Sunday, June 25, 2017

In a troubled world - Isaiah's vision for today

Welcome to our services today and a special welcome to any who are worshipping with us for the first time. It was an invitation to prayer in the ten days from the Day of Ascension to the Day of Pentecost. But that invitation to prayer carries on. Thy Kingdom Come. It’s right at the heart of the prayer Jesus taught us to pray. There is something very down to earth about that prayer. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The next time we pray that prayer let’s be specific in our mind’s eye. Let’s not just think of ‘the earth’ in general. Let’s think of a specific place. Let’s try praying the opening words of the Lord’s prayer with that place in mind. It could be our nation. It could be our town. It could be our street. It could be our work place. It could be our school. It could be our hospital. It could be our house. It could be the room where I am sitting. It could be beside a particular hospital bed. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, here in this place as it is in heaven. This week we arrive at some of the great passages in the book of Isaiah as we move from chapter 7 to chapter 9 to chapter 11. His words show what it’s like when God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. It’s in the life and teaching, in the death and resurrection of the one who taught us that prayer that we can see what that’s like better than anywhere else!

Welcome and Call to Worship
457 All hail the power of Jesus’ name
Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Thy Kingdom Come
A Hy-Spirit Song
Reading: Matthew 28:16-20
Hymn: We shall go out with hope of resurrection
Activities for all over 3



Thy will be done
Reading: Isaiah 9:2,6,7 and 11:1-9
241 Isaiah the prophet
On earth as it is in heaven
Prayer and Worship with Hy-Spirit
Prayers of Concern
456 Christ is the world’s true light
Words of Blessing

It’s great to have a focus. The year of the child. The decade of solidarity with …

Maybe I have taken my eye of the ball. Not been quite so aware of the year of … recently.

The problem is at the end of the year the issue is still there. The focus is still needed.

There was an invitation to prayer in the ten days from the Day of Ascension to the Day of Pentecost. But that invitation to prayer carries on. Thy Kingdom Come. It’s right at the heart of the prayer Jesus taught us to pray. There is something very down to earth about that prayer. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Extreme praying – some challenging thoughts from our young people. Interesting places to go to.

The next time we pray that prayer let’s be specific in our mind’s eye. Let’s not just think of ‘the earth’ in general. Let’s think of a specific place. Let’s try praying the opening words of the Lord’s prayer with that place in mind. It could be our nation. It could be our town. It could be our street. It could be our work place. It could be our school. It could be our hospital. It could be our house. It could be the room where I am sitting. It could be beside a particular hospital bed. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, here in this place on earth  as it is in heaven.
A time to share. What place comes to your mind?

Where in your mind’s eye would you go to pray that prayer?

What is the prayer we make?

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.

What is God’s will in that place? What does God’s rule look like in that place?

In some ways the wonder of the Lord’s prayer is that it is all embracing. It invites us to put that place, those people, those concerns into God’s hands, trusting that God’s will be done, God’s kingdom come.

The prophet Isaiah shared his vision, his insight, his prophetic words at a specific time in the 8th century BC, in a specific location Jerusalem and the small area around known as Judah, the Southern Kingdom of a divided Israel.

This week we arrive at some of the great passages in the book of Isaiah as we move from chapter 7 to chapter 9 to chapter 11.

He was speaking at a specific moment, in a specific place powerful words that speak into a very specific situation. But there was something about those words that had about them the inspiration of God in a  much wider sense.

Isaiah’s vision of God’s rule, God’s kingdom, sketches out what God’s rule looks like when it happens.

This is what it takes to rule in God’s way for Isaiah.

Some passages stand out as they go to the heart of the matter and, as it were, map out what it takes to rule in God’s way.

They caught the eye of Jesus as he from a young age was steeped in the Scriptures.

He came to usher in God’s kingdom, God’s way of ruling, the prayer he invited his followers to pray, the prayer we pray to this day.

It’s these passages that inspired his ministry. It’s these passages that inspired his followers. It’s these passages we see brought to fulfilment in Jesus.

This is what in Isaiah’s view it would take for Uzziah, Jotham,  Ahaz and then Hezekiah to rule as God’s anointed in a kingdom that would be God’s kingdom in a way that was according to God’s will. This is what should shape their rule.

This what shaped Jesus’ whole ministry as he came to bring in God’s kingdom in God’s way.

