A short service for Sunday 6th June 2021

 BURTON JOYCE 

COMMUNITY CHURCH

Sunday 6 June 2021 

Prepared this week by Phil Colbourn

Hymns from Songs of Fellowship

It’s Summer and the days are long, the sun rises early and sets late, flooding the northern hemisphere with light & warmth. But even in summer, the nights can be dark and cold. Last week, our grandsons went camping with their dad and wanted to sleep in their own tent so Dad bought a small tent for them to use. One of them lasted half an hour before coming into the big tent but the older boy, braver, lasted until it was pitch black before he too came to find his dad.

Call to worship 

Psalm 139, 1-18 

Even the darkness is light to you

Hymn: SoF:234 

Immortal, invisible, God only wise

Let's pray 

We come to find you, O Lord. Meet us as we pray. 

Sometimes it feels as though we are alone in dark but thank you for being there. Thank you for each new day, for the sun & the rain. Your love is new every morning. Like the sun, you are hidden by the light of your own glory. 

Immortal, invisible, God only wise, accept our worship in your love.

We come to you. Jesus says: “You are forgiven, go and sin no more.” 

Hymn: SoF:830 

I the Lord of sea and sky

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 4, 5-12 Let the light shine

Reflection 

Fragments of light 

There is a story of an old Jewish rabbi who, asked to describe his ministry, said: “I'm searching in the rubble for fragments of light”. 

There are parts of the world where the rubble is all too real and it is difficult to see any light but the relief organisations like Christian Aid, Médecins sans Frontières and others, still search through the rubble.

In the Old Testament reading set for today (1 Samuel chapter 3), the boy Samuel is called by God. It is a story about finding fragments of light in the rubble. Twice. First, Samuel’s mother Hannah conceives a child even though she was barren and now, that child, given to God, is about to receive his call to restore light to God’s people.

In the gospel reading (Mark 2, 23-36), Jesus gets into trouble for, as some people allege, not observing the Sabbath. Who is the light and who is the rubble in this situation?! 

In our reading, Paul tells the Corinthians they contain God’s light even though they are rough and ready, ordinary people. God’s light shines best from them because they are ordinary. Like Hannah, like Samuel, like Jesus, they shed light on the situation and show God’s true and living way. This is our calling: to be containers of God’s light in our world today.

However dark our circumstances may be, God speaks light into them; repeating over & over again, in our lives, that original act of creation: 

“Let there be light!” 

Let’s listen, hear & respond to God today. Amen

Hymn SoF:386 

Master, speak

Prayers of Intercession 

Thank you, Lord, for your light. We need your help 

Thank you for our world. Please help 

·  world leaders, Covid19

·  the planet

Thank you for our neighbourhood. Please help

·  schools and colleges, hospitals and clinics

·  local businesses and organisations

Thank you for our church family and friends. Please help

·  the lonely, sick and dying; the anxious 

·  those joyful and full of celebration 

Thank you, Lord, for your light. We need your help 

In your mercy Lord: hear the cries of our hearts. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer 

Hymn: SoF:557 

Thou whose almighty word 

Blessing 

May we know the One who says “Let there be light!” and be filled with the peace and presence of God and with the grace, truth and love of our living Lord, who is the Light of the world. Amen.

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