Worship at Home - By David Godfrey

W/B - Sunday 3rd May 2026

 Hello, I'm David Godfrey, Methodist Superintendent Minister in the Middlesbrough and Esther circuit. Welcome to worship. We Begin our worship with hymn531 in singing the faith, and 559 in hymns of Psalms. If you'd like to follow the hymns in the handbooks that you have at home.
What a friend we have in Jesus all our sins and griefs to bear.   

Hymn:  StF 531, H&P 559 “What a friend we have in Jesus.”

Prayers:

Confession and words of assurance

(taken from rootsontheweb.com):    

Lord Jesus, we ask forgiveness for the times we reject people. We ask forgiveness for when we don’t make time for others.  We ask forgiveness for when we want someone else’s place.  We ask forgiveness for when we reject you.  Forgive us, Lord, and renew a right spirit within us. Amen.  Lord, you are the cornerstone on which our foundation is firm.  We rest on the knowledge of your forgiveness, the solid ground on which we build our lives.  We marvel in the joy of your forgiveness. Amen.

Reading:  John 14:1-14

Reflection:

Jesus says to his disciples, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled’, but their hearts are troubled with confusion and pain, and it will take more than a few words of comfort from their master to sooth their disquiet.  Their hearts are troubled, because Jesus is saying goodbye.  He had warned them before about his death, but until now it had only been a far off possibility.  Now there is an urgency about his words and it has all come as a shock.  They don’t understand why this should happen, or why Jesus is convinced that it will, but they sense imminent trouble and an unspeakable horror which they are yet to face.

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled’ is good advice, but not easy to live.  Today our hearts are troubled by many things.  We are troubled by conflict with our neighbours and conflict in our own families.  We are troubled by loneliness and by a society that doesn’t care.  We are troubled by inadequate pensions, by illness, by ageing, by the loss of loved ones, and by all those nagging questions about our own mortality.  We are troubled by refugees who flee war zones, by climate change causing floods and droughts, and by world leaders who threaten war.  What would free our hearts from being troubled we wonder?

Jesus’s answer is found in his words to the disciples in that upper room.  ‘Believe in God, believe also in me.’  It sounds so simple, almost too simple.  In John’s gospel, the notion of belief is more than merely giving intellectual assent to something.  It is more than merely thinking something is true and then saying, ‘so what?’  Belief involves the whole person, not just the mind.  It means living the truth of what we believe.  It means living Jesus eternal message about the kingdom of God.  And as we live for Christ we know that we are not alone. God is with us and we have a place with him.  He has a tenacious love for us, from which we cannot be severed, even by death.  May his Spirit empower us as we serve him together.

Hymn:  StF 252, H&P 137

Jesus the Lord said: ‘I am the Bread

Prayers:  

Intercessions:    Loving Lord, we bring to you the things that weigh down our ‘troubled hearts’ today.  We pray for an end to conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza, and Iran.  We know that there are 56 armed conflicts in the world today, involving many continents and countries.  We pray for peace and for the leaders of the nations to work together for peace.  We pray for all who are ill or who are in great need this day.  We remember especially those who are lonely, those who are displaced and homeless, those who are exploited or abused by people who should love them.  Bring healing and comfort to those who are in distress.  And we pray for ourselves and for your church.  May we proclaim your kingdom and always show your love wherever we are.  May your Church bring glory to your name.  We offer our prayers in the name of Jesus Christ our risen Lord,  Amen.

Our Father…

Hymn:  StF 248, H&P 136

I heard the voice of Jesus say

We go out with confidence that God has a place for us.  We trust in Jesus to show us the way, enabled by the Spirit of God to live and serve.  And may the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with you always.  

Amen.