Sunday Worship 13 October 2024 - Harvest thanksgiving

This morning we celebrated our harvest thanksgiving by giving thanks to God for all of Creation but especially thinking about all the people who are involved in the production and delivery of the goods we consume and how some of these people are taken advantage of.

Sunday Worship 11 August 2024

This morning Heston and Penny led us in our morning service with Jan sharing her thoughts on welcoming other people.

Creator God
You made us in your own image
Our diversity reflects the God of many colours
You created us to dance with all of creation.
But in our pride we choose to remake you in our own image
We trample over your creation in the mistaken belief that you created it all for our use.
Forgive us Creator God and help us to love you, love creation and to walk humbly in your sight
Show us how to dance in unity with you and all of Creation.

We pray for:

  • the Earth, which in its complexity supports the teaming web of life, including us. Help us to appreciate that complexity and the fragility of the web of life, help us to learn how to live more simply in ways that allow all life to thrive

Father God, Mother God
You made us all your children
Our diversity reflects the triune God of relationship.
But in our pride we choose to break our relationship with you and with each other.
We trample over each other in fear or in the mistaken belief that we are superior to each other.
Forgive us Father God, Mother God and help us to love you, to love each other and to show mercy to one another
Show us how to dance in unity with you and with each other.

We pray for:

  • our communities that could be places of joy and peace, of sharing and caring, of love and security, of welcome and support. Forgive us our selfishness, our fear and all that keeps us bound in the prisons that isolate us. May your love break our shackles and warm our hearts, help us to learn how to live more simply in ways that allow our communities to thrive

  • those who have had to flee from their communities whether through war, famine, fire, climatic disaster, economic need or persecution. Fill us with your love that we may welcome them into our community so that they may enrich all our lives.

  • those of us who fear others who are different, for those of us who mistakenly believe we are superior.

Come, Lord Jesus, with healing hands that bind us together in unity

Take from us our fear that keeps us bound, unable to reach out and comfort one another.

Fill us with your Holy Spirit, create in us a clean heart that reaches out to hold each other.

Amen

Sunday Worship 21 April 2024

Our worship this morning revolved around Taize music and an exploration with some members of the church of some of the things in the Old Testament that gives us hope.

Sunday 24 March 2024 - Palm Sunday

This morning we spent some time looking at and reflecting on the events of Palm Sunday, the week that followed and how Jesus was at the heart of confronting the political and economic situation of the world that left the rich and powerful in charge whilst the poor and powerless suffered.

I was reminded of Mary’s song where she says:

“He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;    
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones    
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things    
but has sent the rich away empty.”
— Luke 1:51-53 (NIV)

Sunday 10 March 2024

This morning, Richard and Jonathan led us in our worship, Megan shared her thoughts on "having enough" in our Lent Series on "Enough"

Sunday 21 January 2024

Today is the third Sunday in Epiphany, and in our series on “Light to the Nations”, Lois, Kirsty and Reuben share with us about the work of LASSN (Leeds Asylum Seekers’ Support Network) and "Grace Hosting" - providing a space for refugees and asylum seekers in your home for a night or more.

Sunday 14 January 2024

Today is the second Sunday in Epiphany, and in our series on “Light to the Nations”, Sarah, Andrea and Sameer took us to La Concha in Nicaragua to meet Pablo and discover some of the problems and joys that they experience.

Here is the creed that we used

Lord I believe firmly
That all this world was born of Your abundantly generous mind
That from Your artists hands like a primitivista painter
Beauty flowered
The stars and the moon, the houses and lagoons
The little boats sailing on the river to the sea

The coffee plantations, the white cotton fields
And the forests now mutiliated by the criminal axe

I believe in You, architect, engineer
Craftsperson, carpenter, construction labourer, fitter
I believe in You, constructor of thoughts
Of music and the wind, of peace and love

I believe in You Labourer Christ,
Light of light and truth
One with God
Who to save the world
Was born of the humble and pure womb of Mary
Who was beaten, mocked, tortured
Was martyred on the cross
Suffered under Pilate
The Roman imperialist
Who thought he could erase his responsibility by washing his hands

I believe in You, companion
Human Christ, labourer Christ
Conquerer of death with immense sacrifice
Liberator of humanity

The Lord is resurrecting in every arm raised
To defend the people
Against the demons of exploitation

Because You are alive - on the cattle ranch
In the factory, in the school
I believe in Your tireless struggle
I believe in Your resurrection

I believe in You, architect, engineer
Craftsperson, carpenter, construction labourer, fitter
I believe in You, constructor of thoughts
Of music and the wind, of peace and love

From the Misa Campesina, Carlos Mejia Godoy with members of the Taller de Sonido Popular, Solentiname

And the music we used can be found here, the words were on the slides used in the service and can be seen in the video above.

Sunday 7 January 2024

This morning was the first Sunday in Epiphany Season and the first service of 2024. Adriaan was in conversation with Tom Twongyeirwe about "Affirming Ugandans".

Sunday 31 December 2023

The last Sunday service of 2023 was a contemplative Taize-style service reflecting on the last year and on the coming year. Emma and Lydia’s voices blended beautifully in leading us in the Taize songs.