MCCA Connexional Worship Service

spread over the mcca to kanutoni by donkey for a bibonin and molten europa right americas presentation so the methodist church in the caribbean and the americas presents a connectional worship service to signal the commencement of the 2021-2022 church year and to showcase a variety of the gifts and the graces across the mcca thank you for joining us may your hearts be richly blessed [Music] i greet you in the name of the lord and savior jesus christ over these many years the methodist church in the caribbean and the americas has been celebrating the beginning of a new connectional year each september but we have celebrated in every corner of the connection now with the advent of technology and much greater use of technology we can celebrate together so we welcome you join us please as we worship today celebrating the beginning of our new connectional year [Music] [Music] [Music] um [Music] i'm expecting great things [Music] [Music] great things [Music] great things [Music] [Music] [Music] me [Music] [Music] great days [Music] me [Music] [Music] [Music] is is [Music] the call to worship from hills and valleys islands and mainland in our joys in our sorrows from our toil from our ease speaking in different tongues from many places with rich heritage and cultures we come as one in the name of christ we sing together the hymn and are we yet alive found at number 392 in voices in praise [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] me [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] let us look to the lord in prayer we praise you o god we acknowledge you to be the lord all the earth doth worship you the father everlasting god of the past present and future god in whom all things are renewed we bless and magnify your name all our lives oh lord you have been faithful all our lives you have been so so good with every breath that we are able god we will testify of your goodness hallelujah as we assemble across our connection we are enjoying by the spirit who makes all things new we come into your presence with thanksgiving deeply grateful for the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown toward us your people when we call out to you o lord you answer and we are exhausted you give us the strength to go on when we find ourselves in trouble you are there standing beside us and so we come before you with gratitude and praise this evening offering you the worship of our hearts and our lives lord open our eyes to see and to know that you are among us even as we embark upon this new church here open our ears of god to recognize your voice even when we face times of challenge and crisis during this year and then lord send us out from this place and all from the places where we worship to live and to work in the world as your faithful disciples lord even now move by your spirit in displaced touch heal and deliver and set your people free as we worship you saturate this place oh god with the presence of your shekinah glory and lord we be careful to give you the praise the glory and all the honor in jesus name we pray amen let us go to god of prayers of confession forgiven god we come before you this day as a church acknowledging the fact that we have not always been the people you have called us to be our actions at times were displeasing to you and for that we say we are sorry dear god there are times when we allow our own agenda to rule instead of the prompting of your spirit for that we ask your forgiveness there are times when we fail to listen to the instructions given by your holy spirit and we sought o god to satisfy our own desires that we ask your forgiveness we pray oh god that you will indeed as a church visit us afresh let us to face the task on finish to press forward with hope in christ we know that he never leaves and he never forsakes we know that he is the friend that sticks it closer than a brother we know that he forgive those who come to him in penitence and so loving god for all eight districts we come before you in penitence for the things we did that were displeasing to you for our thoughts and our actions that were not compatible with your will for us as a people called methodist forgive us o god and cleanse us we pray that as we seek to press forward we may do so under the power and influence of your holy spirit not rely on our own strength lord god but trusting holy and solely upon you we thank you but you offered us grace and peace that you offer us forgiveness that you have provided a way out and so lord we pray that you may wash us from the cover of our heads to the souls of our feet that you may cleanse us oh god every position of influence and authority every individual of all these positions we pray oh god to help us to bring ourselves bare to you so that you can do what you do best that is to restore to revive to rekindle that compassion and that flame for you the glory they seek to put you first in all that we do so that your name may be glorified we have that hope but you are the miracle worker you are the problem solver you are the one oh god who holds the key and so we look to you to unlock the potential of your church even as we come acknowledging the fact of god that we have not always been the people you have called us to be so today become bowing ourselves before you become seeking your forgiveness oh god knowing that though our sins be asked you will make them as white as snow wash us oh god cleanse us purify us and place within us oh god that burning desire to lift your name on eye in all circumstances place within us lord god that fire that we may strive at all times to bring the nations to you to proclaim your word in season and out of season to reform the nations where you have placed us to minister and so lord we stand on your word that if we come in sincerity confessing ourselves you will cleanse us from all unrighteousness my brother my sister hear that in the words of grace your sins our sins are forgiven amen thanks be to god a prayer of thanksgiving i invite us to bow our heads in prayer let us pray the prayer of thanksgiving lord we thank you today for the blood of jesus christ that cleanses our sins that we can be afresh each day loving father we thank you for valuing us as human beings so much so that we can understand we know our value to you has nothing to do with the good within us it's just because you are the person of personification of love thank you jesus christ for the seasons of new growth in us for fruitful times and the results of being grafted into the vine and knowing that we all draw our strength from you lord we thank you for laughter and the wholesomeness of joy we thank you for the great thanksgiving that has been done for us we see the blessings you give to us through laughter and through joy lord god we thank