Canvey Island Methodist Church Service. 14th June 2020
1)Introit -He has made me glad- Leona Von Brethorst. CCI Licence No: 425086
I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart
I will enter His courts with praise
I will say this is the day that the Lord has made
I will rejoice for He has made me glad
He has made me glad, He has made me glad
I will rejoice for he has made me glad
He has made me glad, He has made me glad
I will rejoice for he has made me glad.
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2).Introduction. https://youtu.be/XUbY7uot7FQ
Welcome to today’s Canvey Island Methodist Church Service on Sunday 14th June 2020. I hope that you and your families are keeping well. Today the Church calendar moves on from the special festivals of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost and Ascension into what is called “Ordinary time”. With the fast moving events of this present CoronaVirus pandemic continuing, life does seem to be anything but ordinary at the present time. Yet I do think this “Ordinary Time” message, of living out faith in the everyday experiences of life, of putting into practice that which we have learned from God during the passing Christian festivals, is a very relevant one at this time of change and Challenge in today’s world. The introit drew upon the theme of giving God praise. He is faithfully with us in all of these situations. We hear the words of Psalm 100 as our “Call to Worship” today. After this we sing the Hymn, “With Gladness we worship”.
Call to Worship- Psalm 100 - A Psalm For giving grateful praise.
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Footnotes:
a.Psalm 100:3 Or and not we ourselves
New International Version (NIV)
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3).Hymn: With Gladness we worship -CCI Licence No: 425086
1. With gladness we worship,
rejoice as we sing,
Free hearts and free voices,
how blessèd to bring!
The old thankful story
shall seek Thine abode,
Thou King of all glory,
most bountiful God!
2. Renewed by Thy Spirit,
redeemed by Thy Son,
Thy children would bless Thee
for all Thou hast done:
O Father, returning
to love and to light,
Our spirits are yearning
to praise Thee aright.
3. Thy right would we give Thee,
true homage Thy due,
And honor eternal,
the universe through:
With all Thy creation,
earth, heaven and sea,
In one acclamation
we glorify Thee.
4. We join with the angels,
and so there is giv’n,
From earth, Alleluia,
in answer to Heav’n.
Amen! Be Thou glorious
below and above,
Redeeming, victorious,
and infinite Love!
George Rawson
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4). Prayers of praise, adoration, thanksgiving, confession.https://youtu.be/WkpSivmPyfk
Almighty God, we bring to you our praise for your love and faithfulness. For your grace and guidance that has sustained and directed us during this past week. As life in lockdown continues, we come once again to worship you in the beauty of holiness: with music, stillness, words and silence. May the joy of your presence fill our lives and may it overflow into the lives of all around us. Inhabit the praises of your people here we ask. Holy Spirit, fill and inspire us once again to renewed acts of service, that your name will be exalted, and that the mission of your church here on Canvey Island will continue to touch lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
Loving God in offering our praise for your generous and undeserved love, we confess our need of forgiveness and cleansing;
Lord you have called us to the privilege of serving you. In your mercy, please forgive us when we have failed to serve. Lord, you have given us the blessing of peace. Please forgive us for those times when instead, we have chosen discord. Lord, you have loved us, as a shepherd tends his sheep. Please forgive us if we have strayed from your ways.
We give you thanks, loving God, that when we can’t find the right words, you transform our stumbling; that when we can find only harsh words, you transform our pain; that
when we can find no words, you transform our silence; that when we would speak your words, you transform our longing and graciously speak your life-giving words of healing, acceptance and grace through us to others.
In the strong name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer Together
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.
We hear now our Old Testament Reading from Exodus 19v2-8 and then we sing the Chris Tomkins hymn of praise and worship, Light of the world, you stepped down into darkness.
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5). Exodus 19v2-8a
https://youtu.be/oMYtxqdY8SY
2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. 8 The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.
Footnotes:
a.Exodus 19:6 Or possession, for the whole earth is mine. 6 You
New International Version (NIV)
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6).Hymn: Light of the world, you stepped down into darkness.
CCl Licence No: 425086
Light of the world, You step down into darkness
Opened my eyes let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore you hope of a life spent with you
[Chorus]
And here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that you're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
King of all days
Oh so highly exalted Glorious in heaven above
Humbly you came to the earth you created
All for love's sake became poor
[Chorus]
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that you're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross
I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross
And I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross
I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross
Chris Tomlin
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7). Romans 5v1-8.
Peace and Hope
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Footnotes:
a Romans 5:1 Many manuscripts let us
b.Romans 5:2 Or let us
c.Romans 5:3 Or let us
New International Version (NIV)
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8). Prayers For Others -
Dear God, we come before you to bring our prayers for others.
