A view of the congregation on Christmas morning.

Welcome to our first morning worship of the new year, in which we shared communion and welcomed Karen into membership.

There was break in the recording so the full discussion about continuing to meet for worship in the building is not included, but it was agreed that we should not meet in the building for the rest of January and February.

The hymns are all available on YouTube.

HYMN Mission Praise 529 ‘O worship the Lord’
John Samuel Bewley Monsell (1811-75)

Welcome, Prayer, Church News* and Bible Reading – Matthew 2:1-12 *There is a break in the recording due to a technical issue.

I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart
AND COME INTO HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE.
I will give thanks in the name of Jesus,
ON THE EASY AND THE HARDER DAYS.
For the love of God has made me glad
AND I HONOUR HIS WORDS AND WAYS.
WE GIVE THANKS ALWAYS AND FOR EVERYTHING TO GOD THE FATHER
IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 
AMEN.

HYMN ‘Come, they told me’

Address

HYMN Mission Praise 39 ‘As with gladness men of old’
William Chatterton Dix (1837-98) altd©1986 Horrobin/Leavers

Reception of new church member and our statement of commitment, Communion and The Grace

Statement of Commitment
God has shown His love for us in Jesus Christ and called us into fellowship with Himself. 
In response I freely and gladly bind myself to walk in Christian fellowship together with everyone here through this new year of 2021.
By God’s grace we will uphold one another in prayer and follow His leading in all things, as the Holy Spirit enables us.  Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We give you thanks, O God, that the light of your Word is made flesh in Jesus Christ; and that the shining of a star led wise men to worship him as the hope of the nations.  Therefore, with all the company of heaven, we praise you saying:
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY,
LORD GOD OF ENDLESS LOVE,
HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE FULL OF YOUR GLORY.
BLESSED IS HE WHO WAS BORN THAT WE MIGHT HAVE LIFE.  GLORY TO GOD,
AND ON EARTH PEACE TO ALL PEOPLE.
Holy God, as the travellers with their treasures were overwhelmed with joy on finding Jesus, so we also are overwhelmed to learn the depth of your love for us.  For at infinite cost Jesus gave himself to put things right between us sinners and our righteous Lord.  So by the power of your Holy Spirit may this simple meal be a true remembrance of his sacrifice and a blessing to us, AMEN.

HYMN Mission Praise 714 ‘Unto us a boy is born!’
German (15th Century) tr. Percy Dearmer (1867-1936) ©1964 Oxford University Press

Matthew 2:1-12

The Magi visit the Messiah
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written:
6 ‘“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.”’
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.