Welcome to our service today. Today our service includes communion - the words for which are included at the end of this post. If you are able to please join us for communion on zoom at 12.15pm, bringing your own bread and wine, or if you are not able to access zoom participate together at the same time with the same words - we are one body, each of us a part of it. The zoom link is here
This week the leaders are meeting to begin to set out the timetable for re-opening and to pray through some of the options we have. Claire is also meeting with the parents of families with children who are part of our Sunday School at 8.15pm on Thursday (on the zoom link above) to discuss some options and ideas for how - if you have children or volunteer as part of Sunday School and want to be part of that conversation please just turn up. Because of the size and busyness of our church building we are looking to be creative in how we make meeting together possible for all those who want to.
Bible Study meets on Wednesday at 8pm.
Worship
Remember what Christ has done for us:
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" - Romans 5:6-8
Songs for today - you might want to save the last couple for towards the end of the service
Why did Jesus have to die? Watch this video which gives us a great demonstration of why..... (you can re-enact the video (children will need to ask parents to help) if you look under the video on YouTube it tells you how to do it).
Isn't it amazing? What is more amazing is that if you choose to ask God to forgive your sins he takes them away. We've got to make that choice ourselves and recognise that we need forgiveness but once we do so..... the future looks amazing.
Spend some time now asking for forgiveness for what you have done wrong. You could write it all down and then shred it or burn it (with help in a safe way) or use a washable marker on a piece of cloth or washable surface and then clean it afterwards. That cleaning, that destroying, is a sign that you have been forgiven.
Spend some time in prayer now for the world, for this country, for the church, for your fmaily and friends, for yourself, lifting what is on your heart to God.
Word
Our Psalm today is Psalm 32 - listen to it here
Our Sermon for today brought by our minister Claire
Communion
We will be gathering on zoom to share bread and wine, but if you cannot make it onto zoom you can join in by using the same words and songs. There is something about gathering at the same time with the same words that reminds us that we stand together, and we are part of something so much bigger. Find some bread and some wine and join us at the table.
We Gather
“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit” (Psalm 32:1-2)
We gather at our tables, scattered in the community. Some of us are alone, some of us are with our families, some of us are in unfamiliar places. Our tables look different, sing songs of now and tell stories of times gone by. Happy times, blessed times, broken times, hurting times.
We gather at the Lord’s table, a table that sings of the blessings he abundantly offers to us. We are all welcomed to participate in the song of the table, a song of abundance, a song of truth, a song of redemption. His song is our song.
At our tables, this table, we learn that we are forgiven, we learn that our sins are covered, we learn that our sin does not count against us and we learn the way of truth.
All are welcome here. All are blessed as we come to share in this meal. As we come, our God, he sings a song of deliverance over us.
We Confess
“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of the summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:3-5)
Spend some time in prayer now confessing your sins to God.
Pause and Pray
The song of the table reminds us that, whatever we have done, however we have been, the future is different. This song of deliverance declares that we are forgiven, our sin taken on the cross. This is a song of new beginnings. Be assured that in this song, restoration, deliverance, hope and change is open to each one of us because of what Jesus has done.
“Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from the trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:6-7)
Sing together
The Song of the Table
Bread Song – By Gerard Kelly (published in Spoken Worship)
It’s not in the bread
but in the breaking
that the mystery of God’s story is told.
It’s not in the seed
but in the dying,
not in the treasure
but in the digging for it.
It’s not in the mountain
but in its moving.
It’s not in the wine
but in the pouring out
that a new world is purchased
for the weary.
It’s not in the cross
but in the crucified,
not in the nails
but in the nailing.
It’s not in the grave
but in the rising from it.
It’s in the giving
that the gift becomes life;
it’s in the living
that the Word becomes flesh.
It’s in this taking,
this receiving,
this sharing of a supper,
this pointing to a future
that is promised
and paid for
and pressed into our hands;
it’s in this everyday mealtime miracle
that the universe is born
to new life.
Thanksgiving
“Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11)
Let us spend time now giving thanks for the bread and for the wine.
Pause and Pray
Sharing
The song that we sing at the table is one that has been passed on to us – The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, saying, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.
Take your bread then and eat it, as you do so, hear the songs of heaven sing “This is my body, broken for you”
Pause and eat bread
In the same way after supper, he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me”
Take your wine and drink it, as you do so, hear the songs of heaven sing “This is my blood shed for you”.
Pause and drink the wine
Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit” (Psalm 32:1-2)
The song of the table says that we are forgiven, we are covered, we are rescued. It says that hope is always there, deliverance is always possible, and celebration is on its way….
Sing together
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