those who have worked solidly over the last few months for us                        - all those we know who are suffering with physical or mental health problems

- our friends and our family.                           We commit them all to you.  Amen

The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father

HYMN: Songs of Fellowship 640. You shall go out with joy

CLOSING PRAYERS 

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

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