Join us in person or remotely for worship this Sunday morning, as we explore the commission of Jesus from Isaiah.
Further details to follow, including words for songs, etc.
The YouTube link will appear here on Sunday morning.
Join us remotely for our monthly communion service at Mulbarton Church, where Adrian will be leading an exploration about the story of Jesus turning water into wine at the outset of his public work.
A service sheet, with all the words for the service, including song lyrics is here (this will open in a new tab): https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/2022_01_16_Epiphany_2_Communion.pdf
YouTube videos of the worship songs are here, in case you'd rather watch along:
The live YouTube link failed today! I thought I had turned the power switch on for the laptop charger when I set the live stream going before heading to Bracon Ash; but in fact the laptop was running on battery, so went into standby and ended the stream before the service had begun.
So, no recording of the service today, but the service sheet is there, with links to the songs!
In my talk, I reflected on three things arising out of the passage about when Jesus turned the water into wine, from John 2:1-11.
Transformation of water into wine. Using the Jewish ceremonial washing pots, symbolising the fulfilment of the Jewish traditions, in how Jesus came to bring transformed religion that revealed the love of God in fresh ways. 150 gallons of water into the same amount of wine! This was serious transformation. We have a God who turns things around and brings change - which is welcome news for many of us at the outset of 2022!
Obedience of the servants, after Mary had told them "do whatever he says". Not obeying human authority, which can often mislead us, but listening for the voice of Jesus, and our own God-given conscience, above the authority of the church or the given dogma. There is an innate human need to belong and fit in, and comply, which can be exploited, and has been used to control people inside the church as much as outside of it. Our task as Christians is to obey Jesus only, and in any leadership responsibilities we have, to do as Jesus did in leadership, to serve and not to be served - to offer a direction and not to demand obedience, to be safe and not exploitative.
Everyday context of the miracle. It wasn't a special religious setting in which Jesus showed this first miraculous sign, which revealed his glory. It was a wedding party, where the wine had run out prematurely, and risked bringing shame on the family. There was a real need in a non-religious setting, and Jesus helped meet it - and most people there were unaware that a miracle had happened. The quiet, unnoticed miracles, meeting a need in every day ordinary life - that's the essence of what Christianity calls us to. Making a difference with what we have where we are, to help our neighbours. The specific religious stuff, like Sunday worship, praying with others, singing worship songs, preaching a 3-point sermon with points, whose first letters spell "TOE", etc. - all of that can be really helpful and is important to try to get right - but it is intended to resource God's people for service, and not to be the end in itself. And sometimes that stuff can be used in a hypnotic way, to control thoughts, beliefs and behaviour. The account of water into wine at a wedding to meet the need as it presented itself draws us back to the heart of servanthood worship.
Join us as we worship God together and explore what the baptism of Christ means for us, at the start of this season of epiphany.
YouTube live stream is available on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/WbsFO7-ZsFA
Or embedded right here below:
Adrian leads a communion service, as we explore the journey of the magi, and our own journey into a new year.
Service without music on YouTube Channel here:
We also introduced Norwich Diocese adapted "Covenant Prayer" and the new hymn Susannah Gunner has written for 2022, full text reproduced below...
I am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to prayer.
Put me to deepening my life with you by deepening my life of prayer.
Put me to the faithful setting aside of time;
put me to listening;
put me to wonder;
put me to holding a broken world in your love;
put me to trusting.
I willingly expect to be changed by prayer:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield to being transformed by Christ.
Let me be changed by you and so change the world for you.
Glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours.
So be it.
And this covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
Transform, O Christ, your people
assembled in this place;
our longing to be prayerful
is gathering depth and pace:
just as those first disciples,
we too make our request –
‘Teach us to pray, Lord Jesus,
and lead us on our quest.
We glimpse you in the gospels
before the break of day,
alone there in the shadows
and making time to pray:
inspired by your example,
give us the grace to dare
to deepen our discipleship
through deepening times of prayer.
Who knows how this will change us?
What challenges await?
Who knows where prayer might lead us?
What love might come from hate?
So light the fire within us,
stir us afresh to pray;
we’re frail but long for faithfulness: transform us, Christ, today!
We long for peace and plenty
where all we see is war;
we long to feed the hungry,
to change the global law
which keeps the poor from thriving
and elevates the rich;
we long for holy justice:
teach us to pray for this.
