Welcome to the July/August jam packed double edition of the #Meltham Parish Magazine. Hopefully this will be the final non-printed edition. We use Kirklees College to print and due to Covid-19 they are not able to do so yet. However, we hope you enjoy this double issue online. It’s brimming with updates from the Crossroads centre and each of the areas it supports. There are also thoughts from a Church Warden, the latest from Rev John’s youngest, Jack and the latest trials and tribulations of doing online services!
You can view the magazine online by using the link below:
The National Health Service came into being on 5 July 1948. 72 years ago this coming Saturday. During post-war reconstruction, improving the healthcare of the nation was seen as crucial to the nation’s recovery. Beveridge, the architect of the NHS, identified “five giants” that had to be slain: want, disease, squalor, ignorance and idleness. The cataclysm of war provided the stimulus for radical reform.
The NHS was based on principles unlike anything that had gone before. It was financed almost entirely from central taxation. That the rich paid more than the poor for comparable benefits was regarded as a crucial part of the scheme. Everyone was eligible for care, even people temporarily resident or visiting the country. People could be referred to any hospital, local or more distant. Care was free at the point of use, although prescription and dental charges were subsequently introduced.
During the current pandemic, there has been immense national and local support for the NHS and its front- line workers. The emergence of the Thursday ‘Clap for Carers’ was a significant experience in the lockdown. Thanksgiving binds communities together, turning ‘I’ into ‘we’. The contribution of carers and key workers who have given of themselves sacrificially needs to be honoured. Sharing stories of people and events during the crisis is likely to form the kernel of any community celebration. Unsung heroes need to be applauded.
Everlasting God, at this time we lift to you those from all nations and backgrounds who work on the front line in healthcare. Give them skill and wisdom in their work. Be their strength and their shield as they give of themselves in the care of others. Amen.
Prayers in relation to Covid-19
Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy in this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may rejoice in your comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, you taught us to love our neighbour, and to care for those in need as if we were caring for you. In this time of anxiety, give us strength to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick, and to assure the isolated of our love, and your love, for your name’s sake. Amen.
Collect for St Luke
Almighty God, you called Luke the physician, whose praise is in the gospel, to be an evangelist and physician of the soul: by the grace of the Spirit and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel, give your Church the same love and power to heal; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord ,who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Personal Prayer
How generous is your goodness, O God, how great is your salvation, how faithful is your love; help us to trust you in trial and praise you in deliverance; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Join us for a live broadcast of our Parish Communion for the Third Sunday after Trinity – 28th June from #Meltham Parish. The service will start at 10:30am though you can join a few minutes prior to check your feed is working and prepare for worship. As always, you can watch the service at any convenient time.
We are led to believe that Meltham is still currently experiencing issues with mobile phone service which is a key part of the infrastructure required for a live broadcast. This means we may have to experiment with locations before we go live. The link will therefore be posted to the website, once we have a stable connection (to hopefully avoid the issues last week where an updated link had to be issued).
Over a number of years, Meltham Churches Together Prayer Group
met in each other’s buildings on Wednesdays at 10 – 10-30am following a Rota.
It was good to pray in our places of worship. More recently, for a number
of reasons, it was decided that it made more sense to meet at St Bartholomew’s,
due its centrality, especially in the winter months. Leadership of each session
being shared following the Rota from the different churches and including our
Quaker Friend.
I remember well a prayer meeting where one of our Baptist members, was
in charge. George Mellor opened his Bible and shared the prayer
below, a prayer which he had glued to the inside cover of his Bible. You will
recognize it as a confessional prayer. In most worship services we have a
prayer of Confession and Absolution (Forgiveness) early on to re-establish our
relationship with God and to set us free to worship, praise, adore and thank
Him.
