1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,400 Point in your life, maybe somewhere you'd love to go, 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:07,880 maybe something you'd like to do or experience or someone you'd 3 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,320 like to meet. Why don't you just turn to the 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:15,880 person nearest you and tell them something that may be on your 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,840 bucket list? You might have to wiggle along, 6 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:20,560 Jeremy. You might have to turn behind 7 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:28,800 you or something. What have we got? 8 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:35,000 Any, any something on your bucket list? 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,240 OK, OK. Anyone want to tell us some of 10 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,800 those things? Anyone shout out something on 11 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,200 their bucket list? Pardon. 12 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:48,800 Going bowling. Brilliant. 13 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:50,880 Set the bar like this. I love that. 14 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,640 Go go in bowling. That's a brilliant thing to 15 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:55,520 happen on your bucket list. Anything else? 16 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,560 Scoring over 100 on what? In bowling. 17 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,000 Nice, nice, nice. Excellent. 18 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:08,880 Any other things on your bucket list going on safari? 19 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:11,960 Yeah. Nice, nice, brilliant. 20 00:01:11,960 --> 00:01:14,040 I would love to see the Northern Lights. 21 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:15,720 I know that some of you know this about me. 22 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:20,760 A while ago, on a few occasions, people were lucky enough to see 23 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,840 the Northern Lights like here, right in the, in the UK, here in 24 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:27,720 sunny Chelmsford, some of our neighbors on our WhatsApp group 25 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:29,680 were like, Oh my goodness, did you see this at the end of the 26 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,280 road? And I was like, no, I didn't see 27 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:33,720 it. I don't know if I was asleep or 28 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:37,240 I don't know if I had the wrong kind of equipment, but I was so 29 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:41,240 gutted that I couldn't see it because that is right at the top 30 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,640 of my bucket list. I would love to see, you know, 31 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,120 those photos you get. It's like the whole sky is just 32 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:50,000 full of these amazing colours. That is properly on my bucket 33 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:51,320 list. It's something I want to do with 34 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:53,400 my life. So this morning we're going to 35 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,040 be thinking about that question, how am I going to live my life? 36 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,920 What's, what's the one thing that I want to do while I live 37 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,840 my life on this earth? And if you've been around the 38 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:07,760 last few weeks, we've been thinking about this whole thing 39 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,760 of numbering our days. And Psalm 90, verse 12 talks 40 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,440 about teach us to number our days so that we can be wise in 41 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,880 how we live our lives. So if we're talking about 42 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:23,800 numbering our days or like counting them and making them 43 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,560 count, then I thought we just would start off this morning 44 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:30,160 with a tiny little bit of maths. OK, Sorry if that makes you 45 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,000 groan a little bit. OK, so here we go. 46 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,240 How many seconds are there in a minute? 47 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:41,160 60 Brilliant. How many minutes are there in an 48 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:46,000 hour? Oh, OK, we're on it here. 6060. 49 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:46,600 Yeah. Brilliant. 50 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:53,160 How many hours in a day? How many hours in a day? 51 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,360 24 Brilliant. How many days in a week? 52 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:04,600 7 How many weeks in a year? 52, Brilliant. 53 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:06,800 And everyone doing all right with this math early this 54 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:08,520 morning with one hour less sleep. 55 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:10,160 I know I've challenged you. I'm sorry. 56 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:16,120 So by the time you're 10 years old, how many weeks will you 57 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:21,520 have lived if 52 weeks are in a year and then you're 10? 58 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:23,840 How many weeks will you have lived? 59 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:33,520 If you're 10, 520, yes, amazing. Brilliant, brilliant. 60 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:39,120 What about when you're 20? So 10 years is 520 weeks. 20 61 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,240 years is going to be or I can literally see the smoke coming 62 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,120 out of your brains. You're like, this is too much 63 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:50,880 for me this morning. Sorry, big hand of applause. 64 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,720 1040 if you're 20. When I was younger I used to 65 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,360 think that being 25 was really old, like that's probably 66 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,320 ridiculous isn't it now? But there you go. 67 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:06,360 If you are fortunate enough to live to your early 80s, you will 68 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:10,000 get to live for 4000 weeks, about 4000 weeks. 69 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,320 OK, time is a strange thing, don't you think? 70 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,959 I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, but to me the 71 00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:21,279 weeks just seem to be flying by and I can literally hear my mum 72 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,000 saying that, Oh, doesn't I don't fly well, that that kind of 73 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,320 thing. I can hear people that I know, 74 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,360 you know, saying that to me, but I, I really feel it now. 75 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,640 So 4000 weeks doesn't seem like a lot to me in my head. 76 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,920 So how are we going to live these weeks, these days, these 77 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,600 minutes, these hours, these minutes, how however many we 78 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:43,280 have? How are we going to number our 79 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:45,360 days so that we live more wisely? 