This Wednesday @ 7:30pm we meet as a Congregation in the light of moving forward together under Gods guidance. Everyone is invited along to take their valued place in Christs body.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Mossley Congregational Meeting
SUNDAY SERMON 66: BROUGHT TO YOU BY REV. SAM CAMPBELL
Welcome to our online Sunday Service of Worship. Just click on the window below to begin listening.
Isaiah 6
Isaiah’s commission
6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LordAlmighty.’
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’
And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’
9 He said, ‘Go and tell this people:
‘“Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.”
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.[a]
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.’
11 Then I said, ‘For how long, Lord?’
And he answered:
‘Until the cities lie ruined
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.
13 And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.’
Exodus 33:19-20
19 And the Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.’
Acts 28:25-28
25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: ‘The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26 ‘“Go to this people and say,
‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.’
27 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.”[a]
28 ‘Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!’
John 12:37-41
Belief and unbelief among the Jews
37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfil the word of Isaiah the prophet:
‘Lord, who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’[a]
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 ‘He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn – and I would heal them.’[b]
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
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Pentecost SUNDAY, SERMON 65: BROUGHT TO YOU BY REV. SAM CAMPBELL
Welcome to our online Pentecost Sunday Service of Worship. Just click on the window below to begin listening.
Romans 8:18-28
Present suffering and future glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[b] have been called according to his purpose.
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Hebrews 13:2
2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
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SUNDAY SERMON 64: BROUGHT TO YOU BY REV. SAM CAMPBELL
Welcome to our online Sunday Service of Worship. Just click on the window below to begin listening.
John 15:9-17
9 ‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: love each other.
Philippians 2:8
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death –
even death on a cross!
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MCI, responding globally to the pandemic…
A Statement from the Connexional Offices
We have been greatly troubled by the frightening Covid statistics in other parts of the world.
The terrible scenes in India remind us that, although we may be planning for a return to a new normal, many countries and people are far from that point.
We thank God for the advantages we have in our society.
Our Methodist Church in Ireland wishes to share how it has been helping those beyond Ireland over the last year.
1. Prayer
Both World Development & Relief and its sister department, World Mission Partnership, share weekly Prayers of Solidarity for different parts of the world.
These are sent to ministers and can be used within services or as individuals.
They are also on the respective websites.
2. Advocating
In relation to the inequity of vaccine distribution, World Development & Relief has directed us towards a global campaign calling for fair distribution by companies and governments.
It has also provided the means to lobby our own political representatives to demand such distribution.
Our Methodist President, World Development & Relief and World Mission Partnership have signed international petitions for vaccine justice.
3. Financial support
a) Word Mission Partnership has sent support grants to sister churches in Haiti, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Poland, Myanmar and Togo, totalling £40,000 / €46,000.
b) World Development & Relief has been able to give an additional £75,000 / €86,000 to our international development partners because of the increased giving of many.
MCI’s own resources are limited and, although it would love to be able to respond to every need reported, it is felt that standing in solidarity with our current long-term friends and partners is the best way to have an impact as a church.
4. Learning
WDR and WMP have directed us towards resources so we might understand the global dimension of the pandemic.
5. Giving thanks for our own vaccines
If we have not already done so, we will soon receive our own vaccinations.
This is not the case for the majority of this world.
The Methodist Church in Ireland asks that every Methodist who receives their vaccine for free, considers giving a thanks offering to support our World Development partners who need us more than ever. A vaccine costs approximately £25 / €30.
This would be a wonderful expression of our thanks to God.
Thank you to all those who have already taken action.
The information for all these actions can be found on the World Development & Relief website or by contacting their office.
We ask that God gives all of us a compassion for our fellow man, woman and child.
A compassion that moves us to act.
And we pray that, as Christ’s disciples, we could lead the way.
Simon Gowdy, Induction as Local Preacher
Our Church service in Mossley this morning saw Simon Gowdy being recognised as a fully accredited Local Preacher by the Methodist Church in Ireland. The Service and presentation was resided over by Superintendent Rev Billy Davison, while scriptures were read by Lay Leader of the North Eastern District and Local Preacher Secretary Mr Tom Wilson.
It took a while for this day to come around for Simon, the pandemic being one obvious obstacle. However it’s great to finally see you join the ranks of Mossley’s team of accredited Local Preachers. Congratulations Simon, all the hard work paid off!
SUNDAY SERMON 63: BROUGHT TO YOU BY REV. SAM CAMPBELL
Welcome to our online Sunday Service of Worship. Just click on the window below to begin listening.
Isaiah 58
True fasting
58 ‘Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
3 “Why have we fasted,” they say,
“and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?”
‘Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 ‘Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter –
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: here am I.
‘If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 ‘If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the Lord’s holy day honourable,
and if you honour it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.’
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Matthew 6:16
Fasting
16 ‘When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
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SUNDAY SERMON 62: BROUGHT TO YOU BY REV. SAM CAMPBELL
Welcome to our online Sunday Service of Worship. Just click on the window below to begin listening.
Acts 8:26-40
Philip and the Ethiopian
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road – the desert road – that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[a] eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means ‘queen of the Ethiopians’). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked.
31 ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.’[b]
34 The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptised?’ [c] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptised him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and travelled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Isaiah 53:7-8
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b]
Deuteronomy 23:1
Exclusion from the assembly
23 [a]No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.
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LOCKDOWN MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY – ESTHER
After having studied Galatians in our previous online study. We are now turning to the Old Testament and looking over the next 6 weeks at the Book of Esther. Beginning this Wednesday at 7:30pm via Zoom
Each week using the BOOK BY BOOK series we listen to a short analysis on each chapter, followed by an open floor candid discussion from the group lead by the Rev Sam Campbell.
Book by Book: Esther episode titles:
1. The Abuse of Power (Chapter 1)
2. Esther: Married to Power (Chapter 2)
3. Haman: Corrupted by Power (Chapter 3)
4. Mordecai: Using the Power (Chapters 4-6)
5. Some Justice through Power (Chapters 7-8)
6. The Church under Divine Power (Chapters 9-10)
The very fact that the Living God is not mentioned once in Esther might seem strange, but it is no accident. As we go through our daily lives we do not always see the provident hand of our heavenly Father or the glorious rule of our ascended LORD Jesus or the comforting, strengthening care of the Holy Spirit. By the time we get to the end of the ancient story of Esther we will be full of praise and worship for we will see that as children of the Living God we are always kept in His Almighty care. The book of Esther teaches us that the Living God is hard at work in all the complexities of our lives.
Book by Book is presented by Paul Blackham and the late Richard Bewes. With special guest Ruth Chan.
This is a joint bible study with Greencastle Methodist and Mossley Methodist. And anyone new are welcome to join. If you would like to take part, all you need is a smart phone, tablet or computer with video and audio capabilities plus an email address to receive the weekly sign-in. Contact your Society Stewards or Evelyn Humphreys for directions on set up.
SUNDAY SERMON 61: BROUGHT TO YOU BY REV. SAM CAMPBELL
Welcome to our online Sunday Service of Worship. Just click on the window below to begin listening.
1 John 3:16-24
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 if our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: we know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Romans 8:16
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
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Mossley Methodist Church 