Order of Service – Sunday 23 October 2022

Lydia’s conversion in Philippi

(Words for hymns and bible readings follow the call to worship)

Welcome & Intimations
Call to Worship.
MP 50 : Be still for the presence of the Lord
Dedication.
Introduction to service
All Age time
Prayer & Lord’s Prayer
CH4 530/JP 188: One more step
Prayer
Reading Acts 16 : 9 – 15
Video: The night song
Reading   Romans 8 : 31 – 39
CH4 97 /MP 1343: O Lord you search me and you know me
Reflection
Video : Everything is possible
Prayer for others
MP 1008 : The Lord’s my shepherd
Blessing

 

Call to Worship
Lord our God
You are the alpha
And the omega
You are the beginning
And the end
You are our eternal Lord
In you is eternal life
To you be all honour and glory
Worship and praise

MP 50 : Be still for the presence of the Lord

1 Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
The Holy One is here;
Come bow before him now with reverence and fear:
In him no sin is found –
We stand on holy ground.
Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
The Holy One, is here
2 Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around;
He burns with holy fire,
with splendour he is crowned:
how awesome is the sight
our radiant King of light
Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around.
3 Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place;
He comes to cleanse and heal,
to minister his grace –
no work too hard for him.
In faith receive from him.
Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place.


CH4 530/JP 188: One more step 

1 One step along the world I go,
one step along the world I go,
from the old things to the new
keep me travelling along with You.
Chorus – And it’s from the old I travel to the new
keep me travelling along with You.

2 Round the corner of the world I turn,
more and more about the world I learn
and all the new things that I see
You’ll be looking at along with me.

3 As I travel through the bad and good,
keep me travelling the way I should
Where I see no place to go
You’ll be telling the way, I know.

4 Give me courage when the world is rough
keep me loving though the world is tough
Leap and sing in all I do
keep me travelling along with You.

5 You are older that the world can be
You are younger than the live in me
Ever old and ever new
keep me travelling along with You.

 

Acts 16:9-15 New International Version – UK

 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’
After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Lydia’s conversion in Philippi
From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. From there we travelled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.
One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshipper of God.
The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
When she and the members of her household were baptised, she invited us to her home.
‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us.

 

Romans 8 : 31 – 39 New International Version – UK

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 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?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written:
‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

CH4 97 /MP 1343: O Lord you search me and you know me

1 O God, You search me and You know me.
All my thoughts lie open toYour gaze.
When I walk, or lie down
You are before me;
ever the maker and keeper
of my days.

2 You know my resting and my rising.
You discern my purpose from afar,
and with love everlasting
You besiege me:
in every moment of life or death
You are.

3 Before a word is on my tongue, Lord,
You have known its meaning
through and through.
You are with me
beyond my understanding:
God of my present,
my past and future, too.

4 Although Your Spirit is upon me,
still I search for shelter
from your light.
There is nowhere on earth
I can escape You:
even the darkness is
radiant in Your sight.

5 For You created me and shaped me,
gave me life
within my mother’s womb,
for the wonder of who I am,
I praise You:
safe in Your hands,
all creation is made new.

 

MP 1008 : The Lord’s my shepherd

1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want.
He makes me lie in pastures green.
He leads me by the still, still waters,
His goodness restores my soul.
Chorus: And I will trust in You alone,
and I will trust in You alone,
for Your endless mercy follows me,
Your goodness will lead me home.
2 He guides my ways in righteousness
and He anoints my head with oil,
and my cup, it overflows with joy,
I feast on His pure delights.
3 And though I walk the darkest path
I will not fear the evil one,
for You are with me, and Your rod and staff,
are the comfort I need to know.