Bradford North Circuit

Advent 1 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. Today is Advent Sunday. It marks the beginning of a season when we contemplate the coming of Jesus into the world, to be its Saviour. It is hard for us, who know the full story of Jesus’ coming, his preaching and teaching, his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, to imagine the expectancy with which his coming was awaited, and to fully appreciate the impact which his coming would have, on those who recognised him as God’s Son and accepted him into their lives. Nevertheless, it is important that we reflect on his coming and understand its relevance for us, living in the 21st Century. The coming of a Messiah had long been foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament. But he did not come in the way the people of Israel expected, as our first hymn tells us: Song STF 169/ HP 81 Come, Thou long-expected J...

Service Sheet (pdf) Call to worship As we come into your presence, Loving God, open our ears to hear your call, our eyes to see those around us as you see them, and our hearts to receive and share out your love for us and our world. Song Singing the Faith 526 – Lord of all hopefulness Prayers Jesus, you just weren’t as meek and mild as we might think. You weren’t frightened to speak your mind, to get people thinking so they could understand better. We praise you, Lord. When we are in a spot and struggling to find answers, you are such a fantastic role model. We praise you, Lord. When our hearts are so hard that we almost feel the ice in them, you melt them, and make us truly human again. We praise you, Lord. You call us on to better ways, to the beauty of a relationship found only in you. You give us hearts to appreciate you and each other in so many different ways. You are a God of abundant riches and blessings. We praise you, Lord. Amen. Lord God, sometimes we find it so hard to com...

Remembrance Sunday Service Sheet (pdf) Call to worship Jesus said: Blessed are the peacemakers; they shall be called the children of God. The peace of the Lord be with us all. We gather on screen, in homes, young and old, servicemen and women and their families, and those who have no connection to the armed forces, but who come to remember and give thanks for those who put themselves in the line of fire for the sake of the people of their country. We remember those who have given their lives in conflicts past and present; those who have sacrificed their physical and mental health; those who have lost loved ones and those who are in situations of war and fear. And as we remember, we commit ourselves to work for the goal of all people living together in peace, justice and freedom. Song:  O God, our help in ages past (StF 132/HP 358/MP 498/SF 415) Prayers of adoration and confession Lord our God, Lord over all, higher than we can imagine and closer than our very breath, we bring you ...

Service Sheet (pdf) Welcome to worship this seventh day of November 2021 in Bradford North Circuit. We are meeting at the same time as the COP 26 conference in Glasgow that will decide whether this Earth has a future as a home for human beings. The Earth stands on a tipping point. There could not be a more significant time to pray, to inform ourselves, or to understand the plight of the poorest people on Earth and our dependence on them. Whoever you are, however you are feeling, whatever your sorrows at this time, you are welcome to come with us into the presence of God and listen to his word. Together, we can make this world a better place. Call to worship: In this climate crisis we have a Christian obligation to act. In this climate crisis we promise to use the brains that God has given us In this climate crisis we imitate Jesus to change our behaviour to protect the poor and weak. Song: Our first hymn is No 701 in Singing the Faith: Heaven shall not wait for the poor to lose ...