80 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:49,080 Who do I want to be? What do I want to do with my 81 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,200 life? And in one of her poems, Mary 82 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,560 Oliver says this, she says, tell me, what is it you plan to do 83 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:56,920 with your one wild and precious life? 84 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,160 I love those words. It's amazing words. 85 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:01,880 Is it what? What is it you plan to do with 86 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,680 your one wild and precious life? Today is Palm Sunday. 87 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,640 It's the day when we remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a 88 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:12,720 donkey, the crowds welcoming him with praises and shouts of joy, 89 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:16,640 saying, look, it's the king. And then in this coming week, as 90 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:20,560 we walk through these next few days, this week in the kind of 91 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:25,440 run up to Easter day, as we read and reread those passages in the 92 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,880 scriptures, we see that there are a whole load of different 93 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,240 things that happened in just that one week. 94 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:36,160 Shouts of celebration, a really intimate last dinner of Jesus 95 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,920 with his close friends, washing of of washing of their feet. 96 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,400 Disciples feeling so tired that they kind of just go to sleep 97 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,240 and they let Jesus down kind of when he needs their their 98 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:51,320 support the most. Jesus kind of these drops of 99 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:55,600 sweat like blood, like sweat, sweat like blood, whatever you 100 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:57,560 want to say. This kind of moment of anguish, 101 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,080 a kiss of betrayal, the tears of a good friend who suddenly 102 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,840 realized that he'd said he didn't even know Jesus when he 103 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:06,840 was one of his closest friends, just like Jesus said he would. 104 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,520 And all those things happen. And then Jesus dying on the 105 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:12,400 cross. And then there's this silence in 106 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,960 this waiting. And then there's Easter Day. 107 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,800 So many experiences in that one week, so many feelings that go 108 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,960 with them. Lighter days, darker days, the 109 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:27,080 darkest day of all, Good Friday. And then the shining bright 110 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:31,000 glory of Easter Sunday. And when Jesus rises, there's 111 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,480 this beautiful book, children's book, called The Patchwork 112 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,160 Quilt. I don't know if any of you have 113 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:40,440 seen it, but I remember having it with our kids. 114 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,040 I remember using it in school when I was teaching. 115 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:48,120 And it tells of a grandma who uses different materials that 116 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,840 are cut into different shapes to make this treasured kind of 117 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:53,720 blanket for her family. And each of the materials that 118 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:58,160 she uses represents something they, they stand for, something 119 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,000 they stand for a moment, something that has shaped them 120 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:03,800 as a family. And so as she's stitching it 121 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,480 together, it's this way of remembering what was important 122 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:10,040 to them and what has shaped them, what was important in 123 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,440 their lives. So imagine making something like 124 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:17,360 that, maybe for your life. Maybe you might use some 125 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,920 material from a special, special clothes that you wore on a 126 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:26,040 special occasion. Or maybe you might use something 127 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:31,040 from like a well loved jumper that you cozy up in on a on a 128 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,000 winter's night. Or maybe when you're feeling a 129 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,280 bit low. Maybe there's a piece in your 130 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:41,480 blanket that you use when you're celebrating something. 131 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:44,080 Or maybe there's something there that reminds you of when someone 132 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:45,840 was ill. Maybe it's something that they 133 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,880 wore. Each piece of those fabrics, 134 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,320 those bits of material speak of something. 135 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:54,080 There's something that's important to you. 136 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:56,960 So when you look at the whole thing that you've made, the 137 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:01,040 whole finished quilt, it kind of tells the story of your whole 138 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:05,040 life, the good times, the hard times, everything in between. 139 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,600 Years ago, my mom made this patchwork quilt. 140 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:10,520 I don't know if you can see it there. 141 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:16,560 I really remember her making it. I remember the time that it took 142 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:21,040 her. I remember how she had to cut 143 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:26,040 out each shape and first of all have the shape on a bit of 144 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:30,680 paper, then lay that paper onto the fabric, then cut round that 145 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:36,240 too and then hand sew every single little shape and then 146 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,240 match each single shape together. 147 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,720 I remember her laying it all out on the floor to decide where she 148 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:47,160 wanted to put each piece, and then she'd stitch blocks 149 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:50,440 together all by hand, and then stitch the next block together 150 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:55,080 and then fit it all together and put all the interlocking pieces. 