Whilst we’re not meeting at church, Young Spirits are sharing videos with us as they work through the Bible one book at a time. This week they’re looking at Hosea.
Month: May 2020
Resources for Sunday 31st May – Pentecost
As the churches are currently closed due to COVID-19, there are lots of resources being made freely available for people to continue to worship from home. We hope that the following will help you at this challenging time.
Livestreams from within our Circuit
Other Resources
- Short vine home service funded by twelvebaskets.
- Service sheet from The Methodist Church.
- Activity sheets from ROOTS.
- Livestream from Wesley’s Chapel (11am).
- Sunday Worship from Swanbank (10:30am).
- Livestream from Methodist Central Hall (11am).
There’s also the Sunday Service on Radio 4 service which begins just after 8am and Songs of Praise is on television.
Friday Connections – 29th May 2020
Welcome to our 11th Friday Connection – Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)
I remember as a child that we always had new clothes for what we called Whitsunday – is that a peculiar Yorkshire thing, or did that happen in Lincolnshire as well? These clothes then became our “Sunday best”, and what had been new clothes last year now were pressed in to everyday use. Was it also something to do with the cleansing or newness of the Spirit – hence Whit or White Sunday, as the name for the day?
Pentecost only came later as the name for the day when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples, which our reading tells us about. For a first century Jew, Pentecost was the fiftieth day after Passover, and it was a celebration of the crops beginning to grow again, as they remembered coming to the promised land generations before, and the promise that God would provide their needs – it was called the first fruits, to be fulfilled in the full harvest later in the year.
In our reading, the disciples had been waiting for the Spirit that Jesus had promised to meet their needs in working and speaking for him, and now they were able to speak in a way that everyone could understand. Their needs of timidity and uncertainty were met so that they could then meet the deeper needs of others.
A new language to meet deeper needs – and as we move out of this time of staying at home, we will need to speak in a new way of God’s love to those we live with and see each day – and we will need God’s d help to have the right words to say, so that people can grasp God’s love and purpose for life for themselves, that we show to them and talk about.
May you know the refreshing of the Spirit this Whitsuntide
With our love & prayers, Irene and Terry
Pentecost Sunday readings: Psalm 104:25-35, 37, 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-13, John 7: 37-39
Young Spirits Reflection on Daniel
Whilst we’re not meeting at church, Young Spirits are sharing videos with us as they work through the Bible one book at a time. This week they’re looking at Daniel.
Resources for Sunday 24th May 2020
As the churches are currently closed due to COVID-19, there are lots of resources being made freely available for people to continue to worship from home. We hope that the following will help you at this challenging time.
Livestreams from within our Circuit
Other Resources
- Short vine home service funded by twelvebaskets.
- Service sheet from The Methodist Church.
- Activity sheets from ROOTS.
- Livestream from Wesley’s Chapel (11am).
- Sunday Worship from Swanbank (10:30am).
- Livestream from Methodist Central Hall (11am).
There’s also the Sunday Service on Radio 4 service which begins just after 8am and Songs of Praise is on television.
Friday Connection – 22nd May 2020
Welcome to our 10th Friday Connection
“Is it that time already?” How many times do we ask that sort of question? And just now – is it Ascension Day already? Yes, last Thursday! Time moves on, the Christian calendar moves on as it does each year, no matter what is happening at the present.
One of our readings this week, Acts 1:6-14, carries us in our Christian calendar to remember Jesus leaving his friends to go back to be with God – we are part of a world in our faith that has heaven and earth as the two parts of God’s creation – and Jesus moves between the two parts without effort. He leaves us to carry on the work that he began – that work has been spelled out in verse 8: “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the very ends of the earth”
So just like the disciples we are to begin just where God has put us – them in Jerusalem; then the wider area – Judea; the area of Samaria that has “foreigners” living right next door; and finally to all the world. And if that seems a daunting agenda, Jesus says we will be given the power we need to do the work by the Holy Spirit!
But just now, like the disciples, we are to wait 10 days until Pentecost on the very last day of the month – and while we wait we pray using the prayer journal for Thy Kingdom Come,
looking for pointers from God, for the names of people to pray for to come to faith.
The other readings for this Sunday are: Psalm 68:1-10 and 32-35, John 17:1-11 and I Peter 4:12-14. The Psalm’s last verses tell us to sing to God, who rides the skies, just as Jesus has risen to be with God. The Gospel reading asks that all Christians might be one in being God’s people and proclaiming his promises through good times and bad, because he is our faithful God. As one of our songs reminds us: What a mighty God we serve!
