Today's Service: 11 July
Leader: Maranny Jones
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.
Call to Worship:
This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.
On this Sunday morning, Edward Hugh Neville is being brought for infant baptism by his mum and dad, Naomi and Lee. Sadly we can't be in church, so we are in the garden of Judith and Graham Aird, but it will be a church font that is used, and some members of the congregation will make promises on behalf of us all, and Zöe will be leading the singing!!
I had thought I would write a completely different service to be circulated, but then I decided to send exactly what I had written for the Baptismal service so that you are all with us. Maybe like me, you will feel a tug at your heartstrings when you read the letter to Edward.
Hymn: Morning has broken
tune: Bunessan, with full verse Intro.
1. Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word
2. Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
3. Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day
Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965)
Opening Prayers
God who never changes, we come to you in worship we ask you to come to us and bless us with your holiness.
As we share our prayers with you we ask that you will bless us with the power of your Holy Spirit. As we bring our thanks to you for your everlasting love, we ask that you will continue to bless us with the protection of your love
Almighty God and Father we praise you with all that we have. You unite us and pray for us, you know us through and through and you love us. In you our God we find our protection as you commission us to share your Gospel.
Loving God as you surround us in your Grace Power and truth, we praise you in humility. Our lives are transformed by your love and we praise you with all that we have and all that we are.
We praise you
Forgiving Lord you know that although you protect us from the world we also need protecting from ourselves.
we ask your forgiveness for the times we have not looked to you but looked away.
Forgive us when instead of being united in your love we have bickered and begrudged
Forgive us when we have looked to our own strength and how we have compromised and betrayed your calling in our lives.
Forgive us, restore us and use us in your service
In repentance and faith receive the promise of grace and the assurance of pardon. Here are words you may trust, words that merit full acceptance
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
To all who turn to him he says 'Your sins are forgiven' He also says 'Follow me
Thanks be to God Amen
We join together in the family prayer:
Our Father, who art in Heaven.
Hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come, your 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 that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever Amen
The Baptism of Edward Hugh Neville
Introduction
The Lord is here
His Spirit is with us
Jesus Christ came that we might have life
And have it in all its fullness
In John's Gospel we read that Jesus said to Nicodemus" No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of the Spirit." John 3:5
Whether we are children or adults, baptism marks the beginning of our lives in Christ. In baptism we are called to take up the Cross and follow Christ in the company of all God's people from all times and all places. Because we cannot do this without help we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, to enable us to live as God's people and to serve God's purposes in the world. We acknowledge one baptism, in obedience to Christ. After his rising from the dead Jesus said to his disciples
"All authority has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you."
Matthew 28; 18 - 20a
Statement by Naomi and Lee
You have come for the Baptism of Edward
In response to the call of Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Let us hear you confess your faith in Christ;
Do you believe and trust in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Maker of heaven and earth
Giver pf life, redeemer of the world?
I do
Prayer
Gracious God, we thank you for your love of all creation
especially for this gift of water.
to sustain, refresh and cleanse all life
In the beginning you moved over the waters
and to a formless void brought light and life.
You led your people through the waters of the sea
from slavery to freedom in a land of promise
your son was baptised by John in the waters of the Jordan
You sent your Spirit upon him He fulfilled his baptism on the cross and was raised from the dead
that we might have eternal life
Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon this water that being born anew of water and the Spirit Edward may remain for ever in the number of your faithful children.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
to whom with the father and the Holy Spirit
be all honour and glory now and for evermore
Amen
The Baptism
Edward Hugh Neville
I baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
Amen
Declaration
Child of God, God receives you by baptism into the one holy, catholic and apostolic church
Amen
The Congregation stand and sing:
The Lord Bless you and keep you
sing along with Zöe
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.
From early times the Church has received the children of believers by baptism, so that with help and support they may grow up in Christ and by the grace of God serve Christ all their days.
This child belongs to God in Christ;
tell him of his Baptism that he may know he is baptised
and may come to make his own response of faith and love.
Naomi and Lee
Do you promise to teach Edward the love of God and bring him up in the love and worship of the Church?
This child belongs to God in Christ
Tell him of his baptism that he knows he is baptised
And may come to make his own response of faith and love.
I do with God's help
Promises by Godparents
Do you promise to pray for Edward and his family and to support them as you are able? As a minister of God's love
I do with Gods help
Promises on behalf of the Congregation
As a community of faith, representing the whole Church, do you welcome Edward and promise to share with him what you yourselves have received?
The gift of God revealed in Christ
We do with God's help.
Prayers
God our Creator, we thank you for the gift of Edward.
We thank you for the love that prepared for his coming,
And welcomed him into the world
And we rejoice with Naomi and Lee in their hopes for the future
Be with them in their home
Guide them in the upbringing of their child and deepen their knowledge and love of Christ
Give us grace so to live that they and their family
may find in the Christian fellowship
A source of strength and love.
