Sunday, May 31^st 2020

Welcome to Worship

If you want to look at some worship and videos before we post the livestream click here

For those back worshiping in the building welcome. For those worshiping at home – Greetings.

Today is Pentecost Sunday. The Birthday of the church or in our case the regathering of the church. We have always known the church is not a building but the people of God so Church has continued to exist in its scattered form. You would have noticed this when the church called you or sent you letters or helped in some way. The church is Never about the church, but the people of god on the mission of God.

Hopefully the worship will live stream on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4nWebLBZTrJU2oT38-Or1w

or on youtube search for Minister Brett J Walker - Sunday Worship

Call to worship

When I am empty and deflated

You fill me with life

When I feel alone and despairing

You come to me to reassure me I am never alone

You are the God who makes us alive, and fills us with purpose and power

We will worship you

Our opening prayer

Lord, one the first day of Pentecost people who felt out of their depth with the task before them were filled with a new power. People who were not sure where to turn because Jesus wasn’t physically there to question knew the filling of the Spirit of God, with the ability to hear and recall the words he said and to be guided in the decisions they needed to make. People who felt alone knew God would never abandon them and that they were truly Children of God, loved and forgiven.

God in the past few months we have sometimes felt out of our depth, and we didn’t know where to turn and we have felt alone, and you have given us the same Holy Spirit you gave to those first disciples at Pentecost. Help us not to neglect your gift but to open ourselves to your Power, your leadings and your presence.

Forgive us when we try and live the Christian life without the Christians power.

Forgive us when we have tried and failed to love others or forgive or to serve and renew us with your power so that we may do what Jesus did. To love our enemies, to forgive and to serve.

Let us say the lord’s prayer together

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be your name

Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. And Lead us not into temptation

And deliver us from evil.

For yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory. Forever and ever amen

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 company you have shared….

Don’t forget the low points – what have you struggled with this week?

Opening Songs at St Columba this week are

1. I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart

2. Come Now is the time to worship

Brett talks to the children about how a flat ball is not as much fun and how you can inflate a balloon my mixing Baking soda and vinegar in a bottle.

The children sing – he’s got the whole world in his hands

Bible Readings:

Acts 2:1-13

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Brett’s Message: Pentecost - Strength from your inner life

I have been struggling with more stress and anxiety in the past few weeks of this lockdown. More than I care to admit. I have been thinking about some of the causes. There have been lots of new technology to master. Zoom calls, video recording and editing, writing out sermons for distribution (and todays new challenge live streaming the service.) I haven’t been able to do the things I want such as hospital visiting or comforting those who are bereaved in a way that I think matters. These things plus the anxiety from a world full of bad news and dangers and viruses.

I have been working on quieter devotions, and relaxation activities but it is still a work in progress. It made me think of the first disciples before Pentecost. Words the bible uses to describe them is troubled and doubters – Jesus frequently greets them with the word “peace” telling them not to be afraid. SO while their confidence had gone up over the 40 days Jesus was with them in his resurrected body his ascension into heaven would have left them excited yet fearful. They had the promise of the Spirit’s power (acts 1:8) but I doubt they knew what that would be like.

The dawning of the day of Pentecost brought 3 phenomena. The sounds of wind, the tongues of fire which rested on each head and they were all filled with the Spirit and spoke in other languages as the spirit gave them words.

The first 2 were signs of God’s presence – a Theophany from the Old Testament (the Hebrew word for the breath of God is the same word as the spirit of God Gen 2:7 or see Exodus 24:16 for the fire on the mountain when Moses was talking with God). The speaking in other languages is a reversal of the curse of Babel and a reminder that their mission is to make disciples of all nations.

The praise of the disciples left the crowd amazed and astonished (v7) because they heard God being praised in their own languages even though they could tell the speakers were all Galileans. And this grows to being “amazed and perplexed” in v 12. The contemporary English bible translates this as “excited and confused”.

2 Corinthians 4:7-18 finds Paul speaking to people who are confused by his life and words. They had thought that a Christian who is a child of god, and filled with the Spirit of God ought to be experiencing the life of God and there was Paul suffering and enduring persecution and generally not living what some might think the victorious Christian life ought to look like.

Paul uses the great analogy that we have a marvellous treasure the knowledge of God through Christ but this treasure is in jars of clay. Our human weakness and suffering coexist with God’s promises of power and a new identity as God’s forgiven children. He identifies 4 threats

1. We are troubled (literally squeezed in).

2. We have doubts (the word means “perplexed”, we have problems we don’t know how to resolve, problems where we see no escape route.)

