Sea Sunday 2015 Sermon and Service Notes

Sea Sunday 2015 Sermon and Service Notes The theme of this year s Sea Sunday is shipwreck. These materials focus on the work the Mission to Seafarers has done on the recent shipwrecks around the UK coast line. Thankfully, emergency response to shipwreck forms only part of the work that the Mission does. The Mission works in over 260 ports in 71 countries, caring for the world s 1.5 million seafarers through our network of chaplains, staff and volunteers. Our centres provide a home away from home where seafarers can relax and use internet and phone facilities to contact their loved ones, while our ship-visitors provide on-board practical and emotional support to crews. Contents Resources page 2 Adult service page 3 All age service page 5 Children s service page 6 Prayer suggestions page 7 Hymn suggestions page 9 How to use these notes These notes can be used on their own or as a framework to design your own service. Please do feel free to alter and personalise this material, or use it as a guide to write your own. If you have your own stories and experiences to share, which relate to the theme or seafarers ministry in general, they can be more powerful than just sticking to what we have suggested here. The purpose of these materials is to encourage you and to make things easier. Thank you for holding your Sea Sunday service 1 Sea Sunday 2015 - Shipwreck

Resources Suggested Bible readings Old Testament: Proverbs Chapter: 8 Verses: 22-31 Gospel: Matthew Chapter: 4 Verses: 18-22 Epistle: Acts of the Apostles Chapter: 27 verse 27 - Chapter 28 Verse 2 Key Ideas Comparing St. Paul's ministry to the sailors to the work of the Mission Chaplains. In the Crisis Paul / the MtS Chaplains are: Practical, Encouraging, and Prayerful. They can do this because they have earned trust through the day to day ministry of caring for the seafarers. The MtS needs your support to keep doing this vital work in the day to day as well as in crisis. Other resources available In addition to these service notes, The Mission to Seafarers Sea Sunday pack also contains: Posters Pew leaflets Collection envelopes Children s activities If you haven t done so already, you can order your Sea Sunday pack by visiting the Sea Sunday website www.seadunday.org or by e-mailing seasunday@missiontoseafarers.org or call 0207 246 2982. The Mission to Seafarers has the following resources available to download from the Sea Sunday website www.seasunday.org PowerPoint presentation about the Mission Pictures Case studies Videos 2 Sea Sunday 2015 - Shipwreck

Adult congregation Sermon Notes Retell the story of St. Paul's Shipwreck Context: Paul is being taken under arrest to Rome for trial; he clearly is respected by the Roman officer in charge and the sailors. Lead up: The ship has failed to find a good port to over-winter in so attempts to sail to the nearest good port too late in the year (and against Paul's advice) and hits a storm. The storm hits and the crew try to abandon the ship, Paul stops them. Paul encourages them. Sailors try to escape again; Paul gets to Roman officer to stop them Paul gets the passengers and crew to eat. Sailors try to run the ship aground It hits a sandbank and is torn to pieces Roman soldiers try to kill the prisoners and their officer stops them. They all abandon ship. All are saved They are then welcomed by the locals who together with Paul make a fire. Reflections - what did Paul do? Practical: fed them, gave good advice, built a fire after the shipwreck Encouraging: He holds the group together; he encourages them to try to survive. Prayerful: He keeps on praying for them and with them for their safety. He could only do this because he had earned their trust earlier through good advice and personal support. Story of The Mission to Seafarers shipwrecks The grounding of the MV Hoegh Osaka near Southampton In the words of Mission Chaplain John Attenborough: "I received a call at around 11pm on Saturday night from the Maritime and Coastguards Agency to tell me that a vessel had run aground in the Solent and that a maritime chaplaincy team was needed to urgently assist... We offered to take the men to the Southampton Seafarers Centre to make them more comfortable. We arrived at the Centre at around 2am. The Centre Manager, Stephen Hulbert, had called ahead to Centre staff who came in straight away. When we arrived there was hot soup, coffee, and sandwiches ready for them all, and Amanda, Stephen's wife, had bought blankets, jumpers and socks. I made sure that all the crew could use my mobile phone. By 4am the shipping agents and the lawyers had arrived and arranged to transfer the men to a local hotel. We were all there to make sure that there was continuity of care for the men - from rescue to hotel. We stayed with them every day to offer support and provided them with basics such as toothpaste, shaving kits, etc... and simple friendship, The emergency situation was handled with great care, professionalism and energy by everyone involved." 3 Sea Sunday 2015 - Shipwreck

