Bradford North Circuit

Service sheet (pdf) We welcome you, whether you consider yourself to be rich or poor, whether you are happy or sad, whatever your faith or if you have none. Welcome if you are having to work too hard, if you are furloughed, or if you are unemployed. Welcome if you are caring for someone sick or shielding, or enjoying lockdown, or if you are feeling completely fed up, or if you are definitely poorly. We are all children of God equally deserving of forgiveness for our wrongs, and equally deserving of love to see us through. We hope you will find something in the next forty minutes that will make you feel a more able to face the week to come. Call to Worship Our call to worship is from the Prophet Micah, chapter 6v8. But God has already made it plain how to live, what to do, and what GOD is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbour, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously—take Go...

Service Sheet (pdf) Call to worship The steadfast love of the Lord is good. God’s mercy is abundant. Let us draw near to God’s presence. Sing or listen to the hymn, Great is Thy faithfulness(Singing the Faith 51/ Hymns and Psalms 66) or the song In Christ alone (Singing the Faith 351) as we express our confidence in God’s love and mercy. Opening prayers of confidence and confession: O Lord, we enter into your steadfast love, asking that you will respond to our prayers; we trust in your abundant mercy and ask that you will come to us. O Lord, make your presence known to us; draw near to us; redeem us, set us free; for we seek to be your faithful disciples.Amen. We are sorry for the times we get our priorities wrong – when we do not put you first; when we fail to see the needs of our neighbours; when we lack the courage and faithfulness of true disciples. Grant us forgiveness; grant us perseverance; grant us vision; that we may serve you as you desir...

Call to worship (based on Psalm 100) Shout with joy to the Lord Worship the Lord with gladness. Know that the Lord is God It is God who made us, and we are God’s Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving Come into God’s courts with praise Give thanks to God and praise God’s holy name. The Lord is good God’s love endures for ever. Amen. Prayer Lord God, you made us, and we are yours, we are your people, the sheep of your pasture. As we focus on you this morning, and acknowledge that your presence makes the place in which we do this (wherever it is) a holy space, touch our hearts afresh with your love, that our lips may praise you and our lives serve you in all things. Amen. You might like to sing, or reflect on the words of, Hymn StF 363, which begins, “My Jesus, my Saviour, Lord there is none like you. All of my days I want to praise the wonders of your mighty love”. Read Romans 5:1-8 First silently to yourself, then, if you can, out loud, from the...

Dear friends Welcome to another week’s worth of worship resources. It’s good to know that these are appreciated and used alongside other forms of worship on television and internet. We feel that these resources hold us together as a Circuit at this time, together with all the things individual churches are doing – thank you for every phone call, errand and prayer, as each one means so much. Please be assured that we will carry on sending out these resources for as long as they are needed, and when the time comes for us to worship in churches again, we will continue posting these out to those who do not feel ready to return to our buildings. Please go regularly to the Circuit website if you are able. Here are further resources on the Spirituality page: material for quiet times at home; poems; Phil’s Picture Posts; audio reflections. We keep adding new material and are now adding short stories too so please keep looking. There is also the option of phoning a free Methodist pra...

Facing the storm We’re a pattern-seeking animal. We join dots to form pictures. We investigate things and find reasons for them. And when we do, we are being true to ourselves for that’s how we were made by the Creator God. Moreover, with these abilities we were also commissioned to have dominion (=stewardship) over all the earth and its living things, and subdue it all or keep it in order. God loves order, in the world as well as in the church (Gen 1:26-28; 1 Cor 14:33). But two problems arise. First, we are poor at our job, tending to selfish concerns. And second, arising from that, the earth and its creatures get uppity at times. One Biblical example of such was the great storm on Lake Galilee that threatened to sink the boat carrying Jesus with his disciples. He rebuked the wind and waves and told them to calm down, which they did, but he clearly implied that craven fear had not been the proper response he expected of his disciples, though they were right to appeal to ...

Call to worship: The word of the eternal Father created us. The love of the gracious Son redeemed us. The presence of the Holy Spirit unites and empowers us. Come and worship the glorious Trinity, our God of power, love and peace. Opening sentence (verse from a hymn by Richard Leach): Come, join the dance of Trinity, before all worlds begun- the interweaving of the three, the Father, Spirit, Son. The universe of space and time did not arise by chance, but as the Three, in love and hope, made room within their dance. Introduction to Trinity Sunday theme: Today is Trinity Sunday, when the Doctrine of the Trinity, of the God who has revealed himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is highlighted in the church calendar. It can be a challenge to preachers to explain this teaching, especially in an all-age address! Over the years I have learnt to be less concerned with the Trinity as a doctrine to be taught, and more with the Trinity as an invitation to participate in the div...