With David Hollows
Video Audio Service
Scroll down to view the transcript and click to view directly in Youtube here.
A slightly different service today that is mainly audio but there are some great images to look at throughout. The service is slightly shorter and only in two parts and we encourage you to spend some time reading the bible on a variety of topics that David Hollows leads us through. Thankyou for listening and watching!
Part 1
Songs:
MP 528 'O worship the King'
‘King of Kings’ by Hillsong Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of5IcFWiEpg - with lyrics
Part 2
Songs:
MP 600 'Sing to God new songs of worship'
'What a faithful God' by Aaron Keyes
Transcript
Words from Psalm 89 as we invite God to share our worship:
'Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in heaven can be compared to the Lord? Who among the mighty can be likened to the Lord? A God greatly feared and revered in the council of the holy ones and to be feared and worshipped above all.'
(Psalm 89 verse 5 to 7)
Photo by Colton Duke via Unsplash
A prayer: God of beauty and power, wonder and light, we worship you for being who you are: more beautiful than the sunlight you made: stronger than the power that formed the universe: brighter than the light which banishes night: more wonderful than butterfly wings, snowflake’s fall or rising dew. We worship you in adoration and praise. Amen
Photo by Ray Hennessy via Unsplash
Praise time: please now continue in the presence of God to bring Him your songs and hymns of praise. You may wish to use CDs or YouTube and you may wish to include the following golden-oldie hymn:
MP 528 'O worship the King'
and you may wish to try;
‘King of Kings’ by Hillsong Worship on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of5IcFWiEpg - with lyrics
Prayers of praise and thanksgiving: as you continue this time with God, please talk with Him and thank Him for His many gifts to your life these past few days. You may wish to include the following prayer:
Lord our God, King of the universe, in the beginning you made all things out of nothing, with no help and no tricks, but with lots of love. You were there as the universe grew: light exploded, forces broke free, atoms emerged and stars flamed with brilliance. Your love made the earth: the high mountains, the rolling plains, the churning rivers and the deep oceans. With green, gold and blue, you brought colour to the world, shimmering in the sunlight. You made grass and softness, trees and shade, flowers and flagrance. You made animals: the giant dinosaur, the itchiest flea, the scampering hamster and water-spouting whale. Lord, in your ingenuity and strength, you made us in your image: vulnerable and fragile, capable of great things and able to love all that you have made. Mighty and powerful God, you are our caring Father, always involved in our lives and we praise you.
Amen
Photo by Billy Huynh via Unsplash
Bible reading: Psalm 147
Key idea: his understanding has no limit (Psalm 147 verses 5)
Photo by Aaron Burden via Unsplash
You may wish to have your Bible with you to look up the Bible stories.
Understanding is not an easy gift for most of us. It is so easy to misinterpret what another person is saying to us of how we read their body or facial language and misunderstandings can often lead to many difficult and fraught relationships. The writer of Psalm 147 experienced overwhelming emotions throughout his journey of faith but learned to recognise the benefit of praising our God, the one who truly does understand our basic human needs.
So, for a few moments, let us explore how God understands our needs and use the Bible to direct us as we match our human condition with the Biblical examples which can be a source of comfort for us.
Physical needs: there are many examples when God has fed or provided food/liquids for His people. The most famous one is probably the hillside even when Jesus fed thousands with a picnic (Matthew chapter 14).
Emotional needs: in the Old Testament God meets with Elijah in a time of depression and turns him around (the first book of Kings chapter 19) In the New Testament there is the story of the woman who demonstrates her love for Jesus by pouring expensive perfume on His head and feet (Matthew chapter 26).
Grief: the Bible is not void of death and the episode of the death of Lazarus when Jesus weeps demonstrates that God shares with us in these difficult days (John chapter 11).
Rejection: God knows what it is like to be rejected, His own people did this to Him in the desert and replaced His worship with that of a golden calf (Exodus chapter 32).
Parental needs: God heard the prayers of a woman so desperate for a baby that she offered the child to God (the first book of Samuel chapter 1).
Parental issues: God understands how difficulty parenting can be as evidenced in the story Jesus told of the Prodigal Son (Luke chapter 15) We often fail to understand how difficult it must have been for God to ignore the cries of His own Son on the cross.
The least and lowest: there are several examples in the Bible where see the heart of God for the least and the lowest, the widows and the orphans. The words of James reinforce God’s thoughts on this issue; external religious worship that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God is this: to visit and help and acre for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need. (James chapter 1 verse 27).
The poor: there are many examples when God met the needs of the poor and one example is when Elisha support the widow with the one jar of oil ( the second book of Kings chapter 4).
The spiritually lost: when Jesus talks with the woman at the well, He demonstrates great understanding and empathy for the needs of this woman who really has lost to meaning of life (John chapter 4).
Medical needs: there are many examples of these miracles but have a look again at the story of the paralysed man on the stretcher to discover how Jesus heals in other ways (Mark chapter 2).
Addictions: explore how Jesus released Zacchaeus from his addiction (Luke chapter 19).
Doubtless you will be able to think of other examples and issues in the Bible which demonstrate the understanding of God. However, this wonderful and gracious understanding does not mean that there is acceptance by God of the issue: the teachings of Jesus on topics such as forgiveness and anger prove this. God understands but wants to move us on to be the people He created us to be (Galations chapter 5 verse 22).
Photo by Daniel Jensen via Unsplash
A prayer for you as you consider what God is saying to you;
Sovereign God, thank you for assuring me that You understand and care about all of me. Amen
Prayers for others; please now ask God to bless those you know who are in situations where they or another person are in situations of misunderstanding which leads to conflict and breakdown of relationships. You may wish to include the following prayer:
We pray for those for whom life is a struggle and never a joy. For those for whom circumstances cut deeply and would painfully, for the elderly for whom life has list all its sense and purpose, for those facing relentless poverty. We pray for those badly and painfully scarred by war, natural disasters, soured relationships and those caught up in the cross-fires of life. Even in the very pit of despair and the eye of the storm, may these people know that you are with them, you care for them and you understand their situation. Great God we ask for your peace, healing, presence, hope and love.
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
Photo by Abigail Keenan via Unsplash
Praise time: please use the time which you have available to sing your favourite songs of praise to God. You may wish to include the following;
MP 600 'Sing to God new songs of worship'
'What a faithful God' by Aaron Keyes
A Blessing: As you continue on your way, may you know that God does before you. By the strength of His Spirit, share your faith with the uncertain, your love with the unlovely, your presence with the lonely and share God with everyone, just as God has shared Himself with you.
Amen
Thank you for sharing your worship with us, presented today by Sam Mackulin and David Hollows – the Circuit Lay-workers
God bless you