Sunday, 29 March 2020
Coping with Isolation
Kia ora! Good morning!
Isn’t this strange!
We are meeting for
Sunday worship in a very different way for the foreseeable future.
We will all have to
find our way doing this in the comfort of our own homes and somehow create a
rhythm.
So here goes!
Can you find a way to
relax in your chair and observe a few moments of quiet before you begin? Can you find a Bible to have beside you for
the service?
Maybe you could light
a candle as a sign that you are entering this more deliberate sacred space and or
find something beautiful to look at like a flower, a picture, a view out the
window, or even something in your mind’s eye.
Here’s an image of
the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus went for prayer (but also longs his
Disciples would support him in his struggles. You can use it or reflection.
Call to worship
Feel welcome to dwell
in the words below, to read them several times if it helps you to engage with
them more deeply. Note what is happening
with your breathing. Can you slow it
down and still yourself as part of your preparation for this time with God?
We are pausing to acknowledge the presence of God in our lives.
We are meeting as part of a church community, albeit a scattered one.
We are stilling ourselves, our fears, our anxieties, and all the
distracting things around us, to seek and delight in God’s life with us. Let us worship God!
A reminder of God’s goodness-
inspired
by Psalm 23
Caring
Shepherd, you lead us by still waters, restoring our souls.
Good
Shepherd, you take us by the hand and lead us through the dark and fearful
times in life.
We
celebrate Your Leading, compassion and understanding.
Gracious
Shepherd, your goodness and mercy nurture and bless us, and enriches our souls.
As
we worship you, our cups overflow and goodness and mercy are with us all the
days of our lives.
Our prayer – Inspired
by Psalm 23 and 121
Draw me today into fresh encounters
with Jesus, O God.
Make me a servant of love so that
others may know how much You love them and I may know how much You love me.
[pause]
Let me not be afraid of new pastures, whether
they be green or brown or parched.
[pause]
And as I pass through whatever the
day’s valleys, keep my head lifted up to the mountain, from whence my help
comes.
[pause]
Never let me forget the people Jesus
welcomed…
the greedy and the great, the bad and
the good, the respected and the cheats.
[pause]
Even as the world becomes more callous
and chaotic,
may I never underestimate Your capacity
to fashion the miraculous from the
monstrous,
even to make me a choice masterpiece from
the mire and the clay. Amen. [written
by Leonard Sweet, posted on Preach the Story.]
If you are with
others share your highs and lows for the week. If you are doing this with just
you and God, pause and ponder the things of your week that you are grateful
for: the people you know and love, the
food you have enjoyed, the company you have shared, the
beauty that has surrounded you.
What happens to your
heart when you think of these things?
Don’t forget the low
points – what have you struggled with this week?
Listen and sing along
by clicking the Blue words
The King of love my
Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his
And he is mine for ever.
Where streams of living
water flow
My ransomed soul he
leadeth,
And where the verdant pastures grow
With food celestial
feedeth.
Perverse and foolish oft I
strayed,
But yet in love he sought
me,
And on his shoulder gently
laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.
In death's dark vale I
fear no ill
With thee, dear Lord,
beside me;
Thy rod and staff my
comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
Thou spread'st a table in
my sight;
Thy unction, grace
bestoweth:
And O what transport of
delight
From thy pure chalice
floweth!
And so through all the
length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house for ever.
Our Bible Readings:
[Maybe you can read
these out loud. Did you know that
people did not read quietly in their heads before 300 years ago!]
Matthew 26:31-46
Psalm 31
Brett’s
Ponderings
Obviously it is ok to complain – These types
of Psalms are called Laments. They are more common than psalms of praise.
Obviously it is ok to
wrestle with God about the difficulties of putting his will into action – if
its ok for Jesus...
The good news is it is ok
to tell God exactly what we are feeling whether Gratitude or Lament and all
about our struggles.
It is likely that the
background to Psalm 31 is David’s Son Absalom has been gathering supporters for
a coup against his father.
Verses 9-13 highlight this
and the torment they cause David (tears, exhaustion, feeling like everybody is
against him…)
But the psalm is also a
psalm of confidence in God’s power to get him through and his reliance upon God
·
V 5
I place myself in your care. You will save me, Lord; you are a
faithful God. (GNB)
Or the more familiar “Into your hand I commit my spirit… (NIV) words Jesus quotes from
the cross.
Another line of many that
reflects this is the Psalms last words are “Be
strong, be courageous, all you that hope in the Lord.” V24
David’s faith was not
based on his circumstances but in the character of God.
·
As you
read the psalm what Characteristics does David Highlight?
·
How does he describe that?
·
Eg God’s faithfulness, God’s role as a
defender, his goodness ..
Highlighting in your bible is a good thing to do –
maybe you could underline God’s characteristics in your bible.
I Think Laments are a form of saying “Yes –But” Yes I am going through a hard time But God is
still a god of love, He is still a god of grace a God who saves.
Maybe you could use the Lows of the week you shared and
add a “Yes, But…” and finish the sentence.
When Jesus was in Gethsemane – he also faces his upcoming
suffering with a strong sense of God’s goodness and love. He calls God his father twice (v39,42) and
knows that even if Peter will betray him and his disciples will sleep when he
needs their prayer support God will never leave or abandon him.
