Morning Worship, Sunday April 11th

You can join worship at on Facebook for Apperknowle, Coal Aston, Methodists in S12 or St Paul’s Dronfield.  You can also join on YouTube for Coal Aston or St Paul’s.  A service to follow at home for those unable to join online is attached.  You will be able to listen to the readings, prayers and reflections from this service until next Sunday by calling  Thank you to Libby, Ophelia, Margaret, Richard and Yvonne for suggesting they prepared, led and produced the worship for this week. 

District Evening Worship, Sunday 11^th April, 6:00pm

A special District Service will be available on the YouTube Channel for Sheffield Methodist District.

Midweek Prayer and Bible Study

There will be no 9:15am prayers on Wednesday this week as we meet term time only.  There is also no 8:00pm Bible Study this Wednesday. 

A message from Libby

How annoying is this? You are completing a 1,000 piece jigsaw, feeling smug and happy, when you realise the last piece of the puzzle is missing. All that work, yes the picture looks lovely (why is there always a vast expanse of blue sky?) but it is spoilt by that one tiny empty space. This leaves us with a great dilemma, you have promised to pass the puzzle on to your sister-in-law. Do we admit to there being a piece missing, or say nothing and hope she doesn’t spend an age searching her carpet for it?

Our congregation is a bit like a jigsaw. We know where everyone sits. If the chair where “so-and-so” sits is empty at 10.30, we are wondering where they are.

I was thinking about this in relation to the wonderful, amazing vaccine programme. The scientists who worked round the clock, Kate Bingham (who left her very lucrative job to lead the whole thing and refused any payment, look this amazing woman up if you can). The people who make the syringes and glass phials, the packers, the delivery drivers, the nurses giving the vaccines, the lovely man on the gate at Stubley controlling the traffic, we could go on. Each of them just a tiny piece of this wonderful, amazing jigsaw we are benefiting from. Think of the people who clean the laboratories, a menial job some might say - but is it? Of course not, they are like the little missing piece of the jigsaw, without them doing that job the whole marvellous programme couldn’t function.

So, going back to our little church. How wonderful it will be (that is an understatement), when we are back, sitting in our usual place and being just like a piece of jigsaw - making the picture look incomplete if we weren’t there!
Blessed be the works of your hands,
Blessed be the hands that have nurtured creativity,
Blessed be the hands that have produced lifesaving drugs,
Blessed be the hands that have planted new seeds and crops,
Blessed be the hands that have tended gardens,
Blessed be the hands that will harvest ripe fields,
Blessed be the hands that have, washed, cleaned and scrubbed,
Blessed be the hands of little children and those that have become knotty with age,
Blessed be the hands that are scarred from doing justice,
Blessed be the hands that reach out with love and compassion,
Blessed be the hands that bring healing and relief from pain,
Blessed be the hands that dry tears,
Blessed be the hands that hold the promise of the future.
Blessed be the works of YOUR hands.
Father we thank you for our place in the jigsaw of life, and may we all know each one of us is loved by
you. Amen

Because of lockdown, our normal bread and cheese lunch on World Leprosy Day cannot come on. However, this is a particularly good time to give to The Leprosy Mission, because the government has promised to double all donations given before April 24th.

Here is the link for donations: https://leprosymission.netdonor.net/page/73514/donate/1

Cash or cheques can also be left at the Revills'. Thank you!

Coronavirus prayer for God’s intervention and protection

Dear Creator of the World,

We come before you asking your mercy on us to halt the spread of the coronavirus. 

We pray for those already infected with coronavirus that they may receive prompt, effective and compassionate medical care that will restore them to health.

We pray your protection and grace for all medical professionals who are courageously treating those infected with coronavirus.  May they be shielded, strengthened and guided as they administer healing treatments and care. 

We pray your protection over those most vulnerable to disease, for our babies, our children, our elders, our poor, disabled and those weakened by other health conditions.

We pray for those under quarantine that they might be comforted by your presence and protected from disease, anxiety and fear.   

We pray for our public healthcare leaders and government agencies that they might be informed and well prepared as they deal with the coronavirus.  Grant them the resources and manpower they need to use their wisdom in the best interest of public health.

We pray for the researchers who are tracking the course of the coronavirus.  May they uncover patterns that will help us understand how to stay healthy. 

We pray for those searching for treatments, cures and vaccines.  May you guide them, reveal new ideas and accelerate their discoveries to fight this disease. 

We pray for the communities, areas and countries hardest hit by coronavirus.  Restore their sense of wellbeing and community.  Sustain them, comfort them and give them hope. 

We pray for all whose lives are disrupted by the coronavirus.   We pray for families who have been separated and for those whose livelihoods have been jeopardized.    

We look to you, Oh God, praying that the spread of the coronavirus will be halted and that many lives might be spared.

We pray that through this crisis you may draw us closer to you, grow our compassion and increase our knowledge.

Thank you that you are the Great Physician who not only heals us but who is a a very present help in our time of need as the Bible tells us that you “Took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”  (Matthew 8 :17 NIV)

Thank you for hearing our prayer.

Amen.

Karen Barber    February 27 2020