Here in these words we can be on the lookout for what it takes to exercise authority and power in God’s way as we pray God’s kingdom come

His words show what it’s like when God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. It’s in the life and teaching, in the death and resurrection of the one who taught us that prayer that we can see what that’s like better than anywhere else!

And his words are an inspiration in our place in our time.

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on your ancestral house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.’

God with us.

A sense of the strength and the calm,
The justice and the peace
the grace and the mercy

… of the presence of God – in a little child.

And in Christ it was that presence of God that was so real in him.

As a young woman gave birth and Jesus was recognized as Emmanuel, God with us.



A sense of the presence of God with us in the darkness of the world around us.


The people who walked in darkness
   have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
   on them light has shined.
For a child has been born for us,
   a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
   and he is named
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
   and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
   He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
   from this time onwards and for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

That’s what it takes – that’s what Isaiah’s vision was …


Peace and Justice and righteousness


A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,
   and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
   the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
   the spirit of counsel and might,
   the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.


He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
   or decide by what his ears hear;
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
   and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
   and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
   and faithfulness the belt around his loins.


The wolf shall live with the lamb,
   the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
   and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
   their young shall lie down together;
   and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
   and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy
   on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
   as the waters cover the sea.


Think of each location, each place

What does God’s kingdom look like – the presence of God there

Wonderful counsel

Peace, Justice, righteousness


God on the side of those who are vulnerable


Bringing together those at enmity with each other.

As we turned to prayer we played the artists' for Grenfell single, Like a Bridge over troubled water and then shared a time of prayer together.


Sunday, June 18, 2017

In a troubled world - Isaiah speaks to today

Text of the Week: … cease to do evil, learn to do
good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the
orphan, plead for the widow. (part of Isaiah 1:16-17)

Welcome to our services today and a special welcome
to any who are worshipping with us for the first time.
During this morning’s service we share in the sacrament of the
Lord’s Supper: we invite all who love the Lord Jesus Christ to
share with us in communion. You can tell from the Bibles I
have used which parts of the Bible are my favourites. The New
Testament is well-thumbed, especially the Gospels. And in the
Old Testament it’s the Book of Psalms that has been opened
more than any other. Hard on the heels of the Psalms come
the Prophets, and in particular Isaiah. But Isaiah is a long
book. In Fresh from the Word our readings from the Bible take
us to the first 39 chapters of Isaiah over the next couple of
weeks. When you allow someone else to lead you through
even a favourite book of the Bible they will no doubt take you
to parts of that book that haven’t recently caught your
attention. Catherine Williams, from Tewkesbury, does that for
me this week as our readings build up to a climax in one of my
favourite passages in all the Bible, the call of Isaiah in chapter
6. There are some surprises in store as we build up to that
chapter and as we read that chapter in full. And some of them
are not easy to get your mind round. But as I read through
them I cannot help but feel that this wise figure from a distant
past has something very pertinent to say about the world of
today.



Welcome and Call to Worship

A time of praise with Hy-Spirit

Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

Play Springwatch highlights of Sherborne while reading Psalm 84


Sensational Sherborne
  
Psalm 84 – the Congregation

O Lord of hosts,
   Blessed is everyone who trusts in you.

How lovely is your dwelling place,
   O Lord God almighty!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
   for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
   to the living God.

O Lord of hosts,
   Blessed is everyone who trusts in you.

Even the sparrow finds a home,
   and the swallow a nest for herself,
   where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
   my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
   ever singing your praise.

O Lord of hosts,
   Blessed is everyone who trusts in you.

Happy are those whose strength is in you,
   in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the valley of the wilderness
   they make it a place of springs;
   the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
   the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

O Lord of hosts,
   Blessed is everyone who trusts in you.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
   give ear, O God of Jacob!
Behold our shield, O God;
   look on the face of your anointed.

O Lord of hosts,
   Blessed is everyone who trusts in you.

For a day in your courts is better
   than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
   than live in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
   he bestows favour and honour.
No good thing does the Lord withhold
   from those who walk uprightly.

O Lord of hosts,
   Blessed is everyone who trusts in you.

Lord Jesus Christ,
For the promise of your presence as we gather in your name
We give you thanks
For the promise of your presence to the end of the age
We give you thanks
For the promise of your presence in good times and in bad
We give you thanks
Be with us now and forever more,
A strength for the living of our lives.
Amen.

