On Sunday, 5th April at 4pm (GMT) we will gather on Facebook Live (or on YouTube) with interactive discussions afterwards in Zoom. You can follow along with the running order below and find any links that you need.
We are also hosting a Palm Sunday [Virtual] Prayer Walk a bit earlier in the day (12:30) if you fancy joining in with that too. If you don’t manage it at 12:30, you can download it here and use it for a guided prayer walk any time.
We’ll be doing an online worship gathering every Sunday at 4pm we are also meeting for a weekly online prayer gathering Wednesdays at 7:30 via Zoom. If you would like to ALSO connect with one of our mid-week Zoom Community Groups email newchurchbirmingham@gmail.com.
When we gather in person we always have cake and a creative/ mindfulness area with activities. You’ll have to grab your own snack this time, but if you fancy doing something creative as you watch/ listen/ engage with our worship gathering, you can download and print this (it’s a colouring sheet that looks at today’s theme.) Here’s what else to expect:
Welcome (Danielle)
Songs (Ali & Ellie)
Come Now is the Time to Worship
Alabaster Jar
**A Prayer (written by Barbara Glasson) (Sam)
Question for Sharing (Tom & Nettes): What have you been grateful for this week?
Song (Ali & Ellie): Tremble
Story from Education (Tash and Jo)
Scripture Reading (Julia) – “But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses[a] and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.” Romans 3:21-31 (from a letter Paul wrote to the a church in Rome)
Reflection (David – Reflections on the Lost Message of Paul by Steve Chalke
Response (AKA a moment to think)
Virtual Love Feast (Tom)
Song (Ali & Ellie): The Creed
What’s coming up (Danielle)
Blessing: “May we live fully, love wastefully and have the courage to be all that God has created us to be.”
After our Worship Gathering, those of you who would like to discuss some of the themes of the Lost Message of Paul are invited to move over to Zoom at 5:15 by clicking this link (Password:712583). This is a time where we can chat about what resonates with us or things that maybe we don’t think we agree with.
Normally, on a Sunday evening we break up into Community Groups at this time – we’ll resume that next week. Our groups will continue to meet during this week. You can read more about Community Groups here and get in touch if you’d like to join one. There is room for you!
** A Prayer by Barbara Glasson (President of the Methodist Conference):
Lord Jesus Christ,
you taught us to love our neighbour,
and to care for those in need
as if we were caring for you.
In this time of anxiety, give us strength
to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick,
and to assure the isolated
of our love, and your love,
for your name’s sake.
We are not
people of fear:
we are people of courage.
We are not people who protect our own safety:
we are people who protect our neighbours’ safety.
We are not people of greed:
we are people of generosity.
We are your people God,
giving and loving,
wherever we are,
whatever it costs
For as long as it takes
wherever you call us.
Amen.
Any questions? Would you like to sign up to our email update list? Email newchurchbirmingham@gmail.com. If you’d benefit from help getting onto Zoom, have questions about our Community Groups or if you are in the West Midlands would like someone to check in on you via phone your during this unsettling season, give us a shout.