151 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:59,440 I remember her her doing it, and I remember the time and 152 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:03,360 attention she paid to it. I remember the care that she put 153 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:09,280 into it and I think it tells the story of not only the skill of 154 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:15,240 her hands, but just that love that she had in expressing 155 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,440 something by by doing this. It's a beautiful thing. 156 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,440 I think it's like a labour of love and each of the threads 157 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:26,480 that holds it all together has been painstakingly sewn by the 158 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,240 Craftsman, or in this case the craftswoman. 159 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:35,360 Like creating something out of all these scraps of material and 160 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:38,240 making it into something beautiful and the whole finished 161 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:41,600 thing being like a work of art. And I think it's a picture that 162 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:45,680 could help us to look back over our own lives where we can 163 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:48,720 remember and think about things that have gone on, things that 164 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:52,840 we've experienced. And to know that all the time 165 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:58,000 God was with us, His hands, just like my mum's on this fabric, 166 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:03,880 His hands attending to us, placing things, creating 167 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:06,960 something beautiful, making sense out of all of our 168 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:11,360 experiences. God behind, God beside, God 169 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:13,120 ahead. Like whatever our life 170 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:18,240 experiences, God has been there with us, stitching, like 171 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,680 creating this thing with our lives. 172 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,760 Everywhere you look, His handiwork, his presence, his 173 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:30,240 witness, his holding of us. I remember my mum is this quite 174 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:32,760 heavy, this thing. Maybe later on you might want to 175 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,480 come and just pick it up and touch it, but it's a really 176 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,040 heavy thing. I remember it laying on her lap 177 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:40,040 as she was kind of putting it together. 178 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:44,560 There's this, you have to touch it like it's a holding thing. 179 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,080 And that's what Jesus does to us in every experience of our life. 180 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:55,120 He holds us and he creates this something beautiful and his 181 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:58,080 witness becomes a thing that we tell. 182 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:03,440 Like he was with me in all these different fabric Y times of my 183 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,440 life, like maybe the darker ones, maybe the harder ones, 184 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:08,640 maybe the lighter ones, the easier ones. 185 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:11,960 And then this is the story that we tell. 186 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,960 This is my life. This is Jesus with me in my 187 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,240 life. His great faithfulness through 188 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:21,600 it all. So this morning there are some 189 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:23,200 things if you want to keep your hands busy. 190 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,960 This is not just for the kids. This is also for adults who 191 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:27,360 might want to keep their hands busy. 192 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:31,440 There are some envelopes that look like this. 193 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,160 If you didn't pick one up on the way in there, over on that table 194 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,360 over there in a minute you can go grab one And inside them are 195 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,440 loads of different cut out shapes. 196 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:44,160 So that and you need to have one of these. 197 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:49,600 You need to have some paper, maybe some scissors, glue, and 198 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:52,480 then you can arrange the shapes and cut out your own shapes to 199 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,000 make your own patchwork quill on a piece of paper. 200 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:56,680 So that's some of the things you can do. 201 00:11:56,680 --> 00:11:59,520 If that's a bit tricky for you, Another way of making a 202 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:04,320 patchwork quill is just to pick up a piece of paper, have a pen 203 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:08,840 start somewhere and draw any kind of line you want to, but 204 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:11,080 keep your pen on the paper and don't take it off. 205 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:13,360 And at some point, when you've got enough pattern, you take it 206 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:15,080 off. And then with the shapes that 207 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,920 you've made, you can create your own patterns within each little 208 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:21,280 section. So it ends up looking like a 209 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:23,080 patchwork quilt. So if you want to keep your 210 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:25,520 hands busy, that's something you can do. 211 00:12:26,680 --> 00:12:28,160 Go, go and get some of those if you want to. 212 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:31,040 Now that's cool. So wait a number of days is to 213 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:35,800 look back, to remember that God is behind and to remember the 214 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:38,640 goodness and the kindness of God, to remember that He was 215 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:43,040 with us here and here and there and there. 216 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,480 He was with us all those times in all those different shades 217 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:49,520 and patterns, different colours of our experiences. 218 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:53,600 Oh, I forgot to say, Beth and the littly littlies on that 219 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:56,000 table. There are also some squares, 220 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:58,960 patchwork squares that you can stick on that table. 221 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:00,800 All right, there we are. OK. 222 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:04,440 If we look close enough, we can see the work of God's hands, his 223 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:08,920 careful attention to the details of of our lives as he pieces us 224 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:13,160 together and works us into this beautiful creation. 225 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,600 So look back at the fabric of your life. 226 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:21,800 Do you remember God's presence? Do you remember his voice? 