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Sunday worship is at 11am each week and we extend a warm welcome to those who wish to join us and find out more about Melbourn United Reformed Church.
Should you be unable to meet with us at Sunday worship for whatever reason God's Church is always open, to:
Our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MelbournURC/
United Reformed Church’s URC Daily Devotions website https://devotions.urc.org.uk/ contains podcast-based services with hymns, readings, prayers and sermons, one of the many resources from the URC Daily Devotions.
Dear Friends
Ecclesiastes reminds us, ‘For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven’: (v1) and yet at the moment a lot of times we are in between seasons.
As I write this, Alex is loading the car with our suitcases as we head off on our long-anticipated holiday. That space, in between work schedules that allows us to rest and relax, explore new places and recharge our batteries so that we are ready the next seasons of Harvest, Advent and Christmas.
We were in Paris last week for my birthday and I offer a big thank you for all the cards and good wishes I received. It was in between the Olympics and the Paralympics. Something had happened and something was about to happen. There was thanksgiving for a successful Olympics and excitement and anticipation for what was to come in the Paralympics.
Church life feels like that too. The United Reformed Church is undergoing its Church Life Review. A time of looking back at all that the URC has been since its formation in 1972 and looking forward to what might be to come. If you would like to read more about this, there is an article in the September edition of Reform. Extra copies have been sent to each church secretary, so please do take a copy and read the report.
In our own pastorate we are beginning the process of moving from a Joint Pastorate of four United Reformed Churches to a Mission Partnership, a group – still of four churches, at the moment, where we will strive to work more collaboratively with one another, sharing our resources, be they time or talent, for the good of all.
All things only happen in God’s time and with God’s blessing. This is a Kairos moment for the church of today – a time when we recognise that all opportunities come from God and in God’s time.
Like the athletes in the Olympics and Paralympics we need to be ready, not to hear the starting horn or see the waving flag, but to be fully open to listening to the word of God and run God’s race as a community of faithful believers.
And like the people of Paris and the organisers of this year’s games we do so with thanksgiving, with excitement and anticipation.
I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by.
Ecclesiastes 3. 14-15
Go well
Sue
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Dear Lord,
You weep with the world
as it weeps.
Comfort your people
and help us to comfort
others.
Bring restored hope to
those we hold up before
you today.
May they know your
resurrection power.
Amen.
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Reproduced with permission.
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