We long to heal the forests,
protect the suffering seas,
to halt the melting ice-caps,
increase the hum of bees;
we know our need for wisdom
(so close to the abyss),
for unity, humility:
teach us to pray for this.
Transform, O Christ, your people assembled in this place,
attune us to your presence,
still us in your embrace:
then grace us as we listen,
hearts opening until,
with boldness and with vision,
we’re nerved to do your will.
Susanna Gunner, November 2021
This Sunday, we celebrate holy communion, as we worship God using lively contemporary settings of traditional carols.
The service will be broadcast on YouTube as normal - available below.
With covid cases increasing, we continue to take the rules seriously, and require those attending worship to wear masks, unless exempt on age or health grounds.
Live stream on YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/RLBQrxJezCI
For "Christ the King" Sunday, Adrian will lead a communion service, exploring the ecnounter between Pilate and Jesus, and what that teaches us about how to listen to the voice of Jesus, whose kingdom is made known through truth and community, and not through power and rules. We are also delighted to be welcoming Chris into communion in the Church of England.
The service live stream is available on YouTube here, or embedded below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY1gAirelco
Cubs, scouts and explorers paraded up from the scout HQ to join war veterans and representatives from community groups as we engaged in our annual act of remembrance around Mulbarton's village war memorial, within an act of worship, led by Adrian.
The YouTube recording is here: https://youtu.be/UiRCCrrohKI
A full service sheet is available to download here
This year, to keep as safe as possible with regard to covid, we spread the opportunities to remember around different churches and war memorials:
Altogether there were about 110 children and 230 adults in attendance at all the events and 8 households joining Mulbarton's service remotely. We raised about £270 for the work of the Royal British Legion. It was great to see some medals being worn and sacrifices honoured in that way, and also to have the rainbows, brownies, guides, rangers, beavers, cubs, scouts and explorers in support. The covid-aware safety measures generally worked well, with Flordon being the most crowded. We will continue to listen to feedback and reflect on how best to arrange things next year - but thank you to all those who enabled us to mark the occasion well today.
Adrian leads an exploration of the generous widows from the times of Elijah and Jesus.
The YouTube stream is available to catch up on here: https://youtu.be/Vhv62l2TK4w
I write this on the last day of October, having completed my challenge to be outside at dawn, with sight of the horizon, on as many days as possible this month. Some of the views were breath-taking. You can see a few of them in the video below, as well as a couple of trips up the precarious tower ladders.
In a season of dryness, difficulty and disillusionment, I needed something simple, spiritual and sustaining. I was listening to Jacqui Lewis’s podcast, “Love. Period.” (check out "Love. Period." podcast here), and one of her guests talked about his discipline of being present for every sunrise. It is a practice that great Christian mystics and writers have recommended for centuries, and it is a universal human point of connection with the beauty and love that has been poured into the natural world.
So, I have found myself on fields, hills and up the church tower, being present with the rhythm of each day. No agenda, no set prayers or blessings, simply a willingness and openness to be present to the immense beauty and goodness painted in our skies, to ground myself, and seek to stand aside from the internal noise. It brought a certain perspective - day 22 especially, standing on Mulbarton church tower, feeling myself hurtling at 1000mph away from the moon hanging low in the sky behind me, and towards the rising sun in front of me, poised between the heavenly bodies, small and absolutely not in control. In need of grace, as are we all.
Rachel will be opening up for us a space in which we can come and encounter God creatively through music, video, readings and prayers, in a meditative style.
The YouTube stream will appear here live on Sunday morning, or will be available live on YouTube - just search for "Mulb Church" channel on your YouTube app. You can also catch up after the event.
Refreshments will be served in Mulbarton Church after the service - please bring your own mug or cup if you can, for the ultimate covid-safe experience!
Unfortunately, it is not possible to embed the powerpoint that Rachel will be using for the service, but if you would like to get a better view of the videos than the camera view allows, they are available below, as well as the livestream - you may have to turn the volume down on the live feed if you watch real-time, so as not get a conflict of sound!
If you are going to join us online on Sunday, blessings to you and know you are with us, even if not in person.
Live Feed:
As well as 8:30 communion service at Flordon and 10:30 Church @ Hanover, we meet at Mulbarton Church as usual at 10am, where you can access in person or remotely on YouTube or embedded here on the website.
