​Call to worship
We are living stones created to build a community of grace and loved by God.

​Prayers – adoration/praise
Lord God we know your love through your son Jesus Christ who came to build a people; living stones, created to build a community of grace, In Jesus name we praise and thank you!

Down the ages you have given your words of prophesy and your vision for love to ordinary people – even to the days of the beginning of the church in this place, to Bill and Eileen Spray and all those who worked with them, and for the joy of knowing that you have used us too in your work of showing love to our community and the world – In Jesus’ name we praise and thank you

For the good news that we have heard in the story of Jesus and the early church in the Bible, of sin forgiven and guilt lifted, and for the words of love and encouragement we have heard from the people who have surrounded us.  In Jesus’ name we praise and thank you

Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit – you will never leave us, you will always work to bring your kingdom through those who are willing to serve, and one day every person will bow the knee before you in wonder at your grace and mercy. And ‘til that day your church will know the privilege of being your heart and hands, and your voice  - as we look with excitement towards the future of all that you will do, 
in Jesus’ name we praise and thank you,  Amen

Prayer of confession –poem A People Place by William J. Crocker 
If this is not a place where tears are understood, Where do I go to cry? 
If this is not a place where my spirit can take wings, Where do I go to fly? 
If this is not a place where my questions can be asked, Where do I go to seek? 
If this is not a place where my feelings can be heard, Where do I go to speak? 
If this is not a place where you’ll accept me as I am, Where can I go to be? 
If this is not a place where I can try to learn and grow, Where can I be just me? 

Let us pray – Lord, we want to be a people place but we confess that church has not always been a place of unconditional love and welcome.  But we come now to accept your offer of forgiveness; we delight in the chance to begin again – your love is new every morning. In joy we allow your arms to enfold us, your heart to beat through us and your words to inspire us on to be the place where people meet with you.  Hear the words of God’s grace - your sins are forgiven -
Amen, thanks be to God.

Prayers for others
God of love these are testing times for our world.

It has been hard to witness yet another earthquake in Turkey and Syria this week. The pain and suffering of the people in both of these countries is unimaginable. We continue to pray for all of those who are grieving, all of those who are injured and all of those who have lost everything.

The grim anniversary of the war in Ukraine this week reminds us how fragile peace is. As people who know your divine peace we ask for peace in our world. We pray for the leaders of our world as they work out how to react to the violence and make decisions that will impact many people’s lives.

Finally, we pray for countries feeling the brutal impact of the climate, in particular Madagascar. As the world faces up to the climate crisis, may we play our part in looking after creation and seek justice for people who are suffering as a result of dramatic climate changes. Help us to be part of the solution to the problems the world faces.
Amen.

God of love these are testing times for our country.

Many people are still really struggling with the cost of living. We pray for people who are finding day-to-day life hard. Thank you for those who are trying to help, for the food banks, advice centres and community interventions bringing some relief and hope. Give volunteers the energy and funds they need to keep going and help us as your people to look after those in need in our community.

The ongoing pay disputes continue to impact many people’s lives. We thank you for the discussions this week within the NHS, but we ask for resolution for the many other people, in different sectors seeking new pay deals. May people negotiate in good faith and find a way forward that will bring an end to the disputes.

Finally, we pray for our children as they navigate the complexities of social media and the internet. A new NSPCC report this week around the dangers for children and the abuse they suffer is upsetting. Please protect our children and young people. As a church may we work hard to safeguard all of the young people in our care and create safe spaces in which children can flourish and grow in their faith.

Amen.

 Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and for ever.
Amen​

​StF 487 You shall go out with joy

Blessing
As you go from this place, may the God who releases and trusts you to be the builders of his Kingdom, inspire you to trust and release others – fanning into flame the potential which is all around.
Amen

​Transfiguration Sunday marks the transition between the season of Epiphany and the season of Lent. Epiphany is a season where we remember the ways Jesus was revealed to the gentiles, most notably the Magi who came from the east to the stable to see the newborn Christ. Lent is a season where we remember Jesus in the desert at the very beginning of his ministry.

