Bulletin for Sunday 17th May 2009

A warm welcome to everyone who worships with us today.

Our Morning Worship at 11.00am  will be led by Mr. Ron Taylor and our 6.30pm Evening Praise will be led by Mr. Peter Vince.

11.00am Worship at Selby Street, will be led by Rev. Luke Smith with Holy Communion

Evening Praise

Words of meditation: From Psalm 98: “Let us fill our homes and sanctuaries, our halls of learning, our factories and marketplaces, even the streets of our city, with sounds of celebration. God is here; God is now!”

Welcome

Introit:         Call to Worship

Call to worship:

Hymn 13      Praise my soul the king of heaven

Prayers

The Lord's Prayer

Hymn 86    Tell out my soul

Reading: John 15; 9 – 17 read by Barry Hovell

Anthem       Jesus, you are Lord       Brian Hoare

Reading: Acts 10: 44 – 48 read by Barry Hovell

Hymn 767    Give me the faith which can remove

Sermon

Hymn 295    Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me

Prayers of Intercession

The Offering

Hymn 704    O Jesus I have promised

Blessing

Thanks to our Accompanists am, Susan White, pm Inga Williams

Dear friends

John 15v16: You did not choose me: I chose you. I appointed you to go on and bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that the father may give you whatever you ask in my name.

Do you like eating fruit? Do you prefer fresh fruit or from a tin? The advantage of fruit from a tin is that is it always fresh and ready for us to eat. 
This verse reminds us that Jesus appointed his followers to bear fruit and so should we. There are three comparisons with a tin of fruit and our discipleship. 
The first is that the fruit has to be within it's "sell by" date. We however do not.  Although we live in a culture dominated by age, age is no barrier in Gods Kingdom. What ever age we are we are all called to bear fruit.

Secondly for the fruit to be of any use to us, it has to come out of the tin. This really does remind me of us within the church. So often we get stuck in what is familiar that we don't want to come out of our tin. So for us to bear fruit we have to break out of what is comfortable to us. Sometimes its right to "think outside the box"
Finally fruit is even better when it is served with cream. The dessert is really enhanced with a serving off cream.  For me the cream is the Holy Spirit without His spirit with us, we are nothing.  
Simply three brief thoughts on the above text. A final thought: 

Sing a new song to the Lord (Psalm 98v1)

God Bless,
Luke

Amen.

News of Members and Friends

We offer our sympathy and our prayerful support at this time, to Marjorie Dent and family, on the death of Marjorie’s Father.

Marjorie Bottomly is now comfortable in her new 5 – star Retirement Home, The Berkley, Greenwich Avenue, Bilton Grange. She is interested in Central Hall and asks after many people. We wish her well.

An Audience with Ellen