Today's Service: 7 February
Leader: Revd Val Towler
This is best viewed in Landscape orientation
You will appreciate the sound better if you use earphones or an external loudspeaker, whatever type of device you view on.
Maranny asked me to conduct a Communion service, way back when it seemed we might be able to gather at Northgate. After thinking about it, I realised that we can be 'in communion' with each other and our Lord, although separate from one another. To take part in this service, adapted from one compiled by the Church of Scotland, you will need a small piece of bread and a glass of water (or a cup of tea!)
Call to worship:
Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious and a song of praise is fitting...Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.' Psalm 147:1,5
Hymn: Fill your hearts with joy and gladness
tune Rhuddlan, with long intro.
1. Fill your hearts with joy and gladness,
sing and praise your God and mine!
Great the Lord in love and wisdom,
might and majesty divine!
He who framed the starry heavens
knows and names them as they shine.
2. Praise the Lord, his people, praise him!
Wounded souls his comfort know;
those who fear him find his mercies,
peace for pain and joy for woe;
humble hearts are high exalted,
human pride and power laid low.
3. Praise the Lord for times and seasons,
Cloud and sunshine, wind and rain;
spring to melt the snows of winter
till the waters flow again;
grass upon the mountain pastures,
golden valleys thick with grain.
4. Fill your hearts with joy and gladness,
peace and plenty crown your days;
love his laws, declare his judgements,
walk in all his words and ways;
he the Lord and we his children--
Praise the Lord, all people, praise!
Timothy Dudley-Smith
Prayer and Lord's Prayer
Eternal God, you were present at the beginning and you hold in being all that now is; you will be there at the end. You have made yourself known to us as our God and Father, and have revealed your faithfulness in your living Word, Jesus your Son, and in the living presence of your Spirit. You alone are worthy of our worship.
Although we know these things, we confess that we have often forgotten you. We have not been watching for the signs of your activity in the world. We have not been listening for your word in our times. Even when we have seen and heard, we have not always been ready to follow and to obey. Loving God, as we wait for you in the stillness of our hearts, seeking your mercy and pardon, make your presence known to us, so that our lives may reflect your goodness and glory.
In Jesus Christ his Son, God gives us the assurance of pardon and receives us with joy. To those who call on his name, Jesus says, 'All your sins are forgiven . . . but sin no more. Come, follow me.'
Great and loving God, we set this time aside for you and the worship we bring. Speak to us through all that we share, and in the days ahead help us to put you first in our lives, that we may know and do your will. We pray in Jesus' name, and we pray together in the words he has taught us, saying,
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen
Isaiah 40: 21 - 31
Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God'?
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Mark 1: 29 - 35
As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her and she began to serve them.
That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.
In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.
Hymn: We cannot measure how you heal
tune The Banks o' Doon, with Intro.
1. We cannot measure how you heal
or answer every sufferer's prayer,
yet we believe your grace responds
where faith and doubt unite to care.
Your hands, though bloodied on the cross,
survive to hold and heal and warn,
to carry all through death to life
and cradle children yet unborn.
2. The pain that will not go away,
the guilt that clings from things long past,
the fear of what the future hold,
are present as if meant to last.
But present too is love which tends
the hurt we never hoped to find,
the private agonies inside,
the memories that haunt the mind.
3. So some have come who need your help
and some have come to make amends
as hands which shaped and saved the world
are present in the touch of friends.
Lord, let your Spirit meet us here
to mend the body, mind, and soul,
to disentangle peace from pain
and make your broken people whole.
John Bell and Graham Maule
Reflection
When Jesus began his ministry, there were plenty of people who went to him for help and healing -but there were also many who were mistrusting and sceptical, who said things like, 'He can't be God's prophet or God's Messiah, because we know his parents and where he lives' , or 'He grew up in Nazareth, and we know what sort of people live there -not our sort!' Such a long time had passed since Moses and other prophets had foretold that one from amongst them would become God's promised saviour that most of them had forgotten -or did not want to remember. Isaiah's words might have fallen on deaf ears, but they were timely: 'Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood?" They thought they did know, that if Jesus was the real thing, the proof would be there to be seen.
How good are you at knowing 'the real thing'? Can you tell margarine from butter, which beans means Heinz, which are Kellogg's cornflakes, Cadbury's chocolates, Walker's crisps and genuine CocaCola? With each of these products the manufacturers claim that their brand is so much better than supermarket own brands -but how can we tell if their claims are true? The only way is to taste and see, otherwise we shall never know if there is a difference. (Apparently the directors of Heinz spend some time every morning tasting other brands to make sure that theirs is the best!)
One of the advertisements claimed that CocaCola was 'the real thing', and because it sells so well other manufacturers have tried to make an identical drink. However, nobody has been able to produce anything that tastes exactly the same, because there is a secret ingredient, known as 7X, that no one else knows about.
