大象传媒

Please note:

This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast. It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflect current events.

O/A from R4听 continuity

大象传媒 Radio 4.听 Sunday Worship this morning marks the centenary of the Elim Pentecostal Church and comes from Cardiff.听 The service, which is led by the Rev鈥檇 Chris Cartwright, begins with a reading that summarises our theme:听 Defining Moments.听听

ITEM 1听 DEFINING MOMENTS READING听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Rhian

Defining Moment听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

It鈥檚 that moment鈥�

when everything clicks

It鈥檚 a 鈥榶es鈥� moment

It鈥檚 a 鈥榯ogether鈥� moment

It鈥檚 an听 鈥業 was there鈥� moment

It鈥檚 that moment鈥�

a soul is saved

a life is filled

a body is healed

It鈥檚 a moment鈥�

that defines a generation

that shapes a movement

that creates 鈥榓 people鈥�

It鈥檚 that moment鈥�

when the past and the future collide with the present

when prophetic imagination is ignited

when a compelling vision is cast

It鈥檚 that moment鈥�

when the wind blows

when the fire falls

when the earth shakes

It鈥檚 a 鈥榟oly ground鈥� moment

It鈥檚 an 鈥榠mmeasurably more鈥� moment

It鈥檚 that moment鈥�

one space

one people

one God

ITEM 2听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 WELCOME听听听听听听听听听听 REV CHRIS CARTWRIGHT听听听 DUR:

Good morning and welcome to The City Temple, in Cardiff where we鈥檙e celebrating 100 years since the first Elim church was founded by a young welsh evangelist, George Jeffreys.听

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 From small beginnings, there are now some 600 Elim churches across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and partner ministries and churches in over 40 nations of the world.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The hymn 鈥淚 Stand Amazed in the Presence鈥� is a great old favourite which gives us the chance to centre our worship this morning on the amazing love of Christ shown in his death for us on the Cross.听听听听

ITEM 3听 HYMN听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 CONG / BAND听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 DUR:

I stand amazed in the presence

ITEM 4听 PRAYER 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 CHRIS听听

In terms of Christian history we recognise the Elim Churches are a relatively young movement but we join with our brothers and sisters in the historic worldwide church in our commitment to the relevance of the Christian gospel for today.听

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 As Pentecostals we believe the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as described in the New Testament book 鈥淭he Acts of the Apostles鈥�, wasn鈥檛 simply a one-off event for that historic infant church. Rather, it was the fulfilment of Jesus鈥� promise to equip ordinary people for service and witness in a changing world by filling his followers with the presence and the power of His Spirit.听听听听听听听听听

Let us pray.

Living God, we thank you that you are a loving and faithful God.听 We praise you for the evidence of your Faithfulness through past generations, and for the promise of your Grace for the days to come.

Lord Jesus Christ, Scripture gives us the confidence to approach you not only as the Lord of History but as the one we can call upon personally.

Give us your strength, help and guide us in all of the circumstances and challenges that we may face today.

Accept our worship as we proclaim you to be the one who makes all things new

In Jesus name we pray,

AMEN.

听

ITEM 5听 LINK 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Chris Cartwright听听听

Worship through music plays a major part in Elim services. Throughout our history we鈥檝e always drawn from the great hymns of the church but we鈥檝e also written new songs reflecting our contemporary experience of the power and the presence of God.听 鈥淣o Longer I鈥� is one such song.

ITEM 6听 HYMN:听 BAND / CONG 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 DUR

NO LONGER I/AT THE CROSS

ITEM 7听 READING听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 BRENDA

Our Reading is taken from Luke鈥檚 gospel, chapter 5 verses 17-26

17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, 鈥淔riend, your sins are forgiven.鈥�

21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, 鈥淲ho is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?鈥�

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, 鈥淲hy are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, 鈥榊our sins are forgiven,鈥� or to say, 鈥楪et up and walk鈥�? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.鈥� So he said to the paralyzed man, 鈥淚 tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.鈥�25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God.听 (1.38)

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ITEM 8听 PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION听听听听听听听听 STEVE BALL & RUTH

Steve Ball

Let us pray.

