Today's Service: 16 May
Leader: Meg Thomson
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.
Dear All, welcome to church. This Sunday marks the end of Christian Aid Week. This year the theme is 'Climate Justice'. What does this mean for you?
Opening words from Psalm 96:1-3 (NIV):
1 Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvellous deeds among all peoples.
Let us join, in song, as we enter His courts with praise as we declare among the nations his marvellous deeds.
Hymn 386: I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart.
Tune: I will enter his gates, with Intro.
I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart;
I will enter His courts with praise.
I will say this is the day that the Lord has made.
I will rejoice for He has made me glad.
He has made me glad, He has made me glad,
I will rejoice for He has made me glad.
He has made me glad, He has made me glad,
I will rejoice for He has made me glad.
Leona Von Brethorst ©Maranatha Music
Prayers
Heavenly Father, thank you for the beauty of your creation. For the changing seasons and the refreshing rain. Father, thank you for bird song and the vibrance of life's cycle seen in nature. Thank you for time to be still and know that you are God and to rejoice in all that you have given us. Amen
Reading: Psalm 96: 4 - 13
4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendour and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns."
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his faithfulness.
Hymn: Ascribe greatness to our God the rock.
Tune of the same name, with Intro
Ascribe greatness to our God, the rock
His work is perfect
and all His ways are just.
Ascribe greatness to our God, the rock
His work is perfect
and all His ways are just.
A God of faithfulness and without injustice
good and upright is he.
A God of faithfulness and without injustice
good and upright is he.
Peter West, Mary Lou Locke, Mary Kirkbride, Kingsway's Music
Prayer
Heavenly Father, please forgive us when we don't meet up to your perfection, when we think or say things which are harmful to others, when our desires over-ride the needs of others, when our actions prevent others from seeing your loving, saving grace. Let us join together in saying the Lord's Prayer.
The Lord's Prayer
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
Reading: 1 John 5: 1 - 6
'Faith in the Incarnate Son of God'
5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Reading: John 13: 34 - 35 (Good News Translation)
34 And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples."
Reflection
A God of faithfulness and without injustice, good and upright is He, these are the words we have just sung of a God who is worthy of praise. And now we read of a loving God, one who loves us so much that he gave everything that we might have life.
Through God's love for us, Christ encourages us to reach out, in God's love, to others. us to love one another as He has loved us, in order that others may know of Him and His saving grace.
Well, there's a challenge - God is great, God loves us, we love God, how does the world know? By the way we live - by our actions ....!
Christian Aid challenges our actions as Christians and encourages.
The following is taken from a reflection by Helen Cunningham - Church Engagement and Fundraising Officer (North East & Cumbria), written for the URC Northern Synod e-newsletter.
Christian Aid Week: Together we stop this climate crisis.
In Kenya, extreme weather is making it harder and harder to survive. For communities fighting the climate crisis, every last drop matters and every last one of us can help them thrive. The coronavirus pandemic has only increased the urgent need for families to access a reliable source of water.
The devastating climate crisis robs people of the water and food they need to live.
Meet Rose: a loving, hard-working grandmother.
In this desperate climate chaos, Rose battles to bring water home for her grandchildren. Every morning, after nothing to eat, she sets out on a long, dangerous journey, walking six hours to collect water.
'We have to walk long distances. We are suffering,' she says. She tries hard to give them the kind of life she remembers from when she was a girl: when the rivers flowed with water and the crops bore fruit.
Rose and her grandchildren shouldn't have to go hungry. A simple earth dam, built with the help of Christian Aid's partners and your donations, could completely change her life.
A song of hope and power: meet Florence
Florence is a soulful, joyful woman: full of life, love and laughter.
The women in her farming group look up to her. She's courageous and kind - a survivor. A few years ago, her husband died, leaving her a widow. At that time, she had no water to grow crops. Her children were hungry. Like Rose does now, she had to walk for hours to collect water.