227 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:27,720 Do you remember who he is? Do you remember that He was with 228 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:31,400 you even then? He was with you even then? 229 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:35,360 And I heard these words the other day and they said this. 230 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:40,040 Do you remember who you are? Do you remember whose you are? 231 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:42,480 Do you remember what God has done for you? 232 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:44,800 Do you remember what He has given you? 233 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,440 Do you remember what He has promised you? 234 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:52,560 Do you remember the way He has delivered you, saved you, and 235 00:13:52,560 --> 00:13:56,360 brought you through again and again and again? 236 00:13:56,360 --> 00:14:01,120 Do you remember God? Do you remember your purpose? 237 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:03,480 Do you remember His plans for you? 238 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:10,040 It's a really powerful thing to look back and see that God has 239 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:13,560 been with you. And it might be that as you look 240 00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:16,920 back over something, you can't quite see that yet. 241 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:20,920 And if that's you, I really want to encourage you to have a 242 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:22,520 conversation with God about that. 243 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,200 I can't quite see that you were with me then. 244 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:30,760 God would you help me know that you were and, and sometimes as a 245 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:35,160 family in the church, we can help each other in those times. 246 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:38,720 Like I can't quite see that yet, but you might be able to stand 247 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:42,800 with me and hold me as we as I kind of journey through that. 248 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:48,240 So we're going to have a short break in a minute and well, I'll 249 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,120 tell you about some of the things that are coming up. 250 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:54,200 Some extra baskets will come round and in those baskets are 251 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,720 some post its and what I would love is for little bit later in 252 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:00,400 the service, just in and around when we do communing a bit 253 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,360 later. I would like to invite all of 254 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:08,760 you to choose maybe one or two post its from that basket. 255 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:11,200 Maybe decide what kind of colour you want to use. 256 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:14,800 And I want you to think about an experience you've had in your 257 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,120 life. It might be something that you 258 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,200 really celebrate a significant memory for you. 259 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:26,920 It might be something that was harder for you and then maybe 260 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,120 you might want to decorate that post it with pens. 261 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:32,680 Maybe you might just want to write a couple of words on it or 262 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:35,680 someone's name on it. But then a little bit later, 263 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:40,440 we're going to bring those bits of paper as the way that we 264 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:42,720 remember some things in our lives and we're going to bring 265 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:46,880 it as an offering to create part of a quilt that we're making 266 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:49,480 there all together. All right, I'll explain a little 267 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:52,160 bit more as we go along. But as those post its come 268 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,720 round, the idea is that you choose a couple of significant 269 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:59,000 things from your life, maybe something to celebrate, maybe 270 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,800 something that's harder decorate it or just write something on 271 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,880 there like a prayer. You're right, God, as I this is 272 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:08,760 the thing I'm remembering and I'm remembering that you were 273 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:11,640 with me with this or I'm struggling to remember that you 274 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,560 were with me with this. But I want to remember it 275 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:16,600 somehow. And we're going to add those all 276 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:18,840 together at the end as part of our communion. 277 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,480 So we're going to have a short break now. 278 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:25,240 Libby's going to come and just tell us some things that are 279 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:28,360 going on and then we'll come back. 280 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:33,800 Brilliant. So before the baskets come 281 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,480 round, if you are new or visiting or you're very welcome 282 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,520 this morning, we've got an information table just outside 283 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:42,200 the door here. OK, is that better? 284 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:50,960 No, hey, we're good, excellent. OK, so using those post, its 285 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:55,160 thinking about that whole thing of looking back, God's 286 00:16:55,160 --> 00:17:00,040 faithfulness through all of the different seasons of our lives, 287 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:04,640 different experiences of our lives, God with us, God behind, 288 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:10,240 God beside, God ahead. And looking back helps us to 289 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:14,880 number our days because as we remember the things and we 290 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:19,160 remember that God was with us, this God that we follow, it's 291 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:23,599 with these things firmly, like grasping our hands and held in 292 00:17:23,599 --> 00:17:26,640 our hearts, that we can then look forwards. 293 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:32,600 God behind, God beside with me now, God ahead, I can look 294 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:36,320 forwards. And we keep hold of his promises 295 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:42,240 that looking behind God, behind God with us, helps us to look 296 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:47,440 ahead and to God with us ahead. And the looking behind helps us 297 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:51,120 to look ahead because it rings in our ears, it steadies our 298 00:17:51,120 --> 00:17:54,600 hearts. And we come to understand this 299 00:17:54,600 --> 00:18:01,080 deep knowing that God has been with us, God behind God beside, 300 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:05,600 God ahead. And as we look forwards, we can 301 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:10,280 be sure that what lies ahead is defined by two things, the 302 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:13,560 presence and the promise of Jesus. 