{"id":23165,"date":"2025-02-16T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-16T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/urc\/sunday-worship-16-february-2025"},"modified":"2025-02-16T09:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-16T09:30:00","slug":"sunday-worship-16-february-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/sunday-worship-16-february-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Worship 16 February 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<br \/><em>Today\u2019s service is led by the Revd Dr Sarah Hall<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/><strong>Welcome<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hello! My name is Sarah Hall and I&#8217;m a minister working with two churches and the University chaplaincy in Southampton. I&#8217;m glad to be able to share worship with you today as we discuss some deep topics: healing, blessing and life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Call to Worship<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Blessed are those who trust in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. <strong>They shall be like a tree planted by water, &nbsp;sending out its roots by the stream.<\/strong> It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green <strong>in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Hymn<\/strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<em>Praise to the Lord, The Almighty<\/em><br \/>Joachim Neander (1650-1680), Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878). Public Domain sung by Acapeldridge<\/p>\n<p>Praise to the Lord, the almighty, the King of creation;&nbsp;<br \/>O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation.<br \/>All ye who hear now to His temple draw near,<br \/>join me in glad adoration.<\/p>\n<p>Praise to the Lord, who o&#8217;er all things so wondrously reigneth,&nbsp;<br \/>shelters thee under His wings, yea so gently sustaineth:&nbsp;<br \/>hast thou not seen how thy desires e\u2019er have been granted&nbsp;<br \/>in what he ordaineth?<\/p>\n<p>Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work, and defend thee;<br \/>surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;<br \/>ponder anew all the Almighty can do,<br \/>if with his love He befriend thee.<\/p>\n<p>Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!<br \/>All that hath life and breath come now with praises before him!<br \/>Let the amen sound from his people again:<br \/>gladly for aye we adore him.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Prayers of Adoration and Confession&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You are our heart\u2019s desire,&nbsp;<br \/>choosing grace over grudges, providing, not withholding;&nbsp;<br \/>creating community, not standing far off.&nbsp;<br \/>You are our brother and servant,<br \/>cradling clenched fists in your scarred hands,<br \/>lighting us through the dark times of our lives.<br \/>You are the breath of wonder,&nbsp;<br \/>blowing death\u2019s dust off our shoulders,<br \/>mending our brokenness with resurrection,<br \/>whispering words of peace into hearts full of anger.&nbsp;<br \/>Yet we do not always choose to listen.<\/p>\n<p>As we focus on Jesus\u2019 ministry of healing,&nbsp;<br \/>we can still hold tight to hatred and fear which continue to damage us.&nbsp;<br \/>As we are invited to listen to his teaching,&nbsp;<br \/>we can still become complacent &#8211; after all, we&#8217;re all right! \u2013&nbsp;<br \/>and ignore the plight of others.<br \/>Yet you have sent him before us so that,&nbsp;<br \/>as we follow him, we may travel from fear and confusion&nbsp;<br \/>to your new life of wholeness and trust.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Assurance of Pardon<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Listen! here is good news: Christ Jesus came into the world to forgive us in our failure, to accept us as we are, to set us free from evil\u2019s power and make us what we were meant to be. Through him God says to each of us: \u201cYou are accepted. You are forgiven. I will set you free.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And together we respond, through Jesus Christ, our Lord:<br \/><strong>Amen. Thanks be to God.