you for showing yourself absolutely dependable in so many ways including your love for us your love for us never fails even in the times when we fail you thank you that your promises never fail thank you for your faithfulness towards us in the name of jesus christ your son and our lord we pray amen [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] directions [Music] is [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] is [Music] you'll be sure [Music] my brothers and sisters i greet you and welcome you from up on the hill our mcca conference center in antigua good evening to our connectional president the reverend avril galbraith under dr hubert marquette our vice president and sister muriel smith treasurer of connectional funds good evening to those in the bahamas turks and caicos district conference under the leadership of bishop the reverend theophilus role and those in guyana led by bishop the reverend kofi niles and those in the south caribbean district led by bishop the reverend derek richards [Applause] led by bishop the reverend jean leslie dorcely and to those in the leeward islands ably cared for by bishop the reverend charles seton good night if you are in holland and good evening to those in the other circuits good afternoon to those in panama costa rica led by bishop the reverend juan simpson and those in jamaica led by bishop rev the reverend christine good and ben gucci and those in belize honduras led by senator bishop the reverend a moses benguchi how good and pleasant it is when we can meet together in unity in some ways at present we feel more divided than ever we have not been able to meet to celebrate to travel even to work in the ways which we traditionally and culturally are accustomed to yet we are coming to understand how very blessed we are in having modern methods of communication which allow us to be in contact with one another frequently economically and effectively let us make the best possible use of the opportunities given to us at this time as indeed we are doing this evening so that when we have moved on past the worst of this pandemic we will have multiplied the possibilities offered to us by strengthening the bonds of our connection and making the best use of talents found in our eight various districts and our diaspora and so welcome to worship today together and we will worship again together in a few weeks time when we celebrate with the members of the wesley diaconal community their 25th anniversary the ministers will meet in a virtual gathering at the end of october the opportunities at all levels to spread our work and to share our work our manifold let us make the best possible use of them as together we face the task unfinished and we press forward with christ welcome to our worship this this is the god we adore our faithful unchangeable friend whose love is as great as his power and neither knows measure nor end charles wesley vip number 29 verse one bishop of the reverend evil galbraith connectional president dr eubart market connection of vice president reverend jacqueline liddell connection secretary sister muriel peggy smith connectional treasurer district bishops ministerial and lay members youths youngers children of the eight districts that make up our connection friends and well-wishers and all others who have joined us for this special service this evening i greet you in the precious and mighty name of our lord and savior jesus christ in this our 261st year of our witness in the caribbean and the americas through all the changing scenes the methodist church in the caribbean and the americans has survived true perseverance dedication and commitment of its leaders as such it is a great honor and privilege and i'm thrilled to be tasked with welcoming our newly appointed connection officers for the next triennium 2021-2024 dr hubert market hails from our haiti district a humble yet distinguished professional and servant of god our brother brings the scene and vitality we will need particularly as we plan to move the church in a unified strategic direction during the next five years my brother we welcome you as our new vice president and we are confident that he who has begun the good work in you will complete it until the day of jesus christ philippians 1 6. since muriel smith most of us know her as sister kenny comes to us from the leeward islands district as our first female treasurer of connectional funds with a wealth of experience in financial sector serving both church and the secular world her task is by no means easy i believe her mantra is philippians 4 13 i can do all things through christ who strengthens me sister peggy we welcome you and trust that indeed god will give you that extra you will need as you guide our connection in becoming financially vital brothers and sisters whenever and wherever you see reverend jacqueline little be assured shannon is right nearby this is an indifferential and energetic feel reverend jaclyn lindell our connectional secretary comes to us from the jamaica district after having her formative years in the indiana district reverend lindell and shalinka recently relocated to the connection residence in scotland eagle she brings to us her light vision office management skills all very important qualities in her new role as connectional secretary reverend jackie and shanika we welcome you and trust that in your own unique way settling in will be an ease as you observe yourselves in your various rules i'm sure reverend galbraith is smiling more broadly now the neighboring house and office are occupied glory to god family members of the mcca i urge you to be prayerfully supportive of our connections officers into sitting with god to bless their leadership over the next training remember these are difficult times it is not business as usual the nathan report said coming together is a beginning staying together is progress and working together is success bishop gallery and our new connection officers may the lord grant you wisdom new insights as we genuinely support each other may the lord walk with you every step of the way and help you accomplish even greater things and may the holy spirit fill your hearts and grant you success in your leadership of your connection i close as i started in verse 2 charles blessed him it is jesus the first and the last whose spirit shall guide us save home we praise him for all that is us and trust him for all that's to come may god bless our connection as we face the task unfinished pressing forward with christ is you are my strength when i am precious [Music] jeez my [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] yes [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] hallelujah [Applause] oh remember i is [Music] oh i am i my [Music] my i [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] my [Music] i believe i am myself [Music] oh [Music] god is doing wonderful things in our world and in our lives this afternoon we are going to be hearing from a number of persons from across our connection as they share with us what god is doing in their lives the theme look what the lord has done may god bless us as we hear these testimonies of the goodness and the grace of god [Music] [Applause] [Music] he body [Music] [Applause] [Music] what the lord has done he touched my mind [Applause] [Music] church in the republic of panama look at what the lord has done for me he placed me in a christian family i understand that my grandmother was a woman of prayer and so my mother taught us how to pray in her latter years we became prayer partners until she passed a few years ago then i became prayer partners with my daughter who lives in another country but thanks to the free communication of whatsapp we are able to continue this ministry we pray daily for all our family members who are practicing christians and by that i mean we practice scriptural holiness we pray for those members that we are not sure that they are christians yet we even pray for babies that will be born into the family in the future we pray for our ministers as we belong to different churches we pray that god grant them a fresh anointing of his holy spirit to persevere in their calling we pray for world issues and we pray for special petitions i have learned what it is to practice praying without ceasing as i go daily for a walk as my exercise i use that time to pray for my personal affairs and i occupy my mind and enjoy myself we also i want to say also that i was in two turnover accidents once i was driving i was not feeling well and now i know that i should not have taken the car in another occasion my husband was driving in a mountainous area with precipice on both sides of the road god's spirit our lives because in both occasions we landed on a huge rock and we know that jesus christ is the rock and his promise is he will never leave us nor forsake us and so he protected us in these two accidents and we are thankful that god has done so much for us in our lives amen sisters and brothers this is someone else's stories happening 20 years ago but which always impress me and show me that god can move mysterious ways in order to protect his people it is the story of the local preacher who was to take the bus in order to go to the airport and catch a flight to attend his sun ordination you know where we live the things are not such in order when it happened to be traveling there is no discipline and people want pushing others in order to get in the bus so the guy was almost 70 years old so try to take the bus to get his seat but every time there was a push somewhere and he cannot get his seat after many attempt it happened that the bus was full and the fool left him it was his despair because it was the last bit she can catch and if he cannot get the airport on time he will miss his flight and will be not able to attend his son's ordination but was he was taking his way back home because he realized that it was finally too late there was a lot of rumors and scream outside and someone and tell him that you know you lucky man god bless you he asked why and because the birds just get an accident frontal accident with another bus almost everybody died in this crash very few survive and they were really injured and this experience showed the guy that god can use really mysterious way to protect him he could not attempt the ordination but they sent him the video he could see it in his home and he testified of it because he find is a blessing and that we should not be in a hurry for anything because god is in control so don't get discouraged when things in life seems to be late to take time god took his time in order to protect us each thing happened in life may have a hidden benediction behind and this is the testimony it always impressed me about god's plan for us god bless you all [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] hi church family my name is devon malcolm booster originally from the dominican circuit in the leoward islands district but i currently reside in jamaica where i served the koch memorial methodist church as senior organist choir master and a local preacher the testimony that i will share with you today stems from 2017 when i articulated into the university of the west indies mona campus just two weeks after starting my medical school journey hurricane maria devastated my country rendering my country's government my conscious people and indeed my own family financially struck as a consequence of the ravaging path of that cyclone but god came through for me god's providing hands fed me through the benevolence of the people of the sovereign alamar circuit where i worked a year before as circuit director of music that for me represented the first time on my own that i experienced how the saving grace of god and his providing hands can supply all of my needs according to god's riches in glory fast forward to 2019 when things started to get worse when the bills started to pile up and stress and pain filled my spirit god did it again inspiring so many people back home in dominica here in jamaica and around the world to sow financial seeds that got me back on track after the university had moved to deregister me for want of payment of my tuition fees sisters and brothers that for me again represented another moment where god stepped in and turned my souls into joy and supplied my needs when i did not know when i did not know where the money would come from when i did not have the wherewithal to make those payments on my own fast forward again a pandemic later three failed or or cancelled concerts later a failed campaign later god again assures me of his intention to supply my needs even as again the university has moved to deregister me as i've made it to my final year needing over 70 000 us dollars to complete my journey but i believe that just as god did it before god will do it again for me i believe that just as god did it for me god can do it for you and because god did it for so many others we can bask in the confidence that god's plans never to leave us not forsake us to ever be our friend and to always supply our needs are true and we can take that to the bank we can hold fast to the confidence that god is going to do what god says he will do and because we serve a mighty god we have nothing to fear we have nothing to worry because once it is ordained by god come whatever me god will do it for us amen hello everyone my name is maxine yo and this is my husband nigel and we are from the lyanna district the board memphis church we are here to share our wonderful testimony that i know will encourage you and give you strength