With our love and prayers
Irene and Terry
I thank you, Lord, for creating us all in your image,
for giving us hearts that can love like you,
for the goodness of others,
for those who help the poor and needy,
for those who show consideration,
for being able to forgive like you,
for fortitude through life’s trials,
for your glory shining through those seeking to
make the world a better place.
I thank you Lord for sharing your Life with us,
for suffering for our sakes,
for giving yourself up on the Cross,
for the splendour of your Holiness,
for loving us all, now and always,
For all this and more I thank you Lord. Amen
Young Spirits Reflection on Ezekiel
Whilst we’re not meeting at church, Young Spirits are sharing videos with us as they work through the Bible one book at a time. This week they’re looking at Ezekiel.
Resources for Sunday 17th May 2020
As the churches are currently closed due to COVID-19, there are lots of resources being made freely available for people to continue to worship from home. We hope that the following will help you at this challenging time.
Livestreams from within our Circuit
Other Resources
- Short vine home service funded by twelvebaskets.
- Service sheet from The Methodist Church.
- Activity sheets from ROOTS.
- Livestream from Wesley’s Chapel (11am).
- Sunday Worship from Swanbank (10:30am).
- Livestream from Methodist Central Hall (11am).
There’s also the Sunday Service on Radio 4 service which begins just after 8am and Songs of Praise is on television.
NEW Livestream service from the Lincoln Circuit
The Methodist Church Lincoln is excited to launch its new live streaming home from Sunday May 17th.
It’s a place where you can come join in the conversation 15 minutes before and after the service in the chat room. There will also be prayer support, where a team of hosts are available to respond to your prayer requests.
A full schedule of services and live streams is also available to view, along with preachers’ notes and online bible access. Our very own Young Spirits team will be on every Sunday afternoon at 4pm, continuing to provide something for families to join together and explore.
Services will still be streaming to the Facebook page, however the new site offers more options for interaction all in one place. The videos will also be available on their YouTube channel, following the service.
You can also sign up on the site should you wish and all is GDPR compliant (click on the 3 horizontal lines in the top left hand corner of the screen to sign up).
Please have a look around before Sunday to familiarise yourselves with the layout. The image at the top of this post shows you the various parts of the livestream website and how to use it.
Friday Connection – 15th May 2020
Welcome to our Ninth Friday Connection – 15th May 2020
Do you feel life is on hold, life is dream-like, or life is just different. While we are not meeting in church our Christian life is not on hold – indeed Christian life is not a dream but full and purposeful, a Christian life can be quite different to the lives of so many who do not know Jesus and the full life that knowing Him means. Though we are living differently from eight or nine weeks ago we need more than ever to stay close to Jesus and each other by whatever means we can as we encourage and charge each other to go forward in whatever situation we find ourselves.
As we look at the readings for the week we are encouraged. The Psalm for the week is so joyful and reassuring so please read it and know our God: Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. Read it all and be glad. Likewise as we look at the Gospel reading we are challenged to go forward with courage.
John 14:15-21 Another Helper
Here we are in week nine carrying on our thoughts from last week – we are walking with Jesus as he continues to support his disciples and encourage them for the work he is going to leave them to do when he returns to be with his heavenly Father. We need to listen carefully for the words are intended for us too.
Jesus in effect says that he will still be around when he goes back to God – an event we remember this coming Thursday – Ascension Day. He will do this by sending his own Spirit, his own breath, his inner life. He uses a special word for this – he calls the Spirit “another helper”. This is a term that is many sided. It doesn’t simply mean someone who comes to lend assistance in our lives – it does mean that as well – the Spirit comes to give us strength and energy to do what we have to do, to live for God and witness to his love in the world – yes, even in times like these. It means two other things: another word that is used is “comforter” – to give an extra strength to meet special needs; yet another word is “advocate” – to help us to speak up for Jesus.
So in the days of this week, and the days that lie ahead, the Spirit of Jesus will be with us at every step in every situation, to be our helper, comforter, and enabler, giving us the words and actions we need.
Don’t forget to make use of the Prayer Journal you have received from this Thursday to Pentecost Sunday on 31 May – we can wait on God as the first disciples waited for their gift of the Spirit – and pray for five people we know to come to know Jesus for themselves.
With our love and prayers
Irene and Terry
The readings for the coming Sunday are:
Psalm 66: 8-20; Acts 17: 22-31; 1 Peter 3: 13-22; John 14: 15-21