Adrian leads a service of worship, exploring the encounter between Jesus and the blind man, Bartimaeus. In addition, we will hear from Caroline and Ian, as they prepare to say goodbye to us after about ten years of fellowship and faithful service here. We wish them well on the next step on their journey.
The service sheet, with all song words, etc. in, is available by clicking here.
The YouTube live stream link is here: https://youtu.be/QgKUanWf_o0
Jill explores the theme of "The Pathway to Promotion" through Mark 10:35-45, while Adrian leads us in a service of Communion at Mulbarton Church, streamed live on YouTube.
A service sheet is available for download here, so you can follow along from home if you're watching on YouTube: https://mulbchurch.org.uk/res/Service_Sheets/2021_10_17_Trinity_20.pdf
The YouTube stream is available here: https://youtu.be/2JhthrN3Uyg
PLEASE NOTE: There is just ONE service in the benefice on 10th October, in Flordon Church.
From 9:30am, please come for a bite to eat. Croissants, pain au chocolat, fresh Flordon free range eggs, hot and cold drinks available.
At some point after 10am (!!), we’ll begin a service of holy communion, as is our practice receiving the bread and wine simultaneously to be as safe as possible.
There will be no livestream of the service on YouTube. We continue to encourage masks to be worn during services to protect others.
Our annual harvest service, in support of Tearfund and Norwich Foodbank. Please do join the celebration, as we engage with this year's Tearfund Appeal, using video, discussion, traditional harvest song, Bible readings, and specially written prayers.
Donations of dried foods gladly received for Norwich Foodbank.
Donations of money gladly received for this year's Tearfund Harvest Appeal.
The live stream on YouTube is available on YouTube here or you can watch below: https://youtu.be/B0CjbPunjQg
We'll be looking at how we can love our neighbours and the planet with some interesting data, video clips, thought-provocation and worship.
All welcome of course.
Such an important topic with COP26 coming up in November.
Watch live on YouTube or right here on this page, or catch up later: https://youtu.be/6_zurbdxQgE
Thanks to Gavin, John, Tom and Ryan, who cycled round various churches in Norfolk last week. They covered a lot of ground between them and raised a few hundred pounds to share between our parish church and Norfolk Churches Trust.
Thanks as well to everyone who helped make our four parish church buildings welcoming places for those doing the rounds.
Great effort all round!
Adrian leads us on a journey alongside Jesus' disciples of old, as they are confronted with what it will really mean to follow Jesus. The costs – as well as the benefits – are integral to Christian faith. This is a "Package Deal".
We also welcome young Violet and her family, as she is baptised at her christening.
A full service order with song words is available here, so you can follow along to YouTube livestream.
This Sunday, we have a christening at Mulbarton Church, at which we welcome the family of Aurora at 10am. With the treat of well resourced live music, Adrian will be leading the service, considering Jesus' teaching about a world without borders.
A service order with all the words to follow along with when watching the youtube stream is here.
This Sunday, we have two christenings at Mulbarton Church, at which we welcome the families of George at 10am and Edith at 12noon. Adrian will be leading both services, considering Jesus' teaching about how what we do comes from what's inside us.
Derrick explores the lectionary passages of Joshua 24 verses 14-18 and John 6 verses 56-69 as a response to the question "Are you confused?"
A full service order with song words is available by clicking here.
To join remotely, simply access the Zoom meeting in the usual way, and you will find links to the YouTube live stream and the service order from there.
Live stream link is here: https://youtu.be/2QxUca3Yap4
Adrian leads a communion service for all ages, as we conclude our exploration of Jesus' teaching about being the bread of life.
A full service order with song words is available by clicking here.
To join remotely, simply access the Zoom meeting in the usual way, and you will find links to the YouTube live stream and the service order from there.
Live stream here: https://youtu.be/R1bWW7PwNZU
Jill Wright leads us in worship, as we learn lessons from the prophet of old.
A service sheet with all the song words, etc., is available here, to complement the live YouTube stream, which will be broadcast live on our YouTube channel here.
A video of the live stream is embedded below:
Adrian leads us in a reflection on Jesus' enigmatic words to the Jews who were seeking a sign, about him being the "bread of life". We welcome Gabriel into the family of the church, as he begins his journey of faith.
A service sheet, including all the words in the service, is available by clicking here.
Our first worship service in Mulbarton Church when we were able to sing together! A cheerful service, celebrating new beginnings along our journey of faith.
If you want to follow along, a full service sheet is available by clicking this link.
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