Happy New Year
Opening liturgy:
Emmanuel, God is with us!
The Lord is King! Let earth rejoice!
And the Word became flesh and lived
among us full of grace and truth,
and the mystery and the wonder and the
glory of God are revealed, and hate is transformed to love and war
transformed to peace and ‘want’ is given
the ’gift’.
Emmanuel, God is with us!
The Lord is King! Let earth rejoice!
And we find it hard, O God, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, to grasp the immensity of your giving and your gift, to understand just why you care for us so very much.
Emmanuel, God is with us!
The Lord is King! Let earth rejoice!
God’s gift to us is that we know that we
each are a child of God: Special and wanted, loved and cared for, upheld and treasured. Our hearts, dust and spirit, joined to God
and God’s heart joined to ours eternally.
Emmanuel, God is with us!
The Lord is King! Let earth rejoice!
Amen.
StF 202 Hark the herald angels sing
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King:
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with th’angelic hosts proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Refrain:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King”
Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail th’incarnate Deity,
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.
[Refrain]
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.
[Refrain]
Bible Readings
Psalm 147:12-20
praise your God, Zion.
13 He strengthens the bars of your gates
and blesses your people within you.
14 He grants peace to your borders
and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.
15 He sends his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow like wool
and scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down hail like pebbles.
Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word and melts them;
he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
19 He has revealed his word to Jacob,
his laws and decrees to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation;
they do not know his laws.
Praise the Lord.
John 1:1-18
The Word became flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”’) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Reflection:
‘Created with infinite care’ Gifted’ is the theme during advent where we are peace to the world. Today’s service has the title “Created with Infinite care,” and a symbol of two overlapping hearts. The Bible passage is from John’s gospel Ch 1 v 1–18 called the prologue. The prologue introduces Jesus as the eternal, divine “Word” present with God from creation, who became flesh to reveal God’s glory, life, and truth to humanity, offering spiritual rebirth to believers. Unlike other Gospels, John starts before Jesus’ birth, defining His pre-existence and divine nature, explaining He is God’s unique revelation, giving light, and granting believers the right to become God’s children, fulfilling God’s plan for creation
Today I would like to focus on verse 12 where it says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
Countless Christians have experienced and believed they are loved by God. This is not a status we hold by nature, but a gift rooted in God’s initiative and generosity.
As Barrett, (1978) notes, for John, life itself is always a gift from God.
This passage reminds me of a recent Franciscan Prayer Walk in the garden in ‘Our Lady’s Great Billing in November. We were encouraged to use our four senses, along with the Bible verses while we walked around in silence, hearing the scripture being read aloud. Seeing – Psalm 8 v 4 – 9, Hearing – Psalm 86 v 1 – 7, Feeling – Psalm 91 v 1 – 12, Smelling and Tasting Psalm 42 v 2 – 6.
As I walked around the garden, I felt my feet sinking on the spongy grass. As I looked back, I could see where I had been. It reminded me how we need to care for the planet and travel lightly in the gift of life we have.
The second thought I had was after I saw a part of a hedge where it was brown in colour and had died. However, coming through the dead hedge was new life, a vibrant green shoot. This reminded me of the changing seasons, seeing the demise of the past days and yet at the same time seeing new life and new opportunities. The Methodist gifted material provided for our service today has given us a global prayer which I will conclude with today. We are invited to go on a winter walk and write down what we observe and reflect on being a part of God’s enormous and diverse cosmos.
At the start of a new year it is my hope, we be reminded we are children of God, much loved by God and travel through this wonderful world living, loving, and sharing his great love. Welcoming all.
A Global prayer:
Global prayers as we consider care for creation, we share in a prayer from the Revd Dr Tevita Koloaia Havea, President of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga. Tonga is a Small Island State in the Pacific. It is both on the frontline of the climate crisis, but also at the forefront of climate solutions. The prayer expresses both lament and hope. We join in a spirit of solidarity.
O Lord, our God, so high, so near. In love and truth our souls you steer.
From Moana’s shores our cries arise, as waters swell and flood our lives.
Bless our leaders firm and strong, let justice reign and right no wrong.
May wisdom guide their hands each day, To lead with truth and light the way.
Uplift our youth in faith and grace, amidst the trials they must face. Shield them, Lord, from crime and strife, and lead them to a righteous life.
The sea encroaches, tempests roar, disasters strike our island shore. The lost return with broken wings, O Lord, bring peace to all our days. O God of mercy, hear our cry. Be near, O Lord, be ever nigh. Let hope arise where sorrow stays and guide us through these stormy days. In Christ our Lord we pray.
Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
And deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours
Now and for ever.
Amen.
StF 210 Love came down at Christmas
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love divine;
Love was born at Christmas;
star and angels gave the sign.
Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, Love divine;
worship we our Jesus,
but wherewith for sacred sign?
Love shall be our token;
love be yours and love be mine;
love to God and others,
love for plea and gift and sign.
A sending out prayer:
May we see God’s light shining in dark places this week.
May we have the confidence and energy
to arise and to shine God’s light to those we see and meet, so that all people might know Jesus who is the light of the world.
Amen.
