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Printed Service – Sunday 26th April 2026
Prepared by Rev. Vivienne Smith
Be Renewed
Call : Come, all who feel weary and drained, All who are running on empty—come and be renewed. For the Lord is with us and would bless us this day. Let’s worship and adore Him the King of Kings!
Hymn STF11 Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God almighty
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Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea.
Cherubim and seraphim, falling down before thee,
Who was and is and evermore shall be.
Holy, Holy, Holy! though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name,
in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.
Prayer : Heavenly Father, To whom can You be compared? You are the Holy One—high above all creation, The One who stretched out the heavens like a curtain And calls each star by name. Your power is unmatched, Your wisdom beyond understanding. No one can measure the depth of Your knowledge Or the strength of Your mighty hand.
Lord, You never grow tired or weary. While we falter and fade, You remain constant—steadfast and eternal.
You are the source of all strength, The giver of life and breath. We stand in awe of You, For You lift up the weak and sustain the weary. You renew those who place their hope in You, Raising them up on wings like eagles, Carrying them beyond what they could imagine.
Truly Lord, you are worthy to receive all the praise and worship today. So, Lord, we come to worship. But we also come to confess, that we have failed you so often in thought and word and deed.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
We have trusted in our own understanding Instead of depending on Your wisdom. We have looked to temporary things for strength Rather than placing our hope in You.
Forgive us, Lord, for doubting Your care, For losing patience when answers do not come quickly, And for forgetting that You are always at work. Forgive us for not taking proper rest, And for not taking care of ourselves.
Lord, you commanded that we take a Sabbath, But we rarely do so.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
In the silence we make honest confession and as for God’s forgiveness.
Silence …..
We hear again the words of grace, Our sins are forgiven! Thanks be to God.
So, thank you Lord for your love, mercy and forgiveness. Thank you that you are with us today. Move among us Lord with real power and minister to us afresh this day.
In Jesus name. Amen
Hymn STF18 Be still
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Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am God.
I am the Lord who saves and heals.
I am the Lord who saves and heals.
I am the Lord who saves and heals.
In you, Lord God, I put my trust.
In you, Lord God, I put my trust.
In you, Lord God, I put my trust.
Readings
Isaiah 40:25 – 31 : “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
John 5:12 – 16 : So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?” The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.
Hymn 471 Lord I come to you
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Lord I come to You
Let my heart be changed, renewed
Flowing from the grace
That I found in You.
And Lord I’ve come to know
The weaknesses I see in me
Will be stripped away
By the power of Your love.
Hold me close
Let Your love surround me
Bring me near
Draw me to Your side.
And as I wait
I’ll rise up like the eagle
And I will soar with You
Your Spirit leads me on
In the power of Your love.
Lord unveil my eyes
Let me see You face to face
The knowledge of Your love
As You live in me.
Lord renew my mind
As Your will unfolds in my life
In living every day
by the power of Your love.
Reflection : “how do you recharge your battery?”
At the circuit prayer meeting this week, my colleague Paulson asked those of us who were there, “how do you recharge your battery?” It’s a good question.
He went on to say that he has recently bought an electric car and told us that before he bought it, he’d thought it wise to do some research. He wanted to know, for instance, how far would the car go before it would need to be charged? How long would he have to wait, for instance at a service station, before he could be on his way again? He discovered that it would take half an hour for the battery to charged up to 80% which isn’t too bad. However, in order to charge the battery Paulson was going to have to stop.
Paulsons words, that morning, seems to resonate with those who had gathered for the prayer meeting. Life can at times feel like a treadmill and it can be exhausting.
Church life can also be exhausting. So let me ask you the question. How do you recharge your batteries?
Spending time with loved ones, friends and family over a meal? Sitting in the garden? Watching the birds eat from the bird feeders? Walking? Football? Cinema or theatre? Listening to beautiful music? All great ways to recharge your battery.
And then of course there is PRAYER
The Bible tells us that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. I’m sure you would agree, that’s extremely good news and a wonderful promise.
Jesus knew the importance of charging His batteries. In the gospels we find Him withdrawing to lonely places, often first thing in the morning, in order to spend time with His Father in prayer. That’s how he recharged His batteries. How He renewed His strength.
