28th April 2024 - 5th Sunday of Easter - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Acts 8.26-40 Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went.
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ 31 He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.
32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: ‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.’
34 The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’
35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptised?’ 38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptised him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Psalm 22.25-31 Turn to the Lord
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. 26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live for ever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. 28 For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him. 30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, 31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.
The Gospel reading from John 15.1-8 Jesus the True Vine
15 ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
Prayers
Our Father God is with us, waiting for our prayers.
We pray for the Church, for all our little churches, all our clergy, especially our Rector.
Thank you that you have called us to know you and to love you; in calling us you give our lives direction and purpose, to reveal your love to the world.
Holy God: may your will be done. Lord, in your mercy...
We give thanks for all who are called to govern and guide the nations of the world.
We ask your blessing on our Country, our King and Royal Family and all in authority.
We pray for all who are called to bring peace and to maintain peace, throughout the world, especially those risking their lives for others.
Help us to be mindful of the way our actions can affect our planet.
Holy God: may your will be done. Lord, in your mercy...
We give thanks for all who have shown us love and care, remembering our families and friends and all our loved ones.
Clear our minds of all that hurts ourselves and others, sharing your love in the simple things that make this world a better place.
Holy God: may your will be done. Lord, in your mercy...
Healing God, we bring to you the aches and pains endured each day within our bodies, that slow us down, restrict movement and cause distress.
We bring to you...
Pour your Spirit into these muscles, bones and joints.
We thank you for all called to minister to the sick, at home or in hospital.
Holy God: may your will be done. Lord, in your mercy...
We give thanks that you love us with an everlasting love.
When we forget you, you do not forget us.
We rejoice in the promise of eternal life and remember those whose earthly lives have ended....
Lord, grant them, your love and light.
Merciful Father....
28th April 2024 - 5th Sunday of Easter - Reflection by Rev’d d’ Fyfe
‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ (We all say that, but probably not so politely!) We do need someone to guide us, to advise us. So, what is it that Luke is telling us in this passage from Acts?
We hear about an Ethiopian eunuch returning from Jerusalem, from worshipping at the temple. But, in Jewish eyes he is unworthy to enter the main area of the temple. He is a eunuch, incomplete, and therefore in their eyes he is disabled. He may not enter. So how can he learn what to believe?! Here is a high-status, civil servant, who is effectively banned from church!! He has travelled a very long way to worship in Jerusalem; but he is still a second-class citizen, disdained, an outcast, incomplete.
Isaiah has said in scripture that God will gather in the outcasts who do not profane the Sabbath. They will come to his holy mountain! This includes eunuchs and foreigners. No wonder this Ethiopian is reading Isaiah on his road home. When Philip asks him does he understand what he is reading, he recognises God’s intervention is his life. The Spirit has sent Philip to be his guide.
And the rest, you might say, is history. Philip tells him about Jesus: explains it all. The Ethiopian asks for baptism and is baptised by Philip in a convenient lake or river. And then the Spirit whisks Philip away; in rather the same way that it caused him to be there.
The Ethiopian represents those who seek God. Luke is telling us that we too are acceptable. We are not Israelites; we are gentiles and yet, we are all welcome. Jesus has opened the door for us as well as for the Ethiopian. I think this is Luke’s way of describing how the Spirit works. It leads us to ask the questions and to learn from scripture, or in some other way. We often need an interpreter. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’
The gospel passage from John comes directly after the last supper. There are countless arguments as to whether it is in the right place; or whether the text has got muddled up! Whatever! It is what is said in that passage that matters; not where it is placed in the gospel.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. The true vine is the Messiah; Jesus, who died for love of us. We are part of the vine, the branches; because we love one another in Christ and he loves us.
Isaiah had called Israel the vine. He told of a vineyard planted where only wild grapes grew. Jesus is saying he is the vine: the true vine. We are the branches, and God is the gardener. God decides where to grow and where to prune!
Vines needs to be pruned to produce good fruit. The weak branches need a bit of a snip; useless branches are cut back. We certainly need some pruning; some help to grow. Not the whole branch, but those weak bits at the end, that stop us loving one another. Community needs love if it to grow well and bear fruit. If we are to spread God’s word, we need to spread His love. See how these Christians love one another is the ideal….but It is usually said as a joke when we are really being unpleasant! (Perhaps we need a snip, a quick word in the ear to remind us to behave; or a real talking to!)
In fact, love usually does make life easier. John said that the best way to live was to love one another. Forgive one another. Be community, live community.
How do you show that you are a Christian? There are countless ways to show our love. Some people volunteer to help in church or in charity shops. Some people stand up on street corners and preach. Some people knock on doors, spreading the word. (I have an immense admiration for Jehovah’s witnesses; although I run a mile and hide if I can! But they do try to tell the world of their beliefs.) There are so many ways to spread love; just smiling at people is a good start!
We can’t all speak our faith, but we can show it. Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves, is born of God and knows God. In these terms loving is bearing fruit! And Jesus tells us: This is my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. The fruit from this vine is love.
I could use another vine analogy. It is different, but it is practical advice for gardening. If you prune fruit trees and roses too low, cutting them off below the graft, they revert to the old wild stock. You lose the gifts of the new slip. In other words, don’t be too brutal with your advice!
We are all grafted on to the true vine at baptism and we do need a little pruning to hold our extremes in check. However, if we stay grafted to the true vine we are nourished by the Spirit. It is the Spirit that moulds us and leads us.
The Spirit led Philip to run after the Ethiopian and to ask the question ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’
21st April 2024 - 4th Sunday of Easter - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Acts 4.5-12 Peter and John before the Council
5 The next day the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. 11 This Jesus is “the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.”
12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.’
Psalm 23 (Authorised Version) A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The Gospel reading from John 10.11-18 Jesus the Good Shepherd
(Jesus said,) 11 ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.’
Prayers
The Lord is our Shepherd; knowing that he cares for us let us bring our prayers to Him.
For all who shepherd others; our bishops and ministers, especially our Rector, we give you thanks.
Bless all who teach us the faith and help us to care for one another as you care for us.
Thank you for our little churches that we love so much.
The Lord is our Shepherd: I shall fear no evil. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for all in positions of leadership and influence in our world, that they may use their power for good and out of concern for one another's well-being, across all borders.
Please bless our Country, our King and Royal Family, our Government and all who serve in their own communities.
The Lord is our Shepherd: I shall fear no evil. Lord, in your mercy...
We ask you to protect our loved ones. Let there be peace in our homes, and in our hearts.
Give wisdom and love to all who work with our children and young people
The Lord is our Shepherd: I shall fear no evil. Lord, in your mercy...
We bring before you all who doubt or despair; all surrounded by darkness or illness remembering..
May they come into the light of your love, knowing that you are with them. May the light of your love transform their lives.
The Lord is our Shepherd: I shall fear no evil. Lord, in your mercy...
Good and gracious God, you have rescued us from the darkness of death and opened for us the way to eternal life.
We bring before you those we remember those who are now with you in your kingdom and hope that they will recognise the Good Shepherd leading them home.
Merciful Father....
21st April 2024 - 4th Sunday of Easter
Reflection by Rev’d Brian Adams
As we move on from Easter through the forty days to Pentecost, we pass through weeks of which there is no record of what the disciples were actively doing. What they were actively doing was waiting! Jesus had told them to wait in the city until they were filled with the ‘power from on high’, the ‘Coming of the Holy Spirit’. God gave them time to recover from the awesome events of Holy Week and then the wonder and rejoicing of the Resurrection.
Our reading from Acts today describes events after Pentecost and shows that the disciples have been transformed by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Here they are in danger in Jerusalem where Jesus had been killed, when they could have gone back to Galilee and resumed their previous activities. The Jews must have been perplexed. They thought they had got rid of the troublesome preacher but to their annoyance they find they have got him back again in the form of his dedicated disciples.
As we move through these weeks we do well to reflect on the work of the Holy Spirit in the world God created. In the first chapter in Genesis we read that ‘the Spirit of God moved over the surface of the water’. All was darkness and chaos but at God’s word his Spirit moves to separate the land from the sea and so the work of creation begins to unfold. We may assume that this was achieved through the power of the. Wind and the working of the Spirit are frequently linked
Another time when the will of God is fulfilled through the wind is when the children of Israel were delivered from slavery in Egypt by passing through the Red Sea. We read in the book of Exodus that ‘the Lord drove the sea away with a strong east wind all night long and turned the seabed into dry land through which the Israelites walked.
The prophet Ezekiel living during their exile in Babylon is given a vision of a valley of dry bones. In obedience to God’s word he prophesied over the bones and as they came together, breath came into them and they became a mighty army.
The thought of the connection between wind and the Spirit of God, is brought together in the story of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus a Jewish leader. When told he must be born again to enter the kingdom of God Nicodemus asks how this can come about. Jesus says, ”The wind blows where it wills. You hear the sound of it but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born from the Spirit”.
This is something we can readily identify with. Air is essential for our existence. We inhale and exhale it all our lives. Sometimes the air is whipped into storms of destructive power, at other times it can be just a warm gentle breeze gracing a summer’s evening. We can’t see it, but we can feel it and see the effect it has on the world around us. Jesus says this is like the work of the Holy Spirit. We cannot see him but we can experience the work he undertakes in the world and in our lives. There are many forces at work in the world, some things for good and some for evil. Wonderful inventions can be turned into damaging tools for evil. We see this in the use of smart phones; they can be invaluable in enabling communication, but they can be the source of harm and corruption.
In his Epistles St Paul talks about the work of the Spirit in terms of gifts and fruit. In his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 12 v4-11) he speaks of the gifts of the Spirit to Church members, such as words of wisdom and knowledge, faith, gifts of healing and discernment. In his letter to the Galatians (ch.5 v16-24) he speaks of the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy , peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. He contrasts them with the work of what he calls ‘the flesh’ including indecency, quarrels, a contentious temper, selfishness, fits pf rage, intrigues, envy and the like.
As we move through these weeks we can meditate on this saying of Jesus as it affects our lives. We are living, breathing human beings sustaining our physical lives day after day by the air in which we live. We also live in a spiritual world which can be ruled by ‘the flesh’ or by the Holy Spirit. The works of the flesh are all too evident in the world around us and in our own hearts. Jesus also spoke about water as well as the Spirit. We need to be cleansed of the works of ‘the flesh’ as expressed in Baptism so that the work of the Spirit can grow in our lives.
The account of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost speaks of there coming from the sky, what sounded like a strong driving wind, a noise which filled the whole house where they were sitting and there appeared to them flames like tongues of fire distributed among them and coming to rest on each one. The foundations of the Church were laid and the disciples empowered to witness, as we have seen.
The workings of God are a mystery but as we in our times set out in faith so we find its truth unfolds. To help focus our thoughts and prayers I have chosen two verses of hymns which convey different aspects of the Spirit’s work, first in our hearts and then in the Church.
Breathe on me breath of God, fill me with life anew,
That I may love what thou dost love, and do what thou wouldst do.
(Edwin Hatch 1835-1889)
O Breath of life come sweeping through us
Revive your Church with life and power
O breath of life come, cleanse, renew us
And fit your Church to meet this hour.
(Elizabeth Head 1850-1936)
14th April 2024 - 3rd Sunday of Easter - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Acts 3.12-19 Peter Speaks in Solomon’s Portico
12 When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, ‘You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him.
14 But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus[d] has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
17 ‘And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,
Psalm 4 Confident Plea for Deliverance from Enemies
1 Answer me when I call, O God of my right! You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer. 2 How long, you people, shall my honour suffer shame? How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies? 3 But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. 4 When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent. 5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There are many who say, ‘O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!’ 7 You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound. 8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.
Gospel reading from Luke 24.36b-48 Jesus Appears to His Disciples
36b Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ 37 They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41 While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate in their presence.
44 Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you - that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
Prayers
As we are gathered, let us bring our prayers to the God who loves us.
Blessed are you, mighty God; by the Resurrection of your Son you have destroyed the darkness and fear of death.
Help us Lord Jesus, to turn away from sin and to follow you. Help your Church to reveal your glory to the world.
Bless our little churches, all our clergy, especially our Rector, and all who worship here.
Lord God, you are Light: in you is no darkness. Lord, in your mercy...
We remember peoples and nations who feel drained and lacking energy.
We bring to you the people in places suffering from war and man's inhumanity, especially remembering the Holy Land and Ukraine.
Bless our Country, our King and Royal Family, our Government and all working for justice and peace.
Lord God, you are Light: in you is no darkness. Lord, in your mercy...
We rejoice in your love and the love of our families and friends.
We remember lonely people, those who feel rejected, and those who cannot cope alone. Lord, make our villages be loving and caring communities.
Lord God, you are Light: in you is no darkness. Lord, in your mercy...
We give thanks for the healing power of faith.
We ask you to bless all who serve the sick, remembering our own doctors and nurses, carers and support staff.
We pray that the sick and weary may know you as their companion and helper. We bring to you..
May each one feel your loving, healing presence.
Lord God, you are Light: in you is no darkness. Lord, in your mercy...
We give thanks that in you, all ills come to an end and all pain taken away.
We give thanks for the gift of eternal life. We remember those who died recently and those whose anniversaries are this week...
We thank you for all that they brought to our lives, and hope that one day, we might meet together in your heaven.
Merciful Father....
14th April 2024 - 3rd Sunday of Easter
Reflection by Canon Ian Gibson
“You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:48)
The Isenheim Altarpiece, the work of 16th century artist Matthias Grünewald, is a triptych depicting significant events from the Bible and from Church history, with an image of Christ crucified at is centre. It is a world away from the mystical beauty of many depictions of the passion; here there are no angels hovering above the cross, no beatifically resigned-looking Jesus staring up to the heavens. Here, an emaciated, grimacing Christ, covered in plague sores, stands bleeding and twisted on a cobbled-together cross, under a dark, brooding sky. The picture graphically depicts death and pain, and many people recoil from it in disgust.
Artists have regularly been taken to task for emphasising Christ’s humanity. To take a rather different example, composer Tim Rice, co-writer of Jesus Christ Superstar, was widely criticised by Christian groups for his comment that Christ was “simply the right man at the right time at the right place”. Writers and artists have always been fascinated by the humanity of Christ, and the idea that he too had human desires and motivations.
This desire to bring Christ to our level, or to see him as one of us, can seem blasphemous or sacrilegious, but it is absolutely vital that we remember Jesus’ humanity. The cross forces us to acknowledge the painful, messy reality of Jesus’ human death. This is the same Jesus who “wept” when he heard of his friend’s death, who cried out, “I thirst!” when dying on the cross. “The word made flesh” he may be, but flesh he is nonetheless, with all the humiliation, hurt and pain that comes with it.
In today’s Gospel reading, he seems to be begging his disciples to realise this; “Look at my hands and my feet,” he says, “see that it is I myself.” He presents himself to his disciples, demanding that, above all, they acknowledge his physical presence. He insists he is not a ghost, asking them to use their eyes and see that he has flesh and bones; he is solid, he is there. He asks if there is anything to eat, and the disciples watch in wonder as he digests without difficulty, perhaps talking them through the Law of Moses with his mouth full of fish.
In this reading, Jesus demands basic human requirements; he needs food, he needs company, he needs recognition of the fact that he exists, of his overwhelming there-ness. When he “opens the disciples’ minds” so they understand the scripture, he emphasises the fact that “the Messiah is to suffer, and to rise again”. What Jesus seems to be trying to highlight for the disciples is the fact that, although he is the Son of God, he is also a human being; he is undeniably, tangibly present, and understanding this is key to understanding the genuine, human suffering he experienced on the cross, and therefore key to understanding God’s overwhelming love for the human race - to save us, God shares our pain.
And just as it is theologically important to acknowledge Jesus’ humanity, so it is important to remember it ourselves, personally. Jesus suffers with us in his ongoing mission to understand and heal us; in the words of William Blake, “He becomes a man of woe/ he doth feel the sorrow too.” The Christ who came to save us is a Christ who weeps, who is hungry and thirsty, who has flesh and bone. This means that when we suffer, we are never suffering alone; God, who knows what it is to feel physical pain and loss, through his Son, the “man of woe”, understands our suffering, and feels it with us. To use another line from Blake, “Think not thou canst weep a tear/ and thy maker is not near.”
In the same way, when we comfort someone who is sorrowful, ill or bereaved, our first step towards trying to help them must be to try and understand their suffering. Before we rush out the usual platitudes and “there there”s, we must take a moment to really think about the nature of the other person’s sadness, to acknowledge their humanity in relation to their suffering. In many ways, the most comforting thing that we can say to each other is “I understand”. This is what God says to us each day, that he understands, that he knows what we are feeling, and that we are not alone.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples, “You are witnesses to this.” And as the disciples are witnesses to Jesus’ painful, touchable humanity, so must we be witnesses to each other’s, and in so doing, try to be able to say, as God does, “I understand.”
7th April 2024 - 2nd Sunday of Easter - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Acts 4.32-35 Believers Share Their Possessions
32 Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. 33 With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. 35 They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
Psalm 133 The Blessedness of Unity
1 How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life for evermore.
The Gospel reading from John 20.19-31 Jesus Appears to the Disciples
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’
Jesus and Thomas
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’
26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 27 Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ 28 Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29 Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
The Purpose of This Book
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Prayers
Knowing that the Risen Christ is here among us, let us pray to Him now.
Lord bless your Church that it may reveal your presence and the power of the Resurrection.
May each church community show signs of new life and joy in you.
We thank you for our little churches, for all our clergy, especially our Rector and all our church families.
Lord, be known among us: make haste to help us. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord, bless the world with your peace; the peace that it cannot achieve on its own.
We pray for peace between nations and peoples. Please bless all peacemakers.
We bring to you those places where lives are torn apart by war and famine.
Please bless our Country, our King and the Royal Family and Government.
Lord, be known among us: make haste to help us. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord, bless our homes and families with the joy of your presence. Make our homes places where you are welcomed.
We bring to you those who are homeless; those who live among strife and fear.
We thank you for the care of those we love.
Lord, be known among us: make haste to help us. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord, we pray for those who wake up to the prospect of another day of pain and anxiety. We bring to you those who are sick in body, mind or spirit, remembering...
Give them courage and hope and healing.
Lord, be known among us: make haste to help us. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord of life, and life eternal, bless our loved ones departed, remembering those who have died recently and those who anniversaries we recall...
that in fellowship with your saints they may rejoice in the fullness of your presence and glory.
We thank you for the new life opened up to us through Jesus our Redeemer.
Merciful Father....
7th April - 2nd Sunday of Easter - Reflection
I wonder if you’ve ever been in the company of a group of people who’ve had a shared experience of which you haven’t been part? Perhaps a holiday or a trip to the cinema, a book or some sporting event? As it’s being discussed you may feel rather excluded. Maybe you’ve no idea what happened and have nothing to contribute. You might lapse into silence or hope that the subject will change, or you might be rather irritated or even envious. We see how Thomas reacted on his return in our reading today, when he was told by all the other disciples that they had seen the risen Jesus. They must have been overjoyed and naturally couldn’t wait to tell Thomas who, for some reason hadn’t been with them - perhaps because of all the trauma, loss and grief since the crucifixion, he’d gone to be by himself. On returning, he just couldn’t accept it. ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails, and my hand in his side, I will not believe!’
