Sunday 6th September 

What Next?

 

We are a family of God, met to worship our Creator and Lord,

Some are younger, some are older:

One family of Christians met to worship God

 

Hymn: Morning has broken like the first morning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wzMqtbubzs

 

Opening Prayer

 

Lord’s Prayer

Hymn: Make me a Channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE9std-lwXQ

 

Good News

Hymn: Love Divine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGGcqhKShQ8

 

Bible reading

Romans 13: 8 – 13

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”[b] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.

11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 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. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.[c]

 

Hymn Through all the changing scenes of life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9yWo-jXPF8

 

Message

What next? A wake up call?

We can’t help how we feel and yet we can do something about how we go about things and change how we respond to experiences and the world around us as we start September 2020.

We have had to wake up, listen and respond and hopefully use our common sense as we tackle each day the best way we can, New ways of working, focusing on unexpected challenges and dealing with situations that have arisen because of lockdown restrictions and rules.

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The words from Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 13 encourage us to ‘do the right thing’ by each other. Most people have been really trying to do this since March 23rd! It’s been hard, it’s been frustrating, it’s been a complete turn around for us all. It’s been a time to reflect and start again. Exhausting! A time for the church to send out so many rules and regulations that daily keep changing with new government guidelines. We don’t have time to be asleep!!! Our brains and systems must change to keep up with new directives which are meant to keep us as safe as possible. Looking at current data for the UK this seems to be working with the ‘R’ rate steady at 0.9-1.1 (according to internet on 28.8.20)

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Paul’s words encourage us to:

Lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light

In other words, we have to get on with it and trust in the love of Christ to protect us.

Our senses tell us that we want what we want NOW. Our carbon footprints, our drain on the planet. What do we need now?

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· Respect for one another in order to go forwards not look backwards.

· Respect and nurture for our home, planet earth which we cannot do without.

· Valuing one another and the good lives that we enjoy

· Sharing our bounty instead of dominating unequally.

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A goose took up residence in the entrance hall at York station because…. we weren’t there. The bears have been scampering along the highways in North America, because….. we weren’t there, the birdlife had a veritable party in our gardens and countryside because….. we weren’t there.

Christ wants us to just be, to just be who we are in all the glory of creation as unique individuals who literally seek the common good.

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We can’t have it our own way, Lack of respect for the creation we rely on, lack of listening to Christ’s words that spell out so clearly this simple directive,

‘listen to me, do the right thing by one another and by all in creation’.

We must listen more acutely to ourselves, and determine on a new route which acts on our faith and our integrity.

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We need to remember how Christ experienced the whole raft of human emotion and reaction, when he died at the hands of those in a frenzy to get revenge for what they felt they were owed to keep themselves safe.

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It is evident that we can creatively change the way we do things in the light of the pandemic without blame or hurt and wake up to Christ as he intended us to be in Him. Amen

 

Romans 13:v11 ‘You know what times we live in, and so you should live properly. It is the time to wake up’

 

Hymn Let love be real

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax27fbSHj7w

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Prayers of Healing

Compassionate, rescuing, forgiving God, never let us take for granted your loving saving activity. Never let us take for granted the fact that despite all the mistakes we make, you still care for us, still reach out to forgive and restore us.

We pray for those children going back to school,

Their teachers dealing with unfamiliar situations to keep them safe.

For the lonely; those suffering from illness where treatment has been delayed, and for all those on our prayer list.

Help us to reach out and work, with you, to care for the vulnerable people.

May we have short memories of any wrongs done to us but long memories of the sins you have forgiven Amen

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Hymn In Christ Alone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY4CW5pte98

 

Blessing “May you be embraced by the arms of our loving parent

Taken firmly by the hand of Jesus our Saviour

And covered by the warming wings of the Spirit Amen”

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