The Healing Congregation - The Bible Reading

Introducing The Bible Reading: James 5:1-20
(comments based on the Life Application Bible)

One of the purposes of this book - James - is to teach right Christian behaviour. James, who was the brother of Jesus, is by now a leader in the Jerusalem church, is writing to the first century Jewish Christians.

With energetic style and crisp, well chosen words, James confronts the conflict head on, that we can profess to trust God and to be his people, yet we still cling tightly to the world and its values.

At times we might possess all the right answers but contradict the gospel with our lives. James urges us to talk the Christian faith without forgetting to live it. In these verses we will certainly hear the point that, the proof of the reality of our faith, is a changed life.

This book has been described as a how-to book on Christian living and it is full of confrontation, challenge and commitment. Bible passages such as this one are very important and helpful at a time when being a Christian is very hard. We are persecuted in ways we might not realize.

For example into our personal life we might bring our rights, our wanting things quickly...to our fellowship we might bring pressure from health and safety so we end up having no outings which used to build fellowship...into our community life we might take help only to those who only help themselves... the list goes on.

Before we know it our connection with God gets blurred and we might not even realize it because it is how the rest of the world lives. In chapters 1-4 James outlines some of the characteristics of the Christian life. We will join his writings in chapter 5 as he begins to talk about our responsibilities to God, to others and to our own church fellowship.

The Healing Congregation - Theme of Service

Dried Or Revived?

Image taken from Google Images

These daffodils in my hand are very dry - see above for a picture of dry daffodils. Instead of throwing them away after Easter I kept them but no longer watered them. Look at them now. At certain times in my life I have felt as tired as these flowers look. Spiritually there have been times when I have felt as dry as these flowers are.

Those of you who have experienced such times will know how wonderful it is when you begin to feel better, revived, or as the dictionary states you recover new vigour. God is good and his Spirit knows how to help us. There is always hope, and just like this beautiful fresh daffodil taken from our garden this very morning, we too can feel revived once again, if not physically, at least spiritually.

Daffodils taken from Google Images

The only problem that I have is that I have cut this flower from its stem so it does not matter how much water or sun it gets it will not last long. Having had difficult times in my own life, and having observed other peoples' lives I now know from experience that we cannot last long without the Lord in our lives.

We try, we try very hard but at some point, sooner or later, we will end up like these dried-up daffodils. We really need to be connected to God. The thing is that we are meant to be connected to God, we are actually going against the grain, the tide when we attempt to detach ourselves from him.

That's why it is better to stay close to the Lord. I encourage you, urge you to connect with God, to let his Spirit revive you, transform you into a deeper level with him than ever before in your life.

The Healing Congregation - Worship Programme

Pre-meeting: Band

Welcome and Notices

Anecdote from Box of Delights (26b)
Jesus is in my heart

Song 335 (SASB 833/This is what the Lord has done)
I want to tell what God has done

Dried-up daffodils
Songs of Fellowship 365
Lord we long for you (Vol5 CD2 Track3)

Prayers

Song 324 (SASB 429/ Bethany)
I Believe that God the Father

Introduction to Bible Reading

Band

Bible Reading - James 5:1-20

Offering

Songsters - Master Speak

Message - The Healing Congregation

Songs of Fellowship 311
Jesus, You Are Changing Me

Songs of Fellowship 389
May we be a shining light
(Volunteers to read verses out while piano plays)
Testimonies - time to share with others how you feel about your faith just now!

Song 324 (SASB 429/ Bethany)
I Believe that God the Father
Verses 2 & 4

Prayer

Benediction: Songsters

What Kind Of Wounds Do You Have? - Nooma

What kind of wounds do you have?
How have your wounds shaped who you are today?

Bible Reading - Romans 12:19 (MSG) "Don't insist in getting even; that's not for you to do. I'll do the judging", says God. "I'll take care of it"

Have you ever really gotten revenge? If so, how did it make you feel afterwards? If we take revenge when we get hurt, do you think it's like saying to God, "I think I can handle this better than you"?

Bible Reading - Proverbs 15:3 (CEV) The LORD sees everything, whether good or bad. If God's right there when people get hurt, why do you think he doesn't step in to stop it from happening? Do you trust that God is ultimately going to take care of everything? Why is God's forgiveness of us so crucial to our forgiveness of others?

Bible Reading - Luke 6:37 (NIV) Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Can we forgive somebody without being able to be around them? Do you have people like that in your life? Do you believe forgiveness is really more about the one forgiving than the one being forgiven? Does that view on forgiveness make it easier to forgive? Are there people you need to forgive? If someone you need to forgive died before you made amends, what kind of regrets would you have?