Jesus once spoke about an extra ingredient to life, something that would make life special for those who knew the secret -not a real secret like 7X, but something he wanted everyone to know about - God's active presence in the lives of those who know and love him. The proof that Jesus is 'the real thing' is seen in the gospel stories. When Jesus announced the coming of the kingdom of God, and spoke of God's mercy and forgiveness, of help, hope, healing and freedom, of joy in believing, everyone who heard him was amazed. He spoke with such authority that it sounded like a message directly from God, and many believed that he had that secret ingredient which meant that he was 'the real thing', God's Messiah.
For Mark, the secret ingredient appeared to be prayer, an intimate communion with God, which marked Jesus out as the most real thing in this world, the only person who could bring about hope and healing, pardon and peace.
Have you not known? Have you not heard? Have you not understood? The questions are as relevant today as they have ever been, and we need to share the secret, for we have the answers.
Prayers for ourselves and others
Loving God, in Jesus you came to share our human life. We are glad that you did not remain an idea, even a religious idea, but walked, talked, wept and washed feet among us. In Jesus you came to bring health, happiness and life in all its fullness. We trust what you have said and done, and we entrust ourselves and others who need prayer and help and healing, to your love.
In this world, where goodness and evil continue to clash with each other, instil in us and in all your people discernment to see what is right, faith to believe what is right, and courage to do what is right.
Through Jesus you have taught us that nothing in life or in death is able to separate us from your love. Look in mercy on all to whom great sorrow has come through the Coronavirus pandemic; support those who are dying and comfort the bereaved. Strengthen the members of the NHS and emergency services, and all who are working to bring help and relief in these trying times.
We bring prayers for ourselves and those who are dear to us, that you will reach out and meet all needs....
God of hopefulness and joy, give us a cheerful sense of our blessings. Make us content with all that you provide for us. Teach us that nothing can hurt us, since you hold us in your kind and loving hands, and make us glad with the brightness of hope.
We pray in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord's Supper
Invitation to Communion
The Lord Jesus invites all who love him to sit with him and share in a joyful feast. Wherever we are Jesus is with us, and we are in communion with one another.
When Jesus was on earth, he often enjoyed meals with his friends. On the night before he died, when darkness was beginning to fall, he sat at table with his disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem. At this Last Supper, he broke bread and took wine, and told his disciples to remember him by following his example. Today we are his disciples, and we gladly do as he asked.
As the Lord Jesus took bread, we take our bread and drink to be set apart for this holy use.... And as he gave thanks, so we give our thanks and praise.
Loving God,
You made this world marvellous for us to enjoy. You gave Jesus to be our friend and to bring us to you. You send your Spirit to make us one family in Christ. For these gifts of your love, we thank you. For your kindness to us and your goodness to all, we give you thanks.
We thank you that you showed your love by sending your Son, who gave his life for us, and rose again from death, and lives to pray for us for ever. We
thank you that he has taken away all that separates us from you, and has made us friends with you and with one another.
We thank you that, though separated by circumstance, he has brought us together in this meal, to strengthen us by his love. Send your Holy Spirit on
us and these your gifts of food and drink, that we may know Christ's presence, real and true, and be his faithful followers, showing your love for the world.
As the Lord Jesus took bread, so do we.....
When he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, broken for you. Do this to remember me.' For us, this is the bread of life - let us eat and be thankful.....
In the same way, Jesus took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant, sealed by my blood. Drink from it, all of you.' Let us drink and rejoice.....
Gracious God, we thank you for your goodness to us here, where we have remembered our Lord and offered ourselves again to his service. Amen.
Hymn: 'Tis winter now...'
Tune O waly, waly , with Intro.
1. 'Tis winter now, the fallen snow
has left the heavens all coldly clear;
through leafless boughs the sharp winds blow,
and all the earth lies dead and drear.
2. And yet God's love is not withdrawn;
his life within the keen air breathes;
his beauty paints the crimson dawn,
and clothes each branch with glittering wreaths.
3. And though abroad the sharp winds blow,
and skies are chill, and frosts are keen,
home closer draws her circle now,
and warmer glows her light within.
4. O God you give the winter's cold,
as well as summer's joyous rays,
you warmly in your love enfold
and keep us through life's wintry days.
Samuel Longfellow
Blessing
May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep you for ever, and may the love of Jesus keep you firm in hope and full of grace. Amen.
Next week, the service will be led by Dorothy Thomson
Don't forget the live streamed hymns on Sundays at 10:45 a.m. from Zöe (via Facebook)
These are available to view later as well. (via YouTube, for those without Facebook, and also Facebook)
The streamings are a great success - well done, Zöe!
The recorded streamings are now, thanks to Harry Marshall, available to all on YouTube - search for 'Northgate URC Darlington'.
Ask Harry to invite you to the
Northgate Facebook Group
and you will get a notification of the live stream.
- Or you can just search for 'Northgate URC Darlington' in Facebook.
The URC denominational church audio Services (podcasts) at https://devotions.urc.org.uk/ are excellent, with well-delivered prayers and readings using a selection of voices and well-presented hymns.
Do give these a try - they are excellent.
(Just start the sound playing and scroll down to the written words)
Why not put the time aside for Zoe at 10:45, our preacher's service after that and follow up with the podcast - you will feel as if you had been IN church, as well as WITH church.