We give you our love and praise and we thank you Lord God for your never ending love.
Your word tells us in Phillipians that You, Our God, will meet all our needs according to Your glorious riches in Christ Jesus, and we thank you so much for that. We put our trust in you, for you are our rock eternal.
And so, we come before your throne of Grace, with confidence, and with rejoicing, to thank you for everything you have blessed us with and for all answered prayers.
We bring our prayers for others before you. –
We pray for our church family and thank you for the fellowship and love we share. We Pray for all who are isolated at home and for all who are worried or anxious, and for all who are anxious about their financial situation. Be with them and give them hope and peace.
We bring Colin and Cathy before you and ask you to continue to lead them and protect them and we pray for a special blessing on them and their family.
We pray for our world - for all the Governments in their decision making and ask you to bring peace.
We lift the people of the USA before you and ask that you will be present in the situations there.
We pray for The Lebanon and especially for the poorest people who are finding it hard to find food.
Please keep Anna safe as she does your work in Beirut. May she feel your special blessing right now as we pray.
And for Apolina, Romania. That they will be protected from the Corona Virus and that all their needs will be met. We continue to pray for all who work tirelessly to bring hope to their lives.
We pray for our country and for our leaders, that you will lead and guide them in their decision making.
We remember before you all the Doctors and nurses, health workers and key workers and the Medical researchers who are working to bring a stop to the virus. Please give them your help and blessing.
We pray for everyone named in our on-line church prayer book. Dear Lord, You know all about these people. May your peace surround them and your loving arms heal them.
We pray for all those known to us who have caught COVID-19 or are suffering from the symptoms. We ask you to bring an end to this virus.
We pray for all who are mourning. Please have these dear people in your care and surround them with your comfort and strength.
Thank you for hearing all our prayers - and we rejoice and are thankful for your great love and care.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly more than we ask or imagine according to the power that works in us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus.
And we bring all these prayers to you in the great and powerful name of Jesus Christ and all that His name stands for.
AMEN
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9).Hymn: Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy- CCI Licence No: 425086.
https://youtu.be/BP1ecUkOTB8
1 Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy:
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
2 Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe:
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
3 Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace:
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
Jan Struther
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12);Matthew 9.35-10.8
The Workers Are Few
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Footnotes:
a.Matthew 10:8 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
New International Version (NIV)
11). Reflection- The Song - Fearless, Newsboys on United (deluxe) CCI Licence No: 425086
What lies ahead may be unknown
As I brave the unseen road
God go with me
Every hidden sacrifice
Through the watches of the night
God go with me
Through it all I know
I am not alone
I am Fearless in Your presence
You're all around me all around me
Say the word that sets my heart
On what You've done and who You are
God You're for me
Every hard and heavy step
I will see Your faithfulness
God You are for me for me
I am Fearless in Your presence
You're all around me all around me
In my weakness You are strongest
You surround me You surround me
No fear in the crashing waves
No fear when the cost is great
No fear in the midnight hour
You've given me a spirit of power
No fear in the crashing waves
No fear when the cost is great
No fear in the midnight hour
You've given me a spirit of power
Of power I'm not afraid
No I'm not afraid
I am Fearless in Your presence
You're all around me all around me
In my weakness You are strongest
You surround me You surround me
Jonathan Lindley Smith, Maggie Eckford, Mia Fieldes
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13). Sermon https://youtu.be/JAw7VspQmuw
It has been quite a week, hasn’t it? Some of the rules of social distancing have been relaxed and those who live alone can now choose to form a “bubble” with one set of family members in another household, more shops are opening up, schools are open for more children to attend and…….there have been many protests around the world about racial justice following the death of George Floyd in the USA. Much has changed in the world since the arrival of the coronavirus epidemic; some may cause us to be concerned as fear and uncertainties about covid reinfections, about social issues, about job losses and about loneliness all bubble to the surface of TV reports and through social discourse. And yet other aspects of this transformation brought about by the arrival of Coronavirus Church are hopeful. More people than ever before, are attending virtual services like this and are looking to God during these challenging times. And He will not disappoint for God welcomes everybody who comes to Him. To God, all lives really do matter, and Jesus came so that all people, irrespective of race, background or culture could be forgiven, cleansed, renewed, and made whole.
Today, in our service, we have come to Worship Almighty God, to bear witness to His Love and to be inspired once again to serve and care for our neighbours and community; to perhaps be the means of their discovering the transforming love of God for themselves. Our reading from St Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome speaks more about this transforming love of God. It came at an immense cost, through the death and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ. It is through His death and resurrection that you and I are made righteous, or as it is translated here, we are “justified” through faith in Jesus. (v5. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ).
