Sunday Worship 28th June

We would like to thank Mike Furborough for preparing this week's service, Mike was scheduled to lead worship at Blaby Congregational Church this week and prepared the service even though he could not preach in person.

Mike also sent links to some videos but security has prevented us from embedding them here.

Our congregation have already received copies of this service so that they may follow it and we all hope that we will be able to welcome Mike to lead a live service soon.

Call to worship:

Father God who is our life, be with us.

Christ who is our guide, walk with us.

Spirit who is our strength, uphold us.

One-in-three God, sharing each moment, bless and hallow this worship,

cleanse and mould our hearts, that we may praise you alone, because of who you are, and your presence with us .

Hymn: 20 All people that on earth do dwell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-1dQ8t03mE

Prayers of praise and thanks

God who is love,

before time, beyond time

you are the ground of reality; everything belongs to you,

all things are intended to express love; your whole being is love.

God who is life,

on earth and beyond earth,

you are the source of meaning;

in darkness and death you are a light, in doubt and despair you are a friend; your whole being is life.

God who [if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"></v:path> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"></o:lock> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="officeArt_x0020_object" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;margin-left:389.6pt;margin-top:217.1pt; width:149pt;height:97.55pt;z-index:251662336;visibility:visible; mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:12pt; mso-wrap-distance-right:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:12pt; mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:page; mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:page' wrapcoords="0 -11 21593 -11 21593 21578 0 21578 0 -11" strokeweight="1pt"> <v:stroke miterlimit="4"></v:stroke> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\GHBOU_~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png" o:title=""></v:imagedata> <w:wrap type="through" anchorx="page" anchory="page"></w:wrap> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml][endif]is truth,

in words and beyond words,

you are the fountain of hope; justice and peace are your promise, faith and love are your way,

your whole being is truth.

Lord, thank you that you are always faithful and true, and that your steadfast love never ceases. Thank you that prayer is powerful and effective, and that even when we doubt, you still hear our prayers and act on our behalf. Lord, I confess that sometimes I doubt. Sometimes I’m not sure if my prayers are really effective or if you hear me. So Lord, I ask you would embolden my faith. Help me have confidence that you will always be there for me and will never leave or forsake me. Thank you for your tender love for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Hymn: Faithful God...all sufficient one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6kW2xVROp4

Faithful God, Faithful God, All sufficient One, I worship You. Shalom my peace, My strong Deliverer, I lift You up, Faithful God.

Repeat

Reading Isaiah 40 vs 18....

“To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hid from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:25-31 RSV

Reflection (Pray as you stay}

In chapter 11 of the Gospel of Luke we read, “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10)

Some people finds these words of Jesus difficult words. We’ve all had the experience of asking for something in prayer and we have not received.

But maybe this is true, that whenever we ask for whatever it is we need to live as disciples of Jesus in the situations in which we find ourselves,

and leave the Lord to give us what is best,

then we ask and we receive, we knock and the door is always opened for us.

Many years ago, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the retired Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town and renowned anti-apartheid campaigner, was asked how he managed to do what he did, namely again and again to stand up and publicly denounce the government with all the risks this opposition entailed.

He replied with words like these, that whenever he stood up to speak, he knew that someone, somewhere in the world was praying for him.

We are members of a “ Christian Fellowship both here and throughout the world who are facing up to the threat of the coronavirus. By doing what we can to keep ourselves safe, we are helping others keep safe too. We don’t know where all this will lead us, and we don’t know what our world will be like when the virus is over and we deal with its longer lasting social and economic effects.

This is the situation in which we are called to follow Jesus, to live like Jesus, to love like Jesus which means that time and again we will be asking ourselves in the particular situation in which we find ourselves, “What would Jesus do?”

Let us every day, maybe as often as three times a day, pray for each other in this community of ours. We know the strength that our prayers can give to those who are seeking to face up to a difficult challenge, just as Jesus would. We know too that, like Desmond Tutu, knowing that someone, somewhere in the world, at that very moment, is praying for them can make a great difference to them.

