We began the service sharing our life's experiences in song as we chose and sang those hymns dear to our hearts because of their significance at some time in the past, if only because of the joy the music gave us and because that joy has stayed with us.
Then with our inner fires stoked
We were then called to worship with a reminder that God is the God of all ages of history and all stages of our lives and we responded.
With thanks
With trust
With praise
Rejoicing.
There followed hymn 138 'And can it be' with the lines:-
Long my imprisoned spirit lay...thine eyes diffused a quickening ray
I woke...my chains fell off ...building to:
I rose went forth and followed thee.
For myself and I would think for many present, the memory returned of the day we walked out of our cage into Freedom and Life.
The prayer Midwife Of Our Lives followed with God portrayed as a midwife bringing us into life, this time, everlasting life. All those attributes of a baby coming into life and being encouraged , exhorted and calmed were applied to our spiritual birth, with God breathing spirit into us, and continuing to care for us so that we can rest in Him.
With Trust.
Helen then introduced the idea of heroes: those who inspire us, and asked us to think about our dreams and visions. Had we fulfilled them?
In my case - partially. For some I would think, almost fully: and others, not at all.
We were then encouraged to think about our present dreams. Are we reaching our goal? What is stopping us from fulfilling those dreams? Will we have to modify them because of age-or a myriad of other reasons? Or as in my own case, for whatever is easiest. It is sometimes very hard to act on a possibility if it looks like complicating your life.
A confession followed and perhaps the silent ones had the deepest impact as we sang together: O Lord hear our prayer.
The hymn 56 Amazing Grace with the lines 'I was lost, but now am found' and 'grace my fears relieved' laid before us the solution to any obstacles lying between us and our fulfilling of any vision, large or small.
As did the scripture reading 2 Corinthians 12: 2 - 10 which related the account of Paul's 'thorn in the flesh' which he asked God to remove. But instead God told him "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness". No "buts".
It is very easy, especially for people with genuine afflictions, to opt out of a plan or look for an easier way to journey but it is very hard to argue that God's grace is not enough.
Helen followed the story of this reading with real life accounts of two people finding a way through when they felt most vulnerable, most ill-equipped. In both cases God's grace was sufficient.
We were shown that:
In weakness God is there: God calls us-God equips us
God powers
In our weakness, God works through us
Don't give up on your dream
The prayer that followed asked for strength in our weakness to enable us to follow God's call and to show us how to take the next step forward.
After the freewill offering that symbolised our partnership with the creator enabler, we took part in a time of quiet meditation. No doubt many were looking afresh at their visions, their dreams.
The prayer that followed called for God's help for those who do not recognize their potential; those with self-doubt; those that reject or resist; those who diminish themselves to embrace God's call.
Prayers for the community called for the relief from suffering, support for the environment, release from oppression and violence and support for those close to us in their particular need again trusting in God to meet us in our weakness.
This was followed by the hymn 531, which with the hymn 537 sung before the offering, gave reassurance for all of life, but, we must Trust and Obey - equally, I would think.
There it is. In our weakness we can answer God's call by drawing on His power to show His love to the world
Therefore
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above Ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
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