Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Sunday Worship 10th Jan 2010 Christchurch Cockermouth Please note: This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast. It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflect current events. Opening announcement from Continuity BBC Radio 4. It’s ten past eight. Time now for Sunday Worship which comes from Christ Church in Cockermouth, one of the towns severely affected by last November's floods in Cumbria. Church members from some of the affected towns and surrounding areas gathered to celebrate the strength of their communities and the place of faith in the most difficult circumstances. The service, which is also being broadcast on BBC Radio Cumbria, is led by the Team Rector the Revd Wendy Sanders, and begins with the hymn O God our help in ages past. Opening Hymn O God our help in ages past 1 Introduction & Lord’s Prayer Welcome to Christ Church, Cockermouth - a place that became a Relief Centre after the recent floods which occurred throughout Cumbria at the end of November last year. Cockermouth had about 1000 homes flooded and some 90% of its shops - almost all small and locally owned as the water surged through the main street. Workington lost its two road bridges and a foot bridge, - you’ll remember the tragic death of PC Bill Barker - and dividing the town in two. A half mile journey to the shops became a 15 mile trip each way. Keswick and the surrounding areas were also flooded and about 300 homes have been left severely damaged. Our farming community too has been badly affected with fields alongside the river now covered in shale and items of furniture which were washed down the river from the town. Other communities were also affected, notably Appleby and Kendal. Churches Together in Cockermouth and in Keswick and Workington have found themselves at the fore-front of relief work in the community spending many hours walking the streets and serving hot food and drinks to both relief agencies and those flooded. We’ve been able to draw on the pioneering experience of the Churches in Carlisle in dealing with major floods 5 years ago. The Churches Together yellow Hi Vis jackets were only one step behind the orange ones of the Emergency Services. And young people from Carlisle Cathedral are with us helping lead our music. It’s been a privilege to work alongside the many people in our communities who have given up their time and energy to help one another in these very difficult circumstances. 2 Revd Wendy Sanders This service draws on all those churches and their congregations and all their experiences. Some of those most directly caught up in the floods have been so overwhelmed by what has happened to them that they have felt unable to take part - we think of them as we thank those who are leading our worship. At this time we also remember those right across the country, as well as in Cumbria, who have been affected by the recent extreme cold and snowy weather, thanking God once more for our emergency and other local services, all those who work in our hospitals, and all those kind souls who have simply lent a hand to someone. And so we pray, Heavenly Father, at the Jordan you revealed Jesus as your Son: may we recognise him as our Lord and know ourselves to be your beloved children; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. Introit Kyrie from Haydn’s Little Mass Cathedral Youth Choir 3 intro to 1st reading Tony Hazzard, our first reader, is an Anglican from Keswick and helped at a Reception Centre Wendy there. 1st Reading / Witness testimony When the waters of the rivers Greta and Derwent met and merged in the lower end of Keswick little did we know that the overwhelming flooding would lead to an equally overwhelming response from our communities locally and nationally. I became a stirrer of the soup by accident – perhaps being in the right place at the right time. In what became our Flood Centre at St Herbert’s in the High Hill area of town those of us informally charged with its organisation worked out how best to provide for those whose homes and businesses were effectively marooned, cut off from the rest of town by the waters and bridge closures. It became hugely encouraging that amidst the material loss and emotional distress a terrific generosity of spirit grew. At the time I thought to myself that it seemed somewhat ironic that as the Church globally was flooded with threats of schisms here and schisms there, our own communities grew and consolidated as quickly as the skips along the roadsides were filled with the hard earned possessions of 21st Century life. When we turned on the stove and heated up the soup, there was a realisation that this was indeed a practical Churches Together effort, that this was faith in action, and I believe firmly that faith stands for little if it is not practical. 4 Tony Hazzard A reading from the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 43, beginning at the first verse: Now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia* and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, 5 and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’, and to the south, ‘Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.’ This is the Word of the Lord: ALL: Thanks be to God. Introduction to Worship Song As the floods rose on that Thursday in November, people had to be evacuated to reception centres. One of those was the Sheep and Wool Centre here in Cockermouth. Three days later, on the Sunday morning, most were still there so Alistair Smeaton (our preacher) took an impromptu service. One of the songs they sang was our next one - “Brother, sister, let me serve you…” Worship song Brother, sister, let me serve you 6 Revd Wendy Sanders Edward and Jane Bebbington are from Cockermouth and worship at the Christian Centre here. Their home was flooded and so they are temporary refugees – currently staying 25 miles away, near Carlisle, and not knowing where they’ll be next. We shouldn’t underestimate the impact that floods can have on peoples’ relationships, and their physical and mental health. Edward is partially sighted, but floods wait for noone, and the work he does with other partially sighted people around the Cockermouth area has since been badly affected. 