Look at the birds!

We’ve been watching Spring watch from Sherbourne – and I will show some clips of birds nesting

Springwatch – chitchat in the nest


Reading: Matthew 6:25-34

“This is why I tell you not to be worried
about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive,
or about clothes for your body.
After all, isn't life worth more than food?
And isn't the body worth more than clothes?

Look at the birds:
they do not sow seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns;
yet your Father in heaven takes care of them!
Aren't you worth much more than birds?
Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?

“And why worry about clothes?
Look how the wild flowers grow:
they do not work or make clothes for themselves.
But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth
had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers.
It is God who clothes the wild grass
— grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burnt up in the oven.
Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you?
How little faith you have!

“So do not start worrying:
‘Where will my food come from?
or my drink?
or my clothes?’
(These are the things people all over the world are always concerned about.)
Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things.

Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God
and with what he requires of you,
and he will provide you with all these other things.

So do not worry about tomorrow;
it will have enough worries of its own.
There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.

 A Hy-Spirit Song
Activities for all over 3

It has been great to share the GIFT course in our Sunday services, at Explore and in four Day sessions at North Nibley over the last year.  GIFT stands for  Growing In Faith Together.

We began in the Bible with a set of services, a short course and a day session in the Autumn around the theme Faith in the Word.

As Christmas approached and into the New Year we looked at what it takes Being Church, the Congregational Way: we explored how we are called to be Christ-centred, Spirit-filled, rooted in the Bible, missional, worshipful, inclusive and well-managed. That was also the theme of our fourth Day together in North Nibley in the Summer.

Our second day just before Christmas and our second course, just after Christmas, looked at what we believe as Christians and how we are called to live A Life of Faith.

At our third day just before Easter and on Tuesday evenings in Explore during the summer we are looking at the way the Christian faith is a world faith that reaches out into the world. Faith in the World.  That’s the focus of our services now through the summer.

The Christian Faith is a world faith - it’s a faith lived in the world. It’s also a faith for the world. Next Sunday we’ll be reflecting on the way we pray for the world – returning to that theme, thy Kingdom come. When planning this sequence of services related to this theme six months ago the General Election was set by Act of Parliament to be on 4th May, 2020. Little did we expect that a General Election would have come and gone. It was way back then that we invited Adam Coverden who belongs to St Matthew’s to come and reflect with us on how our Christian faith does relate to our politics. Hard on the heels of that we will be celebrating our World Mission partnership, the Council for World Mission’s 40th Anniversary in its present form and welcoming to our evening service on 16th July Roderick Hewitt.

At the last of our Gift Course Explore evenings Maureen Williams will be joining us. Having been to Papua New Guinea in the 1980’s as a missinonary with the CWM she has kept in touch with the work of CWM ever since and will be sharing with us her insights – Felicity and I will also recall some of the involvement we have had with CWM over the years too. That’s this Tuesday evening.

So where do we turn in the Bible?

Just as we are beginning this sequence of services Fresh from the Word takes us to one of the most political of all the books of the Bible, the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

You can tell from the Bibles I have used which parts of the Bible are my favourites. The New Testament is well-thumbed, especially the Gospels. And in the Old Testament it’s the Book of Psalms that has been opened more than any other. Hard on the heels of the Psalms come the Prophets, and in particular Isaiah. But Isaiah is a long book. In Fresh from the Word our readings from the Bible take us to the first 39 chapters of Isaiah over the next couple of weeks. When you allow someone else to lead you through even a favourite book of the Bible they will no doubt take you
to parts of that book that haven’t recently caught your attention. Catherine Williams, from Tewkesbury, does that for me this week as our readings build up to a climax in one of my favourite passages in all the Bible, the call of Isaiah in chapter 6. There are some surprises in store as we build up to that chapter and as we read that chapter in full. And some of them are not easy to get your mind round. But as I read through them I cannot help but feel that this wise figure from a distant
past has something very powerful to say about the world of today.

We’re going to be focusing on the first 39 chapters. In case you have any doubts about how political this book is going to be the opening verse is absolutely clear. This book is going to be about what’s going on in the southern kingdom of Judah and its capital city, Jerusalem in the 8th century Before Christ.

