Led by:  Revd George Mwaura

Prayer of the Week

Living God, like Nicodemus who came to Jesus in search of truth,
we too come seeking your wisdom and guidance for now and the days ahead.
Open our hearts and minds to the transforming power of your Holy Spirit.
Help us to understand the mystery of being born again,
and to embrace the new life you offer through Jesus Christ
who gathers us in your name and your Spirit that renews our faith day by day.

Amen

Hymn: Love divine, all loves excelling

Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.

Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy grace receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave.
There we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above;
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then thy new creation:
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee;
changed from glory into glory
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
CCL31580

Hymn: Empty, broken, here I stand

Empty, broken, here I stand,
Kyrie eleison.
Touch me with your healing hand,
Kyrie eleison.
Take my arrogance and pride,
Kyrie eleison.
Wash me in your mercy’s tide,
Kyrie eleison.<
Kyrie eleison, Christie eleison, Kyrie eleison.

When my faith has all but gone,
Kyrie eleison.
give me strength to carry on,
Kyrie eleison.
When my dreams have turned to dust,
  Kyrie eleison,
in you, O Lord, I put my trust,
Kyrie eleison.
Kyrie eleison, Christie eleison, Kyrie eleison.

When my heart is cold as ice,
Kyrie eleison.
your love speaks of sacrifice,
Kyrie eleison.
love that sets the captives free,
Kyrie eleison.
O pour compassion down on me,
Kyrie eleison.
Kyrie eleison, Christie eleison, Kyrie eleison.

You’re the voice that calms my fears,
Kyrie eleison.
you’re the laughter, dries my tears’’
Kyrie eleison.
you’re my music, my refrain,
Kyrie eleison.
help me sing your song again,
Kyrie eleison.
Kyrie eleison, Christie eleison, Kyrie eleison.

Humble heart of holiness,
Kyrie eleison.
kiss me with your tenderness,
Kyrie eleison.
Jesus, faithful friend and true,
Kyrie eleison.
all I am I give to you.
Kyrie eleison.
Kyrie eleison, Christie eleison, Kyrie eleison.

Nick & Aniita Haigh

Hymn: Have you been to Jesus

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood,
in the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you walking daily by the Saviour’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood, …

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
and be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood, …

Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
and be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
there’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Elisha A. Hoffman (1839–1929)
CCL31580

Bible Readings

Genesis 7: 1–5 & 9: 8–13

Read by Pat Kyd

¹ The Lord then said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. ² Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, ³ and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. ⁴ Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.’

⁵ And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.

[…]

⁸ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ⁹ ‘I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you ¹⁰ and with every living creature that was with you – the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you – every living creature on earth. ¹¹ I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.’

¹² And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.…’

NIV®

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John 3: 1–8

Read by Robin Kyd

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

¹ Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

³ Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’

⁴ ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’

⁵ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’

NIV®

This is the Gospel of Christ.
Praise to Christ our light.

Hymn: Colours of day

Colours of day dawn into the mind,
the sun has come up, the night is behind.
Go down in the city, into the street,
and let’s give the message to the people we meet.

So light up the fire and let the flame burn,
open the door, let Jesus return.
Take seeds of his Spirit, let the fruit grow,
tell the people of Jesus, let his love show.

Go through the park on into the town;
the sun still shines on, it never goes down.
The light of the world is risen again;
the people of darkness are needing our friend.

So light up the fire and let the flame burn, ….

Open your eyes, look into the sky,
the darkness has come, the sun came to die.
The evening draws on, the sun disappears,
but Jesus is living, and his Spirit is near.

Sue McClennan, John Paculabo and Keith Rycroft (1974)
CCL31580

Hymn: God on the Mountain

Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain
and you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known.
But when things change and you’re down in the valley
don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone.

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.
When things go wrong, He’ll make them right
And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times
The God of the day is still God in the night

You talk of faith when you’re up on the mountain,
talk comes so easy when life’s at its best.
Now it’s down in the valley of trials and temptations:
that’s when your faith is really put to the test.

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.…

Bill & Gloria Gaither (2005)
CCL31580