Saturday, July 17. 2021New guidance from the Synod Moderators
New Freedoms, Same Responsibilities
As the Governments in England, Scotland and Wales move towards reducing or ending Coronavirus restrictions on Places of Worship, the Synod Moderators offer the following guidance to congregations of the United Reformed Church. 1. We remind churches of the Great Commandments: to love God with our whole being and love our neighbour as we love ourselves. All our actions must therefore be aimed at glorifying God and showing continuing care for others. We cannot cast off all restraint and still fulfil those commandments. It is therefore fully appropriate for us to continue some of the practices with which we have become familiar. 2. Elders’ Meetings (and equivalents) must regularly review their Risk Assessment and put in place mitigations appropriate to their current circumstances, context, and activities, which might include continued social distancing and/or wearing face coverings amongst other measures. You must maintain a safe workplace for Ministers, staff and volunteers. This could usefully become a standing agenda item. 3. Remember those who remain clinically vulnerable or anxious – what measures will you put in place for them – hybrid worship, separate services where current restrictions are maintained, “safer zones” in church (with social distancing and face coverings), or something else? 4. We encourage everyone to continue the practice of washing or sanitising hands when they arrive for worship and other activities. We would expect this to apply to external users as well as for church activities to reduce the possibility of virus transmission through touch points. 5. Similarly, maintain a careful cleaning routine, especially at touch points such as doors, hand rails, switches, etc. 6. These hygiene measures were shown to be effective at reducing a range of respiratory viruses (colds, ‘flu), not just Covid-19. It will be a good thing to show love to others through minimising risk to their health, however minor the illness might be for most people. 7. As legal requirements to wear face coverings in public buildings (which include churches) are ended, we ask churches to consider whether it is appropriate to encourage their continued use inside our buildings. Many churches are difficult to ventilate effectively. We know that the longer we are in closed rooms, the greater the build-up of the virus and therefore risk of transmission, even to those who are vaccinated. 8. The scientific evidence on the risks of Covid-19 transmission from singing is not finally settled. Preliminary data show that singing inside, especially in rooms without adequate ventilation, DOES increase the build-up of aerosol particles. Singing together is one aspect of worship that most have us have missed greatly. Therefore, we encourage churches to continue with a risk-managed approach to congregational singing. Consider singing whilst wearing face coverings. If infection rates increase locally, it will be better to keep to shorter acts of worship and include less congregational singing or if necessary, pause congregational singing again. 9. The Moderators respect every individual’s right to choose whether they be vaccinated. However, we encourage people to get fully vaccinated unless there are medical reasons why they should not. Vaccination massively reduces both the risk of illness and that of passing the virus on to others. Vaccines are not, however, 100% effective. There are known cases of people contracting Covid-19 even after receiving two doses of the vaccine. We must therefore each take responsibility to do our part in keeping other people safe. “For you were called to freedom…only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.” (Galatians 5:13 NRSV) The Synod Moderators July 8, 2021
New guidance from the Synod Moderators Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Saturday, July 10. 2021Worship with General Assembly tomorrow
Link for service from the URC General Assembly tomorrow at 11.00
Worship from General Assembly
Worship with General Assembly tomorrow Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Sunday, May 30. 2021URC audio service for 30th May 2021 led by Rev'd Nicola Furley-Smith
URC audio service
URC audio service for 30th May 2021 ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Sunday, May 30. 2021National Synod of Wales Synod Sunday service for 30th May 2021
Synod Service for 30th May
National Synod of Wales Synod Sunday ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Sunday, May 23. 2021URC audio service for Pentecost Sunday - 23rd May 2021
URC audio service
URC audio service for Pentecost ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Sunday, May 23. 2021Recording of Ian & Julie's Zoom service for Pentecost Sunday
Today's recording of our Zoom service is here
https://soundcloud.com/ian-kirby-311893217/zoom-service-for-pentecost-sunday-23rd-may-2021
Recording of Ian & Julie's Zoom ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Saturday, May 22. 2021Ian & Julie's Zoom Service for Sunday 23rd May 2021 - Pentecost Sunday
Zoom Service