Poor Thomas - with those words he was destined to be forever known as ‘doubting’ and to lend his name to any who doubt things they are told to be true. But it does Thomas a great disservice if all we remember about him is the moment he doubted the resurrection, because he seemed to be one of Jesus’ most loyal and faithful disciples.
The first mention of Thomas is after Lazarus has died. Jesus had been asked to go to Bethany and though he delays his journey, it’s clear that he intended to go to the tomb where Lazarus has been buried. Some of the disciples think that travelling back into Judean territory is really dangerous under the circumstances - the Jewish leaders were seeking an opportunity to put Jesus to death. It’s Thomas who realises Jesus has made up his mind to go to his friends. It’s Thomas who says to the others, ‘Let us go to die with him!’ Fearless, loyal, courageous Thomas.
A few chapters later, John records Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper. He is preparing the disciples, telling about his coming suffering and resurrection, but they find difficult to understand at the time - he seems to be talking in riddles. We can imagine Thomas, brows furrowed, trying to follow the implications of everything Jesus is saying and finally blurting out, ‘We don’t know where you’re going. How can we possibly know the way?’ The others must have been just as perplexed, perhaps afraid to call attention to themselves by asking. Yet Thomas is not silent.
He doesn’t understand and he wants to. He can’t follow Jesus unless he knows where and how. Straightforward, realistic, faithful Thomas.
Back to today’s reading - eight long days after Jesus had appeared to the other ten disciples, he came again, and this time it was for Thomas. He went straight to the heart of Thomas’ need - to touch and to believe: ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands…’ There is no record that he actually did what Jesus invited him to do, but he had no need to touch the wounds.
At that moment, all doubt vanished and his response was simple, yet profound: ‘My Lord and my God!’
No longer ‘doubting’ Thomas, but truly, deeply-believing Thomas, expressed in words of worship.
The gospels are not afraid to let doubt sit alongside the resurrection appearances just as many of the psalms let faith and doubt interact. Even at Jesus’ final appearance to the disciples, as they worshipped him, ‘some doubted’. (Matthew 28: 16.) We sometimes regard doubt as if it’s the opposite to faith, with the implication that it is some kind of fault. And you can’t doubt, it seems, without a sense of guilt. But doubt is not the same thing as lack of faith. Doubt actually refines faith and we should embrace it. While it may be uncomfortable, doubt sets us on the path that leads to truth. Doubt is normal, uncertainty is natural and searching questions are right.
It can, of course, be quite painful when we realise that we have doubts about various Christian ideas. It’s not easy to wrestle with impossible dilemmas and unanswered questions when we look at our world. But God is not afraid of our questions. He welcomes them and focuses his attention on each one of us, according to our own individual needs, in our own time. Just as he did with Thomas, God in Christ reaches out and meets us, engages with us and changes us - where we are and as we are.
I’m reminded of that wonderful hymn, ‘Just as I am’ by Charlotte Elliott:
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fighting and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come.
What matters is responding to that remarkable, healing and transforming presence, and accepting his peace when we need it.
Revd. Canon Rosalind Brown says, ‘Thomas sets us an example of Easter alleluias that embrace doubt.’ As we encounter him individually and together, as we follow him on our journey of faith, and as we learn to trust, despite our doubts, we can also say, like Thomas: ‘My Lord and My God!’
Lord God, you hear my questions and know my doubts – they are all part of me seeking you; lead me to a deeper understanding of who you are and where we are going together, and grant me your peace.
31st March 2024 - Easter Sunday - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Acts 10: 34-43 Gentiles Hear the Good News
34 Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ - he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’
Psalm 118.14-24 The Lord is my Strength
14 The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. 15
There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: ‘The right hand of the Lord does valiantly; 16 the right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.’
17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. 18 The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
The Gospel reading from Mark 16.1-12 The Resurrection of Jesus
1 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.
3 They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’
8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
The Longer Ending of Mark Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
9 Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
Jesus Appears to Two Disciples
12 After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
Prayers
As we celebrate the Risen Christ, let us pray to the God of Life, in whom we live.
We give you thanks and praise for the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and for his appearance to his loved ones. May we rejoice with the whole church in the joy of the risen Lord.
As we give you thanks for our little churches, all our clergy, especially our Rector, may we who know the Good News be happy to tell others that he is risen.
Grant that your Church may help to bring peace and hope to a troubled world.
Lord, we are an Easter people: let 'Alleluia' be our song. Lord, in your mercy...
Risen Lord, we seek your peace: peace for our war-torn world; peace between nations and people; peace in our dealings with each other.
Please bless our Country, our King and the Royal Family, our Government and all working for the good of their communities.
Make us a blessing today that through our words and in our actions something of your love might be discerned, which will be encouraged to grow.
Lord, we are an Easter people: let 'Alleluia' be our song. Lord, in your mercy...
Risen Lord, as you appeared to the disciples in the house, come enter our homes; come enter our fear and darkness.
Help us to to show your presence in our homes.
Bless our families, friends and neighbours.
Let us walk confidently in your presence.
Lord, we are an Easter people: let 'Alleluia' be our song. Lord, in your mercy...
Risen Lord, we remember all those who are ill today, at home or in hospital.
Those who find life difficult, those without hope for the future; those mourning the loss of a loved one. We bring to you... may each one feel your loving healing presence.
We thank you for the work of the healing services.
Lord, we are an Easter people: let 'Alleluia' be our song. Lord, in your mercy...
Risen Lord, we come with all who weep for the loss of a loved one and we remember... we thank you for all that they brought to our lives. May all who mourn find new hope and joy in you.
You are the giver of new life. We remember the saints in glory. May we all, one day meet together in your heaven.
Merciful Father....
31st March 2024 - Easter - Reflection by Rev’d D’ Fyfe
Do you think Mary Magdalene was at the Last Supper? I think she probably was. The women had followed Jesus round the country and finally to Jerusalem. They had to be somewhere. Why not in the house where their Lord was having supper? Maybe they were in the kitchen; serving, listening and being a part of Jesus’ extended family. An important part of it. When Mary ran back to where Peter and John were hiding, she had known where to go.
Mary went down early in the morning to the tomb, in her own right as a follower and friend of Jesus. She was probably carrying more spices and oil. She would have known that a body stinks after a few days. She had warned Jesus about Lazarus’ tomb. She must have been both upset and brave. It was brave to go to up to the tomb, wondering how she could pull back the stone: brave to venture out of the city early, on her own. I can visualise her with her head covered, a scarf half over her face, as she passed the soldiers at the city gates. Modesty showing and fear hidden!
Then horror, followed by fear! The stone had been pulled away. She went running back to the disciples. ‘Quick, the stone has gone, they have taken him.’
Peter and the beloved disciple, whom we will call John, ran all the way to the tomb. John was younger and fitter and got there first. But he hesitated at the tomb entrance. Peter came up panting. And Mary probably arrived a few minutes after that. She had already been on this road three times that day!
As always, Peter went straight in without thought. He saw that the tomb was empty, but that the death wrappings were lying as if Jesus was still there. Then John also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, ‘ that he must rise from the dead.
I don’t know what John believed. Believing is having faith in something that you cannot necessarily prove. I think he just knew that Jesus was alright: was there, but not there. John believed. We aren’t told if Peter believed too.
Nor does the writer speculate as to what they believed. Then somewhat surprisingly they returned to the city! Nothing more to do here. Jesus wasn’t there but he was probably alright.
Mary stayed there, weeping. She stood outside the tomb and bent down to look again. There were two angels there, shiny white so definitely angels.
“Woman, why are you weeping?” Daft question! “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him”. They give her no answer and she turns away. Through her tears she saw someone standing there. ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ She thought he was the gardener; and said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’
Jesus spoke one word. He called her by name. Mary. And she knew. She knew his voice, the way he said her name, everything about him. She makes a move to touch him, to hold him. She must have longed to do so, to feel that he was real. And he says not ‘don’t touch me’, but, ‘Do not hold on to me’. ‘Go and tell the others that I am alive, that I am going to my Father’.
I think that is probably best put as, ‘Do not hold me back, do not try to make me stay. My journey is complete when I am one with my Father again. My Father, your Father, my God and your God’. And she understands. She leaves Jesus and goes back to the disciples and tells them, “I have seen the Lord.”
It is one of the most moving parts of the gospels and one of the most telling.
It is Mary who sees Jesus first. She is the one who tells the others about the resurrection. Mary, the apostles to the apostles, told the world that Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus had called her by name. We are all called by name.
John had looked into the tomb and he had seen the grave clothes. He could see evidence that Jesus had been there, but he couldn’t see Jesus. Which is roughly where we are. We have all sorts of written evidence, but we can’t see Jesus. We have no visible testimony of our own. But John saw and believed that Jesus had risen from the dead. What convinced him? He didn’t see Jesus. He just knew.
Most of us find it harder than that. We don’t see, so we don’t find it easy to believe. We struggle. We try to believe. But today, perhaps, like John, we can see and believe. We too are called by name
Alleluia. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia
Collect
Lord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of your Son
overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ, may reign with him in glory; to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity. Amen.
Short reflections for Holy Week
Author - Rev’d Gerry Reilly
Palm Sunday Luke 21.34-36
34 ‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.’
Reflection - Palm Sunday is the slightly upbeat calm before the storm. Jesus finally accepts publicly his Messianic role, and enters Jerusalem in triumph, riding on a donkey, and being lauded by the multitudes, albeit the poorer ad despised members. Those in power try to stop him, without success.
But it is clear from Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem that Jesus sees this as a Pyrrhic victory, and he weeps for the people, and for the consequences of their choices. He knows that the Kingdom he came to declare and inaugurate is nothing like the one they want him to, and that they will kill him to get their way. He will struggle through words and actions to help them see, but those in power will not listen. And eventually the mob will fall in behind them. What a fall: from being praised and feted, to being crucified!
Monday in Holy Week Luke 21.37-38 & 22.1-2
21.37 Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. 38 And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple. 22.1 Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. 2 The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death
Reflection - The positive effect of the Palm Sunday procession continues, but again only among the ordinary people, who are spellbound by what they hear and see. The religious leaders of the people feel very threatened by Jesus’ message, and they look for ways to get him out of the way. They hate the Romans, and they want to be free and exalted, and all their enemies crushed. But that is not the message they are picking up from Jesus, nor are they praised for their piety and patriotism, and they are furious! And they definitely do not like the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, but they fear the reaction of the common people. So they may have to form alliances with their traditional enemies, and use Roman power to their advantage.
Tuesday in Holy Week John 12.36b-43
36 Jesus...departed and hid from them. 37 Although he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfil the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah: ‘Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ 39 And so they could not believe, because Isaiah also said, 40 ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they might not look with their eyes, and understand with their heart and turn - and I would heal them.’
41 Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke about him. 42 Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.
Reflection - Opposition to the message of Jesus is creating strange alliances. The different religious groups feel threatened by Jesus unorthodox approach, and so they come together to plat his downfall. The ultra-nationalist and ultra-orthodox Pharisees and scribes link up with the Sadducees, and try to trick Jesus into treasonous statements about Roman occupation and taxation, and thus lose credibility with the ordinary people. But he turns their attempts on their head, and makes them reveal their true allegiances. Jesus is so frustrated with their blindness and arrogance that he rails against the scribes to his disciples, but in the hearing of the crowds. The situation is deteriorating rapidly, and a showdown is increasingly inevitable.
Wednesday in Holy Week Luke 22.3-6
3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; 4 he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. 5 They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.
Reflection - Today used to be called Spy Wednesday, with reference to the treason of Judas Iscariot, the treasurer of the group of disciples. He seems to have become disillusioned with Jesus after the prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem and the foretelling of persecutions. That was not what he had signed up for! So he may have been trying to shock Jesus into changing his tactics faced with death and ignominy. So he approaches the authorities and offers to deliver Jesus up to them, but only out of sight of the crowds, as he doesn’t want to be lynched himself! The devil makes him believe that it is all in a good cause! And so unwittingly, the ultra-nationalist disciple and the ultranationalist Jewish leaders plan to collaborate with the hated Romans to get their way!
Maundy Thursday Luke 22.14-20 & 52-53
14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it[c] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ 19 Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
(later in the Garden of Gethsemane).....52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, ‘Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!’
Reflection - I visualise today as being divided vertically into two halves; one side is in total, smothering darkness, the other in warm, comforting light. In the dark, cold side the enemies of Jesus labour away at plans to get rid of him, permanently, and remove the challenge to their vision and authority, and plot with Judas and the High Priest in order to do it with a modicum of legality. They even plan to use the power of the occupying Romans, which to them should be anathema.
In the kingdom of God’s light, Jesus is planning his departure and prepare his disciples for a new phase in their discipleship. He tries to encourage them to survive the apparent failure of his ministry and the shock of his humiliation. To do this he calls them together in loving unity at the Last Supper, reveals to them the loving plans to his Father, and devises a way to remain with them in the midst of their desolation, in a very real and earthy way, in the form of bread and wine. This he bequeaths to all his followers until the end of time, when he shall raise them up to join him in heaven. The day finishes with Jesus in agony in the garden of Gethsemane, where his poor disciples are bereft and scandalised by Jesus’ anguish, and unable to accompany and console him; he, instead, consoles them. And when he is captured, they all flee.
Good Friday
The Jewish Leaders - 2 They began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.’ (Luke 23.2)
Pilate - ‘You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death’ (Luke 23 14b-15)
The Criminal - ‘we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ 42 Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ (Luke 23.41-42)
The Centurion - When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’ (Luke 23.47)
The Crowds - 48 And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. (Luke 23.48)
Reflection - The darkest day for humanity, the day that evil apparently triumphs! The one who came to save the world is rejected by the apparent powers of the world, and put to an ignominious death. It is very revealing who stayed with him, publicly, throughout his terrible ordeal: his mother, some women (the powerless ones in society), one disciple, and a thief crucified with him. And at the end it was a gentile, a Roman centurion, who recognised Jesus’ status: ”Truly this man was God’s son!” (Mark 15.39).
God, the Creator and Sustainer of life, in the person of his Son, went through the torments of an ignominious death for love of us, and by that death destroyed the awful finality of death, and made us capable of entering into life. In Jesus Christ the whole of creation is renewed: “For the creation awaits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God....in hope that creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay, and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God”. (Romans 8, 19,21)
Holy Saturday Luke 23.52-54
52 (Joseph a member of the Jewish Council) went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning.
A day of waiting, a day of living in hope, a day of trusting in the power of God to change and redeem!
24th March 2024 - Palm Sunday - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Isaiah 50.4-9a Humiliation and Vindication
4 The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens - wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. 5 The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backwards. 6 I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.
7 The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; 8 he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me.
9a It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty?
Psalm 118.1-2, 19-29 A Song of Victory
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever! 2 Let Israel say, ‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! 26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. 29 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures for ever.
The Gospel reading from Mark 11.1-11 Jesus’ Triumphal Entry
11 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.”’
4 They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5 some of the bystanders said to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ 6 They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it.
8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
11 Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Prayers
As we face up to the costly loving shown by our God, let us come to Him in humility.
Father God, give us, in your Church, undivided hearts to love you and one another, in the sure knowledge that you are our Lord.
We ask you to bless our little churches, all our clergy and especially our Rector.
Lord, we ask your blessing upon our lives that we may be the people you want us to be.
Make us strong: to do your will. Lord, in your mercy...
Father God we give thanks for all who have served you in their vocation.
We bring to you our Country, our King and Royal Family, our Government and all who hold responsibility in the communities in which they live and who influence the lives of others.
Bless all who are carers and those who are good examples for us to follow.
Make us strong: to do your will. Lord, in your mercy...
Father God, as we give thanks for our homes and families, make us aware of the quiet sacrifice and love that is often given unheeded.
We ask you to bless our children as they embark on their school holidays. We thank you for those who have been benefactors in our lives.
Make us strong: to do your will. Lord, in your mercy...
Father God, draw alongside all who suffer, that they may know the comfort of your presence and the healing power of your forgiving love.
We bring to you... give each one hope and peace and healing.
Make us strong: to do your will. Lord, in your mercy...
Father God, we pray for all who are making that last journey, that they may be surrounded with your peace and rest in your love forever.
We remember those who have died recently and those whose anniversaries we recall... Lord, make them, and us, be numbered saints in everlasting glory.
Merciful Father...
24th March 2024 - Palm Sunday
Reflection by Canon Ian Gibson
“He answered, ‘I tell you, if these [people in the crowd] were silent, the stones would shout out.’”
Crowds can be a potent force, both for good and for evil. Politicians have always been aware of this, and of their own ability to influence the crowd in either direction. Old newsreels show us quite clearly how Hitler worked on the crowds gathered to hear his words at massed rallies. His oratory skillfully worked them up into outbursts of frenzied enthusiasm. He was the great leader they had been looking for. Guided by him, the people would achieve the heights of patriotic greatness. Churchill refused to be intimidated by Hitler’s rhetoric. “We shall not flag or fail,” he growled. “We shall fight on the beaches and we shall fight in the fields and in the streets and we shall never surrender.” His words served to rally a nation standing alone and facing disaster.
On Palm Sunday, we remember the significance of the part played by the crowd in the unfolding events of the last days of Jesus’ earthly life. From what Mark tells us, it seems that the demonstration grew from fairly small beginnings: as he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks in the road. It was a spontaneous gesture, rather than a response to anything that Jesus had said, or any attempt on his part to stir up the crowd. The movement grew as he neared the city: as he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude began to praise God joyfully for all the deeds of power they had seen.
Jesus is tried before Pilate. Pilate can find no wrong in him and wants to release Jesus, but is prevailed upon by the crowd who demand his crucifixion, an act which involves at least three other people: Simon of Cyrene, the penitent thief, and the centurion who stands guard by the cross.
We can have some idea of the impact on the tightly enclosed walled city. Visitors to Jerusalem cannot help but be struck by the narrow dimensions of the Old City, with its labyrinth of small shops and stalls, each displaying their wares in the confined space outside. Even now, there is barely room for visitors to pass, let alone a crowd following a man sitting astride a donkey, probably with a will of its own, and reluctant to move ahead without constant prodding. Add to that a wildly enthusiastic following crowd, chanting slogans loaded with Messianic expectation, and we get some idea of the impact of the moment.
It was an explosive situation in which the leader was expected to respond to the crowd by fulfilling their hopes and delivering their aspirations. Jesus did nothing of the sort. He had come to Jerusalem, the city of God’s peace, to claim the city and the hearts and minds of its people in the name of his heavenly Father. It is a mission which will end, and perhaps can only end, in death and apparent failure. The crowd which had welcomed Jesus with wild enthusiasm on Palm Sunday would, within a few days, be calling for his crucifixion. Jesus was well aware of this and knew what the end would be.
The crowd were an unknown quantity, and not to be relied upon. So he makes this enigmatic response to the Pharisees when they tell him to silence the crowd: “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would cry out.”
Being part of a crowd can be a powerful feeling. We can leave behind usual restraints and inhibitions. We can dare to be ourselves and express our true feelings. This can be especially true when we are part of a religious crowd. We feel uplifted, experience a great surge of enthusiasm as we sing hymns together, pray together, worship together. But, as Carl Gustav Jung, one of the founders of modern psychology warned, idealism, in which he would have included religion, can become an addiction.
