MHA Sunday 2018 Full of Years Order of Service Welcome and Call to Worship PSALM 139: 13-18 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, [a] God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand when I awake, I am still with you. We continue in praise as we sing: HYMN: Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided (MP 428; SoF 892) Page 1
Prayers and The Lord s Prayer: God of the years, Creator of all that is worthwhile, Our life is in your hands. We praise and trust your presence. Loving God, revealed in Christ our Lord, You by faith entrust our lives with purpose and meaning We praise and trust your presence. God of abiding loving influence, Each moment of each day, throughout our years, are always in your hands. We praise and trust your presence in Jesus name. Amen. Prayers of Confession God of all time and space, We acknowledge the limitations we so often place upon your loving concern. Forgive and increase our trust in you God of change and changelessness, We are sorry that we place restrictions upon your guiding hand. Forgive and increase our trust in you. God of all ages, from birth to eternity, We acknowledge how we squeeze you out of our consciousness. Forgive and increase our trust in you. Page 2
Prayer of Thanksgiving God our Father, we thank you for your abiding wisdom, made available to us throughout the daily wonders of life. Lord Jesus Christ, you reveal to us the joy, challenge and opportunities of daily discipleship. Holy Spirit, help us to grasp in faith, the human and the spiritual within our journey full of years. In trust and faith we praise you For open ears and eyes to your voice of love In trust and faith we praise you For strength to use our Full of Years to bring comfort, consolation and courage to others as we journey on. In trust and faith we praise you. Amen. The Lord s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be 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. Page 3
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. Introduction to Theme: Full of Years Years what comes to our minds when we hear the word? Can you remember a saying, phrase or story or words of wisdom an older person said to you when you were young? Hymn: Timeless God, you hold our story MHA platinum hymn 1. Timeless God, you hold our story; Weave our dreams into your plan. Make your church a living witness To the work that Christ began. Come the day that love has conquered And the hosts of heaven sing. May our lives on earth have echoed; God is Lord and Christ is King 2. Gracious God, your offer wisdom Far beyond our human minds. Yet you trust us, in our weakness, To bring insight to the blind. Come the day that love has conquered And the hosts of heaven sing. May our lives on earth have echoed; God is Lord and Christ is King Page 4
3. When our human powers falter Keep us focused on your call. Strengthen us to share the message Of abundant life for all. Come the day that love has conquered And the hosts of heaven sing. May our lives on earth have echoed; God is Lord and Christ is King 4. God eternal, hear our longing To be heralds of your grace; Till creation s restless longing Finds its peace in your embrace. Come the day that love has conquered And the hosts of heaven sing. May our lives on earth have echoed; God is Lord and Christ is King Gareth Hill (1956 - ) Tune: Calon Lan Bible Reading: Genesis 12:1-8 Talk One: MHA s Origins towards the end of 2nd World War Walter Hall had originally intended to retire in 1940. The war prevented it and he was still in harness when the war ended in 1945, that year he retired from the active work of the ministry. But he still continued his work as the secretary of the MHA. Already things had moved a long way from one of his early appeals when he wrote that because there were no homes in British Methodist he knew of women who were applying for entrance to John Wesley s original Home for Widows In Dublin. 1945 First MHA Residential Home opens In Surrey called Ryelands Page 5
Those years in the second half of the 1950 s were full of firsts- premium bonds were issued for the first time; the Queen made her first television broadcast; the first women life peers were created; Sir Vivian Fuchs completed the first crossing of Antarctica; three animals were the first living creatures to fly in space; the Russians took the first pictures of the back of the Moon. 1989 Trembaths in Letchworth, MHA s first Home to offer full Nursing care to residents. 1997 MHA s first purpose designed home for people living with Dementia opens at Mayfields in Ellesmere Port. HYMN: O God our help in ages past (H&P 358; MP 498; StF 132; SoF 415) Bible Reading: Luke 2:25-35 Hebrews 11:8-16 Talk Two: Back to the earlier question; can you remember something your grandparents or an older person told you when you were young? Can you remember any words of wisdom that a grandparent or older person shared with you? What advice or wisdom would you pass on to the young people of today? A quote from a gentleman in one of our homes who is 101 and says, I may be getting older, but I refuse to get old! Further to this I can tell you that a much younger man, Fred (in his early sixties), moved into our Housing with Care set up about a year ago. Fred is totally blind, but mobile. Dan (our 101years old resident and him have built up a wonderful friendship and mutual help club. Fred walks along holding Dan s arm and supporting him in walking while Dan acts as eyes to help them get where they want to go quicker. It really is all about attitude and positivity. Page 6
The Old haven t only seen and heard it all before they have survived and triumphed through it. You don t grow old; when you cease to grow, you are old. In other cases like Abraham and Moses they did see the fulfilment of the promise, they perceived it, but did not receive it. Sometimes we can look back and see that everything that God promised is fulfilled Simeon The story of Simeon, as we know it is over 2000 years old, but his story is still being told. Orthodox tradition tells us that Simeon waited faithfully for 300 years. Simeon says Old Age speaks wisdom into young lives. Both Simeon and Anna are wise from lives well lived. Multiple times throughout his writing Luke pairs men and women giving immense value to all of their voices. Here he intermixes the ending of two stories with the beginning of a new story. The wisdom of age and faithfulness is passed down to these young parents and child about to embark on their new story. The wisdom of old age speaks into the future of this child destined to redeem mankind. Man and woman, old and young, Jew and Gentile are all given a place in this story. Salvation has come for them all. HYMN; Be thou my vision - (MP 51; H&P 378; StF 545; SoF 42) Prayers of Intercession & Dedication We pray for those Full of years Yet empty of peace; Intimidated by unfamiliar walls, faces and routines; Haunted by loose threads Page 7
And unfinished business; Fighting to hold together, body, mind and spirit. God of all peace, Through the service of MHA, Restore to such as these A sense of calm. We pray for those Full of years Yet empty of purpose; Unable to fill the void Left by absent friends And grown-up children; Facing the losses of health, home and independence. God of all purpose, Through the service of MHA, Restore to such as these A sense of worth. We pray for those Full of years And overflowing with joy; At one with beauty And inspired by love; Whose hopes have Weathered many a storm And whose faces bear the wrinkles From countless smiles. God of all joy, Through the example of our elders, Grant us the courage to model Contentment, Resilience and Grace For a new generation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. Or Page 8
From this place within our years we bring to the God of all time the needs that surround our journeying We pray for those whose years have melted into confusion and obscurity. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for those who fear the fullness of their years. For those who through the wear and tear of life find their days and nights uncomfortable long. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for those who have or are about to enter the Eternal Gate of Glory. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. HYMN: All my hope on God is founded (MP 16; H&P 63; StF 455) Offering: HYMN: This, this is the God we adore (StF 66; H&P 277; ) Leader: Simeon and Anna, and the crowd that witnesses them are all saying to each of us the story has just begun : Together: We have waited faithfully, we have trusted God and He is faithful, we have witnessed the rise and fall of many, we ve seen good days and bad, we have lived in freedom and in oppression, Page 9
and while we look to the promises of the past, it is the future that holds hope. Something wonderful is happening and something even better awaits us all. Blessings: Lord God, who granted Abraham the fullness of years; may you bless us with time to accomplish your will putting us to whatever task your wisdom has assigned. May we be blessed in your service. Full; empty; with nothing or with everything; content to know you and to love you, from this day forward and forevermore. Amen. Page 10