Reflection from Worship at Home on Sunday 20 December 2020

 

The 4th Sunday of Advent

Today's worship was due to take place at Trinity Methodist Church - however, last night's announcement of the new tier 4 led us to decide that the sensible and safe thing to do was to postpone physical worship.  We reverted to Zoom in a very last minute arrangement and the following reflection was part of our time of Readings and Carols.

Worship at home Carol Service

 Friends,

You will find below a link to the Worship at Home Carol Service that Pete has produced. (Please note that this is a big download - you may need to download it before you watch) 

Thanks to all those who read.

I pray that this will be a blessing to you all,

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AoYFXgsZJjMDgowkmFnl4LsbMplJTw?e=1CKhf5

Worship at Home - Advent 3 - Sunday December 13th

Please note that this service will also take place 'live' via Zoom and You Tube - for log-in details for Zoom please contact a steward of Sandy, Beeston or Trinity.  For the YouTube version please log into Dalwyn's You Tube channel just before 10.30 on Sunday and refresh the page until the live feed appears!
 

Introduction:

The third Sunday of Advent is known as ‘Gaudete Sunday’ because in times past the introit for worship on this day was taken from Paul’s letter to the Philippians:

Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say rejoice (Philippians 4.6)

The Sunday, a bit like Mothering Sunday in Lent, was used as a temporary relief from the strict observance of the Advent fast.  The purple robes of Advent might have been replaced with softer pink or rose robes – which is why in some traditions this Sunday’s candle would be pink rather than purple.  So this Sunday can also be known as ‘pink’ or ‘rose’ Sunday.

It feels appropriate in our current times to centre this act of worship on Paul’s instruction to the Philippians, which later we will hear again in one of his earliest letters (to the Thessalonians) and to make rejoicing the focus of our worship on this third Sunday of Advent.

Longing for Light - December 2020

 

Introduction

the order of service recommends the lighting of four candles during the prayers.  It is written so that the heart of the service is an extended time of prayer and mediation you can adapt, for example, by combining ‘candles’ and listening to the Taize chant fewer times.

Hymn: Longing for Light

Prayer

Reading Psalm 13

Lighting the Darkness through Our prayers - followed by John 1:1-5 and final prayer 

After each section of prayer you are invited to use the Taize chant, Wait for the Lord, as you continue in prayer and meditation.  

The video below uses the chant twice with two sections of prayers for each:

Note: You may wish to use the text of the prayers (found in the worship at home sheet that accompanies this service) and the video of the chant in your own way.

 Worship at Home – 6 December 2020

2^nd Sunday of Advent

Introduction:

Today's service is the one that Dalwyn is leading for Kempston East.  It will be live on Zoom and the log-in details can be provided if you request them via email.

The traditional focus for the second Sunday of Advent is the prophets and we often meet John the Baptist in our Gospel readings both this week and next.  This week we meet him as the last of the Old Testament prophets and next week as the Messenger who prepares the Way for Jesus. 

God’s faithfulness is demonstrated in the ministry of the prophets as through them God consistently calls God’s people to repentance.  The consistent message of the prophets may be summed up in a verse from a book that is not, in itself, prophetic: 

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight. [Proverbs 3.5-6]

Worship at home - 29 November 2020 - Advent Sunday

 

Introduction:

Traditionally, Advent Sunday is the first Sunday in the Church’s calendar and it is the point when Gospel readings chosen for Sundays change from one to the next.  This year we enter lectionary Year B and most of the readings will be from Mark’s Gospel.  Mark is sometimes described as a Gospel-writer in a hurry since in, what is the shortest of the books telling the story of Jesus’ life, there is very rarely any time for extra detail.  Mark gets straight to the point and leaving us to work out why things are important enough for him to include! 

So even though the lectionary will take us on a leisurely year long walk through Mark’s story – you may want to set yourself the challenge of making the time to sit down and read or listen to the whole Gospel in one or two sittings.  David Suchet would be more than happy to read it to you!  His recordings can be found here: https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/suchet/nivuk/Mark.1 and you can listen to the whole Gospel in about an hour and a half. 

(Image with thanks to Revd. Elaine Hall - Supernumerary Minister in Ceredigion Circuit)

Worship at Home 22 November 2020 - Trinity MC, Biggleswade - Church Anniversary

 

Worship at Home – Sunday 22^nd November 2020

Trinity Methodist Church Anniversary

this service will be led by Revd. Richard Barrett via Zoom (login details are available from Church stewards of Trinity, Sandy and Beeston) and will be streamed via YouTube (at https://youtu.be/piThJx2_b3o)

Worship at Home - 15th November 2020

Worship at Home – Sunday November 15^th 2020

Introduction:

This service will make use of Taizè chants.  If you wish to participate in the service as a ‘live’ event then it will take place via Zoom at 10:30am on 15^th November.   For details of how to log-in to the service please contact a steward at Trinity, Sandy or Beeston who will be able to provide you with the Meeting ID and Passcode.)

Worship at Home - 8th November 2020 - Remembrance Sunday

 

Worship at Home – 8^th November 2020 – Remembrance Sunday

 

Introduction

I am grateful that this morning's service is a service of hymns, reflections and prayers for Remembrance Sunday prepared for Local Worship at Sharnbrook.

 

Please remember that there is a National Service of Remembrance taking place at the Cenotaph in London which is being broadcast by BBC Television.

 

The Biggleswade Chronicle also reports that a local service from HM Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Helen Nellis will be available from her webpage at https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/lord-lieutenant on Sunday morning.

