Happy New Year!
Welcome to our online service. We are only meeting online this week and next, and will be reviewing the Covid situation but we hope to meet in person for an All Age Covenant service on the 16th January.
As we are solely online, we are opening after church coffee on zoom again. The link is here. Please note that this is different to our previous coffee room, so make sure you have the right link.
Coming Up
Due to the rise in Covid cases and the uncertainty about what next, we are taking the new year slowly and online - note that if the situation changes - for better or worse - we will re-evaluate
Sunday 9th January - 11am - online service
Sunday 16th January -11am - in person and online covenant service
Then back to normal pattern as situation allows
All online only services will be followed by zoom after church coffee
Our midweek activities will delay reopening in person until at least w/b 17th January, apart from food parcel distribution which continues every Thursday.
The Youth Cafe planned for the 9th January will be cancelled - we hope to begin in February!
Worship
Call to Worship
Here we are on the first Sunday of a new year. For many, a new year means a fresh start. We may have made promises or resolutions for 2022 or perhaps we are hoping to break some bad habits. Maybe we’ll succeed, maybe we’ll fail.
Let us be reminded that we are here to worship a God who always makes good on His word. In Jesus Christ, God has promised us renewal, freedom from the hold of sin and eternal salvation.
All of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ
with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ,
our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.
He has anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us,
and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit,
guaranteeing what is to come. Amen!
Songs for Today
Here are the songs for today. You might want to save the last two for before or after the sermon
Hope
"I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow" Jeremiah 31:13b
What are your hopes for 2022?
What do you hope to see happen?
What do you hope to see end?
What do you hope to see begin?
Write down your prayers of hope for 2022, or be bit more creative and create a poster of hope. You might want to included Bible verses on there. Stick your prayers/poster on your wall/fridge/somewhere else to inspire you to pray as the year goes on. You might want to share on the Church WhatsApp to inspire others.
Prayers
Prayer of intercession based on Revelation 21 (from https://engageworship.org/ideas/prayers-intercession-based-revelation-21)
We have hope.
John writes in Revelation 21:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;
for the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
'See, the home of God is now among the people.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the old order of things have passed away.'
And the one who was seated on the throne said,
'See, I am making all things new.'
Also, he said,
'Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.'
Then he said to me,
'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end.
To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.'
We pray for those who are lonely. We hope in the promise that the home of God will be among people: that God will dwell with us, that we will be his people and that God himself will be with us.
We think of those we know who are lonely or isolated.
Name them out loud before God now
Lord you said, 'See, I am making all things new.'
We pray that you will make all things new
We pray for those who are crying; the sad, the depressed and the anxious. We hope in the promise that God will wipe every tear from our eyes.
We think of those we know who are sad and who know tears.
Name them out loud before God now
Lord you said, 'See, I am making all things new.'
We pray that you will make all things new
We pray for those who are experiencing the consequences of death, the bereaved and those who are mourning. We hope in the promise that death and mourning will be no more.
We think of those we know who are affected by death and mourning.
Name them out loud before God now
Lord you said, 'See, I am making all things new.'
We pray that you will make all things new
We pray for those who are in pain, suffering from illness either physical or mental. We hope in the promise that crying and pain will be no more.
We think of those we know who are ill or in pain.
Name them out loud before God now
Lord you said, 'See, I am making all things new.'
We pray that you will make all things new
We pray for those who are thirsty for truth, love and grace; those who seek God and his life with earnest hearts. We hope in the promise that God will give water to the thirsty without cost from the spring of the water of life.
We think of those we know who hunger and thirst for God.
Name them out loud before God now
Lord you said, 'See, I am making all things new.'
We pray that you will make all things new
Lord, your words are trustworthy and true.
You are the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end.
We pray all this in the powerful and hopeful name of Jesus Christ,
Amen
Word
Here is Claire bringing us a reflection on Jeremiah 31:7-14 and New Year
Blessing
Click here for a blessing as we end our service today https://www.northumbriacommunity.org/meditations/meditation-day-19/
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