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]