With help from Christian Aid's local partner, Florence and her community were able to build a dam together, just 30 minutes from her house.
Using water from the dam, Florence grows tomatoes, onions and chillies on her farm. Her children can eat healthy, nutritious vegetables, and she has enough left to sell. It's her source of life and joy.
(Photo credits: Christian Aid/Tom Pilston).
Blessings for all in need
Florence is a generous woman of faith. She knows others are struggling to cope without a reliable water source and wishes the same blessings she has received will be granted to them: 'There is a village nearby - they don't have an earth dam. They are suffering. I am thankful to people who have donated to build this earth dam. I am praying God will increase their giving.'
This Christian Aid Week, will you stand with people like Rose and Florence?
Members of the URC have always been very supportive of Christian Aid, through Commitment for Life and at individual congregation level, for which we are very grateful. We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for helping some of the poorest communities in the world, people who you will probably never meet.
Every pound raised, every prayer said, and every action taken, are expressions of our Christian love and compassion, of our belief that all life is equal and precious in the sight of God. Together, we stop this climate crisis, and give brave, hard-working women like Rose the chance to thrive.
Hymn 745: A new commandment
Tune: New Commandment, with Intro.
A new commandment
I give unto you
That you love one another
As I have loved you,
That you love one another
As I have loved you.
By this shall all men
Know you are My disciples
If you have love one to another.
By this shall all men
Know you are My disciples
If you have love one to another.
Lawrence Bartlett (1933 - )
Hymn: 477: Let there be love shared among us
Tune: Let there be love, with Intro.
Let There Be Love Shared Among Us
Let There Be Love in Our Eyes
May Now Your Love Sweep This Nation
Cause Us O Lord To Arise
Give Us A Fresh Understanding
Of Brotherly Love This Real
Let There Be Love Shared
Among Us Let There Be Love.
Dave Bilbrough 1979
Prayer
God of abundant life, we see your goodness all around us and we thank you for every part of it; from the plants and animals which play their part in complex ecosystems, to the dry deserts and stormy seas which test the limits of life. We pray that in this time of climate crisis and ecological emergency, you may help us to rediscover your love of creation and to reflect that in our own lives.
God, in your mercy hear our prayer.
We pray for the coming of a better world with justice, kindness, and humility at its heart. We ask that you guide us to be co-creators of this new world. Give us confidence to follow the prophetic voices to stand against injustice to people and to planet. So that together, in your strength, we stop this climate crisis.
God, in your mercy hear our prayer.
Father, we pray that you will be with World Leaders as they gather together for discussion on climate change. May you grant them wisdom to listen, ears open to hear, minds alert to innovation and hearts full of love for one another in order to act positively for the good of all.
God, in your mercy hear our prayer.
Lord we pray for those living in difficult situations, at the moment, whether at home or across the world. For those in conflict ...... in famine ..... in drought ...... in financial difficulty ....... in health crisis .......
We particularly pray for the Covid crisis around the world and ask that you would spread your healing hand across the nations.
God, in your mercy hear our prayer.
Lord, for ourselves, we pray that you would challenge our hearts and minds to reach out to others and live our lives to reflect your glory.
God, in your mercy hear our prayer. Amen
Our final hymn reminds us again of God's greatness, His faithfulness, His willingness to forgive our sins no matter what, His desire that we share His awesomeness with others and care for all that He has created.Hymn: 117: How great thou art
Tune of the same name, with long Intro.
1. O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Chorus:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
2. When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Chorus
3. And when I think, that God,
His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Chorus
4. When Christ shall come,
with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then shall I bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art!"
Chorus.
Stuart K Hine (1899-1989)
Blessing
May the God we serve pour grace and blessing into our lives!
May the face of God shine light upon us!
May we celebrate God's love and justice in such a way that everyone around will come to know God and will experience God's grace and blessing for themselves.
God go with you!
Amen
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.