Sunday 19th September 2021
Just be still before God for a few minutes
Think about -
"Things great have small beginnings. Every downpour is just a raindrop; every fire is just a spark; every harvest is just a seed; every journey is just a step because without that step there will be no journey; without that raindrop there can be no shower; without that seed there can be no harvest."
William Wilberforce
Let us affirm
We believe and trust in God the Father who made the world.
We believe and trust in his Son, Jesus Christ, who redeemed the world.
We believe and trust in the Holy Spirit who gives life to the people of God. Amen
Hymn Great is thy faithfulness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTKIqmdfHSk
"Great is Thy faithfulness, " O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
"Great is Thy faithfulness, " Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Reading Psalm 67
God, mark us with grace and blessing! Smile!
The whole country will see how you work, all the godless nations see how you save.
God! Let people thank and enjoy you. Let all people thank and enjoy you.
Let all far-flung people become happy and shout their happiness because You judge them fair and square,
you tend the far-flung peoples.
God! Let people thank and enjoy you. Let all people thank and enjoy you. Earth, display your exuberance!
You mark us with blessing, O God, our God. You mark us with blessing, O God.
Earth’s four corners—honour Him!
The Message
Prayer
Creator God, we thank you today for the splendour and beauty of creation;
for the ordered succession of seasons; for your love which made the world.
We thank you for the good and fertile earth; for the fruits of the earth in their seasons;
for the life that sustains our life; for the food that we daily enjoy.
We thank you for those whose labour supplies our physical needs; for those who harvest our crops, those who transport them, those who process them, those who sell them. Amen
Song What a faithful God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fo1UV9pfrs
Lord, I come before Your throne of grace
I find rest in Your presence,
And fullness of Joy
In worship and wonder, I behold Your face
Singing what a faithful God have I
What a faithful God have I
What a faithful God
What a faithful God have I
Faithful in every way
Lord of mercy, You have heard my cry
Through the storm You’re the beacon
My song in the night
In the shelter of Your wings
Hear my hearts reply,
Singing what a faithful God have I
Lord, all sovereign
Granting peace from heaven
Let me comfort those who suffer
With the comfort You have given
I will tell of Your great love
For as long as I live
Singing what a faithful God have I
Reflect
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter,
day and night shall never cease” (Gen 8:22).
God is true to His name and because He is, we can know that He is faithful.
The faithfulness of God is seen in that God is true to His character. One of the most powerful words to describe God’s character is the Hebrew word “hesed.” It is usually translated “steadfast love.” In Deut 7:9 we read, “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.” This is one of many verses which connect God’s faithfulness to His loving kindness.
If God is true to His character, we can count on God’s faithfulness to His love. In and through His love, God is one who saves and if He is consistent with His character; we can count on Him to save.
We can rely on Him. Hallelujah!!
This is wonderfully expressed in Rom 8:32 which says, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"
God is faithful and filled with compassion; He keeps planting the seeds of life into our lives and waters them with His love and kindness and in time a harvest of new life will be seen.
This Harvest Weekend truly praise Him for His faithfulness to you!
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
O Lord, you preserve both man and beast.
How priceless is your unfailing love!
Psalm 36:5–7
Song Great is the Lord https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8NzE5wNqus
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise,
the city of our God, the holy place,
the joy of the whole Earth.
Great is the Lord in whom we have the victory,
he aids us against the enemy,
we bow down on our knees.
And Lord, we want to lift your name on high,
and Lord, we want to thank you,
for the works you’ve done in our lives;
and Lord, we trust in your unfailing love,
for you alone are God eternal,
throughout Earth and Heaven above.
Blessing
Creator God, provider of all we bring our thanks today. And we bless each other that the beauty of this world and the love that created it might be expressed though our lives and be a blessing to others now and always
AMEN
Raven House Trust, our local food bank and furniture shop, is continuing to supply single and family food parcels at high volumes.
Harvest Family Celebration 19th September @11am
We will receive tins and non-perishable items for Raven House Trust
The current food requirement list is on our website, https://magorbaptistchurch.org.uk/Groups/338586/Weekly_News.aspx we will update you if we are aware of particular shortages.
