Sunday Service from Hillside Circuit for June 1st 2025:
Lectionary Theme: Yearning for the glory to come
Occasion: Ascension Sunday
Lectionary readings:
Psalm 97
Acts 16: 16-34
Revelation 22: 12-14,16-17,20-21
John 17: 20-26
[Click or tap on a Bible reference above to jump down the page to the Bible reading to read it for yourself (and/or to listen to it) and then click or tap on Back to top to come back here.]
Songs:
Here are the songs for Sunday morning service. Click or tap on a song to open it in YouTube.
Praise to the Lord.
O God our Father.
I know that my Redeemer lives.
Hark, what a sound.
I need Thee every hour.
My peace.
Prayers:
You can also listen and join in with prayers from the English Methodist Service Book. They can be found at the Prayers for worship webpage.
Children’s Address:
Sermon:
Bible readings:
Psalm 97
1 The LORD is King!
Tell the earth to celebrate and all islands to shout.
2 Dark clouds surround him,
and his throne is supported by justice and fairness.
3 Fire leaps from his throne, destroying his enemies,
4 and his lightning is so bright
that the earth sees it and trembles.
5 Mountains melt away like wax
in the presence of the LORD of all the earth.
6 The heavens announce, “The LORD brings justice!”
Everyone sees God’s glory.
7 Those who brag about the useless idols they worship
are terribly ashamed,
and all the false gods bow down to the LORD.
8 When the people of Zion and of the towns of Judah
hear that God brings justice, they will celebrate.
9 The LORD rules the whole earth,
and he is more glorious than all the false gods.
10 Love the LORD and hate evil!
God protects his loyal people
and rescues them from violence.
11 If you obey and do right, a light will show you the way
and fill you with happiness.
12 You are the LORD’S people!
So celebrate and praise the only God.
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Acts 16
16 One day on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl. She had a spirit in her that gave her the power to tell the future. By doing this she made a lot of money for her owners. 17 The girl followed Paul and the rest of us and kept yelling, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how to be saved.”
18 This went on for several days. Finally, Paul got so upset that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I order you to leave this girl alone!” At once the evil spirit left her.
19 When the girl’s owners realized that they had lost all chances for making more money, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them into court. 20 They told the officials, “These Jews are upsetting our city! 21 They are telling us to do things we Romans are not allowed to do.”
22 The crowd joined in the attack on Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off the two men and ordered them to be beaten with a whip. 23 After they had been badly beaten, they were put in jail, and the jailer was told to guard them carefully. 24 The jailer did as he was told. He put them deep inside the jail and chained their feet to heavy blocks of wood.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened. 26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners.
27 When the jailer woke up and saw that the doors were open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped. He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! No one has escaped.”
29 The jailer asked for a torch and went into the jail. He was shaking all over as he knelt down in front of Paul and Silas. 30 After he had led them out of the jail, he asked, “What must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! This is also true for everyone who lives in your home.”
32 Then Paul and Silas told him and everyone else in his house about the Lord. 33 While it was still night, the jailer took them to a place where he could wash their cuts and bruises. Then he and everyone in his home were baptized. 34 They were very glad that they had put their faith in God. After this, the jailer took Paul and Silas to his home and gave them something to eat.
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Revelation 22
12 Then I was told:
I am coming soon! And when I come, I will reward everyone for what they have done. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
14 God will bless all who have washed their robes. They will each have the right to eat fruit from the tree that gives life, and they can enter the gates of the city.
16 I am Jesus! And I am the one who sent my angel to tell all of you these things for the churches. I am David’s Great Descendant, and I am also the bright morning star.
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”
Everyone who hears this should say, “Come!”
If you are thirsty, come! If you want life-giving water, come and take it. It’s free!
20 The one who has spoken these things says, “I am coming soon!”
So, Lord Jesus, please come soon!
21 I pray that the Lord Jesus will be kind to all of you.
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John 17
20 I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what my followers will say about me. 21 I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me.
22 I have honoured my followers in the same way that you honoured me, in order that they may be one with each other, just as we are one. 23 I am one with them, and you are one with me, so that they may become completely one. Then this world’s people will know that you sent me. They will know that you love my followers as much as you love me.
24 Father, I want everyone you have given me to be with me, wherever I am. Then they will see the glory that you have given me, because you loved me before the world was created. 25 Good Father, the people of this world don’t know you. But I know you, and my followers know that you sent me. 26 I told them what you are like, and I will tell them even more. Then the love that you have for me will become part of them, and I will be one with them.
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[Did you miss last week’s Sunday Services? They can now be found at Worship Archive – May 25th 2025.]
Methodist Church: Hillside Circuit 
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