go ahead will mention thank you for i saying thanks to god for the experience that i have in the sense that i was um heart stroke that lasted for a period of time and i found out that you must still set your mind on christ because ultimately it's where your mind really is because once you have that being of understanding that you are reliant on christ not anyone else your family your friends your your work you will realize then one three might be lying on your own strength it is god has granted us favor and he's feeling my life from the bed i was bedridden so walking and i want to bless god in my avenues of learning and he was the ultimate one in everything in that time my wife was sick and that was a double wobble for us but god again we my brothers and sisters look what god has done he was able to heal myself and my husband he was proven to us that he is our great physician and so at this time i'd like to pause to just share this piece of scripture and it says here it's coming from psalms 41 verse 3 and it says the lord will give them strength when they are sick and he will make them well again and that is exactly what the lord could have done at this time i would like to say thank you to everyone who have played a very important role in helping us along with prayers and blessings of favor everyone give god praise and thanks for them and so we were just in this song now look what the lord passed over look what the lord has done look what the lord has done he seen my body touch my mind he saved me just in time i wanna praise his name ej is just the same come on and praise him come on and praise it look what [Music] is [Music] [Music] the [Music] before [Music] [Music] me if i carry me [Music] [Applause] my next [Music] before myself [Music] oh me then do just what you said [Music] is [Music] is it never runs out [Music] oh [Music] [Music] foundation my okay [Music] it is hey is [Music] on the day of pentecost a long time ago jesus christ from above sent the fire below blessing earth with the gifts to declare god's name we today may receive from on high the same light the fire jesus fire field of fire warm our hearts in every hill and plane light the fire heavenly fire feel the fire spread the joyous news of jesus name and the flames fan the flame holy spirit source of fire freely give to give [Music] gifts to teach reach and heal gives the skills to live bless us with gifts to love god a neighbor too [Music] jesus fire [Music] heavenly fire feel the fire spread the joyous news of jesus [Applause] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] under youth today received the gifts christ now offers you you're in part with this strength great things you can do your mission is to [Music] [Music] heavenly [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] me [Music] greetings to everyone and i'm happy to be sharing on look what the lord has done you know one of my all-time favorite hymns is the hymn titled god moves the mysterious way his wonders to perform the same was written by william culper who suffered from manic depression for most of his life these words my dear friends took on a new meaning during the advent of the covet 19 pandemic with its attendant deleterious effects on the world economies including the fragile economies like ours and the of course the impact the actions of most governments including the regional ones to have our sanctuaries close for months at a time this meant that we could not meet as we would normally do but thank god even though we were locked out from our chapels the word of god was not locked out in fact the world was very active as technology had reached to such a point where the gospel can now be streamed throughout the world without us having to leave our homes one of the more interesting posts that was forwarded to me via whatsapp during that time was one that was a cartoon depicting god having a conversation with satan satan was telling god i have closed down your churches to which god responded yes but i have opened up a church in every home so look what the lord has done indeed god works in a mysterious way his wonders to perform what a mighty god we serve happy new church here to my fellow brothers and sisters throughout the mcc god bless us all see what god has done hallelujah greetings my brothers and sisters my name is brenda armstrong from the belize honduras district there's a gospel song written by karen wheaton that is called look what the lord has done in the chorus she wrote these words look what the lord has done he healed my body he touched my mind he saved me it was just in time she must have had similar experiences in her life to those that i have had in mind to have written those words you see over the last few years god has indeed healed my body bringing me from days when i felt being alive meant being in pain to today when the occasional twinges simply remind me that once upon a time i had a physical condition called array that god has healed me from but that is not the number one hit in this praise report i sing praises daily because god has touched my mind he has saved me he has saved me from myself you see god has enabled me and has empowered me each day god enables me to have a mind that seeks to serve is no longer what others can do for me it is what can i do for god and for others i find myself looking for ways to reach out to show compassion to be there for other people in their time of need but perhaps most importantly god's holy spirit empowers me daily i know in my heart that each day i do not venture forth alone i know that the god who is able is coming right alongside me i know that he will never forsake me and so i now live with a mind that is fixed on being what god wants me to be and i can sing loudly in the shower in the mornings through all the changing scenes of life in trouble and in joy the praises of my god shall still my heart and tongue employ and i can sing it with sincerity to god be the glory for what he has done in my life amen [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] hey [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] is amen is [Music] uh [Music] kingdom greetings my wonderful friends my name is mercedes fleming a member of the tabernacle methodist church and lay preacher in training of the francaise martin circuit this is my testimony i grew up in a christian home in a large family my parents were fully invested in their church as a child i had very little choice than to be obedient with the kind of parents i had however moving to the u.s for high school and then returning home a young adult i became more interested in worldly affairs than being the regular god-fearing child my passion for fashion increased as i began socializing and engaging in fashion shows queen shows etc being born with a gift of gab