Worship for Pentecost Sunday – 23rd May 2021 Call to worship Today we have so very much to celebrate, The birthday of the first Church, The long awaited opening of the first of our Chapels, And so we ask… Come Holy Spirit, Come Holy Spirit, Come Holy Spirit. Come amongst us as we pray, as we listen and reflect. Come amongst us we pray, in some mysterious way, Amen. HYMN: This is the day This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. We will rejoice, we will rejoice, and be glad in it, and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it, This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made. Prayers God of all grace, we bring ourselves in worship, Opening ourselves up to the way the Spirit is at work amongst us. We pray for justice, we pray for courage. We listen to your word to us, and listen for The Word within us. We take courage from this moment, from this encounter, to meet with you – O God. To be inspired by each other, and by stories from others who seek to follow you. We know we have not always got it right this day, this week, this year. We know we have failed you, and we carry the guilt of that. In this moment, we say sorry for all the times we have fallen short. Unburdening ourselves in the stillness. [Pause]. And, on this Pentecost Sunday, we hear you saying to us: “your sins are forgiven”. Our connection with the divine is not broken or damaged, but renewed again this day. And for that we rejoice. We bring these, and all our prayers in Jesus’ name, Amen. The Lord’s Prayer Readings John 20:19-23 New Revised Standard Version Jesus Appears to the Disciples 19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Acts 2:1-21 The Holy Spirit Comes 2 On the day of Pentecost[a] all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,[b] as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. 5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. 7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other. 13 But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!” Peter Preaches to the Crowd 14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. 16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy. 19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below— blood and fire and clouds of smoke. 20 The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the Lordarrives. 21 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ SONG: Enemy of apathy 1 She sits like a bird, brooding on the waters, hovering on the chaos of the world's first day; she sighs and she sings, mothering creation, waiting to give birth to all the Word will say. 2 She wings over earth, resting where she wishes, lighting close at hand or soaring through the skies; she nests in the womb, welcoming each wonder, nourishing potential hidden to our eyes. 3 She dances in fire, startling her spectators, waking tongues of ecstasy where dumbness reigned; She weans and inspires all whose hearts are open, nor can she be captured, silenced or restrained. 4 For she is the Spirit, one with God in essence, gifted by the Saviour in eternal love; she is the key opening the scriptures, enemy of apathy and heavenly dove. John L Bell (born 1949) and Graham Maule (1958-2019) © 1988 WGRG, c/o Iona Community, 21 Carlton Court, Glasgow, G5 9JP, Scotland. www.wildgoose.sco Reflection After such a long time of being able to meet together physically, we must all have such amazing things to tell each other about what’s been happening to us, our families, friends and even the people we live alongside. That’s before we get onto all the exciting things that God’s been communicating and that we’re all just bursting to share all our ideas! Yes?! Well may be not… Every now and again in my Christian life I learn something that makes me think ‘why have I never thought of that before?’. One of the things that as a Minister, I try to do is to look at special celebrations in the Church in new ways or even old way but from new directions. I have spent some time looking at sermons, written for this Sunday, for Pentecost, I found one written by someone I admire greatly and I hope that she wouldn’t mind me referring to her as a friend. In it she had recognised that the disciples were “gathered all together to keep the feast of Pentecost – and that’s a feast that’s about celebrating the giving of the Law”. That was my light-bulb moment. The story of Easter doesn’t start with “it was Easter” the story of Christmas doesn’t start with “it was Christmas” but the story of Pentecost starts with “it was Pentecost”. Pentecost was already a thing – it was the Jewish festival that came 50 days after the Passover. If you’re sitting there thinking ‘well, yes, I knew that!’ – why has no-one ever told me before? And yes, thanks to my other friend, Duck duck go, well that and Bible Gateway I know now that Pentecost was also known as Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks, and since part of the purpose of the festival was to give thanks to God for the Law, the tradition was to spend the first evening of the festival in all-night study of the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures ( our Old Testament). The other tradition is to read the whole of the book of Ruth. You knew all this? Why did no-one tell me?? The disciples didn’t just happen to be together in that reading we heard from the second chapter of Acts – they had gathered to thank God for the Law, to read the Scriptures, to celebrate what God had given his people. Then.. pow! When they think they are in for a nice, orderly, sensible celebration of the God who has acted in history – God’s power shows up. The Holy Spirit turns their expectations upside done and inside out & makes Pentecost a celebration of what God is doing now – bringing the church into being, converting frightened, bewildered followers of Christ into living breathing, prophesying, witnesses of the God who is doing a new thing. The disciples become the church and are given the power to communicate with people