Grapevine March 2010
Often when I visit members who, for whatever reason, have not been able to attend worship at Mayfield Salisbury for some time ask me, ‘What’s happening at church?’ It is always as pleasure to let them know what is going on. At the centre of the life of the congregation is the worship of God. The numbers attending worship each week are, by modern standards, very good and we should draw encouragement from that. At the 9.30am service, we have recently made small changes to the Order. We start promptly at 9.30am. As at all of our services, we prepare for worship with silence. After the Call to Worship and first hymn, we have our Repeated Prayer, in which I lead the congregation in prayer and those present repeat the words in prayer to God. The first liturgical change is the introduction of a two minute Bible Fact talk, in which I speak each week about a different book of the Bible. For example, on the Book of Genesis I spoke of the three creation narratives, their pre-Jewish origin and the theological importance of God’s covenantal relationship with the world. Our second hymn is typically meditative in style, which is sung just before we split into age-appropriate activities. Other of the small changes are, firstly, the inclusion of a sung response in our second prayer (O Lord, hear my prayer) and, secondly, instead of the Benediction, we say the Grace together. Taken together, these changes, which have been enthusiastically welcomed, move the service towards a more worshipful atmosphere while, at the same time, hold on to the fun and fellowship which typifies the early service.
The evening service is beautiful because it is gentle, meditative and intimate. The small numbers mean that everyone is warmly welcomed and, if desired, has the opportunity to speak to others without any sense of hurry. Through the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (celebrated on most Sunday evenings) we have the regular pleasure of sitting with Jesus, in faith, imagination and in reality, praying in the company of the Lord at His Table. Holy Scripture and prayers are said while the organ or piano is played and we are invited to affirm our faith in the creeds of the Church. Together, we stand in the faith of generations of Christians who have gone before us. Jesus said, ‘Abide in my love.’ We are called to live in His love, His Presence, and enjoy Him forever.
Mission 21 is gathering momentum. Look out for news in this magazine and elsewhere of the ideas and energy which are growing. The Research Committee together with the Mission Co-ordinator, Sandra Carter, have some exciting ideas for us to think about and, hopefully, engage with over the next twelve months. Our work is rooted in prayer. The Holy Spirit is our guide and without God’s leading and strength our efforts will come to nothing. Sheila Wallace and I meet each week to pray for the work of the Church, Mayfield Salisbury, the people of this parish, our office-bearers and staff, members and for one another. Whatever else prayer may achieve, it is both a privilege and a pleasure to set aside time, each day, each week, to deliberately prepare ourselves and enter into the silence of God. Holy Scripture is always a help on this road; it is a meditative tool to inspire the imagination.Please click here for a full version of this edition
