This short act of worship has been prepared for you to use whilst we are unable to use Methodist Church premises. We invite you to spend a few moments with God, knowing that other people are sharing this act of worship with you.
Opening Prayer
Living One, as we turn our thoughts to you we acknowledge you as the source of life; we bless you for your goodness; and give thanks for your love. As we come to you in worship, lift our eyes from the horizon of our lives, and guide our thoughts and prayers that we may see you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more nearly, today and every day. Amen.
Hymn: STF 34 – O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
Sing/ Read /pray /proclaim the words
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness (StF 34) (methodist.org.uk)
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him: the Lord is his name.
Low at his feet lay your burden of carefulness,
high on his heart he will bear it for you,
comfort your sorrows, and answer your prayerfulness,
showing the pathway your feet should pursue.
Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
of the poor wealth you would count as your own;
truth in its beauty, and love in its tenderness,
these are the offerings to bring to his throne.
These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
he will accept for the name that is dear;
mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
trust for our trembling, and hope for our fear.
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him: the Lord is his name.
John Samuel Bewley Monsell (1811-1875)
Let us pray together;
Eternal One, we lift our voices in praise as we remember your holiness and your faithfulness.
Beyond anything that we can imagine and yet present with us and around us, we know you to be full of grace and forgiveness. We bring our lives before you and ask that you show us where we need to change and that you enable those changes in us which bring us closer to you. If there is anything we are particularly aware of that we need to confess we do so now in the knowledge of your all embracing love for each one of us as shown to us in Jesus. Amen.
Today’s Reading from the Epistle: Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2
Today’s Gospel Reading: John 6: 35, 41-51
Time to Reflect
To be a Christian is to live in relationship with God through Jesus and with each other. This is the message that comes across in our readings today.
The Gospel reading is part of the discussion between Jesus and the crowd in which Jesus describes himself as the Bread of Life. In the wilderness the Israelites had to put their trust in God to provide the physical food to sustain them day by day on their journey and in this part of the discussion Jesus is saying, ‘take me into your very being, make me the foundation of your life, put your trust in me and I will provide the spiritual food you need to sustain you on your journey to eternal life.‘
The reading from the letter to the Ephesians gives some rules for living and ends with the command to be imitators of God, as beloved children, and to live in love, as Christ loved us. We are made in the image of God ... children of God ... and we are being called to be true to that image ... to love God and our neighbour ... for when you look at the reasons for the rules they are all about relationship. Speak the truth for we are members of one another; don’t live by stealing from others but work honestly so as to have something to share with the needy; don’t speak evil with your mouth but use your words to build one another up and give grace to those who hear; forgive one another as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Take a time to sit quietly
A time of prayer
Loving One, we lift our world to you.
We lift to you all those places where natural forces have caused devastation and hardship. Give wisdom, humility and courage to those in leadership as they seek to find solutions to the issues facing us and teach each one of us how we too can help.
We lift to you all those places where greed, lust for power and prejudice have been allowed to take root. Raise up leaders to fight injustice and hatred and teach each one of us how we too can help.
We lift to you all those who have suffered as a result of this pandemic both directly and indirectly. Give strength and understanding to all those working to combat it and teach each one of us how we too can help.
We lift to you all those known to us who are sick or in need, naming them here ….
May they know your healing in their lives and teach each one of us how we too can help.
We bring all these our prayers in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father ……
Hymn: Listen to STF 50 - Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise or sing a verse of a hymn that comes to mind
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise - YouTube
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise,
the city of our God, the holy place,
the joy of the whole earth.
Great is the Lord in whom we have the victory,
he aids us against the enemy,