God of love, we commend Edward to your care
Give him health of body and mind
And in due time draw him to you to make his own profession of faith in you
And to commit his life to Christ as Saviour and Lord
So he may serve you
And at the last share the joys of your eternal Kingdom
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus light of the world, hear our prayers as we bring our prayers for others and ourselves.
You give us of yourself. Help us to listen carefully and to respond quickly
Open our ears to your call and our hearts to your love. Send us out in the power of your spirit, to proclaim the good news of you saving love as revealed in our saviour Jesus Christ
We give thanks for our homes and our loved ones
Through our families teach us to be sensitive to the needs of others
We remember families who are going through difficult times and ask that tolerance and talking through things may bring about change rather than violence.
We pray for those who are sick, and those who look after them. Comfort and support those for whom each day is a burden and who have lost all joy in life itself.
Comfort the sad and the sorrowing, be with those who mourn and hold them in your powerful arms
We ask this and all the unsaid prayers in our hearts knowing that you hear and answer prayer.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Reading: Matthew 19: 13 - 15
13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Reflection
This occasion deserves a Word, but a sermon isn't really the best way, so I am sharing some thoughts in an open letter to Edward--- and to all who have been baptised at this font and others over the years.
Dear Edward,
This morning you were baptised.
Just what actually happens when you are baptised? Some think we have given you a name, but that's silly because your Mummy and Daddy had it ready for you when you were born and joined the family.
The church gets blamed for many things but although you have a lovely name, Edward, some children are not so blessed and the church can't be held to account for that. Your parents chose your name for you probably before you were born and they invested it with their hopes for you and with their love. You are Edward Hugh, Hugh after your grandad and you will give that name, character, personality and substance, over many years and in doing so you will make it your own. We made a thing about your name this morning - your Christian name-because it is a way of saying you count, you matter and you are a person. Folk have gathered here this morning from many places, not to give you, your name but to acknowledge, Edward Hugh that you are important to us all. And believe me we haven't made you a Christian.
I heard a story about someone who came home from a church youth camp and said to his mother. "Mum, they were trying to make me a Christian, but I wasn't having any of that" He was quite right; other people don't make you a Christian. That is your choice. Your options are still open and the choice is yours. You will decide who you will be.
We are going to watch you grow from a toddler into a little boy and then a bigger boy. We may not see you too often, but when you visit your Grandparents here, I know your Mum and Dad will bring you to Northgate.
So if we haven't made you a Christian, or given you a name, what have we done? We have welcomed you into the Church, which I have to say is not always inspiring but which still counts as a lot more than the best source of home baking in the world. It is a band of folk with branches all over, who believe in justice and peace and love. People who are ordinary and know it, but who believe that there is a God of love who is the source of life, who does extraordinary things through ordinary folk. Folk like you and like me. We encourage one another and build each other up That is what you should all find when you are with the Northgate family, people who encourage each other and give each other confidence.
Jesus asks us to encourage each other and he takes a dim view of any of his followers actively discouraging other family members.
People who have discovered the teaching and example of Jesus and believe he demonstrated the love of God in his life and death and who believe he opened up a new kind of life for the whole of creation.
So you will be mixing with some weird folk but there is no extra charge for that. We are anything but perfect, far from it, but we know that we are loved by Jesus and he told us to share that love with everyone and that is what we try to do, everyone means not leaving anyone out.
So Edward welcome! We are going to sing Great is Thy Faithfulness soon The last verse says Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, and Edward this is the really bestest bit. Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.
That is what we are promising you today
Blessings and Love,
Your family at Northgate
Hymn: Great is Thy Faithfulness.
tune: Faithfulness, with Intro.
1. Great is thy faithfulness,
O God my Father,
there is no shadow
of turning with thee;
thou changest not,
thy compassions they fail not,
as thou hast been
thou for ever wilt be.
Chorus:
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning
new mercies I see;
all I have needed
thy hand hath provided -
great is thy faithfulness,
Lord unto me!
2. Summer and winter,
and spring-time and harvest,
sun, moon and stars
in their courses above,
join with all nature
in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness,
mercy and love.
Chorus
3. Pardon for sin
and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence
to cheer and to guide;
strength for today
and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine,
with ten thousand beside!
Chorus
T O Chisholm (1866-1960)
The Blessing
God the Creator, surround us with your presence
Christ the Redeemer, cover us with your love
Holy Spirit, the Strengthener be about us to protect us.
May we be immersed in the power and peace of God
that the Holy Three, may abide with us and we in them.
And the blessing of God Almighty, the father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon us and remain with us and our loved ones now and always.
Amen
Next week, the service will be led by Dot Thomson
Don't forget the live streamed hymns on Sundays at 10:45 a.m. from Zöe (via the 'Northgate URC Darlington' Facebook page)
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.