As we think of the crowds surrounding Jesus on Palm Sunday, and the part they played in the events of those days, it can be a good time to step aside from the crowd. We need to examine our own faith, our own commitment to the crucified and risen Lord.
We need to be satisfied within ourselves that with all our imperfections and failures, we can still hold our personal faith with integrity. Then there will be no need for the stones of Jerusalem to cry out on our behalf.
17th March 2024 - 5th Sunday of Lent (Passiontide begins)
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Jeremiah 31.31-34 A New Covenant
31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant
that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt - a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord.
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
Hebrews 5.5-10 A Priest Forever
5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’; 6 as he says also in another place, ‘You are a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedek.’
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Psalm 119.6-18 The Pure Way
6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous ordinances. 8 I will observe your statutes; do not utterly forsake me. 9 How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments. 11 I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes. 13 With my lips I declare all the ordinances of your mouth.
14 I delight in the way of your decrees as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts, and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. 17 Deal bountifully with your servant, so that I may live and observe your word.
18 Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
The Gospel reading from John 12.20-33 Greeks Wish to See Jesus
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.’
Jesus Speaks about His Death
27 ‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say - “Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’
30 Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
Prayers
Let us pray to our God who loves us and understands us.
As we pray for the whole Church, we ask you to bless our little churches, all our clergy, especially our Rector and all who our church families.
We pray that there will be a renewed commitment to live out our faith and worship in our daily lives.
Let your Name be glorified; and your will be done. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for our world - your gift to us - for all nations and their leaders.
We pray for our own Country, our King and Royal family, our Government; that all having authority and power in our nation and in the world, may use it for good, upholding and instigating what is right and fair for every person.
Let your Name be glorified; and your will be done. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for our families and friends wherever they may be.
We pray that within our homes and communities there may be a new awareness of one another's gifts and needs, and more sensitivity and respect in our relationships.
Let your Name be glorified; and your will be done. Lord, in your mercy...
We bring to you those in need today - the oppressed, the downtrodden, the lonely and unloved, the hungry and the homeless.
We bring to you those who are sick - at home or in hospital... and those known only to ourselves. May each one feel your loving, healing touch.
Let your Name be glorified: and your will be done. Lord, in your mercy...
God of life, we bring to you those whose earthly lives have ended; those who died recently and those whose anniversaries we remember... that in your mercy, they may have your everlasting peace. Merciful Father...
17th March 2024 - 5th Sunday of Lent - Reflection by Rev’d D’ Fyfe
Last Sunday was Mothering Sunday. Possibly a lie-in for mums with breakfast in bed, carried in by small children with unsteady hands. Translate that as toast crumbs in bed and other sticky or smelly gifts - and a lot of love! The readings were about Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the Temple as a baby. Simeon had held Jesus in his arms and foretold that he would be a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of his people Israel. Mary was warned that a sword would pierce her soul. Some 30 years later, when Jesus was baptised by John, a voice said This is my beloved Son. The years have passed. Now Jesus has come to Jerusalem for the last time. In one week we have turned from Jesus’ birth to his predicted death. This is Passion Sunday. It is part of the story that leads up to the Crucifixion and Resurrection.
Jeremiah tells us that one day there will be a new Covenant between God and his people. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. He doesn’t say when. Then in the passage from Hebrews we are given a partial explanation of Jesus’ title ‘Great High Priest of the order of Melchizidec’. In some ways it explains Jesus’ relationship with the Old Testament: almost where he stands in their history.
The senior priest in Jerusalem was called The High Priest. Every year he went to the Temple and offered a sacrifice for his sins. Then he went into the Holy of Holies and offered a sacrifice for the sins of the people. Jesus was described as our Great High Priest. He offered prayers for the people. And He offered himself as a sacrifice on the Cross.
From where does King Melchizidec come? He appears briefly in Genesis (Ch 14) and in Hebrews. He was a King and a priest; King of Salem, Jerusalem. Melchizidec brought bread and wine to Abraham after a particular battle. Abraham gave him a tenth of the booty that he had won in battle; the first tenth, the best bit – a sort of tithe. As a priest and King, Melchizidec appears to be more high ranking than Abraham. Abraham was the Father of the Nation; from whom the Children of Israel were descended and with whom God made the Covenant. The link is that Jesus heralds the New Covenant of the people with God. He gives us bread and wine. In this way He is a king and priest of the order of Melchizedec.
The passage from John tells us that some foreigners, these Greeks, thus gentiles, wanted to see Jesus. Philip and Andrew leave to tell Jesus and He says The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. What sort of glory has he in mind? The Cross and all that it brings. All that it offers. Philip and Andrew both brought disciples to Jesus. Andrew was called by Jesus, “Come and see”. Philip called Nathaniel, “Come and see.” ‘These Greeks’ are the first gentiles who wish to be disciples. They had heard the call and they came to see; perhaps to become disciples too. Thus, the first Jewish disciples led the first Gentile disciples to meet Jesus. The good news that Jesus brings us, is that his message is for the Gentiles too. We are made part of the promise, part of the New Covenant. We are included. Jesus will die for love of us and he will bring us, gentiles, and the Jews into fellowship with him. His death will bring life to a whole family of faith: the Christian family - us.
Jesus continues, Those who love their life lose it and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. That is a bit stark! I don’t think it is quite as it sounds. Jesus isn’t saying that loving life is wrong. He is saying that to give up one’s life for the sake of others is right. In most cases you don’t have to die for someone. But you should put others’ needs before your wants. You should love your neighbour. I believe that you still need a love of life for the offer to have value. It is easy to give up something you don’t like. Lent has its moments! You give up something you value for the greater good.
We have been given life by God, to live it, but also to give it to God for his use. We have a promise of forgiveness and a better life – the Kingdom of Heaven.
When Jesus said “Now my soul is troubled” I think perhaps he was awed rather than frightened. It is very human. Sometimes we stand on the brink of something and think, this is just huge. I find it comforting that the Son of God should pause as we do. He talks to his Father; is this really the way? Don’t we all do that? And his answer comes from his own heart. No, that is not the way out. Let me do it the way you see it, to your greater glory.
He calls out,“Father glorify your name” and there is a roll of thunder or a voice from heaven: it is an affirmation that the hard choice is right. “I have glorified it and I will glorify it again”. The Father’s glory is seen in his Son’s birth and life and it will be seen again in his death and life. This is stern stuff.
And the final piece of this puzzle is - When I am lifted up I will draw all men to myself. It is not really a puzzle – he is referring to the Cross. The Cross that is our symbol because it was on the Cross that Jesus died. He was ‘lifted up’ on it, shamed and humiliated. But we know that he rose again and drew humankind to him. Jews and Gentiles, everyone is called. Jesus knew what human life was like. He understood all of it, the price of love ; the blood and toil and tears and sweat.
This is the real point. Jesus lived and died as a human – and then rose again. God is with us in all our troubles and our joys. He has been through it. He could party with the best, as he did at Cana. He died - and so do we. He was deserted by his friends, betrayed - and he forgave them and took them back. It should be us saying “Now my soul is troubled.” But we know the end of the story. We have the new Covenant. We are wrapped up in God’s love.
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. Amen.
10th March 2024 - Mothering Sunday & 4th Sunday of Lent
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Numbers 21.4-9 The Serpent Symbol
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5 The people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.’
6 Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’
9 So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
Psalm 107.1-3, 17-22 Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Troubles
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
17 Some were sick through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities endured affliction; 18 they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. 19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; 20 he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction.
21 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 22 And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices, and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.
The Gospel reading from John 3.14-21 Christ to be lifted up
14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed.
21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’
Prayers for Mothering Sunday
As children together in the family of God, let us pray together to our Father in heaven.
We pray for the whole Church, for this place where can meet together, for all our clergy, especially our Rector and all our church families.
We give thanks for our mothers, those who have been like a mother to us and all they have done for us. We remember all who have cared for us in our church, all who have shared in our learning and loving.
Lord, as we are loved: help us to love. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for our world, for all peoples and leaders, for those who influence and encourage others. We pray for our Country, our King and Royal Family and all who serve their neighbours.
We pray for those places where war and man's selfishness is damaging so many. We bring to you all who are vulnerable or in danger today.
Lord, as we are loved: help us to love. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for our homes and loved ones.
We thank you especially for our mothers and for all loving relationships.
Let us show our gratitude by returning that love in the way we live and in our dealings with others.
Lord, as we are loved: help us to love. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for those who are separated from those they love through illness or handicap.
We bring before you the needs of the homeless and refugees, especially remembering our children. We bring to you any who are sick today.....
May each one feel your loving, healing presence.
Lord, as we are loved: help us to love. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for those who have lost loved ones this year, especially those who have lost mothers. We remember.... whose anniversaries are this week.
We look forward in faith and in hope for the time when we can be at home with you in your heaven.
Merciful Father...
10th March 2024 - 4th Sunday of Lent - Reflection by Rev’d Brian Adams
A bronze snake raised up on a wooden pole. It does not immediately strike us as being particularly significant, but it forms the centrepiece of today’s readings.
The reading from the Book of Numbers tells the story of the children of Israel complaining about their sufferings in the desert to such an extent that God sent a plague of snakes to punish them, and then in response to their plea for rescue, instructs Moses to make a likeness of a snake in bronze, lift it high in their encampment, and all who look at it in faith would be cured of their snake-bite.
The Gospel is part of the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and Council member, who came to him under cover of darkness to question the purpose of his mission. “No one could do all that you are doing without God’s help “, he says. In reply, Jesus quotes the Numbers story saying that just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, even so must he, the Son of Man, be lifted up so that everyone who believes may have eternal life.
Today is the halfway point of Lent known as Refreshment Sunday, also known as Mothering Sunday; it is good that we should thank God for mothers and show appreciation of all that they mean or meant to us. Refreshment Sunday invites us to relax the disciplines we may have imposed upon ourselves for the duration of Lent, and so feel renewed to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Easter.
Snakes in the Bible have contrasting messages. It was the snake in the Garden of Eden that led Eve to disobey God’s command not to eat the forbidden fruit, whereas in Numbers it is also the means whereby the people are healed. As spring becomes ever more evident in the world around us, refreshing itself, it is to nature that we look for the understanding of today’s readings.
It is significant that the logo of the British Medical Association, is a snake wrapped around a stick, based on the rod of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing. The ancients looked to nature for cures for illness. Hippocrates, originator of the oath taken by doctors, used willow cuttings to heal bruises and until recently willow cuttings from National Trust properties were used for medicinal purposes. Poison and medicine are like two sides of a coin. Just as dock leaves are the antidote for stinging nettles and can often be found nearby, so the principle can be found in other situations. In the case of the snake, it may be that its ability to shed its outer skin is seen as a symbol of resurrection. It is both a conveyor of death and a sign of new life
Jesus applies this scripture to himself. The cross is both a conveyor of death and resurrection life. We need to tread carefully as we explore these thoughts. Jesus is revealing to Nicodemus the reason for his being here. He has come to a world which he created and loves but which has gone badly wrong, choosing darkness rather than light. He is here to bring light to the world but is going to be rejected and suffer a horrendous death, like a common criminal, and it is going to be widely seen. Just as Moses put the bronze snake on display for all Israelites to see, so he, the Son of Man, is going to be put on public display. Just as the snake represents poison and new life, so he on the cross is going to display human sinfulness and resurrection life. As St Paul puts it, ‘He who knew no sin was made sin for us so that we might be put right with God (2 Corinthians 5 v21)’. He takes upon himself the sins of the world so that we may be forgiven and enter into new life. As all the Israelites had to do was to look for healing to the snake lifted high in faith and obedience, so we are look to him on the Cross in faith and receive eternal life. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a prominent Baptist minister of the 19th century said, “When I heard that word ‘Look’ what a charming word it seemed to me. Oh, I looked until I could almost have looked my eyes away and I could have sung with the most enthusiastic of them, of the precious blood of Christ, and the simple faith that looks alone to him”.
On this Refreshment and Mothering Sunday, let us give thanks for our mothers and refresh ourselves by looking again at Jesus lifted on the cross for us, to see clearly our sins borne away by him and then enter afresh into the eternal life he freely gives us. Let the new life that we see burgeoning all round us in nature be assurance of God’s faithfulness and so bring us to a joyful Easter Day.
O my Saviour lifted from the earth for me,
Draw me in thy mercy nearer unto thee.
Lift my earthbound longings, fix them, Lord, above,
Draw me with the magnet of thy mighty love.
Bringing all my burdens, sorrow, sin, and care,
At thy feet I lay them, and I leave them there.
William Walsham How, (1823-1897)
Imagine the difficulties of trying to make a mother!
Specifications:
She needs to be completely washable - but not made of plastic.
She needs 180 moveable parts and be able to run on tea or coffee and leftovers.
She needs a lap that is big enough to cuddle the largest child.
She needs a kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair.
She needs six pairs of hands to do all the jobs that need doing.
She needs three pairs of eyes - one that can look through closed doors so that she can ask, 'what are you doing in there?’ when she already knows!
She needs another pair at the back of her head that can see what she shouldn't see - but what she has to know.
And of course a pair in front that can look at a child when he gets into trouble and say, ‘I understand and love you' without uttering a single word.
They have got to heal themselves when they are sick, feed a family of six on half a pound of mince and get a nine year old to have a bath!
She has to be able to reason and compromise.
The list is never ending!
So she deserves love - not only on one special day - but every day.
3rd March 2024 - 3rd Sunday of Lent - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Isaiah 60.1-6 The Ingathering of the Dispersed
1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. 3 Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4 Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
Psalm 19.7-14 God’s Glory in Creation and the Law
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
The Gospel reading from John 2.13-22 Jesus Cleanses the Temple
13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables.
15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’
18 The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’ 19 Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ 20 The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body.
22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Prayers
As the Church of God: Let us bring our prayers to you.
Son of God, you love each one of us as if there were just one of us.
Those who have striven hard to obey your commands, those who have ‘drifted’ here, unsure of the path they trod, who are here simply because of your Grace; individuals, all of us.
Son of God, you love each one of us as if there were just one of us. How can we not sing your praises.
We thank you for our Church, for all those who minister to us, especially our Rector and all our church family.
Holy God: may we live with your life in us. Lord, in your mercy...
God of all, we come to you for comfort. We are beyond weary at the dark mood of our world; help us to see the signs of hope, the revival of spring and your miracles which surround us. Help us to reach out to others to support and encourage them.
We are grateful to our Government and to those who are dealing with the problems of today – and tomorrow.
We ask you to bless our King and his Government as they cope with the needs of our wonderful country.
Holy God: may we live with your life in us. Lord, in your mercy...
We are a chosen people – a family people.
Chosen for love – to share love.
Chosen for joy – to spread joy.
Chosen for friendship - and for befriending.
Chosen for blessing and to bless.
We are a chosen people – a family people – our family - your family – our world.
Holy God: may we live with your life in us. Lord, in your mercy...
When the journey through each day becomes a struggle and we wonder how much further there is to go, your gentle voice can still be heard; ‘Sit where you are, for I am there. Rest once more in my embrace.’
We bring to you those who are in need today, especially remembering the sick. For your presence along life’s road, wherever we might be, we thank you Lord.
Holy God: may we live with your life in us. Lord, in your mercy...
God of glory, teach us to understand death in the context of your eternity, so that our fears are calmed, as we too approach that time.
Welcome with merciful love those who have died recently and those whose
anniversaries we recall. Shelter their loved ones, too, in the shadow of your wings. Merciful Father....
3rd March 2024 - 3rd Sunday of Lent - Reflection by Canon Ian
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19)
Throughout its history, the human race has built monuments to whatever it held sacred. Some have survived the ravages of war and weather – Stonehenge, Greek and Roman temples, the Pyramids. In cities of the great christian centres of Rome and Constantinople we still see buldings built at the start of the christian faith in the world. And in cities all over the world there are glorious cathedrals, reminding Christians, and all other faiths at that - of the presence of God in the bustle of our daily lives. I worked in the shadow of a great cathedral an ever present reminder of the place that our forebears built to the glory of God in this small part of christendom. We are reminded of God’s faithfulness when we consider how old the buildings are, and yet, paradoxically, we know that even in these massive cathedrals we have “no abiding city”. We know from bitter experience that these inspirational buildings have no intrinsic permanence, and can be destroyed in times of war or conflict– witness Coventry and Dresden cathedrals. So too, once the Israelites had left their nomadic life, they built their Temple, a truly magnificent place, dedicated to worship, and reminding God’s people of their special relationship with him.
But rules began to take precedence over the Spirit of the place. Flawless animals had to be sacrificed, and Roman coinage wasn’t allowed. So livestock was sold and money changers provided the Temple currency. Business flourished on the back of religion. Yet housed in this same Temple were the commandments, given by God so that his people could rightly order their lives. The contrast between the life envisaged by these commandments, a life of love and respect for God and neighbour, and the life being demonstrated by the guardians of the Temple, shocked Jesus.
He was surely more angry about the abuse of people by the shady dealings of the traders and money changers than he was by the misuse of the Temple. He knew his religion should be life-giving and liberating, not bound up by rules that gave easy opportunities for exploiting people. In John 4:21, we hear Jesus telling the Samaritan woman at the well, “the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem”. Jesus knew that true religion was not practised on pagan volcanoes nor in sacred temples, but in one’s heart, through the Spirit of God. The Temple that Jesus cleansed could and would be destroyed, but the temple of God within the human soul will not, and cannot, perish.
People often mistakenly refer to Coventry’s two cathedrals, the old and the new, but there is in fact only one cathedral in Coventry, one cathedral that is a witness to hate and pain and is an equally potent witness to love and forgiveness. Prayers of forgiveness are found on its shattered walls, and nails from the burned-out roof have been made into crosses that are in churches all over the world – symbols of reconciliation.
To walk through Coventry’s one cathedral, from the bombed part to the new, is to experience death and new life. Likewise, as we walk through our own lives, we experience death and new life. We share the same potential for hate, fear and a lust for power that possessed the people who crucified Jesus – the human characteristics that always try to kill God. But always there is the possibility of putting our dark side behind us and seeing Christ, risen from the cross, beckoning to us. As St Paul says (Romans 6:8): “But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.”
God is not contained in temples, churches or cathedrals, so he is not destroyed by the death of those buildings. Whatever we try to do to God, he rises again and he lives in human hearts. This is the power of the Easter story, that it tells and retells this truth so dramatically, so pictorially and in a way that penetrates all the superficial differences of generation and culture. The crucifixion and all the events of Easter are evidence that people may abuse and kill each other; they may even abuse and try to kill God, but ultimately they and their hateful efforts will fail.
Perhaps that is one of the sobering, and yet at the same time inspiring, lessons of Good Friday and Easter: our lack of real power. We can destroy whole cities with one bomb, including their cathedrals, but we cannot destroy God. We can’t destroy the love he pours into the world; we can’t destroy hope or a sense of justice and compassion. We are the indestructible temple of God. In the sanctuary of our temple he lives and will never die. We are the living stones of God’s Church, housing the commandment to love and taking that love to others.
Collects
Almighty God,
whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain,
and entered not into glory before he was crucified:
mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,
may find it none other than the way of life and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
(or)
Eternal God,
give us insight to discern your will for us,
to give up what harms us,
and to seek the perfection we are promised
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
25th February 2024 - 2nd Sunday of Lent - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Romans 4.13-25 God’s Promise Realised through Faith
13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’) - in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’
19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’
23 Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
Psalm 22.23-31 Plea for Deliverance
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. 26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live for ever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. 28 For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. 29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, 31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.
