GUNVILLE METHODIST CHURCH 22nd June 2025
Today Paul will be leading, Martin preaching. We welcome people from Quay Street, joining us because of the Festival. We shall be continuing our post-Pentecost series from Acts.
Next Sunday, 29th June, will be a local arrangement, led by Paul.
Birthdays: Thursday – Angus Ager; Friday – Donna Snow
Bookings this week:
Tue: The Ark (morning) Wed: Line Dancing (church) 5.45-6.45
Wed: Nellie’s in the hall 2-4 Thu: Local Authority Neurodiversity group, hall 10-12
Festival: The IOW Festival continues. Please pray for Kevin and the other Street Pastors who will be there offering help, care and Jesus’ love.
IN OTHER WORDS
Here are some song first lines which have been written in other words, but meaning roughly the same. Your job is to work out the originals. Here are two examples:
| Precious guarantee! Christ is in me (belongs to me). | |
| Present now is charity, enormous as the great sea. |
These all come from Songs of Fellowship Book 1, and are in number (and alphabetical) order, with a hint of the beginning. If you’re stuck, just look overleaf (as you may possibly do anyway).
| 1. The whole celestial realm announces the brilliance of the Master who is alive again. | All |
| 2. Stunning undeserved love! How honeyed to my ears. | Am- |
| 3. Reliable person, so constant, never getting older. | Faith- |
| 4. The divine One pardoned what I had done wrong, on behalf of the Saviour. | God |
| 5. Sacred, hallowed, sanctified, divine Master omnipotent. | Holy |
| 6. Christ is Master! The universe sounds it out. | Jesus |
| 7. Turn yours truly into a conduit of your tranquillity. | Make |
| 8. If only I had 103 voices to express musically… | O |
| 9. Forward, infantry of Jesus, striding to battle. | On- |
| 10. Be joyful, the Master is the One who reigns. | Re- |
| 11. There exists a verdant crag at some distance. | There |
| 12. At the sight of the marvellous rood where the heir to majesty gave up his life… | When |
If only… (Continued from last week)
The Early Church’s planning for a Pentecost event (not quite as in Acts 2) comes to fruition:
The weeks slowly passed and at length the day of Pentecost dawned bright and clear. Reports indicated that an unprecedented number of pilgrims and tourists were streaming into the Holy City, all approach roads having been jammed since noon the previous day with an endless procession of donkeys, camels, and pedestrians. The Apostles were confident that a goodly number would respond to the attractive hand-written publicity material that had been distributed on street corners throughout the metropolis, and to the striking banner proclaiming ‘PETER’S BACK’ which now hung majestically over the entrance to the Upper Room. Hymn sheets had been printed, refreshments prepared, and Peter had prepared what he privately considered to be his finest sermon, based upon a particularly challenging text from the Book of Zephaniah……
Peter realised that he was late as he turned in to the pathway leading to the Upper Room, and heard the opening lines of ‘Rescue the Perishing’ drifting towards him. Trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, he slipped through a side entrance on to his allotted space on the platform. The hymn was over, and James, as chairman, was welcoming any visitors worshipping in the Upper Room for the first time.
Peter’s eyes drifted over the first few rows of empty seats to the assembled members of his regular Sunday congregation. Not many ‘outsiders’ were in evidence, although he believed that he recognised the leader of the Church in Antioch sitting in the back row. At last, Peter rose to speak. ‘It gives me a great joy to speak to you tonight,’ he said. ‘I’m sure we have a great blessing ahead of us…’
Later, the service having ended, the congregation slowly began to disperse. As Peter sat alone on the platform, quietly meditating, he could hear odd snatches of conversation as they drifted towards him.
‘Lovely service, wasn’t it, dear?’
‘Nice sermon.’
‘Who arranged the flowers?’
‘Pity there were so few outsiders here tonight.’
‘A further indication of the hard-heartedness of our generation. ‘
Despite his outward enthusiasm, Peter was secretly disappointed. It seemed that nobody wanted to hear the old-fashioned Gospel any more. Ah, if only he could have lived in the time of Elijah and Elisha, and participated in the Mount Carmel revival . . . Now it seemed that, contrary to all previous hopes, the Christian movement was not destined to spread as quickly as they had all expected……
This is by Graham Hedges, and is from “In Unexpected Places” – Jasper & Blyth (Marshall Pickering 1988). There have been several publishing takeovers since then, and we have not been able to ascertain copyright.
IN OTHER WORDS – ANSWERS
| 1. All heaven declares the glory of the risen Lord | 7. Make me a channel of your peace |
| 2. Amazing grace! How sweet the sound | 8. O for a thousand tongues to sing… |
| 3. Faithful One, so unchanging, ageless One… | 9. Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war |
| 4. God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name | 10. Rejoice, the Lord is King |
| 5. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty | 11. There is a green hill far away |
| 6. Jesus is Lord! Creation’s voice proclaims it | 12. When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of Glory died… |