in their own language – to spread the Good News of God’s love in Jesus to all points of the compass – North to Mesopotamia, South to Egypt, East to Asia, West to Rome. The story of the God who is born among us in Jesus to live with us and for us, to die at our hands to show us the depth of his love, to be raised from death to bring us everlasting hope – that story of God’s kingdom of hope and joy and redemption is for everyone, and the disciples are driven out by the power of the spirit to take the message to the streets of Jerusalem and right across the world. But hang on a minute, in the first reading that we heard, Jesus had just appeared to his closest friends in that room, before quietly and sensitively breathing the Holy Spirit upon them, he reassured them with the words, I suspect words that they will have recognised from times they had spent with him before his crucifixion; ‘Peace be with you…’ Perhaps not everything needs to be absolute chaos in the presence of the Holy Spirit. How would you describe the Holy Spirit? What does it mean to you today? There are many and varied pictures, both word pictures throughout scripture and elsewhere, artistic impressions of what He/ She may be. My own idea of it is that it represents the feminine side of God, that it is both comforter and disturber; but is adaptable to be whatever it is we as individuals and companies of God’s people at any one time. How do you feel about or talk about the Holy Spirit? For me chatting with others is the only way that I grow in faith, listening and discerning that which resonates or doesn’t with the heart of my very being. So what are we doing this morning? Are we just listening to the Bible story – the story from nearly 2000 years ago – and giving thanks to God for what he did then? Or are we prepared to risk the chance that God might show up, that the Holy Spirit might come here and now and turn our life and our church and our worship upside down and inside out? No matter how we are prompted by the Spirit – be it gently, or if our world is turned upside down; however we are about to open our chapels, quietly, with excitement beyond recognition or even if we decide the time is not right YET, as long as we are responding to the Spirits prompt, it is right. Much like that first Pentecost we are not about a one size fits all way, there needs to be communication – however that comes. Personally I like to know where I’m going in a service – I like to know how long it’s likely to be, whether I have a chance to eat a sweet in the sermon, I like to know where to sit and when to stand and I like it best when I know the hymns. And the Holy Spirit at Pentecost says – tough! That’s where the Spirit as disturber arises. God’s power cannot be confined to just one way of doing things, the good news certainly can’t be locked up in the church, there will always be new things happening in God’s kingdom. However, it doesn’t always have to cause noise and disruption, it may come as gently as a breath from the Christ himself. Just as I learned something new about the meaning of Pentecost this week and thought ‘why did no-one ever tell me?’ there are people around us every day of our lives who find the concept of faith in Jesus a mystery. Why does no-one ever tell them? The Holy Spirit shows us that we need to find many languages to speak. Not just, literally, different tongues – but other ways of communicating about God’s love – through works of charity and mercy, through fighting for justice through praying for peace. On the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit came, Peter reminded people of the prophecy of Joel. God promises to pour out his spirit on all flesh – men and women, young and old, slaves and free. There will be visions, and dreams and signs… and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How easy was it, earlier in the service when we talked about ‘having a story to tell’ and what it might be?. I think that the young people find it easier to explore their feelings and to come up with answers than most of us, ‘Your sons and your daughters will prophecy’. We see how the Spirit works in different ways, through different people, in different tongues. God comes in power to break down barriers, to send us out with Good news, to turn our churches inside out so that all people can hear the good news and be saved. Are you ready? Me neither. Let’s go together! And see where the Spirit takes us. Amen. Music - Spirit of the Living God… Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me; Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me; break me, melt me, mould me, fill me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me; Daniel Iverson (1890-1972) © 1935 Birdwing Music/EMI Christian Music Publishing/Small Stone Media Adm. by Song Solutions Daybreak, 14 Horsted Square, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 1QG, UK. info@songsolutions.org Used by permission. Prayers of intercession God of all grace, we pray for your Church today, especially for the witness of your people in the Brecon Beacons Pastorate, breathe new life into us, and grant us a clear vision to be faithful. God of all grace, we pray for those who suffer today, all who suffer for their faith… All who suffer in body, mind and spirit… Reveal yourself to all in need with comfort and peace. God of all grace, we pray for the nations in your world. Grant to those in authority the gifts needed to speak clearly across divides, to bring healing and calm, where there are wounds and discord. God of all grace, In quietness we offer to you the people and places on our hearts today. [Silence] In faith, and hope, we offer these prayers to you Holy God. we may see your work, vision, and kingdom come here on Earth. This we pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen HYMN: There’s a Spirit in the air This is the definitive version of the text. An earlier version in Faith Looking Forward and many other books is given elsewhere but the definitive version should be used wherever possible. 