A prayer for interregnum and a new Leader.

Heavenly Father,
 Almighty God,
 Creator of the Universe ,
of all that is ,
seen and unseen,
Jesus , Redeemer and Saviour of the World
Holy Spirit, Renewer and Sustainer of Life
We pray for your church here at St. John’s at this time of interregnum and as we seek a new leader.
 We pray for the Bishop, Archdeacon and wardens at this time.
We thank you for the ministry of Steve and Andrea amongst us and pray for them as they prepare to move to Halifax and take up their ministry there.
We pray now Lord that you would have your hand on the right person to lead us on to the next stage of our faith journey as a church ,
as a visible and authentic sign of your Kingdom.
Lord, we acknowledge that at times we are not easy to lead
We follow too much the devices and desires of our own hearts
Like shepherdless sheep we stray and lose direction
Bring us back to yourself by the guidance of your generous ,gracious Spirit
That we may be generous and gracious
Willing to be led and directed in the growing of your kingdom
Willing to die to self and to take up our cross in your service
Lord , help us to discern your will for us and for our leader in waiting as we reflect on the life and teaching of Jesus.
His patience with his fallible disciples
His eagerness to speak about and live out Your Kingdom’s values
His self sacrificing love and humility
His firm condemnation of meanness , injustice and hypocrisy
His desire for unity amongst his followers
Lord , we ask for the impossible we know
We are after all , only human
We ask for a person of prayerful generosity , grace and truth
A seeker after the lost
Who will lead us into greater acts of generosity , grace and truth
As we seek by the Power of your Holy Spirit
To grow your Kingdom in Baxenden and South Accrington
We pray this prayer in the name of the one who prays constantly for us,
Jesus , Our Great High Priest, The Risen and Exalted Son of God.
Amen.

A Final Word from Steve…..

“So Jesus went dahn inter t’watter o’ t’ River Jordan. But as ‘e comes aht ageean ‘e seeams ter see t’sky suddenly open up – an’ it’s as if God’s ‘Oly Spirit’s comin’ dahn an’ settlin’ on ‘im, same as a dove. An’ Jesus ‘ears a voice from up yonder, an’ all. It says: ‘This ere is my well-loved Son - an’ ah’m reight sewted wi’ ‘im!”
Mark Chp.1, vs.10,11

Have you managed to translate the above version of Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan? It’s the broad Yorkshire dialect version by Dr. Arnold Kellet, and comes via a helpful friend who thought we’d need a translation that everyone would be able to understand in Halifax!

Now it struck Andrea and I that the dialect isn’t too dissimilar from the old Lancashire dialect that we can remember being spoken in our childhoods. It may be that we should have been using this translation earlier, so even more people could understand and respond to the call of Jesus on our lives to ‘repent and believe in the good news’(Mark 1:15). God’s desire is that all should have the opportunity to respond to the call of his beloved son, so that He can be ‘reight sewted wi’ us all.’

So, the 13th.July was to be our last service at St. John’, and it was a cracker! Andrea and myself were so blessed by the Worship, generosity, kindness and love shown to us. We cannot mention names, but those who have put themselves out for Jesus over the last ten years have been great companions on the journey, and have already begun to receive the reward promised them, as healing, and Spirit inspired grace, begin to change the way we think and live, no longer me, me, me, but more of you Lord in our lives.

As Jesus predicted, (Matt.13) some will hear and respond – and one lady reminded me this weekend, that her life has been changed by God over these years – but others will not, illustrated by an overheard conversation following my last sermon – ‘what’s ‘e takin’ abat now?’ (in Yorkshire dialect!) It’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry when people can’t see the Grace of God amongst us, perhaps the best reaction is to cry for the lost (as Jesus did), but to laugh at our ham fisted and poor attempts to illustrate the love of God for all people (which Jesus didn’t have to do).

That was really the theme of my last sermon, that God signed a covenant of love with us way back with Abraham, and he isn’t one to forget his promises. That living covenantal relationship is visibly being worked out at St. John’s, and I am immensely proud of the commitment our church has put in over the years. Yet, this covenant is not all plain sailing, as the life of Jesus illustrates, it’s a costly covenant, and all committed Christians can expect to be misunderstood and even to suffer for their faith. As Psalm 72 says, God is in the suffering and the joy – ‘You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my honour, and comfort me once again.’

And so finally, this Covenant story makes us family, we have a name that is above all names, and no one can separate us, even though our part of the story at St. John’s is at an end. I look forward to hearing what the next part of the story will be for this wonderful mission minded church? What I do know is that the best for St. John’s is yet to be, and us honorary Yorkshire men wait with baited breath to hear of what God is doing in Lancashire….


  All our love in the Lord Jesus,
  Andrea, Steve, Pete, Becky & Jo, xxx