Lord of Love, it is good to come to You and remember that we do not face anything in our strength alone, but with You walking alongside us. Through the Power of Your Holy Spirit, you give us the courage and the strength to face the challenges set before us. You give us the courage to continue to serve you and others. So teach us to let go of any fears and doubts and to place our trust in You, throughout this day and always, Amen.
God of Grace, as we are reminded this morning of this text by the Methodist Charity ‘All We Can’, we lift before you all those charities who are affected by the implications of the virus. We pray that pathways will be forged to ensure that the most vulnerable continue to receive the support they need. We thank you too for all those people who are doing whatever they can to raise much needed funds to assist the NHS and those in need of financial support. May we all continue to support this work as a people united and strengthened by Your Holy Spirit. Amen.
In John 20:22 we read ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’.
Gracious God, thank you for sending the power of your Holy Spirit into our lives to inspire and challenge and equip us to live our lives in glory to you. Help us to see your power in action as we witness great acts of love and self-giving across our nation and our world. At the start of a new week of lockdown, we ask that you give courage and strength to all those who will once more step onto the front line, in order that others may stay safe. May they feel the Power of the Cross. Bless us today Lord, and those we love. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Video of The Plaque Dedication Service in memory of Norman Cardwell (headteacher of Croston Wesleyan School and steward of this church in the 1930s and 40s) and his wife Merci who opened their hearts and home to Olga Bergmann Gabanyi, a Czechoslovakian refugee, who came to Croston on the last Winton Kindertransport in September 1939. Indeed an important event in the history of our church and village.
Olga Bergmann Gabanyi
Norman Cardwell with glasses on right above Merci, Beatrice Fairclough on same step as Norman
May we who are inconvenienced remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have to cancel our trips remember those who have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home remember those who have no home.
May we who have the luxury of working from home remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close remember those who have no options.
As fear grips our country, let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbours.
Amen.
On your daily walk (or even indoors), collect some items that you can make a mini prayer garden with. A paper plate, an egg box, anything will do. Just add things, that you collect and say thank you to God for all that he has created for you.
Use chalks to create your own family prayer picture. Draw your home and family, you can even cut out people using paper and add them to your picture. Include the names of people you’d like to pray for. If you can make bubbles, send a prayer as each bubbles floats away, or even shout out loud the name of someone who is helping you everyday and say thank you.
And now an activity from Rachael, Reuben and Myah who read the Story of the good Samaritan together.
One day Jesus told a story to a man who asked him how to be a good neighbour. “There once was a Jewish man walking along a road. He was coming from Jerusalem and was heading to Jericho, which was a full day or two of walking.The road was rocky and there were small hills all around. The man was just humming to himself and enjoying the nice day when suddenly a group of men jumped out from behind a hill. They took all his belongings and tore off most of his clothes. They didn’t want him to follow them so they beat him up very badly, and left him lying and bleeding on the side of the road. A few minutes later, a priest was walking down the same path and noticed the man lying on the side of the road. But he crossed the road and walked on the other side and acted like he didn’t see the man. About an hour or so later, another man, called a Levite, was walking down the road. Levites were people who assisted priests with their work. He slowed down and walked a little closer to the man, but then kept walking without helping him at all. Just a few minutes later, another man came walking. He was a Samaritan. But as soon as he saw the man, he went over to him and felt compassion for him. He put bandages on his sores and poured oil and wine (which were quite expensive) on the sores to prevent them from getting worse. Then he lifted the man on his own donkey and took him to a hotel to take care of him. After Jesus finished the story, he asked, “Which of the three men do you think was a neighbour to the man who was left beaten on the side of the road?” The man who asked him the question at the beginning replied, “The one who had compassion and helped him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
The story of the good Samaritan demonstrates that friendship is defined by love and compassion, not race. This handprint craft will encourage us to think of ways we can lend a helping hand to our neighbours.
Jars (at least three or four of the same or a similar size); water; spoons; food colouring in a few different colours if you have it
Fill each jar with a different amount of cold water and make each a different colour with the food colouring. Gently tap each jar with a metal or wooden spoon and listen to the different sounds.
Why do the different jars make different sounds? The sounds you hear are caused by sound waves, which are themselves caused by the glass vibrating as you hit it. The frequency of sound depends on how fast the glass is vibrating. When a glass contains more water, the vibration is slower and the pitch is lower. Conversely, when the glass contains less water, the vibration is faster and the pitch is higher. If you’re feeling particularly musical, try to work out how to fill the jars to create a musical scale or even a tune. The more jars you use, the more possibilities there are!
You could do this experiment a slightly different way with some plastic water bottles with different amounts of water in. Rather than hitting the bottles, blow over the top of them. Now what do you hear? Which has the highest and lowest pitch? It should be the opposite of what you found when you hit the jars. This is because in this case, it is the vibration of the air in the bottle and not the actual bottle that causes the sound you hear. In the bottle with only a little water in, there is a longer air column and the sound waves in the air vibrate slower so that the pitch of the note is slower. With a lot of water and little air, the sound waves in the air vibrate faster and the pitch is higher.
The person who wrote one of the Psalms said, ‘Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!’ (Psalm 150:6). Sometimes we can praise God through words, but what do you think it means to praise God without words? Do non-humans praise God, do you think? Do trees and rivers? Do animals? How would you praise God silently? Is it possible?
I know that whilst you have been home schooling, many of you have been doing some amazing art and crafts. I’d like to show you two things my Granddaughter Leana has made. Of course, I can’t see them at the moment but my son-in-law has sent me some photographs.
The first is of this amazing caterpillar. Can you see what it is made from? Now, I’m sure many of you know the story of the very hungry caterpillar. Well, today I want to tell you a story about a very special caterpillar. He was very hungry, and he munched away on leaves until he grew into a big caterpillar like this one.
And he was a kind caterpillar, so he showed all the other caterpillars where to find the biggest, juiciest leaves, and everyone in the caterpillar community loved him and followed him from leaf to leaf. And then one day, the caterpillar said to his friends, “I’m going away for a little time, I have a very special job to do”.
The other caterpillars were dismayed and begged him not to go, but the caterpillar said that he must go, but promised that they would see him again. The caterpillar shuffled away until he found a comfy tree trunk, where he wrapped himself in a silky sleeping bag and went to sleep.
And whilst he was wrapped tightly in his cocoon, he began to change. He grew wonderful wings and long legs and his green coat changed into bright multi-colours and then one sunny day, he burst out of the cocoon as a beautiful butterfly like this one Leana has made.
Wow! The other caterpillars wriggled over to the empty cocoon and began to cry because their friend had gone. They thought he must be dead. Then suddenly they heard a familiar voice and saw a beautiful butterfly hovering above them.
“Don’t cry said the butterfly, I’m here, I’m alive”. The caterpillars could not believe their eyes. “Didn’t I promise you’d see me again?” said the butterfly. “I’ll always be with you and one day you’ll be beautiful butterflies too and we’ll always be together!” Then the beautiful butterfly fluttered away out of sight.
That story reminds us, that like the beautiful butterfly, Jesus is alive, and he is always with us and although we can’t see him, we know he is with us when we see the beautiful things in our lives, like butterflies.
And we know he is with us when we are touched by the kindness of other people and feel the love of Jesus in our hearts. Rev Sue