Lord, we鈥檙e grateful that you鈥檙e a gracious and loving God, concerned with every detail of our lives. We pray that in all the circumstances and challenges we face we might experience the reassuring and renewing presence of your Holy Spirit leading and guiding us each day.

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Ruth

Lord, we pray for our neighbours and communities - those facing moments of uncertainty, anxiety or fear; for the vulnerable, the lonely, those battling sickness, those struggling to make ends meet.听 Fill them with your strength and hope.听听

听

Steve Ball

Lord, we pray for our nation as we remember the 75th Anniversary of the start of the Battle of Britain.听 We thank you for the members of our armed services past and present and for the sacrifices they make to protect the freedoms we enjoy. We pray for our Queen, our government and all those in authority. Please grant them heavenly wisdom that they may govern this nation fairly and compassionately for the benefit of all.

听

Ruth

We hold before you those for whom each moment brings fear and despair - those in war torn lands, all suffering persecution, oppression, the effects of terrorism.听 On the 20th anniversary this weekend of the Srebenica massacre, we pray for all whose lives were changed forever by that conflict.听 Lord, we ask for the gift of your healing peace upon them.

AMEN听

ITEM 9听听听听听 LINK听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 CHRIS

Composed in the first wave of the Welsh Revival in 1904, the song 鈥楬ere is Love Vast as the Ocean鈥�, focuses on the story of Christ鈥檚 crucifixion which Christians believe was the defining moment in human history.

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ITEM 10听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 HYMN听听 听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听 BAND听 /听 SOLO听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 DUR:

HERE IS LOVE

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ITEM 11听听听听听 LINK听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Revd Chris Cartwright

From the earliest days of Elim, testimonies by people whose lives were radically changed by God, or who claimed to have been healed, were a vital part of our worship and today we still believe in the impact of a personal story. Irene Davies, a 26 year old dance and piano teacher, shares hers with us now.听

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ITEM 12听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 STORY听听 IRENE DAVIES

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 When I was growing up, my mum suffered with an illness called M.E. (Myalgic Encephalopathy) and because my parents had divorced when I was eight years old, I found myself becoming her full-time carer as well as trying to look after my younger brother.听

听听听听听听听 My mum tried everything to get well but nothing worked until about three years ago, when she went to a place called Ffalyd y Brenin, a Christian retreat centre, in West Wales.听听 Many people who鈥檝e been there have testified to being physically healed through prayer.听 After a short visit my Mum returned totally transformed and completely healed听听听 we believed it to be a miracle and, three years on, we鈥檙e even more convinced of it.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Intrigued by the amazing change I saw in my Mum I began coming to church with her but for several weeks I sat at the back because I still had so many questions running through my head - why did my mum suffer for so long?听 Why did my parents divorce?

听听听听听听 A few weeks later a visiting preacher talked about the transformation of his life through Jesus Christ.听听 And during that message I suddenly experienced the love of God filling my heart.听听 I鈥檇 never felt anything like it before.听听 I cried a deep, uncontrollable cry as I let go of all the hurt, anger, pressure and disappointment I had in my heart.

I asked God to forgive my wrongdoings and fill me with His grace.

听 From that day forward my desire to know Jesus has grown more and more each day.听 Sometimes things still don鈥檛 make sense and I still don鈥檛 understand why my mum had to suffer for so many years. But I do know that what we went through as a family has brought us all into relationship with God 鈥� and we鈥檙e healthy and well and all in love with Jesus.听听

听

ITEM 13听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 LINK听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Revd Chris Cartwright

Irene鈥檚 story is a reminder that each moment of our lives is part of God鈥檚 bigger story.听 In a few moments we鈥檒l hear the Rev鈥檇 John Glass, General Superintendent of the Elim Pentecostal Church, reflecting on the opportunities to be found in the defining moments of our lives but now, as we praise God with the song 鈥�10,000 reasons鈥� we join in the great eternal song of celebration in giving glory to God.