The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Interestingly, in II Kings 15ff and in 2 Chronicles 26 ff you can read about wat the government of these kings was like. Uzziah was also known as Azariah: while he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, his rule left a lot to be desired; the same could be said of Jotham’s rule. Ahaz, on the other hand, did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord according to II Kings – his reign was a grim period of trouble. It’s the very last of these kings who is praised more than any of the others – it’s as if by his reign Isaiah has been taken notice of.

He had already begun to speak out, in the reign of Uzziah, but it was in the year that Uzziah died that he had his call … it’s one of those great passages in the Bible that speaks of the call we all have to take our faith into the world and make a difference.


In the year that King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty;
and the hem of his robe filled the temple.
Seraphs were in attendance above him;
each had six wings:
with two they covered their faces,
and with two they covered their feet,
and with two they flew.

And one called to another and said:


‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called,
and the house filled with smoke.

And I said:

‘Woe is me! I am lost,
for I am a man of unclean lips,
and I live among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’

Then one of the seraphs flew to me,
holding a live coal
that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs.
The seraph touched my mouth with it and said:

‘Now that this has touched your lips,
your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,

‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’
And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’

251 I the Lord of sea and sky

As we join company with Catherine Williams of Tewkesbury, this week, we are going to read some pretty difficult stuff. Isaiah is relentlessly critical of what he sees going on in the world around him.  It’s a pretty grim world.


Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth;
   for the Lord has spoken:
I reared children and brought them up,
   but they have rebelled against me.
   Why do you continue to rebel?

When I read passages like this I cannot help but feel this is a strange world, a different world, a world long ago. But then as I make allowance for the imagery, for the language used. The thing that strikes me when I do Old Testament biblical history is that this is our world.

We are making a mess of things. The abominable atrocities of the terrorists in Manchester and London Bridge are almost aimed at stirring up the worst in us – of fear and then of division. And yet they bring out the best in our communities.

Kensington and Chelsea – the richest borough in the land has the greatest poverty in the land – the money-saving in  the cladding and the absence of any official emergency response – somehow put the spotlight on the divisions of wealth and poverty in our society.

The Queen caught summed it up in an unprecedented Birthday message when she said “it is difficult to escape a very sombre national mood” and went on to speak of being “resolute in the face of adversity” and of being “profoundly struck by the immediate inclination of people throughout the country to offer comfort and support to those in desperate need.”

The Ofsted report on the inadequacy of children’s services in Gloucestershire this week I read. One paragraph caught my eye: “The majority of social workers have less than two years’ post-qualifying experience and, for too many, particularly those in their assessed and supported year in employment, the caseloads are too high and include complex cases that require a good depth of knowledge and experience.

Isaiah’s challenge to his time, is the challenge for our time. It’s there in verse 17.

It’s not the quality of your worship, not the festivals you celebrate that count …


learn to do good;
seek justice,
   rescue the oppressed,
defend the orphan,
   plead for the widow.

He also holds on to a vision of God’s way of doing things – and draws that vision down to his age and his people. 2:2-4

Isaiah 2:2-4

   the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
   and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
   Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
   to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
   and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
   and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
   and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
   and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
   neither shall they learn war any more.

That’s the resolve we need to share.

Communities coming together in Manchester and in London.

Commitment to make a difference.

Our faith is a faith for the world of this time.

Whom shall I send?
Who will go for me?

Here am I, send me.

There’s a twist in the tale. Read on in Isaiah 6 and you cannot help but realise – it’s not easy. People don’t get it. It’s an uphill struggle. And interestingly it’s the end of chapter 6 that Jesus quotes when explaining his parables – they are not nice children’s story. They outline a hard way to follow that’s tough.

Maybe we need to turn again to the presence of Christ, and a strength from beyond ourselves in the Holy Spirit as we seek strength for the living of these days.

We look to the challenge of a troubled world
We hear the call to do something about it
We recognise the reality of the troubles continuing
We return to that wonderful imagery from the world of God’s creation Jesus shared shared with, we meet in his presence and rejoice in
the care of God sustaining us in our commitment
to follow the way of justice and peace

Songs of Prayer and Worship

Prayers of Concern

Hy-Spirit song

The Lord’s Supper

A Hy-Spirit song


Words of Blessing

Sunday, June 4, 2017

A Pentecost Baptism Service - after the atrocities in Manchester and London


Text of the Week:  Acts 2:38-39          Have a whole new way of thinking and be baptised, everyone one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.