i could sell anything and convince anyone and so i made a name for myself as an mc at numerous fashion shows and pageantries drinking and partying was synonymous with such events slowly i became dependent on alcohol just to make it through the day but my friends i held it down for years got married had four beautiful children still having the need to drink i managed to hold on to a great job go to church with my family regularly while concealing the fact that i was an alcoholic today i thank god for praying parents and my wonderful sister my sister jeanette never gave up on me she reminded me of god's love for me and she prompted me to have bible study at her house so as we studied together i became stronger and stronger now i always wanted to be a teacher and so as i studied god's word i was guided and encouraged to cry out to jesus to help me with this addiction and to give me the desires of my heart one evening as i laid in bed watching tbn it is as if the preacher was singling me out the pastor said there's a woman who is watching right now you are a great salesperson with the ability to speak easily and confidently in a way that makes people want to listen and believe you god is calling you he wants to use you for his kingdom he went on to say you were raised in a godly home but satan is seeking to destroy you come to jesus now and the rest is history i gladly recommitted my life to christ glory to god in the highest i thank god for snatching me out of the claws of satan and setting me on a pinnacle i endeavor to serve the lord in spirit and in truth for as long as i live my favorite bible verse is philippians 4 13. i can do all things through christ who strengthens me and my favorite hymn is tis so sweet to trust in jesus my friends look what the lord has done i thank you simply trusting every day trusting through a stormy way even when my faith is small trusting jesus that is all trusting as the moments fly trusting as the days go by trusting him where we fall trusting jesus that is all hymn number 275 in the vip hymn book hello everyone my name is chloe newton and i am an 11 year old 6th grade prefect at kingsway academy elementary school in nassau bahamas i was christened in rhodes memorial methodist church in the nassau circuit of the bahamas turks and caicos islands conference of the mcca by bishop reverend dr raymond r neely i spent my formative years in rose memorial until five years ago when my parents and i began attending the methodist church of the good shepherd our congregation is pastored by reverend kelly jolly i am the only child of pastor colin and sister barbara newton and i am also a christian having been led to christ by my father some four years ago i would like to share with you for a few moments on the theme look what the lord has done about two months ago i was invited by a former classmate to a small gathering to celebrate her 11th birthday her parents had arranged for a limousine to carry her and her few friends to the bahama resort where we were to have lunch at one of the restaurants to say the least i was filled with excitement from the moment that we had received the invitation on the day in question as we were preparing to leave home to meet up with the others for the limo ride to the resort we neglected to properly secure our home upon our turn some seven hours later we met our front door wide open now what would we what would be the first thought to cross your mind if you were faced with this disturbing image naturally it would be that you had been the victim of a burglar it was our first thought as well however upon an initial inspection by my father there was no visible damage to the door or to the lock as we would further survey our home to our pleasant surprise we would discover that all of our belongings that were just as we had left them what we would come to conclude was that the door was never locked and as had occurred before a strong breeze had blown the door open now we live in a neighborhood that has heavy pedestrian traffic and our property is now gated we have no idea how long the door was open so when we started to imagine what all could have occurred during our absence we cannot stop giving thanks to god he protected our home with the front door wide open as a matter of fact once it was determined that all was well my father had us all join hands and he led us in a prayer of thanksgiving my friends in christ within our congregation the methodist church of the good shepherd we have a saying that is quite popular god is good all the time and all the time god is good sometimes we say things so often that they become second nature to us and they tend to lose their true meaning however there are moments like these when god shows us how good he really is and all we can say is look what the lord has done god bless you all and thank you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] bye [Music] so [Music] [Music] do [Music] [Music] [Music] bye [Music] me [Music] [Music] do [Music] [Music] from [Music] [Music] me [Music] this [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] faithful through the [Music] ages faithful promises time and time again you have proven you'll do just what you say though the storms may come and the winds may blow our remains [Music] is [Music] is [Music] though the storms may come and the [Music] it will come to is [Music] the rising sun [Music] [Music] [Music] your faithfulness [Music] i put my faith in jesus my anchor to the ground my hoping for foundation [Music] is [Music] me is [Music] is [Music] now [Applause] [Music] so [Music] six [Music] [Music] so [Music] so [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] searching for heartland [Music] [Music] here that is [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Music] meow [Music] oh [Music] hey [Music] searching for heart [Music] i'm [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] um [Music] [Music] m [Music] [Applause] [Music] jesus [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] foreign foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] we pray together the collect for this evening's worship oh lord we beseech you mercifully to hear the prayers of your people who call upon you and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill them through jesus christ your son our lord amen the old testament lesson will be read to us in dutch by a member of the leeward islands district and then psalm 23 will be read in english by our treasurer sister smith the epistle will be read in french by dr hubert marquette and the gospel will be read in spanish by reverend esther hannah's then after ministry in music the sermon will be preached by our bishop the reverend avril galbraith [Music] the flutter at birthland and at largeland in exerted land and on the seikus