(All our songs this morning are from Singing the Faith (StF) numbers will be given where available)
Welcome to our Sunday Service, today shared on paper across our circuit and with the congregation at St Andrews Methodist Church and led by Rhona North one of our Circuit Local Preachers.
Click on the blue links to follow them for bible readings and associated links
Peace First
Come: Come and take a seat, perhaps on the floor as there would be no chairs in the Upper Room. Come and take your place, expectant of what God is going to do. Let the warmth of the Son warm your hearts. Let us worship Father and Son, thankful for all they’ve done in the past, doing now and for what is still to come. Send your Spirit Jesus to help us worship you in Spirit and in truth Amen
Song – 81 StF – Now thank we all our God
Prayers: Father God we thank you that you have been in it from the beginning. That you made the world: the nations in all their vivacious differences, for beautiful views of hills and valleys, beaches and coasts. For making us. Most of all we thank you for Jesus. Jesus we thank you for your incredible bravery at walking out to the cross, having done nothing wrong and stretching your arms out in love and dying to set us free.
Bring your own thanks for this week to God…..
Father God you are perfect, we are not. We ask: forgiveness for selfish thoughts, angry words, gossip, laziness and being too busy. We ask forgiveness for the things we haven’t got round to doing: silently waiting to hear your voice and plans, visits , encouraging words and care we’ve not given. For the times we’ve failed to tell the people we meet about Jesus your Son
Bring your own confession to God now……
We see you Jesus, in all Your resurrection glory taking our filthy sins from us, looking with such love into our very souls and hear your reassurance, “My little one, your sins are forgiven!”
How marvelous Lord it is to feel forgiven, your blood washing us clean from all that is past, declaring us not guilty and going ahead to prepare a place for us in heaven. How fabulous God that you did it for me, for us.
The Lord’s Prayer
Song – 284 StF – There is a green hill (He died that we might be forgiven..)
Reading 1: Psalm 4: 1-8
Talk : King David addresses this psalm to the chief musician and just look at the promises He makes if sinners truly turn to Him and give Him time to hear what He is saying! He starts with asking God to answer his prayer and imploring God not to let the wicked go on. Then comes the list of the good that God has done for him: held his heart when he was in distress, He sets the faithful apart, He hears their prayers, He turns His face to us, He gives sleep and safety at night. It is dependent on us being obedient and trusting Him.
Reflection: Come Holy Spirit and fall afresh on us. As you sit let the light and warmth of God’s love fall afresh on you, remembering the good things God has done.
Song – 395 StF – Spirit of the living God
Reading 2: Luke 24: 36-48
Talk:
Intro: After the crucifixion Luke tells 2 accounts before He meets up with all the disciples: the women have gone to the tomb and found it empty, had run to tell the disciples, Peter went to check and was happily amazed that the tomb was indeed empty! Then Jesus showed himself to Cleopas’ and another, unknown disciple on the road to Emmaus. Now He appears to His disciples while they were talking about the Emmaus meeting. Not surprisingly they were talking about Him.
Do you tell people when you have an experience of Jesus?
If you came face to face with Jesus what would you like His first words to be? Feel the varying emotions in the room with the disciples : fear of being arrested, unbelief that Jesus could be alive, excitement for those that believe, fear of what He’s to say to them, fear that He was a ghost. How would you feel at that moment? So immediately He says, “Peace!”
If Jesus asked you for something to eat what would you give him? In that Upper Room Jesus heard them asking if He was a ghost. To reassure them He said a ghost has no flesh or bones and does not eat. He asked them for something and they gave him a bit of broiled fish and honey.
He then invited them to hold and touch Him. How would you have felt touching Jesus? See yourself touching Him now. Do you feel you need proof that Jesus is real? Ask Him for that proof or encourage those that don’t know Him to ask Jesus to prove to them that He is real and alive now
He then tells them what He wants them to do: to preach about repentance, (helping people to turn to Him) and the remission of sins – Jesus’ blood washes sins clean so that they die down and are no more. When do they preach? After waiting for the power of His Spirit.
Conclusion: What pattern does Jesus give to the disciples from this? Jesus fills them with His Spirit, gives them proof that He’s real, then tells them to wait to be filled and then go and give the message about Jesus. Is that a pattern we can follow? With God’s help we can.
Let’s be still and ask God for peace. He loves to give good gifts to His children!
Song – 18 StF – Be still and know
Prayers of Intercession:
Father God we pray firstly for nations and their leaders, for countries at war or suffering from natural disasters ( pray for those you know…….
Lord in Your mercy, let all know that you are alive offering peace and hope
Father God we pray for our nation, for King Charles and Princess Catherine, for Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt and all who hold office. Pray for all that you worry about in the nation……
Lord in Your mercy, let all know that you are alive offering peace and hope
For also those in Yorkshire West led by Kerry Tankard, for Bradford North Circuit with Phil, Nick, Christine and Joy. For our churches: Allerton, Baildon, Bolton, Calverley, Christchurch, Northcliffe, Saint Andrew’s, Saltaire, Thackley, Thornton and Wilson. Pray for the shops, businesses charities and organizations in your local area
Lord in Your mercy, let all know that you are alive offering peace and hope
For friends, family, neighbours and colleagues that are struggling just now… name them. For those that need proof you have risen from the dead…. Name them. We lift them up into your arms, Jesus.
Lord in Your mercy, let all know that you are alive offering peace and hope
And lastly for ourselves that we be filled with your Spirit as we give you the things we have on next week, our worries hopes and dreams…. Fill us with Your Spirit, let us wait on you and tell those we meet the good news about Jesus
Lord in Your mercy, let me know that you are alive offering peace and hope.
We ask all our prayers in Jesus Christ’s name: Lord of Lords and King of Kings! Amen
Offering: We offer all who we are: our time, our talents, our weaknesses, our money, service, hopes and dreams for you to use, Father God, Amen
Song – 167 StF – Colours of day
Blessing:
May the Lord bless you and keep you, May God turn His face to you and be gracious to you, May the Lord let His gaze fall upon you and give you Shalom, Peace in body mind and spirit. Amen