God of the waters and the mountains
God of the fires and the forests
God of the skies and the earth
God who loves all of your creation, I come to you this day.
Here I am Lord, seeking to learn more of you,
To love you.
As I come, broken as I am,
Come Lord Jesus, be my end and my beginning
Bring your perfect love, your love divine.
I have come, come Lord Jesus.

Lord’s prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and for ever.
Amen

Hymn: Everlasting Arms – with Lou Fellingham and the National Methodist Choir

Reading: Matthew 17:1-9

Response to the reading
How often do you find yourself able to pause for a moment in awe and wonder? How often are you enchanted by the world around you?

Transfiguration Sunday marks the transition between the season of Epiphany and the season of Lent. Epiphany is a season where we remember the ways Jesus was revealed to the gentiles, most notably the Magi who came from the east to the stable to see the newborn Christ. Lent is a season where we remember Jesus in the desert at the very beginning of his ministry. As a society, we’re very good at embracing the magic of the Christmas season, but once we’ve taken down the tree, recycled the cards, and packed up the crib scene we can easily slip back into an expectation of mundanity in our everyday lives. And then, in the season of Lent, we take that a step further and root out any whiff of extravagance. But here, just before we slip into the wilderness of Lent, we’re reminded by Transfiguration Sunday to pay attention to the inexplicable acts of God all around us and to stand in awe and wonder at the mystery of them.

The Celtic Christians speak of ‘thin places’ where heaven and earth are closer, where God feels more tangible, where spiritual experiences happen more easily, where our stuffy, logical, reasonable, busy minds are quieted enough to notice the divine permeating the place. Today’s scriptures feature such thin places. Do you have a thin place you can go, where you expect to meet with God? It might be a small space in our home or community, it might be a church, or a location outdoors. Perhaps you’ve already found such a place, and have met with God there. Transfiguration Sunday and our mystical reading of its story, bids you to make room in your lives for visiting such a place. As Peter’s epistle tells us: “You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” It is our task to seek out the lamp, even when our lives feel dark. So, find your own sacred space and go there, with the expectation of having an extraordinary encounter. Go there, ready to sit in awe and wonder in union with God. Go there, with your eyes and hearts and minds open to how God might be seeking to transfigure you and the world around you.

- What do you first think of when you hear the word transfiguration?
- How often are you enchanted by the world around you?
- Do you have a thin place you can go, where you expect to meet with God?
- In what ways are you able to be present to the presence of God all around you?

Reflection written by Holly Adams

Blessing
Go out to meet a God of love.
Go out and find love at work throughout God’s creation.
Go out and seek to build a better, safer, more sustainable world,
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

This day, as are all days, loving God,
is the day to worship you.
This time, as are all times, loving God,
is the time to give you praise.
This moment, as are all moments, loving God,
is the moment to turn to you in faith.
from The Word in the World p.5

Prayers (from The Word in the World pp.15 & 26)
Praise be to you, our God,
maker of heaven and earth,
the very breath of life within us.
Praise be to you, our God,
redeemer of the world,
the very hope within us.
Praise be to you, our God,
giver of life,
flame of inspiration lighting our way,
guiding our lives.
​
Loving and gracious God,
we thank you for your many gifts to us:
for the world which you have made
to provide us with all that we need for life,
and to be our place of pilgrimage;
for the gift of one another,
the caring and sharing, the laughter and tears,
the demands and rewards of loving;
for life itself, with its opportunities,
its challenges, its moments of joy.
For all this, we thank you, generous God.

We thank you most, faithful God,
for the gifts of yourself:
your steadfast and forgiving love for your people
despite our straying hearts, our mistakes and poorly thought-through intentions;
and for sending your only Son
to share our human life with us,
to call us back to you,
to die for us upon the cross,
and to be raised again,
that we might know true and eternal life in you.

Your generosity is beyond our comprehension – fill us again with your Holy Spirit that we might respond with joy to the glory of your Name.
Amen.

Prayer of confession (adapted from Roots 2023)
Reconciling God, forgive us:
when we make wrong choices,
when our decisions are not of honesty and integrity,
when we hurt others by our words and actions,
when we judge others and think ourselves better.
Forgive us:
when relationships break down and we do not want to repair them,
when we don’t strive for peace.