Concluding Words by Rob Bell... So may you forgive as you've been forgiven, may you give to others what's been given to you, may you set someone free and find out that it was you, and may you do it today, because you might not have the chance tomorrow

XS Baggage - ToThinkabout

Are you one of these people who always manages to carry excess baggage? You packed too many shoes, too many clothes for all eventualities, too many toiletries and gadgets to save you money and so that you can enjoy home comforts whilst on holiday? And why not?

The problem with such a appealing idea is that you will usually have a price to pay for the luxury! Excess baggage at the airport is no laughing matter...nor is having to carry a lot of stuff about on your own! Packing, unpacking ...

I recently found out I had been carrying baggage myself for a very long time which was weighing me down. We all do in some way or another. Life is full of things we carry and don't know what to do with it or how to get rid of it.

I am dealing with my luggage, painfully and slowly...and as time goes by it seems to feel easier. What excess luggage do you have, and do you really want it weighing you down? De-clutter like me and together we shall get through. Not easy, but possible.

Luggage - Nooma

Cafe Church 4pm Gainsborough

Welcome, Notices and Introductions...

Songs of Fellowship 646... All I Once Held Dear

Song 610 (SASB 863/Wonderful Healer)
Lord, here today my great need I am feeling

Weekly Offering

Todays' Prayers... The Work of The Holy Spirit In Our Fellowship, Future Of Our Corps, Property Matters

Nooma DVD: Luggage 007 Rob Bell (Info and clip)

Quiet Time: Personal Reflection on what we have seen on DVD

Looking at some verses from the Bible about forgiveness and 'baggage' we carry

Encouragement and Time of Testimony and Praise

Songs of Fellowship 716... Filled with Compassion

Prayer and Benediction

Cartoon - Loving God and others? Steady On!

Some people find it easier to love God rather than other people. Other people find it easier to love others rather than God. There are people who only love themselves. Where are you in this?

What draws you to the message of Jesus? - Nooma

Cafe Church 4pm Gainsborough

Welcome and Notices

Magnify 6 As we come to your throne (You are worthy)
Magnify is a Salvationist collection of 75 songs of worship.

Magnify 7 Be still, for the presence of the Lord

Prayer

To get us thinking:
How do you feel about people who stop you in the street and want you to listen to them?
What actually draws you to the message of Jesus? At the beginning were you loved or scared into the Kingdom?
Why do you think that generally followers of Jesus make a distinction between their love for God and their love for others

Short DVD - Introducing Bullhorn 009 Rob Bell
Time to reflect and discuss our reactions to the DVD

Bible Readings Matthew 22:36-40 and John 13:35

Today's challenge - If we are not shouting the message out loudly and scaringly, then how are we sharing it? Are we loving God and others with the same passion? If not, why not? How and who can help us sort this out?

Magnify 2 All Heaven Declares

Song 48 (SASB 150/God's love is wonderful)
God's love to me is wonderful
The Salvation Army Songbook

Prayer

Rob Bell ends DVD saying.."So may you see that how you love others is how you love God.
That' it
That's the way of love
That's the way of Jesus"

Going anywhere tomorrow? -ToThinkabout

Lots of thought provoking stuff here!
What do you think?

MyTips on Worship Preparation - Giving out notices in church?

The Announcements/Notices...given out in a service:

Now these are tricky. There can be so many notices that you use up precious time which you need specially if you have a set time to keep. Too many notices can also be boring. Some services have them at the beginning, as we do in Gainsborough, so that they are out of the way and the service can then go on without interruption or distraction but the problem with that choice is that it feels wrong to follow beautiful introductory music with mondaying notices about the toilets being out of order on tuesday for a week!! Others might put them in the programme at the very end, after the Sermon or even after the Benediction. The problem with having them at the end is that you could easily spoil the blessed atmosphere that has built up by giving them out then.

It seems that whenever you do it, it is going to be unsatisfactory for someone and, you will need to take local situations into account when deciding when it might be best, but there will always be a word of welcome and some form of housekeeping to pass on! Some churches give out a weekly sheet with the information needed and that is ideal but you then need someone to be responsible for this task other than the minister as he has too much to sort out already.

Other churches put their notices for the week and coming events on PowerPoint and show them before and after the service. Others, pin the notices on their notice board for all to see because they cannot photocopy for everyone. There are lots of ways and in the end it is only by trial and error that you find the answer to best suit your church services.

Some churches traditionally give out the notices at the same time as the taking up of the collection, if you want to try that then remember that having the notices first might mean people getting their offering ready and missing half of what is being said! I told you, you can't win. Just some things to think about...

Cartoon - Singing in Church Choirs

This cartoon speaks to me of commitment and simplicity. The choristers just want to praise God. The choirmaster is understandably frustrated with their 'efforts'. Choir members come in all shapes and sizes but they usually want to praise God and witness to those who hear them sing. In the Salvation Army we call them 'Songsters'. Whatever we call them in our churches lets appreciate our choirs and encourage them - if you do, they'll sing with that extra twinkle in their eyes!