The Gospel reading from Mark 8.31-38 Jesus Foretells His Death
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’
34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?
38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’
Prayers
Let us pray to our God, in faith, knowing that he understands what is best for us.
Heavenly Father, increase our faith, that everyone in your Church may be more ready to trust you and allow you to lead us.
Please bless all our clergy, especially our Rector, all our church families and the little churches where we come together to worship you.
You speak what is true; and the faith can set us free. Lord, in your mercy...
Heavenly Father, give all leaders and rulers the courage to be honest, the will to be just and the openness to learn. We especially ask you to bless our Country, our King and Royal Family and our Government.
We long for the time when the Kingdom of the world will become the Kingdom of Our Father.
You speak what is true; and the faith can set us free. Lord, in your mercy...
Heavenly Father, we thank you for our homes, families and friends. We give thanks for all they mean to us in our daily lives.
At the door of each home place your welcome, in the rooms of each house your love, in all our relationships your care for each of us.
You speak what is true: and the faith can set us free. Lord, in your mercy...
Heavenly Father, give comfort and healing to those who are ill, peace to the anxious and reassurance to those who are afraid.
We bring to you... we ask for them, your constant presence and the courage to place their hands into yours.
You speak what is true; and the faith can set us free. Lord, in your mercy...
Heavenly Father, we remember those whose earthly lives have come to an end; those who died recently and those whose anniversaries are this week.. We pray that they, and we, in our time may recognise you in your heaven, and live in the light of your love forever.
Merciful Father...
25th February 2024 - 2nd Sunday of Lent - Reflection by Rev’d D’ Fyfe
Today’s Old Testament reading tells us that God promised Abram that Sarai would have a child and that Abram would be the father of nations. His children would be as the stars in the sky. That was quite a promise. How does that passage connect with Paul - and with us?
Paul tries to explain. Abraham had enough faith to believe, that what God promised, God would fulfil. This was accounted to him as righteousness: as a good thing. In other words, when all things were added up, both good and bad, Abraham had shown himself to be a faithful man. The promise made to him was that his descendants would be numerous; too many to count. He would be the Father of all nations. As usual, we must go back to the past to bring sense to our present and to help us understand the future. Paul tells us our past is from Abraham. Since we belong to all nations and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and have the Spirit to guide us: we can say that we are children of the promise. Through faith, we call God, Father, Abba, Daddy.
Faith is a belief, a trust, a hope in someone or something. Our faith looks forward to a future with God, through his Son. We need to hold on to it when times are hard, but that is what faith is about: believing and trusting when all the world tells you that you are wrong. We try to believe, as Abraham did, that God’s promise was to be trusted. The promise of a future with God was given to Abraham. It is there for us too, both now and in the future.
Mark’s gospel was reckoned to be the first, written at a time when the people who had known Jesus were becoming fewer. AD 60, if it was then, was a time when people of faith were being threatened. Mark tells us of Peter struggling with something that happened to him as he followed Jesus. Poor Peter, poor us, we do struggle to understand.
Peter had been congratulated for recognising that Jesus was the Son of God. Then, shortly afterwards, when Jesus began to speak of his coming death, Peter could not bear it. He took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him. Peter did not understand. How could the Son of God, be killed, and in such a way? He was the Messiah. Jesus as the suffering servant of Isaiah was not part of Peter’s understanding or vision. He must have been appalled when Jesus turned round saying Get thee behind me Satan and accusing him of temptation. But behind, of course, is where followers are; following. Peter had literally stepped out of line.
Jesus called the disciples together and explained. The people who followed him must expect to find life hard: must put aside their earthly instincts. That was the human impact of Jesus on people. He changed the way they looked at the world as it was then. We are challenged to carry our metaphorical cross along the road of life. It does concentrate the mind.
It is comparatively easy to be Christian in our country. You get the odd snide remark; the slightly patronising, oh yes, of course. But there are people in the world now, who know just how hard and painful it is to take up ones Cross. For them it is a great test of faith. For us it is a test of principals. How do we react to the other?
Who are we at the Cross? Someone’s son, who carried the Cross; Judas, whose dream turned sour, the rabble rousers, the people carried along with the crowd, the disciples hiding away in shame? We all meet at the Cross. We stand here, hoping that our faith is sufficient, hoping that the promise of forgiveness is for us, hoping perhaps that it is for all humankind.
Mark didn’t mince his words. Those who gave up their lives for God, for the good news of the Kingdom; would find life in the hereafter. However, the rest would not. For Mark you are either in or out. It is scary! The disciples had not understood. We have read Mark. Have we understood? The Son of man must suffer. Why should we expect anything different? Where does this leave us?
Even on the Cross, Jesus understands humanity. I find comfort in his capacity for forgiveness. And very briefly, this is where I try to stand.
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the Trinity. One, as well as separate. The Father sees us with the same tortured eyes as his Son on the Cross. They are one. Jesus speaks from the Cross in all his pain and says Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. He is speaking for everyone, not just the few. We are forgiven. All of us. And the Spirit, who is with us, has the same compassion on us. Thank God.
The light shining from the cross shows us the way.
Amen
Collect
Almighty God, by the prayer and discipline of Lent
may we enter into the mystery of Christ’s sufferings,
and by following in his Way come to share in his glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
18th February 2024 - 1st Sunday of Lent - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from 1 Peter 3.18-22 Christ’ Suffering
18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water.
21 And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you - not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.
Psalm 25.1-9 Prayer for Guidance and for Deliverance
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. 3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!
8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
The Gospel reading from Mark 1.9-15 The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’
Prayers
As we begin the season of Lent, may we move off to the desert, to communicate with our Father God.
Lord God, we come to you with our muddled priorities and conflicting agendas.
We pray for the Church, for our little places that we live, all our clergy, especially our Rector. Help us to use this season of Lent to draw closer to our Father God.
With our God all things are possible. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord God, we come to you, filled with anxieties about the problems of the world, where injustice, and the ugliness of man's cruelty, fill the news.
We come for the world's healing and for an end to all deceit and lying.
Please bless our Country, our King and Royal family and the members of the Government.
With our God all things are possible. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord God, we bring to you our families, friends and neighbours; our homes and workplaces.
We bring to you those whose relationships are fractured which gives so much sadness and worry.
We thank you for those we love and those who love us. We bring them and ourselves to you, asking for your patience when we fail you.
With our God all things are possible. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord God, we come to you with the needs and sorrows, pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters all over the world, who are aching physically emotionally and spiritually.
We remember those who are sick today, at home or in hospital... asking for your comfort and healing love.
Merciful Father...
18th February 2024 - 1st Sunday of Lent
Reflection by Rev’d Brian Adams
What do you feel when you hear or read the word ‘Lent’? I have to confess that my first reaction is to arouse in me negative thoughts of dreariness and gloom. This I suppose comes from childhood when all that people seemed to talk about was what they were going to ‘give up’. I don’t remember any convincing reasons being given to me as to why ‘giving up’ was a good thing so I chose to ignore it. With the passing of time, I have acquired a more adult view of what Lent is about and can see it is really a lovely word full of hope and expectation. It is derived from the Old English word ‘lencten’ which means ‘spring’ and gives rise to the word ‘lengthen’, and so the lengthening of the hours of daylight which accompanies springtime. Hooray, bring it on !
The snow drops are doing their wonderful displays as a sort of overture before the whole orchestra of crocus, hellebores, daffodils, tulips, and the whole floral array start to display their beauty. Flowers respond to the increasing amount of light spring brings and we can see here a lesson for ourselves. During this season of Lent we can let the light of God’s truth shine more brightly on our path and so bring forth in our lives something beautiful for him. It may mean we have to root something out, a bad habit we’ve got into or a relationship that needs repairing. This can be seen as part of the ‘giving up’ part of Lent and so make room for us to pursue something to make us better Christians.
‘Well done, I am very proud of you’ How often did we hear this from our parents when we were growing up or how often have we said it to our children? A word of encouragement or appreciation goes a long way in helping us to face the challenges and opportunities life brings. As Jesus emerged from obscurity and joined the crowds who were flocking to hear John the Baptist and be baptised, what an encouragement and affirmation it must have been to hear the voice from heaven saying, ’This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased’. As the road he had to tread became clearer with the passage of time what a help it must have been to know he had his Father’s blessing each step of the way. The voice from heaven was heard again at his Transfiguration saying, ‘This is my beloved Son…. Listen to Him’.
We all have different experiences of fatherhood, or in some cases lack of it, and so we come at this from different standpoints, but it is central in the life of Jesus and is at the heart of his ministry. We are invited to address God as Our Father and have before us the picture of the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son where he welcomes back his wayward son unconditionally. The elder brother saw his father in a different light and complained of unfairness, but compassion and forgiveness carry the day over resentment and jealousy. The family is back together and that is the most important thing.
Now let’s look at the role of parents. Have we told our children, if we have any, how much we love them and how much we appreciate them and their achievements? I say ‘told’ because it is easy to think we can just assume they know we love them. In fact we are too embarrassed to come out with it whereas making our feelings for them known may be just what they need. This can be particularly relevant where there are several children and we can unwittingly favour one more than another and so make others feel unloved. And conversely, it can be true the other way round; sons and daughters letting their parents know their love for them and appreciate all that they have done for them.
So as we enter Lent in the light of today’s Gospel containing the account of Jesus’ baptism with its symbolism of water’s cleansing power and that of death and resurrection, so we can apply these things to our lives and as the days lengthen and the flowers spring to life around us we can ‘give up’ those things which are unworthy and allow the Holy Spirit to produce in us something lovely, which may bring glory to his name.
A chorus comes to mind from my formative years which says it all:
Let the Beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All his wondrous compassion and purity,
O thou Spirit Divine, all my nature refine
Till the Beauty of Jesus is seen in me.
Let us Explore and Enjoy the Loveliness of Lent.
Ash Wednesday Liturgy - 14th February 2024
The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart you will not despise. (Psalm 51.17)
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all All and also with you.
Brothers and sisters in Christ: since early days Christians have observed with great devotion the time of our Lord's passion and resurrection. It became the custom of the Church to prepare for this by a season of penitence and fasting.
At first this season of Lent was observed by those who were preparing for Baptism at Easter and by those who were to be restored to the Church's fellowship from which they had been separated through sin. In course of time the Church came to recognize that, by a careful keeping of these days, all Christians might take to heart the call to repentance and the assurance of forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel, and so grow in faith and in devotion to our Lord.
I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy word.
Lord have mercy All Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy All Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy All Lord have mercy
Almighty and everlasting God you hate nothing that you have made and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent. Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that, lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, we may receive from you, the God of all mercy, perfect forgiveness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
The Litany
God the Father, All have mercy on us. God the Son, All have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, All have mercy on us. Holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, All have mercy on us.
From all evil and mischief; from pride, vanity, and hypocrisy, from envy, hatred, and malice; and form all evil intent, All Good Lord, deliver us.
From sloth, worldliness, and love of money; from hardness of heart and contempt for your word and your laws, All Good Lord, deliver us.
From sins of body and mind; from the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil, All Good Lord, deliver us.
In all times of sorrow; in all times of joy; in the hour of death, and at the day of judgement, All Good Lord, deliver us.
By the mystery of your holy incarnation; by your birth, childhood, and obedience; by your baptism, fasting, and temptation, All Good Lord, deliver us.
By your ministry in word and work; by your mighty acts of power; and by your preaching of the kingdom, All Good Lord, deliver us.
By your agony and trial; by your cross and passion; and by your precious death and burial, All Good Lord, deliver us.
By your mighty resurrection; by your glorious ascension; and by your sending of the Holy Spirit, All Good Lord, deliver us.
Grant us true repentance; forgive us our sins of negligence and ignorance and our deliberate sins; and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to your holy word.
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 (King James Version)
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
11th February 2024 - The Transfiguration
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from 2 Kings 2.1-12 Elijah Ascends to Heaven
2 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel. 3 The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I know; keep silent.’
4 Elijah said to him, ‘Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.’ But he said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they came to Jericho. 5 The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?’ And he answered, ‘Yes, I know; be silent.’
6 Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.’ But he said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Elisha said, ‘Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’ 10 He responded, ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.’
11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha kept watching and crying out, ‘Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
Psalm 50.1-6 The Acceptable Sacrifice
1 The mighty one, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
3 Our God comes and does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire,
and a mighty tempest all around him. 4 He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 ‘Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!’
6 The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge.
The Gospel reading from Mark 9.2-9 The Transfiguration
2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ 8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
Prayers
Let us pray to the God of Glory, revealed in our Lord Jesus.
We pray for the Church throughout the world, for our little churches, for our clergy, especially our Rector and all our church families.
Deepen and lengthen our attention span as we, your children, listen to your beloved Son and share his longing for the world to be saved.
Let us worship the Lord: in the beauty of holiness. Lord, in your mercy...
Father, you entered our world to save it through Love's giving.
Increase our desire to enter into those places where lives have been destroyed or are suffering such pain because of man's inhumanity.
As we bring to mind those places suffering natural disasters.
Please bless our Country, our King and Royal Family, and our Government.
Let us worship the Lord: in the beauty of holiness. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for our families, friends and neighbours. Let us not take one another for granted but wake each morning, ready to notice Christ in each person we meet and to reverence vour hidden presence in all creation
Let us worship the Lord: in the beauty of holiness. Lord, in your mercy...
Father, we stand alongside all who are suffering from illness; those too weak to pray, or too confused to persevere and feel peace of mind and spirit.
We bring to you... may each one sense your love and comfort, be given strength, and feel your loving spirit.
Let us worship the Lord: in the beauty of holiness. Lord, in your mercy...
Father, we commend to your eternal presence those who have recently died, remembering... and those whose anniversaries we remember this week.
Thank you for always providing the encouragement and inspiration we need for the work you would have us do. Merciful Father...
11th February 2024 - The Transfiguration - Reflection by Canon Ian
“This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”
An over-exuberant party leader, his face radiant with enthusiasm, once told delegates at their annual conference: “Go back to your constituencies and prepare for government.” Carried away by the glory of the moment, buoyed up by the atmosphere, and sure of the rightness of his cause, he issued that famous rallying cry. It was to backfire badly, when the election results came in, and to cause much amusement among his opponents and humiliation among his followers. Nevertheless, those words of encouragement from their leader revitalised his despondent troops, galvanised them into action and probably kick-started the transformation of the party into a credible voice in British politics.
Today’s gospel reading shows us another party conference. We might call it the Kingdom Party. The party leader speaks from his platform in heaven, rallying the members around his chosen deputy! Senior advisers support the appointment; he is just the person they had been looking for and writing about ... for ages. Now they consult with Jesus about the coming campaign, working out the finer details of the manifesto, while the disciples (sorry, party members) look on. And as they watch, they see Jesus transfigured, become radiant, as he assumes the role of leader given to him by his Father, and written about in the Law and the Prophets, represented by Moses and Elijah.
The Hebrew Scriptures cast light on Jesus, and he, in turn, casts light on them. Jesus, transfigured, dazzling, and a voice from heaven. A special time, for Jesus and for the disciples with him. A real awareness of the presence of God. Perhaps Jesus needed that moment, to strengthen him for what was to come. Certainly the disciples would need to recall the glory of that special time in the weeks that were to follow, just as those party members needed the encouragement of their leader for the campaign. Because this event comes at a turning point in the gospel story. From now on, Jesus heads towards Jerusalem and the cross.
For the three disciples present, the experience was so intense that it was frightening. But at the same time, they would not have wanted to be anywhere else. “It is good to be here,” Peter said. And he wanted to capture that moment, to pin it down. He wanted to put up shelters for Jesus, and Moses and Elijah, so that they could stay. But God had other ideas. It wasn’t enough for the disciples just to bask in the reflected glory of their master. They had to do something. “Listen to him,” said the divine voice.
The instruction loses something in the translation! The full sense of the Greek, and of the underlying Hebrew or Aramaic, is “Listen and obey.” Do what he tells you.
We are not told exactly what Jesus said next. But one instruction he gave is evident from the fact that we soon find ourselves at the foot of the mountain: “Go back down from this holy mountain, and prepare for ministry.” Get on with the business of tending the sick and troubled. Help to spread the good news of God’s kingdom, in the face of mounting opposition, grumbling discontent, danger and betrayal.
And that still applies to us today. We can’t stay on our mountain tops of spiritual experience. We must not cling to those moments of glory when God felt so close that we could reach out and touch him. No, we have to come back down to earth. Nor must we try to confine God to worship, to Sunday, and to church. We are sent out from here. But we carry with us the energising power of that intense encounter with God. Power which enables us to do what he tells us in our everyday lives. The power of the Holy Spirit who enables us, in our words and in our actions, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
God is truly with us, not only in those moments of glory, not only in the glory of worship, but in every moment of our lives. In dark valleys, just as much as on those dazzling mountain tops, God is here, with us. And his rallying cry will not backfire. We can believe him when he tells us, “Go back to your homes and workplaces and prepare for the kingdom.”
4th February 2024 - 2nd Sunday before Lent
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Proverbs 8.1, 22-31 Wisdom’s Part in Creation
1 Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?
22 The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth - 26 when he had not yet made earth and fields,
or the world’s first bits of soil.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.
Psalm 104.26-35 God the Creator and Provider
26 There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. 27 These all look to you to give them their food in due season; 28 when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; may the Lord rejoice in his works - 32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord!
The Gospel reading from John 1.1-14 The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Prayers
Let us pray to our God, who made us and our universe and delights in us.
We pray for the godly wisdom that is touched by the beauty of creation and warms us to the possibilities of co-operative prayer and work for the coming of the Kingdom.
We pray for the Church, our little churches, all our clergy, especially our Rector and all our church families.
Wise and Holy God: we are your children. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for godly wisdom that, in observing symptoms, and discerning causes, we may respond to real needs.
We pray for those nations and people struggling to cope with war, poverty and homelessness.
We pray for all leaders as they try to find ways forward towards peace for all peoples.
We ask you to bless our Country, our King and all the Royal Family, and our Government.
Help us al to work in co-operation with those who have dedicated their lives to the service of their communities.
Wise and Holy God: we are your children. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for the godly wisdom that gives others space and support, encouragement and guidance.
We pray for our families, friends and neighbours, for those we love and those who love us.
We ask you to bless our children, their schools and colleges, all teachers and helpers and governors as they make provision for each child.
Wise and Holy God: we are your children. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for the godly wisdom for those who dedicate their lives to the healing and caring professions.
We bring to you those who are sick today, remembering... may the feel your loving, healing touch.
Wise and Holy God: we are your children. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for the godly wisdom that sees time in the context of eternity.
We remember those whose earthly lives are coming to an end and bring to you those who have died recently... and those whose anniversaries we call...
We give thanks and rejoice in all that God does for us.
Wise and Holy God: we are your children. Lord, in your mercy...
Merciful Father...