Lord Jesus Christ,
thank you that in you we have new life,
We choose life today through the cross,
We are healed and restored,
We are reconciled with one another in you,
We thank you that we are forgiven
and can again live in love and peace with all.
Amen.

Response to the Matthew reading
One of the great questions we have to ask, as we study the Bible, listen to the Word of God, and learn what it means to try to follow Jesus, is to work out what to do with the bits of this tradition that make us uncomfortable. Do we lean into the discomfort and challenge ourselves to be better, to strive for a higher standard, to be counter-cultural, or do we say ‘some of this is of its time’ and needs to be context bound? Usually it’s a bit of a mixture of the two, right?

This week’s readings give us plenty of chance to think about this issue. What do we do with all this?
Nadia Bolz-Webber, American writer and thinker, has preached on this passage from
Matthew. Here’s what she has to say:

‘Our obsession with moral absolutes comes from clinging to the letter of
the law as though it can love us and save us when really that’s what Jesus is for. What Jesus seems to be doing here is reminding us of the spirit of the law so that we know how to love one another.’

It is a question that keeps coming up in Christian history: what do we do with ‘the law’, the Old Testament, in light of Jesus’ life, death and ministry? Now that the law has been replaced by relationship, how much use is the law? We still have it, we don’t wish to disregard it all together, but perhaps we have to treat it differently. In fact, Nadia helps us to see – perhaps we treat rule-making differently entirely.

In the Narnia stories, Aslan – the Christ-figure – is put to death by the wicked White Witch, who is following the laws as she understands them: that where there has been treachery, someone must pay for it with their life. What the White Witch is unaware of though, which Aslan knows about is the ‘deep magic before the dawn of time’, which means he cannot be killed and returns to life in C.S. Lewis’ beautiful fictional recreation of the Easter story. The law is not enough to contain Aslan’s act of self sacrifice, his love, his desire to ensure that no one else suffers. Love conquers over law.

Can you think of an example where this has happened in your own life? Or a relationship that you have which could not be defined or contained by a list of rules?

Where is your relationship with God at the moment?
Is it largely defined by rules, or by love?
How do you view God and do you see the divine as interested only in ‘thou shall not’
or do you see God as inviting you to learn more about love?

Spend a few minutes in quiet reflection by yourself thinking about that.
From ​The Vine at Home is compiled and produced by twelvebaskets

​Prayers Intercession
God who comforts,
as the death toll rises following the deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria
and rescuers struggle to cope with the level of devastation, the brutal weather and the war, we can feel a sense of despair and hopelessness.
There is so much loss and grief.

We pray for everyone whose lives have been dramatically altered by this disaster.
We pray for the injured, the grieving, and for those who have lost everything.
It’s hard to see how anyone can recover from such devastation,
but we continue to pray for comfort in the present and hope in the future.

Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer

God who brings justice and peace,
tensions around the globe have again hit the news this week between the US and China.
The war of words is escalating and tensions are rising.

We pray for the politicians and those who have power.
Help them to see the consequences of their words and be driven by a desire for peace.
Help all of us see people from other nations, especially those very different to our own, as your children, as part of one humanity precious in your sight.

Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer

God who shows kindness and compassion,
the story of the missing woman, Nicola Bulley, has taken many twists and turns this week.
The desperation of her family to discover what happened is mirrored by so many families across the country who are missing members of their family.

We pray for families who are looking for someone, that they would be found safe and well and have the time and space to work through all of the complicated issues they face.
We also pray for families who have to face tragic news about people missing.
Help them to experience compassion and kindness and find the support they need in a dark time.

Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer

God of love,
with Valentine’s day on the horizon
we are thankful for the people we love and who love us.
But we are most thankful for the everlasting, never changing love of God for all of us.
Thank you for sending your son Jesus to show us what love truly looks like.

As we sit and pray today may we feel your transforming love.
When we leave here today may we be people in our communities who bring God’s love to others.
And as we go through our week may we look to open ourselves more fully to the power of your love.

Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer

God of hope, the Christian life asks us to transform our thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
Help us today to choose your path
and help us follow it even when we have to make tough choices.
Thank you that we know your way leads us into the fullness of life.
Help us to support each other on the road
and delight when we see people grow in their life of faith.

Let’s take a moment of quiet to think and pray that we would choose what is good and holy.

Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer
Amen.

Lord’s prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and for ever.
Amen

​Blessing
Loving Lord, we want to use
our strong feelings to bring change;
our words to encourage;
our gifts to heal;
our eyes to see as you see;
our hands to give help.
Lord, we choose life, we choose you.
Amen.

Methodist way of life February theme – we will practice generosity and hospitality

StF 331 - King of kings majesty – our response to the generosity of God.

Hospitality is one form of generosity – it comes from an openness to others, to learn about them and from them, to widen our understanding and be changed by the encounter – one story of hospitality in the Bible is that of sisters Mary and Martha who opened their home to Jesus and his friends to stay and to eat together. Let’s encounter that story now - 

That story was about true hospitality - Mary and Martha were both open to others, and both learnt different things from the encounter, and were changed by it. Are we ready to welcome such new opportunities? Jesus invites us to go with him into the adventure of a generous hospitable life – listen to his words in our next song inviting you - Come with me come wander

Message - Rev Christine Fox
Today we have learnt in different ways about generosity and hospitality. We have seen how Mary and Martha having opened their home to Jesus and his friends had their understanding widened and were changed by the encounter. 

Before this service a few of us met together to talk about why we thought this aspect of the Methodist way of life was so important. 

We realised that the link we have with the church in Karlsruhe Germany has been for many of us a great experience of generous hospitality – in opening our homes both here and in Germany to each other, we have widened our understanding of each other, we have been changed by the encounter. This is a great example of hospitality shown at a church level. 

We also talked about our individual acts of hospitality and generosity –how other people have reacted to our showing hospitality – and that it’s not always easy to share what we do  - be it befriending refugees from other countries or personal acts of giving generously in other ways.  

We don’t in fact need to know what generosity or hospitality other people are offering but I want you to be inspired to keep being open – not just your homes but also your hearts.

In our interactive time some of us have discussed generosity, others of you have made invitation cards, a team have made some plans for an event, others have prayed or found out more about what the Bible says about generosity. 
 There are some things though that prevent us from being generous or hospitable – Martha invited Jesus to her house, but then didn’t spend time with him.  Mary didn’t invite Jesus, but when he was there she sat at his feet and listened and learnt from him.  

When we think about who we might give time and space to, do we remember to give space and hospitality to Jesus still in our lives today?

I am going to lead you now in a meditation that challenges us to beware of what might prevent us making space for time with Jesus or stop us offering hospitality in our own unique way – we are asked to mind the gap – there will be moments of silence for you to think

​Mind the gap. I’m looking, Lord, at the space where I must not tread; at all that I am tempted to do that puts me into danger; at all that would get in the way of true hospitality, all that might cause injury to myself or others.
 
Silence
 
Mind the gap. Help me, Lord, to be mindful of your teaching; to spend the time at your feet listening to your word, Scripture, with heart, ears and mind open. Teach me to make space for what is important.
 
Silence 
Mind the gap. Lord, keep my focus upon you and not on others. Help me to hear my name called by you. Open my heart to receive your call to me. Enable me to be mindful of what you would have me do and not resentfully of what you seem to be calling others to do.
 
Silence
 
Mind the gap. Be mindful. The Gap is a space, a mindful space of hospitality. This is where we are called to be.
 
Silence
 
Mind the gap.

Lord’s prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and for ever.
Amen

​Sing 477 - Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart -  - giving of ourselves generously “let all my movements express a heart that leaps to say yes a will that seeks to obey you...

Blessing
May I  enter into the flow of love that is at work in the universe.
Living God, show me how to discover that you are already out there, moving,
transforming, touching lives and all creation.
Lord Jesus the Christ, travel with me as I go and encounter the Spirit of God.
Amen.