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As forgiven people, let us say together the prayer that Jesus gave us:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Our Father\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Prayer for Inspiration<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Living God, help us so to hear your Word that we may truly understand;&nbsp;<br \/>that, understanding, we may believe; &nbsp;and believing, we may follow your way in all faithfulness, seeking your honour and glory in all that we do. Amen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reading<\/strong> &nbsp; &nbsp; <em>St Luke 6:17-19<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. &nbsp;They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Comment 1<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I wonder, how do you react when you hear a reading like this, speaking about healing happening through Jesus\u2019 touch?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I guess the easiest way is to ignore it. It\u2019s the sort of thing that happened way back when &#8211; or at least, that\u2019s the way it got written down. They didn\u2019t know much about the human body in those days, so you could get away with talking about pretty unlikely things, so long as it\u2019s a story about God. The whole point of it is to show people reading the story who Jesus is: God in human form. But it wouldn\u2019t make any sense to look for God\u2019s healing today. That\u2019s what we have the NHS for &#8211; and boy, are we thankful to God for them &#8211; when we can get an appointment, that is!<\/p>\n<p>That may be the <em>easiest <\/em>way for us to deal with this sort of reading \u2013 but maybe it\u2019s a bit of a cop-out. Don\u2019t get me wrong,<em> I do<\/em> believe God heals through doctors, nurses, operations, medicine and technology. After all, God gave us brains to figure out how our bodies work. But we all know that\u2019s not the whole story, even nowadays. A sugar pill even when we know it\u2019s only sugar; a listening ear or a hug at just the right moment: that can <em>also <\/em>be healing, for body as well as for mind and spirit. We don\u2019t know <em>how<\/em>, but we know it\u2019s <em>true<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>If <em>human <\/em>care can have a healing effect, then, surely God\u2019s love can do more? Shouldn\u2019t we, as Jesus\u2019 followers, be looking for healing from God as a <em>first <\/em>port of call, not a last-ditch attempt, to try only when all other hope is gone? Certainly, whenever I ask in a service or a church meeting for suggestions of who we want to pray for, people who are ill will always come to mind. And that is <em>right<\/em>. We believe in a God who knows what it feels like to go through anguish in body, mind and spirit. And in a God who relieves suffering.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a snag, though: and you\u2019ll know what it is just as much as I do. <em>We <\/em>have <em>no control<\/em> over the possibility of healing through prayer. There\u2019s no certainty in it. People who have done good suffer, and in spite of prayer their suffering remains. People who seem to have done nothing to write home about get better. Even in our reading, great crowds gathered around Jesus for healing, but others who couldn\u2019t be there that day had no benefit from his presence. It doesn\u2019t seem <em>fair<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em>When <\/em>we ask for healing \u2013 through medicine <em>and <\/em>through prayer \u2013 and healing <em>comes<\/em>, it\u2019s easy to know how to react: with gratitude, with thankfulness. When we ask for healing and healing appears not to come: <em>that\u2019s harder.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve heard of times when people blame the sick person. You didn\u2019t have enough faith, they say. Or, It\u2019s because you\u2019re sinful that God didn\u2019t heal you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you ever hear either of those things being said to a person who\u2019s already suffering, I\u2019ll tell you for nothing: that\u2019s bad theology, as well as lousy pastoral care. Our God is a God of grace. We cannot earn God\u2019s healing, just as we can\u2019t earn God\u2019s love or God\u2019s forgiveness. They are free.<\/p>\n<p>Another way to react, when our prayers for healing seem not to be answered, is to be angry with God. That\u2019s better theology. All through the Bible, God\u2019s friends have called God to account when life seems inexplicably unfair. And Jesus can take <em>anything <\/em>we can think of yelling at him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Yet in spite of all the confusion and contradiction. I do believe God heals, and that the trust involved in asking for healing is part of our journey with Jesus. Life is not pain-free; some people suffer unfairly. The cross shows us that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But <em>Jesus <\/em>asked God for healing. So that\u2019s what <em>I<\/em> want to do too.