. . and other special occasions.

Mid-Week Services from Connexion on June 24th 2020:

Sunday Evening Service from Connexion through National FM on June 21st 2020:

Sunday Afternoon Services from Connexion for June 21st 2020:

Sunday Services from Hillside Circuit for June 21st 2020:

Date: June 21st
Occasion: 3rd After Pentecost
Psalm 69
Old Testament: Jeremiah 20: 7-13
Letter: Romans 6: 1b-11
New Testament: Matthew 9: 35-38
Theme: Big harvest-more workers needed

[Scroll down for the text versions.]

Here are the songs for Sunday morning service. Click or tap on a song to open it in YouTube or go to the Songs for worship webpage to find them embedded.
Days of Elijah.
Who is there like You?
Father me.
Here is love, vast as the ocean.
God is working his purpose out.
Make me a channel of your peace.

If you would also like to use prayers from the Methodist Service Book, they can be found at the Prayers for worship webpage.

Message for Hillside Circuit, Sunday June 21st 2020 in English, with Dr Christine Tenga.

I greet you all in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Let us pray. Our heavenly Father we come before you with hearts full of thanks for the gift of life and for bringing us into your presence to worship and glorify your name. We also thank you for your protection in this time of COVID 19. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to you oh our Father and redeemer.
Amen
Our call to worship is Psalm 69. Read it and meditate on it.
Our hymn is 559 from the H&P
The readings for today are: Jer. 20: 7-13; Rom. 6: 1b to 11; and Math. 9: 35-38
Today’s theme is “Big Harvest More Labourers”
In my rural area if there were good rains and the harvest was good, the farmer would invite other villagers to come and help him to reap and store his harvest in a safe place before birds and animals destroy it or bad weather spoils it.
In today’s 3 readings I have 3 points which I will dwell on.
1 A need has been identified and it’s that of more labourers.
2There are a lot of challenges that labourers will encounter
3 They and everyone else will prevail through union with Christ.
When the Jews had forsaken God and went astray God realised the need to send a prophet to raise awareness to the wrong things they were doing. They were worshipping and burning their sons as offering to Baal. God was going to punish them by sending them to captivity in Babylon. In today’s passage, Pashhur arrests Jer. for his prophecy. Jer prophesied further and told him of the terror awaiting him and his friends and that he would die in Babylon.
The prophecies were very harsh and hard for Jer. and he wished to withhold these messages but the message burnt in his heart like fire and he continued to deliver it. He knew that God would keep His promises of always being with him and no harm would befall him. God would protect him and the message was God’s and he did not need to fear anything. Although he had at one point lamented, Jer gained courage and knew God wins always. He praised God and petitioned for punishment for his enemies. Being called to work in Gods field is not easy, it has lots of challenges. Sometimes we hear the calling but we resist due to feeling inadequate. We are also afraid of being rejected by friends or even family because of the unpopular message of God. Jer was called all sorts of names , he was put in jail he was insulted and ridiculed. Be prepared to go through all these when you try to bring God’s people who are sinking in sin to Him for salvation through Christ. Sometimes you may be blamed for pointing a finger to an individual and you find your self in trouble but none the less the truth must be told God is looking for workers to bring in to the kingdom all humanity through Christ.
God sent Christ to teach and preach about the good news of the Kingdom and also to heal both the physical body and the soul, the inner being. Jesus
suffered like Jer. for proclaiming about this kingdom and calling people to repentance of sin. He was very unpopular especially with the Pharisees. Eventually he was crucified. Workers in the field will also face challenges. During his ministry Jesus healed every disease and illness. When multitudes came to him, He pictured them as a harvest which needed many workers to gather it in. Hence our theme today “Big Harvest More Labourers”.
The multitude was ready to hear the word but noone to teach and preach to them to repent and receive total healing. Total healing is to be saved through Christ. Christ also viewed people as sheep without a shepherd people with no guidance from God’s Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples to pray to the owner of the harvest to send more workers. A God sent worker will be spirit guided. He will withstand the challenges. He will have a compassionate heart like Christ who was filled with pity when He saw the crowd. What kind of a worker are you Are you ready to take it upon yourself to save someone’s life? Bring people to the service of God through the word. Do not be afraid to speak the truth because God will be with you. Pray so that those who hear the word will respond positively. Praise God even if you encounter challenges. God prevails.
There is nothing impossible when we are in union with Christ. sin is the cause of death. The passage in Romans assures us that Jesus conquered death when he died and resurrected. Like wise those who believe in him died and arose with him and are no longer enslaved to sin During baptism we symbolise that cleansing of sin. Even if we fall into sin, we repent but we must not sin on purpose because of God’s grace. We have conquered sin and must not be subjected to the devil’s evils anymore.
Each and every person who is a believer in Christ, must labour to bring many to Christ so that they may be saved. Through union with him only can we be united with God in His Kingdom.
Amen
Let us pray.
Thank you heavenly Father for your word. May it encourage us to labour in your field to bring many into your Kingdom.
Amen.