atlanta commandant and the lib ender lebanon taught on rotary fear is the lord is my shepherd i shall not want he makes me to lie down in green pastures he leads me besides still waters he restores my soul he leads me in right path for his name sake even though i walk through the darkest valley i will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil my cup overflows surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and i will dwell in the house of the lord my whole life long amen glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy spirit as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen verse [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] portanto [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] me is no death [Music] [Music] is is [Music] is [Music] oh is [Music] is [Music] is oh [Music] [Music] it is indeed a very pleasant experience that we are having this worship service throughout our connection and we thank god for the opportunity to be fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters not only here across the mcca but even beyond the boundaries of the mcca the theme for our trianium is facing the task unfinished pressing forward with christ this evening i want to share with us a word on the topic pressing forward hope in christ and it is based on well not based but i'm using philippians chapter 3 verse 13 and 14 as our guiding text beloved i do not consider that i have made it my own but this one thing i do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead i press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of god in christ jesus let us pray merciful god we thank you for this wonderful opportunity that we can gather like this to worship we pray now that you will bless the words which will go from my lips and my heart and may your message o god be heard by your people so bless now your word unto our hearts and glorify your name for christ's sake amen pressing forward hope in christ keep going the journey has not ended you have not yet arrived these are some of the messages that i've deduced from the four passages of scripture which were read for us earlier deuteronomy tells us that the hebrews were on their way to the promised land they had been at mount horeb for a year building the tabernacle training an army and learning god's torah god told them quote you have been at this mountain long enough resume your journey end of court or as the new international version puts it break camp and advance into the hill country end of court mount horeb was a good place to be it was pleasant with pleasant memories but not their destination it was time to move on and move forward because their tasks were unfinished in the psalm we read david wrote about walking through the valley of the shadow of death and in philippians we read where paul told the believers at philippi that he is pressing on toward the goal he's training forward to what is ahead according to matthew in jesus's parting words to his disciples he told them to go everywhere and as they go to make disciples of others baptize them and teach them to obey all he has told them so movement movement that is going forward going somewhere going towards the goal is the key to these passages that is true of us as individuals and also as a denomination we have commenced a new connectional year moving forward by the grace of god into a new year the mcca is on the move having said that there are three things i would like us to observe in this short reflection first of all a journey has begun a journey has begun god has called us to a journey a pilgrimage and we are moving forward heading to a state of blessedness and wholeness you see my friends life like the christian life is a journey [Music] if we are to discover new oceans we must be willing to lose sight of the familiar and the comfortable israel needed to move in his book entitled wrought rot or revival is a thousand asks a very provocative question he asked what is the worst enemy the church faces today he gives this answer quote the treacherous enemy facing the church of jesus christ today is the dictatorship of the routine when the routine becomes lord in the life of the church programs are are organized and the prevailing conditions are accepted as normal end of court 261 years ago the methodist church started to move throughout this region we have done well we have gone into many different territories but the journey has not ended when we accept christ as our lord and our savior we are born again spiritually we start a journey and we must continue on that narrow road to the end of our earthly days being born again is not the end or an end it's only the beginning as a church covey 19 is compelling us to do some things differently and leave the land of familiarity behind thank god that we have come to recognize and are sharpening our skills to ensure that local preachers training ministerial training confirmation classes pre-marital counseling and our statutory meetings at all levels of the church are done differently i don't like 19 and i wish it had never visited us but i thank god that because of kovit 19 we are becoming a more responsible and financially astute church brothers and sisters in these turbulent and unpredictable times we must be willing to sail past the predictable and to develop a spiritual hunger and discipline for the unprecedented we need to lose our appetite for the normal to lose our appetite for the routine and the habitual and to launch out with hope in our hearts knowing that he who began a good work in us will be with us to the end secondly under reconstruction some years ago i had a poster with a picture of a tree on it it was a huge tree with huge branches many branches but no leaves and at the bottom of the tree the base of the poster were these words be patient with me god is not finished be patient with me god is not finished as we enter this new year we should be cognizant of the fact that as individuals and as church we are broken vessels who are under divine reconstruction we are not yet what god intends us to be and the mcca as an organization needs to rethink think and recast itself in to suit the present and emerging realities the old wine skin will not work and we cannot continue as we are we cannot as individuals we continue to struggle with the growing demands of an ever increasing secular society the issues of sexuality and leisure the issue of family life are increasing the complexities and confusions of our members and our brokenness and frailties makes us vulnerable to the pressures the pressures of life methodism celebrates 261 years in the region and 64 years as an autonomous entity we have been around a long time many of the previously accepted norms on which the constitution and discipline and practice of the