1 There's a spirit in the air, telling Christians everywhere: 'Praise the love that Christ revealed, living, working in our world!' 2 Lose your shyness, find your tongue, tell the world what God has done: God in Christ has come to stay. Live tomorrow's life today! 3 When believers break the bread, when a hungry child is fed, praise the love that Christ revealed, living, working, in our world. 4 Still the Spirit gives us light, seeing wrong and setting right: God in Christ has come to stay. Live tomorrow's life today! 5 When a stranger's not alone, where the homeless find a home, praise the love that Christ revealed, living, working, in our world. 6 May the Spirit fill our praise, guide our thoughts and change our ways. God in Christ has come to stay. Live tomorrow's life today! 7 There's a Spirit in the air, calling people everywhere: Praise the love that Christ revealed, living, working, in our world. Brian Wren (born 1936) © 1969, 1995 Stainer & Bell Ltd Blessing May the fire of the Spirit be in your hearts, may the hope of transformation be in your minds, May the grace of God be in your bodies, may you be a Pentecost people, in Jesus’ name, Amen. All music copied and streamed under CCL 634229 & 138598, One Licence A735906 & PRS Licence 002136
Ian & Julie's Zoom Service for ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Sunday, May 16. 2021Recording of Ian & Julie's Morning worship for 16th May 2021
Morning Worship 16th May 2021
Recording of Ian & Julie's ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Sunday, May 16. 2021URC audio service for Sunday 16th May 2021 led by Rev'd Michael Jagessar
URC audio service
URC audio service for Sunday 16th ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Saturday, May 15. 2021Ian & Julie's Zoom service for Sunday 16th May 2021
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3540351038?pwd=Ti9Wb3F6N2h1amRtb0FzWVg5WFYzQT09 Meeting ID: 354 035 1038 Passcode: 717837 Sunday 16th May 2021 Welcome & Notices Call to worship Holy God, We have come to worship you, We have come just as we are, With all our doubts and fears. May we be refreshed,, challenged and inspired by a fresh encounter with you today. HYMN: Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven 1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven; to his feet thy tribute bring; ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven who like thee his praise should sing? Praise him! Praise him! Praise the everlasting King! 2 Praise him for his grace and favour to our fathers in distress; praise him still the same for ever, slow to chide, and swift to bless: Praise him! Praise him! Glorious in his faithfulness! 3 Father-like he tends and spares us; well our feeble frame he knows; in his hands he gently bears us, rescues us from all our foes: Praise him! Praise him! Widely as his mercy flows! 4 Angels, help us to adore him, ye behold him face to face; sun and moon, bow down before him, dwellers all in time and space: Praise him! Praise him! Praise with us the God of grace! Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) Prayers Loving God, you are the one who holds time and eternity in their places. We gather in these places and this time to worship you. We thank you for your love which has been seen in time since the dawn of creation not giving up on us but guiding us back to you. When the time was right you sent Jesus your Son to enter space and time. He lived, loved and laughed among us and when he was crucified as a threat to the government of the time you raised him from the dead. Then in your time, you sent the Holy Spirit to inspire those Jesus left behind and those who came afterwards to put your will into place in your time. Although you have created us with something of you within each one of us, we confess that our flawed and fallible humanity still manages to rise to the surface. We dither and delay when you want us to move forward, hesitating until opportunities are lost or there is only one inevitable conclusion. We declare that we are happy where we are because we fear change even though deep down, we know that we cannot carry on as we are. Alternatively, we rush in where angels fear to tread, trying to hurry you along, confident that we have it right and know the way and fall flat on our faces. For our hesitation and haste, good Lord, forgive us. Deepen our relationship with you as individuals and companies of your people so that we are comfortable seeking guidance from you and waiting for your answer. Help us also to be courageous enough to act when we feel assured that you have shown us the way. Loving God, for the sake of Jesus Christ assure us that our past is forgiven and dealt with. Through the Holy Spirit draw us closer to you so that we may work with you, and you work with us, we pray, as we sum up our prayers using the pattern that Jesus left his followers in whichever language is most comfortable to us. Our Father…. Readings Psalm 1 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. Acts 1 v 15-17, 21-6 15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters,[d] the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.” 