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Remembrance Day 2020

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The names of the fallen heroes from #Meltham can be heard read out from the Remembrance Service which took place last Sunday. Today, as we remember, you may want to listen to them from the Act of Remembrance part of the service using this link: https://youtu.be/oC7RthCCDfM?t=595

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

You can also listen to the whole service using this link:
https://youtu.be/oC7RthCCDfM?t=185

When you go home, tell them of us and say,
For your tomorrow, we gave our today.

How to pray – The Prayer Course

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An eight week journey that will help you and your community to grow and deepen your prayer life.

Join us for a series of 1 hour sessions each Thursday at 8pm on Zoom as we embark on a journey through the Lord’s Prayer. Starting Thursday 12th November.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84173108829?pwd=M1R1Q25iTzcrZGpWSWp6YVZiQXF1UT09

Meeting ID: 841 7310 8829
Passcode: 772492

United Kingdom+44 203 901 7895
+44 131 460 1196
+44 203 051 2874
+44 203 481 5237
+44 203 481 5240

More info can be found here:
https://prayercourse.org/

Tuesday Care & Share

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Starting tonight we have a care & share zoom meeting. 8pm every Tuesday during lockdown. Everyone is welcome. A chance to just see & listen to others or to join in with activities & prayers. Hope you can make it!

The link below will work for all the dates listed:

Topic: Tuesday 8pm care & share

Time: Nov 10, 2020 08:00 PM London

        Every week on Tue, 5 occurrence(s)

        Nov 10, 2020 08:00 PM

        Nov 17, 2020 08:00 PM

        Nov 24, 2020 08:00 PM

        Dec 1, 2020 08:00 PM

        Dec 8, 2020 08:00 PM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81093472877?pwd=SXQzOC9SWUVtYTlaTFpOVGRLTU9rQT09

Meeting ID: 810 9347 2877

Passcode: 942776

9th NOVEMBER MCT PRAYERS 11am PRAYERS (or any alternative time)

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Hello Everyone

Ladysmith Black Mambazo sing: ‘Keep praying; ask the Lord for help. For he is powerful. That is your weapon; do not lose it. Pray without ceasing, for the Lord is powerful.’

A Call to Prayer

A prayer call has been made with the support of senior church leaders –  Churches Together in England, Evangelical Alliance, RC Archbishop of Westminster, Leader of the Pentecostal Church, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, Pete Grieg of 24.7 Prayer International, and the Church of England House of Bishops.

This week we have had several emails from various churches and organizations all pointing to the need for prayer.     There are many different suggestions – i.e. Prayer on specific days, or on each day, prayer at specific time, fasting along with prayer, using bells as a call to prayer.   So many ideas, so many thoughts but no matter how, when or where you pray or possibly fast  the key thing is to take on board the words sung by Ladysmith Black Mambazo ‘Keep praying; ask the Lord for help for he is powerful. That is your weapon; do not lose it. Pray without ceasing, for the Lord is powerful.’

Words from Stephen Cottrell the new Archbishop of York says – “Prayer changes things.  It changes things by inviting God into the room.”

YOU MAY LIKE TO USE THE FOLLOWING PRAYERS

As we have entered a second period of National lock down, let us pray in earnest that people will honour the guidelines set.

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK

Loving God,
at this time of crisis
when so many are suffering,
we pray for our nation and our world.
Give our leaders wisdom,
our Health Service strength,
our people hope.
Lead us through these parched and difficult days
to the fresh springs of joy and comfort
that we find in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

On Wednesday 11th November let us take a moment to remember all those who laid down their lives in the two great wars and for all lives lost in the wars since the end of the second world war.

YOU MAY WISH TO USE THIS PRAYER FOCUS FOR EACH DAY

MONDAY

SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

We pray for all those involved in the shaping of young lives.   We give God thanks for the sacrifice and commitment of teachers and all those involved in serving children and young people in education.

TUESDAY

ELDERLY, ISOLATED ABD VULNERABLE

We echo God’s commitment to those most at risk of this virus by praying for those who are particularly vulnerable and isolated.   We pray for their deliverance protection and comfort.   We hold before God those who care for them – that they would be strengthened and encouraged in this work.