mcc era founded are no longer relevant immigration and work permits requirements across the region make movements of ministers and freedom to work in many areas a major challenge the re-imagining and reconstruction of an mcca that is suitable for the 21st century and beyond needs our urgent and divine guided attention as we commence this new year the good news is that god is not finished with us god is working on us and like the clay pot in the potter's hand god is remaking and reshaping the mcca and each of us to ensure that the mcca is growing is viable and is sustainable god is not finished we are under construction god is at work we look forward to a church that will reflect the beauty the compassion and the grace of god in the world and thirdly keep the goal in view keep the goal in view i have said a journey has begun under reconstruction keep the goal in view one of the worst things that for anyone who is on a journey is to lose sight of where they're going we need to keep our personal and objective goal in view paul says i press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of god in christ jesus god reminded the jews that they had begun had been given the land and they must go in and take possession this is their destiny their destination this was their right it was theirs but they were told that they must go in to lay hold of what god has given to them there is something better awaiting you and i that god has willed for us what has been designed by the will of god for each of us cannot be changed on earth or in heaven no one and nothing can steal our blessings if we do what we are supposed to do it will not come to us we must move move to claim and possess it the current state of the mcca is not our destiny we have many problems many challenges many concerns and even as we start this year there are many circuits without a minister and there are those who are overworked the challenges are there but my sisters and brothers as we begin this new year i remind us that the best of all is god is with us god is with us and the best is yet to come the best is yet to come and so we keep our eyes on the goal we keep working towards the praise and the glory of our god because god is not finished with us god is not finished with the mcca in the words of anna l warring [Music] there will come a time when we can say confidently and ought to be able to say confidently even now that green pastures are before me which yet i have not seen bright skies will soon be or me where the dark clouds have been my hope i cannot measure my path to life is free my savior has my treasure and he will walk with me so in conclusion our journey continues like the pot in the potter's hands god continues to reconstruct us as individuals and as a church we must keep our eyes on the prize as we run this leg of the race be confident that god will make a way even if there seems to be no way i like the words of travis green in one of his very popular songs it says don't know how but you did it don't know how but you did it he goes on to say you made a way when our backs were against the wall and it looked as if it was over you made a way my sisters and brothers god will make a way my friends the mcca is on the move you and i are on the move yes we are living in turbulent times and i know it is not easy and will never be easy however i beseech you today do not lose heart don't take your eyes off the price keep pressing forward god will make a way even when there seems to be no way and may god's name be glorified now and forever amen let us pray thank you god for this reminder at the beginning of another connectional year thank you for encouraging us to press forward and to hope in christ we pray god that you will help us as we journey through this year to remember that yes we are on a journey to remember that yes we are being reconstructed you continue to remake us and remold us and reshape us according to your will and as we go help us oh god in the name of christ to keep our eyes fixed focused on what you expect of us may you grant unto each one of us oh god the grace we need to live the life you have called us to live for jesus christ's sake we pray amen and our men [Music] oh foreign [Music] is [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] please [Music] [Music] yes [Music] god of all islands keys continents and countries we acknowledge you to be the lord of us all on this beautiful lord's day in the caribbean and the americas we thank you for this wonderful and glorious part of your world as we begin another church year 2021 2022 we look back on the past year with gratitude and thankfulness for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us the past two years in particular have been a very challenging for the church across the world and especially sold to the church in the caribbean and the americas the people called methodists loving god we pray for this church community in this time of crisis deliver us from simply desiring to go back to normal and give us grace instead to be open to the opportunities that your spirit brings in this time of pandemic grant that we may come out of this crisis with open hearts open minds and open eyes more fully available to the needs of those most vulnerable and those whose labor we have always depended on give us creative hearts and minds to embrace and carry forward the new ways we have found to connect with one another engaged the word of god and proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of god we bless you for those areas of our conference where gathering in person is permissible may we all be renewed in the knowledge of your faithfulness and abiding love and strengthened for the work which lies ahead of us help us as a denomination to ensure that we are good stewards of all that you have entrusted to our care god of all ages we bless you for your church the mcca and give you thanks for the great legacy which we have inherited a legacy that has come out of the hard work and deep faith of men and women who have gone ahead of us men and women who have made tremendous sacrifice to ensure the prosperity of the gospel of jesus christ in our regions give grace to your church that we may continue to play a major prophetic role in the lives of the peoples of our regions bind us together as one people who are otherwise divided by water language culture and political systems equipping god pour out your grace and stir up the gifts of your holy spirit in the lives of those called to lead at various levels of your church for our connectional officers district officers circuit officers and congregational officers we ask for your sacred anointing pour special grace upon our pastoral leaders our bishops our superintendents and other presbyters and deacons that especially in this time of pandemic they would all be committed to rescue the perishing care for the dying snatch them in pity from sin and the grave weep all the airing ones lift up the fallen and tell them of jesus the mighty mighty to save oh god it is my prayer that you would strengthen us for the labor that the lord has provided for those who help to run the church's virtual presence in the world we ask your blessings oh god upon them that you'll continue to inspire them with new training with greater opportunities to exercise the ministry to which you have called and for which you have blessed and have gifted them we pray that they would never become wary in doing good for the sake of the kingdom revealing god you have made yourself known through the person of our lord jesus christ your son our savior and our lord continue to nurture your church that it may maintain and remain a people through whom your presence is experienced and shared in our world shape our community life that in our prayer praise and worship we may honor you and encourage one another keep our disagreements civil and increase our joy in working together redeeming god you accompany your people through every stage of life in trouble and enjoy we give you thanks for the saints who now rest in your embrace receive this prayer oh god and those in our hearts known only to you through the same jesus christ our savior and our lord amen and amen prayer for our children youth and young adults loving god you have embraced us in your world through jesus christ presenting new possibilities of hope and renewal of our faith humbly we beseech you on behalf of our children youth and young adults in a world of anxieties fears and uncertainties with pressures on every side we are reminded of your special love and concern for our children youth and young adults awakened within us as adults the consciousness that our words thoughts and actions impact the lives of our children and youth you call us to care for and nurture them to create the environment that will allow them to strive and grow in your knowledge love and understanding for the children youth young adult adults of the world we pray those who are anxious about their future the covid19 pandemic and the issues related to the vaccine for decision-making in relation to career paths and relationships for those without devices to pursue their academic careers for those with challenges related to connectivity today we pray over them that you will raise up within them the spirit of daniel set in a standard the spirit of david a fearless warrior the spirit of shadrach meshach and abednego filled with courage and unwilling to deny you before the powers of the day hear our prayers o gracious god for our children youth and young adults we pray in the name of jesus christ our risen lord and the savior amen and amen [Music] [Music] [Music] a amen lord god we have come to worship you we visit you we praise your holy name as the people call the mcca we are praying oh god at this moment in time for those who are sick especially the children the young people and the old people lord god be merciful on them we are praying oh lord for the house born those who have no one to look after them no one to care for them father god be with us as your people and may we reach out to the house born may we wish i would uh to this sick on the short thing lord in your mercy be with us be with them now and forevermore amen [Music] [Music] amen [Music] let us pray today we pray for those affected by natural disasters after the bidding lord have mercy your response is christ have mercy you pray for us to fall for those affected by hurricanes we pray our god for those who have suffered from the impacts of recent tropical storms and hurricanes with particular reference to tropical storm grace and hurricane ida and the damage and death that they have inflicted in haiti cuba louisiana mississippi new orleans new jersey and new york lord have mercy christ have mercy we pray for those who have experienced recent flooding causing severe damage and loss of life countries in europe and asia south america mexico and the mainland especially in tennessee lord have mercy christ have mercy we pray for those who have been affected by earthquake and specifically for the republic of haiti struggling in the aftermath of that massive earthquake lord have mercy christ have mercy we pray for persons suffering from the covet 19 pandemic and especially the more devastating variants for the fallout occurring particularly in family life the economy education and health sectors for those who still do not think that they need to protect themselves or others from this virus lord have mercy christ have mercy we pray for volcanic eruptions in various parts of the world with particular reference to saint vincent and the grenadines as it seeks to cope with the disruptions caused for all countries that are suffering at this time as a result lord have mercy christ have mercy for countries affected by forest fires we pray for turkey siberia the amazon greece states united states of america such as colorado california oregon nevada washington state and we also pray for western canada including manitoba saskatchewan alberta and british columbia lord have mercy christ have mercy for those whose land is being affected by severe drought and threat of famine lord have mercy christ have mercy father hear the cries of your people and grant relief and hope in these difficult times lord have mercy christ have mercy amen [Music] [Applause] [Music] forgive is [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] the charge we go out in the power of the risen christ we go forth bearing the imprint of his cross we are sent out like lights to shine in the darkness we shall go out with joy for christ is before us christ is above us christ is beneath us christ is within us he is our life going confidence know that god goes with you to give you words of hope comfort and peace may god's love flow through you to all those whom you meet now and forever are men [Music] [Music] the lord bless you and keep you make his face shine upon you and be gracious [Music] and give you peace [Music] you and give you peace [Music] [Music] [Music] generation [Music] beside [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] in the morning in the evening and you're coming and you're going in and rejoicing is for you is for you in the morning in the evening and you're going in [Music] is for you [Music] put those [Music] he touched please [Music] [Music]

Channel: Methodist Church in the Caribbean & the Americas

Views: 3,819

Rating: 4.891892 out of 5

Keywords: MCCA, Connexional, Worship, Service, Jamaica, Guyana, Bahamas, Methodist, Galbraith

Id: FT8OpQrw7P4

Length: 166min 47sec (10007 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 19 2021