21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” 23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles. Change is an ever-present reality in our lives. We may not like it but in many cases, we cannot prevent it. Accepting it is a different reality though. In many cases, if we’re not in favour of it we try to pretend that it isn’t happening or we rage against it, often for many years. I’m reminded of the conversation between a newly ordained minister and her longest serving elder. Trying to make casual conversation with him, she said “You must have seen a great many changes during your time in the church.” “Yes”, he said proudly, “And I’ve been against every one of them!” Have you ever found yourself in a place where what has worked in the past no longer works? You know that you have to move on and find a different way of doing things – but it is not clear what that way is. Let me introduce you to the concept of liminal time. This is the name given to such periods. There’s a very good example of liminal time in this morning’s reading from Acts. This is set after Jesus has ascended up to heaven. There is no going back to what was before. The presence of Jesus will be experienced in a new and different way through the presence of the Holy Spirit. They are given specific instructions – wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit and then go out and be my witnesses. There are some people in life who are very uncomfortable with either the concept or the practice of waiting. Sometimes this can be a good thing as they can cut through prevarication and delay but otherwise their impatience can lead to hasty decisions that look good in the short term but prove to be premature as time unfolds. I don’t think that I’m making a rash assumption in suggesting that Peter was one of those people. The disciples were told to wait for the way forward to unfold but Luke tells us that even as Jesus ascended into heaven they were still fixated on the past and the restoration of the twelve tribes of Israel. You get the sense that they still see themselves as potential leaders of the new twelve tribes and there were now only eleven of them, so Peter decides that they have to do something and that something is to fill the casual vacancy. Two men are chosen. The disciples at least look for candidates who have been with Jesus all along but for Joseph and Matthias this is their brief moment in the limelight before they fade away into obscurity once again as far as the New Testament is concerned. I’m not suggesting that the disciples didn’t make a decision in good faith or that it was the wrong decision, but I wonder whether a decision made later on with the guidance of the Holy Spirit might not have led to a different outcome. It’s possible to deduce from Acts that Luke rather thinks the twelfth apostle should have been Paul and Paul is not shy in describing himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the decisive nature of Paul’s conversion may have made for more turbulence had he been formally appointed as one of the twelve. We just don’t know. Down the years the church has made many decisions, sometimes guided by the Spirit, sometimes guided by the self-interest of those in power and sometimes guided by pragmatism. Some have been downright wrong, others have been satisfactory but might have been better, and others by some miracle, have worked out for the best. The church is a body made up of humans and reflects its humanity accordingly. Part of the problem is that we have lost the practice of actively waiting on God. Sometimes we passively sit around hoping that God will intervene allowing us to avoid difficult decisions or we seek the majority view and try to be as efficient and timely as possible in reaching this. The danger of being passive is that we drift until reality leads to a decision that is inevitable but pleases no-one and the danger of being efficient is that we risk reaching a decision that is the most efficient but not necessary the best. There are times when we suffer from terminal niceness where we strive for an outcome that doesn’t upset anybody – and it will kill us in the end. How does this relate to where we find ourselves? I wonder whether we’re in liminal time at this moment. Even as we return to worship, it won’t be what it used to be for some time. We have all effectively lost a year and while some of us have been able to keep in contact through technology, not everyone has been able to do this. Not everyone will feel able to return to worship in our buildings and not everyone in that position will be able to receive streamed or recorded services. Others can’t wait to get back and return to what they regard as ‘business as usual’. This is a very complex situation, and it is helpful to be honest and recognise this. Simple kneejerk reactions will not help and may make things worse. Rather than rushing headlong into quick decisions, I wonder whether it is better to do what we are able to in the immediate future while we prayerfully consider what God may be calling us to do in the future. This will involve wrestling with big questions, most urgently ‘what is our purpose as part of the body of Christ in this place and this time?’ This is not a question that can be answered quickly or glibly or something which can be left to the ministers and elders. It involves everyone and a process where we listen to each other and to God in an attempt to discern what God might be saying to us. I get the impression that in their haste to fill the casual vacancy, the apostles failed to ask the question as to the purpose of the Twelve and everything else flowed from that failure. At this point, you may well ask the question ‘how long is this going to take?’ We might be scared that we do not have enough time, and something needs to be done now. I have confidence that however old and tired we may feel, God has not finished with us yet and God can build something that can continue the faithful work and worship that we have done down the years. It will involve faith and trust and also acceptance that we may not see its full flowering, but we are working in God’s time not ours. The Psalmist contrasts those who wait for God’s guidance with those who don’t. The people who look to God find that they are led towards something which will last and bear fruit. The others may build but what they build is not long lasting and is liable to be blown away when the wind changes. As we look towards to the future, may we also wait on the Lord and seek divine guidance so that whatever we build will be robust and able to withstand the difficulties of life, whatever that may hold. Amen. HYMN: May the mind of Christ my Saviour 1 May the mind of Christ my Saviour live in me from day to day, by his love and power controlling all I do or say. 2 May the word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour, so that all may see I triumph only through his power. 3 May the peace of God my Father rule my life in everything, that I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing. 4 May the love of Jesus fill me, as the waters fill the sea; him exalting, self abasing- this is victory. 5 May I run the race before me, strong and brave to face the foe, looking only unto Jesus as I onward go. 6 May his beauty rest upon me as I seek the lost to win, and may they forget the channel, seeing only him. Kate Barclay Wilkinson (1859-1928) Prayers Loving God, we live in a world which is desperately in need of your love. In the spirit of that love, we pray to you now. • We cry to you for the peace of Jerusalem and for peace and justice with Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. We ask that those searching for greater understanding, justice and peace may prevail over the agents of force and violence. • We remember countries of the world struggling with COVID-19, especially India and pray that vaccinations would be more widely available. Thank you that many of us have had both vaccinations and we pray that we may not be complacent. • We ask you to guide those who serve us in governments at Cardiff and Westminster praying that they may have wisdom and courage to confront the issues that face us making decisions that are fair and just. • We pray for the Church, the body of Christ. Enable us to face up to the challenges we face in today’s world and give us the humility and courage to rely on you rather than our own personal desires and plans. We remember our pastorate particularly the chapel at Talgarth as they make big decisions about the future. We also ask your blessing on the word being done to allow us to gather for worship next Sunday and beyond. We pray for Bethan and Gethin who are to be married on Saturday next. • We remember those who are struggling in many ways at the moment, especially those who have been bereaved or await hospital treatment with no indication of when it will happen. Hold those who need it at this moment in your arms, we ask, so that they may experience the full extent of your love. Hear all our prayers as we ask them in the name of Jesus. Amen. HYMN: Lord, thy church on earth is seeking 1 Lord, thy church on earth is seeking thy renewal from above; teach us all the art of speaking with the accent of thy love. We would heed thy great commission: go ye into every place? preach, baptise, fulfil my mission, serve with love and share my grace. 2 Freedom give to those in bondage, lift the burdens caused by sin. Give new hope, new strength and courage, grant release from fears within: light for darkness; joy for sorrow; love for hatred; peace for strife. These and countless blessings follow as the Spirit gives new life. 3 In the streets of every city where the bruised and lonely dwell, let us show the Saviour's pity, let us of his mercy tell. In all lands and with all races let us serve, and seek to bring all the world to render praises, Christ, to thee, Redeemer, King. Hugh Sherlock (1905?1998) © Successor to Hugh Sherlock/administered by The Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes Blessing We have worshipped God We are each a person of God, We are each held in the loving arms of a divine Creator, As we leave this set apart time and space, May we do so with the blessing of Creator, Incarnate and Spirit– from this moment – and enter into a world crying out for love, for hope, for justice. Amen. All music copied and streamed under CCL 634229 & 138598, One Licence A735906 & PRS Licence 002136
Ian & Julie's Zoom service for ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Sunday, May 9. 2021Audio recording for Julie and Ian's Zoom service for 9th May 2021
Audio recording of 9th May 2021 service
Audio recording for Julie and Ian's ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Sunday, May 9. 2021URC audio service for 9th May 2021 led by Rev'd Tony Addy
URC audio service
URC audio service for 9th May 2021 ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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09:00
Saturday, May 8. 2021Ian & Julie's Zoom service for Sunday 9th May 2021
