Sunday, May 10rd 2020
Welcome to Worship
Start with this link if you are new
It is mother’s day today so if you are a mother – may God’s peace and blessing be yours and may you know he encouragement and appreciation of those around you. Parenthood is not an easy role; from the moment of birth we often feel out of our depth – like Jonah sometimes we just want to run from our responsibilities. As we get older it’s still not easy – I was talking to someone whose child’s marriage just ended and the mother wanted to rush to comfort and help but she just felt stressed and helpless.
We invite you to have your bible beside you
for the service, and then take a moment to remember the Presence of God who is
with you.
Call to worship
Out the
depths I cry to you
In my trouble I called to the Lord;
I called to my God for help.
he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help.
I called to my God for help.
he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help.
The Lord reached down
and took hold of me;
he pulled me out of the deep waters.
he pulled me out of the deep waters.
Let’s
worship together!
Our opening prayer
On this Mother’s day we are grateful for the
women who you have given to us to embody your love. Especially for our own mothers. Help us to appreciate their love and the
lessons they have taught us.
Thank you for when they have pointed us to
Jesus who is the way the truth and the life.
Jesus you told your disciples to not be worried or upset (John 14:1)
When they were worried that they
would be abandoned and alone you reminded them they had a heavenly father who
loved them and had prepared a home for them in heaven but even more than that
you were with them every moment.
You were the way to live, the truth
to believe and follow, the life who would animate their actions.
They were not alone and nor are we.
When people feel abandoned or afraid
remind us you are with us.
That you are still the way the truth
and the life
You are the God who hears.
You are the God who saves.
When we run from you remind us we
can never outrun your love.
When we fall short and sin – remind
us you have already prepared a savior.
When we repeat our self-destructive
actions again and again – show us the better path.
When our actions hurt others –
forgive us and help us seek the forgiveness of those we have hurt.
One of the pupils from Iona college
has also asked that we pray for the family of David
Trousdell who was until recently the Deputy principal at the school. He was killed in a motor accident in Napier
this week. Dear God comfort his family
and all upset by his death. Grant them
all your peace and help the community to pull together in in ways that reflect
your love.
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 Song (Click the underlined words)
Listen to Celine Dion sing
a mothers prayer
Bible Readings:
John14:1-6 read by Anna Neil
Jonah
2:1-10 read by Bryce Neil
Brett’s
Message: Jonah a whale of a tale 2
Have you ever been afraid in water, caught in a rip or
waves stronger than you could manage.
The idea of being on a boat in a big sea terrifies me. The idea of being washed overboard even more
so. And There was Jonah out of the frying pan into the fire (out of the boat
and into the sea and then into the giant fish.)
He did what many a desperate person does – sometimes
like Jonah as a last resort he prayed and his prayer is recorded in Jonah 2.
The
book of Jonah is unique in the prophetic writing of scripture. Jonah doesn’t speak in Israel or to Israel
but to the Assyrians in Ninevah. What is
recorded is not so much his messages like the other prophets but his life. The
message is his life (a little like Hosea marrying a prostitute to illustrate
Gods faithfulness and Israel’s unfaithfulness).
IN Jonah we see someone who is running from God, we see his prayerlessness. We see his needing to get to rock bottom (or
should I say the ocean bottom) before he would turn to God. We see a reluctant
messenger who despite experiencing the love of God for himself he is unwilling
to allow others (his enemies the Assyrians) to experience that same grace and
love. If Jonah’s life is the message maybe our
lives are also a message – but what are we saying?
If
actions speak louder than words, does our having little time for God
or prayer because you are too busy with work or sport or watching TV communicate
to our kids and friends?
In Jonah 2
Jonah doesn’t focus on the fish but one the experience of nearly dying. Being in the water and the fish becomes a
metaphor for being at deaths door. The
Message version makes this plain
In Jonah 1:17 is says “God assigned a huge fish to swallow Jonah.
Jonah was in the fish’s belly three days and nights.” Then
in Jonah 2:1 it says From the belly of the grave I cried, ‘Help!’ and You heard my
cry” or in v 6 “You threw me into ocean’s depths, into a watery grave”
The
prayer talks about the despair and troubles he goes through sinking to the
bottom of the ocean but it is not ultimately a lament but a prayer of
thanksgiving for the key idea is God’s hearing his prayer and God’s rescue.
The
message of Jonah’s prayer is God hears
no matter where I am.
