Bradford North Circuit

This year, next year, sometime... My first job was good, but after a few years I became impatient for a move onwards, though I couldn’t see to what or where. But while I was praying (complaining) about it one day on a walk, I sensed quite clearly God saying, ‘Wait’. So I did, and two years later came an invitation to apply for a job that suited me down to the ground: it was wonderfully stimulating and I could really get my teeth into it. Of course I didn’t know (how could I), that during those two years this brand new opening was being designed and set up. So God couldn’t ‘answer’ until it was ready, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t heard my prayers. I haven’t applied for many jobs in my career, but I used to have to bid for contracts – and they taught me big lessons. Of course it was great to get the job or contract and I could thank God for it, but much to my surprise I found that the refusals were blessings too. How? Well, as I reflected afterwards on the rejections I saw that thos

  Service Sheet (pdf) Hello and welcome to this recorded service, presented by Bradford North Methodist Circuit. I am Martin Bashforth and I am a local preacher in the circuit. For several weeks, we have been looking at the parables told by Jesus, to discover truths about God and the Kingdom of Heaven. Today we are to consider two (related) parables which teach us about prayer. We know how important prayer was to Jesus himself. We are told by Luke (6:12) that before he chose his 12 disciples “Jesus went up a hill to pray and spent the whole night there praying to God.” As we pray, we come into the very presence of God who is, at the same time, sovereign Lord of the whole universe and also our heavenly Father.  Song Let’s keep this in mind, as we share our first hymn STF 530 To be in your presence  Prayer And so, let us come to God in prayer. Let us all pray: Gracious God, creator of the universe and father of every living thing, thank you for making us in your own image. Thank you for

Service sheet (pdf) Today is the tenth Sunday of our series exploring Parables for Bradford, listening to some of the stories told by Jesus with an ear to what they might say to us in the places we live, work, worship. Today’s story is about three bags of gold, or more particularly the actions of those to whom these bags were entrusted. As we begin to engage with this story, we might find ourselves thinking about our bags of gold, or their equivalents, and what we do (or don’t do) with them. Call to worship Psalm 84 (NIVUK) How lovely is your dwelling-place, LORD Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. 5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on

Service Sheet (pdf) Introduction Good morning, welcome to worship in Bradford North Circuit of the Methodist Church. I am Mervyn Flecknoe, one of the Lay Pastors at Baildon Methodist Church, which is a member of the Circuit. We are nearing the end of a worship series about Parables. On the circuit website, you will find, and be able to print out, a booklet that describes the whole series. You are welcome this week, whether you feel elated or a bit down, whether, like the wise bridesmaids in today’s parable, you feel that you have spare oil to make your lamp burn brightly, or whether you are running a bit low on oil these days. Whatever your situation, the church and the world have need of you, you are an important child of God, worthy of love and respect. Last week, Deacon Merry Evans took the parable of the corrupt business manager, next week Rev Phil Drake will take the Parable of the Talents. My subject this week is the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids. The title,

Parables for Bradford Service Sheet (pdf) Song STF 620 Thou God of truth and love When I started as a Prison Service chaplain the very first prisoner that I got to know was a man in his thirties. He was three years into his life sentence, convicted of murder. Over a week or two, as he began to trust me, he began to talk to me about how he came to be in prison. He told me how he had got into a lot of financial trouble with his business. He was going bankrupt and his good name, and his standing with his family and his business community was on the point of disintegrating. Unable to face the reality of his problems, and unable to face the future, he had decided to kill himself. Unable to contemplate the enormous problems that this would leave his family in he also decided to kill his wife, and two young children as well. He did not tell me the details and I didn’t inquire, but I gather it was done by using the fumes from his car exhaust and feeding them into the car with a hosepipe. He