Message for Hillside Circuit, Sunday June 21st 2020 in Ndebele with Mrs Smangele E Mpofu.

yalamuhla ithi:- Isivuno sikhulu – kudingakala izisebenzi ezinengi…….
Ngiyalibingelela ibandla ngelihle igama leNkosi uJesu Kristu amen.
Sithandaze – Nkulunkulu simakade, wena obukhona izolo, ukhona lanamhlanje, uzohlala ukhona kuze kube nini. Sihawukele Baba kulomhlaba esiphila kuwo ogcwele ubunzima. Ubusazi lesi isikhathi, kungakho ngawo amandla akho uzasisiza Baba wethu. Abagulayo pholisa, abakhaloyo duduza. Mayithi inqondo yethu ikubonge Jehovah, ngoba umusa wakho uhlezi ngokunaphakade…amen. kasihlangane kumkhuleko weNkosi.. Baba wethu osezulwini…
Izifundo zethu zimi kanje -: Jer 20:- 7-13
Rom 6:- 1b-11
Matt 9:- 35-38
Bazalwane abathandekayo ngithanda ukuthi sikhangele amazwi esihlabelo sesizulu athi – Mayithi inqondo yethu imbonge uJehovah, ngoba umusa wakhe uhlezi ngokunaphakade…. (hymn 9) .
Kuleli hloko nyana engiza hamba ngazo ezithi…
a- mazi uNkulunkulu
b- zinilele kuNkulunkulu
c- mlalele uNkulunkulu
Jeremiah wamazi uNkulunkulu, wathi noma ethunywa umsebenzi onzima wokuhambisa imilayezo ebuhlungu ebantwini, wakwenza kunjalo. Lanxa wasolwa ngumuntu wonke, kazange awuyekele umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu. Sifunda nguye ehonona kakhulu kuNkulunkulu. Kwaku ngoba sehlangana loku hlamukelwa okukhulu. Loki kwakunge nxa yesi profita ayesithunywa nguye uNkulunkulu.
Lalamuhla silakho ukusolwa lokweyiswa, kodwa kusamele senze esikuthunywayo. Isivuno sikhulu bazalwane, singabalekeli umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu.
KuMatewu lapho esithola uJesu esenza izibonakaliso ezinengi. Ixuku labantu liyamangala, kodwa kulokuhonona kubaFarisi. Bathi lokhu okwenziwa nguJesu ukwenziswa lidimoni elikhulu. Phambilini ngithe abantu baya honona. Nxa kwakusenzakala kuJesu , pho thins abantu?? Lamanje banengi bayaludinga usizo lwakho, lami. Masizwe sisitsha ngaphakathi njengo Jeremiah. Sincedise kulesi isivuno ensimini kaJehovah.
Nxa ngiqeda, uNkulunkulu wawuthanda umhlaba waze wathuma uJesu Kristu. Weas waphila emhlabeni, wafa wavuka. Kutsho thina esikholwayo kuye siyamazi. Kusamele sizinikele njalo simlalele sivume ukumsebenzela noma kangakanani sesisolwa. SIKHUKULU ISIVUNO – KUDINGAKALA IZISEBENZI EZINENGI
Sikhuleke – Siyakubonga Nkosi ukukhunjuzwa ngomsebenzi wakho odinga ukuba siwenze. Sihawukele Baba wethu, usambulele ngamunye, ngamunye, sikwazi, sizinikele besesikulalela, sikusebenzele. NgoJesu Kristu inkosi yethu. Amen…….
Umusa weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, uthando lukaBaba, lokudlelwane kuka Moya oyiNgcwele. Kube lathe sonke, lamuhla kuze kube phakade…. AMEN