On this, the Day of Pentecost, when we celebrate the birth of the Church and the power of the Holy Spirit, welcome to our services.  And a special welcome this morning one of our Highbury families as they brought their two little ones to be baptized. At the heart of the Christian faith is the initiative God takes in reaching out to each of us in love. That grace of God comes to each of us before ever we have done anything to deserve it, before ever we have come to understand it. It is that gift of God’s grace so freely given that we celebrate in baptism. With the gift we celebrate comes the hope that as they grow older these two youngsters come to know that love of God for themselves and find out what a difference it can make in the living of their lives. Our hope is that even now they can respond with a child’s faith to the love that is poured into their hearts. And then in the fullness of time when they come to make decisions for themselves our hope and prayer is that they make their own profession of faith in God and in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. That means there are promises to make for their parents, for their family and friends, and for us all as a church family – to welcome them into the family, the wider family and the church family too, to share with them the security of love and the Christian faith that can make such a difference for them. In our celebration of baptism there’s one final thought! Maybe we were baptised when we were little in a service that celebrated the reality of God’s love in our lives: have we made that love our own and discovered the difference it can make to us!.

Today’s service was planned immediately after the appalling atrocity in Manchester. We shared the service the day after the horrors of London Bridge. The people caught up in those tragedies were very much in our thoughts and prayers.

Welcome and Call to Worship

40 Praise to the Lord, the almighty

Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

Reading: Acts 2:1-4

When the day of Pentecost had come,
they were all together in one place.
And suddenly from heaven there came a sound
Like the rush of a violent wind,
and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them,
and a tongue rested on each of them.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other languages,
as the Spirit gave them ability.

The disciples spilled out of that upper room, rushed down on to the streets and they could contain themselves no longer. They had the most wonderful message to share and they shared it in such a way that everyone from everywhere got it!

Then it was that Peter got to his feet, quietened the crowd, and told the story of Jesus and all that he had done, the wonderful love he had shared, that death on the cross that seemed such a tragedy and turned out to herald the most wonderful resurrection victory.

And the greatest thing of all was that it really was for everyone!

Reading: Acts 2:37-39

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart
and said to Peter and to the other apostles,

‘Brothers, what should we do?’

Peter said to them,

‘Repent, have a whole new way of thinking,
and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
so that your sins may be forgiven;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is for you,
for your children,
and for all who are far away,
everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’


Those who welcomed the message were baptized and that day 3000 people were added to that group of disciples and the Church was born.

From that point on as people came to follow in the footsteps of Jesus they were baptized and often the whole family as well.



We share in the sacrament of Baptism

Today is very special for us as a church family as our friends bring their youngsters to be baptized.

At the heart of the Christian faith is the initiative God takes in reaching out to each of us in love. That grace of God comes to each of us before ever we have done anything to deserve it, before ever we have come to understand it. It is that gift of God’s grace so freely given that we celebrate in baptism.

We’ll pour a little water over each of them and that water is real – just as the water we see and can feel is real, so the love of God is real too!

But if you pour water over something it just cascades to the ground – to make use of it you need to catch it and then use it – maybe in a glass or a jar. Our hope and prayer is that as they grow older they will come to know that love of God for themselves and find out what a difference it can make in the living of their lives.

Our hope is that even now they can respond with a child’s faith to the love that is poured into their hearts. And then in the fullness of time when they come to make decisions for themselves our hope and prayer is that they make their own profession of faith in God and in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

That means there are promises to make for their parents, for their family and friends, and for us all as a church family –
·         to welcome them into the family, the wider family and the church family too,
·         to share with them the security of love and the Christian faith that can make such a difference for them.

In our celebration of baptism there’s one final thought! Maybe we were baptised when we were little in a service that celebrated the reality of God’s love in our lives: have we made that love our own and discovered the difference it can make to us!

So, I invite our two friends to bring their youngsters forward.

To Mum and Dad: Do you believe in God and in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and do you promise to bring these two little ones up in the security of your loving family and home, and do you promise to pass on to them the teachings of our Christian faith and give them a sense of the love God has for them and for everyone as they grow up?

We do

Let me ask all of their family and friends who have come specially to share in this baptism service to stand.

Do you promise to give your blessing, your encouragement and your support to these two as they bring their little ones up in their family and in their home?

