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The
Methodist Church
Commissioning
Service for Mission Partners
The
Reverend Rosemary Fletcher
and
James Rowley
for
Service in Sri Lanka
Trinity
Methodist Church
Whippendell
Road
Watford
Saturday July 23rd
2005 3pm
Leader:
Leslie Beckett, Circuit Local Preacher and former Mission Partner,
Member
of Bushey and Oxhey Methodist Church
Preacher:
The Reverend Jim Booth
Commissioning
led by Elizabeth Harris, Connexional Interfaith Officer and
Gabrielle
Grace, Overseas Service Secretary
Organist:
Ann Warrell
CCL Licence No
575228
WELCOME
by
Peter Cannon, Circuit Steward, and member of Trinity Methodist Church
CALL TO WORSHIP
led
by Leslie Beckett
HYMN 566
Tune: Gracias
Now thank we all our God ……..
Martin Rinkart,(1586-1649)
Based on Ecclesiasticus 50 v 22-24
tr. Catherine Winkworth
(1827-78)
PRAYERS
OF ADORATION AND CONFESSION
Using
prayers from Sri Lanka and led
by the Reverend Margaret Locke-Wheaton
(Minister
in the Watford Circuit and formerly of Reading)
COLLECT FROM THE
THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE OF LANKA
Gracious
God we humbly pray with your mercy and favour to behold the Theological College
of Lanka, especially its Principal the
Reverend Dr Albert Jebanesan, and all the staff and students, that knowledge may
increase and abound. Bless all who teach and all who learn, and grant that in
humility we may ever look to you, who is the fountain of all wisdom.
We pray in the name of the Triune God, who is community. Amen.
THE
LORD’S PRAYER, sung to a
setting by Joseph Lees
OLD
TESTAMENT READING: I Kings
17 v 1-16
read
by Chinyanta Nkonkomalimba, a steward of Trinity Methodist Church
EPISTLE:
Colossians 3 v 12-17
read
by Bob Simpson (from Caversham Methodist Church, Gosbrook Road, Reading) and
then by Elizabeth Harris in Sinhala
HYMN
45
The great love of God
Is revealed in the Son ……
D.T. Niles
(1908–70) - Sri Lanka
GOSPEL:
Luke 4 v 16-26
read
by Sara Slack (Queen’s Drive Methodist Church, Swindon)
and by the
Reverend Dr. Israel Selvanayagam (Principal of the United College of the
Ascension) in Tamil
SERMON
The
Reverend Jim Booth, Chair of the Liverpool District of the Methodist Church.
HYMN
745 Tune: Hereford
O Thou who camest from above
The pure celestial fire to impart ……,
Charles
Wesley (1707-88)
PRESENTATION AND
COMMISSIONING
|
Gabrielle
Grace:
|
We
joyfully present these servants of God, James Rowley and Rosemary
Fletcher, to be commissioned for service in the World Church.
|
|
Elizabeth
Harris:
|
God's
mission is one throughout the world and we thank God that you have
responded to God's call to work in the Church overseas. You go to serve
the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. As you live, work and worship
with fellow Christians may you grow in mutual respect and love, so
strengthening each other. We are one with you in this act of dedication.
We will pray for you. Pray for us also.
|
Will you share fully in the life of the Church to which you go and accept
its discipline?
James
and Rosemary:
With God's help we will.
|
Elizabeth
Harris:
|
In
the power of the Holy Spirit will you seek in your daily living to
demonstrate the love of Christ and proclaim the Good News of God's
Kingdom?
|
James
and Rosemary:
With God's help we will.
|
Elizabeth
Harris:
|
Will
you try to stay open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that you may be
enabled to take your part in the mission of the Church, according to the
opportunities available to you?
|
James and Rosemary:
With
God's help we will.
|
Elizabeth
Harris:
|
Will you maintain your links with the church in the United Kingdom,
receiving its support and sharing your experience with it?
|
James and Rosemary:
With God's help we will.