Reflections Like Paul, the day to day visits to ships and running of the centres for seafarers by the Chaplaincy team had earned the trust of the seafarers. They could then offer Practical Support, Emotional encouragement, and Prayer. However, things do not always turn out well though and the Mission to Seafarers is there if crises at sea turn tragic: Sinking of the MV Cemfjord off Scotland The cargo ship the Cemfjord sank in the Pentland Firth off Scotland with the loss of all eight crew on board. Tim Tunley, the Mission to Seafarers Chaplain, established contact with the local community in Wick and a service held with the Scottish Episcopal Church for those affected. The Mission contacted their partner agency, The Apostleship of The Sea, in Poland (where seven of the eight crew lived) to help ensure pastoral care of the families. Reflections Mission to Seafarers is there for seafarers in tragedy and crisis, because of the day to day work of visiting ships and running seafarers centres. We are all called in crisis to offer practical, emotional, and prayerful support to those affected. Please support the Mission to Seafarers in their work helping seafarers in crisis and in the day to day through: Offering your time to be a volunteer so we can visit more ships and meet more seafarers. Offering your money to help us give the practical support that is needed. Most of all by offering your prayers for the work the Mission to Seafarers does. 4 Sea Sunday 2015 - Shipwreck

All Age Congregation Talk Notes Shipwrecks past and present For thousands of years we have carried goods around the world on ships. This is hard work, dangerous, and vital. Ships sometimes get into trouble on the huge oceans and seas with their storms and underwater rocks. St Paul was caught in such a storm and so do ships today. These are terrifying and often lead to people being hurt or even dying. Paul's shipwreck and recent shipwrecks Paul's ship hits a bad storm and the seafarers and passengers are all terrified, just as modern seafarers are when their ships hit bad weather. Huge waves, strong winds, and darkness, all lead to confusion and panic. Then and now, they do their best to keep everybody safe and get the ship into a port. This is not always possible and just as Paul's ship hit a sand bank, so a huge car transporter ship hit a sandbank this Christmas time off the south coast of England. Then the seafarers abandoned the ship and got to land. But once on land the drama is not over either for Paul's ship mates nor for modern seafarers They are both: cold, hungry, disorientated, and traumatised by what has just happened; they also have lost everything they had on the ship. What the Mission to Seafarers does: The Mission to Seafarers chaplains takes on for modern seafarers the role Paul plays in the story. The chaplains like Paul befriend the sailors before things get rough by visiting ships and helping with day to day problems of pay, working conditions, and personal support. When things start to go wrong on a ship, just as Paul warned the sailors of the coming storms, we can warn the seafarers and, if it is appropriate, any port authorities of problems. If disaster does strike, like Paul we are in a position to be on hand. We provide: shelter in our centres, food, advice, contact back home to loved ones, but most importantly long term support for those affected. Please support the Mission to Seafarers in their work helping seafarers in crisis and in the day to day through: Offering your time to be a volunteer so they can visit more ships and meet more seafarers Offering your money to help them give the practical support that is needed Offering your prayers for the work the Mission to Seafarers does 5 Sea Sunday 2015 - Shipwreck

