WELCOME AND NOTICES
CALL TO WORSHIP:
HYMN: I am the Light of the World
‘I am the light of the world, you people come and follow me!’
If you follow and love you’ll learn the mystery of what you
were meant to do and be.
When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and the shepherds have found their way home,
the work of Christmas is begun:
to find the lonely and the lost, to heal their broken souls with love,
to feed the hungry children with warmth and good food,
to feel the earth below, the sky above;
to free the prisoners from their chains, to make the powerful care,
to re-build the nations with strength of goodwill,
to be at one with people everywhere.
To bring hope to every task you do, to dance at a baby’s new birth, to make music in an old man’s heart, and sing to the colours of the earth.
©Jim Strathdee (WOV669)
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING
OFFERING
SOMETHING FOR THE YOUNGER AT HEART ~ Wayne Barton
CHILDREN’S HYMN: I’ve Got Peace Like a River
I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul, I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.
I’ve got love like an ocean, I’ve got love like an ocean,
I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul, I’ve got love like an ocean,
I’ve got love like an ocean, I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul.
I’ve got joy like a fountain, I’ve got joy like a fountain,
I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul, I’ve got joy like a fountain,
I’ve got joy like a fountain, I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul.
READINGS: Psalm 97 David Beaumont
Acts 16:16-34 Jeannette Beaumont
MESSAGE
HYMN: Lord Jesus Christ (v1 & 2 only)
Lord Jesus Christ, you have come to us, you are one with us,
Mary’s son; cleansing our souls from all their sin,
pouring your love and goodness in,
Jesus, our love for you we sing, living Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, now and every day teach us how to pray,
Son of God. You have commanded us to do this,
in remembrance, Lord of you:
into our lives your power breaks through, living Lord.
COMMUNION: (“Free Communion”)
Once was a people enslaved…They were safe: but they were slaves
And God’s purposes were not for safety but for risk
God’s purposes were not for dependence upon someone else’s rules but for self-determination
God’s purposes were for a people who would live justly,
who would love mercy,
who would honour him in their civil service,
their foreign policy, their domestic lives,
their family arrangements, their courts
and their palaces, their temples and homes
And he set them free. And the people remembered that setting free
Every year, they were reminded of what being set free meant
Every year they were reminded of what the cost of freedom was
Every year they were reminded of what they were set free for:
And called to remain faithful to that memory, year by year by year
And when Jesus came …slavery in Egypt
Opened it to Roman conquerors, to Zealots, to traitors and to the marginalised, to Greeks and the descendants of ancient enemies, to heretics and children and fishermen and priests and scholars and ultimately to everyone on the earth
Freed to be called children of God, sons and daughters of the Highest God
Freed to be part of the Kingdom of Heaven, the world as it was always intended to be
On the night he was betrayed … Jesus gave us serve as constant reminder to his followers that whatever is happening around us, we are a people freed:
we are a people freed to serve, freed to love, freed to follow in obedience.
May this freedom mark our every thought, word and deed
In the name of him who gave all so that we might be truly free
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
HYMN: Now Let Us From This Table Rise (CH4 675)
Now let us from this table rise renewed in body, mind and soul;
with Christ we die and rise again, his selfless love has made us whole.
With minds alert, upheld by grace, to spread the Word in speech and deed we follow in the steps of Christ, at one with all in hope and need.
To fill each human house with love, it is the sacrament of care; the work that Christ began to do we humbly pledge ourselves to share.
Then grant us grace, Companion-God, to choose again the pilgrim way and help us to accept with joy the challenge of tomorrow’s day. ©F Kaan
PRAYERS OF SUPPLICATION
THE LORD’S PRAYER
HYMN: The Journey of Life
The journey of life may be easy, may be hard,
There’ll be danger on the way;
With Christ at my side I’ll do battle as I ride,
‘Gainst the foe that would lead me astray
Will you ride, ride, ride with the King of Kings,
Will you follow my leader true; Will you shout Hosanna
To the lowly Son of God, who died for me and you?
My burden is light and a song is in my heart
As I travel on life’s way; for Christ is my Lord
And he’s given me his word
that by my side he’ll stay; Will you…
I’ll follow my leader wherever he may go,
for Jesus is my friend;
he’ll lead me on to the place where he has gone,
when I come to my journey’s end. Will you… ©V Collison (WOV 670)
Please leave promptly, to allow the Methodist congregation to prepare for worship.
NOTICES
A very warm welcome to all who worship with us this morning. Many thanks to Rev Alan Webster for leading our worship today.
MORNING TEA this morning is at 43 St Martins Rd.
PENTECOST NEXT SUNDAY 15th May 9am. Liz Whitehead from St Albans Uniting will share with us about their Family Breakfast Church each Sunday at 8.30am. Do come and hear her. Lyndsey McKay.
WEDNESDAY WALKERS 11th May: Meet 9.30am on the cnr Kilmore St & Fitzgerald Ave for a stroll around the Avon Loop. Coffee at Little Pom’s Café. All are welcome. Barbara & Alan 337 6202.
CRAFTY CRAFTERS: Thursdays 10am-12 noon in the Lounge. $3.
POTLUCK LUNCH for St James’, Hoon Hay, Cashmere & St Martin’s on Sunday 22nd May 12 noon at Cashmere Presbyterian. An opportunity for everyone to mix and mingle and enjoy fellowship. Irene.
ALPINE PRESBYTERY newsletter is on the noticeboard in the Lounge.
PARISH OFFICE: Wednesday & Thursday 9am – 12 noon, Fridays 9-11am Ph 332 6192. Email: stmartpresch@xtra.co.nz.Website:www.stmartins.org.nz.
Please make sure Anna has any notices by 9am Thursday.
COURT THEATRE “Educating Rita”. Payment ($45) in NAMED envelope to Sue by NEXT SUNDAY 15th May at the very latest please.
ST JAMES’ MEN’S MUSTER: TOMORROW St James’ Church Hall Lounge at 7:00 pm. Doug Roberts visited Belgium in 2010. “ANZAC on the Western Front” See photos inside the Arras Tunnels and craters of some of the largest mine explosions. All men welcome.
Roger Allen (gr.allen46@gmail.com).
PTO…
BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK: Tue 10th Jill.
KEEP HOPE ALIVE FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES
Christian World Service is looking for 100 people who want to help Syrian refugees. The first ever Operation Refugee will take place from 16-20 June. Participants commit to live on the same rations as a Syrian refugee for five days and raise funds for people living in Jordan and Lebanon. On registering for the challenge, CWS will send a box of rations including lentils, chickpeas, flour, fish, vegetable, oil and salt. Participants supply their own rice.
CWS is fundraising for longstanding partner the Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees (DSPR), a programme of the Middle East Council of Churches with whom it has worked since 1949. Funds raised will provide food, education, medical care and comfort for more than two million refugees.
People can register and set up a personal fundraising page at cws.org.nz. Those who want to support the challenge can sponsor individual participants or donate to Operation Refugee.
For more information call 0800 74 73 72