The truth is it’s good to stop! It’s good to take care of self! And it’s certainly good to pray!
Can I just say Self-care isn’t selfish! Indeed, God himself has ordered it! ‘Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.
It’s a commandment, and we ignore it at our peril.
And I’m told life does not get any easier once you’re retired! I’m told the business increases! And I see that every day. So many of you work tirelessly for the church.
Can you imagine taking a day off every week to simply stop and to rest and recharge your batteries. A day were there are no appointments in your diary, and you can simply do what you want. Sleep in, read a book, do a jigsaw, take a walk, or have meal with loved ones. Do your cross stich, spend time in your shed or garden. How lovely would that be? Just a day to enjoy creation and life. 24hrs to lay aside worries and work. A day to give thanks to God for the bird song and the love of a friend. Well, that’s what God wants us to do. That’s what He meant when He order us to take a sabbath.
And don’t be fooled, the sky isn’t going to fall in if you decide to go the seaside for the day. Noone is that indispensable.
And of course we mustn’t forget prayer. Jesus said,
28 ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ Matthew 11:28 – 30
The fact is we all pray differently, and there is no right or wrong way to pray. I pray in our spare bedroom. I have a recliner up there, and first thing in a morning I get my coffee, light my candle and sit with my feet up. I listen to beautiful music and then I write my prayers in a prayer journal. It’s wonderful to be able to retreat as often as I can simply to sit with the Lord and to try to hear from Him. Definitely He revives my soul.
My husband prayers when he walks the dog. Others prayer in the bath, and still others while they do the washing up.
It’s a good thing to do. Those who wait on the Lord definitely renew their strength.
So there we have it…. Wisdom speaks and calls us to rest. And we would do well to listen. Selfcare isn’t selfishness. It’s wisdom, for we are called to love others as we love ourselves.
Paulson really did hit the nail on the head that day and certainly gave me food for thought! Would you agree?
A prayer
Heavenly Father, We come before You, tired in body and spirit, longing for true rest. In a world that urges us to keep going, You gently call us to pause—to be still, to remember, to trust. Thank You for the gift of prayer, where we can lay down every burden and breathe again in Your presence. In speaking with You, quiet our restless thoughts and steady our hearts. Let Your peace flow into the places where we feel most drained.
Thank You also for the gift of the Sabbath, a sacred rhythm of rest You designed for our good. Teach us to honour it—not as an obligation, but as an invitation. Help us to step away from striving and productivity, and instead delight in stillness, worship, and renewal. As we rest through prayer and the Sabbath, recharge what has been depleted within us. Restore our strength, renew our minds, and refresh our spirits. Remind us that our worth is not found in what we do, but in who we are in You. May we rise from this rest renewed, grounded, and ready to walk forward with peace and purpose.
Amen
Hymn 89 Strength will rise
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Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
Repeat…
Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint, You won’t grow weary
You’re the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles
Prayers of intercession
Everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth, You never grow weary, and Your understanding no one can fathom. We come before You, trusting in Your power and grace.
We pray for all who are weary this day— Those burdened by anxiety, illness, or sorrow. Strengthen them, O Lord;
Lift them up and renew their hope in You.
We pray for those who feel forgotten or overlooked. Remind them that You know them fully and love them deeply, And that none are hidden from Your sight.
We pray for our communities and our world. Where there is injustice, bring righteousness; Where there is conflict, bring peace; Where there is despair, bring the hope that comes from You alone.
We pray for Your Church, That we may wait upon You with patience and trust, And be renewed in strength to serve others in Your name.
And we bring before You those known to us Who are in special need at this time…
(brief silence)
Lord, as we place our hope in You, Renew our strength, That we may run and not grow weary,
Walk and not faint, And live each day in the power of Your Spirit.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
In Jesus’ name Amen.
Offering
Hymn 465 Guide me, O though great Jehovah
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Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.
Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell’s Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.
Blessing : May the God who never grows weary Recharge your hearts with His strength. When you feel drained and empty, May His Spirit fill you again with life and power. As a battery is renewed when connected to its source, So may you remain rooted in God, Drawing daily from His endless grace. And may you go from this place refreshed—Ready to run and not grow weary, To walk and not faint, In the strength of the Lord. And the blessing of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit Be with you now and forever more. Amen.