Today at St Mary’s Easton we had the first of our new informal services – Valley Worship!  It seemed popular – with over 60 people attending.

The mobile pews in the church were put into the round – the children sent off to the Ark and our teenage UTX group to the first of the immensely cool new Youth Alpha at Dymoke House (by kind permission of  Frits and Sara Janssen) and the Band led by David Parker began to play.  Our worship songs included Amazing Grace, Be Still for the Presence of the Lord, As the Deer and This is Amazing Grace.

Worshippers were welcomed into the church with fresh croissants.

Revd Amanda Denniss led the whole service.  After some prayers she interviewed David Parker about what he would be doing on Monday morning at the same time – how his Christian faith makes a difference to the decisions that he makes at work.  Sally Parker then led the prayers.

The reading was from John 14:1-13 read by Vanessa Rosewell:

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

Then Amanda preached as follows:

The worship concluded with the return of the Ark and UTXers and fresh coffee all round.  Thank you Easton for your hospitality!

Please do join us for our next Valley Worship on Sunday 19th November at St Mary’s Easton at 10am.

Alex Pease