During Lent we are focusing on the cross by thinking about some different objects that help us to understand Jesus’ last few days leading up to Good Friday, and what Jesus has accomplished through his death on the cross.  We shall take each in turn and consider them, both at our Sunday services and during a prayer time in the church each Wednesday lunchtime throughout Lent.  If you are able to join us on Wednesdays at 12noon, for about 20-30mins that would be great, if not why not join in by praying wherever you are.  Don’t worry if you can’t pray at exactly the same time.  To help you in this you will find a reading, song / hymn, the Lord’s Prayer and a reflection that we will be using during the prayer time.

Our focus this week is on the crown of thorns and purple robe

Song

King of kings, majesty,
God of heaven living in me,
gentle Saviour, closest friend,
strong deliverer, beginning and end,
all within me falls at Your throne.

Your majesty, I can but bow,
I lay my all before You now
In royal robes I don’t deserve
I live to serve Your majesty

Earth and heaven worship You,
love eternal, faithful and true,
who bought the nations, ransomed souls,
brought this sinner near to Your throne;
all within me cries out in praise

Your majesty, I can but bow,
I lay my all before You now
In royal robes I don’t deserve
I live to serve Your majesty

Reading – Mark 15v16-20

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷ They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to call out to him, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ ¹⁹ Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spat on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

Reflection – What does it mean for Jesus to be your King?

Pray for others (including 5 people you know who don’t know Jesus yet)

Finish with the Lord’s Prayer

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.

During Lent we are focusing on the cross by thinking about some different objects that help us to understand Jesus’ last few days leading up to Good Friday, and what Jesus has accomplished through his death on the cross.  We shall take each in turn and consider them, both at our Sunday services and during a prayer time in the church each Wednesday lunchtime throughout Lent.  If you are able to join us on Wednesdays at 12noon, for about 20-30mins that would be great, if not why not join in by praying wherever you are.  Don’t worry if you can’t pray at exactly the same time.  To help you in this you will find a reading, song / hymn, the Lord’s Prayer and a reflection that we will be using during the prayer time.

Our focus this week is on the money given to Judas

Song

You laid aside your majesty,
gave up everything for me,
suffered at the hands of those you had created;
You took all my guilt and shame,
when You died and rose again;
now today You reign in heaven and earth exalted.

I really want to worship You, my Lord,
You have won my heart and I am yours.
For ever and ever I will love You.
You are the only one who died for me,
gave Your life to set me free,
so I lift my voice to You in adoration.

Reading – Matthew 26v14-16

Then one of the Twelve – the one called Judas Iscariot – went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Reflection – “Your will not my will be done” – The words of Jesus shortly before He gave His life for us on the cross.  As Christians we too should be able to say these words to God.  What does this mean in practice?

Pray for others (including 5 people you know who don’t know Jesus yet)

Finish with the Lord’s Prayer

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.

Notices March 2017

March 2017 Notices

During Lent we are going to focus on the cross by thinking about some different objects that help us to understand Jesus’ last few days leading up to Good Friday, and what Jesus has accomplished through his death on the cross.  We shall take each in turn and consider them, both at our Sunday services and during a prayer time in the church each Wednesday lunchtime throughout Lent.  If you are able to join us on Wednesdays at 12noon, for about 20-30mins that would be great, if not why not join in by praying wherever you are.  Don’t worry if you can’t pray at exactly the same time.  To help you in this you will find a reading, song / hymn, the Lord’s Prayer and a reflection that we will be using during the prayer time.

Our focus this week is on the basin and the towel.

Song

From Heaven you came, helpless babe,
entered our world, Your glory veiled,
not to be served but to serve,
and give Your life that we might live.

This is our God, the Servant King,
He calls us now to follow Him,
to bring our lives as a daily offering
of worship to the Servant King

There in the garden of tears
my heavy load He chose to bear;
His heart with sorrow was torn,
‘Yet not my will but yours’ He said

This is our God…

Come see His hands and His feet,
the scars that speak of sacrifice,
hands that flung starts into space
to cruel nails surrendered

This is our God…

So let us learn how to serve
and in our lives enthrone Him,
each other’s needs to prefer,
for it is Christ we’re serving

This is our God…

Reading – John 13v1-17

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel round his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped round him.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’

⁷ Jesus replied, ‘You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’

⁸ ‘No,’ said Peter, ‘you shall never wash my feet.’

Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.’

⁹ ‘Then, Lord,’ Simon Peter replied, ‘not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!’

¹⁰ Jesus answered, ‘Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.’ ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ¹³ ‘You call me “Teacher” and “Lord”, and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Reflection – As we think about our Servant King, what does it mean for us to have the same attitude as Him? How do we serve Him and each other?

