12th July 2020

Opening Prayers

God has abundantly cast his seeds of love and hope upon us.
May we be fruitful soil for the planting and growing of hope and peace.
Come, let us praise God who is so generous with us.
Let us sing songs of joy to God.
This is a time to offer our praise to God.
With joy we thank God for all the blessings that have been poured on us.
Come, let us worship God who showers us with mercy.
Give praise to God who offers us rest and peace. AMEN.

Prayer of Confession

Lord Jesus Christ,
who generously sowed the seeds of faith in our lives.
with the gift of the Holy Spirit
so that our faith has miraculously and mysteriously grown.
in planting any seeds of faith in the lives of others;
the times when our personal agendas become more important than yours;
the times when we have denied others the opportunity to expand their faith
through our lack of interest or involvement;
the times when our lives become so entangled with the values of the world
that we forget what you have said and done and promised.
our lives becomes parched and unfruitful and our faith becomes stunted and dry.
Bless and renew our lives, we pray,
so that we remain connected to you at all times and in all places,
strengthening our faith to expand and, growing strongly and vigorously,
to bear the fruit of your mercy, your love, your undying life.

we remember with gratitude those people

Pause for a time of reflection

Above all. we recognize how you have blessed our lives

We confess the times we fail to involve ourselves

Lord Jesus Christ, we know that when we become disconnected from you,

Amen.

~ written by Moira Laidlaw, and posted on Liturgies Online.
http://www.liturgiesonline.com.au/

Words of Assurance
God hears your cries and heals your wounded hearts. God is preparing you for good things to come. Place your trust in God who has always loved you and will always love you. AMEN.

from: https://www.ministrymatters.com/worship/entry/1137/worship-connection-july-12-2020

BIBLE READING  Matthew 13:1-9 & 18-23

"The Sower" by Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears[a] listen!”

“Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.[c] 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Reflection

This short act of worship has been prepared for you to use whilst we are unable to use Methodist Church premises.  If you are well enough why not spend a few moments with God, knowing that other people are sharing this act of worship with you.

Over the last few months we have begun to look at the world in a new way. Certainties are no longer as certain as they once were. This time last year no one imagined being in lockdown, although the possibility of a serious virus pandemic was not unimagined.  

When I read the parable afresh the first thing I noticed was that for his own safety, and perhaps in order to be better seen, Jesus gets into a boat and puts some distance between himself and the crowd. The Bible does not tell us if it was more than 2 metres! Jesus sits down to teach indicating his authority to teach. Jesus takes practical steps to be heard and communicates in ways the crowd were used to and addressed them in ways they would understand. The image of a sower was common in first century Palestine.

And when the seed is scattered not all of it bears fruit, some falls on the path or on stony ground. Some is in shallow earth and fails to mature. Amid much bearing of fruit there is also the failure of hearing and not understanding. Jesus recognized that even with the best news in the world there would still be setbacks.

The disciples have the parable explained to them. They have the benefit of the expertise of Jesus who told this parable and was be definition best placed to explain its meaning.

 As we move forward together and plan the activities of our local churches in a world that has been changed we should be encouraged by this parable.

Encouraged to work in ways that we discern are appropriate in our current situation.  Perhaps an extra line on the plan for the Circuit’s online worship and resources for those not online and unable to attend a building.

Encouraged to keep trying even if the seed we cast does not always bear fruit straight away or in ways we may expect.

Encouraged to gather as much wisdom as we can from others and glad to listen to those who are called to teach and explain, even when this might move us out of our comfort zones and takes us in unexpected ways.  Amen.

Prayer:

O God,
We gather together in Your presence with expectation,
hungry for an encounter with You,
eager to hear Your Word.
Open our eyes and ears to the presence of Your Holy Spirit.
May the seeds of Your Word scattered among us this morning
fall on fertile soil.
May they take root in our hearts and lives,
and produce an abundant harvest
of good words and deeds.
We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ,
our teacher and our Lord.
Amen.

Let us pray for our world; for the worldwide effort to create a vaccine for Covid-19. For all the peoples of the world and for cooperation as we continue to live with this virus.

As we pray for our world we pray especially for those in government and industry whose decisions effect the lives of so many. And we pray for wisdom for those in power.

We pray for our own land. For the NHS and for all those involved in social care and all keyworkers, giving thanks for the work they do for us. We pray for local communities as we continue to move towards what has been called the new normal. 

We pray for the whole Church throughout the world, especially churches in countries with unsympathetic regimes. We pray for the Methodist Church, both at the local level and also the Connexional Team. 

We take a time of quiet to remember those who have died, especially those who have been important to us on our own journeys of life and faith.

We make all our prayers in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

~ Christine Longhurst, re:Worship

Benediction
God has placed the seed of love and forgiveness in your heart. Go into God’s world with joy, telling of the good news of God’s abundant, lavish love for all creation. Go to be a witness to all the miraculous possibilities for hope and peace. AMEN.

https://www.ministrymatters.com/worship/entry/1137/worship-connection-july-12-2020