303 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:18,560 God is always with us, and that is a promise. 304 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:24,240 So when you think about what's ahead as we number our days, 305 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:26,920 Jesus says this. If you've got a Bible turns in 306 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:29,920 Matthew chapter 6, it will appear on the screen as well. 307 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,200 But if you've got a Bible log, want to pull it up on your 308 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,720 phone, it's always good to actually read it and look at it. 309 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:42,640 Matthew chapter 6, we're going to start at verse 25 and this is 310 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:45,760 these are Jesus's words to the people that were listening. 311 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:51,000 So I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will 312 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:56,760 eat or drink or about your body. What you will wear is not life 313 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:59,920 more than food and the body more than clothes. 314 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:05,240 Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store 315 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:09,080 away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 316 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:13,120 Are you not much more, so much more valuable than they? 317 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:17,800 Can anyone of you, by worrying add a single hour to your life? 318 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:19,760 And why do you worry about clothes? 319 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:22,280 See how the flowers of the field grow. 320 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,760 They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even 321 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,040 Solomon in all of his splendour was dressed like one of these. 322 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:34,120 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field which is here 323 00:19:34,120 --> 00:19:38,600 today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much 324 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,320 more clothe you, you of little faith? 325 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:45,080 So do not worry, saying, what should we eat, or what should we 326 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:48,200 drink, or what shall we wear? For the pagans run after all 327 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:52,720 these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 328 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:58,520 But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these 329 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:00,440 things will be given to you as well. 330 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:05,240 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will 331 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:08,320 worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of 332 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:13,120 its own. Jesus says don't worry about 333 00:20:13,120 --> 00:20:18,880 what's ahead, Remember, look at the quilt, look at what we've 334 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:23,800 been making together, look at my witness with you all the way. 335 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:28,920 Remember who I am, he says. Look ahead to Jesus. 336 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:30,720 Do not fear. Do not be afraid. 337 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:34,040 That's what he says as Jesus teaches his his friends on the 338 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,240 mountainside with the crowd listening in. 339 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,840 Jesus says over and over and over again, do not worry. 340 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,160 Do not worry about this or that. Do not worry about whether 341 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:46,160 you're going to have enough. Do not worry about what tomorrow 342 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,640 holds. Do not worry about your life. 343 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,360 Why? Because your Heavenly Father, 344 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:57,000 the one who knows you and loves you, the one who holds your life 345 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,840 in the very palm of his hands, He knows what you need. 346 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,560 And we have this promise of all that is to come, where 347 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:07,280 everything that is of God, everything that is good, 348 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:11,280 everything that is beautiful, will one day be all that there 349 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:12,760 is. There'll be nothing else. 350 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:17,000 It'll all be totally beautiful. So we will walk through 351 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,200 different shades of life, through dark and light, but with 352 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:24,360 this bright future hope of God's Kingdom that is to come. 353 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:28,840 And that even now is coming as we stay close to Jesus and let 354 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:32,640 him shape the way that we live. God's Kingdom that is setting 355 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,680 this world right, taking all the broken and dislocated pieces of 356 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:41,000 the universe, people, things, animals and atoms and fixing 357 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:46,680 them and fitting them together in vibrant harmony, fitting them 358 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:50,520 all together just like this beautiful quilt. 359 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:56,280 Don't be afraid, says Jesus, because I am with you. 360 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:01,840 I will always be with you. As we look ahead into tomorrow, 361 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,240 into the future, Jesus says to us, do not be afraid. 362 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,200 You belong to me and I belong to you. 363 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:12,480 You are safe and I am going to lead you all the way home and I 364 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:17,440 will fashion your life into this most beautiful thing that one 365 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:20,040 day you will be able to see in all its fullness. 