Pray for others (including 5 people you know who don’t know Jesus yet)

Finish with the Lord’s Prayer

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.

During Lent we are going to focus on the cross by thinking about some different objects that help us to understand Jesus’ last few days leading up to Good Friday, and what Jesus has accomplished through his death on the cross.  We shall take each in turn and consider them, both at our Sunday services and during a prayer time in the church each Wednesday lunchtime throughout Lent.  If you are able to join us on Wednesdays at 12noon, for about 20-30mins that would be great, if not why not join in by praying wherever you are.  Don’t worry if you can’t pray at exactly the same time.  To help you in this you will find a reading, song / hymn, the Lord’s Prayer and a reflection that we will be using during the prayer time.

Our focus this week is on the bread and the cup

Hymn

When I survey the wondrous cross

on which the Prince of glory died,

my richest gain I count but loss,

and pour contempt on all my pride

Forbid it Lord, that I should boast,

save in the death of Christ my God

all the vain things that charm me most

I sacrifice them to His blood

See from His head, His hands, His feet,

sorrow and love flow mingled down

did e’er such love and sorrow meet

or thorns compose so rich a crown

Were the whole realm of nature mine

that were an offering far too small

love so amazing so divine

demands my soul, my life, my all

Reading – Matthew 26v26-29

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the^[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’

Reflection – As we think about what Christ has sacrificed for us, what does it mean for us to take up our cross and follow Him?

Pray for others (including 5 people you know who don’t know Jesus yet)

Finish with the Lord’s Prayer

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.

Notices Feb 2017

 As we approach the end of January Christmas seems a distant memory, apart from the odd reminder – a Christmas decoration we missed when we were packing things away, the odd boxes of chocolate that we still haven’t eaten, those Christmas cards in a pile that we keep meaning to recycle.  One of my friends used to have his Christmas lights up all year. I don’t know if that was a conscious decision he had made or if he just never got around to taking them down.  While we don’t ‘celebrate’ Christmas all year round, the truths of Christmas are always true.

As a church over Christmas one of the things we thought about was the star and how it helped wise men to find Jesus.  God’s word tells us, his people, to ‘shine like stars’, as we also uses us to help people to find Jesus.  The star in the Christmas story acted a signpost / Sat Nav, by taking people from where they were to where they needed to be.  In the same way when God tells us to shine like a star, we need to meet people where they are, both physically and spiritually, so that God can direct them to be where they need to be.

At the moment on TV on Saturday evenings Gary Barlow and his friends are encouraging people to let it shine, to show others the talents they have. Some will make the grade, others will not.  But with God when He asks us to let it shine it’s not about us trying to be good enough or trying to be something we are not, it’s about letting Him shine through us as it’s Him who provides the light.

For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4v6-7)

At Christmas we celebrate the truth of the coming of Jesus, the light of the world. We continue to celebrate this as with God’s help we live our lives in response to His love and shine like stars.

Rev. Chris Hawley

January 2017 notices

December 2016 Notices

Many years ago, before I was a minister we were visiting a friend in London.  On Sunday morning we set off by car to his church. When we got there he was surprised by how easily we got parked.  As we entered the church we were initially a bit confused by the fact that there were only a couple of people in the building.  It then dawned on us…we had forgotten to change our clocks. We were able to go back to his house for a second breakfast before returning an hour later!!  We have recently gone through the much debated process of changing our clocks by one hour.  Apart from the possibility of turning up at the wrong time for something on the day they change, it also seems that when they change it gets much darker and the day time seem so much shorter.

At this time of year we are reminded about the darker side of life. Our children are encouraged to celebrate Hallowe’en as just a bit of fun, when we know it is raising awareness or even celebrating things that are evil. Remembrance Sunday makes us consider all the wars still taking place nowadays, as well as remembering the sacrifices made by all those years ago. As we watch TV, look at the newspapers or go online we are reminded of the darkness that is prevalent in the world caused by selfishness, greed, and a lack of compassion.

Light is the only way to truly deal with darkness.  Jesus is the light of the world.  This is the truth we celebrated at our recent party of light.  This is the truth that forms such an important part of the advent and Christmas season.  In the opening chapter of John’s gospel we find these words

“There was a man sent from God whose name was John.  He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

God’s response to the darkness is to come to us in the person of Jesus – the light of the world.  Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The verse that will be read as we light our first advent candle is Romans 13v12 which says “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.”

The light is coming. Jesus is coming. Let us be reassured that darkness will not last for ever! Whatever we are going through at the moment, or whatever is to come the darkness will pass. I pray this advent we will prepare ourselves for the Light that promises to shine in our lives.

Rev. Chris Hawley

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Dates for Advent & Christmas 2016