Fairmount House

Ashby de la Zouch

01530 414549/ 07801 467348

julieannheath@pottersmaze.co.uk

 

Dear Friends,

It seems a while since I have written to you, and I can honestly say I am missing you!

The garden here is a bit wet and miserable, but under a tree there are Christmas roses and cyclamens in flower - like a little woodland display. (I have sent a photograph for the website.) I am quite pleased with myself because I am starting to learn more about gardening. I now know if you want a plant to flourish put it in a place that suits it, which is not necessarily where you would like it to be! This may be obvious to the talented gardeners out there, but it has taken me a bit of time to learn this. I moved these plants to the back of the house last year, and put them in the shade, and I am sure they were relieved, as previously I had put them in the sun because I thought they looked nice, but after a little while, they started to look very sad. Now they look glorious.

Don’t you think finding our place in the world is so important? We can be doing something, or be part of something, and it just doesn’t feel right. You can’t put your finger on why, because it seems like a good thing to do, but the feeling remains the same. The wonderful thing about life is that it is ever-changing.

I wrote this for one of my greeting cards a little time ago:

 Seasons come and go. Some are harsh. Some are gentle. Some bring rest. Some bring opportunities. Some take. Remember the only constant season is hope.

Hope is the foundation for life and love.

We are often inspired by others to make a change, and this week we think of Captain Tom. He made a decision in his life to make a change, and he did, and that difference brought hope to others.

It takes courage to step out into the unknown. To try something new. To have hope that we will find a place or an opportunity that is just right for us. Where we will flourish. And as we have seen there is, of course, no age limit on flourishing.

Captain Tom, along with Michael Ball, and others, recorded a famous song, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone.’ We believe that we are never alone, so as the seasons change, we will keep going forward, together in faith and hope, and wherever we might be, we are with God and we will flourish!

Love & blessings

Julie Ann

P.S. The season of Lent begins soon, and ideally I would offer to run a Lent course, but this year that is not possible. Some of you know that I have written a book called ‘The Angel at the Bottom of the Garden.’ The illustrated story is of a woman conversing with a statue about her life. The angel statue doesn’t reply, but in articulating how she feels the woman changes her view on life. To accompany it I have a booklet which explores the themes in the book using Jesus’ words from the gospels. If you would like to receive a copy to use for your own reflection you would be most welcome. I will make myself available on Wednesday afternoons through Lent if you would like to call or email me to share any of your thoughts or discuss with me any questions you might have.

There will be no charge for the books, but if you would like to contribute to church that would be much appreciated.

If you would like to receive a resource pack please let Margaret know 01332 862175 or margaretloydall@outlook.com

Melbourne URC – Sunday 7th February 2021 (2nd Sunday before Lent.)

 

Morning Prayer.

An opening prayer you may wish to use:

The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.

(Let us take a moment to be silent and rest in God’s love.)

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever. Amen.

 

Hymn:  Thou, whose almighty word (John Marriott 1780-1825)

Thou, whose almighty word chaos and darkness heard, and took their flight; hear us, we humbly pray, and where the gospel day sheds not its glorious ray, let there be light!

Thou, who didst come to bring on thy redeeming wing, healing and sight, health to the sick in mind, sight to the inly blind,

O now to humankind let there be light!

Spirit of truth and love, Life-giving, holy Dove, speed forth thy flight; move over the water’s face, bearing the lamp of grace, and in earth’s darkest place let there be light!

 

Holy and blessed Three, glorious Trinity, Wisdom, Love, Might; boundless as ocean’s tide rolling in fullest pride, through the earth far and wide let there be light!

 

A time of reflection and confession.

Let us take a moment to look into our hearts and remember those occasions when we wished we had responded differently.

Let us share them with the Lord.

The Lord knows the truth of our hearts.

 

May the God of love and power forgive us and free us from our sins,

Heal and strengthen us by his Spirit, and raise us to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Bible Reading:  Proverbs 8: 22-31 Wisdom’s Part in Creation.

The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.

Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth – when he had not yet made the earth and the fields, or the world’s first bit of soil.

When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master worker, and I was his daily delight, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.