Worship at Home - 1 November 2020 - All Saints Day

 

Introduction

Today is All-Saints’ Day, which in times gone by was kept as a more prominent festival than it is today.  In his journal, John Wesley describes All-Saints’ Day as one that, ‘I peculiarly love’ (Journal for 1789.  (As an aside, it seems that in 1788 and 1789 immediately after All-Saints’ day he came to Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, where he reports attending services at Hinxworth, Wreslingworth and Bedford!)

Together with All-Souls’ Day on 2^nd November, All-Saints’ day offers the Church the opportunity to remember and give thanks for God’s work of grace in all Christians throughout time.  More particularly, perhaps, we use it as an opportunity to remember those who have recently died.

The Seven Martyrs statues - St Albans Cathedral (image from https://www.stalbans.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/NicheStatuesweb800.jpg)

Worship at Home for 25 October 2020

 

Worship at Home Sheet

Sunday October 25^th 2020 – 10:30am

 

Setting the Scene – Bible Sunday

This Sunday is set aside as Bible Week.  This service combines the suggested reading for Bible Sunday, from Nehemiah and the Gospel reading set for this Sunday as it includes Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ question about the Greatest Commandment.

Worship at Home for 18 October 2020 - Based on worship taking place at Trinity MC (Biggleswade)

 

Worship at Home – 18 October 2020 – Trinity Methodist Church 10:30am

Gathering:

Blessed be the Lord God heaven and earth, for he has visited and redeemed his people.  He has raised up a mighty salvation for us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Worship at Home - Sunday October 11th 2020 - Sandy Methodist Church Chapel Anniversary

 

Worship at Home – 11 October 2020

Introduction

This service follows the order of service for Sandy Methodist Church who, today, celebrate the 110^th Anniversary of the opening of the Chapel in St. Neot’s Road.  The sermon is provided by Rev^d Richard Barrett who will be preaching in Sandy this morning.  In chapel, the hymns will not be sung, of course because of current restrictions.  Note this service will be used in Beeston and Trinity where worship is by Local Arrangement this Sunday. 

Worship at Home - Sunday 4th October

 

Worship at Home - Sunday 4th October 2020

4^th October is the feast day of Francis of Assisi.

Our worship today, will make use of the next section of the Paul’s letter to the Philippians but will also draw inspiration from the life and work of Francis.

Worship at Home - 27 September

 

Worship at Home – 27 September 2020

Worship at Home 27 September 2020

This sheet is based on the service that will be taking place at Sandy Methodist Church on Sunday morning. 

Worship at Home - 20 September 2020

 

Worship at Home– Sunday September 20^th

^{The PDF (Printable version of this service can be found at -} https://tinyurl.com/WAH20200920PDF)

You may wish to light a candle to remind you that as you worship you join with all God’s people in heaven and on earth.

Worship at Home 13-09-20

 The PDF version of this service is available at https://tinyurl.com/WAH20200913

WORSHIP AT HOME – Sunday September 13^th 2020

 

Note this service follows the order that will be used at Trinity and Beeston on Sunday morning but with one or two differences.

 

Introit – I was glad - St. George's Chapel Choir, Windsor & Christopher Robinson  https://youtu.be/EA6EMpfwCoI

 

Worship at Home - 6th September 2020.

 

Introduction

This Sunday (6^th September) is the first Sunday of the new Connexional Year.  Rev^d Richard Teal (President of Conference) and Carolyn Lawrence (Vice President) have chosen as their 

theme The Best of All is God is With Us.

They wish to encourage the people called Methodists to make this a Year of Prayer.  To this end, we are invited to join with other Methodists in a weekly prayer meeting – details can be found here: https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-work/our-work-in-britain/evangelism-growth/year-of-prayer/ 

The Lectionary readings for this week remind us of the importance of our “continuing debt to love another.”  (Romans 13.8)  Holding each other in prayer is one way that we can demonstrate this love. 

Worship at Home - 30 August 2020 - by Christine Scrutton

 

Worship at Home – 30 August 2020 – Written by Christine Scrutton

Call to Worship Psalm 119:1-4 The Message

You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find Him.  That’s right – you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it.

Worship at Home - Sunday August 23rd 2020

 INTRODUCTION

For the past two weeks the focus of our worship has been on what it means to be church.  We have looked at the Church as 

* The Community that has something to say about Jesus

* The Community of Blessing

In this week's service we return to the Sermon on the Mount to look at the church as a Community of Care.

Worship at Home - 16th August 2020

Worship at Home – Sunday August 16^th 2020

 

Introduction

Following from our consideration, last week, of the church as the community of those who declare “Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the Living God,” this week we will use the Beatitudes to think about what it means to be a Community of blessing, especially what it means to be those who see God’s blessing even in the our current difficult circumstances.

Central Bedfordshire Libraries - Message from Nora

 

Pick up your next read using Select and Collect

We are delighted to announce the start of our library Select and Collect service on Tuesday 11 August.  Libraries are not open for browsing yet but Select and Collect gives you the chance to read library books again. There are 2 ways you can choose your library books: Request a staff selected bundle of up to 10 fiction books of a genre you like, for example, crime or family saga. Children’s and Teen book bundles can also be requested. (Large print books and spoken word CDs can be included in bundles but not DVDs or magazines.) Bundles can be requested using our online form or by phoning your local library. Reserve individual fiction or non-fiction titles for free using Arena, our online library catalogue. To request your Select and Collect books online you will need your library card number and PIN.  Don’t know your PIN?  Don’t worry you can request one online. If you have registered for a library card number online then you will be able to select a maximum of 4 books.

Worship at Home - 9th August 2020

In our Worship at Home services for the rest of August, our Scriptural focus will be thinking about what it means to be church.  We begin this week by looking at the moment when Jesus declares, “I will build my church and the gates of Hades (or hell) will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18)  Then for the next three Sundays we will look at passages from the Sermon on the Mount as we consider some aspects of the Church’s life.