Gracious God, forgive me for those things I should have done but have
left undone: the acts of kindness I never found time for, the thoughtful word
never spoken, the message of encouragement or concern never sent, the helpful
deed never attempted. Forgive me for all the opportunities I have missed: the
plans I never made, the dreams I never brought to reality, the possibilities I never
even imagined, the gifts I never used. Forgive me for my failure to serve you
as I promised: the prayers I never offered, the sacrifices I never made, the
faith I never had, the commitment I never gave. Forgive me for so often having
time only for self: for being self-centered, self -important, self- righteous,
self-interested., self-indulgent, self-opinionated. Forgive me for forgetting
my friends, my neighbours, and, above all you. Gracious God save me from being
a person of unfulfilled intentions. Help me to translate my thoughts into
actions, to put my preaching into practice and so to turn my good intentions
into good deeds, to the Glory of your
Name.
Amen
I trust that through the Holy Spirit you might find this prayer
helpful. It is a prayer worth meditating on. Where do you see yourself in
the words of this prayer?
As a confessional prayer it is written by someone who desperately wants
to love and serve Jesus. Someone who understands repentance as openness to the
will of God and the way to forgiveness.
If you have other prayers that work for you, I would love to receive a
copy to share on these pages of prayer.
With UK’s Covid 19 Alert level being reduced, the virus is now in
– ‘General Circulation’ which gives us a gradual relaxation where possible. The
general populous might well ask how this is to be managed?
Newsflashes appear several times a day informing us of things
where we have ‘No Power’ to change but to heed and follow the advice we are
given by our Leaders, experts. and scientists. What we do have, when we are
open to God through his forgiveness of us, is the Power to intercede for those
who are struggling to get through the chaos of our times and for those who are
giving of themselves to help others. We also have an opportunity to pray for
the whole world and its needs. In our prayers let us open ourselves to the Holy
Spirit that we might pray according to God’s Will listening in silence and
using our imagination to express what we hear from God who has the answers to
all our needs.
When there seems no end in sight to the problems caused by the crisis.
When the clouds are heavy, Lord, and the storm seems to last forever;
when the night is dark, and the morning proves long in coming;
though rain is constant, and sunshine feels a distant memory;.
though the winter continues despite spring having also begun;
teach us to trust, to keep faith, to believe that day will dawn again
that the clouds will lift, and life will blossom once more;
that after tears will come laughter, after despair, joy,
after chaos, order, after sickness health, and after death, life.
Amen
Despite our best efforts, we were not able to continue the live broadcast using the previous link due to issues with the 4G mobile signal. We have however managed to capture the service and you can now view it this updated link:
Due to further technical issues, we had to improvise but then ultimately abandon the inclusion of the service words for you to join in. There may be the odd pause along the way – the video quality is not quite there, but the audio should be fine – please stick with it!
Apologies for the inconvenience – hopefully the phone signal issues that have been happening in and around Meltham for the past week or so will be resolved for next time!
Join us for a live broadcast of our Parish Communion for the second Sunday after Trinity – 21st June. The service will start at 10:30am though you can join a few minutes prior to check your feed is working and prepare for worship. As always, you can watch the service at any convenient time.
During COVID-19 churches up and down the UK have been supporting their communities. You can support the National Churches Trust by joining in a joyful Afternoon Tea Party in celebration of National Cream Tea Day on 26th June 2020.
Dust off the best china, buy or bake the finest scones, select your favourite jam and cream and settle down for an entertaining afternoon. • “The Holy and the Hilarious” – humorous reflections of life at a busy cathedral by re-knowned public speaker John Campbell, Verger of Lincoln Cathedral, • Is it jam or is it cream first? Take part in the online debate • Bake your own scones and take part in the “Scone-off” for a chance to win a luxury Cream Tea Hamper • Tea Party Quiz • Donations gratefully received
This event will raise funds for the charitable work helping churches and chapels across the UK. The focus during the coronavirus pandemic is to ensure churches can support their communities; your donation will allow help to be given where it is most needed. This funding keeps church buildings watertight, safe and able to re-open their doors when we are all ready to come back together.
The party will be held via Zoom. Do not worry if you do not have an account, you will be sent a personal invitation prior to the big day and help will be available if needed.
