Sunday Online Worship

  

St Nicholas Methodist Church, Topsham 160521

https://youtu.be/K9MNVEdhe-U

God is near

Approaches

When thou turn’st away from ill,

Christ is this side of thy hill.

When thou turnest towards good,

Christ is walking in thy wood.

When thy heart says, ‘Father, pardon!’

Then the Lord is in thy garden.

When stern Duty wakes to watch,

Then his hand is on the latch.

But when Hope thy song doth rouse,

Then the Lord is in the house.

When to love is all thy wit,

Christ doth at thy table sit.

When God’s will is thy heart’s pole,

Then is Christ thy very soul

George MacDonald

1824-1905

In the gospel of St Thomas, an account that did not make the canon of scripture, we find Jesus saying: "I am the All. Cleave a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up a stone, and You will find Me there.” And then in Matthew 18:20 Jesus assures us by saying “For where two or three are gathered, there I am among them.” But how do we realise this wonderful truth in out daily lives? Well its has much to do with the idea that we are all in this together.

Jesus assures us he is present when people are gathered in his name. Perhaps we should pray in gratitude for those who join us in the name of Jesus, and who make him present in our lives and our world.

Because Jesus shares his own spirit with us, the connection between the community of believers and Jesus is very close: what we bind or loose here is bound or loosed in heaven, and whatever we ask in union will be given to us by the Father. Perhaps today is the time to ask for this insight and for a stronger faith in the presence of Jesus in the midst of the Church.

Prayer

Lord, as we lift our eyes up to the mountains, we ask, from where does my help come? Help us to cry out, our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Help us to understand that we need not look to the mountains or valleys, or even heaven or earth, For you Lord are found among us. Help us to take to heart that where two or three are gathered in your name, you are is here 

God is Near

As we journey  towards Pentecost away from the Ascension, we are going to consider the nearness of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and do this through the eyes of poets.  Today we start with Christina Rossetti (1830-1894); God Made Known.

Lord, grant us calm, if calm can set forth thee;

Or tempest, if a tempest set thee forth;

Wind from the east or west or south or north,

Or congelation of a silent sea,

With stillness of each tremulous aspen tree

Still let fruit fall, or hang upon the tree;

Still let the east and west, the south and north,

Curb in their winds, or plough a thundering sea;

Still let the earth abide to set thee forth,

Or vanish like a smoke to set forth thee.

Psalm 145:18 “ The LORD is near to all who call on him in truth.”

Elsewhere in scripture we are assured of the nearness of God in the most dire of situations. In 1 Kings 19:11-13 we read, “The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Two followers of Christ who lived centuries apart, share the belief in the closeness of God. The first, Meister Eckhart 1260 – 1328), a German theologian, philosopher and mystic, writes “I am as sure as I live that nothing is so near to me as God. God is nearer to me than I am to myself; my existence depends on the nearness and the presence of God.” 

The second, Sarah Christmyer, a contemporary Catholic author, Bible teacher, and speaker “God doesn’t have visiting hours, neither does he sleep. He’s there whenever we need him.” 

A Prayer
Lord, let nothing separate me from you today and help me to draw closer to you through your word. Teach me how to choose only you and direct my steps that lead me closer to you. Help me to overcome temptations that might take me away from the right path. Protect me from misleading thoughts and keep me away from that which may direct me to the wrong path. Keep me close to you Lord. Amen.

Easter; What next?

He Ascended into Heaven

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. — Mark 16:19

"He ascended to heaven." People who believe in Jesus Christ have been reciting these words for many centuries. We find these words in the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, for example. Maybe you have heard of these creeds of the church. Based on the teachings of the Bible, they remind us of something that is both wonderfully simple and astoundingly great: Jesus has gone bodily to be in the very presence of God!

But what does this mean? What is the significance of this belief? The main thing is that Jesus, who rose from the dead after dying to take away our sin, now lives and rules with God the Father in heaven. And yet Jesus is also with us always— through the Spirit of God, who comes to live and work in our hearts. Jesus’ ascension made all of this possible.

Over the next few weeks, let us reflect together on the meaning of the ascension. Why did Jesus return to heaven? How did he prepare his disciples— and us—for his heavenly reign? And how are we to live in light of our Saviour’s role in heaven at God’s right hand?