7 Wendy 2nd Reading / Witness testimony (NB this must be 16 pt bold) On November 19th at 7pm my wife Jane and I were evacuated from our flooded home by the Maryport Lifeboat crew. On November 22nd my mother was taken into hospital, critically ill. Two major life events at once is a handful! The rain on the 19th had been torrential for many hours so we had taken as much as we could upstairs in preparation for a flood. However, nothing can prepare you for the sight of contaminated water gushing into your home, forcing the floor upwards, pulling off skirting and radiators, leaving us stranded upstairs. Then came the knock on the door from the lifeboat crew. What a relief as they calmly and kindly ferried us to safety beneath the lights of a helicopter. Returning to the house days later, the stench when we opened the door was shocking, compounded by the sight of so many jumbled possessions, now useless. Despite visiting my mum to reassure her of our safety, the effect 8 Edward Bebbington of the news of the floods on her was traumatic, accelerating a deterioration in her health. Two days later, my mum was rushed into hospital. Thankfully, we were able to spend her last few hours with her until she went to be with the Lord. We have been amazed at how God has provided for us in so many ways. All the rescue and emergency services were wonderful in those early days, as so many of us in Cockermouth experienced. Their dedication, care and cheerfulness brought us much comfort and reassurance. Throughout this time, we have been sustained by the ongoing committed love, care and support we have been shown by our family, our church and other Christian friends. They have prayed for us and with us. They have listened to us, advised us, offered all manner of help, opened their homes without hesitation and given generously. Where would we have been without them? When we needed a car, it was there. When we needed 9 somewhere to live, it was there. As you can imagine, we have lost control of so many aspects of our daily lives, which can be very disorienting. Being unable to help others in need is for us one of the hardest losses. We are having to learn more than ever to put our trust in God for everything that happens each day and for the future, which is still very uncertain, but no longer frightening as we know God has our lives in His hands and is utterly trustworthy. 10 Reader A reading from the Gospel of St Luke, chapter 3, beginning at verse 15. Jane Bebbington As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’javascript:void(0); This is the Word of the Lord: ALL: Thanks be to God. Anthem O most merciful : Bullock Cathedral Youth Choir 11 intro to Sermon The youth choir of Carlisle Cathedral, sang the anthem ‘O most merciful’, by Sir Ernest Wendy Buillock. Our preacher this morning Alistair Smeaton is URC minister in Workington and Cockermouth. Alistair’s stone fronted historic United Reformed Church in Cockermouth was flooded (as were the Catholic churches in Cockermouth and Keswick, the Society of Friends in Keswick, and three rural Anglican Churches - Camerton, Isel and St Bega’s Bassenthwaite). All are now beginning the long and arduous process of digging out sludge from under the floors, replacing ruined timbers and electrics, - or whatever is needed to make their buildings useable again. Despite the difficulties his own church was experiencing, Alistair, as chair of Churches Together in Cockermouth, co-ordinated volunteers for our joint response to the floods Sermon Water is an essential component of this story as Jesus undergoes John’s baptism. Those of us who live along the length of the river Derwent in Cumbria have a difficult relationship with water just now. Of course it remains essential to our lives, but we are processing our memories of our encounter with water on the 19th and 20th of November and still dealing with the aftermath. In the Bible water is both a symbol for dangerous forces beyond our control and for life itself, and each of these has resonances in Christian baptism. When Paul comments on the meaning of baptism for Christians it is in continuity with these ideas that he can say “ Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, (just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so) we too might walk in newness of life.” For us water brought the death of PC Barker and so much other destruction, but it came from the same watersheds as the tap water that sustains our lives. The prophet isaiah says that when we go through the waters God will be with us. This phrase ‘though the waters’ has often been used as an expression for baptism itself. Of course, in a mystical way God is present with baptism candidates, and that is fundamental to our 12 Revd Alistair Smeaton experience of Grace in the sacrament. But in a much more everyday way Jesus is with us, indeed goes before us in his baptism in the river Jordan at the hand of John. In Matthew’s gospel John struggles to grasp why Jesus must do this but today I want to give thanks for that act of solidarity with humanity as a symbol of the presence of God that was alongside us seven weeks ago, and alongside those in any kind of desperate straights today. The psalmist ways ‘Mightier than the thunder of great water (is) the Lord on High’ and The Lord sits enthroned over the flood’ in the psalms set for Sunday 22nd November last and for today. The power of God’s love is greater still than the force of the water or anything else. And that should encourage us as we read the next words of Isaiah that as we go through the rivers, or they through us, they shall not overwhelm us. We are scarred by the experience, struggling as individuals, churches and communities, but we are not overwhelmed. Life is going on. At the height of the crises we found strength from somewhere and we choose to name the source of that strength God. Our gospel story is the central one in some Christian traditions for Epiphany. This it is an account of the the Spirit descending on the Christ as a heavenly voice speaks. Epiphany means manifestation and it is a relational God in trinity who is manifest. For Christians the concept of God in Trinity is essential for how we understand another part of Isaiah’s words, that God brings redemption. It is because of Jesus