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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3540351038?pwd=Ti9Wb3F6N2h1amRtb0FzWVg5WFYzQT09 Meeting ID: 354 035 1038 Passcode: 717837 Welcome and Notices Call to worship Here we are God, come amongst us. Here we are Lord, listening for your word to us. Here we are Jesus, seeking to follow you. Here we are Spirit, needing inspiration. We have come, come Lord Jesus. Amen. HYMN: Christ is the world’s light 1 Christ is the world's Light, he and none other; Born in our darkness, he became our Brother. If we have seen him, we have seen the Father: Glory to God on high. 2 Christ is the world's Peace, he and none other; No man can serve him and despise his brother Who else unites us, one in God the Father? Glory to God on high. 2A Christ is the world's Peace, he and none other; No one can serve him and despise another Who else unites us, one in God the Father? Glory to God on high. 2B Christ is the world's Peace, he and none other; No man can serve him and despise a brother Who else unites us, one in God the Father? Glory to God on high. 3 Christ is the world's Life, he and none other; Sold once for silver, murdered here, our Brother - He who redeems us, reigns with God the Father: Glory to God on high. 4 Give God the glory, God and none other; Give God the glory, Spirit, Son and Father; Give God the glory, God in Man my brother: Glory to God on high. Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000) © 1969 Stainer & Bell Ltd Prayers Lord, we thank you for your presence with us. You move through all humans in strange and mysterious ways. We thank you for your wondrous works using us. May you continue to amaze us, may we see you with fresh eyes of wonder each day. Amen. A prayer of confession. Forgive us Lord, for the times when we have not loved others and ourselves as you love us. Forgive us Lord, for the times when we have not seen the way you are trying to guide us. Forgive us Lord, for the times we have doubted you when we have forgotten that the spirit is the truth. [Pause]. Lord, we know and are assured that you forgive all sins may we know that assurance this day and always. Amen. Let us now say the Lord’s Prayer Acts 10:44-48 New International Version 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[a] and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days. 1 John 5:1-6 New International Version Faith in the Incarnate Son of God 5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. John 15:9-17 New International Version 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other. I have to admit that when I looked at the readings set for today in the lectionary, my heart sank. Oh no not more about love! I automatically thought of a distant pop song, and I may well be remembering it completely wrongly, but I think the words said something like ‘What more can be said that’s not been said?’ Then the words of one of my tutors, rang in my ears, ‘We as preachers can’t just run from the text because we are uncomfortable with it, their maybe something within that God wants us to wrestle with!’ Of course I don’t struggle with the love, mercy, grace and acceptance of God, but in a phrase my mum may well have used, they have rather been done to death, over the last few weeks! So I’m going to try to look at these readings from a different perspective this week. The desire for certainty goes very deep in the world today, when will lockdown end? When can I go on holiday? When can I hug my loved ones? I think that all of today’s readings look at that longing with sympathy, though the answers they give are as challenging as they are reassuring. In the Gospel, Jesus is at last giving his disciples ‘commandments’. If the disciples have been listening to Jesus throughout the weeks and months before this, they must have some inkling already about how Jesus interprets God’s commandments to his people. Underlying the great commandments given by God to Moses is the imperative that his people should show by their lives what their God is like. This commandment Jesus has fulfilled utterly. Through all his life he has kept the commandment to love God, be loved by God and to show God’s love, and that is the commandment that he now passes on to his disciples. If the commandments given to Moses have proved difficult to interpret and fulfil, then Jesus’s retelling of them has proved even harder. How do we know if we have fulfilled this great command to love one another? The example that Jesus gives, of his own willingness to die for his friends, is not a comforting one. Is that, then, to be the measure of love? Well, the Gospel suggests, it may need to be sometimes. But the verses that directly follow the giving of this commandment suggest that there are other interim measures too. One is the insistent changing of roles that is so characteristic of Jesus’s teaching. ‘I have called you friends’, he says, ‘because I have made known to you everything that I heard from my Father.’ The sharing that characterizes Father and Son is extended to us. We are not simply issued with instructions that we must follow without needing to understand them. Instead we are invited to God’s table, to eat and discuss and share in his great plan for the world. So one mark of our ‘love’ for one another and God will presumably be our willingness to extend this invitation to others. ‘Come and join us at God’s table, come and help us to work out with God what to do next.’ If God makes friends, not servants, so should we as Christians. This may mean that in inviting others we don’t only do so, expecting them to fit in with the way that we ‘do’ things but that we welcome them with open hearts, open minds and open ears that we may learn of the God uses them, we may learn how we may be challenged and changed through the experience. The second measure of our success at ‘loving’ that these verses suggest is ‘bearing fruit’. Bringing others to share in the life and love of God will make us more loving. Anyone who has had any experience in Christian evangelism, whether in word or deed or both, would I think agree with that. It is deeply challenging and enlarging to see the word of God at work in the lives of others, and to see that before you and your feeble attempt at love got anywhere near the situation, God’s love was already at work. That is certainly the experience of Peter and his hearers as they watch Cornelius and his household respond to the love of God. They hear these strangers praising God long before they have gone through all the proper forms, and they realize that their own love for the Gentiles has been much smaller than God’s. If they were looking for certainty about the next step in relation to the Gentiles, then they are given it abundantly. They see the Holy Spirit poured out with unmistakable power – and notice that that power is proved not just by the use of tongues, but by the praise of God. Of course, the certainty experienced by these witnesses is not easily transmitted to those who weren’t present, as you will discover if you read the next chapter of Acts. John’s epistle combines both love and the Holy Spirit in its explanation of Christian certainty. Like the Gospel, this letter suggests that the commandment we are given – the thing we have to do if you like, the action in response to the emotion, to know that we are in the right – is to love God, to demonstrate our love for the one who cannot be completely known or understood is to love each other, that is a way of loving that we can not only comprehend but demonstrate. Like Acts, it suggests that it is the Holy Spirit rather than our own innate discernment that leads us to discern and act upon the love of God at work, past, present and into the future. It is here that we are also reintroduced to the sombre note of suffering sounded by the Gospel. The cross of Christ is not a past thing that has been superseded by the praise, joy and certainty of the Spirit. The Spirit witnesses constantly to the truth of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus which, in its totality, is the way of God’s victory in the world. Today’s readings imply that certainty comes through sharing our faith, praising God and loving one another. Each one of those activities makes the others more and more possible and natural and brings us closer and closer to the life of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. HYMN: A new Commandment A new commandment I give unto you: that you love one another as I have loved you, that you love one another as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another. Anonymous Prayers Lord, may we shout for joy. May we be reminded that we have the greatest joy in the world to shout about, may we burst into jubilant song that praises your name. Let every noise on earth and heaven be in praise of you. God, as we sing to you, you also sing to us. May we hear your song woven through the fabric of life. Bless us as we sing your songs do dance to your music this week and we pray that more will hear it. [Pause]. As we-bring our prayers for others let us offer to God those who are on our own hearts and in our minds today… Merciful God, you teach us to love as you first loved us and so we pray for those who are unloved this day. We pray for those who are unloved by society, the homeless, the dispossessed, the refugee. Lord you love them all and so show us how we can love them too, teach us to reach out a hand of friendship to them so that they may know they are loved by you all the days of their lives. Amen. HYMN: Love divine 1 Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven to earth come down, Fix in us thy humble dwelling, All thy faithful mercies crown. Jesu, thou art all compassion Pure, unbounded love thou art; Visit us with thy salvation, Enter every trembling heart. 2 Come, almighty to deliver, Let us all thy grace receive; Suddenly return, and never, Never more thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, Serve thee as thy hosts above, Pray, and praise thee, without ceasing, Glory in thy perfect love. 3 Finish then thy new creation, Pure and spotless let us be; Let us see thy great salvation, Perfectly restored in thee: Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise! Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Blessing As we take our leave of this time of worship, We commit again to a life of worship, Blessed by Creator Incarnate and Spirt, Reflected in our actions, our thoughts, our relationships, our ambitions. May we worship you, God of justice, this and every day. Amen. All music copied and streamed under CCL 634229 & 138598, One Licence A735906 & PRS Licence 002136
Ian & Julie's Zoom service for ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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Sunday, May 2. 2021Recording of Morning Service with Communion for 2nd May 2021
Morning service with Communion
Recording of Morning Service with ... Posted by Rev Ian Kirby
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11:31
Sunday, May 2. 2021 |
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