The final departure of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit gave new strength and energy to the group of disciples. The new message seems to transcend boundaries like language among people and illness within people, and that evil does not conquer. From heaven the Lord continues his work on earth through his followers.

The Christian faith calls us to remember a simple truth: Jesus ascended. But it also invites us to grow in our faith in the ascended Lord. In these coming weeks, may we learn to say with wonder and excitement, "He ascended!”

Prayer

Ascended Lord, you are our Saviour and King over all things. By your Spirit, speak to us and guide us, that we may worship and honour you. Give us power to serve you and to share with others all you have done. Amen.

Easter; What Next?

He Ascended into Heaven

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. — Mark 16:19

"He ascended to heaven." People who believe in Jesus Christ have been reciting these words for many centuries. We find these words in the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, for example. Maybe you have heard of these creeds of the church. Based on the teachings of the Bible, they remind us of something that is both wonderfully simple and astoundingly great: Jesus has gone bodily to be in the very presence of God!

But what does this mean? What is the significance of this belief? The main thing is that Jesus, who rose from the dead after dying to save the world, now lives and rules with God the Father in heaven. And yet Jesus is also with us always— through the Spirit of God, who comes to live and work in our hearts. Jesus’ ascension made all of this possible.

Over the next few weeks, let us reflect together on the meaning of the ascension. Why did Jesus return to heaven? How did he prepare his disciples— and us—for his heavenly reign? And how are we to live in light of our Saviour’s role in heaven at God’s right hand?

The Christian faith calls us to remember a simple truth: Jesus ascended. But it also invites us to grow in our faith in the ascended Lord. In these coming weeks, may we learn to say with wonder and excitement, "He ascended!”

Prayer

Ascended Lord, you are our Saviour and King over all things. By your Spirit, speak to us and guide us, that we may worship and honour you. Give us power to serve you and to share with others all you have done. Amen.

Easter: What Next?

Greater Things

Sometimes, the Christian faith is seen as a stale checklist of teachings. The church proclaims that Jesus died and rose again. And then he ascended into heaven. But what difference does that make for our lives?

The ascension of Jesus may seem like a teaching that makes no difference. Compared to his victory over death at the resurrection, Jesus’ ascension can seem almost an afterthought.

But the ascension has always been a part of the Christian story. The apostle Paul, summarising that story here, reminds us that the Lord who “appeared in the flesh” was also “taken up in glory.” It is from this whole story—not just part of it—that “true godliness springs” and our lives are changed.

Paul’s summary here offers much more than a checklist of beliefs. It describes the wonder and mystery of the Saviour whose story does not end in death, or even in rising from the dead, but continues in glory with the Father in heaven. And Jesus’ going there makes it possible for us to go there too. With him, we can live in God’s presence. And when he returns at the end of time, we will live with our Lord in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21-22)!

Jesus, who is “preached among the nations” as the Saviour of the world, has ascended to reign in glory. May this give new vibrancy to our faith today!

Prayer

Holy God, if the story of your love for us seems stale, give us a glimpse of Jesus’ glory and fill us with the vibrancy of your Spirit. Amen.

Easter; What Next?

For our Good - John 16:1-15

“They will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” — John 14:12

Most of us recognise that we live in a world full of trouble. Natural disasters, political divisions, terrorism, war, personal tragedies—all of these colour our experience of life.

In a world full of challenges, it can be hard to grasp that Jesus’ return to heaven is for our good. Like his disciples, we just want to be near God and to see him at work. And we can easily think that in his ascension the world’s Saviour has gone away and things will not get better—at least not until Jesus returns.

But Jesus offers his followers an incredible promise: the ascension changes everything. In earthly terms, Jesus’ ministry seemed like a failure up to that point. He led a movement that resulted in his death. And when he ascended, he left only a handful of frightened followers. But in going to the Father, Jesus could do so much more on the earth by sending his Spirit to work in and through his followers. They would receive his power to carry on his mission.

In returning to the Father, Jesus promises a new way for us to see God’s power at work, even though we are weak (see 2 Corinthians 12:9). Salvation means more than having our sin forgiven and receiving eternal life; it means living in Christ’s power today in the midst of the world’s trouble.

Where do you see this living hope at work in the world today?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you promised your power to all who trust in you. May we see that power transforming our broken world today, to the glory of the Father. Amen.