&nbsp;<br \/>However it may turn out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hymn&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; <em>Great God of Mercy, God of Consolation<\/em><br \/>James Quinn SJ \u00a9 1980, ICEL OneLicence # A-734713 &nbsp;sung by the congregation of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington DC.<\/p>\n<p>Great God of mercy, God of consolation,<br \/>look to your people, gathered here to praise you,<br \/>pity our weakness, come in power to aid us,<br \/>source of all blessing.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus, Redeemer, Lord of all creation,<br \/>come as our Saviour, Jesus, friend of sinners,<br \/>grant us forgiveness, lift our downcast spirit,<br \/>heal us and save us.<\/p>\n<p>Joy-giving Spirit, be our light in darkness,<br \/>come to befriend us, help us bear our burdens,<br \/>give us true courage, breath your peace around us,<br \/>stay with us always.<\/p>\n<p>God in Three Persons, Trinity Eternal,<br \/>come to renew us, fill your Church with glory,<br \/>grant us your healing, pledge of resurrection,<br \/>foretaste of heaven.&nbsp;<br \/>&nbsp;<br \/><strong>Reading&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; <em>Luke 6:20-23<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Then Jesus looked up at his disciples and said: \u2018Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Comment 2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you think it\u2019s not been totally good news so far this morning, this reading may not be lifting your mood. Blessed are we when we\u2019re poor, when we\u2019re hungry, when we\u2019re grieving, when everyone else thinks we\u2019re a waste of space. Thank you so much, Jesus \u2013 that was <em>just <\/em>what I was aiming at!<\/p>\n<p>This is Luke\u2019s less well known version of Jesus\u2019 teaching about what it is for us to be blessed \u2013 a sort of anti-prosperity theology. Where others in his day, <em>and <\/em>in our own, were arguing that the better you do in life, the more that <em>has <\/em>to mean God loves you, Jesus had a <em>very<\/em> different point of view. And even after his death, when people were writing down what he said, we get two contrasting versions, from Luke and from Matthew.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Matthew talks about blessings for people who are poor \u2018in spirit\u2019 &#8211; people who know their need of God. Matthew talks about blessings for people who hunger and thirst for God\u2019s righteous kingdom to come. And I reckon both of those ideas can be found in Jesus\u2019 teaching, as well as in the Hebrew Bible where Matthew found much of his understanding of Jesus. But Luke\u2019s not talking about spiritual ideals. Luke, who thinks second-class citizens like women and foreigners are worth writing about, Luke has his feet <em>firmly <\/em>on the ground. <em>His <\/em>version is that Jesus talks to the crowds and to his followers about being poor. About being hungry. Full stop. No metaphor.<\/p>\n<p>The Good News Bible talks instead of \u2018blessing\u2019 about \u2018happiness\u2019. Happy are the poor. Happy are the hungry. Hmm. I know sometimes people from the UK travel to parts of the world where most people have much less than we do, in material terms, and report back saying how happy they are. But I\u2019ve not noticed any of these witnesses to other people\u2019s happiness being so convinced that they get rid of all <em>they <\/em>own. So I\u2019m not sure that really works. Having too much stuff or food won\u2019t make you happy, true: but most people in the world who are literally poor or hungry aim to get <em>out <\/em>of their situation. You have to be rich to see the benefits of chosen poverty.<\/p>\n<p>And that translation really falls down when Jesus gives us one of the hardest of these sayings of his. Happy are those who weep? Come on, now \u2013 there\u2019s a contradiction in terms! I know sometimes it\u2019s preached that we Christians should be joyful 110% of the time, because we have Jesus in our heart \u2013 but really. <em>He\u2019s <\/em>the guy who wept when his friend Lazarus died. So as <em>his <\/em>followers I reckon we\u2019re allowed to be truthful with ourselves and God, in joy <em>and <\/em>in sorrow, rather than pasting on a frantic smile because we\u2019re meant to be happy, even as we grieve. God can cope with how we\u2019re <em>really <\/em>feeling, not how we think we <em>should <\/em>be reacting to life.