Sunday after Epiphany
This short act of worship has been prepared for you. I invite you to share in a few moments with God knowing that other people within Paulton, Trinity and Chew Stoke Methodist Churches are sharing this act of worship with you.
Revd Martin Slocombe
Call to worship
This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
We are the family of God.
And are called by God’s name.
We are heirs of Christ’s kingdom.
And born of the Spirit.
Let us, therefore, come together in thanksgiving.
Amen.
Hymn – Morning has broken www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rifby1tVE8
1 Morning has broken
like the first morning;
blackbird has spoken
like the first bird.
Praise for the singing!
Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing
fresh from the Word!
2 Sweet the rain’s new fall
sunlit from heaven,
like the first dewfall
on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness
of the wet garden,
sprung in completeness
where his feet pass.
3 Mine is the sunlight!
Mine is the morning
born of the one light
Eden saw play!
Praise with elation,
praise every morning,
God’s re-creation
of the new day!
Eleanor Farjeon (1881–1965)
Prayer
Creator God, through your might and power the world was created, and through it now, the world is changed, and is ever changing. We read in the Scriptures of how you changed people’s lives. We hear it in the stories of biblical characters, and we know it through our own experience and see it in the lives of people in our communities. We thank and praise you for all that you continue to do in our lives.
Amen.
Lord, we don’t like change. We like things as we have got used to them, but forget that even that is a change from how things used to be. When we came into relationship with you, things changed. Life became filled with a new sense of purpose and peace. But sometimes we are afraid of new challenges, and forget that you are with us in the middle of all that you call us to do. Encourage us to be constantly changing to meet the needs of your world.
As we look forward into the unknown of 2021, help us at the start of this new year to look to you. Help us to learn from the past, and draw on your strength and peace, as we help you make a new and better future.
Loving God, when Jesus was baptised, you spoke of your love for him. Through his death you spoke of your love for us. By the power of the cross, you banished the darkness of sin and bathed us in the light of your forgiveness.
Thanks be to God. Amen
Readings
Our readings for today encourage us to think about new beginnings, and the change they brought. We hear of the beginning of creation, the work of the Holy Spirit as the Church was born, and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as he was baptised in the Jordan.
Genesis 1: 1-5 - Six Days of Creation
1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Acts 19: 4-7 - Paul in Ephesus
4Paul said [to John’s followers], ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.’ 5On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied—7altogether there were about twelve of them.
Mark 1: 4-11
4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.11And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
Hymn – God, whose almighty word www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJuqdIVH8VY
1 God, whose almighty word
chaos and darkness heard,
and took their flight,
hear us, we humbly pray,
and where the gospel day
sheds not its glorious ray,
let there be light!
2 Christ, you have come to bring
on your redeeming wing
healing and sight,
health to the sick in mind,
sight to the inly blind,
O to all humankind
let there be light!
3 Spirit of truth and love,
life-giving, holy Dove,
speed forth your flight;
move on the waters’ face,
bearing the lamp of grace,
and in earth’s darkest place
let there be light!
4 Blessèd and holy Three,
glorious Trinity,
Wisdom, Love, Might,
boundless as ocean’s tide
rolling in fullest pride,
through the world far and wide
let there be light!
John Marriott (1780–1825)
Reflection – The Right Time
Last Sunday evening I was watching “Perfect Planet” by David Attenborough on tv, about volcanos. These faults in the earth’s crust are essential for life as they warm the ground and eject carbon dioxide which allows plants to breathe, and creates a protective atmosphere which prevents the sun’s rays from scorching the ground. I don’t want to start a debate here about how creation started, or how to balance science with theology. But clearly, at some point in time, a catalyst was needed, which started a chain of events, and resulted in the creation of something much bigger and more wonderful. Any change has to start somewhere, but it needs to be at the right time.
