Sunday Worship – 27th November 2022 – Bradford North Circuit

(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 Calverley Methodist Church, led by Rhona North, one of our Circuit Local Preachers.

Click on the blue links to follow them for Bible readings and associated links.

First Sunday in Advent: you may like to have a candle ready to light or a table lamp to switch on and a pen and paper

We light this first candle: O Lord, as we enter this season of Advent, this time of waiting and anticipation, fill me with the hope of Christ. Help me to wait in great expectation for your great light to shine in this world, for all who are living in darkness to see the dawning of your light. This world can be so dark, so troubling, so full of despair, yet you are light and love. May your light fill all the darkest corners of this world. and all the darkest corners of my own heart. May your love conquer all despair and hate, leading us all to a better life in you. This is the hope of Christmas, that the birth of a baby – Jesus Christ, your Son – will change the world, and will work a change in my own life. Lord, I pray to be filled with this hope that light will triumph over darkness, love will conquer evil, and Jesus will save us all. This I pray through your Son Jesus Christ, Amen.

Isaiah 2: 1-5

Welcome

Draw up your comfiest chair, by the fire and enjoy coming together up the hill of Zion to worship our God, the God of glorious light, whose plan is for light to consume all darkness, for weapons to be turned to farming tools. God makes the best welcome steward, see the smile on His face and His delight as you come to worship. We welcome you Father God and Jesus as you sit on Your thrones, worthy of our worship. We welcome you Holy Spirit to have your way in this service. Where there is a need for peace, calm, comfort and strength pour it out; where there is a need of turning away from our sin and towards your holiness, turn us to You; where there is a need for you to call us afresh or anew, where you see a need to pour out your gifts, fall afresh on us and fill us. We ask it in Jesus’ name, Amen

Song – StF 171- Hark the glad sound

Prayers

Father God, amazing creator. We thank you for the coziness of dark nights, for candles flickering, table lamps glowing, fairy lights twinkling; their lights dispelling complete darkness. We thank you that darkness can never be complete because Jesus is the light of the world, He walked out onto Calvary, conquered death and dispelled complete darkness for ever! Shine a light on us now Father, show us the darkness that is within us, the meanness of spirit, cold crusty hearts, self-centredness and ugly thoughts that are so unworthy of Jesus dying for us.

Silence …..

We see the intense love in your eyes Jesus, Your holy hands take our sins from us, you put them in the bin and you empty the bin into the swirling abyss where we cannot get them back. We welcome you Holy Spirit confirm our sins are forgiven, refresh us, wash away all the dirt, grit and mud that has built up in us, fill us now with whatever You see our need to share God’s love and the hope that Jesus brings with those that we will chat to in the coming week. Stir up your love, peace, patience and joy in us as we have room in our hearts, that we may shine for you. We ask our prayers in Jesus’ name:

Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 24: 36-44

Jesus says before the passage that when the Son of Man ( His servant heart for us) returns the sun will grow darker, stars will fall out of space, a sign will be seen in the sky and Jesus will return on the clouds, the trumpet will sound, angels with fly out gathering believers! How important it is that our friends and family are in that number! Then in our passage today Matthew states that no one knows when Jesus will return, not the angels nor Jesus Himself! Only God the Father knows; people will carry on with normal life, like in the times of Noah, until Jesus will return! Two men will be in the field working, one will be taken the other left, the same with two women grinding corn. Be on your guard! If a home owner knew the exact time a burglar would break in they would have protected the home. We need to be ready as we don’t know either, when this will happen.

Let’s ask God to raise ourselves and all our loved ones to the throne

Song – StF 169 – Come thou long-expected Jesus

Talk

Do you remember when as a teenager you were supposed to be doing something and you weren’t!!! My daughter, at 16 was in the middle of her GCSE’s, French the next day. Several of her friends who had finished their A levels were going out for the day to an Adventure Park called the American Adventure in Nottingham, sadly now closed. It had the biggest log flume in the world. My daughter asked if she could go and I said absolutely not, once all her GCSE’s were finished yes, but revision for French was well needed. Next morning I left her to revise, went to school, taught the morning lessons but as it was exam time I had no students in the afternoon so that I decided to go home knowing I’d get more work done there. I arrived about 3pm, to find my daughter and her friend home, drying their hair! My daughter was horrified, had been to the park, had got soaking wet on the log flume and had arrived home to dry themselves out before expecting me about six!!!

Can you imagine her face when I walked in?!!! Red doesn’t quite describe it!!! Will you be red- faced when He returns? Will you be sinning at that moment or walking hand in hand with Jesus? Imagine your pure wonder when we see Him descending? What delight!

Song – StF 177 – Lo He comes with clouds

Talk

Are we excited about His return? Are there people in our friends, family, colleagues and neighbours who do not believe in Jesus. Have they told you before they don’t want to know. Jesus’ last prayer in John 17 is where He is praying for His disciples and all those who will come to believe because of them. We know that Jesus is praying in heaven at this very moment for others to come to know Him. If Jesus is praying we know it will happen. Take 5 minutes to write down on a list those that you are close to that don’t know Jesus.

Prayers

see Jesus sitting on His throne. See yourself giving that list to Jesus and see Him with love taking it from you. Hear Him praying for those on your list. Be encouraged, pray each day for them knowing that Jesus is already starting the chain of belief for them. Ask forgiveness if you have had unbelief in trusting Jesus will do it. Every time you see a candle, fairy light or lamp remind yourself that Jesus is the light of the world and He will do it for you. Be assured Jesus hears your prayers.

Song – StF 548 – Blessed assurance Jesus is mine

Prayers of Intercession: Join with the bold

Pray for world leaders as you see their faces, for nations, for dark situations of hurricane, earthquake, fire, famine, war and poverty….