05.04.2020
Today's readings: Sunday 5th April Palm Sunday
Psalm 118
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say:
“His love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say:
“His love endures forever.”
5 When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
he brought me into a spacious place.
6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in humans.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
11 They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my defense[a];
he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
23 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
25 Lord, save us!
Lord, grant us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.[b]
27 The Lord is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up[c] to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
PHILLIPIANS CHAPTER 2 VERSES 5 - 11
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
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Why not have a go at making your own Palm Cross???
P.S. You can use paper, instead of palm leaves.
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29.03.2020
Hello everyone!
Well done and congratulations for getting through the first week of quarantine for all of us.
Why don't you make a timetable together with everyone in your household for the coming week. You don't have to be dogmatic about keeping it, but it gives you something to do together and helps everyone pull in same direction. (don't forget to build in some fun time too!)
A reminder that clocks have gone FORWARD one hour overnight.
I want to encourage everyone to set time aside in a special place on Sundays (and daily too) to pray and read the Bible. The readings for today are Psalm 130; Romans 8: 6-11 and John 11: 1- 45. When you have read them, spend some time in silence and then pray. Get a pen and paper or on your phone, tablet, etc, record anything that the Lord is saying to you. Feel free to share it with me and/or with others for encouragement or challenge.
Don't forget to put a candle on your window at 7pm this evening and pray for our nation. On Wednesdays at 11am, let's continue to pray the Lord's Prayer together, on Thursdays between 11am and 12 noon we pray for those on the frontline and all affected by Covid-19 and the vulnerable and anxious. Please continue to keep safe and stay at home. God bless you; I am praying for you all.
For our children:
The flower is for the children to think about anything that makes them sad or afraid and write on each petal then colour it as a reminder that Jesus loves us and is always with us. If they can, get a pebble to keep and colour as a reminder that Jesus is our rock and he has promised that he will always be with us even in difficult times. Please parents, pass that on to anyone you think will benefit from the page.
Activity pages, colouring pages & flower are at: www.rootsontheweb.com/familiesathome29mar
© ROOTS for Churches Ltd (www.rootsontheweb.com) 2002-2020. Reproduced with permission.
Have a blessed Sunday and the rest of the week too.
Stay safe and stay home.
Stella
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Prayers of Intercession
Dear Lord, hear us as we offer you our prayers and our praises.
You are the one we pray to, to offer praise and thanks for our lives, our opportunities and for all the good things of this world. You are also the one we run to when things go wrong; when we have hurts to soothe, pain to cry out, anger to vent.
We come before you today in faith knowing that we can rely on your never ending love and forgiveness. Father God, hear us as we pray for our neighbours, our friends, our families and for those we have yet to meet. Help us to pray for our enemies, too: for those we struggle to like; for those who would do us wrong; for those who have hurt us.
Grant us harmony in our homes; may they be filled with love and warmth.
Grant us understanding of our neighbours; may our interactions with them be easy and friendly, as we maintain our social distancing.
Grant us peace with all nations; may we live together in mutual respect.
LORD IN YOUR MERCY, HEAR OUR PRAYER
We pray for your church. We pray that rifts and disagreements may be resolved. We pray that all may come to realise that we are here to serve you and not to further our own wants and needs. Let honesty prevail; let your will be done.
We are members of your family, you are Father and Mother to us all and it is your simple truth we should all follow; it is your commandment that we should love one another as you love us that we should practice.
LORD IN YOUR MERCY, HEAR OUR PRAYER
We pray for all the peoples of this troubled world. Where there is conflict let there be peace; where there is bloodshed let there be healing; where there is fear let there be comfort; where there is despair let there be hope. In all the world let there be love.
Let all nations strive constantly to bring about an end to conflict and fighting; let the common good be paramount in the minds of all the worlds leaders; let war cease. Give us hope in the future.
LORD IN YOUR MERCY, HEAR OUR PRAYER
We pray for the sick today; for people suffering, whether it be in body, mind or spirit.
Our minds are full of worry, fear, anxiety, despair, anger - all because of the Corona Virus. We are worried for our loved ones; we are afraid that we may become ill; we are anxious that the precautions we take may not be enough; we despair that people are dying; we are angry at foolish people risking their own health and that of others. We despise Covid-19!
We pray for anyone affected by this horrible illness, especially those suffering with the symptoms. We pray for anyone hospitalised with this illness, separated from their loved ones, lonely, afraid, sick.
We pray for the families of the victims of this illness: sick with worry themselves, fearful that they may never see their beloved again
We remember our dear friend, Kate, her nephew Paul, her niece, Susie and all the family as they await news of her brother, our friend Eric, hospitalised with the virus.
We pray for the people gifted with the skills to help those in pain and suffering; for doctors, nurses and all other healthcare workers. At a time of great stress and fear, these wonderful human beings constantly put their own lives at risk to help, heal, comfort all those affected by Covid-19.
LORD IN YOUR MERCY, HEAR OUR PRAYER
We pray today, dear Father, for those people who have died.
This week our Waltham Forest community is mourning the death of a former Mayor, Geoff Walker, who sadly succumbed to the Corona Virus last week. We pray for our sister MMU church, St Edmund’s, Chingford, where Geoff was a long-standing member and especially for his wife and family at this very sad and difficult time.
We think of anyone that has lost their life to the Corona Virus and pray for their peace. We ask for your comfort for the families of these people, whose loved ones have been snatched so suddenly and unexpectedly from them.
Please pray for Marion’s cousin, Chrissie, her husband Rob plus their son Rob, his wife Jess and brand new baby Violet. Their daughter/sister/aunt Nicky passed away this week aged just 35 after a long battle with cancer. Please pray for her husband Ned too and her aunties and cousins.
We have been asked to pray for Marion’s colleague, Mary, whose father died this week.
Help us to be sensitive, supportive and soothing wherever and whenever we can, and reflect your love onto anyone in need of it’s warmth and the comfort it can bring:
LORD IN YOUR MERCY, HEAR OUR PRAYER
At a time when everything seems bleak and worrying, we are reminded of the good in life and give thanks for our friend Amy, who has worked long and hard to be rewarded with her Master of the Arts degree. Please continue to bless her and the young people in her care.
I encourage us all to give thanks for the fruitful life of Charlotte Dowling, a former member of this church, celebrating her birthday today. May she find a happy way to mark the day and continue to enjoy your blessings.
Finally, we pray for ourselves: keep us faithful and prayerful through Lent, positive and pro-active. Keep us sensible and kind through this frightening time. Keep us safe and well.
At this time of withdrawal from human contact, send your love to us, wrap your all-encompassing arms around us and hold us tight, that we may feel the warmth of your community and the power of your ever-present, all-enduring love:
MERCIFUL FATHER, ACCEPT THESE PRAYERS FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR SON, OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST
AMEN.
The Lord's Prayer
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.
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Offertory
An important part of our fellowship, though rarely spoken about, is our financial giving.
Whilst we are not currently using our building for services and activities, we do still need to maintain it and pay our bills.
If you make your offering week by week in our collection bowls, perhaps you could find a pot at home that you could put your weekly contribution in, ready for your return to church.
If you make your offering each week via the Church Missionary Fund envelopes, please continue to fill your envelopes and keep on one side for your return to church.
If you contribute via a Standing Order - job done! You’re sorted! Or perhaps you would like to consider making a Standing Order of a regular, monthly amount, which can continue upon your return to church. If you want a standing order form with the church details please get in toch with George.
However you choose to give, please continue to give if you possibly can.
Thank you for anything and everything you give.
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