4th February 2024 - 2nd before Lent
Reflection by Fr Harry Lewyar
This passage from John’s gospel, gives us something very like a confession of faith, a statement of belief about the incarnation of God: God made man. John is concerned about what people believe about Jesus, and from the start John balances and compares two themes: the eternal cosmic sphere from where John makes a point of stressing Jesus came, and the day to day world of John the Baptist into which Jesus came. There’s also a sort of witness testimony towards the end “We have seen his glory….”
It’s as if in this short passage John is anticipating - or possibly responding to – confusion about who Jesus was: not merely a teacher; not merely a prophet or a role model; not merely a miracle worker or a man of great compassion but God himself in human form. It’s as if John is saying, “Let’s get something clear from the outset. Everything that follows is to be seen in the light of Jesus, The One God, The Almighty, The Yahweh of Judaism - Jehovah - coming among us in human form.” It is the belief that he existed before creation and he comes and lives among us now as he came and lived among them then.
So, the word “word”, Logos in Greek, can sometimes feel very theological and deep... John takes us back to the beginning. He echoes words from the book of Genesis: In the beginning God created; God moved over the chaos and darkness and said, Let there be light. The God who moved over the face of the deep, over the darkness, this same God who was from the beginning and spoke that Word, is the God who became flesh and blood and dwelt among us. The word of God is seen as powerful and active throughout scripture: God creates with speech. Jeremiah compares God's word to fire and to a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces; in Isaiah, God's word is rain that waters the earth, making it sprout and bring forth and it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
When Jesus is described as the Logos, The Word, it’s John’s way of describing Jesus as the revelation of God. Throughout the Old Testament God chooses to allow himself to be known in quite limited and restricted ways as he reveals aspects of himself to key people such as Abraham, Moses and the Prophets, who interpret that understanding of God to the people. Their visions and experiences of God showed many of the characteristics of God as we understand him today – King, Judge, Almighty, All-powerful, All-knowing, all-present, etc., but rather distant and unknowable, certainly not personal in the way that we understand him today. But through the incarnation the God who wanted to be in relationship with his people becomes known and knowable in human form, to be spoken to face-to-face, walked with, eaten with, laughed with and wept with, and with those experiences came a knowledge of his love, his justice and his compassion. It doesn’t get more personal than that and later in this chapter John re-emphasises this idea when he writes, No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known. Not God’s son but God the Son, God in human form. In him we have a permanent glimpse of God, and in him we’ve come to know more about God than was ever known before. In this man Jesus, they saw, and we see, the face of God.
This is what many who come from other faith backgrounds struggle with because their understanding of God remains at the level of the distant, the impersonal and the unknowable. The Quran itself says, “God forbid that He Himself should beget a son” and Jews still await the coming of The Messiah. It’s inconceivable to these faith groups and to others that God can be so knowable, so personal. And yet today’s passage from John talks about this revelation having been received by humanity and you can’t receive something that’s not been freely given. This incarnation is God’s gift to us – to us all.
This brings us back to the deeper meaning of the word “word”. Do you remember when your children were infants, before they could speak? How we wished they could tell us what was going on inside of them. They would cry. We would ask, "Are you hungry? Do you hurt? What's wrong?" They didn't answer our questions with words. We had to guess the answers. Some form of communication was needed for us as parents to know what was going on inside that small child, what they were thinking, what they were feeling, what they wanted. That’s still true even now they’re adults. Without the sharing of words in some way: face-to-face, phoning, e-mailing, texting, we don't know what they’re doing, thinking, or feeling. We need words to understand what’s happening in each other’s’ lives. Words have power. Everything we say or write, however trivial is designed to evoke a response in someone else.
Jesus, as the Revealer of God, is like that. He communicates to us the thoughts, feelings, and desires of God. Yet, he doesn't just talk about what goes on inside God, he is God. His life reveals God to us. In order to know God, we need to look to Jesus, to listen to Jesus, to try and understand Jesus. So, if words are designed to evoke a response, what is the response that Jesus as The Word is supposed to evoke in us? The answer, surely, is belief. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.
The intended outcomes of God speaking to the world in this way are eternal life and salvation as John outlines later in chapter 3.16-17, For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Our task as disciples is to speak and live a language that has the same intended effect among our hearers. John talks of Jesus as the life and light of all people.
Our response is surely to bring that same life and light to those we encounter in our own pilgrimage of faith.
28th January 2024 - The Presentation
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Malachi 3.1-5
1 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight - indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5 Then I will draw near to you for judgement; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow, and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
Psalm 111
1 Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. 2 Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. 3 Full of honour and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures for ever.
4 He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the Lord is gracious and merciful. 5 He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant. 6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. 8 They are established for ever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant for ever. Holy and awesome is his name. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practise it have a good understanding.
His praise endures for ever.
The Gospel reading from Luke 2.22-40
22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’ 33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed - and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.
Prayers
Let us pray to our Father God, bringing to Him the needs of the world.
As we pray for the whole church, we remember those who teach the faith, bringing to you our own clergy, especially our Rector and our church family.
We pray for a new awakening of our calling to be the people of God.
Give us a fresh understanding of your will.
You alone are our God: and we trust in you. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, give all the nations and peoples of the world such respect and love for creation, that we learn to take responsibility for the resources we share.
We ask you to bless our Country, Queen and Government.
Give each one of us the courage to make good decisions for the benefit of all.
You alone are our God: and we trust in you. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for our family, friends and neighbours, wherever they may be. Thank you for all that they bring to our lives. May all our homes make room for kindness and forgiveness.
Help us to know that you are with us in our dealings with others.
You alone are our God: and we trust in you. Lord, in your mercy....
Holy and Strong One, we remember before you all who suffer from weakness or illness, all who suffer from being handicapped or restricted in their lives.
We bring to you those known to us who are in any need today... may they know that you love them and are with them through the most difficult times.
We ask your blessing on all who are called to work in the healing services.
You alone are our God: and we trust in you. Lord, in your mercy...
Father God, we put our trust in you.
We believe that in you is the gift of eternal life.
We remember with love those who died recently and those whose anniversaries we recall...
We pray that, through you and your love, we may be brought at last to the
fullness of your kingdom.
Bless the week ahead. May its challenges not overwhelm us, circumstances not discourage us and in all things may we remember that you are with us in our journeying.
Merciful Father.....
28th January 2024 - The Presentation
Reflection by Rev’d Brian Adams
Writing this as one who is well past the Biblical lifespan of three-score years and ten I felt drawn when reading this gospel account by the contrast between the simplicity of the young child Jesus being brought to the temple by his parents and the years of experience of the two elderly people in the story, Simeon and Anna, now nearing the end of their lives. I imagine that some people reading this are, like me, near or at the same stage of life as Simeon and Anna, and can identify with them.
Simeon and Anna had lived through turbulent times. The Roman Empire had swallowed up the land of Israel and ruled with rough justice. Unrest was widespread and revolts common. Barabbas, the man crucified with Jesus, was probably what we would call a terrorist. Anna we are told was eighty-four and she with Simeon were regular worshippers at the temple in Jerusalem. They were faithful Jews who had kept alive the hope of seeing the realisation of some of the prophecies in the Old Testament of the coming of a Messiah who would usher in a reign of peace and prosperity, what is called in our passage ‘The Consolation of Israel’. It had lain hidden for at least 400 years and Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would live to see’ The Lord’s Messiah’. What a wonderful prospect! What a reward for his faithfulness, and so he senses the moment as he comes into the temple and sees the little family come in carrying the Christ child. A little baby, an old man and woman, they all have their place in God’s plan of redemption.
The scene is one of serenity. The Romans didn’t mind people having their own religions and attending places of worship so long as they didn’t cause any trouble and one gets the feeling that Anna and Simeon had a long period of waiting for this moment in comparative calm. Now Simeon was ready to go, the promise he had received that he would live to see the Lord’s Messiah had been fulfilled and he could now ‘depart’ in peace. “Depart in Peace”.
What a lovely way to describe our leaving of this scene. We naturally wonder what awaits us as we grow older. We want a ‘good death’ whatever that means and we consider the possibilities. We don’t want to suffer pain, prolonged deterioration, we don’t want to be a burden to anyone, most of all to our children by restricting their ability to live a full life.
The question of ‘assisted dying’ is coming to the fore again and some want a bill introduced in Parliament to allow people being helped to die when their situation is terminal or life is so difficult that they have had enough. There are appealing arguments on both sides. Some say, ‘Why shouldn’t I have control over my body?’. Others, ‘We must beware of setting off down a slippery path whereby the vulnerable can feel pressurised.’
Speaking personally, I am wary of the law being changed because it makes a hole in the principle that life is sacred and as we didn’t choose the time of our birth so we shouldn’t choose the time of our death. They both lie in the gift of God. Doctors have always seen their calling as to heal people, not to facilitate their death. I know that there are extreme cases where the patient can be suffering long and painful discomfort and death can only come as a release. Here doctors have powerful painkillers at their disposal and their palliative care can afford considerable relief. This is a grey area where compassion and good sense may be better guides than legislation however carefully worded and we find we have exchanged one set of problems for another, namely ‘where do we draw the line on who is eligible’? The slippery slope beckons.
St Paul was confident in facing death. ‘I have fought a good fight, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on that day.’ In another place he says he is in two minds; he wants to go but he feels it’s better for his fellow believers for him to stay. Either way he’s happy to leave it in God’s hands.
Simeon is clearly thinking positively about the future. He was ready to go but waiting for God’s time. He saw himself as God’s servant and was ready for whatever his Lord wills. Note, he was going to ‘depart’, he was going somewhere, it was not all over. It is commonplace nowadays to say that the deceased has ‘passed’. I want to ask when I hear this whether they believe in an afterlife or is it that they can’t bear to say someone is dead. We need not fear death, it has lost its sting, we have the victory through our Lord’s death and resurrection and his promise that he has gone to prepare a home for us in his Father’s house.
I like the old hymn by Fanny Crosby:
All the way my Saviour leads me: What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt his tender mercy who through life has been my guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, here by faith in him to dwell!
For I know whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.
I pray for grace to keep following our Lord’s leading while here on earth and, when the time comes, on into the light of his nearer presence.
21st January 2024 - 3rd Sunday of Epiphany
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Genesis 14.17-20
17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High.
19 He blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!’
And Abram gave him one-tenth of everything.
Psalm 128
1 Happy is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways. 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots around your table. 4 Thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you from Zion. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life. 6 May you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!
The Gospel reading from John 2.1-11
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ 4 And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ 5 His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’
6 Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’
11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
Prayers
Lord you transformed ordinary water into wine at a wedding in Cana, may our ordinary lives be transformed by your presence. As you have taken on our humanity may we now partake of your divinity.
We pray for the Church throughout the world, particularly in those places where people are persecuted or diminished for living their faith: that every country might honour people’s right to worship in freedom.
Lord, in your mercy... Hear our prayer.
We pray for all that are newlywed, and for those preparing for marriage; for those discovering newness in their love for each other. We pray for those saving to get married and all who feel that they cannot afford to marry.
We pray for marriages that have run into difficulties, for those who are running out of resources, those in debt, and those having homes repossessed; for all who feel betrayed in their love, for those seeking a divorce at this time.
We pray for Marriage Guidance Councils and all who seek to support family life.
Lord, in your mercy... Hear our prayer.
Lord we pray that your presence may transform our homes, that they may be centres of love, joy and peace. We pray for friends and loved ones and all who have transformed our lives by their goodness. We pray that in our communities we may share and help to meet each other’s needs. We pray for all who are losing their jobs in the present economic climate; for young people who cannot find a job ‐ that new opportunities might arise to afford them the experience of working in dignity and peace. We pray for areas of darkness and deprivation in our communities.
Lord, in your mercy... Hear our prayer.
We remember all who have run out of resources, the hungry and thirsty peoples of our world. We remember the exhausted, and all who can no longer cope on their own; all who are struggling to provide for their families and their basic needs. We remember all who are in trouble or in sickness, especially those we name in our hearts now.....
Lord, in your mercy... Hear our prayer.
We pray for all who die before their expected time, particularly those who suffer a violent death ‐ that they might be brought within the saving embrace of God and welcomed to the peace of their everlasting home... we rejoice that in you the best is yet to come. We give thanks for all who have been changed in the glory of your Kingdom. We pray for our loved ones departed from our sight....
Lord, in your mercy... Hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, hear the prayers we offer and use our bodies, minds and spirits to your praise and glory.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
21st January 2024 - 3rd Sunday of Epiphany
- Reflection by Canon Ian Gibson
“His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” (John 2:5)
In the wedding car on the way to the reception, Julie and Stuart chatted excitedly about their marriage service. “I was so nervous,” Julie admitted. “I was trembling like a leaf.” Stuart grinned and squeezed her hand. “Me too,” he said. “But did you see the vicar shaking?” he went on. “She couldn’t have been nervous, could she? I mean, vicars do weddings all the time!”
Stuart was both right and wrong. Church ministers do conduct lots of marriage ceremonies. But that doesn’t mean they don’t get nervous. Weddings are very special days, for all concerned. For the couple, their parents, the guests… but special, too, for the vicar! Part of the job, but also a privilege and a pleasure, and yes, many do get nervous.
Weddings occur frequently in the Bible as images to describe something wonderful. Jesus mentioned wedding feasts in some of his parables. In those days, even more than our own, everyone had been to a wedding. Something wonderful, but also a fact of everyday life. An absolute gift for any storyteller needing a vivid metaphor.
Like the Bible writers, Jesus was a master storyteller, but he not only told stories to illustrate God's love for us. He lived the story – in his life on earth, and his death for us. Like Old Testament prophets, he knew actions speak louder than words. So it isn't surprising that Jesus first chose to “reveal his glory” not by anything he said, but by something he did.
The wedding gave an extra dimension to the miracle. At this everyday but wonderful event, he took something ordinary like water and changed it into something special – the very best wine. Gallons of it! The water jars were intended for Jewish purification rites. By using those, Jesus perhaps shows that here is something better than the Jewish Law. Here is the Creator, the one who made the water, present among us. But whatever the containers, the water was water: a feature of everyday life.
With Jesus, the ordinary can become wonderful. In a service of Holy Communion we receive bread and wine. Food and drink are features of our everyday lives, but this food is special, this drink is special. Because, in them, the saving presence of Jesus is made known to us.
With Jesus, the everyday can become special. Not only in the Eucharist, not only in church: Jesus transforms the water of our daily lives into the sparkling new wine of his presence. If we allow him to do so.
What if the servants at that wedding had ignored his bizarre instructions? What if they hadn't filled the jars with water? What if they'd winked at one another and said, “We've got a right one here!”
Mary's faith saved the day. She pointed out the problem to Jesus: “They have no wine.” She believed that Jesus could do something about it. And she trusted that he would do something. When she said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you,” her conviction rubbed off on them.
Mary's words still speak to us, nearly two thousand years later. But what is Jesus telling us today? What must we do? How can we find out?
By studying the Bible we learn more about what Jesus wants all of us to do. To love God more dearly, and love our neighbour as ourselves… even love our enemies. Turn the other cheek. Go the extra mile. Tell others of God’s love.
And by acknowledging his presence in our everyday lives, we can listen to what Jesus is saying to each of us individually. We are all different, thank God! We have different home situations, different jobs, different strengths and weaknesses, different gifts to use in God’s service.
Whoever we are, whatever we are, Jesus is with us as we go about our everyday tasks. He will have a word for each of us, just for us – something he wants us as individuals to do for him. Something which, in turn, will enable him to work his miracle in our lives, to turn everyday lives into life, in abundance, a closer relationship with God. If we listen.
Weddings are wonderful. But they happen to someone every day. So if God can speak to us in the story of a wedding, surely we can listen to our Creator in the things that happen to us day by day? And if Jesus can be present among us in bread and wine, can we not look for our Saviour in other “ordinary” things?
14th January 2024 - 2nd Sunday of Epiphany
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from 1 Samuel 3.1-10
1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.
2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
4 Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ 5 and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. 6 The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’
Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’
Psalm 139.1-9
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. 3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it. 7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
The Gospel reading from John 1.43-51
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ 46 Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ 48 Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ 49 Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ 50 Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ 51 And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’
Prayers
In the silence of the stars,
In the quiet of the hills,
In the heaving of the sea,
Speak, Lord.
In the stillness of this room,
In the calming of my mind,
In the longing of my heart,
Speak, Lord.
In the voice of a friend,
In the chatter of a child,
In the words of a stranger,
Speak, Lord.
In the opening of a book,
In the looking of a film,
In the listening to music,
Speak, Lord, for your servant listens. (By David Adams)
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and steeping, Thy presence my light.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep protection near and danger afar.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep hope within and keep doubt without.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep light near and darkness afar.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep peace within; keep evil out. (David Adams)
May your past be a pleasant memory,
Your future filled with delight and mystery,
Your now a glorious moment,
That fills your life with deep contentment.
May your day be filled with blessings
Like the sun that lights the sky,
And may you always have the courage
To spread your wings and fly!
May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine upon your window pane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near to you and
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
14th January 2024 - 2nd Sunday of Epiphany - Reflection
“Speak Lord For Your Servant is Listening” by Laura Kaslas
The first reading for today, from the book of Samuel is quoted pretty often, “Speak Lord for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10) ... God makes His presence known to his people. Yet in the first verse of this reading, it says that a revelation of the Lord was uncommon during those days and visions were infrequent.
God was gentle when He approached Samuel, so He didn’t frighten Him by revealing His presence all at once. Calling gently to Samuel in his sleep was a way to reach out to him gradually, to make His presence known. God’s revelations are often like that, a gentle and slow revealing of His presence. It’s a peaceful, gradual, certainty that grows slowly over time. That is a sure sign that it is God who is revealing Himself and His will to you. He is more like a gentle nudging, or tugging that you continue to notice until He gets your attention, like a child who stands respectfully and patiently from afar until you become aware that they would like to talk to you. Especially when you are already busy with something else.
Jesus was of course both human and divine, but he set an excellent example for how most people seek to know God’s will. Silence, solitude and prayer are the basic elements that greatly facilitate a greater awareness of God’s presence in our lives. If you think about it, that is the same three elements that Samuel experienced in the first reading today too.
Samuel was off by himself, asleep in silence, and had been in the temple praying at the time.
Coming to know God’s will in any given situation is not something you control. He does. Sometimes God wants us to take care of things ourselves, make mistakes, learn from them and grow in the development of our character and holiness. And, sometimes God will send His Spirit to reveal something to you, but when He does this, it is usually to benefit other people too and not for you alone. Most of our actions affect others though, even if it is indirectly.
Christ carefully contemplated what the right thing to do next was and sought his Father’s advise. In his case, it wasn’t the right thing to remain in one place too long because his purpose was to make known the kingdom of God, and there were no televisions newspapers or radios back then. He needed to reach as many people as possible while he still had the time to do so.
We usually know what is best for our lives, deep down inside. There is just so much noise, distractions, stress and pressures from other people that we do not feel very close to God or have the ability to “listen” with the ears of the heart. Holiness, direction and guidance from God is not just for saints and prophets though. God wants us to enter into a deeper relationship with Him and most especially, with His son Jesus. We are His children, and even though there are so many of us, God loves each of us individually, the same way we love our own children.
The next time you feel a gentle tugging on your heart that you just can’t shake, it may be a call from the Lord to come away for a while and speak with him. He has something he needs to talk to you about. Like any good relationship though, it is also a good thing to seek his company when you have something on your mind, or on your heart. He is always there to care about you and listen to your joys and sorrows, dreams, plans and problems and he will do what he can to help.
