Mexborough Baptist Church Sunday 30th May 2021
We welcome our friends of all ages as we come together for our family service. Lisa and I enjoyed planning this service on Zoom and we had lots of ideas around gardens and engaging our children in planting seeds and growing flowers. It's been interesting during the week to see how other people have been thinking similar things. God is wonderful, isn't he? And he is the one who started off the whole idea of planting and growing - you can read about this in the first book of the Bible: Genesis chapter 2:4-9. An old favourite children's hymn celebrates God the creator and we sing it together - All Things Bright and Beautiful click on the link
Lisa says, "The sun is shining and we are hoping for a lovely, sunny, half-term as we approach our British Summertime. This week, we have planted flowers in our garden - two fuschia pyramids and a trough of Busy Lizzies. I love bright and happy flowers. One of the happiest flowers I can think of is the Sunflower. I love their big bright petals, and the fact that they always turn their face to the sun is a reminder that we too are to look heavenward, "I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven" (Psalm 123:1) and turn our eyes to the Son, Jesus, as our next song says - Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus click on the link
We thought it would be a great idea for the children to plant some sunflower seeds and to see how tall they would grow. Would they grow taller than the children? And then we realised we were too late - you can tell I'm not a gardener! We should have planted the seeds earlier in the year. In Ecclesiastes chapter 3 God tells us that there is a time for everything, including planting. If you're not a gardener how do you know when to plant seeds so that they grow and blossom at the right time? One way is to go to the garden centre or supermarket, buy a packet of seeds and then read the instructions - and follow them.
We hadn't done that but Brian came to our rescue. He loves sunflowers too and already had some growing. He has very graciously planted one for each of our young families in the church garden. Thank you, Brian.
Sunflowers are sometimes called 'flowers of hope' and we rejoice together in the hope and joy that we see in this new season, both in nature and in our church. After a strange and unpredictable year, we give thanks for the blessings we have received. Together we look forward to discovering what might have grown in this "compost of Covid". This phrase comes from an article by Baptist minister Emma Nash, which is well worth reading. You can read the article later on the Baptist Union website click on the link. Emma says she loves the image: "Really disgusting things go into a compost heap: rotting food, even manure. And yet the big disgusting mess is gradually transformed into something lifegiving which allows new things to grow." That transformation takes time as worms, insects and microbes process the rottenness into compost, a material full of nutrients to help plants and flowers to grow. Before the sunflower can turn its face to the sun, the stalk has to grow strong enough to hold that big flower. And for the stalk to be tall and strong it has to have good strong roots. Apostle Paul speaks about this in Colossians 2:6-7 "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." If we want to grow strong and tall as Christians, we need to continue living and growing in Jesus. How do we do that? We read the Bible, ideally every day, and not just read it but study it, find out what it means and what God is saying to us through his word. We pray every day. We talk to other Christians and learn from them.
We thank God for the blessings he showers on us, the sunshine and rain, but what about the not so nice things in our lives? I'm sure we can all think of some unpleasant, even horrible, things in our lives over the last year - and before - but God can take them too and turn them into blessings, things that root us deeper into him and help us grow stronger. For some people - maybe for you - the last year may have seemed like a world without flowers. If it didn't, that's great, praise the Lord. Our next song invites us to imagine what a world without flowers would be like and then to praise the Lord for the good things he has put into our world and our lives - 'Think Of A World Without Any Flowers' click on the link
One of the blessings we have received this year are the craft bags that Dearne Churches Together have given us for our children. Julie has sent a reminder this week about the Pentecost Trail in Goldthorpe on Wednesday 2nd June. Among other activities they will be planting some trees and Julie quoted Audrey Hepburn who said, "to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." That's so true, isn't it?
When you see sunflowers growing in a garden, you'll often see them against a wall or fence or sometimes tied to a long bamboo cane driven into the ground. That's because, as the flower gets bigger and heavier, the stalk needs some support so that it doesn't bend over or break with the weight. But, when sunflowers are grown in a field, you don't see walls, fences and canes; that's because the sunflowers support each other. We can sometimes feel a bit weighted down with things that are happening to us but if we have other people around us - our families, schoolfriends, colleagues - they can support us and help us to stand up and keep our faces to the sun, our eyes fixed on Jesus.
We can learn a lot from the humble sunflower, about being well rooted, growing tall, supporting each other, turning to Jesus the source of our life. The sunflower can be quite a parable for us and it just so happens that Lisa found a Youtube video of a book called 'The Sunflower Parable' click on the link The video ends with the reader saying, "you were created for a great purpose." Why not ask the Creator, God, what his great purpose for you is?
Attached at the bottom of this email is a sunflower colouring page for you to print off. You could just colour it in or you might like to add a photo of (or draw) your own face in the centre and write in the petals some things you would like to thank God for and pray about.
Now Lisa and Carol Pollard lead us in our prayers...
Our wonderful Father, thank you that you never leave us or forsake us. Even when our lives are confusing and the world seems to be spiralling out of control, we thank you that you are always in control. You are the great King over all the earth, who deals graciously and bountifully with us, and we praise Your name forever!
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your everlasting love. Help us to share the love you've so generously shared with us. As a family may we treat each other with compassion. Please show us any areas where our hearts need to change or repent.
Dear God, thank you for the gift of a home and a family. One day we’ll know the full experience of a family when we’re all in Heaven with you. Thank you that we can have a tiny taste of that here as we learn and grow with ones we love so much.
Dear God, thank you that you have given us a world to live in that is so full of colour and variety, so many beautiful flowers and trees, so many different fruits and veggies, so many species of animals, birds and fish. You're wonderful! AMEN.
Our closing song asks where all the wonderful world of nature came from, who made it? And then tells us that it was God who made all this - 'Who Put The Colours In The Rainbow?' click on the link
Benediction
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:16-21
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