The Congregation stand
|
Elizabeth
Harris:
|
Members
in Christ, will you support by your prayers, understanding and love these
persons now being commissioned, together with our brothers and sisters in
Christ in the World Church?
|
All:
With
God's help we will.
James
and Rosemary kneel, the Congregation remain standing
|
Elizabeth
Harris:
|
In
the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we commission you to
serve and to witness in your life and work overseas.
|
All:
Amen.
|
The
Rev’d
Oral
Thomas,
MCCA:
|
Almighty
God, we thank you that you strengthen your church for mission in all the
world; bless these your servants whom you have called to serve in the
worldwide Church. Give them insight and adaptability, courage and good
judgement. Make them ready to learn as well as to teach,
to receive as well as to give, to the Glory of your Name.
|
All:
Amen.
HYMN
548
Give to me, Lord, a thankful heart
And a discerning mind …….
Caryl
Micklem (1925-2003)
PRESENTATION
OF BIBLES
|
Gabrielle
Grace:
|
We give these
Bibles and Books and pray that through them God will strengthen and direct
you, and those whom you serve.
|
THE
PEACE
Leader:
We are the Body of Christ.
All:
In the one Spirit we were all baptised into one body.
Let us therefore keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Leader:
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All:
And also with you
The
people greet one another with the peace of Christ.
The
Offering for the Fund for World Mission
(Envelope
with the Order of Service)
DEDICATION
OF OFFERING: Leslie Beckett
PRAYERS
OF INTERCESSION
|
Leslie
Beckett
|
|
Representatives
of the World Church:
|
|
Leela
Selvanayagam: Asia and the
Pacific
|
|
The
Reverend Wambui Njagi, (UCA student from Kenya):
Africa
|
|
The
Reverend Val Ogden (United
College of the Ascension)
|
|
Brenda
Gosden (family friend and a member of Trinity Methodist Church)
|
|
Dawn
and Laura Wood (friends of James
and Rosemary)
|
At
the end of each paragraph, the leader will say “Your kingdom come” and the
congregation sing the response
“Your
will be done on earth, O Lord”
(4 Times) from South Africa
Concluding
Prayer led by Leslie Beckett
HYMN
The
Spirit lives to set us free,
Walk,
walk in the light,
He
binds us all in unity,
Walk,
walk in the light.
Walk
in the light (x3)
Walk
in the light of the Lord
Walk,
walk in the light,
The
dead were wakened by his call,
Walk,
walk in the light.
He
died in pain on Calvary,
Walk,
walk in the light,
To
save the lost like you and me,
Walk,
walk in the light.
We
know his death was not the end,
Walk,
walk in the light,
He
gave his Spirit to be our friend,
Walk,
walk in the light.
By
Jesus’ love our wounds are healed,
Walk,
walk in the light,
The
Father’s kindness is revealed,
Walk,
walk in the light.
The
Spirit lives in you and me,
Walk,
walk in the light,
His
light will shine for all to see,
Walk,
walk in the light.
Damian
Lundy (1944-97)
CLOSING
PRAYER
written
by Bishop Iraj Motahedeh of Iran, led by the Reverend Jim Booth
O God, as
James and Rosemary go to Sri Lanka to be the servants of your mission, give them
the assurance that you go before them. Grant them the vision to hope where hope
may seem in want, and courage to live in love where love may be taken for
granted.
Let them
measure their life by loss and not gain, by the wine poured out, not by the wine
drunk. Let them ever have in mind
that love’s strength stands in love’s sacrifice and they who suffer most
have the most to give.
Send down
your Holy Spirit afresh on them. Give them wisdom and discipline to work
faithfully with their fellow Christians. Anoint
and empower them to reconcile what is divided, heal what is wounded and restore
what is lost, through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
BLESSING
Led
by the Reverend Jim Booth
Rosemary and James
thank you all for coming to the service today and are grateful for support they
have received. They thank all those who are taking part today, and the Stewards
and Officers of Trinity Methodist Church for all their help.
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