<\/p>\n<p>But that leaves us with a problem. Matthew and Luke agree that Jesus told us: blessed are those who weep: for you will laugh. If that <em>doesn\u2019t <\/em>just mean: given enough time, you\u2019ll get over anything \u2013 and as well as a clich\u00e9, I\u2019m not even sure that\u2019s <em>true <\/em>\u2013 what <em>can <\/em>Jesus mean about poverty and hunger, sorrow and even persecution, being <em>blessings <\/em>to his friends? Maybe because, when things go wrong and, however hard we try, we\u2019re not in control: that\u2019s when we really find we <em>can <\/em>rely on God. Not to get us <em>out <\/em>of them, but to get us <em>through <\/em>them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hymn<\/strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<em>Hey My Love<\/em>&nbsp;<br \/>John L. Bell (1949 &#8211; ) and Graham Maule (1958-2019) \u00a9 1987, 2002 WGRG, Iona Community. OneLicence # A-734713 &nbsp; Sung by Sarah Hall and used with her permission.<\/p>\n<p>Blessed are the ones I call the poor.<br \/>Hey my love and ho my joy.<br \/>Blessed are the ones I call the poor who dearly love me;&nbsp;<br \/>blessed are the ones I call the poor:&nbsp;<br \/>God shall their kingdom\u2019s place ensure.<\/p>\n<p><em>God&#8217;s kingdom is of heaven, of earth, of fire, of love.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Blessed are the ones who deeply mourn.<br \/>Hey my love and ho my joy.<br \/>Blessed are the ones who deeply mourn who dearly love me;<br \/>blessed are the ones who deeply mourn,<br \/>God\u2019s comfort in their hearts is known.<br \/>&nbsp;<br \/><em>God&#8217;s kingdom is of heaven, of earth, of fire, of love.<\/em><br \/>&nbsp;<br \/>Blessed are the ones who know their need.<br \/>Hey my love and ho my joy.<br \/>Blessed are the ones who know their need who dearly love me;<br \/>blessed are the ones who know their need<br \/>in them God\u2019s promises take seed.<\/p>\n<p><em>God&#8217;s kingdom is of heaven, of earth, of fire, of love.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Blessed are the ones the world puts down.<br \/>Hey my love and ho my joy.<br \/>Blessed are the ones the world puts down who dearly love me.<br \/>Blessed are the ones the world puts down<br \/>they\u2019ll have the Kingdom for their own.<br \/>&nbsp;<br \/><em>God&#8217;s kingdom is of heaven, of earth, of fire, of love.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Reading<\/strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<em>1 Corinthians 15:12-20<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? &nbsp;If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; &nbsp;and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. &nbsp;We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ\u2014whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. &nbsp;For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. &nbsp;If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. &nbsp;Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. &nbsp;If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Comment 3&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve stayed with me so far today \u2013 and heaven knows, the themes of the readings set for today\u2019s service are a bit heavy \u2013 then maybe we can see some light at the end of the tunnel in this last reading, from Paul\u2019s first letter to his friends in Corinth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But it doesn\u2019t start off too well, I have to admit. It starts with an argument. For Paul and the Corinthians surely have their differences. When <em>our <\/em>Elders or Church meetings get a bit tense, all I have to do, to remember that conflict is part of church life, is to reread 1 and 2 Corinthians. The only way we could avoid conflict would be for one person to force their opinion on everyone else. And as well as being theologically unsound, that\u2019s never going to hold \u2013 we just need to look at politics to see that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>So, having dealt in the previous chapter with the tricky issue of people who disagree about worship, Paul takes a deep breath and launches into his theme. Resurrection. The new life God gave Jesus after his death. And the fact that some of the Corinthian church are finding it hard to take it on board. In the bit just before our reading, Paul\u2019s taken a roll-call of all the people who witnessed Jesus\u2019 resurrection: his closest followers; a whole bunch of other Christians; and finally, Paul himself. Now he argues, given all those witnesses, how come <em>you\u2019re <\/em>saying you <em>can\u2019t <\/em>believe in resurrection?