WEDNESDAY

BUSINESSES, THE WORKPLACE AND ECONOMIC WELLBEING

In this time of great challenge, we pray for the economic wellbeing of the country.   We remember before God those who face great uncertainty in their work.   We lift before God those who have lost their jobs and face an uncertain and difficult future.

THURSDAY

NHS AND OTHER KEY WORKERS

Our God is the great healer – and the agent used more than any other is the NHS.   Today we voice our gratitude for those who serve this country in the National Health Service and pray that God would prosper the work of their hands – that they would be encouraged in their continued work of sacrifice and care amongst  us.

FRIDAY

NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

We pray for those who are in positions of authority with responsibility for decision making at national and local level at this difficult time.   We ask that God would give great wisdom, deep commitment to all and right judgement.

SATURDAY

ALL WHO ARE GRIEVING AND ALL SUFFERING WITH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ILL-HEALTH.

‘Lord the one you love is ill.’   John 11.v3

We bring to God all those who suffer in body, mind spirit or with grief.   We ask that in God’s great loving kindness they might know God’s sustaining presence amidst their pain.

SUNDAY

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES

We lift to God those we hold in our hearts – praying for their healing. their well-being and their sense of hope.   We pray that even when loved ones cannot physically be together, they would not feel apart.  We ask for God’s help in our communicating, our connecting and our caring.

KEEP SAFE – KEEP PRAYING    

Peter  

Remembrance Sunday 2020 – Lest we forget

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An outdoor Service of Remembrance will take place by the War Memorial at St Bartholomew’s Church, #Meltham – Sunday 8th November at 10:45am. Due to the current Covid lockdown restrictions, this will be very different from usual. The Royal British Legion is encouraging individuals to stay at home, and stand on their doorstep to mark the 2 minute silence. To assist with this, we will live stream the ceremony on YouTube from 10:45am so individuals can take part from home. https://youtu.be/oC7RthCCDfM

There will be the traditional laying of wreaths at the War Memorial by the local organisations – however we encourage just one representative from each organisation to take part to help manage social distancing etc.

https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/

11AM MCT PRAYER 2nd NOVEMBER

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Hello Everyone

On Sunday 1st November, the Church at large celebrated the feast day of ‘All Saints’.  

Today as we circulate our weekly prayer sheet, it’s Monday 2nd November, the day we pray for departed souls.

May I suggest we make time to pray for all the saints and all souls throughout the week, holding them in our minds eye.   A good way to Start is with thanksgiving and praise to God our Father.

Spend a while in quiet. Invite the Holy Spirit into the space you are creating. Become aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit, with you now… the Spirit who works in you…

A Reading from Ephesians 1:11-14

11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. 12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Why do you seek God in prayer?

What are you looking for? . . .

Would you like proof that you are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit?

When you spend time: listening, seeking, desiring God, this is evidence that the Holy Spirit is in you and at work in you . . .

This Spirit invites you to be a person of hope.

How is Christ inviting you to hope?

If at times you find yourself with diminished hope, you’re not alone. It doesn’t mean you’ve lost the Spirit. It means you’re alive and life involves struggle.

Speak to God about the challenges of holding on to hope… Read the scripture again, see if you can catch something of the bigger picture. God can see and invites you to glimpse hope through the merits of the saints and souls gone before us.

Ponder the presence of God’s Holy Spirit within you: the pledge of your inheritance!

A Prayer for All Saints Day

By Jan Richardson 

God of the generations,

when we set our hands to labour, thinking we work alone,

remind us that we carry

upon our lips, the words of the prophets,

in our veins, the blood of martyrs, 

in our eyes, the mystics’ visions, and

in our hands, the strength of thousands.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

As I am sending this email out I am reminded that the first one that was sent was at the beginning of the first Lockdown and it was on the suggestion of two members of Churches Together that we could pray daily at a specific time knowing that others would be praying with us.  Obviously this time is not always possible for some but these prayers can be used at any appropriate time during the week.  As we enter into a second lockdown let us take with us the words from a song sung by Ladysmith Mambaza ‘Keep praying; ask the Lord for help. For he is powerful. That is your weapon; do not lose it. Pray without ceasing, for the Lord is powerful.’

KEEP SAFE – KEEP PRAYING    

Peter