3. We have many enemies

4. We are badly hurt

But we also have God power, God promise, God’s provision

1. So when troubled and squeezed in we are not crushed

2. When assailed by doubts, problems and no apparent escape route. We do not despair

3. When we have enemies – we still have friends (God and those God sends)

4. When hurt we are not destroyed (Literally wounded on battlefield but not killed.)

Paul says as Christians we embody both the cross and the resurrection at the same time. The suffering and the glory. and without the suffering there are no opportunities to see his life giving power to be manifest.

The power of God is not in the absence of troubles or problems or caused of anxiety or beatings but in the ability to endure and to rise up stronger. So Paul makes his amazing statement in v 16-18

For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day. ¹⁷And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble. ¹⁸For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever.

What dynamic words – “we are never discouraged” and “our spiritual being is renewed day after day” “Eternal glory”

For the next few weeks we are going o be looking at Resilience. The ability Paul and the first disciples had to recover from terrible setback and to face opposition and trouble and to come back stronger than before. To know that even our troubles help more people see the goodness of God, that we have been given a power that sees us not crushed or falling into despair or without a friend or not destroyed.

Lynn Worsley describes resilience as having 2 parts – an inner core of beliefs (I am. I can ,I have) and some outer supports (People friends and family) resources (skills, assets education)

We will look at this more over the next few weeks

But from our scriptures to day we can say if I am a Christian

I am – a child of God, filled with his spirit

I have the promise of his power and guidance, the support of his people, an eternal hope.

I can endure all things through Christ who strengthens me.

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.

This Prayer for others was written by Keith Woodcock

Shall we pray together

Loving, Holy God, on this special day in the life of the church universal, we ask for the gift of your Holy Spirit to help us to pray and for the peace and joy of your spirit to over flow our lives with a peace that passes all understanding.

We ask for the hope and comfort of your Spirit as this pandemic sweeps all around and over us. Precious lives have been lost due to the virus, families have not been able to be at a loved one’s side to say their farewells as they have passed away. Work has dried up and jobs have been lost due to the lockdowns causing unexpected financial pressures to be placed upon us due to no income. Homes and businesses have been lost through no fault of the owners or renters, and faith communities have not been able to physically meet to worship and fellowship together.

We ask for the energy and vision of your Spirit because we are all aware that it has been difficult for all of us in one way or another. We lift up to you all who have been affected by this virus. Wrap your loving, comforting arms around those who grieve, those who have lost jobs or homes, and those whose lives have changed dramatically over these past few short months.

We ask for guidance and strength of your Spirit that we can read the scriptures that encourage and enlighten our lives. For the stories of ordinary men and women like Jonah who you called to reach out to others and to tell them about your love for all your earthly children. We thank you for technology that we have been able to think outside the box and have worship services online and to be able to see each other in online meetings. We pray for Brett who has so ably lead us through this difficult time involving not only the adults but the youth as part of our worship together each week.

We ask for the courage of your Spirit to help and guide our national and local leaders. Our leaders have kept us informed and were ready to make the hard decisions that needed to be taken during these troubling times. Give them the wisdom and the courage to make these difficult and unpopular decisions that have affected our daily lives until this crisis is over.

Loving God, we ask for the assurance of your Spirit and that we as your earthly children come to know your presence in us and with us in our daily lives, in our relationships, in our work and service, in our daily worship, in times of joy and pain. Holy Spirit help us.

We ask for the love of your Spirit to be with us Holy God with your protective armour as we commit our lives to each other and all those we love to your tender care.

In the name of your Son Jesus the Christ.

Amen.

Final HYMN Lord of the church (tune Danny Boy)

1 Lord of the church, we pray for our renewing:

Christ over all, our undivided aim.

Fire of the Spirit, burn for our enduing,

wind of the Spirit, fan the living flame!

2 We turn to Christ amid our fear and failing,

the will that lacks the courage to be free,

the weary labours, all but unavailing,

to bring us nearer what a church should be.

3 Lord of the church, we seek a Father's blessing,

a true repentance and a faith restored,

a swift obedience and a new possessing,

filled with the Holy Spirit of the Lord!

4 We turn to Christ from all our restless striving,

unnumbered voices with a single prayer:

the living water for our souls' reviving,

in Christ to live, and love and serve and care.

5 Lord of the church, we long for our uniting,

true to one calling, by one vision stirred;

one cross proclaiming and one creed reciting,

one in the truth of Jesus and his word.

6 So lead us on; till toil and trouble ended,

one church triumphant one new song shall sing,

to praise his glory, risen and ascended,

Christ over all, the everlasting King!

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

Go now in peace, Go now in peace. May the love of God surround you, Everywhere, everywhere, you may go.

NOTICES

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).