self emptying, Jesus’ walking among us, including passing through the waters of the Jordan that his death and resurrection bring redemption to our lives today. This is the start of Jesus public ministry - the beginning of the journey to the cross. And just as our communities need redemption so do our lives. In the past two months we have felt the touch of God’s grace in countless acts of kindness, some in the public eye some unrecognised. But we are frail human beings. We have not done everything right. We have not always been as generous as we might. There have been frustrations as well as exhortations. We need grace in the days ahead too. As we struggle to rebuild road connections, homes and livelihoods, the God that gave us that strength in November has not gone away but remains in relationship with us and we are called onwards into God’s future. Alistair Smeaton 13 Hymn Be thou my vision 14 Prayers: Introduction Our prayers are led by five people whose experiences of the floods are deeply personal. Fr Peter Sharrock, Catholic priest from Keswick, whose Church and home were flooded; Heather Wendy Sanders Rushton, Methodist Church Steward from Cockermouth who co-ordinated keeping Churches open to receive flood victims; Karl Todd, minister at the Christian Centre in Cockermouth, which has acted as a central point for those dispersed with homes flooded as they have had to find alternative accommodation; and Catherine Armstrong, a farmer from the Lorton valley, whose fields have been covered in tonnes of gravel by the floodwaters. It is a time for us to bring before God the needs of the various communities - to give thanks for all those who worked so hard during and after the immediate flooding - to pray for our farming community and the long process of re-claiming their land and for the churches continuing work over the coming months. Prayers: for the church throughout world The Church is the presence of Christ for all time wherever two or three are gathered. We pray that, where people are suffering or afraid, those who call themselves disciples of Jesus will be ready to speak words of consolation and do acts which heal and give life in the name of Jesus their Lord. Let us always be aware of reflecting the love of God the Father to others in our actions, of pointing to the Kingdom of God which surrounds us and in giving Glory to the one who holds us in the palm of his hands. 15 Fr Peter Sharrock Lord in your mercy All: Hear our prayer Prayers: for those affected Father, we bring before you our community suffering because of the recent floods - for those who have suffered flooded homes and wrecked treasures, loss of business and especially for the family of the late PC Barker; give them all strength and hope. Father, as the wider community continues to be affected by damaged bridges, we pray for patience. Father, we pray that our towns would re-emerge stronger than before. We ask that the Church would display the fruit of knowing Christ during the recovery process as we continue to help those in need. We pray this so that the name of Jesus may be honoured. Lord in your mercy All: Hear our prayer 16 Karl Todd Prayers: for those whose difficulties have had less prominence We pray for those affected in the villages and valleys, for those whose difficulties have not had public attention. Lord give us the strength to restore our fields and fences; We thank you that most of the farmers have been able to carry on their work but we remember those who have lost animals or crops and pray for them. Father help us through the weeks and months to come to restore and rebuild our communities so that people can enjoy our beautiful Lake District. Lord in your mercy All: Hear our prayer 17 Catherine Armstrong Prayers: for those who have helped We pray for those who have helped us in our time of destruction and despair, our weeping and our weariness. Heather Rushton We remember those who came to rescue us from the flood and we pray that the scenes they saw may gradually be erased from their minds We remember the volunteers helping with shelter, clothing, bedding and food and we pray that you will help these people to continue this caring and sharing and renew their strength. We remember those who have given money and pray that it may be used wisely. Lord in your mercy All: Hear our prayer Prayers: for the wider world We pray for all those suffering in our wider world: for the hungry and homeless, the lonely and frightened, the sad and the angry, those unwell in mind or body; as we face natural disasters at home, we remember those still coping with the Tsunami 5 years ago, and the one last autumn. Lord in your mercy All: Hear our prayer 18 ? Lord’s Prayer We end by praying for the coming of God’s kingdom in the words our Saviour taught us, asking God for his protection of all our communities, and especially of those who are vulnerable during this current very cold and snowy weather. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdom The power and the glory For ever and ever AMEN …. 19 Wendy Intro final hymn Thank you for joining our worship here in Cockermouth. Our final hymn, with words by Bishop Timothy Dudley Smith, is a hymn of thanks and praise. It sends us out once more in service – of God and of our communities. Revd Wendy Sanders Lord for the Years. Hymn Lord for the years Blessing The Father, who created you, is with you; Revd Wendy Sanders the Son, who redeemed you, is with you; the Spirit, who strengthens you, is with you; the Holy Three enfold you; and the blessing of God Almighty the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you always. Amen. Voluntary ? ? 20 Opening announcement from Continuity [“Wir glauben all’ in einen Gott” – The “Giant” Fugue by Bach***.] Sunday Worship came from Christ Church in Cockermouth. The leader was the Revd Wendy Sanders and the preacher the Revd Alistair Smeaton. Carlisle Cathedral youth choir was directed by Edward Taylor and the organist was John Morris. The producer was Philip Billson. Next week’s Sunday Worship comes from Chelmsford with the International Staff Songsters of the Salvation Army. ***Presentation info: Please do not announce the organ music (as in square brackets) unless more than 20 seconds is heard. ? 2898 words = 20 minutes ? 21