In praying in this way, we will be following the example of the apostle Paul, who frequently prayed for his brothers and sisters, as we read in the first chapter of his letter to the Philippians:

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:3-6)

Sharing together

Do you find that the message of Luke…."ask and it shall be given”...rings true in your life ?

What is your response to the words of Isaiah...” they that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength “........

Are there any other passage of scripture that you find helpful

when facing unanswered prayer ?

Hymn 590 Seek ye first the kingdom of God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LMQfOp9w8k

Prayers of Intercession. Listen.....

Heavenly Father, we turn our hearts to you. [if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"></v:path> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"></o:lock> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="officeArt_x0020_object" o:spid="_x0000_s1027" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;margin-left:495pt;margin-top:504.25pt; width:87.15pt;height:144.9pt;z-index:251659264;visibility:visible; mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:12pt; mso-wrap-distance-right:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:12pt; mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:page; mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:page' wrapcoords="0 -7 21588 -7 21588 21593 0 21593 0 -7" strokeweight="1pt"> <v:stroke miterlimit="4"></v:stroke> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\GHBOU_~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png" o:title=""></v:imagedata> <w:wrap type="through" anchorx="page" anchory="page"></w:wrap> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml][endif][if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;margin-left:320.25pt; margin-top:405.6pt;width:112.65pt;height:63.35pt;z-index:251661312; visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:12pt; mso-wrap-distance-top:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-right:12pt; mso-wrap-distance-bottom:12pt;mso-position-horizontal:absolute; mso-position-horizontal-relative:page;mso-position-vertical:absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative:page' wrapcoords="-10 -17 21581 -17 21581 21583 -10 21583 -10 -17" strokeweight="1pt"> <v:stroke miterlimit="4"></v:stroke> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\GHBOU_~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image003.png" o:title=""></v:imagedata> <w:wrap type="through" anchorx="page" anchory="page"></w:wrap> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml][endif]You are utterly faithful, and you have never failed us. Grant us hope, strength and mercy in our time of need. Enable us to throw our cares onto you, our mighty God.

O Lord, hear our prayer. In Jesus name

We pray for those touched by the coronavirus, those who face sorrow, fear, illness and isolation. We ask for compassion, love, healing, and kindness. Make us a people living in your perfect love that we may drive away fear.

O Lord, hear our prayer. In Jesus name

We pray for wisdom and clarity for those making key decisions, for scientists, medical experts, politicians and public health officials. We pray for acts of kindness to spread in every community.

Enable us to be quick to see need and respond in gracious and loving ways. Take us through this time of trial.

O Lord, hear our prayer…… In Jesus name

Almighty God, we pray for those touched by sorrow today, those who mourn the loss of a loved one, especially the family of Janet Tilley, those who despair for the suffering, and those who weep in the watches of the night.

O Lord, hear our prayer… In Jesus name

.We pray for those who fear, gripped by a sense of anxiety, choked by doubt and living in hopelessness, full of unanswered questions.

O Lord, hear our prayer…… In Jesus name

We pray for those who wrestle with their thoughts, who feel abandoned, who are living not just in physical but emotional and spiritual separation. O Lord, remind us of your unf[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"></v:path> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"></o:lock> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="officeArt_x0020_object" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;margin-left:338.7pt;margin-top:420.95pt; width:199.9pt;height:112.45pt;z-index:251660288;visibility:visible; mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:12pt; mso-wrap-distance-right:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:12pt; mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:page; mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:page' wrapcoords="-5 -10 21589 -10 21589 21581 -5 21581 -5 -10" strokeweight="1pt"> <v:stroke miterlimit="4"></v:stroke> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\GHBOU_~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png" o:title=""></v:imagedata> <w:wrap type="through" anchorx="page" anchory="page"></w:wrap> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml][endif]ailing love.

O Lord, hear our prayer…… In Jesus name

We pray for ourselves that you will continue to hold us in your arms, so that we shall not faint or be weary. Reassure us as we wait upon you ,enable us to renew our strength; let us mount up with wings as eagles; let us run, and not be weary; and let us walk, and not faint.

Lord Hear our prayer ……..In Jesus name we pray

Hymn 251 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoPlwPUYWaw

Blessing.