Sunday 21st March

Introduction

Welcome to our online worship on Sunday 21st March, we are continuing our theme: being disciples, and today on our Zoom we are lucky to have Christine Siddall from Hart foodbank with us to talk about the important work they do (hopefully we will record her talk, and upload it after the service).  For anyone following the Online service, we have a talk from Shona entitled 'God's heart for us, our heart for others'.

There will be a live worship service using zoom at 10am, which will be open 15 mins beforehand for technical sound checks & notices.  For any children we have weekly activities which follow the same theme and are used for junior church and for children joining the Zoom Meeting - click here for activity sheets for this week.

Welcome To Worship

Welcome to our online worship - as we now have most of the congregation joining our Zoom, we are going to provide a slightly different experience for those who follow our online services. 

Our focus this week is on the work of the Hart Foodbank and how we are able to support them as they bring hope as well as food to those who are in need.  We shall be welcoming Christine Siddall, Manager of the Foodbank to our Zoom, so please do join the service to hear more about the amazing work they have been doing over the last year as the Covid pandemic has impacted so many. You can find out about their work on their website https://hart.foodbank.org.uk/

If you want to find more about Trussell Trust & foodbanks, see the following video on YouTube
Link to a video about the TrussellTrust(from YouTube, opens in a new tab)

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that the love of God is like a light in our darkness

Music: based on the tune Love Unknown by John Ireland, associated with the popular Passiontide hymn “My Song is Love Unknown” and has been arranged, performed and recorded by Thomas Gray as part of the #LiveLent material produced by the church of England

Love Unknown

The Greeting

Holy God,
our lives are laid open before you:
rescue us from the chaos of sin
and through the death of your Son
bring us healing and make us whole
in Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen.

Collect

Gracious Father,
you gave up your Son
out of love for the world:
lead us to ponder the mysteries of his passion,
that we may know eternal peace
through the shedding of our Saviour’s blood,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Readings

Jeremiah 31: 31 - 34

31‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord,
    ‘when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.

32It will not be like the covenant
    I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
    though I was a husband to them,’
declares the Lord.

33‘This is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel
    after that time,’ declares the Lord.
‘I will put my law in their minds
    and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.

34No longer will they teach their neighbour,
    or say to one another, “Know the Lord,”
because they will all know me,
    from the least of them to the greatest,’
declares the Lord.
‘For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more.’

John 12: 20 – 33

20Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we would like to see Jesus.’ 22Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

23Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.24Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.25Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.26Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me.

27‘Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.28Father, glorify your name!’

Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ 29The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

30Jesus said, ‘This voice was for your benefit, not mine.  31Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ 33He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

Talk from Shona

Having the law of God in our hearts and minds we become people who are willing to give up what we have as we share with others. 

Today's talk makes us think about the readings, and what we can do to help... next time we go shopping or book a holiday?

God's heart for us, our heart for others

Talk from Christine

Christine Siddall from Hart Foodbank

Hymn

Brother Sister let me serve you
Link to a Brother Sister, let me serve you (from YouTube, opens in a new tab)

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in God the Father,
from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named.
We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith,
and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us
with power from on high.
We believe in one God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen

Prayers

Prayers of Intercession

Loving Father, provider of all good things
we come before you today in the quiet of our homes
giving thanks for your presence with us.

We bring before you those people, places and circumstances which cause us sorrow and anxiety naming them now in our hearts….

We raise our voices to thank you for the joys of this day, the answers to prayer that we have already seen, and we offer our prayers in this time to your eternal mercy trusting in your goodness.
Amen

The Lord's Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray,

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen

The Peace

Since we are justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has given us access to his grace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you. Amen.

Offertory

Please let us consider our calling to be the ‘light on the hill’ in our various communities during this season of ongoing challenge and isolation for so many. If you are able to donate online as one off, or regularly, your gifts will be gratefully received. Please do ask if you would like further information about how your giving is being spent by the churches.  We also have the option this week to make a donation to the Hart Foodbank.

See our giving page for more information about how you can give to our churches

Final Prayer & Blessing

Lord Jesus Christ,
you have taught us
that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters
we do also for you:
give us the will to be the servant of others
as you were the servant of all,
and gave up your life and died for us,
but are alive and reign, now and for ever.
Amen

Christ give you grace to grow in holiness,
to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him;
and the blessing of God Almighty, Father son and Holy Spirit
be with you now and always.
Amen

Click on the image below to go to the Hart foodbank website.

Copyright details

Liturgy and prayers from Common Worship. Services and Prayers for the Church of England. Times and Seasons © 2006. The Archbishops’ Council. Church House Publishing.
Readings taken from Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Images:
From the Hart Foodbank website & Grahame Larter / Aldershot News and Mail
Image used on children's activities page is by congerdesign from Pixabay
Music: Love Unknown, based on the tune Love Unknown by John Ireland, associated with the popular Passiontide hymn “My Song is Love Unknown” and has been arranged, performed and recorded by Thomas Gray
Hymn: from YouTube under under appropriate licensing
CCLI - St Johns Hook, 827213