 

Bible Reading:  Colossians 1: 15-20 The Supremacy of Christ.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers – all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

 

Hymn:  What a friend we have in Jesus (Joseph Scriven 1819-1886)

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

 

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged: take it to the Lord in prayer!

Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness – take it to the Lord in prayer!

 

Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Saviour, still our refuge! Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In his arms he’ll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.

 

Thought:

When I am preparing to put together a ‘paper service’ for you, and I only do this for you, I start by reading the recommended bible readings for the day. Having read them I go back to my chores around the house. You see I have to mull them over, and I find the best way for me to do that is to get on with the practical things I have to do. In doing those down-to-earth tasks, you all know how much I love ironing, I can allow my mind to consider what the readings are saying to me. I start by asking God to guide me. I ask for help to understand, and wisdom to hear, not only in my mind but in my heart. When I read the texts here I didn’t need to take time – they spoke to me immediately.

The beautiful poetry of the Proverbs reading brought tears to my eyes. The strength of the Colossians reading made me sit up straight in awe, and the next reading, well that is for you to decide for yourself.

Taking the time to let the word of God fill our souls is not easy. We might read or listen on Sundays, but there are so many other issues to fill our thoughts. And, although, for many of us, our days are quiet, our minds can still be very full with activity. The telephone and the computer are busy ringing, bleeping, pinging, or swooshing. Tasks are calling, gardens need tending and the shopping needs ordering or collecting, and then there is our apprehension about the future - the days just seem disappear. Within it all is the Word. The Word gives us meaning. The Word is Jesus Christ. He had a task. He completed it and saved us. He saved you!

Now that is something to mull over.

 

Bible Reading:  John 1: 1-14 The Word became Flesh.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.

 

What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

 

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.

He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

The true light, which enlightens everyone was coming into the world.

 

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.

He came to what was his own, and his people did not accept him.

But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

 

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

 

Prayers of Intercession.

You may wish to use the words below to inspire your prayers, as we pray for our world, the hungry, the thirsty, and the frightened, for the Church, and our church family, our community, our family, and friends, for those that care for others, for those that are suffering, for those we have lost, and for ourselves.

Father, I place into your hands the things I cannot do.

Father, I place into your hands the things that I’ve been through.

Father, I place into your hands the way that I should go, for I know I always can trust you.

 

Father, I place into your hands my friends and family.

Father, I place into your hands the things that trouble me.

Father I place into your hands the person I would be, for I know I always can trust you.

 

Father, we love to seek your face, we love to hear your voice.

Father, we love to sing your praise and in your name rejoice.

Father, we love to walk with you and in your presence rest, for we know we always can trust you.

 

Father, I want to be with you and do the things you do.

Father, I want to speak the words that you are speaking too.

Father, I want to love the ones that you will draw to you, for I know that I am one with you.

(Jenny Hewer 1945- Thankyou Music)

 

The Lord’s Prayer.

 

Hymn:  God is love: his the care (Percy Dearmer 1867-1936)

 

God is love: his the care, tending each, everywhere.

God is love, all is there!

Jesus came to show him, that we all might know him!

Sing aloud, loud, loud!

Sing aloud, loud, loud!

God is good! God is truth!

God is beauty! Praise him!

Jesus came, lived and died for our sake, crucified, rose again, glorified;

he was born to save us by the truth he gave us

Sing aloud, loud, loud!.............

 

None can see God above; Jesus shows how to love;

thus may we Godward move, joined as sisters, brothers, finding him in others.

Sing aloud, loud, loud!...........

 

To our Lord praise we sing - light and life, friend and King, coming down love to bring,

pattern for our duty, showing God in beauty.

Sing aloud, loud, loud!

Sing aloud, loud, loud!

God is good! God is truth!

God is beauty! Praise him!

 

A Prayer of Blessing.

The Lord bless you and watch over you,

the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you,

the Lord look kindly on you and give you peace;

and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

 

The Grace.

‘Let nothing disturb you,

Let nothing affright you,

All things pass away;

God alone remains.

Patience obtains all things.

Whoever has God

Wants for nothing.

God alone suffices.’

 

St. Teresa of Avila

©Mission Praise 2014

©Rejoice and Sing – the United Reformed Church

©Common Worship –The Archbishops’ Council 2000

Holy Bible NRSV