Children s Service Suggested order and Ideas Welcome Set the theme "Shipwreck" Song: "When I needed a neighbour" Story of Paul's Ship Wreck: Paul, his friends, and lots of other people were in a boat, out at sea. There was a terrible storm. The wind blew, the waves rolled and crashed, the boat rocked and tossed. "We'll all be drowned!" shouted the people. "No, we won't" said Paul calmly, "God has told me we will all be safe." But the storm did not stop! No one could even see if it was day or night! Then - s-c-r-u-n-c-h! The boat was stuck on the seabed - but there was dry land nearby. The man in charge of the boat told everyone what to do. "Jump into the water and swim to the land" he said. "If you can't swim, hold onto a piece of wood and float to shore." And that's what they did. The boat was wrecked but everyone was safe. God had looked after them. Just as Paul had said he would. Scripture Union 2006 "The Big Bible Storybook" Reflection: This still happens and the Mission to Seafarers does what it can to help when it does, just like St. Paul did. Role play: Acting out a shipwreck and saving each other (making a carpet a raft and getting on board out of the 'sea'. Song: "Kum ba Yah" Prayers: For us when we are in danger, for seafarers when they are in danger, thank you Jesus that you are always with us especially when we are scared. Activities sheets Lords Prayer 'Our Father...', Blessing: Lord Jesus, Bless us and all the seafarers, Amen. Song "He's Got the whole world in his hand" 6 Sea Sunday 2015 - Shipwreck

Prayer suggestions Collect - Contemporary language Almighty Father creator of the Oceans and Land Whose Son sailed the seas and calmed the storms. Anoint all seafarers with your Holy Spirit, That as it breathed over the waters of creation, So may you bring newness life to them and us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Collect - Traditional language O Lord, who hast created the earth and the deep. Whose only begotten Son walked on the waters and calmed the raging storms. Send thy Holy Ghost; and anoint all seafarers with the most excellent gift of thy peace. That they may have strength of body and soul amidst the raging waves. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen Intercessions Lord God, we thank you for the gift of the oceans, for their abundant life and vast mysteries. Teach us to look after your creation and value the seas you have made. Lord Jesus Christ, remembering that you were seafarer, we pray for all who work on the sea. Especially we remember those in hardship or danger and pray for their saftey. Holy Spirit, we pray that you would stir our hearts and the hearts of all seafarers, that we may have courage and wisdom in the storms of life. Make us aware of your presence and thankful for your grace. We pray for all who are sick or in need especially remembering all seafarers in need and... We pray for the bereaved and for our own grief. We pray for the souls of the faithful departed, praying that they may rest in peace and rise in glory. 7 Sea Sunday 2015 - Shipwreck

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Post-Communion Lord Jesus Christ who sailed the Syrian sea, you have feed us with your body and your blood, Strengthen our hearts and minds, that we may pass safely through the seas of life as ambassadors of your eternal kingdom. Amen 8 Sea Sunday 2015 - Shipwreck

Hymn suggestions and numbers Key CH4 Church Hymnary: Fourth Edition (Canterbury Press; numbers also apply to Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise) C&P Come and Praise (BBC) CP Common Praise (Canterbury Press) HON Hymns Old & New, New Anglican Edition (Mayhew) LP Lambeth Praise (Canterbury Press) MP Complete Mission Praise (2009 edition; numbers are consistent with all previous versions) NEH New English Hymnal (Canterbury Press; numbers above 600 in italics from the supplement, New English Praise) SOF Songs of Fellowship (Kingsway), volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4 STF Singing the Faith (Canterbury Press), new hymn book of the British Methodist Church TS The Source (Mayhew), volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4 Contemporary Name CH4 C&P CP HON LP MP NEH SOF STF TS I the Lord of Sea and Sky 251 332 104 857 830 663 246 Jesus Christ is Waiting 360 349 105 1381 251 1360 Traditional Name CH4 C&P CP HON LP MP NEH SOF STF TS Amazing Grace 555 375 27 31 19 18 Dear Lord and Father of 485 411 106 111 353 Mankind Eternal Father Strong to 260 413 153 122 354 1222 517 Save Lead us Heavenly Father 496 293 393 Lead us Though whose Almighty Word 112 267 514 699 466 557 Children s Name CH4 C&P CP HON LP MP NEH SOF STF TS He's got the whole world 19 225 in his hand Kum ba Yah 68 856 Waves are beating 84 When I needed a neighbour 544 65 548 1604 9 Sea Sunday 2015 - Shipwreck