Family Service.
Call to Worship
Now is the time to dance heaven's dance,
Time to discern eternity's face,
Moment of knowing beyond all sight,
Day of God's smile and tender embrace. (W L Wallace)
Let us celebrate life.
Let us worship God.
Hymn: In Christ there is no east or west
Prayer
Jesus said: come to me and I will give you rest.
Come apart from the busyness of family and work,
and dwell in the presence of God who is our source of being.
(Silence)
May the silence which we now share
quieten us,
touch our need,
refresh our courage,
enlarge our wonder.
O God, You are tenderness and compassion.
Forgive our hardness of heart
towards our sisters & brothers.
Lord, have mercy:
O God,
You are gentle and humble of heart.
Forgive our pride. Christ, have mercy:
O God, You are truth in all You do.
Forgive the lying that threatens
what we do.
Lord, have mercy:
God is tenderness and compassion;
slow to anger and full of love.
May God forgive us,
and bring us to life that lasts. AMEN
Tune: Caribbean Lord's Prayers
Notices and Offering
Birthday cards - who has a July Birthday!
Song: Zimbabwe - Amen Siyakudumisa
Talk One:
Pic: Declaration of Independance
Tomorrow is a special day: American Independence Day.
(Amy dressed as cheerleader with American flag and accent - short sketch)
AID celebrated the Declaration of Independence in 1776 where President Jefferson affirmed independence from Great Britain. and that each American citizen has a right to his own life, his own liberty, and the pursuit of his own happiness. The understanding is that every individual's life, liberty, and property belong to himself; nobody and nothing has a moral claim on these rights.
If you were an American tomorrow is a day of celebration, but is individual happiness what is important in life - take a look at this for a moment.
The pursuit of happiness - Video
Talk Two:
Pic: G8 Dudes
Today we celebrate being part of this great world, in the light of the most important leaders of the most powerful nations coming together to see if they can change the way of the poorer people are being dealt with in the world. They will have to discuss how, as a world we can work together and equip each other, they will have to discuss how as people we can and must do what we can to help those in real need of the things we take for granted each day.
One of the big issues they will be wrestling with just how we need to be more interdependent of each other - we need each other, not just cheap coffee from Brazil, cheap cotton from China, but freedom for people to trade on a level playing field, where people can feel that their produce is profitable to them, and worth the investment of time and energy they have out into their work.
Handcuffs
At one time most people in American were not the original inhabitants of there land, they were people who came seeking freedom from oppression, and some came under the yoke of slavery. Many people came seeking carrying heavy burdens and some found rest, while others found more heavy burdens. Those how served others as slaves more often than not looked to God believing he would make it right. Out of this Afro-American tradition come a lots of lovely songs. Our next song is one that people would have sang when they need reassurance and hope:
Hymn out of Slavery: He's got the whole world in His hands
Pic: Hands with globe (used last week)
Intercessions - with the inflatable world.
Bible Reading: Matthew 11: 16 - 19; 25 - 30
Song: Kumbaya
Talk Three:
Pic:God's hand
Who needs you?
Independence - Interdependence - is ok - but what about you, what about me? How can we each play our part?
The pursuit for our own happiness should not be our driving force. Jesus saw people who were tried and weighed down by responsibilities and cares that they could not cope with anymore and he said:
"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.":
There are times in our lives when we need to hear these words: Come to me and I will give you rest. We need to unwind, relax, escape, chill. Each of us needs that space - its part of life - we work - and we rest. Jesus offers to each of us that rest this morning, for he knows how we struggle, how we strive. He knows the burdens that we carry - burdens for ourselves and others, and he says "Come!" Nothing is too difficult, I will carry you through, let me share it with you, let me show you my love.
That is who Jesus is - and yes, there have been times in our lives, whether we are young or old, when we have suddenly become aware that Jesus loves us.
Pic: Barth
Karl Barth who was a brilliant and complex intellectual of the twentieth century, and one of the great theologians of our time, who said that a preacher should always prepare the sermon a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other, he was once asked to summarise his main teaching of theology, Barth has written over six million words, many of his books are now the back bone of biblical teaching in theological collages. Yet he thought for a moment then replied: "Jesus loves me this know, for the Bible tells me so!"
People need to know the Love of God, the rest Christ offers, the burdens being carried, the yoke being shared. In this unequal world, there is much we can do to bring about change. We are called to pray for difference, to work for change.
We are the voice of Christ is the world today
We are the people of God - His hands, his feet, sharing his heart and mind, demonstrating his love and grace.
Our whole attitude should be based on the alleviation of the burden others carry, the sharing of responsibilities and ensuring that a measure of "rest" is available to all, and the love of God is shared with all.
Pic:Geldof:
God is at work in our world today, and working through his people, ordinary people. Keith and Nelsia - how was the concert? I stayed up till midnight - excellent - Paul McCartney and the Long and winding road as the penultimate song - what more could I ask for? Who is it that prompts Bob Geldof to do something for the sake of Africa. In a Radio Interview Bob Geldof described " how God on his African crusade was looking for someone to do the job, and God knocked on the wrong door and when Geldof answered, thought 'Never mind, he'll do'".
But what Bob Geldof doesn’t give voice to is that God know exactly what he was doing - this was no mistake. He was the man for the job - who else could have made it happen?
Pic: Mandela
God is at work in his world, through his church, but widely through people he raise up for a purpose and a time. Who was it that enabled Nelson Mandela to leave Robin Island after 25 years of being cut from the world and the people he loved. leaving as a Prince and hero and not an angry and bitter man? I believe it was God raising up his spirit of grace and understanding so that man and women could go on to strive for justice and peace. And now Mandela says to each of us "Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom."
Pic:Gods hand
Jesus said: To what can I compare this generation? May He compare our generation with those who did hear the flute and danced for justice, who did hear the cries of the people and shared in the sorrow, and worked for the end of their pain and poverty, people who shared his love and his rest
Jesus said - share my yoke - with me, and with others.
Let those who are weary and heavy laden find rest.
Do your part in working for peace in your world.
God needs you and me to get involved and do our part, and as we do we tool shall know His peace, love and rest.
Song: From Zimbabwe - Send me Lord. (Thuma Mina)
Make Poverty History Prayers
Song: We are marching in the light of God (South Africa)
Benediction
Go forth into the world, and turn your good intentions into action.
Feed the hungry, comfort the sick, embrace the lost and lonely.
Go with God’s blessings and the assurance that God’s Spirit goes before you.
Amen.