This Gospel, this good news of peace and hope is needed more than ever in today’s “lockdown” Britain because as rules are relaxed, much looks to have changed as people resume their lives and most of it does not look good; Keeping our distance from people, Limited access to family and friends, the thread of a recurrence of the COVID-19 infection, more redundancies, fewer jobs, restrictions upon education and social gatherings and much more. As churches, we also are unlikely, in the short term, to be able to return to how things were before the pandemic and we may be concerned by how these limitations of this “brave new world” may impact upon our ability to serve our communities in the future.
The challenges of living in and through changing and challenging times is, though, not new to the people of God. In fact, most of history has seen such changes but still God has always provided a way through.
In Exodus19:2-8 we find the people of Israel, shortly after leaving slavery in a Egypt, facing the prospect of “fending for themselves in the Wilderness. How would they manage? At least in Egypt they had food, clothing and a stable(ish) kind of life. But now, here they were wandering in a desert and the ‘promised land’ still a distant dream! But when God leads, he always provides. In this exchange between God and Moses, God proposed a Covenant (a mutual exchange between two parties), that called for the people to be obedient to God’s instructions on the one side, that included them acquiring a new identity, on the other as “a kingdom of priests and a Holy nation” .
As those who are part of the “New Covenant” in Jesus Christ, we find that this new identity is also applied to us as the church, in 1 Peter 2:9 where it is linked, not to obedience but to the proclamation of God’s acts.(“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light”). Change may again be with us, but the task remains and God will be with us in the process.
We are in good company if we feel a little daunted at this prospect. It is a little like how the disciples may have felt when Jesus, in our Gospel reading, told them that it was time “to get out of the classroom” and to put into practice what they had learned by following and watching him. In compassion for those in need around him, Jesus commissioned the twelve disciples to help with the work. He sent them out to those who needed the message of hope, to those who needed healing, and he sent them out to love and bring healing to those whom society considered untouchable and unlovable – the outsiders and the outcasts. To such as these the disciples were called to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God.
And it’s the same today. Our buildings may be closed but the people are still here. For some the needs are obvious, for others they are hidden, invisible to casual observation. And society still has its outsiders and outcasts.
Healing takes many forms – physical, emotional, mental, spiritual. There are people in Canvey Island and beyond who need our prayers. There are people who need us to reach out to them ... to hear a friendly voice on the phone or receive a card or a letter or a ‘hi’ across the internet. There are people who need more practical help. Some encounters will be easy and pleasant ... others will not.
Jesus called the disciples, equipped them, and sent them out of the classroom of learning and trusted them to do the job. And, different characters as they were, they did the job and were amazed at how God was with them and glorified himself through their obedience.
So here we are members and friends of Canvey Island Methodist Church all about to emerge from the “Home Classrooms of Lockdown”. We are reminded today that, as Jesus disciples of 2020, our mission, in His grace and love continues. As we go on in faith and trust, God will be with us, moving through us in blessing, to those we serve. Our buildings may still be closed but the Church is not, and Jesus, filled with compassion, is still calling workers to the field to proclaim the Kingdom of God in word and deed. And the field to which he calls us is all around us. May God bless and equip us as we serve him. Amen
We are sent to shine light into dark places. Jesus through the words of Matthew 5:14. tells us as his modern day disciples that “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
We respond to God’s word as we sing, “Shine Jesus Shine”.
14). Shine Jesus Shine. CCI Licence No: 425086
Lord the light of Your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness, shining
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us
Set us free by the truth You now bring us
Shine on me
Shine on me
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze, Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your Word, Lord And let there be light
Lord, I come into Your awesome presence
From the shadows into Your radiance
By the blood I may enter Your brightness
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness
Shine on me
Shine on me
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze, Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your Word, Lord And let there be light
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze, Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your Word, Lord And let there be light
Graham Kendrick.
15). Conclusion: https://youtu.be/T3b6D0YvcAk
May I thank Afua, Margaret, Valerie and Sue for leading our readings and prayers and to you all for taking part in this act of worship today.
Benediction : And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all forever more. Amen.
16) Reflection and Response
Have Thine own Way lord
1 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
while I am waiting, yielded and still.
2 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Search me and try me, Savior today!
Wash me just now, Lord, wash me just now,
as in thy presence humbly I bow.
3 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
4 Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!
United Methodist Hymnal, 1989
© ROOTS for Churches Ltd (www.rootsontheweb.com) 2002-2020.
Reproduced with permission.