366 00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:24,400 Jesus has faced every human experience head on. 367 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:26,800 He knows everything that lies ahead of us. 368 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:32,520 He loves us and He is with us so we can walk with him and trust 369 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:36,240 him. God behind, God beside, God 370 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:39,480 ahead. In Matthew 28, as Jesus was 371 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:42,720 speaking to his disciples and telling them to go and carry on 372 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,800 his work in the world, he said go and make disciples of all 373 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,280 nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the 374 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,400 Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything 375 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:57,160 I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always 376 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,800 to the end of the age. That's his promise to us. 377 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:04,800 And that word always that Jesus uses here, it comes from a Greek 378 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,680 word that's only used on this occasion in the New Testament, 379 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:11,560 and it's best translated as the whole of every day. 380 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:16,720 Jesus promises to be present with us in every single moment 381 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,240 of every day, from the moment that He spoke to the disciples 382 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:24,240 back then, whenever He speaks to us now, and through His Spirit 383 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:27,720 offer as we read the Bible, all the way through to the end of 384 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:31,960 this present age and then beyond into life everlasting. 385 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,080 Think back to those seconds and minutes that we were counting 386 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,200 right at the start, the math that we did at the start. 387 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:42,360 Every single second He is with us. 388 00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:46,280 He never, ever, ever leaves our side. 389 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:51,040 Just like you can count on that constant tick tock of the clock, 390 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:55,320 He is with us. Like hear that rhythm of the 391 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:58,200 clock kind of ticking. He's with us. 392 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:02,720 We don't need to be afraid because Jesus is right here. 393 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:07,680 He's behind us, He's beside us, He's ahead of us. 394 00:24:09,360 --> 00:24:11,560 He's before us. He's to our left and now to our 395 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:13,640 right. He's within us and he's without. 396 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:19,000 We will never go anywhere where Jesus is not near God, behind 397 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:23,040 God, beside God ahead. There's nowhere we can go that 398 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:27,680 he's not there with us. In Psalm 139 it says this, Where 399 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:30,440 can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your 400 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:32,120 presence? If I go up to the heavens, 401 00:24:32,120 --> 00:24:34,640 you're there. If I make my bed in the depths, 402 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:36,720 you're there. If I rise on the wings of the 403 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:39,920 dawn and a settle on the far side of the sea, even there your 404 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,000 hand will guide me. Even there your right hand will 405 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:47,240 hold me fast. So as we look forward, Jesus 406 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:51,280 says, do not worry, do not be afraid, for I am with you. 407 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:56,720 And then the second thing that we can pull out of this passage 408 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:01,400 that we've read from Matthew, Jesus says, seek me. 409 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:05,800 Look for Jesus first, look to Jesus 1st. 410 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:10,160 And if we're honest, I think it's sometimes easy not to do 411 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:13,240 that first. Sometimes we can try and come up 412 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:17,480 with a solution ourselves first or look to something or someone 413 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,760 else first. But Jesus says look to me first. 414 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:24,920 Seek first the Kingdom of God. Keep your eyes on me. 415 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:29,600 Keep your eyes on the King and his Kingdom that is here and 416 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,880 that is coming and his Kingdom that is to come. 417 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:38,400 This is how we are to live our one wild and precious life with 418 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:43,520 our eyes fixed on the King. When John sees a picture of what 419 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:47,360 is to come in Revelation, the words he hears coming from the 420 00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:50,120 throne of God are these. It says behold, which means 421 00:25:50,120 --> 00:25:55,880 look, look, see, pay attention. I am making everything new. 422 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:58,760 It's all in the present tense. The Kingdom of God is not 423 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,240 something we're just waiting for in the future. 424 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:05,000 The Kingdom of God is here. It's near, it's within reach. 425 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:09,640 We can touch it and to be a Jesus people, we're invited to 426 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:12,600 live the life of the future here and now. 427 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,640 The future. What we see ahead is to shape 428 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:20,600 how we are to live here. And as we follow Jesus, as we 429 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:25,160 take on his teachings, as we do what he did, we are to seek him 430 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:29,480 first and to usher in his Kingdom, to say, come in, come 431 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,320 and be part of this with me. And all those Kingdom things 432 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:39,480 that we do, they will last all the way into the future and 433 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:42,440 eternity. I'm just going to read. 434 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,320 It's a little bit of a wordy quote, but I want to read it 435 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:48,520 from a guy called Tom Wright. He's the theologian. 436 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:51,360 And he says this. What you do in the Lord is not 437 00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:54,040 in vain. You're not oiling the wheels of 438 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:56,080 a machine that's about to fall over a Cliff. 439 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:59,680 You're not restoring a great painting that's shortly going to 440 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,800 be thrown into the fire. You're not planting roses in a 441 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,680 garden that's about to be dug up for a building site. 442 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:09,320 You are strange, as though it may seem almost as hard to 443 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:11,240 believe as the resurrection itself. 