Socially Distant

SUNDAY WORSHIP

We might be distant from each other physically, but we needn't be spiritually - and we certainly need not be distant from God...

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Resources for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (print-friendly) - or digital version here.

SUNDAY 17 JANUARY

Led by Revd Bryn Rickards

All Age Worship

Welcome!

Hymn

Song

Activity (Psalm 139)

Songs

Prayer

Lord, we thank you that you’ve made us in an amazing and wonderful way:

Our skin and bones and brains and tones  

Thank you for making us.

Lord, we thank you that you know us inside out:

Our thoughts and feelings and words and dreamings

Thank you for knowing us.

We thank you that you are with us wherever we are:

On our bed and on our bike, at our desk and on a hike

Thank you for being with us.

And because you know us and love us, we pray to you – our Good Father – for all our needs:

‘Our Father in heaven:
    May your holy name be honoured;
may your Kingdom come;
    may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need.
Forgive us the wrongs we have done,
    as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.
Do not bring us to hard testing,
    but keep us safe from the Evil One.

For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

Introduction

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Bible Readings

1 SAMUEL 3.1-10

In those days, when the boy Samuel was serving the Lord under the direction of Eli, there were very few messages from the Lord, and visions from him were quite rare. One night Eli, who was now almost blind, was sleeping in his own room; Samuel was sleeping in the sanctuary, where the sacred Covenant Box was. Before dawn, while the lamp was still burning, the Lord called Samuel. He answered, “Yes, sir!” and ran to Eli and said, “You called me, and here I am.”

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But Eli answered, “I didn't call you; go back to bed.” So Samuel went back to bed.

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The Lord called Samuel again. The boy did not know that it was the Lord, because the Lord had never spoken to him before. So he got up, went to Eli, and said, “You called me, and here I am.”

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But Eli answered, “My son, I didn't call you; go back to bed.”

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The Lord called Samuel a third time; he got up, went to Eli, and said, “You called me, and here I am.”

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Then Eli realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy, so he said to him, “Go back to bed; and if he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.

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The Lord came and stood there, and called as he had before, “Samuel! Samuel!”

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Samuel answered, “Speak; your servant is listening.”

1 SAMUEL 3.11-20

Read by Claire Coster

And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

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Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”

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Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

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“What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

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The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.

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The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

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Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

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“Come and see,” said Philip.

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When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

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“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

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Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

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Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

JOHN 1.43-51

Song

Reflective version:

Upbeat rock version:

Questions for Families

In what ways can we hear God and listen to God?

(Hover over the circles for some ideas - sorry, this isn't available on mobiles!)

Has there been a time when you've felt God speaking?

How? When?

Colouring Sheet

Print and colour this page showing Samuel.

You might like to write into the rays of light the ways that God can speak to us.

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Message: Pressing On #2 - Listening to God

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Reflective, Offertory Prayer

Prayers of Intercession

Offered by Karen Harman

Family Prayers

You could light a candle as a sign that God is with you.

You can use the pictures to help you follow Karen's prayers or use them to pray for the people and situations in your own words.

(You can move the pictures around as you do this)

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Hymn

Traditional version:

Modern version:

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Song

Blessing

Post Service Chat

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