This video compliments Janet Helm's written service, for today but it's not the same, so why not read Janet's service and watch this as well!
For those who might like to read along to the video, can't watch it or are hard of hearing you can scroll down to a script of the video to go along with it.
If you just want to go straight to the videos and view them through youtube click here.
Videos
Part 1:
Hymn:
MP 385 Jesus the name high over all:
or
Part 2:
MP 151 For I’m building a people of power
Part 3:
MP 932 Standing on the promises of God
or a more choral version:
The Churches Sing a blessing over the nation: The Lord bless you and keep you . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUtll3mNj5U
Script of Videos
Call to Worship:
Grace is God’s gift. We welcome this gift from the Giver of Life
Grace is our gift to be built on and treasured, for friend and stranger, for now and for ever, a hope for the world!
We are living stones called to build on the Word of Life and share Gpd’s gift of grace.
In this act of worship, I want to think about how we are called by God to be living stones. But before we get to living stones I am sure that you can think of lots of different types of stones and rocks in the Bible.
OT: Jacob’s stone pillow /Moses and the stone tablets / Moses striking water from the rock /Joshua and the marker stones / David’s stone that killed Goliath
NT: Stones to bread / The house builders / Who would give their child a stone when they asked for bread? / Peter the Rock / Stones of the Temple / The stone sealing Jesus’ tomb / The stoning of Stephen / Christ the cornerstone
Stones: used to hurt or kill, to build, to mark, to commemorate – like the cenotaph where many would be congregating today to mark VE day.
Dorothy (Thomas)’ story – was a very excited 10-year-old as she was going to be a bridesmaid and the morning of VE day she had been to be fitted for her bridesmaid dress. On the way home the bus driver said, “Something’s happening. I’m going to pull over. He stopped outside a church. And out came the vicar who got on the bus and said, “Have you heard? The war is over! Let’s say a prayer.” The passengers closed their eyes, put their hands together and the vicar led them in prayer!
Prayer: Thanks for today and the VE celebrations.
Thank you for the freedom we enjoy and probably have learned to appreciate more than ever during lock down.
Forgive us when take our freedom for granted and especially when we take our freedom to worship together for granted.
Father, as we remember those for whom worshipping in secret is a way of life - enable us to support them in prayer and in any other way we can.
May we be bound together by our faith in Jesus who is the chief cornerstone.
We pray in his name, Amen.
MP 385 Jesus the name high over all
The first letter of Peter was written to a suffering Christian community to encourage them by reminding them of how Jesus suffered for them.
Peter tells them how Jesus was approved of, and vindicated by God. How do we know? Because God raised him from the dead and took him back to the glory of heaven. So, just as you share Jesus’ suffering so you will share his glory! Remember you are a special people.
Reading: 1 Peter 2:4-10
Message: Living stones
Peter was a man with great leadership qualities, the other fishermen followed where he led; he was a man of courage, but he was also a man who sometimes opened his mouth and put his foot in it!
He was, however, just the man Jesus needed to lead his group of followers and to begin the task of building the church, so Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter – which means rock. Fancy being nicknamed ‘Rocky’ and then being told to build the church – something which no one had ever done before. I guess there’s a first time for everyone!
Peter took his calling seriously – encouraging and doing all he could to build the church and in our reading, he offers an invitation:
‘Come to the Living Stone’ – draw near and be transformed into living stones to be used by Jesus as he builds a spiritual house, a holy priesthood.
Come and offer your spiritual sacrifices of worship.
In the temple in Jerusalem only the appointed priests could offer sacrifices in worship – now everyone is invited to come and meet with the risen Christ.
We can all draw near to God because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Living Stones are far superior to the stone of Temple because Jesus has made us so.
Jesus is the corner stone who is precious to God, chosen by God.
Jesus is the living stone who is rejected by the world
Jesus is the corner stone of the church, holding everything together.
And just as many had stumbled over Jesus, now the church, the Body of Christ was the stumbling block.
A people that claimed Jesus was the promised Jewish Messiah was not particularly welcome – Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to death because of this belief.
Choose your side carefully.
As followers of Jesus we are living stones – precious to God who is building us into a spiritual house – a temple – where God dwells!
A spiritual house not adorned with gold and precious jewellery BUT with the imperishable beauty of the holiness and faith in the lives of Christians – all reflecting the glory of God!
A spiritual house that is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, empowered by the Holy Spirit and has the same character as the Holy Spirit
A spiritual house where the sacrifices of ourselves, our gifts, our praise and our good deeds are offered to God through Jesus who is the very cornerstone of the building.
Cornerstones, capstones are vital to a stone wall as they are to a building. If you have ever built a dry-stone wall – I have tried, it’s a lot harder than it looks – you will know how important the capstones are to hold the other stones in place. Get the capstone wrong and the wall won’t stand against the storms that come against it.
For those who suffer the storms of persecution because of their faith Peter offers further words of encouragement and hope.
God’s people have a purpose – to proclaim God’s praises because he is the one who has called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Once we had not received mercy – but now we have received mercy.
Mercy is the gift of God. As sinners we do not deserve to be treated with mercy but ‘Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.’ (1 Peter 3:18)
We are held together by our common need of mercy: it is not that some of us are ‘in’ and others are ‘out’, and those who are ‘in’ let those who are ‘out’ come ‘in’.
The truth is that all of us are ‘out’ and it is only God’s mercy that lets us all ‘in’ – even when we think we have been ‘in’ for a long time.
Thank God for His mercy in calling us to be living stones, offering to Him our gifts of praise and spiritual sacrifices. Take us and use us Lord as living stones.
MP 151 For I’m building a people of power
Intercessions and Lord’s Prayer
MP 932 Standing on the promises of God
or a more choral version:
The Churches Sing a blessing over the nation: The Lord bless you and keep you . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUtll3mNj5U
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