“Speak, for your servant is listening.”
7th January 2024 - The Epiphany - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Isaiah 60.1-6
1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.
3 Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
4 Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. 5 Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendour.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king for ever. 11 May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
The Gospel reading from Matthew 2.1-12
1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.”’
7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Prayers
Let us pray to the God who loves us and knows our journey.
We thank you God for all those who brought the Good News of Jesus to us. You have chosen to give yourself to us all and invite us to give ourselves to you.
We thank you for the Church, for our little places where we gather to worship you; for all our clergy, especially our Rector.
Light of Christ: shine in our lives. Lord in your mercy...
As we remember the Wise Men, we pray for the rich and comfortable and all who have plenty of this world's good things; that they may know that all they have are gifts from you. May the riches of the world be put to good use as we remember the poor and homeless and the hungry.
Please bless our Country, our King and Royal Family and the Government.
Light of Christ: shine in our lives. Lord in your mercy...
As the Holy Family shared an ordinary home, we ask your blessing upon our homes, our family and friends.
We remember those with no families; those who feel unloved and unwanted. Light of Christ: shine in our lives. Lord in your mercy...
With the gift of myrrh, there was an offering of the sorrows of the world. We remember all who are suffering today; all who long for freedom from persecution.
We bring to you the sick... may each one feel peace and hope and healing.
We thank you for those whose lives are dedicated to the healing professions. Light of Christ: shine in our lives. Lord in your mercy...
We rejoice with Mary and Joseph, the Angels and the Wise Men, and with the Church in heaven and on earth, as we commend to you those whose earthly lives have ended...
We remember those who have died recently.... and those whose anniversaries we recall... may we all, when our time comes, be welcomed, with them into your heaven.
Merciful Father...
7th January 2024 - The Epiphany - Reflection by Reader Ian Stobart
This Sunday is the Feast of the Epiphany. I wonder what that means for you.
Perhaps being Twelfth Night - the end of the twelve days of Christmas, it’s when you take your decorations down and pack them back in the loft. You don’t want that bad luck, do you? That’s all over for another year. We can get back to normal now. But perhaps they are already back in their boxes. Lights carefully wrapped and pine needles vacuumed up. Traditionally, Christmas used to start on Christmas Day and last these twelve days. Now it kicks off with the start of advent, or after Halloween has finished! So when we get to the big day we’re exhausted and just want to move on to something different.
New year. New resolutions.
The word ‘epiphany’ has two meanings. It can be the appearance or manifestation of a divine being. Or it can also mean a sudden realisation of something, like Archimedes’ ‘Eureka’ moment in the bath. What happened to Paul on the road to Damascus was both of these - a revelation BY God and also a revelation OF God. None of us likely to have such a dramatic experience but the Feast of the Epiphany ( the ultimate revelation of and by God, incarnate as a baby) raises some questions for us and gives the opportunity to look at what that might mean for us.
Epiphany marks the celebration of the arrival of these characters from the east. Variously known as kings, wise men or Magi, they were evidently astronomers as they had spotted a new star. Then they had worked out what it might mean - which was that a new king had been born in Judea. God spoke to them in a language they could understand - astronomy - and they listened and understood. Contrary to the belief of the people of God at that time, Hebrew was not the only language God spoke!
Do we too assume that God is just like us?
So they set out to find this new king. We know from later in the story that this new star had possibly appeared two years previously. So they might have been travelling all that time. To journey for that long takes a lot of dedication and perseverance.
Do we persevere as we should in following Jesus?
They did the obvious thing, and went to the royal palace of the country where this new king was due to be born. They weren’t to know that Herod knew nothing about this new king, and wasn’t going to be happy about it when he found out. He was called Herod the Great, but this had less to do with his personality than his ability to survive politically and the fantastic building projects he organised (the temple in Jerusalem that Jesus would visit later in his life, an amazing palace with two swimming pools on top of a hill in the desert at Masada, a luxury villa at Caesarea and several other palaces).
They went to find ‘The king of the Jews’ but didn’t find him in a palace surrounded by riches and luxury, but did, eventually, in the humble home of peasant working people.
Do we only look for Jesus in expected places?
This phrase ‘King of the Jews’ appears towards the end of Matthew’s gospel as well as here near the beginning. It is the reason given for crucifying Jesus, and was written on a piece of paper attached to his cross. The gospel writer is intentionally flagging this marker of how the story would play out. This baby would grow up, he would teach, and he will suffer and die.
The Feast of Epiphany is seen in different ways in Eastern and Western Churches. In the East, in the Orthodox Churches, it marks the baptism of Christ and celebrates the revelation that the incarnate Christ was both fully God and fully man. God (the Word) ‘became flesh and dwelt among us’ as it says at the start of John’s Gospel, but also remained entirely God. This is essential for salvation to ‘work’, Jesus has to be both God and human.
In the West we centre on the Magi coming to worship Jesus. The importance of this event is not just in the gifts they bring (one of the reasons why we give presents at Christmas). They have great significance: Gold for a king, Frankincense for a Priest and Myrrh for death. They symbolise who Jesus will be - both king and priest, as well as foretelling his death. But for us, the wonderful thing is that they were gentiles. At the beginning of his life, Jesus is revealed to people who were not Jews. His mission was, from the start, to the whole world. For us!
The reading from Isaiah for today seems to have a specific prophecy regarding the wise men - ‘they shall bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord’. But it also talks more generally of a light coming, the Lord’s glory appearing, that we shall see and our heart will thrill and rejoice and these statements refer to God’s kingdom. this is the kingdom that started with Jesus'’ arrival here on earth.
In the story of the wise men, there are three different responses to news of the arrival of this new kingdom in the form of a baby.
Herod was upset, worried and angry when he learned of a potential challenge to his power and lifestyle.
The religious scholars were indifferent, and stuck in their tradition.
The Magi were joyful and wanted to pay homage.
How do we react? Do we get distressed when Jesus threatens what we are doing?
Are we not really that bothered, as long as we can carry on as we are?
Or can we really ‘get it’ and, with joy, come to worship this king as a baby?
Can we see that Jesus came for everyone. Not just us or those who are like us?
Can we perceive the image of God in everyone, and find Jesus where we least expect him?
Can we persevere, like the Magi, as we follow where God is leading us though the new year ahead?
31st December 2023 - 1st Sunday of Christmas
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Isaiah 61.10 - 62.3
61.10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
62.1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch.
2 The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. 3
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
Psalm 148.7-14
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! 9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! 12 Young men and women alike, old and young together! 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!
The Gospel reading from Luke 2.15-21
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.
17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Prayers
Let us pray to our God, who knows what it is to be human.
We pray for the Church, the Body of Christ, remembering our little churches, our own clergy, especially our Rector.
May we be so filled with God's living life, that our actions touch the world with hope which lasts for ever.
Thank you Lord for coming to be with us. Lord, in your mercy...
As the world is reminded of love and peace, in the words of the carols, may the reality of God, who loves each one of us, transform our social and political thinking.
We remember those places where lives are so badly affected by war, poverty and humanities selfishness. We ask you to bless our Country, our King and Government. We pray that 2024 will be a year of peace for all.
Thank you Lord for coming to be with us. Lord, in your mercy...
As Christmas brings together family, friends and neighbours, especially those we seldom meet, may our relationships be nourished with love and forgiveness. May we value and love each other, more and more.
Thank you Lord for coming to be with us. Lord, in your mercy...
We remember those whose lives are filled with pain or fear or anxiety.
We bring to you all refugees and the homeless. We remember those who are sick, at home or in hospital, those waiting for the results of tests... May they feel that you are close to them and loving them.
Thank you Lord for coming to be with us. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray that the dying may be at peace with God and that those of our loved ones who are separated from us through death, may know the joy of heaven. We remember... May our love, rooted in yours, continue throughout the new year.
Merciful Father...
31st December - 1st Sunday of Christmas
Reflection by Rev’d Brian Adams
Having just finished watching the BBC TV series about Julius Caesar I began to see the account of the entrance of The Wise Men into the Christmas story in a new light. The growth of Rome from City to Empire took place under Republican government with elected officials. As Roman power grew due to campaigns led by their generals, their conquests eventually stretched both east and west and as we know included their occupation of Britain. There was a rule that no general could return to Rome at the head of his army and had to surrender his command at the river Rubicon. Julius Caesar failed to do this after his conquests in France as he knew he would return as the man who wielded most power in Rome and he did not wish to surrender it. Resentment grew at his breaking of the laws of the Republic and when he insisted that he assume the title Dictator a plot was hatched to assassinate him which famously took place on the Ides of March 44BC. The Romans hoped to restore the Republic, but the system was so broken it could not be reinstated and so a series of Emperors followed until the fall of the Empire in the 5th century BC.
It is not surprising then that when this caravan of mysterious looking Men from the East appeared in Jerusalem bearing gifts and asking where the KIng of the Jews was to be born that panic ensued. The rule of Palestine had been ‘subcontracted’ to the Herod family who had become friends of the Caesars, and they did have the title King, so there was no room for any more kings. Hence the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt and the ‘Slaughter of the Innocents’ which is also remembered at this season but rarely gets a mention.
Monarchy is not greatly in fashion in today’s world. We have Autocracy, the rule of One in Russia and China, Theocracy, the rule of clergy as in many Arab countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, and some where the military have seized control. The first king of England was Athelstan, crowned in 925 but it was William the Conqueror who was the first to be crowned in Westminster Abbey and really established rule over the whole country.
The idea of kingship is lost in the mists of time but what makes it stand out is that it is based on the authority of a divine being of some sort exemplified by the ceremony of anointing with oil. We remember that in Old Testament times after Moses and Joshua there was a period of rule by ‘Judges’, such as Samson and Gideon, who arose to deal with attacks from outside. In the time of Samuel, the last Judge, the people asked to have a king like the surrounding nations. Samuel did not think it a good idea, saying that kings would exploit them, but the people insisted so Samuel sought God’s advice which led him first to anoint Saul, who was a disaster, and then David who of course became the founder of the dynasty of which Jesus is counted a member through his father Joseph.
The principle of Kingship underlies Jesus’ ministry. He does not speak of himself as a king, he uses the term ‘Son of Man’ and he speaks of God mainly as Father. But it becomes prominent at the end when he is hailed as King on Palm Sunday and at his trial before Pontius Pilate he is asked if he is a king. He replies, ‘My kingdom is not of this world’. He taught us to pray ‘Thy Kingdom come‘ and we pray this prayer regularly as part of our liturgy.
We find ourselves in this country members of two kingdoms. We are subjects of the Kingdom of Great Britain and members of God’s Kingdom. It is significant that from earliest times it was usual for the king to be seen as appointed by a ‘god’ and so ruling with his authority. In our country, by the way our constitution is set, we acknowledge the authority of God as revealed in the Bible and see the monarch as his appointee. And so we offer the monarch due deference by bowing and curtseying and all in high office take an oath of allegiance. But more importantly we are members too of the Kingdom of God as revealed in the Bible and made manifest to us in the person of Jesus the Christ, risen and glorified.
As we are now on the last day of 2023 ,we look ahead to a year in which we shall almost certainly have a general election and as members of this kingdom to vote for our Member of Parliament. The country has passed through turbulent times in the last few years, and we face an uncertain future. As members of that other kingdom, the Kingdom of God, who have just celebrated the coming of the Light of the World in the birth of Jesus the Christ we are called to bring ourselves, like the Wise Men, with our best to offer him and work towards the `coming of His Kingdom’. We must pray too that all who offer themselves as candidates for election to Parliament will be dedicated to working for the common good and so prepare for His Coming.
Two verses of hymns about God’s Kingdom
Thy Kingdom come O God, Thy rule O Christ begin,
Break with thine iron rod the tyrannies of sin.
The King of love my shepherd is whose goodness faileth never
I nothing lack if I am his and he is mine for ever.
Thanks be to God.
On Christmas Day 1939 King George delivered one of his most famous speeches; George’s wife Elizabeth, mother to Queen Elizabeth II, brought him a poem that had deeply touched her. George VI excerpted the first lines of the poem, “God Knows” (aka “The Gate of the Year”) by Minnie Louise Haskins to illuminate the spiritual comfort he believed his subjects might seek. It applies as well to us as much as it did then, as we stand at the start of a New Year:
“God Knows”
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
So heart bestill:
what need our little life our human life to know, if God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife of things both high and low, God hideth His intention.
God knows.
His will is best.
The stretch of years which wind ahead,
so dim to our imperfect vision, are clear to God.
Our fears are premature;
In Him, all time hath full provision.
Then rest:
Until God moves to lift the veil from our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features of Life’s stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise,
God’s thought around His creatures our mind shall fill.
Happy New Year.
Christmas Day - Emmanuel - God with us.
Light 5th and central Candle and pray …….
A candle burns, the last marker of our Advent journey.
As we arrive at our journey's end, may we arrive with wonder and worship. Amen.
COLLECT
Lord Jesus Christ, your birth at Bethlehem draws us to kneel in wonder at heaven touching earth: accept our heartfelt praise as we worship you, our Saviour and our eternal God. Amen.
Isaiah 9.2 & 6 The Messiah Prophesied
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Hebrews 1.1-4 God Has Spoken by His Son
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Luke 1.6-7 The Days were accomplished
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
John 1.1-14 The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Prayers
As we gather to celebrate Christmas, let us pray to our living God.
Blessed are you, Lord our God. In you and in your love, heaven and earth are one. You come among us, to be one with us.
Lord, we welcome you into our hearts and lives. We ask your blessing upon the church as it worships you throughout the world.
Bless and guide all preachers of the word and ministers of the sacrament, remembering our own clergy and all who lead worship in our churches locally, but they may lead us to you.
Holy God, come among us: hear us and help us. Lord, in your mercy…
We rejoice with the shepherds and pray for peace on Earth and goodwill amongst all the nations.
We ask your blessing upon all areas where there is conflict and oppression.
Bless our country, our King and Government, the members of our armed forces who are away from home this Christmas, and all who seek to bring unity and fellowship between the nations.
Holy God, come among us: hear us and help us. Lord, in your mercy…
Lord, born into an ordinary home, come into our homes, that they may reflect your peace and your glory. May we know that our homes and loved ones are all part of your Kingdom.
Bless our families, friends and neighbours, those with whom we will share Christmas and those not able to be with us.
Holy God, come among us: hear us and help us. Lord, in your mercy…
We give thanks that nothing can separate us from your love.
We ask your blessing on the world’s poor, those who are deeply in debt, those who are lonely, and those who are ill at home or in hospital.
We bring to you… give each one peace and hope and healing.
Holy God, come among us: hear us and help us. Lord, in your mercy…
Lord, we rejoice that you came down to earth as a human, that we might share in the joys of the Kingdom of Heaven.
We remember friends and loved ones departed, those who have died recently and those whose anniversaries we recall… we rejoice in the fellowship of Mary and Joseph and all your Saints and Angels. May we share with them in your glory. Merciful Father…
CHRISTMAS BLESSING
May the Father,
who has loved the eternal Son from before the foundation of the world,
shed that love upon you his children. Amen.
May Christ,
who by his incarnation gathered into one,
things earthly and heavenly,
fill you with joy and peace. Amen.
May the Holy Spirit,
by whose overshadowing Mary became the Godbearer,
give you grace to carry the good news of Christ. Amen.
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be upon you and remain with you always. Amen, Amen, Amen.
Christmas Eve
“Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth.”
Luke 2:1-7 The decree of Caesar Augustus
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2.8-15 The Angels and the Shepherds
And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"
Luke 2.16-20 The Shepherds go to the Stable
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Matthew 2.1-11 The Magi and the Star
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him."
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."
When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
PRAYERS AND LORD’S PRAYER
We have shared together in the wonderful story of Mary and Joseph, with angels, shepherds and Wise Men. As we celebrate this special night in which God joins heaven and earth, let us offer our prayers.
Lord Jesus, on that holy night, you were born in a stable because there was no room at the inn. Give courage to all who have no home - looking for safety, food and shelter - and those who live in poverty. Protect them with your love and give them hope.
Jesus, Light of the world: ALL hear our prayer.
Your mother, Mary, in the pain of labour, gave birth to you. Hold close all who are in pain or fear, or suffer in any way. In their need may they sense you, reaching out to comfort and heal.
Jesus, Light of the world: ALL hear our prayer.
As Mary and Joseph held you in their arms, we thank you for our own families. Strengthen us in love and commitment, that our homes might be places of joy and peace.
Jesus, Light of the world: ALL hear our prayer.
The shepherds were surprised by news of your birth, which would turn the world upside down. We pray for those facing change, and coming to terms with unexpected news. In all the challenges we face, we ask for your strength.
Jesus, Light of the world: ALL hear our prayer.
The Wise Men followed the star and knelt before you, recognising you as King. Give wisdom to all who lead and govern. Guide them with your light, that they may seek truth, justice, peace, freedom and respect, for every human life.
Jesus, Light of the world: ALL hear our prayer.
The angels were overjoyed to share the great news for all people. Thank you for coming for us, and help us to tell the world the good news that you are still with us, and will never leave us.
Jesus, Light of the world: ALL hear our prayer.
ALL God of light and hope, of stars and surprises, open our eyes and our hearts to your presence, that we may respond with joy, this Christmas-time, to the birth of your Son Jesus, our Saviour. Amen.
Our Father, which art in heaven.....
LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLES – PRAYERS
Sunday before Christmas Light 4th Candle and pray...
(or to be lit at any time in the week .17th – 23rd Dec)
A candle burns, the fourth marker of our Advent journey.
As we continue, may we travel joyfully.
As we continue, God of journeys, draw us to our journey's end. Amen.
Christmas Reflection by Canon In Gibson
“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” John 1:14)
Christmas is often portrayed as a magical time. We receive cards depicting stunning scenes of snowy landscapes: peaceful, still and free from any sign of the disruption which is usually associated with even the slightest amounts of snowfall. We are delighted by nativity plays where all the animals are clean and sweet smelling, and baby Jesus is always well behaved and silent. We watch TV adverts of beaming families sharing succulent feasts around enormous tables. They show no stress about how they are going to pay for this incredible banquet. Neither is there any sign of tension over all the cooking and washing-up involved: TV mums are delighted to take on these tasks. Such images of Christmas seem a million miles away from our everyday experience. Does the festive season have anything to say about the realities of life, or is it simply a bit of fairy-tale escapism: a short break from the humdrum realities we will all face again in January? The answer to that question lies in today’s Gospel reading: the profound words which introduce the Gospel of John.
In our reading, Jesus is referred to in a way that will seem strange to us – as “the Word”. At the time this was written, however, this would have been an expression familiar to both Jews and Greeks. The simplest way of explaining it is to think of words as the way we communicate with the outside world; how people understand who we are and the things we stand for. To call Jesus “the Word” is a way of saying he reveals to us what God is like. And Jesus can reveal God to us for a number of reasons. Firstly, he has been with God from the very beginning. He didn’t simply come into being at a set point in time like the rest of us, but has always existed and been in the closest of relationships with God. Indeed, the passage states that it was through Jesus that God created the world. Even more significantly, he can show us what God is like because he shares God’s divine nature. As verse one famously says, “the Word was God”. The passage also goes on to say that Christ is a light in the world, enlightening us about God.