We do

Let me ask all who belong to this church family and everyone who has come to join us in church today to stand.

Do you promise to give these two little ones a welcome into our church family and to pass on to them the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit?

We do.

As I name you,
I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

As I name you,
I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Baptism Prayer

It really has been wonderful welcoming these two into our church family in this last eighteen months – and to see them really growing up.

It’s been great to welcome them into the church family already – on a Sunday in our services, on a Tuesday morning at Toddlers.  Then we’ve got Messy church that’s really good – and also we’ve got Film club – great for all the family and a great introduction to watching films together.

But I have a feeling neither of them need introducing to films.

Someone told me that one of their favourites was Frozen  … and in Frozen the best bit of all was Let it Go.

So we’re going to have a look at film clip of Frozen.

In this clip from Disney's "Frozen," Elsa, whose secret powers have just been revealed, flees Arendelle and unleashes her magic, creating a breathtaking ice palace. Performed by the voice of Elsa, Idina Menzel, "Let It Go" is an original song by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Tony Award®-winner Robert Lopez.


The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen.
A kingdom of isolation,
and it looks like I'm the Queen
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in;
Heaven knows I've tried

Don't let them in,
don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel,
don't let them know
Well now they know

Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore

Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don't care
what they're going to say
Let the storm rage on.
The cold never bothered me anyway

It's funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all

It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me,
I'm free!

Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry
Here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let the storm rage on

My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never going back, the past is in the past

Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone
Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on

The cold never bothered me anyway!

Wow – isn’t that great – and the cold never bothered me anyway!

At our Family Film Club Andrea chooses the films carefully and then prepares a leaflet to take away. A year ago we showed Frozen.  And this is the leaflet that she handed out.



The Day of Pentecost is a great day for a baptism service – as it’s a day of looking forward – and looking forward in the presence of God whose love will never let us go!

A Hy-Spirit Song

Activities for all over 3

A blessing to give and receive

I prepared this service 10 days ago hard on the heels of the stuff that happened in Manchester. I then enjoyed a holiday last week, and had the whole day in the garden yesterday. I was ready just to run with the service I had prepared.

And then last night all the stuff at London Bridge happened.

Again, what I had prepared then seemed once more to connect.

It’s a scary world we are all living in at the moment.

It’s a scary world these two children are growing up into and indeed all our children are growing into.

I have a sneaking feeling it always has been a pretty scary world.

It certainly was 2000 years ago.  The Roman civilsation was a wonderful civilation. But it was also a brutal one. One of the few to consider throwing human beings to the lions or pitching them to fight each other to the death as acceptable entertainment.

And when they conquered they really did conquer and hold their peoples under constraint.

It’s a scary world now.

It was a scary world then.

And the blessing that was given at Pentecost is a blessing that is as real and important to us today as it was then.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and that fellowship we can have with the Holy Spirit and God has with us through the Holy Spirit really can make a difference to our lives.  And really can make a difference to the lives of these two as they grow older.

It’s a way of life that’s based on love for one another. And it’s a way of life that’s rooted in the love God has for us in Christ

It finds its focus in the life and teaching, the death and resurrection of Christ and there is that conviction that nothing in the present, or the future, nothing in life or death, not heights no depths can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It’s that kind of all embracing love that reflects the very nature of God that has the power to drive away fear.

And that’s what is scary about our world today.

Terrorism really does breed terror.

In one sense we must not allow it to.

But in another sense our Christian faith shows us that fear does not have the last word – and the thing that drives out fear is love.

Wasn’t’ that the powerful message that came out of Manchester? From taxi drivers to hoteliers to the guy going round with a placard announcing free hugs for all – it was a spirit of love that was going to drive away the fear.

But the reality is we cannot do it on our own.

Fear is not something that we can simply get the better of.

And the message of Pentecost is that there is a strength and power from beyond ourselves that we can draw on that can make all the difference in the living of our lives.

It is that strength, that power from beyond ourselves that sows in our hearts the seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

This is what can get the better of those who want to sow the seeds of terror.

Reading: Galatians 5:22-26

The fruit of the Spirit is

love, joy,
peace, patience,
kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

There is no law against such things.

And those who belong to Christ Jesus
have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

Let us not become conceited,
competing against one another,
envying one another.

Bear one another’s burdens,
and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.

