Service: Sunday 3 January 2021

 BURTON JOYCE 

COMMUNITY CHURCH

Sunday 3 January 2021 

With Nottingham North East Circuit 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This act of worship has been prepared by Deacon Helen Snowball. Spend time with God, knowing that other people share with you.

The hymns are chosen mostly from the church hymnbook Songs of Fellowship (SoF). If you don't have a copy of the hymnbook at home, you can often find a video of the hymn on Youtube with the words displayed on video. Also, you can find the Bible readings online at several websites. Search for the specific chapter and verse (e.g. Exodus16, 1-15)

Psalm 147

Praise the Beloved, Heart of all hearts! Sing to God with thanksgiving. Mingle your song with the melodies of the spheres! 

Nan C Merrill, Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness 

Let’s sing: SoF 302 – Jesus shall take the highest honour 

SoF 298 – Jesus, name above all names

Prayer

God who made us, you have always known us. 

God who saves us, you became flesh for us, sacrificed yourself for us. 

God with us, you empower us, breathe life into us & sustain us. 

We praise your holy name. 

When we fail to see the peace of Christ in a word of comfort given, Forgive us. 

When we fail to see the love of Christ in the actions of a stranger, Forgive us. 

Open our eyes to see your love - & our hearts in gratitude - so that, in our lives, others see a glimpse of the divine. 

For grace beyond imagining,
Thanks be to the Lord: Who is worthy of our praise. 

For love everlasting 

Thanks be to the Lord: Who is worthy of our praise. 

For joy that is our blessing 

Thanks be to the Lord: Who is worthy of our praise. 

Today’s bible reading: Matthew 2:1-12 

Hymn: SoF 1574 – Unto us a boy is born

Reflection 

We saw the star and knew immediately what it was. To be on the safe side, we double checked before we set off on our long journey. 

It took us ages to get to Jerusalem but, finally, we were there. In the city, we asked around. King Herod heard about us. We weren’t so much invited to see him as ‘expected to attend’. He was a friend to the Romans and lived in some style. He consulted priests & scribes. ‘After you have found the child,’ he said, ‘come back and tell me.’ 

The star was bright as we followed it through the countryside to the town of Bethlehem. We saw the child with his mother and knelt and worshipped. When it was time to leave, we received a warning from an angel, ‘Do not go back to Herod, he means to kill the boy.’ So, we returned to our own country by a different road. 

Little did we know what plans God had for that child. Later, we learned that he became involved in politics, challenging the oppression that people were living under. He cared for the poor and vulnerable, mixed with people the law told him he shouldn’t mix with, and he healed and performed miracles. 

He lived in poverty, working hard, telling the truth about God and love. He would eventually die on the cross, but rise again to defeat evil and bring salvation to many. 

As we rode home to our families after such a long time away, we had no way of knowing how significant this baby would become for so many people, through so many years – thousands of years later! 

Prayers of intercession 

At the start of a new year, we pray for healing, for light to shine in the darkness & for hope to return.

 

We pray for our government, 

for Brexit negotiations & Covid vaccinations.

 

We pray for the NHS, 

with gratitude for their care and bravery, 

& for everyone who has worked so hard to provide vaccines.

 

We pray for volunteers & shop workers, 

& everyone who has phoned, visited or shopped for the others. 

We pray for our local churches. 

We pray for those who have been alone over Christmas, 

and for those who are grieving, isolated or unwell. 

We pray for the people who need you the most 

& those who think they need you least. 

We pray for the world. In Jesus name, Amen

The Lord’s Prayer (see Virtual Church for the words)

Our final hymn: SoF 31 – As with gladness men of old

Blessing 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God & the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now and evermore. Amen. 

Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord, In the name of Christ. Amen

With renewed Covid19 restrictions in place and a rapid rise in the numbers in hospitals throughout the country, please think of others:

Wear a face covering

Give other people space (2m)

Wash hands frequently

Thank you. God bless you and yours.