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ITEM 14听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 HYMN听听 : 鈥�10,000 Reasons鈥澨�听听听听听听听听听 CONG / BAND

10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

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ITEM 15听听 ADDRESS PART 1 听听REV JOHN GLASS听

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 During the past century many exceptional leaders have been birthed out of the nation of Wales 鈥� men and women who have made their mark in politics, education, business, sports and the Arts 鈥� people who have not only ploughed a furrow for themselves but have shaped the world with which they have engaged.听

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Such were George and Stephen Jeffries 鈥� born in Maesteg near Bridgend 鈥� two brothers that were to later pioneer what would become the two largest Pentecostal Movements in Great Britain.听 George, as we鈥檝e already heard, was to be the founder of the Elim Pentecostal Churches.听听 Stephen was to be instrumental in the founding of our sister fellowship the Assemblies of God.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 George Jeffries drew huge crowds wherever he preached and there were often queues around the block long before the doors opened in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and the Crystal Palace in London, the Bingley Hall in Birmingham and similar locations across the UK.听 In Liverpool the largest venue that could be secured was the boxing arena in Lime Street and so it was booked and the pulpit erected in the centre of the boxing ring.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 But there was far more than the magnetism of a man that was drawing people in the tens of thousands.听 George didn鈥檛 deal in abstract theological concepts.听 His message was simple and had four basic elements听 鈥� one of which was that not only was Jesus the saviour of the soul but also the healer of our bodies 鈥� a controversial subject for some but certainly,

many testified to the scores of miracles that took place.听 And

听during those meetings and, as people witnessed members of their families healed, people flocked to see for themselves what was taking place.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Huge doors move on very small hinges and it鈥檚 said that history moves on small hinges too 鈥� those almost missable moments that can alter the course of a life or the entire trajectory of a destiny.听 For some it might be the glance across a crowded room that engages with the smile of someone with whom they will later marry.听 For another, less romantically, it might be the entrepreneur who, being in the right place at the right time strikes a deal that will set them up

for life.听听 Some call them coincidences and others, defining moments.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 For George and Stephen the defining moment that was to eclipse all others was the moment when they came to faith in Christ.听 They believed that, as important as the pivotal encounters that lead to marriage or material prosperity are 鈥� such impact lasts only as long as life itself.听 Discovering a living faith in a living God, however, alters a destiny not only in this world but also in the world to come.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Yet faith that focuses solely on a distant future is of little value in a world of present pain - for not all defining moments in our lives are positive ones.听 There鈥檚 the traffic accident that 鈥榗omes out of nowhere鈥� with dire consequences.听 There鈥檚 the unexpected diagnosis in the middle of a routine consultation that plummets a person towards those two terrifying words 鈥� 鈥渨hat if鈥�.听听 What if I don't get better, or what if I don't get to see my children grow up.

Yet even in those moments 鈥� and some would say especially in those moments 鈥� God can be encountered.听 听听听听

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Some years ago, when speaking at a morning service for television, two unconnected people were later to contact me.听 One was a single parent with two small children who was battling severe health issues.听 The other was a woman who, the previous day, had stumbled upon her daughter鈥檚 suicide.听听 Neither had any religious faith.听 Both of them, however, had tuned in to the morning service at precisely the same moment and discovered a God who cared and was willing to be with them at the most challenging time of their lives - and bring them through it.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Negative, or difficult, defining moments had brought them to a place of desperation but those same encounters had become a catalyst that would connect them to a faith that would define their future for time and for eternity.

And, I believe, positive defining moments, where God is concerned, do not arise out of chance, fate, luck or serendipity 鈥� but from God鈥檚 good and loving purposes for each individual he has created.