Let’s make that our prayer as we remain seated and sing

236 May we, O Holy Spirit

1          May we, O Holy Spirit, bear your fruit—
            your joy and peace pervade each word we say;
            may love become of life the very root,
            and grow more deep and strong with every day.

2          May patience stem the harmful word and deed,
            and kindness seek the good among the wrong;
            may goodness far beyond our lips proceed,
            as manifest in action as in song.

3          May faithfulness endure, yet as we grow
            may gentleness lend courage to the weak;
            and in our self-restraint help us to know
            the grace that made the King of Heaven meek.

Paul Wigmore (born 1925)
© Paul Wigmore/Jubilate Hymns

Lots of people from church have been following bible readings each day – and this week we begin a sequence of readings for Pentecost – it’s called Longing to belong – and we find ourselves in conversation with Katie Miller, a pioneer minister in the Church of England working in Speke in Liverpool. It’s on the theme Longing to Belong – one in the Spirit.

Wednesday’s reading caught my eye – it’s a reading I often use in a Baptism service. I had thought not to use it today as it was Pentecost Sunday – but then I saw these notes. I want to read the passage and then the notes as well.

Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing little children to him
in order that he might touch them;
and the disciples spoke sternly to them.

But when Jesus saw this,
he was indignant
and said to them,

‘Let the little children come to me;
do not stop them;
for it is to such as these
that the kingdom of God belongs.

Truly I tell you,
whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child
will never enter it.’

And he took them up in his arms,
laid his hands on them,
and blessed them.

The heading for the comment on Wednesday is

One in Giving, One in receiving.
Katie Miller from IBRA notes Fresh from the Word

Jesus reminds us here that we are one in the Spirit with those of all ages. Children are not to be excluded. They are welcome and belong also. In fact, they are to be an example to us of how to receive the Kingdom of God.

I was recently at a church weekend away where there were, as is not uncommon, activities for the children.

At the end of the weekend, at the final service, the children sang for us and showed some of the activities with which they had been involved.

Everyone was delighted and appreciative of their input.

None of this is unusual.

However, after this the adults were then invited to hold out their hands so that the children could pray for them. Praying simple prayers for those who swished to be involved, the children circulated the group blessing and praying for all those holding out their hands. It felt like a profound reversal of roles to allow the children to bless us. I was reminded that being one in the Spirit with others means allowing all to both give and receive. We are not truly one when one group is only ever giving and another only ever receiving.


It made me think about our service today.

It’s wonderful to give so much to these two little ons.  It is wonderful to promise to give so much more.

But maybe even more than that is the wonderful they give to us, to us all.

Children can do that.

It was Mum who said that Let It Go was their favourite. She had so enjoyed Richard playing it the other Sunday we asked Richard to play it again today. But then, not knowing the film very well, I googled it … and what struck me was how powerful those words were thinking of all these two youngsters had experienced in their lives.  Maybe this was a moment when they were speaking to us and we were receiving.

I had just that experience of receiving from youngsters 10 days ago when I did the assembly at St John’s.

It was a week last Wednesday. I arrived at St John’s and walked through the playground ready to take assembly after the morning break.

One of the teachers came up to me and asked me to say a prayer in assem bly for all the people in Manchester. I hadn’t thought of doing that. But I went up to the Head and she was in agrteement. The previous evening I had stumbled across an article written by Winston’s Wish and published on the Echo Web site. Winston’s Wish is a Gloucestershire charity that has spread nationwide giving support to children in bereavement. Their article gave advice about how to talk kto children about what had happened in Manchester. Don’t cover it up. Tlak about it with them.

having read the article I felt better equipped … but still very helpless and not a little apprehensive – what should I say, what words of prayer should I use – what can one do?  How can I give to the children?

I went into the assembly only to discover a theatre group had got there before me.  Four Square theatre had been doing a show called Fishermen’s Tales – telling the story of the fishermen followers of Jesus./

Actually it tied in with my Assembly. It was the second one I had done this term on the term’s theme, Forgiveness.  Forgiveness by numbers. My first assembly had been about the number 3 – three times Peter denied Jesus, three times the risen Jesus asked him do you love me – three times Peter was challenged to look after and care for everyone. And the number of the fish they caught that day could be laid out on the ground in the shape of an equilateral triangle with seventeen fish on each side of the triangle – 153 fish is the triangular number of 17.

