Covenant Service 10th January 2021

 BURTON JOYCE 

COMMUNITY CHURCH

Sunday 10 January 2021 

With Nottingham North East Circuit 

The Covenant service is held every year in Methodist churches as a time for reflection & rededication. This would normally be a shared service with other local churches in the villages through Churches Together but this year, of course, sadly, we cannot do that.

Spend time with God, knowing that others share with you.

Covenant Service & Agapé meal

For the Agape, you will need bread, biscuit or cake & drink of choice. 

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)

Welcome

May God bless us all as we share together, wherever we are.

Glory to the Father, Jesus our Saviour & the Holy Spirit, Lord & giver of life. God of grace, through the mediation of your Son, you call us into covenant. Help us to draw near in faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

We sing SoF 902: Lord of all hopefulness

A reading: John 15.1-10 

THE COVENANT 

God made a covenant with the people of Israel, a covenant renewed in Jesus Christ our Lord. In this covenant God promises new life in Christ. For our part we promise to live not for ourselves but for God. 

Confession 

For the sin that has made us slow to learn of Christ

Lord, have mercy


For the sin that has caused us to misuse your gifts


Lord, have mercy


For the sin that has made us tolerate injustice


Lord, have mercy


Silence 

Have mercy on us, O God, in your constant love; in the fullness of your mercy blot out our offences. Wash away our guilt and cleanse us from sin. Create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit within me. Give me joy & a willing spirit. 

If we confess our sins, God is faithful & just to forgive our sins & cleanse us from all unrighteousness. To all who truly repent God says: 'Your sins are forgiven’. 

Amen. Thanks be to God. 

Hymn SoF 519: Take my life & let it be

Lord God, holy Father, you have called us through Christ to share in this gracious covenant. We take upon ourselves with joy the yoke of obedience & engage to seek & do your perfect will because we are no longer our own but yours. 

I am no longer my own but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you or laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low for you; let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing; I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure. Now, O God, you are mine and I am yours. Let the covenant made on earth be ratified in heaven. Amen. 

Intercession

Let us pray for the Church and for the world. 

Loving God, hear us as we pray for your holy catholic Church:


make us all one, that the world may believe. 

Inspire and lead all who govern and hold authority in the nations:


establish justice and peace among all people. 

Have compassion on all who suffer in sickness, grief or trouble:


deliver them from their distress. 

We praise you for the saints who have entered your eternal glory:


bring us with them to your heavenly kingdom. 

Let us pray in silence for our own needs and for those of others . . . 

We sing SoF 1576: Wait for the Lord, whose day is near

O God, hear our prayers through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

The Lord's Prayer 

The AGAPÉ MEAL 

You will need some bread, biscuit or cake and drink of choice. 

Jesus said: ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’ 

Eat and then drink, remembering our Lord Jesus Christ 

PRAYERS

For all who hunger for food, a human touch or peace of heart

Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer

For all who risk their lives that others might live 

Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer

We sing SoF 1158: All my days (Beautiful Saviour)

Blessing 

The blessing of God, Father, Son & Holy Spirit, be with us now & always. Amen. 

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.


In the name of Christ. Amen. 

Trees & Nativities Packed Away

Christmas is over. Well almost.

The Christmas Tree Festival is done. The Nativity has gone. 

But: Hope?

We are in another lockdown.

Is there something, apart from Christmas cake, we can bring with us from the last few weeks to help us get through the next few weeks?

Remember the carols. Hum the tunes. Sing the words. And, whether you can remember the words or not, hold on to the truth.

No matter what happens ... 

That baby who grew up to be Jesus is the assurance that God cares for us, each of us, all of us, everyone 

No matter what happens ...

We can depend on this love. We only have to ask

A Happy New Year seems a big ask in the circumstances but the news of Christmas reminds us that we are not alone. 

Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, Love divine; Love was born at Christmas, Star and angels gave the sign

[Christina Rossetti]

Sunday worship & other resources for January 2021

 Burton Joyce Community Church 

Worshipping while the church building is closed

Opportunities to worship on radio and television 

Daily Service: 

Radio 4 at 9.45am only on LW / DAB / internet (NOT on FM)

Sunday worship: 

Radio 4 at 8.10am on Sunday morning on FM / DAB / internet

Choral evensong: 

Radio 3, Wednesday at 3.30pm, repeated Sunday at 3pm

Songs of Praise: 

BBC1 at 1.15pm* on Sunday afternoon (*times may vary)

Methodist Circuit 

On Facebook and website: Nottingham North East Circuit

Phone-in services: 0115 671 3715 (calls are free)

URC Synod

On Facebook: URC East Midlands Synod / The Dales URC

St Andrews with Castle Gate. https://standrewswithcastlegate.org.uk

St Helen’s, Burton Joyce, Reverend Anna Alls

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RevdAnna/videos/

Other online resources 

There are many excellent worship resources, for example:

All Souls, Langham Place: https://www.allsouls.org/

St Martins in the Field: https://stmartins.digital/

Central Hall, Westminster: https://methodist-central-hall.org.uk/

 

Sunday worship for BJCC, January 2021

Date in January	Bible reading	Topic
3	Matthew  2: 1-12	Epiphany The star
10	John  15:1-10	Covenant service
17	Luke  2: 22-38	Simeon & Anna
24	Mark 1: 14-20  1: 14-20	The first disciples

 

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.

Two short services for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

 BURTON JOYCE 

COMMUNITY CHURCH

Thursday 24th December 2020 

A simple service for Christmas Eve

All the carols are in Songs of Fellowship (SoF)

God says to us, “Be still and know that I am God”

O Lord, you are with us. We remember your birth, life, death and resurrection and we are waiting for you to come. The angels of God guard us through the night and the Spirit of God be our guide.

We sing: Silent night (SoF 498)

As we wait, we read Psalm 4.

Our help is in the name of the eternal God who is making over afresh both the heavens and the earth. Amen

We sing: While shepherds watched their flocks by night (SoF 602)

As we wait, we pray: Our Father

O God, Companion and Bright Evening Star,

We repent the wrongs we have done. Heal us

We stumble in the dark. Walk with us

We sing: O little town of Bethlehem (SoF 420)

As we wait, we give thanks.

Dear God, we thank you for creation and for humanity, for gifts of life, for one another and for your love unbound and eternal.

We pray for our world. O Lord, hear us. Mercifully hear us

We sing: It came upon the midnight clear (SoF 251)

Lord, it is night. After a long day, we wait. It is still & dark & quiet. 

The night heralds a new dawn. We look expectant for the new day

Son of God, light that shines in the darkness, child of joy and peace, help us to come to you and be born anew this holy night. Amen

Blessing

O God, bless us and keep us and make your face to shine upon us and give us your peace. In the name of Jesus, the coming One. Amen

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BURTON JOYCE 

COMMUNITY CHURCH

Friday 25th December 2020 

Christmas Day

A short service. The carols are all in Songs of Fellowship (SoF)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

As we light the Christmas candle, let us pray:

Welcome Jesus, our humble and gentle Saviour, come to Bethlehem, where we have loved and fought and longed for peace, a peace the world can never give. We ask you now for your peace and love and gentleness and the courage to live our lives in your Way. Amen

We sing: The first Nowell (Sof 529)

A baby in a stable brings joy to all the earth

He comes, our Lord Emmanuel. We celebrate his birth

Son of God, Child of Mary, be born in us today that through us the world may know the wonder of your love. Amen

We sing: See amid the winter’s snow (SoF 489)

Readings: Hebrews 1, 1-9 and John 1, 1-14

Jesus shows us what God is like: “full of grace and truth”, as John says. If we want a better world, we need God and Jesus on our side.

We sing: Once in Royal David’s city (SoF 438)

We pray for our world. Give grace and truth to people everywhere

When our path is menaced by shadows

Encircle us, Lord. Keep light within. Keep darkness out.

When our path is troubled by conflict

Encircle us, Lord. Keep love close. Keep hatred far away.

When our path is threatened by worry

Encircle us, Lord. Keep peace among us. Banish all our fears.

O Lord, hear our prayer. And let our cry come to you. Amen

We sing: O, come all ye faithful (SoF 408)

Blessing

The peace of God that passes all understanding be with you and in you today and every day as you walk in the way of Christ. Amen

Burton Joyce Zoom Carol Service

 With Revd Anna

Link to Carol Service (You tube)

Happy Christmas!

Video Traditional Carol Service

If you would appreciate a traditional carol service - and have a good sing! - this morning's carol service from Nottingham North East Methodist Circuit is available on Youtube

(Burton Joyce Community Church is a Methodist / United Reformed Church (URC) local ecumenical partnership)

Happy Christmas!

The Youtube link is here:

NNE Carol Service