The story of creation in Genesis begins with a wind from God sweeping over the waters, and the creation of light, before anything else can happen. The ministry of Jesus begins with John the Baptist who prepares the way for him, by building a group of people who are open to the promise of a new future. The church in Ephesus begins with John’s followers being baptised and receiving the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ ministry begins with his baptism, and the affirmation of God through the Holy Spirit. In each case, change was needed, a new beginning was begun, at what was the right time.
Can you remember what was the catalyst which started you out on your journey of faith? Was it an event or a person, who encouraged you to see things in a different light, or who introduced you to God by their actions? Did it begin at a specific time in your life? Were you looking for some deeper meaning to life, or did it just happen one day?
My ministry could have started much earlier than it did, as I had long believed that God was calling me to full-time ministry, but it wasn’t the right time then. But one day it became the right time, although I am still not sure what changed to make it become so. That, I guess, was in God’s hands.
We often become anxious when things happen too fast, or get frustrated when things take too long. That is perhaps a result of our desire to get everything in place before we are ready to make a decision, or, in our haste to get things done, set out on an over-ambitious plan to achieve difficult tasks. Sometimes we need to be prepared to allow things to happen in God’s time, and to lay our own preferences to one side. There is often a “right time” for things to happen, which may well be beyond our understanding, but which also needs a catalyst to make it happen.
Many of us are feeling frustrated by the current lockdown, which is preventing us from worshipping together, and getting on with everyday life. We can’t wait for the vaccinations to be rolled out so that we can finally return to normal. There is nothing we can do to change that, we just have to be patient and wait for our turn.
But I am not sure that we ever will return to the normal we used to know. Perhaps Covid-19 has forced us to stop the treadmill of normality, and has shone a light on society, and forced us to pause and take stock. Perhaps the pandemic is the catalyst to make this the right time to make the changes that we didn’t have time to consider before? And that is true for our spiritual lives as well as our practical ones.
Last week we shared in our Covenant service, and again said those challenging words we have said every year, as we reset our relationship with God, putting his will before our own, and committing to change. If we have said those words last week, and yet carried on this week just as we were, then we have missed the point, and we will continue to make the same mistakes for another year.
Is now the right time to make those changes that God is demanding of us?
Amen
Intercessions & Lords Prayer
We bring our prayers for this ever-changing world, to our God, the unchangeable.
Almighty and ever-present God, we pray for your world in a time of change and fear.
We continue to pray for the families and victims of Covid-19 as they mourn their losses. For governments as they make difficult decisions which will impact all our lives. For healthcare workers on the point of exhaustion whilst constantly being asked to do more. For teachers and key-workers balancing their own health risks with concern for those in their care. Lord, give them peace of mind and rest from their labours.
We pray for political leaders facing changes in national and international politics. For our Governments, and the governments of the EU, as they guide their people through changes resulting from Brexit. We pray for the USA as they transition to a new administration and respond to the events in Washington this week. Lord, give wisdom and vision to our leaders.
We pray for our families and friends, and for all those in need at this present time.
We pray for the churches in our Circuit, this week for Keynsham, and their minister, Jane Wilson and we also pray for the staff and pupils at Kingswood School in Bath.
We thank and praise you for the gift of your Holy Spirit who gives us – your people – strength to face the challenges of life, and the blessing of peace in the face of uncertainty.
Amen
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
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.
Hymn – Lord, for the years www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aluwWcqw4I
1 Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided,
Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today.
2 Lord, for that word, the Word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us,
Lord of the word, receive your people's praise.
3 Lord, for our land, in this our generation,
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care;
for young and old, for commonwealth and nation,
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.
4 Lord, for our world; when we disown and doubt him,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain;
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without him,
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.
5 Lord, for ourselves; in living power remake us,
self on the cross and Christ upon the throne;
past put behind us, for the future take us,
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.
Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926)
Blessing
Lord, help us to be open to your prompting
as we seek to discover what you would have us be and do.
Remind as again and again that you have promised to be our guide and companion on our journey.
Help us to look forward with renewed commitment,
and bless our thinking and speaking and doing.
In your name.
And the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you, now and forever more. Amen
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