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ITEM 16听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 SONG听听听 :听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 SOLO / BAND听听听听听听 DUR:

GOD EVERY MOMENT

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ITEM 17听听听 ADDRESS 2听听听听听听 REV. JOHN GLASS

听听听听听 When a century ago our founders commenced the Elim Movement some may well have asked, 鈥淲hy do we need yet another Denomination?鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 An answer is the word ELIM.听 Elim was the name of a biblical oasis mentioned in the Old Testament book of Exodus.听 George Jeffries knew that people weren鈥檛 looking for further rules, rhetoric or religious ceremonies 鈥� but were often seeking for a place of refreshment, shelter and safety in a world that, for many, seemed like an arid desert and a spiritual wilderness.听 Genesis chapter one tells us that God created the world out of that which was 鈥榝ormless and void鈥� and brought order out of chaos.听听

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 When a person makes a considered decision to become a Christian - not through an assumption based on geographical location or what our parents may have chosen for us - but through a new birth, the Bible refers to them as a new creation.听 They鈥檙e given not just a new start but a new heart.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 In the world鈥檚 ultimate 鈥榙efining moment鈥� God, at a stroke, deals with the past, the present and the future. And that defining moment is the cross.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 It鈥檚 at the cross that God, in Christ, receives the punishment for sin that we deserve - enabling our past to be forgiven.听 Then, after his resurrection, he empowers his church, through the person and presence of the Holy Spirit, to give us the resource and guidance that we need to lead the life that God intended for us 鈥� a life with purpose and direction.听 So that鈥檚 the present sorted.

And then, as if that defining moment hadn鈥檛 been enough, he opens the door to a secured destiny in this life and beyond for all who choose to trust in him.

That is why the cross is so powerful.听 For the cross is the place that God鈥檚 defining moment and our defining moment meet.听

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ITEM 18听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 PRAYER听听听听听听听 STEVE BALL 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 DUR:

Lord, we come to the Cross this morning conscious that through your death and resurrection you offer life and hope to all who put their trust in you.

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For those reaching out to you today needing to be free from things in the past 鈥� Grant your forgiveness, cleansing and freedom.

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And help us to accept your gift of eternal life 鈥� a brand new start and a fresh relationship with you.

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We open the door of our heart. Come in Lord Jesus. Fill us with your love and your power from this moment we pray.

听

AMEN

听

ITEM 19听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 LINK听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Revd Chris Cartwright

We close our service with a contemporary setting of one of the best loved songs of the church, John Newton鈥檚 Amazing Grace with the added refrain 鈥淢y Chains are Gone, I鈥檝e Been Set Free.

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ITEM 20听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 HYMN听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 CONG / BAND

Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone

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ITEM 21听听听听听 BLESSING听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 CHRIS

May the Lord Be Gracious to Us and Bless Us,

May the Lord Make His Face to Shine Upon Us 鈥�

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May the amazing grace of God the Father,

The abundant love of Jesus Christ, the Son

And the promised presence and power of the Holy Spirit

Be with us

This day and into all the days to come

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Amen.

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ITEM 22听听听听听 BAND PLAYOUT.

Refrain of Amazing Grace.听听听 Faded under closing anno.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENT FROM R4

Sunday Worship came from the City Temple Church in Cardiff.听 The service was led by the Rev鈥檇 Chris Cartwright, with the Rev鈥檇 Steve Ball.听 The Music Director was the Rev鈥檇 Stephen Gibson and the preacher was [the General Superintendent of the Elim Pentecostal Church], the Rev鈥檇 John Glass.听 The producer was Karen Walker.

Next week鈥檚 Sunday Worship visits the Buxton Festival.

There鈥檚 still time to enter 大象传媒 Radio 2鈥檚 Young Choristers of the Year competition. Further details can be found on the Sunday Worship web page.听听听听 听听听

Please note:

听

This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast.

听

It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflect current events.