Methodist Communion Service Led by Rev. Peter Bates
5th Sunday of Lent
A prayer for the week from Matt
Heavenly Father, Lord God of compassion, come and strengthen us in faith. Help us to be more deeply rooted in love for our Lord Jesus Christ, and would his love for us feed our souls, and those of our fellow believers. In his name we pray, Amen
Please also pray for
Peter Bates as he prepares the service for us this Sunday.
Residents of Hough Road and Staveley Road
Remember in your prayers all victims of the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand and all who are working to support them.
A Call to Prayer (from Matt)
This week and next, the midweek discipleship group are focussing on the subject of prayer - what it is, how we engage with it and different ways of praying.
There is no right or wrong way to pray but it is open to all of us.
Any form of prayer is:-
Being with God - attentive to Him in our daily lives
and responding to what He is doing.
Prayer is simply the “love language” which helps us to connect with God in this way.
Being in active relationship with God.
Easter Services and events: Come and join us at this - the most special time in the calendar of the church
Palm Sunday (13th April): All-age guest service
Tuesday 15th: Easter Stay-and-play (for parents and 0-5s), 10-12am
Thursday 17th: Seder (taster) meal*, 5.30pm
(* Having an idea of numbers for this would be helpful-please contact Matt or Val)
Friday 18th: Contemplative Good Friday service, 2pm at St. Bede’s
Saturday 19th: Easter Saturday fayre, 10-12.30 at St. Bede’s
Saturday 19th: Easter Vigil, 8pm at St. Bede’s
Easter Sunday: Light breakfast followed by all-age Easter celebration service, 9.45 (at Hazelwell) This week’s reading (from the Old Testament )
A Reflection on Isaiah 43:16-21
This passage starts with a powerful reminder to us that no matter how overwhelming our circumstances may seem, God is still the same God who parts seas, who makes a way where there seems to be no way. His sovereignty is not bound by time or situation.
In verses 18-19 God calls His people to forget the former things and not dwell on the past. This doesn’t mean to erase or deny the past, but rather to shift focus from what has been to what God is about to do. God is about to do a "new thing," something that will bring about transformation and renewal.
It’s a reminder that God is always doing something new, even when it feels like we are stuck in old patterns or stuck in the pain of the past. Sometimes, the hardest thing is to let go of past wounds, regrets, or failures to make room for God's new work in our lives.
The New Thing (v. 19-21): God reveals that the new thing He will do is beyond their expectations. It’s not just a return to the past glory of Israel, but something greater -rivers in the desert, a way in the wilderness. It’s the imagery of God transforming desolate and barren places into fruitful ones, bringing life where there was once death.
Thus we see God’s ability to create life out of nothing, to restore even the most hopeless situations. It’s a promise of hope, not just for the Israelites, but for all of us who find ourselves in barren or difficult places. God promises to bring renewal and provision, even in the most unexpected places.
The transformation He brings isn’t just for our benefit but for His glory. As God’s people experience His new work in their lives, they are called to respond with worship and to testify to His greatness.
Our stories of transformation and God's faithfulness are meant to be shared. When God does something new in our lives, it’s a testimony to His goodness, and we are called to praise Him and share that testimony with others.
A Question:
Are we expectant of God’s work in our lives and do we live lives of praise which testify to His transformative power?
