Today's Service: 29 November
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.
Northgate Service Sunday 29th November 2020
Welcome to church on this the first Sunday in Advent. As part of the service we will be lighting the first candle on the Advent Wreath.
Opening words:
O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lowly exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice, rejoice
Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
(tr. J. M. Neale (1818-66) and others)
Hymn 96: 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 forever wilt be
2. Summer and winter, springtime 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 :
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
3. Pardon for sin and 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)
Let us pray
Heavenly Father, as we wait with expectation for the coming of Christmas, we turn our thoughts to you. Thank you for the freedom to come into your presence and worship you. Thank you for the beauty of your creation as seasons pass, sun shines, winds blow, and colours change. Thank you for the sounds of the birds singing and children playing.
We come to you in humility, acknowledging that we sometimes want to make you cosy for ourselves but forget your mystery. We so often trust our own wisdom, or the wisdom of others before we seek your wisdom. We so often seek your love but then forget that this love is for all who we meet or hear about or see on our screens.
Forgive us, forgive us our arrogance, our foolishness and our lack of love.
Forgive us when we dance to the world's tune and not to the rhythm of eternity.
As we come to your word today, especially that spoken by your Son, Jesus Christ, still our minds and hearts and souls so that our thoughts and meditations can be focused on his life, his death and his resurrection from which your love and mercy flows to us and to all generations, past, present and to come.
Amen
Let us join together in saying the words Jesus taught us:
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
Lighting the first Advent candle:
Lighting the first Advent candle:
As we light the first candle on the Advent Wreath, we are reminded of those who have gone before us and of the HOPE that we have in times to come. The first candle represents HOPE.
Let's sing of our HOPE in a Saviour who gave His all that we might live, a light in the darkness and a source of strength. In Christ alone my HOPE is found He is my light, my strength.
Hymn: In Christ Alone
tune: In Christ Alone, with full verse Intro
1. In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand
3. There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
2. In Christ alone who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
4. No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand
Stuart Townend and Keith Getty 2001
Reading: Mark 13: 24 - 37
Reflection: HOPE
ADVENT: from the Latin meaning coming. A time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas and the return of Jesus at the Second Coming.
In the Gospel reading Jesus is telling his disciples what is to come. He is preparing them. He tells, in verses 24-25, of dark times. Then, in verses 26-31, he tells them of the HOPE that is to come - just as a fig tree turning green show that summer is coming - that Christ will return to gather his people to himself for eternity.
As a world we have experienced dark times; lockdown, economic suffering, lack of freedom to travel, increased worry, mourning, famine .... But, in the words of the Prime Minister, "There is light at the end of the tunnel". With the breakthrough in a vaccine there is raised HOPE in people's hearts and minds that it may be possible to return to normal.
As Christians our HOPE is not based on the end of the pandemic, it is shaped by our experience of God. Reflect on the HOPE that we have because of God's love, and rather than reflect on the 'Light at the end of the tunnel' put your HOPE in God today.
Hymn (The Source 47): Be still, for the presence of the Lord
tune: Be Still, with Intro.
1. Be still for the presence of the Lord
The holy one is here
Come bow before him now
With reverence and fear
In him no sin is found
We stand on holy ground
Be still for the presence of the Lord
The holy one is here
2. Be still for the glory of the Lord
Is shining all around
He burns with holy fire
With splendour he is crowned
How awesome is the sight
Our radiant king of light
Be still for the glory of the Lord
Is shining all around
3. Be still for the power of the Lord
Is moving in this place
He comes to cleanse and heal
To minister his grace
No work too hard for him
In faith receive from him
Be still for the power of the Lord
Is moving in this place>
(David J. Evans 1986)
PRAYERS
We turn to you, loving God, in our prayers for the life of the world.
For those who are sick in body or in mind,
and for those involved in their treatment and care.
God of all hopefulness, hear our prayer.
For scientists, lab technicians and volunteers as they
continue to work toward a vaccine.
and for the distribution of the vaccine.
God of all hopefulness, hear our prayer.
For those most affected by the economic situation:
those made redundant and those who fear it,
those with mounting debts or struggling to make ends meet.
God of all hopefulness, hear our prayer.
For World Leaders as they continue to make difficult decision.
That they be wise and compassionate.
God of all hopefulness, hear our prayer.
For those under corrupt or unjust regimes,
especially for those beaten, imprisoned, or tortured for raising their voice in opposition.
God of all hopefulness, hear our prayer.
For friends and family separated by the current restrictions
and for preparations to meet safely.
God of all hopefulness, hear our prayer.
God of all hopefulness hear our prayers and help us always to work for your kingdom. Amen.
1 Corinthians 1: 3 - 9
3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 4 I always give thanks to my God for you because of the grace he has given you through Christ Jesus. 5 For in union with Christ you have become rich in all things, including all speech and all knowledge. 6 The message about Christ has become so firmly established in you 7 that you have not failed to receive a single blessing, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be faultless on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is to be trusted, the God who called you to have fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.
| H | O | P | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEALING | OF | PAST | EMOTIONS |
| HOLDING | ONTO | POSITIVE | EXPECTATIONS |
| HE | OFFERS | PEACE | ETERNAL |
| HIS | OWN | PEOPLE | ETERNALLY |
Which of these sayings best describe your relationship with God?
As we look into the flame of the first Advent candle, the candle of HOPE, we sing of the light of God's love, seeking to display God's likeness in our daily lives. Praying that this land may be filled with the Father's glory.
Hymn (CH4:448): Shine Jesus Shine
tune: Shine Jesus shine, with intro.
1. Lord the light of Your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness, shining
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us
Set us free by the truth You now bring us
Shine on me
Shine on me
2. Lord, I come into Your awesome presence
From the shadows into Your radiance
By the blood I may enter Your brightness
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness
Shine on me
Shine on me
Chorus:
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze, Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your Word, Lord And let there be light
3. As we gaze on Your kingly brightness
So our faces display Your likeness
Ever changing from glory to glory
Mirrored here, may our lives tell Your story
Shine on me, shine on me
Chorus
Graham Kendrick
Let's pray
Dear Jesus, you are the HOPE in our messy world. This Advent, help us slow down, listen to your voice, and focus on what's really important. We place our HOPE in you as we prepare our hearts to celebrate your birth this Christmas. Amen.
Blessing
From the words of Paul in Ephesians 1:18-20
18 I ask that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people, 19 and how very great is his power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same as the mighty strength 20 which he used when he raised Christ from death and seated him at his right side in the heavenly world.
Go forth in peace to serve the Lord AMEN.
Next week, the service will be led by Maranny Jones
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 proving to be 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.