Bradford North Circuit

The turn of the year As a new year approaches we tend to wonder what lies ahead, hoping always to shake off the past’s bad record and for something better to come, as if hoping could make it so. We wonder about next year because of course we don’t know what lies around the corner (however great the store of human knowledge, and however thorough our Googling). Search as we may, and it’s a royal honour to do so (Prov 25:2), some things are known only to God: times and seasons fixed by his authority are not for us to know (Acts 1:7), for the future is his. This is a time to remind ourselves of God’s omniscience: he does know (Rom 11:33). He knows the plans he has for us – plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future (Jer 29:11). And it’s time to remember also that God is not far-off and aloof, but a loving, heavenly Father who wants a close living relationship with each of us, day by day and breath by breath – he sent Jesus to bring us back to him. So ...

Today is the day - Christmas! The central candle is lit. The waiting is over. The child is born. As we celebrate the Feast and Holy-Day of Christmas, with the Psalmist (Ps. 98:4-6) we proclaim: Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn – shout for joy before the LORD, the King. Prayer Let us pray: Generous God, even as we praise you for the good news of today, and seek to shout for joy at the coming of the Christ-child, we acknowledge Mary’s mix of pain and joy, both today and in the days to come. As we do so, we face our own emotions on this difficult and delightful day, and ask your help to live it well. Amen. Carol You might like to sing, or reflect on the words of Geoffrey Ainger’s hymn at StF 193/H&P 95, Born in the night, Mary’s child, a long way from your home; coming in need, Mary’s child, born in a borro...

  Welcome Welcome to this service for Christmas Time.  We hope that this act of worship will help you to celebrate the good news of Christmas. Call to worship I bring you Good News of great joy, for a Saviour has been born to you.  For unto us a child is born, a son is given, Alleluia. Carol Prayer Gift giving God, how mighty you are.  How wondrous the gift you have given.  Foretold and promised now born among us How blessed we are.  Born to redeem us, to rescue and keep us.  How blessed we are. Born to transform and to take us to glory. How blessed we are. Born out of love, born to give love  How blessed we are. O God incarnate gow blessed we are by your extraordinary being. God gives to us His son and to those who seek it, forgiveness of their sins Go and share the gift, show the love and know the peace that God gives  Amen. Prayer of confession Generous, overwhelming God In the excitement and joy of this day We take a moment to reflect and...

Advent 4: Thinking about BLESSING Service sheet (pdf) Hymn: STF 187 The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came Introduction Christmas is only days away now. How will you welcome Jesus into your home this year? After last year’s loss and longing, will the blessings of this year’s Christmas celebrations have any extra special meaning for you? Today’s worship is focussed on signs of greeting and blessing. Call to worship Come, greet one another in the name of the Lord. Come, bring all you have and be blessed. Come, and worship the God of the great and the lowly, and share your hopes and fears. Come, young and old – for God is calling you. Collect for today As we light this Advent candle, may its flame be for us a sign of blessing. As Mary and Elizabeth greeted each other, and Mary praised God for the blessings received, may we know God’s blessing in our lives and community, as we offer prayers and praises in Jesus’ name. Amen Hymn: STF166 Christmas Is Coming The Church Is Glad To Sing How do you ...

Dear friends We have been through a lot together over this last 18 months since the pandemic first started, as households, as communities and as the people of the church. At times we have struggled, but we have also recognised the support we can offer one another in times of adversity. When things have been far from normal, we have adapted in new ways to continue the life and mission of the church. In the face of great hurt and great need, we have found the value of faith and hope. Since the summer we have seen signs of hope in the re-opening of buildings and the re-starting of some of our church and community groups. However, recent news of a new variant of the virus has once again raised the level of concern. Clearly, the pandemic is not yet over. Consequently, as I am sure you are already aware, the government has decided that there is a need for greater restrictions to be in place once again - see detailed guidance  dated 8th December. In the light of this, the Methodist Church...

Advent 3 Service Sheet (pdf) Call to worship:  Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near (Philippians 4.4-5) Song: Joy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare him room, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing. Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns; Let all their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat the sounding joy. He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.  Isaac Watts Opening prayer: Loving God, In the long, dark days of winter, The cold and dismal days of waiting for the spring, You surprise us into life, By the joy of your Good News. You come as the king of the world. Y...

Advent 2  Service Sheet (pdf) Introduction Welcome to worship at Baildon Methodist Church. If you have any sorrow or regret about anything you have done in the recent or far-distant past, or any anger or regrets about how other people have treated you. This service is for you. For us. You are especially welcome on this second Sunday of Advent which is all about John the Baptist and his promise of forgiveness which, as St Luke says in his Gospel, is life-changing. Collect for today Dear God who taught us about forgiveness, forgive us because we have forgotten the lessons that we learned from the life and example of Jesus Christ, who forgave both his tormentors, and his friends. Amen Hymn The theme for the second Sunday in Advent is John the Baptist, and our lesson from the Gospel will tell us something about his ministry. Our first hymn first appeared in Paris at about the time of the restoration in England as a Latin poem by a man called Coffin. This version is a translatio...

Is it tomorrow yet? Advent, and the church calendar countdown to Christmas 2021 is on. Some say, with a knowing tolerance, “Christmas is for the children”, ie, let them enjoy it while they still believe. And certainly childish excitement mounts as decorations appear in shops and streets and homes, and the air is filled with carols and stories about baby Jesus, donkeys, stables, innkeepers, angels and shepherds. A wonderland, crowned on the day by family gatherings, stockings and presents under the tree. Waiting! But Jesus said emphatically that we can only enter the kingdom of God if we receive it like a child (Lk 18:17), so Christmas really is for the children. We adults have to abandon superior attitudes and enter afresh the world of wonder with childlike eyes: accepting the Bible stories as true. God really did come to earth as a baby, born of Mary, cared for by Joseph, long-foretold by the prophets of old. And we are right to celebrate, marvelling at all God does, and lookin...