Noreen Hinton Manager, Raven House Trust – writes
I thought it would be useful to provide an update of the information I have so far as to how we can support any Afghan refugees who are relocated to our area…
We provide a package of furniture to anyone being referred to us by Newport City Homes, and other agencies. The recipients are able to select up to 4 items from the following list, sofa, table and chairs, wardrobe, chest of drawers, bedside table, small electrical items package such as toaster, microwave and kettle. We use the furniture that is donated to us to provide these furniture packages…
We are currently quite short of furniture both to sell in the shop and also to give away and as such will be making appeals for preloved good standard furniture to be donated.
Please do get in touch should you have any questions.
Kind regards
Noreen
01633 762999.
Autumn Magazine
The deadline for the next issue of 'Off the Record' will be Sunday 26th September.
I look forward to getting your contributions - the earlier the better! (To jloebl@hotmail.co.uk please)
Introducing Stepwise – Faith-filled Life
What is Faith-filled Life?
Faith-filled Life is a programme that will help you to develop and deepen your faith and learn more about following Jesus where you are - wherever that may be.
It is the first of 5 ‘streams’ in the Stepwise discipleship programme which has been developed by the United Reformed Church but is available for all churches to use. David Salsbury, who is part of our congregation here in Magor, works for the URC as Stepwise coordinator and has been helpful in bringing the programme to us.
Faith-filled Life encourages you to see how God is at work in your life and in the world and to explore how you can make a difference in your community and church.
We are planning to hold a Stepwise Information Evening on Monday 27th September at 7pm. This is an open meeting to which all are invited. Come along and find out more.
Communion Offering for September
BMS works among some of the most marginalised and least evangelised people, in some of the most fragile places on earth. We aim to bring life in all its fullness through seven key ministries: church, development, education, health, justice, leadership and relief.
The highest goal of all we do is to bring people to faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and an experience of the abundant life that only he can provide.
HARVEST 2021 - I WILL STAND WITH CHRISTIANS IN HARD PLACES
We can’t show their faces. But God has numbered every hair on their heads.
Will you stand with these Christians in hard places?
In the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, fearless Christians are stepping out in faith and living the gospel in hard places, no matter the cost.
Will you stand with the World Church to make disciples and help Christian communities flourish in hard places hostile to the gospel?
https://www.bmsworldmission.org/iwillstand/
The Communion Offering in August was for the Sailors Society and raised £630 - thank you for your generosity.
CHURCH MOTTO 2021
Sudbrook Mission Project Description – December 2020 Jeremy Lock
Mission summary - (Initially based in Sudbrook).
“for I have many in this city (area) who are my people” Acts18:10
Why Sudbrook?
I believe the Lord has called us back to South Wales to minister to the homes and housing estates within the South Eastern corner of Wales.
This started about three years ago when God clearly spoke to me and said “I have place before you an open door” (based on Revelation3:7,8).
Over time this has been confirmed and resulted in Ruth and myself moving back to South Wales.
Most recently I have been reminded again of this promise.
The reminder has come in the shape of a key that I found (I’m still trying to trace the owner).
This is not the first key that I have spotted abandoned but those are other stories.
This key however reminds me of the one who holds the key, Jesus himself, and he is the one who opens doors and confirms that he has placed that open door before us!
My gifting is in leadership and would want to engage with Christians in the area and to seek to encourage them to be involved in the work, initially with a focus on the new housing estates in Sudbrook, and then extending to the surrounding area.
I am also studying at the South Wales Baptist College in Cardiff.
Figure 1: Pictures of Sudbrook including the chapel that we plan to use.
We have recently started a prayer meeting for the work in Sudbrook, there is a website and, we have the use of the Presbyterian chapel.
We have started to contact residents to establish those who are interested in being part of a church in Sudbrook.
Please pray with us that:
God will place Christians in Sudbrook who would be involved in this exciting work.
God will be at work in the community and will guide our prayers, contacts and activities.