444 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:16,320 Accomplishing something which will become in the course, part 445 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,000 of God's new world. Sorry, in due course, part of 446 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,920 God's new world. Every act of love, gratitude and 447 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,600 kindness. Every piece of art or music 448 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:30,360 inspired by the love of God and delight in the beauty of his 449 00:27:30,360 --> 00:27:33,120 creation. Every minute spent teaching a 450 00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:35,480 severely disabled child to read or to walk. 451 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:39,800 Every act of care and nurture, of comfort and support for one's 452 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:43,840 fellow human beings and for that matter one's fellow non human 453 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:46,240 creatures. And of course every prayer or 454 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:49,400 spirit LED teaching. Every deed which spreads the 455 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:53,200 gospel builds up the church, embraces and embodies holiness 456 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:56,960 rather than corruption, and makes the name of Jesus honored 457 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,520 in the world. All, all of this will find its 458 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:02,720 way through the resurrecting power of God into the new 459 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:04,920 creation which God will one day make. 460 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:07,880 This is the logic of the mission of God, he says. 461 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,000 God's recreation of his wonderful world, which has begun 462 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:14,240 with the resurrection of Jesus and continues mysteriously 463 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:18,160 through us as we as God's people live in the risen Christ, in the 464 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,800 power of the Spirit, means that what we do in Christ and by the 465 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:24,120 Spirit in the present is not wasted. 466 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:28,360 It will last all the way into God's new world, and in fact it 467 00:28:28,360 --> 00:28:32,000 will be enhanced there. If you want to read that again a 468 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:37,640 bit later, then come find me. Everything we do now counts. 469 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:42,560 Everything we do, like Kingdom stuff that we do now, counts and 470 00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:45,760 will last. Every Jesus prompted thing that 471 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:47,600 we say. Every moment that we offer to 472 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,160 pray for someone at work or a friend at school. 473 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,280 When we give someone an unexpected gift or cook a meal 474 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:56,520 for someone who is ill. Every time we give a word that 475 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,120 encourages. Every time we leave this place 476 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:00,880 and serve people in our community. 477 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:04,440 Every act of kindness. Every moment we'll tell someone 478 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:07,800 about the goodness of gods. Every beautiful piece of art we 479 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:10,200 create or joy that we bring to someone else. 480 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:13,080 Every injustice that we seek to write. 481 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:16,720 Every child we listen to, every patient we go in above and 482 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:20,920 beyond for every stranger that we befriend, each time we choose 483 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:24,280 what is right over what's wrong, every moment we care for this 484 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:27,120 creation and sacrifice for those who are in need. 485 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:30,640 Every time we see a broken relationship restored, every 486 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,520 single time we seek first the Kingdom of God. 487 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:37,000 It's never in vain. It's going to echo right the way 488 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:41,920 through to eternity. We're invited into a life that 489 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:46,400 is full of purpose with the days that we have as we number our 490 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:49,040 days. It can be full of purpose with 491 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:51,720 Jesus. A life that is full of being 492 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:54,840 alive and awake to the hope of the Kingdom of God and the 493 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,520 presence of the King in the here and now. 494 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:01,560 God behind God beside, God ahead. 495 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:07,320 God is ahead of us, the God who, the more that we get to know, 496 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:12,280 we're coming to know Him, being totally faithful, the 497 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:17,760 unshakeable truth of who He is, the undeniable hope of who He is 498 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:23,040 through every shade and pattern and bit of fabric of our lives, 499 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:27,160 He is with us. So going back to that question 500 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:30,200 right at the start, tell me how you're going to live your one 501 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:34,520 wild and precious life. Paul says this in Romans chapter 502 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:37,280 12, verse 1. He says, take your everyday 503 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:40,760 ordinary life. You're sleeping, eating, going 504 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:45,480 to work and walking around life and place it before God as an 505 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:49,000 offering. And so we take this beautiful 506 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:52,160 patchwork quilt that God is making of our lives, where we 507 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:56,800 see his hand of goodness woven through over a moment where we 508 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:00,160 see his withness in all that we experience. 509 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:03,920 And we see his Kingdom, gold kind of running through it, His 510 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:09,240 beautiful presence through the hard times and the easier times. 511 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:13,400 We see that he's with us. And it's almost like this fabric 512 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:19,080 can become like a coat that we wear that speaks of our story 513 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:23,560 and speaks of God's goodness and his kindness and his love for us 514 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:26,600 and speaks of his promises, saying I will be with you. 515 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,400 It's like we can clothe ourselves in it. 516 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:32,760 We look for him first, we look to him first. 517 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:36,720 We tell of his kindness and his faithfulness, and we offer our 518 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:40,440 lives to the King. And then our lives are marked 519 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:44,880 with this posture of making way for the King, echoes of Palm 520 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:49,200 Sunday, the way we lay down our lives as an offering. 