Call to Worship: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was barren, with no form of life. It was under a deep ocean and covered with darkness. But the Spirit of God was moving over the waters - and God spoke
Song: The God of Abraham Praise
Prayers
Creator God, Lord of heaven and earth,
when we look about us at what you have made,
what can we do but adore you?
O God, we praise you for the darkness and the light,
the restorative night and the brilliant day.
We praise you for the seas and land,
for all plants and creatures, and every living thing.
We praise you for our fellow-human beings.
Every one made in the image of you.
When we look about us at what you have made,
what can we do but adore you?
O God, we praise you for your glory and power,
strength to tear apart the heavens.
We praise you for your creative gentleness,
brooding over the waters, descending like a dove.
We praise you for sharing our earthly existence,
being born and baptized as a human like us.
When we look about us at what you have made,
what can we do but adore you?
O God, we praise you for the gift of time,
the spirals of learning, the rhythms of seasons.
We praise you for your everlasting greatness
outside and beyond time, infinite, forever.
We praise you for redeeming our pain and bearing our sorrows,
once, for all time, and throughout eternity.
When we look about us at what you have made,
what can we do but adore you?
What can we do but adore you, Lord?
Let us praise you now, and for ever and ever.
Amen.
Silent Confession
The Lords prayer
Notices and Offering
Song: Lord of the Dance
Setting the Scene: What a mess - Children Bake Cake
Ingredients
225g/4oz butter or margarine, softened
225g/4oz caster sugar
2eggs
225g/4oz self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder.
Before something beautiful – often comes the messy bit – before the room is decorated, before the car is cleaned, before the cake can be eaten – it looks a m=bit messy –p but it was all part of the process to bring about something beautiful.
OT – may be hard to understand, but what is born from these stories, and characters – is the story of Jesus, and the birth of the church – something truly amazing.
Bible Readings
Hymn: These are the days of Elijah
Children Leave
Intercessions: Pick up Prayer Letter
Refrain: Abba Father
Talk / Sermon: George Hargreaves
Hymn: The King of Love my shepherd is
Benediction:
Go into this week
knowing yourself beloved by God,
blessed by the obedience of Jesus,
renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit