Palm Sunday 2021

Please note that there will be a posting on Friday this week for Good Friday

Palm Sunday 2021

Prepare ye the way Of the Lord

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E5VHT3kfQ0

As you say this prayer you are uniting with your own congregation and with Christians world wide:

Loving God, as we step into Holy Week, we remember your triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We sing your praises, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” You alone are the true King, the leader greater than all others. Even so, in your great mercy you chose to become like us, taking on human form and living among us. As we celebrate and shout “Hosanna” today, may we remember what will soon follow. Keep us faithful in word and deed, and help us to love you always.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.  

Luke 19: v 38

38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

For Children and young at heart.

The Donkey that noone could ride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8j8802Mw-0

Trotting trotting through Jerusalem. This goes into English after a couple sentences https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJxscSePly4

Matthew 21:1-11 New International Version

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

4 This took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet:  Zech. 9:9

5 “Say to Daughter Zion,   ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
  and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna  to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Psalm 118:25,26

“Hosanna  in the highest heaven!”

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Hosanna (Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name of the Lord

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwDYhguDQb0

The Messiah, The promised one. Jerusalem was occupied by the Romans. There was no love lost between Jew and gentile. Some thought the Messiah would come on a fine horse and get rid of the Romans. But when Christ was among them they would not acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah.

The Jewish leaders in the synagogue felt that their teaching and the rules they followed were under threat by this carpenter. But He had a great following; Jesus had healed the sick; And taught in the temple. He had men that followed and learned from him. And now the Jewish leaders watched a large crowd as they shouted their praises to the son of David.

But Jesus knew that Jerusalem would turn her back, and lose the chance of peace.

We have seen many occasions when the crowds have turned out to wave at the Queen or the Princes and Princesses. The Television cameras and newspapers show pictures of the posh royal car and the people waving the union flags and cheering. Some folk travelled miles to join in the celebrations. It would be out of place to see the Queen in a second hand Ford. Sometimes the royals will walk and talk to the waving throng.

The Queen came to my boys’ school some years ago now, and the children lined up to wave and greet her. The school was in a deprived part of the city, her visit boosted morale; the school pupils achieved high grades that year and a few years after that.

Even years later, watching a video of that visit captures a special time with all the children waving flags and cheering something they will never forget.

To day Palm Sunday is remembered as a turning point in history; the world will never be the same after these events over 2,000 years ago.

The donkey back in those days was the every day transport, pulling carts, carrying heavy loads, they are still in use in some parts of the world. As a young teenager my friend had a Donkey named Rhubarb, he was large donkey and very easy going, we spent hours trying to make him look lovely. His mane and shaggy coat would shine until he would go out and roll and shake himself; he had a faint cross over his shoulder and down his back, it always reminded me of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.

I often wonder what if Jesus was coming down my street to day what transport would he use? Would be an every day vehicle, something that would not turn heads, some thing plain?

Maybe a twelve seater Ford mini bus for Him and his disciples? I do not think it would have been Bentley, Rolls Royce, or Daimler. Some of the Jews were expecting the Messiah to come on a mighty horse to rid them of the Romans. God never does what we expect.

Jesus would come to challenge our thinking. He would Answer our questions with another question. He would talk with all the down and outs. He would eat with the homeless in day centres. Would you want some one who had just been talking the drunks and drug addicts, and sharing a meal with them, to come into your home. This is Jesus he is not gentle and mild but a rebel, upsetting the status quo. The Son of God. This forgiving Jesus. Who hears our prayers. O what a man.

Let us pray

Jesus there are so many needs in this world to day, from war and Famine. Foods and wild fires.

Be with all who are crying out to you; hear them and be with them.

Be with peace workers, ambassadors, help governments to sit down together to draw up peace treaties. Your own prayers for the world ……………….

Be with my family friends and neighbours. own prayer.…………………...

Thank you for listening to me. fill me with your peace as I go through each day. Amen

All glory laud and honour to thee redeemer king

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3a8fTTrAdE

Palm Sunday poem:

The Baptist cries, O prepare the way of the Lord.

All Jerusalem prepare the way of the Lord,

You His people prepare, show the way of the Lord.

In all you do, in all you say, in how you act and how you pray,

For God gave His son, in Him is the truth the light and the way.

The Baptist cries, O prepare the way of the Lord.

All Jerusalem prepare the way of the Lord

You His people prepare, walk the way of the Lord.

S.Youdan

May God Bless you each day with His love and peace. Amen

prepare ye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkj3tgSiQMA

Week beginning 21st March 2021

 

Online 1^st Anniversary.

Song: Rejoice in the Lord always

Sing-along ROUND: Rejoice In The Lord Always - Dale Reichel - YouTube

Reading:

Book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 49, verses 1 to 7.

Song:

The Books of the Bible

Books of The Bible Song - Original Full Video - YouTube

Reading:

Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 10 to 20.

Song:

Tell me the old old story

Tell me the old old story - YouTube

This Sunday is the first anniversary of meeting online on this blog. The virtual Mayfield Wesleyan Reform Church is one year old!

In our traditional church anniversary services, there is usually emphasis on the people who went before; those who had the vision to start meeting together and found the church; those who took the bold step of buying land and erecting a building; those who over the years have laboured tirelessly to enable the building to be maintained; those who have given of their resources to enable the church’s mission to proceed. Sometimes there are named individuals who have become part of the church’s “roll of honour”, but also there are the countless unnamed people who have also contributed.

This year is the 125^th anniversary of the opening of Mayfield Chapel, and later in the year (D.V.) we will be celebrating this.

But, today we celebrate our 1^st anniversary, without any great emphasis on the past, and without any list of the great and good who have gone before. Instead, we are rejoicing that God has provided the means to meet together virtually, to study and worship, and to make contact with people in over 20 countries, all over the world.

About 50 years ago a British television programme called “Tomorrow’s World” was addressing the ways in which we would work in the age of computers. The main prediction was that we would have “The paperless office”.

This does not seem to have happened. In fact, there seems to be more paper around than ever before. Whilst there are ways of having books available on electronic devices, paper books don’t seem to be in any imminent danger of disappearing. I don’t doubt that the electronic versions of documents have their uses, and can be convenient, after all, I am a regular user of the internet. However, there is something satisfying about having a book in your hand, or on the desk. A paper copy of a document is often reassuring, and has a permanent feel to it, that its virtual cousin can lack.

Whatever way we choose to read, we must not forget that the reason we are reading is to get the information. The paper or the computer is not what we want, the meaning contained within the words is what we really seek; the information which the author intended to convey.

In today’s reading from the letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul describes the ways in which Christians are spiritually equipped for their mission; most of the equipping is ways in which people can be defended in their work. Christians on a mission cannot purely adopt a passive, defensive position, some of the time they need to actively engage with those who would oppose them, and Paul makes it clear that the weapon of choice is the Word of God. A good knowledge of God’s word is essential if we are to engage with those who would oppose us.

The presenters of “Tomorrow’s World” 50 years ago could not have anticipated how we live and work today. Even less could they have anticipated how we would all have spent the last 12 months, but as they did every week, they were trying to prepare us for what was to come.

Many things have changed in the last year, some for the good, others less so, but the world will never be the same. God has been with us, and provided us with the means of continuing to worship and witness. He has also provided us with the means of returning to a more familiar lifestyle in the form of vaccines and improvements in healthcare.

We must now celebrate our anniversary by considering what God has in store for us in the future, how will our lives, both Christian and secular change? What does God want us to do next?

Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 4, verse 12a:

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,”

Song:

Sing them over again to me.

"Wonderful Words of Life" - Hymn 286 - YouTube 

Prayer:

God of Eternity, we gather today to give thanks for the past.
We think back to those who first had a vision of a church in this place,
to those who gave of their labour, their treasure, their time to make it happen.
God of Eternity, we also give thanks for our present and our future.

As we gather here today we look for hope.  The present is unsettling, the future is uncertain.  We hope that in the goodness of your love that your guidance will be ever-present.
Fill us with a vision for what we could be.
Give us hope for our congregation and our community that lead us into your abundance and not our scarcity.
God of Eternity, in a time of uncertainty we so often fall into fear and worry,
show us the opportunities in our chaotic world,
remind us of our priorities in relationship to you,
push us to see how our choices matter, and then fill us with hope in a new heaven and a new earth.
God of our future, may we walk boldly into what may come, as a people of faith and hope.
May we be found faithful in the world in which we live.
Amen.

 Pastor Mark Flores at the Mt. Herman Baptist Church in Bedford, VA 

Song:

We have a gospel to proclaim

We Have a Gospel to Proclaim [with lyrics for congregations] - YouTube 

Use the (s)word.

Isaiah 33: 5 – 6 How great the Lord is! He rules over everything. He will fill Jerusalem with justice and integrity and give stability to the nation. He always protects his people and gives them wisdom and knowledge. Their greatest treasure is their reverence for the Lord.

Morning has broken

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5D3LEjGF8A

Proverbs. 2: 1 – 5

1 My child, learn what I teach you and never forget what I tell you to do. 2 Listen to what is wise and try to understand it.3 Yes, beg for knowledge; plead for insight. 4 Look for it as hard as you would for silver or some hidden treasure. 5 If you do, you will know what it means to fear the Lord and you will succeed in learning about God.

Make a Prayer of this song. Pause it between verses for your own prayer.

Father I place into your hands

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwuM4Div-y4

Bible Readings. Job 22: 23 – 26

 23 If you return to God and put right all the wrong in your home, then you will be restored. 24 If you give up your lust for money and throw your gold away, 25 then the Almighty himself shall be your treasure; he will be your precious silver!

26 “Then you will delight yourself in the Lord and look up to God.

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzTHaJu1l2E

A Christmas reading may seem odd in March, but we can see the importance of the shepherds, as from that night their lives changed, and the world with it.

Luke 2: 13 – 22

13 Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God:14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,  and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and saw the baby lying in the manger. 17 When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about the child. 18 All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said. 19 Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them.

In other words Mary planted these words deep with in her heart and treasured them.

A Mothers love for a child can hold a box of treasure, things that money cannot buy;

maybe a walk to the park or a bus ride; feeding ducks; ice cream & padding pool; a cuddle when feeling hurt or poorly.

When one of my sons was at nursery school the teachers were trying to get the children to think of the things a mother does, she told me latter it was pulling hens’ teeth. The little ones just sat quiet. My son was the youngest and when they asked him, he smiled and said “my mummy laughs my mummy tickles my mummy loves me”. The lady in charge wrote this down and dated it and gave it me. And said it was so sweet it brought a tear to their eyes. This is something I have always treasured.

You may have some one like a mother in your life. My Grandmother was more like a mother to her her younger siblings as her mother was too ill to be an active mum.

There is always some one that can mean something special to you, a love like a mothers love. Mothers day has come across from America. Today is Mothering Sunday. This is when brothers and sisters in faith would leave their little churches to go to the mother church and join in a great celebration of worship together.

To imagine God as mother is easy, he loves us and gathers us up under His wing., “As a mother hen protects her brood.” God wants to give us everything good. As this time of Lent continues, we can look to Mary, Jesus’s mother; she knew that her son was from God but while Jesus was a child she knew in her heart that he was different. But she trusted in God, even if she could not truly understand every thing her son said or what would lay ahead for her.

Even if the way is hard for us, we can trust in a God of miracles, and give to Him our all.

I do not know what lies ahead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgA4UlkB1N8

Luke 2: 41-51. The Living Bible

When Jesus was twelve years old, he accompanied his parents to Jerusalem for the annual Passover Festival, which they attended each year.  After the celebration was over they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him the first day,   for they assumed he was with friends among the other travellers.

But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started to look for him among their relatives and friends;   and when they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there.  Three days later they finally discovered him. He was in the Temple, sitting among the teachers of Law, discussing deep questions with them and amazing everyone with his understanding and answers.  His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son!” his mother said to him. “Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you realize that I would be here at the Temple, in my Father’s House?”   But they didn’t understand what he meant. Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them; and his mother stored away all these things in her heart.

I once lost my youngest son at an event there where many exits. I stayed where we last saw him and my husband took my other son and went to the door marshals and said if you see another child dressed like him do not let him out. We then met up once more and we got on our knees and looked up, there at the end of the hall were lots of helium balloons tied together, we looked at them and as one we yelled “balloons” and walked towards them. There he was sat on the floor looking at them. I felt so relieved I did not know whether to laugh or cry. I had a Mary moment, My little son, did nor know he was missing even if it was only a matter of a few minutes (it felt like a life time) he just smiled at me and pointed at all the colours and said “look”. My eldest son sat with him smiled and looked at his brother and me and said “mum they are pretty”.

Mean while my husband went to tell every door man our youngest son was found safe and well.

Hidden treasure.

A mothers love is a treasure to behold, More precious than diamonds, silver, or gold.

A loving heart full of joy and laughter, tears, and pain,

carried through sunshine, wind and rain.

Treasured words remembered, hidden locked in the heart,

Words of love and knowledge to impart.

In Christ are hidden the secrets of Gods kingdom,

He blessed the mothers and their children,

Solomon didn't ask God for gems or money,

But to have wisdom and rule fairly.

Mary mother of Jesus found her young son,

Spreading the message of God to every one.

Remember love is more precious than diamonds, silver, or gold.

It’s a hidden treasure to be told.

By S Youdan

Some things are worth more then gold, silver, or jewels, cars or lots of money.

Yes we all need a little gold which never tarnishes and given as token of love.

A Jewel that holds sentimental value something we treasure, and yes we do need money to live. But the problem is when it is our everything. It, or the object, rules every step in life, the idol we worship, then this becomes an obstruction. It is God who can give us the gift of a brand new start, the gift of his love. For God so loved the world that He gave us His only beloved Son.

Many years ago I studied drama therapy working with people who had severe learning disabilities. They understood tangible objects even pretend objects pulled out of an empty box. Things like necklaces, rings, toy dolls and push along cars, even small picture books. But things intangible, untouchable like peace, love, happiness, hope, things that make you feel good inside they struggled with. One person who found it hard to talk about feelings one afternoon took my hand and said “I can feel I like you when I hold your hand”. I treasured this moment deep in my heart, even thou she is now with her Jesus.

Her memory lingers in my heart. At this time I was also a Sunday school teacher.

One Sunday morning I did a special treasure hunt. And each of the texts below were wrapped in gold paper around a “Wispa chocolate bar and hidden around the Sunday school room each child went home with a chocolate bar a bible verse a treasured gift from God. These are the verses

Peace  Isaiah 26:v3You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.

Love  John 15:v10

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

Hope Romans 15:v13

May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Comfort  Isaiah 40:v1

“Comfort my people,” says our God. “Comfort them!

Strength  Deuteronomy 6:v5

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Joy  Psalm 9:V2

I will be glad, yes, filled with joy because of you. I will sing your praises, O Lord God above all gods.

To explain the gifts to the Sunday school children the following week we made a collage of the gifts they had taken home, then I ask each child to plant a few seeds in pots of soil that I had provided. The little seeds were hidden under soil. but things start to happen. We kept them watered, only God could see them grow. Soon the seeds started to sprout and grow. I explained that The word of God is like a seed when we read the Bible it roots its self deep with in our hearts there it grows and God nurtures it and waters it with His love and it grows. then soon we share Gods love with others.

Our father God in heaven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcHhrlY7tgk

Jesus said.

Matthew 6: 19 – 21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Lay up for your

self Treasures in heaven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-aJr4hGb4E

God bless you this Mothering Sunday.

May He fill you with His Love and Peace this day and always.

Amen

How great thou art

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GKhDCsLrUg

Every Blessing

Susannah

Week beginning March 7th

 

We have more on our side than they have on theirs!

Song: Earth rejoice our Lord is King.