521 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:53,440 It looks like the laying down of coats on the ground that those 522 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:56,040 people did as they waved their palm leaves. 523 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,080 It looks like shouting out loud to Jesus. 524 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:05,760 I'm yours, I trust you, I know that you are with me. 525 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:11,320 Our coats clothed with the story that he is writing in our lives, 526 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:15,080 we lay them down as an act of worship to Him. 527 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,440 And he's known, if you think about that, that entrance into 528 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:23,000 Jerusalem of Palm Sunday. Jesus knew what the next week 529 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,560 held for him. Like all the difficulty of that 530 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:31,480 of that week and beyond. He knew what he was, what his 531 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:34,880 mission was. So that's how I want to live my 532 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:39,840 my life with my eyes on Jesus, looking to the King. 533 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:43,160 Barbara Brown Taylor, she's an author and a priest. 534 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:45,000 She says this. How shall we wait? 535 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:51,120 As wide awake as we know how, as fully alive as we can be, not 536 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:53,320 because we have to, but because we can. 537 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:58,000 Thanks to the one who has died, who is risen, and who will come 538 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:01,600 again and again and again and again. 539 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:07,680 So this is what we get to do. This is what we're invited into 540 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:10,760 with our one wild and precious life. 541 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:14,640 We get to do this together as well. 542 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:17,080 And in a moment we're going to have some more worship and then 543 00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:20,200 we'll pray. But just before we do that, 544 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:21,680 we're going to go into communion. 545 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:26,520 And what I'd love you to do as we go into communion is before, 546 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:28,520 in a minute, I'm going to ask Nathan and Alice. 547 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:32,280 They're going to come and hold the the grape juice which 548 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:36,080 represents the vine, which represents the blood of Jesus 549 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:40,000 poured out on the cross for us, that he loves us so much that he 550 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:43,440 died for us. And we've got the bread that 551 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:46,360 represents his body. And there is a gluten free 552 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:47,920 option as well. They're going to hold those 553 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:51,600 things standing near that table. But what I really would love you 554 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:56,200 to do on the way to that table is to take the post. 555 00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:59,920 Its where you've written those things or maybe you've drawn 556 00:33:59,920 --> 00:34:02,040 pictures and it holds a memory for you. 557 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:04,680 And I'd love you to take those with you. 558 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:07,440 And before you get to the communion table, I want you to 559 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:11,400 add them to the patchwork quilt that has been started on the 560 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:14,639 table there. Just add them in as part of your 561 00:34:14,639 --> 00:34:19,760 worship of offering this experience, this thing. 562 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:24,560 Jesus, you were with me. And as we do that, we'll be kind 563 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:26,719 of creating this thing together as well. 564 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:30,000 It's like a an very personal, individual thing. 565 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:33,280 It's also a collective thing because we join it together. 566 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:37,280 We're like all these stories, all of these things in our 567 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:39,880 lives, but you have been with us. 568 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:44,400 You are faithful, you have been attentive, you have your hands 569 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:49,239 have been stitching these things and making them into something 570 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:52,199 beautiful, not just individually, but like 571 00:34:52,199 --> 00:34:58,160 collectively as a family. So on your way to worship, as we 572 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:03,080 have communion, we worship by offering these things to Jesus 573 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:06,800 as well, sticking those memories onto that piece of paper that 574 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,880 makes that quilt. I hope that is a picture that 575 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:12,280 makes sense to you in your minds. 576 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:16,000 And when it comes to communion, everyone who is looking to 577 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:19,160 Jesus, you're welcome to come be a part of this. 578 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:23,160 So if that's you, we'd love you to come and be a part. 579 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:25,880 So Nathan, Alice, would you come up? 580 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:29,520 That would be great. Thank you. 581 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:35,680 And then, yeah, in a moment, let me just pray, please. 582 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:37,160 Thank you that you're here, Holy Spirit. 583 00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:41,360 Thank you that you're here. Lord, you know every single 584 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:45,920 thing about us, you know, every single experience that we've 585 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:47,680 been through, You know what is to come. 586 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:54,040 Thank you that you are a God who is behind your God who is beside 587 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:56,800 always with us, and that you're a God who is ahead. 588 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:02,760 And that with that ringing our ears, we can and learn to trust 589 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:04,440 you more. So would you come, Holy Spirit? 590 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:07,800 Would you minister to us as we do these things, as we do these 591 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:12,560 acts of worship together now? Yeah. 592 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:15,800 And after this, we will, we'll do some more, more sun worship 593 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:17,040 together. So why don't you in your own 594 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:22,240 time, come on up, come to the table, offer your post. 595 00:36:22,240 --> 00:36:26,800 Its to the big patchwork grilt. And then come and take 596 00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:27,400 communion.