These are massive claims about Jesus. However, the passage states something else equally staggering: not only was Jesus one with God, but he gave up his place in heaven to live among us as a real human being and show us what God is like in the flesh. “He pitched his tent among us,” is how the Greek puts it. The divine Son of God came and dwelt with us and, as the passage suggests, was spared none of the pain of human existence. Verses 10 to 11 hint at some of the sadness he endured: he who had brought all things into existence was not welcomed to the earth he had made; he was rejected. Even the nation prepared by God to expect the Messiah through centuries of prophetic utterances did not recognise him as the chosen one.
So in what way does this link our Christmas celebrations with the realities of life? Well, Christmas is not just about a cute baby born a long time ago in a faraway land. Christmas reminds us that the Son of God dwelt among us, not only sharing our human nature but also our pain.
Through Christ, God truly understands the troubles we all experience, for Jesus endured every pain that we do: he was abused and bullied (soldiers mocked, hit and teased him); he was let down by his friends and lonely (the disciples ran away when he was arrested, and Peter denied knowing him); he knew what it was like to lose someone close (he wept when his friend Lazarus died); he was tempted; he knew fear (in Gethsemane before his arrest he was terrified); he knew pain (he was scourged) and, of course, he knew what it was like to die.
So while Christmas may be presented as a time of glitter and sparkle, its true heart can be found in the nitty-gritty of life. When we are struggling and wondering where God is and why he has allowed suffering into our lives, we can take comfort from the knowledge that, through Jesus, God has suffered with us and knows exactly what we are going through. In Christ we are never alone for he is Immanuel: God with us.
17th December - 3rd Sunday in Advent - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from 1 Thessalonians 5.16-24
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
Psalm 126 A Harvest of Joy
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’
3 The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced. 4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb. 5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
The Gospel reading from John 1.6-8 & 19-28 The Word Became Flesh
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
The Testimony of John the Baptist
19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’
20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ 21 And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ 22 Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’
23 He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord”’, as the prophet Isaiah said.
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptising if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’
26 John answered them, ‘I baptise with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ 28 This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptising.
Prayers
Let us pray to the living God who always keeps his promises.
Almighty God and Saviour, as we pray for the whole Church, we bring to you our little churches, all our clergy, especially our Rector and our church families.
May the Church reflect your love for the world and show acceptance and forgiveness for all.
Keep us faithful to your calling. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for the world that there may be integrity in leadership, mercy and justice for rich and poor, strong or weak.
Bless our Country, our King and Government, praying that there is peace and fellowship for everyone.
Keep us faithful to your calling. Lord, in your mercy...
We give thanks for those who have taught us the faith by their example in the way they live.
Please bless our homes and our loved ones with the light of your presence.
Keep us faithful to your calling. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord, we come to you for renewal and healing, for strength and light.
We ask your blessing on all in need today, especially remembering those who are waiting for test results or who are sick, at home or in hospital... May each one feel your loving healing touch.
Keep us faithful to your calling. Lord, in your mercy...
We give thanks for your renewing powers and that you give us life and life eternal.
We remember, with love, friends and family who are departed from us. Those who died recently and those whose anniversaries we recall... May they rejoice in the fulness of life eternal in the glory of your presence.
Merciful Father...
17th December - 3rd Sunday in Advent
Reflection by Rev’d D’ Fyfe
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. We know the words from the beginning of John’s gospel. It always fills me with awe. Written hundreds of years ago it states unequivocally that God was there at the beginning and that the Word, Jesus, was with him and was him. And then in the next paragraph we are told “There was a man sent from God whose name was John.” In those two paragraphs we are told about Jesus in the beginning and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry
Some churches have an Advent Wreath. It usually has 5 candles on it. One to be lit on each Sunday of Advent. One each for the Patriarchs, the Prophets, John - the last Prophet and the the Virgin Mary. Then, on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, we light the central candle for the birth of Jesus. John is called the last prophet. He reminds us of what Jesus came to do and how he began that period of his life!
Why do we have this story at this time of year? John was probably about six months old at the time of Jesus’ birth. Why now? From Luke we know, the story of John’s birth to Elisabeth and Zechariah Luke tells us that Mary, when she became pregnant, visited her cousin. Luke had wanted to explain who John the Baptist was and why he was important. John, the gospel writer, wanted to show us how John the Baptist heralded the beginning of a long story.
He grew up as a loner: a wild man, hairy and living on locusts and wild honey in the desert. He came to Authority’s attention when he was baptizing people in the river Jordan. He was standing by the Jordan baptizing and we can almost hear his voice ringing out across the centuries. He was sent to the world to tell people that someone was coming. Someone who would shine a light on us and show us how to live. His was a baptism of repentance.
People came from Jerusalem and all around to be baptized by John. So many came. that the Pharisees sent some of their number to enquire what was going on. Was this man a prophet? Was he pretending to be the Messiah? Was he trouble? John told them he was not the Messiah, nor a prophet, nor Elijah. “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord”. He was there to tell everyone of the man who was coming. (It’s not me Guv!) You can understand why they thought he might be Elijah. Elijah was held to be the man who would herald the coming of the Messiah.
John told the crowd that among the people standing with them, there was a man who was far greater than him and whose shoelaces he was not worthy to tie. John baptized Jesus and we read that the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove. John recognized that Jesus was the Messiah.
So here we are, more that 2,000 years later listening to the words of the man we call the last prophet. We know that he was arrested and imprisoned by Herod, and later was executed. We know Jesus’ story and we know that as His mission to the world began, John’s mission came to an end. Shortly after Jesus began to preach and teach, John’s followers came to Jesus and asked him if he was the one that the world was waiting for. They returned to John telling him what Jesus was doing. John was executed at Herod’s command, knowing that his work was done.
On Sunday we will light the third Advent candle for John; the man standing on the banks of the Jordan baptizing the people. His was “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord”. John didn’t pretend to be anything but a warning voice, a messenger preparing the way of the Lord. Perhaps we should be doing that?
He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light
John knew he wasn’t the Messiah. He knew that his work was to tell people that the Messiah was coming. Not coming in great glory, far from it. But when he comes again we will see the glory.
This is called a reflection. What should we reflect upon? It isn’t a question of looking in a mirror and seeing ourselves. It is using our minds and prayers to see the world as it is. It is to ask ourselves how we can bring some peace to the world and to ourselves. Last week’s reflection reminded of the need for peace. Perhaps the words of the blessing should be our prayer for this week.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with us all, this day and for evermore.
LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLES – PRAYERS
Third Sunday of Advent Light 3rd candle and pray...
A candle burns, the third marker of our Advent journey.
As we continue, may we travel expectantly.
As we continue, God of journeys, guide our footsteps. Amen.
10th December - 2nd Sunday in Advent
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Isaiah 40.1-11 God’s People Are Comforted
1 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’
6 A voice says, ‘Cry out!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever.
9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’
10 See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
Psalm 85.1-2 & 8-13
1 Lord, you were favourable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin.
8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. 9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. 11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. 12 The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.
The Gospel reading from Mark 1.1-8 Proclamation of John the Baptist
1 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”’,
4 John the Baptiser appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptised by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptised you with water; but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’
Prayers
Knowing that our God loves us and listens; let us pray to him now.
Blessed are you Lord our God, for you sent the prophets and John the Baptist to prepare your way. You have told us of your coming and you reveal yourself to us in Jesus.
We thank you for all who tell of your love; all our clergy, especially our Rector and all our church families.
O come Emmanuel: and live in me. Lord, in your mercy...
God of wisdom and truth, we remember in your presence the troubles and sorrows of our world. We pray for all those caught up in war or violence; all who suffer from greed and inhumanity.
We pray for all leaders and rulers that the may use their powers wisely and for the good of all people. Please bless our Country, King and Government.
O come Emmanuel: and live in me. Lord, in your mercy...
We ask you to bless those who do not look forward to Christmas, especially those who will be lonely or homeless or unwanted.
We pray that our homes may be places of love and peace, where you are welcome. May we know that in the coming of others to us, you also come and seek our love.
O come Emmanuel: and live in me. Lord, in your mercy...
We remember all who are ill or suffering at this time, all who are distressed or overburdened, we bring to you... May each one feel your loving, healing presence.
O come Emmanuel: a n d live in me. Lord, in your mercy...
God of unending life, bring life in its fulness to us here and to those who have completed their time on earth. We remember... May each one know the peace and joy of your heaven, and we pray that, one day, we may meet together again.
Merciful Father...
10th December - 2nd Sunday in Advent
Reflection by Ian Stobart, Reader
If you have read “The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ (and probably even if you haven’t) you will be aware that the answer to ‘life, the universe and everything’ is 42. In the book, a supercomputer was built and ran for centuries to finally come up with this answer, and when it was told that it didn’t make sense, said that they didn’t know what the question is, but that it could help design a build an even greater computer that would tell them what is was.
So I wonder if all the frantic build up towards Christmas - getting the decorations out of the attic, un-ravelling the lights, getting more tinsel, writing cards, buying and wrapping presents, worrying about who is going to be where when, who likes what to eat and whether there will be enough food - is the answer to a ‘perfect’ Christmas. And if it is, what was the question?
Our Gospel reading today is about John the Baptist, a prophet who proclaimed that the Messiah (Jesus) was coming and that the people should 'prepare the way of the Lord’. A challenge to the people at that time, but also very much to us to us all today as well. What are WE doing to prepare the way of the Lord? All the lights and decorations and meal planning perhaps serves to get us ‘in the mood’, but what about our inner preparation ahead of the monumental event of God becoming human, and a fragile helpless baby at that.
John preached a confession of sins and repentance, before forgiveness. It isn’t very fashionable to talk about what we do wrong. But to prepare our hearts for Jesus and get ready for Christmas properly perhaps we do need to look at ourselves and ask ourselves some questions.
What have I done that might need forgiving?
How have I treated my neighbours (including the ones I do not know, or the people I do not like very much)?
What about the way we have all mistreated our planet?
These seem like difficult questions when we are looking forward to a joyful celebration. We would all be much happier if the most difficult questions we faced were what shall we buy for Auntie Flo or how large a turkey do we order. That is the sort of preparation that I can cope with, even if it is a bit stressful. But John the Baptist calls us to do more than that
Many of the carols we sing and the readings we hear this Advent and Christmas will be freighted with extra meaning in light of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The words near the start of today’s reading from Isaiah ‘speak tenderly to Jerusalem….’ or ‘ransom captive Israel’ in O Come, O Come Emmanuel are likely to produce thoughts and feelings that they have not in previous years. Whatever we think about the rights and wrongs of what is happening in this horrific conflict, we surely must, as we wait and prepare for the coming of the Prince of Peace, pray for peace in that land, and indeed many others (not forgetting Ukraine). Places where there seems no end to death and destruction and grief and anger. Where there appears to be no hope of joy and peace. And in the face of which, we feel there is nothing we can do.
But we can pray for peace to come: for the killing to cease and the guns and bombs to stop.
We can pray for peace to come into the hearts of the leaders and that they find it possible to imagine another way.
And we can pray for peace for ourselves. That we can find the peace of the incarnate God within ourselves and become peacemakers and peacekeepers in our own lives.
John the Baptist was obviously memorable in what he did, how he looked and what he did. He stood out from the crowd and he could be described as being counter-cultural. We do not have to wear camel hair clothes or eat locusts and wild honey like he did, but we do need to go against the grain of society a bit to examine our motives and question our actions so that we are ready and properly prepared for the arrival of Jesus. The one who ultimately really is the answer to life, the universe and everything.
LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLES – PRAYERS
Second Sunday of Advent Light 2nd Candle and pray...
A candle burns, the second marker of our Advent journey.
As we continue, may we travel faithfully.
As we continue, God of journeys, speak to us. Amen.
3rd December - Advent Sunday - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Isaiah 64.1-9
1 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence - 2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil - to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4 From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.
5 You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. 6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. 8 Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.
9 Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity for ever. Now consider, we are all your people.
Psalm 80.1-8 Prayer for Israel’s Restoration
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth 2 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us! 3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. 6 You make us the scorn of our neighbours; our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. 8 You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.
The Gospel reading from Mark 13.24-37
The Coming of the Son of Man
24 ‘But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26 Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree 28 ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
The Necessity for Watchfulness 32 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35 Therefore, keep awake - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’
Prayers
As we begin a new year in the life of the Church, let us pray together to the God of our Making.
Holy God, just as we are, we come to you, and ask for your Kingdom to come to us in this place. Increase our faith and our love for you, so that we may become a light in the darkness. Bless our churches, all our clergy, especially our Rector and our church families.
O God, keep us awake and alive to your call. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, the signs in our world of hate, greed and mistrust are shown to us every day. May we see with, your eyes, the signs of hope and victory; the opportunities for loving service. Please bless our Country, our King and Government and all who are working to make this world a better place.
O God, keep us awake and alive to your call. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, bless our relationships and increase our love for one another. Thank you for our families, friends and neighbours; those we love and those who love us. Help us to be good friends and neighbours to all we meet day by day.
O God, keep us awake and alive to your call. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, we bring to you, in love, those who are weary with ongoing pain; those who are frail with age and those who are vulnerable. We remember....
Pour your strength into their lives and protect them from all that is harmful.
O God, keep us awake and alive to your call. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, we pray for those who have come to the end of their earthly lives, and for those whose lies feel empty without them. We remember those who died recently and those whose anniversaries are this week...
Give comfort to the bereaved and everlasting peace to all who rest in your heaven. Merciful Father...
3rd December - Advent Sunday - Reflection by Rev’d Brian Adams
Happy New Year! Today we start the Church’s New Year, the first of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, that great celebration of the birth of our Lord. So let us hear the words of the hymn:
Awake , awake, fling off the night
For God has sent his glorious light
And we who live in Christ’s new day
Must works of darkness put away
There is certainly a lot of darkness about in today’s world. The gut- wrenching reports of the suffering being endured in Ukraine, the Middle East , Sudan and other places seem to have dragged us back to ‘ dark ages’ so to speak and my mind goes back to the turn of the century when the Queen and Prime Minister were together in the newly completed Millennium dome, now called the O2 arena, crossing hands and singing to celebrate the opening of the 3rd Millennium with hopes for a brighter future. Sadly, though it’s the same old world with the presence of evil still with us. We remember that Our Lord taught us told us to pray for deliverance from evil and we have to acknowledge its presence so powerfully in the world today.
There was an article in the Times recently by a woman who had been brought up in a strict Muslim family , abandoned Islam in favour of atheism, but found no solace there. She could find no inner peace so finally her psychotherapist told her she was spiritually bankrupt and asked her to design her own idea of God. As she did so she found that what she came up with was actually a description of Jesus Christ and Christianity at its best. She is still exploring it but has come to see that it is through the Christian faith that our civilisation has come to be. It is time for us to wake up. The retreat of the Church as reported in surveys and opinion polls is leaving a ‘God -hole’ in our society which is going unfilled.
So here on Advent Sunday we seek to prepare ourselves for Christmas which comes today with a whole lot of’ baggage’ which can almost overwhelm us with its weight. Christmas cards to be written ,presents to be bought and wrapped, menus to be planned , delivery slots booked, decorations to be put up ,which is lovely in one way ,but we must be careful not to sideline the event which is at the heart of it all.
Advent really started months ago on Lady Day , March 25th in fact, when the Church celebrates the day when the angel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth with a message for a girl engaged to a man named Joseph .The girl’s name was Mary. Suddenly, without warning the ANGEL GABRIEL made his appearance. No wonder Mary was taken aback, terrified indeed . Angels do not make a habit of calling on people but this was the first step in the coming into the world of Jesus, God the Son, in human form. Gabriel was very gracious to her, quietened her fears and explained how God was going to bring it about . Mary replied ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May it be as you have said’. It was not an easy pregnancy. She soon found she had to go to Bethlehem by order of the government to be enrolled, just at the time the baby was due. They had no rooms booked so it had to be a cattle trough for a cot.
Our reading from Isaiah today is a lament for the state of the country and despair at God’s apparent not doing anything despite the power he has shown in previous times. ;’You are the potter; we are the clay we can do nothing without you’ is their cry. In the Gospel Jesus warns them that hard times are coming and this happened in AD 70 when the Roman emperor’s adopted son Titus burnt the Temple, destroyed the city and crucified thousands of Jews. He then goes to speak of the end of all things, the timing of which is known only to the Father but will come suddenly. They must be ready , it may be at evening or at midnight, or at cockcrow or in the morning’. ‘Don’t let him find you sleeping’. ‘This generation shall see it all must mean that there are not going to be any more divine interventions before his Coming Again. The angel Gabriel did not make an appointment to see Mary! Be ready.
In Advent we look back to our Lord’s first coming with thankfulness and praise and rightly celebrate his birth with all that is at our disposal, but we must do so remembering that he is coming again one day. We have entrusted to us the good news of the coming of Jesus Christ into our world.
There are people out there like the Muslim lady I mentioned earlier who have found no comfort for their souls and need to find ‘the pearl of great price’, one of the descriptions Jesus gave of membership of God’s kingdom. Let us pray that this message will be heard in our country this Advent and Christmas season and do what we can in our situations to make that clear by our words and actions.
I finish with two more verses of the hymn which I quoted earlier:
Awake and rise in Christ renewed,
and with the Spirit’s power endued.
The light of life in us must glow
And fruits of truth and goodness show
Then sing for joy, and use each day
Give thanks for everything alway
Lift up your hearts with one accord
Praise God through Jesus Christ our Lord
(John Richard Peacey 1896-1971)
Happy New Year!
LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLES – PRAYERS
Advent Sunday Light 1st Candle and pray...
A candle burns, the first marker of our Advent journey.
As we set out, may we travel hopefully.
As we set out, God of journeys travel with us. Amen.
26th November - Christ the King - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Ezekiel 34.11-16, 20-24
11 For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12 As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.
20 Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, 22 I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.
Psalm 95.1-7
1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice!
The Gospel reading from Matthew 25.31-46
31 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
37 Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?”
40 And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.”
44 Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” 45 Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’
Prayers
Let us humble ourselves in the presence of our God as we pray to him now.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, for you love us with an everlasting love, and sent your Son to be our Saviour. He came and died that we might live. Now he is King of kings and Lord of lords.
We thank you for our church, for all our clergy, and all who are striving to serve you in their daily lives. Give us the courage to witness your love.
Your kingdom come: in us as in heaven. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We ask your blessing upon all leaders of people, all governments and all rulers. Please bless our Country, our King and all those who work for peace and justice. We long for the time when the kingdoms of the earth will become the kingdom all to of Christ our Lord. Inspire us all to seek to enrich your world through our daily lives.
Your kingdom come: in us as in heaven. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus, come as our King and rule our lives. May we seek to serve you in our homes and in our daily work. May we strive for your kingdom in all our doings. We ask you to bless those who are dear to us; through their love may we learn to love you more.
Your kingdom come: in us as in heaven. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We remember all who have lost faith. We pray for all who are in need today; those who are discouraged or despairing, those who are bereaved or anxious about loved ones. We bring to you those known to us who are sick... Help them to know that you are with them, holding them and loving them and bringing healing and peace.