How do you feel about the idea that Jesus was in deep
turmoil over the things that were happening. I am surprised by his words in v
38 “The sorrow in my heart is so great
that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Who do I know who is overwhelmed and needs me to stand
beside them in this time?
How can I pray and support them as they need at this
time?
Is there
other connections between your bible readings and your highs and lows for the
week?
·
Was there a word, sentence, or phrase that
stood out to you in the readings today?
Pray for those who shared
their highs and lows giving thanks for the blessings and asking for God’s help
with the struggles.
A further Prayer
Loving God, in
this time of uncertainly we hold before you our cares and concerns, our fears,
and our sense of weakness – we admit that we, or people around us, are a little
overwhelmed. We seek your peace. We pray for your Spirit of love to come upon
us and those around us in ways that bring out the best in all of us.
God, know that there
is much that is outside our control – there always has been, but it feels like
this more than ever! We also know that
carrying the load of care is something you are particularly interested in helping
us with. We recall Jesus’ words, in Matthew
11:28-30:
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and
I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is
easy, and my burden is light.’
Loving God, we
pause in the quiet, to name our burdens, and to offer them to you in hope and
trust.
We bring to
you our cares and concerns for the people about us:
We pray for
our leaders – nationally, regionally, and internationally, grant them wisdom,
courage, and compassion in all of their decision making, as well as deep peace
and sanctuary in their opportunities to rest and relax.
Bless those
who feel the distance of friends and loved ones because of the closure of
borders and towns and cities.
Bless those
who are already struggling with their health and are fearful of what the virus
might bring, but also of the isolation being forced on them.
Bless people
who find their lives shrinking and the proximity to the people around them at
times stifling! Help us all to find
rhythms in our daily lives that enable inner and outer harmony.
And we pray
for those who are feeling the loss of loved ones as they walk through this
strange season. May they find comfort in
their memories and thoughtful helpful people who they can talk to.
We pray, O
God, that you will help us find the opportunities in this season
– for slowing
down – for deepening companionship, either with those who we share our home
with, and those who we can catch up with in a conversation – for preparing and
eating food slowly – for reading and remembering – for the calming of the
frantic ways we humans live our lives – for the opportunities to think about
what kind of future we can create with you guiding us and shaping our living in
the way of Jesus.
Finally we
pray for our friends at St. Columba’s.
Help us find our way in this time of being church without being face to
face. May we find new and creative ways
to look out for and care for one another, until we meet again in a community free
from this awful virus.
Loving,
comforting, faithful and interesting God, we offer these our prayers, the read
ones and the thought ones, in the name of Jesus, who lived and loved with your fullness
of life despite the trials of life. Amen.
We close by reading, praying
or singing the hymn:
I am the light of the
world
‘I am the light of the world; you people come
and follow me!’ If you follow and love
you’ll learn the mystery
of what you were meant to do and be.
When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and the shepherds have found
their way home, the work of Christmas is begun;
‘I am the light of the world…’
to find the lonely and the lost, to heal their
broken souls with love, to feed the hungry children with warmth and good food,
to feel the earth below, the sky above;
‘I am the light of the world…’
to free the prisoners from their chains, to
make the powerful care,
to re-build the nations with strength of goodwill,
to be at one with people everywhere;
‘I am the light of the world …’
to bring hope to every task you do, to dance
at a baby’s new birth,
to make music in an old man’s heart,
and sing to the colours of the earth.
‘I am the light of the world…’
Jim
Strathdee
Say this to one another – (and yourself)
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
May the Lord be kind and gracious to you;
the Lord look upon
you with favour and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24ff
SING
Go now in peace, Go
now in peace. May the love of God surround you, Everywhere, everywhere, you may
go.
Help during the health crisis: We are wanting to be able to offer help where
we can and where it is needed. For
example, this might be to pick up some groceries and leave them at the door of
someone who feels unable to be in contact with people at that time. It might be a ride to an appointment. If you wish your name to go onto a list of
those willing to help please let anyone Brett or the church office know. Please note - in order to protect everyone,
you must be in good health yourself to be involved in this.
The Prayer Team: If you or someone you know would benefit from having some prayer
support we have a prayer chain so please feel free to send your requests to office@stcolumba-taradale.org.nz
and the team will spring into action. (You can be assured of confidentiality).
Minister’s all the people
Parish contact
details
Church office
Will be
unstaffed but if you leave a message via email and Anna will answer
For all
needs or questions Phone Brett Walker
Home 06 8442256
Mobile 0274083658
TV and Online services on Sunday
St
Columba’s
Look for the link on the church facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/stcolumbataradale/
Other
online and TV Church services
·
Presbyterian moderator of NZ
devotions 9am on Sunday – Right Reverend Fakaofo Kaio
·
TV One 8am
Praise be or 9am on Tv1 plus 1
·
TV three 8:30am
David Jeremiah Turning point
·
Shine TV Sundays
7am – the hour of power-
Bobby Shuller
8am – Tak Bhana- running with fire - Auckland Church
9am – Paul De Jong – Life
church – Auckland Church
11.05 David Jeremiah – a good bible teacher
6 pm 30 minutes of Gaither
gospel
7pm 30 minutes songs of
praise
Radio
Radio rhema 99.1 FM
LifeFm – more modern music 93.5 FM
Southern Star – more traditional
music 909am
