APC 16th Dec 2020 “Mind your Head!” (Part 4) Welcome and Introduction Good morning everyone and welcome to our Midweek worship. Today we continue with the fourth part of our Wednesday Morning Advent series called, “Mind your Head!” But first let’s take a moment to pause and to talk to our heavenly Father, let’s pray… Opening Prayer Living God, we thank you for this glad time of year, this Advent season which reminds us of so much, and which reveals so wonderfully the extent of your love. For your coming and coming again in Christ, we thank you. This is a time for looking back and remembering the birth of your son, light into our darkness; a time for looking forward and anticipating his coming again, as he returns to establish your Kingdom and rule in your name; but above all a time for the present moment, for examining our lives, searching our hearts, exploring your word and renewing our faith; a time for recognising more fully that Jesus is with us each moment of every day, now and always. For your coming and coming again in Christ, we thank you. Loving God, you came to our world in humility, born of Mary in a stable. You will come once more in glory, through the risen and ascended Christ. You are with us now even as we speak, here through your Holy Spirit making Christ real. We praise you for the great truth of Advent. For your coming and coming again in Christ, we thank you. Join me as we say the Lord’s Prayer thoughtfully and sincerely together… Our Father, which 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. Psalm 42 and 43 1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. 5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. 6 My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. 8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me-- a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. 1 Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause against an unfaithful nation. Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked. 2 You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? 3 Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. 5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Reflection “Remember the good times…” Today is the 4th part of our series ‘Mind your head’ as we reflect on how we might care for our emotional and mental well-being. We’ve been using Psalm 42 and 43 as our text because it’s a poem written by someone with strong faith who was experiencing a period of deep depression. So far we’ve discovered that it’s normal for all of us to get discouraged at times especially when we experience loss, or become socially and physically isolated from the people we love and the things we love to do. So it’s important that we go easy on ourselves during these difficult days and look out for each other. We reflected on the importance of having the courage to be open and honest about our feelings. When we are feeling depressed its good for us to share those feelings with someone we trust. It’s also helpful to be completely honest with God even if we feel angry or frustrated at the circumstances, He has allowed in our lives. Last week we looked at the importance of trying to address our feelings by asking the question, “Why?” – “Why am I depressed?” If we do that prayerfully and listen for God’s answer, we may just discover that there are very legitimate reasons for our discouragement. Reflecting on the causes of our depression may enable us to find a way forward… Today I want to consider how, as well as asking ‘why’, another important way to speak to ourselves when we are depressed is to look back at our lives and remember some of the good times. Again we see the Psalmist employing this strategy. He writes in Psalm 42 v 4, “These things I remember as I pour out my soul, how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.” Here the Psalmist remembers the good times back in the day when as part of the choir he would lead the whole congregation through the gates and into the temple. These were times of great joy when God felt really close and he was surrounded by his friends. Of course, it is always possible for good memories to make our present situation feel worse. It can make us feel, ‘will I ever see those days again?’ ‘Will I ever feel that way again?’ ‘Life will never be the same without him..’ But I think it’s worth the risk. Certainly in the Psalmist’s case, thinking back to the good old days seems to give him a ray of hope that he will see that day again, when he will praise God with his friends in the temple. That’s why immediately after recalling these happy times in the past he writes, “Put your hope in God for I will yet praise Him.” So let me ask you as I’ve asked myself this week… Reflect Can you think back to the days before Covid 19? What did you love to do that currently you can’t? Where did you love to go that you are unable to at the moment? Who did you love to see that you haven’t seen for ages? Now think about the truth that we now have vaccines and soon the vaccination program will begin… Think about the truth that soon life will be back to the way it was before. What will you do? Where will you go? Who will you visit or invite over to your house? Let me encourage you in these discouraging days to think back to good times you’ve had and to keep reminding yourself that one day in the future you will experience those happy times again. Let us pray… Prayer Living God, we thank you today for those who have the courage to stand up and speak out against evil and injustice; those who are ready, if necessary, to stand alone for their convictions, enduring mockery and rejection, sacrificing status and security, willing to risk everything for what they believe to be right. We thank you for their vision, their determination, their willingness to be a voice in the wilderness. May your glory be revealed and all people see it together. Living God, we thank you for those who have the compassion and concern for others to reach out and bring help- ministering to the sick, comforting the bereaved, visiting the lonely, providing for the poor, giving hope to the oppressed, bringing laughter to the sorrowful. We thank you for their dedication, their understanding, their goodness, their willingness to speak your word in the wilderness. May your glory be revealed and all people see it together. Living God, you call us to reach out to your broken world- to those walking in darkness, wrestling with despair, craving affection, thirsting to find purpose in their lives. Give us faith, wisdom, tenderness and love to meet the challenge. Help us to venture into the wilderness ourselves, and there, gently but confidently, to speak your word of life. May your glory be revealed and all people see it together, in the name of Christ, Amen. Take a moment now to bring your own prayers for one or two people to God… All these prayers we offer in the name of Jesus Christ, the joy of all the earth, Amen. Closing Words It’s been a joy and privilege to share with you again today. Thanks again for logging on. I do hope you found this morning’s service an encouragement. Do tune in again this Sunday for our service of 9 Lessons and Carols as we light our fourth candle and reflect on the Peace of Advent. On Christmas Morning we will be planning two services, if required, to facilitate as many people who wish to attend – one at 9.30am and one at 10.45. This will allow for deep cleaning in between the services. Then there will be a Sunday service on the 27th December led by Aleida. If you haven’t already done so, please let us know as soon as possible if you hope to attend a service on Christmas morning and if you have friends or family members who will be joining you. Once everyone has got back to us we will be able to allocate everyone a time and space so that we are all socially distanced. We hope that as many of you as possible can join us this Sunday for a very special service of 9 Lessons and Virtual Carols at our normal time of 10am. Don’t forget, if you want to join us at our Carol service on Sunday you need to book your place by Friday evening at the latest. Don’t worry if you can’t make it, there will be an online service of 9 lessons and carols recorded by our virtual choir and members of our congregation. It will be also be at our usual time of 10am. Just before we say the words of the grace together, I want to share with you the words of the poet Henry Wandsworth Longfellow. In the midst of personal tragedy and the American Civil war, he penned these words to the familiar Christmas Carol “I heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” He writes, “And in despair, I bowed my head / ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said / For hate is strong, and mocks the song / Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.” But even in anguish, Longfellow expressed godly hope: “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep / God is not dead, nor doth He sleep / The wrong shall fail, the right prevail /With peace on earth, goodwill to men.” May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and for evermore, Amen.”
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