Today’s assembly turned to the times tables and Jesus’ favourite times table – the seven times table. Peter lost his cool and wanted to know how many times to forgive seven times?  Seventy-times seven times.

I came to the end of my assembly telling the story of the King who forgave the slave who owed him three and half billion pouds and went outside and wouldn’t forgive the slave who owed him a mere £60000.

My talk over I asked the two youngsters operating the computer to put up the words for the song.  I didn’t know it – it was one the youngsters had learned last year from one of the theatre group when he had joined the school with I Sing Pop.

Great way of teaching the youngsters pop songs with all the moves but a Christian message.

I decided to say my prayer first.

I avoided any link with the forgiveness theme – that was something for another day and another time – and a big one to get your head round in the wake of Manchester. Not for that day, not for that time.

I prayed that God would comfort people in Manchester after all that had happened and I prayed that all over the country we would work together at caring for each other so that we could all be together and supporting each other.

Something like that. I hope it was OK – I did my best.

Then I got them to play the words of the song.

I was at the front – the youngsters were singing for all they were worth.  It may be a year since they did I sing pop – but they sing the songs brilliantly.

I found I had to turn with my back to the children – to follow the words.

It was hard to stop the tears coming down my cheeks.

I had supposed I would offer something to the children to help them.

They were a blessing to me as the words they sang were words of hope in a world of devastation.

And it took the children to share that blessing with me.

There is somewhere with a love we can all share
No more sorrow and a whole new tomorrow

I can feel it in my fingers
#I can feel it in my toes
I can feel my body moving
#letting everybody know

So imagine this
Everybody has love to give
And we all have a chance to live
Freedom with sadness ended
Love defended

There will be no pain
And the broken will rise again
Darkness fading the night will end
Love is when Chains are broken Heaven opens




A memorable moment I for one will not forget.

Let’s join in singing …



246 Spirit of holiness

            Spirit of holiness, wisdom and faithfulness,
            wind of the Lord, blowing strongly and free:
            strength of our serving and joy of our worshipping—
            Spirit of God, bring your fulness to me!
1          You came to interpret and teach us effectively
            all that the Saviour has spoken and done;
            to glorify Jesus is all your activity—
            promise and gift of the Father and Son:
            Chorus

2          You came with your gifts to supply all our poverty,
            pouring your love on the church in her need;
            you came with your fruit for our growth to maturity,
            richly refreshing the souls that you feed:
            Chorus

3          You came to the world in its pride and futility,
            warning of dangers, directing us home;
            now with us and in us, we welcome your company;
            Spirit of Christ, in his name you have come:
            Chorus

Christopher Idle
© Christopher Idle/Jubilate Hymns Ltd
12 10 12 10 13 10 13 10

Used By Permission. CCL Licence No. 3540
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HymnQuest ID: 61224

Prayers of Concern

245 There’s a spirit in the air

This is the definitive version of the text. An earlier version in Faith Looking Forward and many other books is given elsewhere but the definitive version should be used wherever possible.

1          There's a spirit in the air,
            telling Christians everywhere:
            'Praise the love that Christ revealed,
            living, working in our world!'

2          Lose your shyness, find your tongue,
            tell the world what God has done:
            God in Christ has come to stay.
            Live tomorrow's life today!

3          When believers break the bread,
            when a hungry child is fed,
            praise the love that Christ revealed,
            living, working, in our world.

4          Still the Spirit gives us light,
            seeing wrong and setting right:
            God in Christ has come to stay.
            Live tomorrow's life today!

5          When a stranger's not alone,
            where the homeless find a home,
            praise the love that Christ revealed,
            living, working, in our world.

6          May the Spirit fill our praise,
            guide our thoughts and change our ways.
            God in Christ has come to stay.
            Live tomorrow's life today!

7          There's a Spirit in the air,
            calling people everywhere:
            Praise the love that Christ revealed,
            living, working, in our world.

Brian Wren (born 1936)
© 1969, 1995 Stainer & Bell Ltd
7 7 7 7


Used By Permission. CCL Licence No. 3540
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Words of Blessing

So much to pass on at Highbury

If you give a little love you can get a little love of your own

A blessing shared at Highbury

Now and the Future at Highbury

Dreaming Dreams Sharing Visions at Highbury

Dreaming Dreams Sharing Visions

Darkness into Light