<\/p>\n<p>Note that Paul\u2019s not saying everyone must encounter the risen Jesus in the same <em>way<\/em>. Whether Jesus\u2019 original disciples met him in the flesh after his death, or whether their joint memories of him <em>felt <\/em>like his presence with them, Paul\u2019s <em>own <\/em>experience \u2013 his vision of Jesus on the Damascus Road \u2013 is quite <em>different<\/em>. So again, he\u2019s <em>not <\/em>arguing that everyone\u2019s understanding must be exactly the same. Good thing, considering that even in a small congregation, I bet if you compared notes, no two people at worship this morning would believe precisely the same things about their faith.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But what Paul <em>is<\/em> arguing, with all the passion that\u2019s in him, is that believing in resurrection, that God brings new life out of death, is the foundation stone of Christianity. If you believe God <em>doesn\u2019t <\/em>bring light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, life out of death, then maybe you\u2019re not in the right place this morning. Because <em>that <\/em>is the source of our life together.<\/p>\n<p>When I say, believing in resurrection, I don\u2019t mean assenting to facts, like the belief that 2 + 2 = 4, or that the Titanic sank; facts that make little difference to us personally. I mean holding on to that belief when it seems crazy to believe God exists, or cares, or acts. Yet when I say, believing in resurrection, I don\u2019t mean either that we aren\u2019t allowed to waver. From the Bible onwards, doubt and trust are both part of following Jesus, as they are part of any deepening relationship in which we have invested time and effort.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>So what? How does all this apply to us? Some of you today <em>know <\/em>about longing for healing. You <em>know <\/em>about having little compared with others. You <em>know <\/em>about mourning. My prayer is that, as we go on following Jesus, we <em>may <\/em>also discover, in <em>our <\/em>lived experience, what resurrection means for us: in our individual lives, and as church. Then, however dry our life may be, we will always be able to grow the fruit of trust in God.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hymn<\/strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<em>Alleluia, Alleluia Give Thanks to the Risen Lord<\/em><br \/>Don Fishel \u00a9 1973, International Liturgy Publications OneLicence # A-734713 &nbsp;Frodsham Methodist Church Cloud Choir. Accompanied by Andrew Ellams and produced by Andrew Emison and used with their kind permission.<\/p>\n<p><em>Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord<br \/>Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Jesus is Lord of all the earth;<br \/>He is the King of creation:<\/p>\n<p><em>Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord<br \/>Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Spread the good news o\u2019er all the earth;<br \/>Jesus has died and is risen:<\/p>\n<p><em>Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord<br \/>Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>We have been crucified with Christ;<br \/>now we shall live for ever.<\/p>\n<p><em>Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord<br \/>Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>God has proclaimed the just reward<br \/>new life for all, alleluia!<\/p>\n<p><em>Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord<br \/>Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Come let us praise the living God<br \/>Joyfully sing to our Saviour:<br \/>&nbsp;<br \/><em>Alleluia, Alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord<br \/>Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Offering<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We bring to God the whole of who we are, our sorrows as well as our joys, knowing that we will be accepted. We bring too our gifts of time and of service and of money, to be used for the coming of God&#8217;s kingdom.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Prayers of Thanksgiving and Concern<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s give thanks to God who sends both sun and rain,<br \/>to make the trees grow, to make the rivers run.<br \/>We give thanks to God for the first signs of spring:&nbsp;<br \/>for bulbs breaking through the earth;<br \/>for leaves budding on the trees.<br \/>We pray for all who feel it is still winter in their lives.<br \/>Be with those who suffer, in body, mind or spirit.&nbsp;<br \/>Give them healing; give them peace.<\/p>\n<p>Particularly on this Racial Justice Sunday,&nbsp;<br \/>we remember those we know and those we will never meet&nbsp;<br \/>who are unfairly treated because of who they are.