This short act of worship has been prepared for you. I invite you to share in a few moments with God, knowing that other people within Paulton, Trinity and Chew Stoke Methodist Churches are sharing this act of worship with you.
Revd Martin Slocombe
Call to worship
We come to you, Lord, ready to worship, ready to learn, ready for prayer, ready for action. May our worship here spill out into our every day. Amen
Hymn – StF 347 – Crown him with many crowns - www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YJnVN6wdvI
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1 Crown him with many crowns, 2 Crown him the Son of God, 3 Crown him the Lord of life, 4 Crown him the Lord of peace, 5 Crown him the Lord of love; |
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Matthew Bridges (1800–1894) and Godfrey Thring (1823–1903) |
Last Thursday was Ascension Day, and so we bring our prayers to our ascended Lord.
Prayer
Almighty God, you who raised Christ from the dead and placed him at your right hand in heaven, where he forever intercedes for us, accept this our worship of praise and thanksgiving.
Lord, we praise you this morning, that in your love for us, you have provided the means by which we can come close to you. Through your Son, Jesus, you have taken our human nature up into your glory, that our weaknesses and failure to live in your way, might be forgiven.
We praise you that Jesus promised not to leave us alone, but at his ascension, promised the Holy Spirit, which was breathed out upon us at Pentecost, uniting all your people by your constant presence in our daily lives.
And we offer you our confession, when we recognise our limitations and lack of enthusiasm and commitment to living in your way. We ask for your forgiveness, and come before you with open hearts, ready both to give and to receive.
We thank you that your love has brought us together this morning, and we offer ourselves back to you as you continue to bless us, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
Readings
Psalm 1 - The Two Ways
1 Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
1 John 5:9-13
9If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. 10Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. 11And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Hymn – StF 544 – As the deer pants for the water www.youtube.com/watch?v=peZudXt9faU
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1 As the deer pants for the water, 2 I want you more than gold or silver, 3 You're my friend and you are my brother, |
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Martin J. Nystrom (b. 1956) |
Reflection
Another gardening illustration, if you will allow me!!
For Christmas last year, I was given a kit to grow my own Bonsai trees. It contained packets of seeds for 3 different types of tree, and instructions on how to grow them. I dutifully followed the instructions, and now have 3 Scots Pine seedlings which are about an inch and a half tall. I’m not sure what happened to all the other seeds (!), but I am very proud of my “Bonsai babies”. I remember that at some point I am meant to repot the seedlings, but as I have lost the instructions, I don’t know when I am supposed to do that. My fear is that if I try to do it before sufficient roots have grown, I will end up losing all I have gained.
Have your roots developed sufficiently to support you throughout all the challenges that life throws at you? In what are they grounded?
Our Psalm today, paints a picture of a tree that is growing on the banks of a stream. It is flourishing, as its roots take up life-giving nutrients from the water. It is strong and healthy, and will be able to weather any storm. The chaff, however, is weak, and even a gentle prevailing wind is sufficient to blow it away, and it is lost and valueless.
As the Psalmist observes, we have two choices in life. Firstly, to believe in God, who provides us with the nutrients we need for us to grow strong. Alternatively, we can choose to listen to others, but they do not enable our roots to grow or to sustain us, and so we too are in danger of being lost.
The last year has taught us many things, not least of which is how fragile life is. Many of the things we have looked to as being essential for our lives, have proven to be rootless, as a microscopic virus demands that we reassess our priorities, and in what we are grounded. In his letter, John talks of the importance of believing in God, and in Jesus. It is very easy to be persuaded by others to follow a different path, but it is only God’s path that leads us to life.
I often wonder, for people who deny God’s existence, what it is that they do believe in or rely upon? Where do their roots look for nourishment? Is it in an unshakable confidence in their own power and strength, is it in the structures of society or government, or is it simply that they do not worry too much about such things, until a disaster happens?
John’s letter seeks to respond to divisions which are starting to appear within the early church. The community has been split over arguments about the interpretation of Jesus’ words and his promise of salvation. John reminds them that God and Jesus are inextricably linked, and that the denial of one makes the other to be a liar. We cannot know one without the other, and it is only in our belief in both that we will receive life. The Psalmist warns us of the consequences of listening to “the wicked” rather than to God, but John goes a step further. We should believe in Jesus because God tells us to. Jesus is not one of many options that we can chose to believe in, but is the only way to receive the promise of eternal life, given in love. Jesus is the only one able to do for us, what we cannot do for ourselves. This serves as a great affirmation for believers, and a warning to those who decide to go their own way.
But a superficial assent to Jesus’ existence is not enough. We have to accept Jesus into our hearts and minds, and to allow him to enter our lives, and to make a difference. We come to know him by immersing ourselves in the word of God, and doing so regularly. This is the relationship God desires to have with us, if we make the correct choice.
Do we allow Jesus to influence our thoughts and actions? Are we rooted in his stream of living water? Or are we in danger of being blown away by a passing gust of wind?
Amen
Prayers for others
Once again, the tensions between Israel and Palestine have reached the news. We pray for the peacemakers in that area. Hold them from despair, give them the energy and vision for a better future that will keep them going during these difficult times. Help the local politicians and those in the international community who are trying to mediate and resolve this crisis. Equip them with the skills they need, give them the words that will speak into this situation and help those who need to hear, listen to their words and cease their fire.
Lord, in a dark hour, let your light shine.
As we start to celebrate a return to something that feels more normal, we are aware that this is not the experience of many people around the world. The scenes and stories from India and Nepal are deeply upsetting. We pray for help to arrive, for oxygen, doctors and for relief for those suffering. As things improve for us may we not forget to pray for people around this world who still face many dark days battling coronavirus.
Lord in amongst the pain and suffering, let your light shine.
In the aftermath of the elections we pray for everyone who has either lost or gained a job. Give people who are leaving their posts a sense of closure, and help them as they move on to something new. For those who find themselves with a new job, give them the grace and humility needed to work out what is required of them, and give us all patience with each other as we re-establish how to work and live with one another.
Lord, in a world of losses and gains, let your light shine.
The blossoms on the trees and parks filled with plants and flowers at this time of the year remind us of the wonders of the natural world. But we are well aware of the difficulties facing our planet. The issues around climate change can feel overwhelming but we pray that the church has a voice in the debate and that we face up to our personal responsibilities.
Lord, in a world challenged by the climate crisis, let your light shine.
In uncertain times we thank you Lord for the relationships and friendships that have carried us through: for those who have made us laugh, for those who have listened, for those who have stood by us. Thank you for the love, care and attention of others. Help us to learn to pray as Jesus did. As we move through this week and encounter our friends help us to pray for their needs and that they would know your peace in their lives.
We pray for the North East Somerset & Bath Circuit, of which we are a part, for it’s ministers, lay workers, churches and congregations – especially this week we join with the Circuit as we pray together for Timsbury, and their minister, David Winstanly and for the staff and residents at Stratton House, the Methodist Homes for the Aged in Bath.
As part of Churches Together in Radstock & Westfield we pray for our brothers and sisters at St Nicholas’ Church in Radstock, and for their vicar, David Izzard as he approaches his retirement.
We pray for our families and friends, and for all those in need at this present time.
And we pray for ourselves.
Lord, in all of our lives and friendships, let your light shine.
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Hymn – StF 457 – Author of faith, eternal Word - www.youtube.com/watch?v=KywV6mCIGaA
Blessing
May our worship, our time here, what we have learned and what we have discovered, lead us into action and lives full of worship every hour of every day.
We ask in the name of Jesus, whose whole life was an offering of worship to you.
Amen.
CCLI Licence 354889