We have been on lockdown for over quarter of the year since the first shock waves of the Coronavirus Pandemic which was travelling rapidly throughout the world, hit us. A chance conversation between Liz Noble from the Methodist church and Judith Powell, Anglican, and the publication of Nick Fawcett’s book of prayers “For a time such as this” set the pathway for the daily 11 o’clock Prayer time with some sense of solidarity as we stop to pray apart at the same time as others. Members of our Meltham churches have been praying at home following a prayer sheet distributed weekly Via email through Meltham Churches Together. Our thanks to Liz & Judith and all who, although unknown, stop to Pray around 11 am or for some at a more suitable time to suit lifestyle.
Prayer doesn’t come easily. You want to bring your fears before God. You want to commit yourself and your loved ones into his keeping. You want to pray for the innumerable people facing unimaginable difficulties and hardship at this time due to the pandemic that has descended so swiftly upon us. We feel almost numbed, almost lost for words, almost as though our own little concerns (however huge they may feel to us personally) are relatively trivial in relation to the scale of the crisis now facing our world. Yet we need to pray, today, more than ever. Not that prayer will guarantee our safety or that of our loved ones, or that it will miraculously put everything right. We need simply to seek help and strength from God to get through whatever the months ahead may bring , as now we relax the disciplines we have had to exert , to keep people safe.
Listen For gods Voice Psalm 25:4—10 ……….Both Scripture & Prayer
4 Show me the right path, O Lord;point out the road for me to follow. 5 Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.6 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past.7 Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord.8 The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray.9 He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. 10 The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
The concern of the Psalmist is to know God’s will, He wants to be on the right pathway. So for that reason he prays to God for guidance.
The prayer for guidancebegins with a period of waiting. You come before the Lord
In the quiet. You are trying to hear. Have you been in a place where there is just a faint sound? You even stop breathing so you can hear better. We need to get quiet before our God. We need to get quiet inside and out and this takes some doing. You are astonished to discover how much noise is in you mind, in your whole being, how full of noise you are. If you want to hear God’s voice you have to get quiet.
May these prayers calm your anxiety and strengthen your faith. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in the way of truth and glory of God.
In Scripture, we are reminded of God’s guidance in our lives.
Jesus is our good Shepherd who leads us and desires that we follow the path that leads to joy and peace. As we pray for God’s guidance and for discernment through the Holy Spirit, we can rest assured that God will bestow us with wisdom and the inspiration to live within His will!
Trusting in God to transform what seems hopeless
Hold on to us, Lord, through this troubled time. Where there is sickness, may there also be health. Where there are tears, may there also be laughter. Where there is despair, may there also be hope. Where there is fear, may there also be trust. Where there is hardship, may there also be help. Where there is doubt, may there also be faith. Where there is weakness, may there also be strength. Where there is defeat, may there also be victory. Where there is chaos, may there also be calm. Where there are problems, may there also be solutions. Where there is distancing in body, may there also be a coming together in spirit. Where there is death, may there also be life. Come, Lord, and work your miracle of love, out of darkness bringing light. Amen.
Putting our trust in God rather than ourselves
We thought we were in charge of our destiny, Lord; that we had all the answers, all the solutions to our problems, nothing being beyond our wit to solve. And no doubt in time we will beat this virus, as we have beaten many others, human ingenuity triumphing again over adversity. But this crisis of recent months has reminded us that we’re not quite so much in control as we like to imagine; that life is less secure, less certain than we sometimes think, and that much of what we take for granted can be swept away in an instant. Help us to recognise our limitations as well as our achievements, our vulnerability as well as our strengths, and may we find in you one whose promises endure beyond the changes and chances of this fleeting world, enfolding us, and all things, in your eternal, unchanging love. Amen.
A plea for God to reach out and help us
Show us that you’re listening, prove to us you care, come and bring us healing. Father hear our prayer. Show us that you’re with us, help us know you’re there. Offer strength and comfort. Father hear our prayer. Show us that we matter; in these trials we bear, give us help and wisdom. Father hear our prayer. Show us there’s a future, save us from despair. Grant us hope and courage. Father hear our prayer.
Keep Safe, keep praying, and keep listening for the voice of God and His guidance for you!