&nbsp;<br \/>We give thanks for all who stand up against injustice,<br \/>and for all who give to those who suffer&nbsp;<br \/>support and love and hope.<\/p>\n<p>In a moment of silence, we name before God those we know&nbsp;<br \/>in need of God\u2019s healing, God&#8217;s justice.<\/p>\n<p>Lord, in your mercy\u2026 <strong>hear our prayer.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s give thanks to God who sends both sun and rain,<br \/>to make the trees grow, to make the rivers run.<br \/>We give thanks to God for organisations&nbsp;<br \/>that help folk when there\u2019s no money, or no food, or no joy in life.<br \/>We give thanks for all those you know locally who serve people in hunger, want or sorrow; for agencies working across the country and across the world with all those in need; for their volunteers,&nbsp;<br \/>acting as God\u2019s hands, God\u2019s feet, God\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n<p>In a moment of silence, we name before God those we know&nbsp;<br \/>and those we will never meet who are poor, who are hungry, who mourn,<br \/>asking for hope and the knowledge that you will never leave them.<\/p>\n<p>Lord, in your mercy\u2026 <strong>hear our prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s give thanks to God who sends both sun and rain,<br \/>to make the trees grow, to make the rivers run.<br \/>We give thanks to God who has kept us going&nbsp;<br \/>through the dry times of our own lives:&nbsp;<br \/>times when we have not known what to do or where to go.<br \/>And we give into God\u2019s hands now our own lives&nbsp;<br \/>and the life of our church, asking for guidance, for wisdom,&nbsp;<br \/>and for trust that God will never abandon us.<\/p>\n<p>Lord, in your mercy\u2026<strong> hear our prayer.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>All our prayers, spoken and silent,&nbsp;<br \/>we bring now to the God who made us,&nbsp;<br \/>through Jesus who prays for us,&nbsp;<br \/>in the power of the Holy Spirit, with us still. Amen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hymn<\/strong> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<em>Living God, Your Joyful Spirit<\/em>&nbsp;<br \/>\u00a9 Jill Jenkins &nbsp;Used by permission. &nbsp;Sung by the Revd Malcolm Garforth-Fife and used with his kind permission.<\/p>\n<p>Living God, your joyful Spirit breaks the bounds of time and space,<br \/>rests in love upon your people, drawn together in this place.<br \/>Here we join in glad thanksgiving, here rejoice to pray and praise:<br \/>Lord of all our past traditions, Lord of all our future days.<\/p>\n<p>As your bread, may we be broken, scattered in community;<br \/>we who know your greatest blessings called to share Christ\u2019s ministry.<br \/>May we gently lead each other,share our hunger and our thirst;<br \/>learn that only through our weakness shall we know the strength of Christ.<br \/>&nbsp;<br \/>Lord, when we grow tired of giving, feel frustration, hurt and strain,&nbsp;<br \/>by your Spirit&#8217;s quiet compulsion, draw us back to you again.<br \/>Guide us through the bitter searching when our confidence is lost;<br \/>give us hope from desolation, arms outstretched upon a cross.<\/p>\n<p>Living God, your power surrounds us, as we face the way Christ trod,<br \/>challenge us to fresh commitment to the purposes of God:<br \/>called to share a new creation, called to preach a living word,<br \/>promised all the joys of heaven, through the grace of Christ our Lord.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Blessing<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Through drought, through flood, in bad times, in good times,&nbsp;<br \/>securely rooted or feeling the winds of change,<br \/>the blessing of God, Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit,&nbsp;<br \/>is with us and all people, now and always. Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;Today\u2019s service is led by the Revd Dr Sarah Hall &nbsp;Welcome Hello! My name is Sarah Hall and I&#8217;m a minister working with two churches and the University chaplaincy in Southampton. I&#8217;m glad to be able to share worship with you today as we discuss some deep topics: healing, blessing and life. Call to Worship &hellip; <\/p>\n<div class=\"more-link-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/sunday-worship-16-february-2025\/\" class=\"button more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Sunday Worship 16 February 2025&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23165"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23165\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}