“In my distress, O Lord, I called to you, and you answered me. From deep in the world of the dead I cried for help, and you heard me. (Jonah 2:1)
“In my distress, O Lord, I called to you, and you answered me. From deep in the world of the dead I cried for help, and you heard me. (Jonah 2:1)
The message of Jonah’s prayer is it is never too late to
pray
“When I felt my life slipping away,
then, O Lord, I prayed to you,
and in your holy Temple you heard me Jonah 2:7
and in your holy Temple you heard me Jonah 2:7
Jonahs prayer finishes with a affirmation of
commitment to God and thanks giving
“But I’m worshiping you, God,
calling out in thanksgiving! And I’ll do what I promised I’d do!
This reminds us of the
response of the sailors in chapter 1v 16
The sailors were impressed,
no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of God. They worshiped God, offered
a sacrifice, and made vows.
These responses of worship,
and fulfilling our vows is the response we are supposed to offer to God.
So when we are overwhelmed
and in distress God is still near us and able to hear our prayer and save
us. When he does he expects us to be
thankful and willing to do whatever he asks and we will see in the next 2 weeks
how Jonah does that – even if reluctantly.
Jesus uses Jonah’s
experience as a sign of his own death and resurrection in Matt 12. He uses it to show how far God will go to
rescue and redeem us (the cross) and how great is his power to save us (the
resurrection). In the face of the cross
and the empty tomb we too should respond in thanksgiving and with a willingness
to follow wherever Jesus leads us.
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
Written and spoken by Barry Thrupp
Let us pray
Let us Pray
Almighty God, As we pause
where ever we are, we bring you our prayer of intercession. We give you
thanks for your Word from
Scripture which encourages us in all circumstances, for the opportunity to do Church together in the way
we are operating at this time, for the Church community we are a part of and most of all for the
Salvation we have received in Jesus Christ.
Currently Father we find
ourselves in a disruption of normal life.
Amongst all the confusion and uncertainty, we pray we
would be anxious for nothing, We pray you would give as the courage and the Faith to live responsively
and respond to those in need the best way we can. Through prayer, keeping in touch and sharing what
resources we can. We are grateful for the essential services we have access to
and for those who work outside
their bubble to keep us all safe and secure and those supplying the necessities of life so that we have
food on our table.
Lord God, not all our
circumstances are the same. We are aware of the pressures this lockdown has put on family relationships,
especially those whose financial future is uncertain, or those who have had elective surgeries delayed
and those with mental health issues. We pray for the lonely, the isolated, the bereaved and the depressed.
Hear our prayers Lord for those we know who need your special touch. We name them now in a time of
silence.
We pray for our heroes at
this time Lord. Our Government and our Health professionals who are leading us through this pandemic
crisis. Give them competence, wisdom and a sustained energy to see us through these unprecedented times.
Lord, guide Political
leaders of all Nations as we, together, now fight an unseen enemy. Our prayers
go out to all those suffering
from this virus and the impact it is having on families and communities. We ask Lord you bring an end to
this chaotic crisis ,together with the world of research in finding a vaccine to
rid the World of this pandemic.
From it all we pray that we would all learn how to work together and care for one another.
Lord God as we celebrate
Mothers' day today, we remember the depth of a Mothers' love. Bless them Lord and bless the memories
we hold dear. We pray for those who fill the role of Mothers----
Grandparents, Aunties,
Teachers and Leaders. Loving God, who like a Mother knows us intimately, loves us unconditionally, teaches
us the way we should go and comforts us in times of need. We praise you God and thank you for our
Mothers.
Heavenly Father we pray for
your Church at this time. We rejoice that you are always with us. As we
adjust to a different way
to Worship we still feel a part of our Church community. Bless Brett as he
leads us and brings us your Word
and encourages us to keep the Faith. We pray for those still working behind the scenes, keeping us
informed and keeping our young people involved as part of our Worship team. Be with us oh God as we
head to Level 2 of lockdown. Cover all with your protection as we commit each other and all those we love
to your tender care.
We pray all this in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Amen
Say this to one
another – (and yourself)
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
May the Lord be kind and gracious to 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).
Zoom Meeting after worship (BYO cuppa and chat)
We are having a get together on Zoom on Sunday after worship at 10:30am.You can also use your regular phone and dial in the numbers below and add the meeting id when asked.
Join Zoom Meeting
Zoom meeting. ID: 376 981 534, Password: 014488.
Dial by your location
+64 4 886 0026 New Zealand
Ministers all the people Parish contact
details
Website: www.stcolumba-taradale.org.nz
Church office Will be unstaffed but Anna will answer
emails for all needs or questions Phone Brett Walker
Home 06 8442256
Mobile 0274083658
or go to
https://brett-walker.blogspot.com
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