Earth rejoice our lord is king - YouTube

Second book of Kings, Chapter 6: verses 8 to 23.

Song: For I’m building a people of power.

For I'm Building a People of Power (Achor Music Ministry) [with lyrics for congregations] - YouTube

Many of us enjoy a good espionage movie. The world of the undercover agent holds a fascination for us. I suspect that in reality it is a less glamorous and more dangerous world than the films, and our imagination can suppose.

Espionage is not a new phenomenon. Warring factions have always wanted to know what their enemies were going to do next.

Something over 2500 years ago, the king of Syria was annoyed because everything he did, the Israelites seemed to know in advance. He accused his officers of spying, of letting his secrets be known to the enemy. But they responded “It’s not us boss! It’s that bloke Elisha. He can tell the King of Israel everything you do, even in your own house.

So the King made plans to capture him, top prevent his espionage; but all did not go according to plan. He had Elisha surrounded, to the extent that when his servant woke up and looked out, he reported to Elisha “We’re doomed boss. What can we do?”

However, Elisha was not bothered. “”Don’t worry.” he responded “We have more on our side than they have on theirs.” A strange thing to say, but he was speaking spiritually. He showed his servant the army of fiery chariots, ready to defend them against the earthly forces.

Elisha was a man who lived by faith as we would say today. He had a tremendous faith that God was with him, and would save him from the perils he faced.

As history has unfolded, there have been many people who have similarly found themselves to be surrounded by the enemy in what seemed to be an impossible situation. In spite if these problems, they have had faith that “We have more on our side that they have on theirs” and have triumphed in God’s name.

It doesn’t always seem like this does it? We often feel that we are a struggling few, making no impression, desperately trying to stop a bad situation from getting worse. But remember, even though we may meet in small groups, across the U.K., in normal times, there are hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of people in church every Sunday. We are part of something Huge, and across the world, those numbers are multiplied many times.

And yet, much of our lives are occupied in a struggle against evil. Perhaps on a small scale, and yet we all play our part. But there are so many times when we feel that we are on our own, that we are unequal to the task, that we can make no difference. This is when we must remember that “We have more on our side than they have on theirs”

Some years ago, I was listening to the local radio station, and there was a visitor speaking. His theme was that Jesus was alive, and visited the earth in a flying saucer. From this description you may know the society that this speaker represented. I contacted the station, concerned that no counter view had been put, and that the speaker had been allowed to present his views unchallenged.

The next day I was invited to appear on the show. I arrived at the station and, after a brief introduction, was asked, liver on air “Well Mr Youdan, as a scientist, what is your explanation of flying saucers?” After a sudden panic, I realised that I was not on my own, and was enabled to answer this, and other similar questions, before turning the conversation on to the direction of Christianity and my faith.

The help is there, we must look for it in our lives, in the situations we encounter, expecting to find it.

Even with this knowledge, it is not always easy and we can feel that we are isolated, the only Christian in the meeting, in the workplace, on the street. We are never alone. “We have more on our side than they have on theirs.” God loves us so much that his son in always available for advice, guidance and assistance.

At the moment, unable to meet as we would like, deprived of access to friends and families, we may feel even more isolated and powerless than at other times. This time will pass, and we will be restored to one another, able to meet freely. But until then, “We have more on our side than they have on theirs.”

Prayer:

Dear God,

Thank you that you see us right where we are, in the midst of our pain and struggle, in the middle of our desert land. Thank you that you have not forgotten us and never will. Forgive us for not trusting you, for doubting your goodness, or not believing you’re really there. We choose to set our eyes on you today. We choose joy and peace when the whispered lies come and say that we should have no joy or peace. Thank you that you care for us and your love over us is so great. We confess our need for you. Fill us fresh with your Spirit, renew our hearts and minds in your truth. We ask for your hope and comfort to continue to heal our hearts where they’ve been broken. Give us the courage to face another day, knowing that with you before us and behind us, we have nothing to fear.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Song: I’ll go in the strength of the Lord.

I'll go in the strength of the Lord - YouTube