Your kingdom come: in us as in heaven. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks for the victory of our Lord over hatred, darkness and death, and that he has opened the kingdom to all who turn to him. We pray for your blessing upon our loved ones departed from us, remembering those who died recently and those we recall with love... May they rejoice in the fullness and glory of your kingdom.
Merciful Father...
26th November - Christ the King
Reflection by Canon Ian Gibson
“And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:40)
We may be familiar with traditional tales of kings and rulers who disguise themselves as paupers and live for a while amongst their poorest subjects as one of them. In Shakespeare’s Henry V, King Harry disguises himself as one of his soldiers and wanders around the camp on the night before the big battle. He knows the enemy outnumber them, and that the men are downhearted, so spends the night with them in disguise to listen to their true fears and exhort them to courage. Such stories thrill us because they suggest a model of power and authority that is not distant, invulnerable and indifferent to the sufferings of ordinary people; instead the king is one of us even in our need.
Of course, we like such stories precisely as stories; we would be shocked, confused and perhaps outraged by a ruler who acted in such a way in real life. We expect our kings and queens to behave like kings and queens.
Jesus tells a story of judgement: the king sits on his throne and, as the nations are brought before him, he separates the righteous from the evil as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The judgement when it is pronounced is a revelation to all those concerned. Both those who are welcomed and those who are punished are shocked to discover that in their serving or ignoring the hungry and thirsty, the sick and naked, the stranger and prisoner they were in fact serving or ignoring him. We can imagine the indignation of those who are dismissed from his presence: if only you had come to us as king, we would have shown you the deference, the honour, the respect you deserved; we did not recognise you!
The king says to the righteous: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family [literally, ‘my brothers’], you did it to me.” Is Jesus, the king, judging the nations on their response to his disciples (his “brothers”) or to all those in need? Whether he is identifying himself here with his disciples or with all suffering people, the central fact remains: the king is not the invulnerable, distant ruler demanding respect and honour, but one with his people in their poverty and powerlessness.
Throughout his ministry, Jesus spent his time with the poor, the sick, the outcasts and strangers. He showed love and compassion to them, but, more than that, he identified himself with them. Ironically, he is finally revealed as the true king on the cross: stripped of all power and dignity, here he identifies completely with weak, sinful and desperate humanity. Yet, as the early Christians put it: “the king rules from the tree”.
If Jesus, the king, revealed his kingship in solidarity with his powerless and suffering people, both identifying with them and showing them his compassion, so it will be with his true disciples. They, too, can expect to be poor and persecuted, mocked and rejected. It is not honour, status, riches and power that will identify them as followers of the king, but their willingness both to suffer with him and welcome and serve those in need as he did.
I’m sure we’ve all heard people name-drop in conversations, there is the classic timeless story that Robert Runcie the former Abp of Canterbury hated anyone who felt they had to name drop in his company, attempting to impress, especially at informal gatherings when he attempted to relax. The occasion was around a dinner table and a personage of lower ranking in the clerical hierarchy was dropping names like nobodies business, mainly MP’s or County set drawing attention to their connection to someone rich or famous. Perhaps we have done it ourselves. Runcie had the inimitable put down line – he said – as I was saying to her Majesty last week, I hate anyone who name drops!! We all like a little power and glory even if it comes through our relationship to someone else. Power can be mesmerising and perhaps, whether we think of ourselves as powerful or not, there is a potential love of power in all of us.
Our association with Christ the King, however, works differently. We are not called to bask in his glory, but to join with him in spending ourselves in love. His kingship is based on the power of love rather than the love of power. From his birth in poverty to his shameful death on the cross he identified fully with his people in their need; his kingship is revealed in compassion, forgiveness and love.
Can we recognise him in the poor, the powerless, the unloved, those we may be tempted to walk past without seeing, and embody in our own lives the power of his suffering love and humble compassion? The king is among us: may we both see him and be him in the most unlikely situations.
19th November - 2nd Sunday before Advent
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from 1 Thessalonians 5.1-11
1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not
need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape!
4 But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5
for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6 So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; 7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
Psalm 90.1-8
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling-place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You turn us back to dust, and say, ‘Turn back, you mortals.’ 4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; 6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. 7 For we are consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 25.14-30
14 ‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” 21 His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”
22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” 23 His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”
24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.”
26 But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents.
29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Prayers
Gathered together as God's children, let us pray to him now.
Holy God, you have called us to be friends, to reveal your love and the joy of your presence. We come with sorrow for the divisions in the Church and in the world. We thank you for our churches, for all our clergy, for our Rector and all our church families.
Lord, as you love us: help us to love one another. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, we come to you as part of a world caught up in violence, war, greed and hunger. We bring to you those people who are counted as nothing, rejected and unloved. Forgive us for allowing this to happen. Please bless our Country, our King and Government. Strengthen all who work for peace and the well-being of all.
Lord, as you love us: help us to love one another. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, fill our homes and places of work with the love that eases tensions, washes barriers away and resolves conflicts. We thank you for our families, friends and neighbours and are grateful for their generosity and care for us.
Open our hearts to the hope that your love might be felt by all.
Lord, as you love us: help us to love one another. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, we ask your blessing upon all who are in need today: those suffering the effects of war and man's selfishness, those who are sick or injured or bereaved. We bring to you those known to us who are ill today...
May each one feel your loving touch, your hope and your peace.
Lord, as you love us: help us to love one another. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, we rejoice in your saving love and that you have called us to eternal Life. We remember those who have died recently and those whose anniversaries we recall...
As we give thanks for them, we pray that, one day, we may meet together in
your heaven. Merciful Father...
19th November - 2nd Sunday before Advent
Reflection by Rev’d D’ Fyfe
In this passage Matthew is rather unsettling. He seems to offer doom and gloom with wailing and gnashing of teeth! Is Matthew trying to tell us that Judgement comes - and we are lost?
Jesus is explaining the Kingdom of Heaven in yet another way. The kingdom of heaven is as if…. And he launches into another parable; another story with a twist in its tail. A rich man goes away leaving his servants to look after his money. One is given five talents, the second, two talents and the third is given one talent. On his return the rich man rewards the two who have made more money and is cross with the third, who didn’t.
Should we look at the men first? The first man had five talents and he traded and made five more. Very commendable. One hopes that he traded honestly and did not deceive or trick anyone. He knew his master would expect something extra. And the same goes for the second who also doubled his money. He was another good trader. But the third was scared. He knew his master was stern and would punish him if he lost the money. He buried it.
Which of the three was right? My sympathies have always been with the third. However: if he/she had worked in the City, Number 3 would probably have been sacked. Number 2 would keep his/her job and Number 1 would be promoted. He or she would probably get a big bonus. We would have to trust that he or she had not manipulated the market in spices or cloth from the east!
What does this tell you about the character of the employer? What sort of man was he? We can see that he was hard to please and a bit of a task master. He would not tolerate failure. Not an ideal master then; not understanding at all. Don’t be apprenticed to him!
Of course, we could look at him another way. If he had thought that the third man was going to fail, would he have given him a chance? I think not. He would have kept the money or given it to someone else to use. Perhaps the third man was idle, didn’t use his skills properly or did not recognise his abilities. Perhaps the master was justified in what he did. It all depends on what you expect from your master, your King in Luke’s version. And I think, we are talking about our God and King.
‘The Kingdom of heaven is as if ‘. … So how do we regard our God and King? As a task master or as an understanding, loving God. This is the nub of the matter. I don’t know what numbers one and two thought about their master, but they were successful and used their gifts to good use. Or, perhaps they used their skill to manipulate, because that is what their master would expect. Either or both. It depends on their master. But number three obviously thought of his master as a hard task master. Someone who would punish him for failure; for not being ruthless.
The question really is not how did Number 3 regard God? He is after all only a man in a story. The question is how do we regard God? Is he a hard task master, who will punish us for failing to get it right or for not recognising or understanding what our talents are? Or is he a God who understands and loves us, despite our failings. A God who is counter cultural.
Our world at present is geared to the now. What can we get now? Does it matter how we get it? Jesus taught us to behave differently. He taught in a different way using stories like this?! The ones that make us wriggle a bit; that make us actually think about things. Does it matter which of the three was right? They are in a story, told to make a point. And the point is that judgement will come.
We do not know when it will come. What matters, I think, is how we regard our God: how we behave and use our talents: how we see the world. And for each of us it is different; because we are not robots. We live and breathe and are subject to the forces that formed us. I believe that our God understands that. He will judge us on how we have used our gifts. But we will be judged with compassion, understanding. Our God is not like the master in this story.
We are in the Kingdom Season now; when we look towards the end of time. The end of the church year celebrates the coming of our King.
Paul ‘s words remind us….
But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.
I am not carrying a placard saying ‘the end of the world is nigh’. My advice is more of the motherly sort. Have clean underwear in case you get run over by a bus! Perhaps that is better put: live your life as best you can, in your circumstances.
When judgement does come, we know that God made us. He knows us and loves us. He understands what we are. I believe that he welcomes us home.
Service of Remembrance:
for those who have died as a result of conflict.
God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46.1)
The Gathering
Across the nation, the people & clergy gather in silence.
Remembrance Day and the Two Minute Silence have been observed since the end of the First World War, but their relevance remains undiminished.
When we bow our heads in reflection and prayer, we remember those who fought for our freedom during the two World Wars. But we also mourn and honour those who have lost their lives in more recent conflicts.
Today, our Armed Forces operate 35 Operations in 30 countries around the globe with approximately 11,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen deployed at any time. With many more on standby ready to meet any threat or disaster from any direction. Remembrance, and today’s two minute tribute of silence, are as important as ever.
Let us pray:
Ever-living God we remember those whom you have gathered from the storm of war into the peace of your presence; may that same peace calm our fears, bring justice to all peoples and establish harmony among the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Reading from Scripture } See
A Reading from War Poetry } below
Let us pray:
Let us pray for all who suffer as a result of conflict, and ask that God give us peace.
For the service men and women who have died in the violence of war, each one remembered and known to God. God give us peace:
ALL God give us peace
For those who love them in death as in life, offering the distress of our grief and the sadness of our loss. God give us peace:
ALL God give us peace
For those whose injuries, physical and mental, have altered their lives, and for those who love and support them. God give us peace:
ALL God give us peace
For all members of the armed forces who are in danger this day, remembering family, friends and all who pray for their safe return. God give us peace:
ALL God give us peace
For civilian women, children and men whose lives are disfigured by war or terror, calling to mind in penitence the anger and hatreds of humanity. God give us peace:
ALL God give us peace
For all who bear the burden and privilege of leadership, political, military and religious; asking for gifts of wisdom and resolve in the search for reconciliation and peace. God give us peace:
ALL God give us peace
O God of truth and justice, we hold before you those whose memory we cherish, and those whose names we will never know. Help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world, and grant us dignity as we pray for those who wish us harm. As we honour the past, may we put our faith in your future; for you are the source of life and hope, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us … Our Father, which art in heaven.....
At the Memorials;
a remembrance of the past and a hope for the future
As we pray for all who in bereavement, disability and pain continue to suffer the consequences of fighting and terror. We remember with thanksgiving and sorrow, those whose lives, in world wars and conflicts past and present, have been given and taken away.
The Kohima Epitaph
When you go home tell them of us and say,
for your tomorrow we gave our today.
A short silence is kept
ACT OF REMEMBRANCE
They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old:
age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
we will remember them.
And all repeat
We will remember them.
(The Last Post) The Silence. (The Reveille).
The Names of the Fallen may be read out, wreaths are laid.
PRAYERS
For the Departed.
Almighty and eternal God, from whose love in Christ we cannot be parted, either by death or life: Hear our prayers and thanksgivings for all whom we remember this day; fulfil in them the purpose of your love; and bring us all, with them, to your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Peace of the World
Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all, the true love of peace and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen
For all the Armed Forces of the Crown
Almighty God, stretch forth your mighty arm to strengthen and protect the armed forces: grant that meeting danger with courage and all occasions with discipline and loyalty, they/we may truly serve the cause of justice and peace; to the honour of your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ACT OF COMMITMENT
Let us pledge ourselves anew
to the service of God and our fellow men and women:
that we may help, encourage, and comfort others,
and support those working for the relief of the needy
and for the peace and welfare of the nations.
Will you strive for all that makes for peace?
ALL We will
Will you seek to heal the wounds of war?
ALL We will
Will you work for a just future for all humanity?
ALL We will.
Merciful God,
we offer to you the fears in us
that have not yet been cast out by love:
may we accept the hope you have placed in the hearts of all people,
and live lives of justice, courage and mercy;
through Jesus Christ our risen Redeemer. Amen.
Let us commit ourselves to work in peace and faith for reconciliation between the nations, that all people may, together, live in freedom, justice and peace.
All say together …..
Lord God our Father,
we pledge ourselves to serve you and all humanity,
in the cause of peace, for the relief of want,
an end to suffering, and for the praise of your name.
Guide us by your Spirit; give us wisdom;
give us courage; give us hope;
and keep us faithful now and always. Amen.
The Blessing
May God grant to the living, grace; to the departed, rest; to the Church, the King, the Commonwealth, and all humanity, peace and concord; and to us and all his servants, life everlasting. And the blessing...
Hymn: The National Anthem
God save our gracious King,
long live our noble King,
God save the King!
Send him victorious,
happy and glorious,
long to reign over us; God save the King!
READINGS
John 15:9-17
9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
12 ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.
17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
This is the word of the Lord - thanks be to God.
For the Fallen (by Laurence Binyon)
With proud thanksgiving, as a mother for her children,
*Britain/England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
fallen in the cause of the free.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds - uncounted;
they fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
we will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
they sit no more at familiar tables of home;
they have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
they sleep beyond *Britain/England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
to the innermost heart of their own land they are known
as the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
as the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
to the end, to the end, they remain.
(* Read either Britain or England as you see fit)
5th November - All Saints’ Sunday
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from 1 John 3.1-3
1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Psalm 43
1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust deliver me! 2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you cast me off? Why must I walk about mournfully because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling. 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 5.1-12
1When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Prayers
Let us pray to our dependable God who waits for our prayers.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, for you have called us to share in the blessedness of your saints, remembering our (Patron) Saint Michael.
May we be guided by their example to serve you.
We thank you for all our clergy, especially our Rector, and all who serve us in our little churches.
Just as I am: I come to you. Lord, in your mercy...
Powerful God, may your kingdom of love and peace be established in this world, and grow.
We ask you to bless our Country, our King and Government and all who seek to bring reconciliation and forgiveness to all peoples and nations, remembering those caught up in the wars in the Holy Land, in Ukraine and Russia.
Teach us all your ways and your values.
Just as I am: I come to you. Lord, in your mercy...
Loving God, we call to mind our families, friends and neighbours, thanking you for their loving care and forgiveness and asking you to shine in all areas of hurt or misunderstanding.
We pray for those who feel lonely and unloved.
Just as I am: I come to you. Lord, in your mercy...
Healing God, we bring to you those whose lives are darkened by pain or weariness.
We bring to you those who are sick, at home or in hospital or in care homes. Help us to bear what must be carried and may they feel your loving, healing
touch.
Just as I am: I come to you. Lord, in your mercy...
Eternal God we thank you for all the saints: those recognised by the church and those known only to a few - and to You.
We remember those who died recently and those whose anniversaries we recall...
We pray that our loved ones, who are gone from us, may rejoice in the fellowship of all your saints, in glory.
Merciful Father...
5th November - All Saints’ Sunday - Reflection by Rev’d Brian Adams
Our two readings for today take us to the heart of Christian character and attitudes. We have Matthew’s discourse by Jesus which we call ’The Sermon on the Mount’, given at the beginning of his ministry, and verses from John’s first epistle, addressed to members of the early Church who were grappling with teachers who were teaching that Jesus was not fully human but just appeared so, a doctrine known as Docetism.
The Old Testament contains laws and regulations about many aspects of life, at the heart of which are the Ten Commandments with their ‘Thou shalts’ and their ‘Thou shalt nots’. The New Testament opens with eight declarations of those who are ‘Blessed’, a word which sounds rather ’out of this world’. ‘Truly Happy’ is perhaps the nearest we can get to it, but the important thing to realise is that it is a state of heart and mind that characterises the members of the Kingdom (of Heaven), not keeping rules about what you can and cannot do. We note that the truly happy ones are not the rich, the powerful, the oppressive, the arrogant, the warriors but the humble. the peace lovers, the generous and merciful, those prepared to suffer for standing up for right.
The few verses that we are given from John’s epistle contrasts the comfort of being part of God’s family with that of ‘the world’ about them. The world is alienated from God but members of his family, those who are Christian believers, purify themselves in preparation for seeing Him as He is, and so this hope is the focus and guiding principle of their lives.
The last of the ‘Truly Happys’ says that they are those who suffer persecution for the sake of right, the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. Not something we immediately associate with being truly happy. It so happens that today ,the first Sunday in November, is being kept by many Christians as an International Day of Prayer for the persecuted Church
‘In the world you will have suffering but take heart! I have overcome the world’ said Jesus to his disciples in the Upper Room as he was about to leave them. The two thousand years of history since then have countless examples of suffering, Christian men and women who have suffered for the sake of Christ, many of them recognised as Saints, and it continues in many parts of the world. I commend to you the work of a charity called ‘Release International’ which was set in motion by Richard Wurmbrand who spent many years in prison in communist Romania and seeks to help Christians suffering persecution. They reckon that there are 300 million Christians being persecuted for their faith throughout world , a staggering figure. They have recently reported on a woman called Twen Theodoros who was imprisoned for sixteen years in Eritrea spending nearly three of them locked away in a shipping container suffering unbearable heat in the daytime and freezing temperatures at night. She is reported as saying, ‘God gave me life; to give him my life is a small thing’.
There is nothing new about Christians being imprisoned for their faith, In Acts we read about Paul and Silas in jail. Even though they had been beaten and their feet shackled they sang hymns and prayed. The story ended with Paul and Silas. being released and the jailer becoming a Christian! In the Epistle to the Hebrews we read, ‘Remember those in prison, as if you were there with them, and those who are being maltreated, for you are vulnerable too’ .
Thankfully imprisonment for being a Christian is not something we have to worry about but we should bear in mind that our faith was founded in the teeth of opposition from the Jews of Jesus’ day and the heavy hand of Roman dominance. Our Lord’s ministry was in the shadow of suffering from the start . John the Baptist declared him to be the ‘Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world’ and is then soon imprisoned and executed by King Herod. For the first half of his ministry Jesus found a ready audience for his teaching among the ordinary residents of Judaea but the Jewish authorities were in the background ready to pounce if he offended them. The second half was spent in preparing his disciples for his forthcoming arrest and suffering in Jerusalem which he foresaw with ever increasing clarity. Three times he warned them of what was to come .
The early church set about their task of spreading the Good News against opposition and soon suffered their first martyr in the stoning of Stephen by the Jews. Paul’s epistles are written largely from prison where he was put by the Romans. Yet the Church steadily grew until the conversion of Constantine the Great to Christianity In the fourth century
There are many faithful souls bearing witness to the faith in very difficult situations throughout the world and deserve our prayerful support. Let us be thankful for the freedoms we enjoy but not take them for granted, and take to heart another verse from Hebrews (12v1) ’Let us run with patience the race set before us, our eyes fixed on Jesus who for the JOY set before him endured the cross, ignoring its disgrace, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God’.
‘Truly Happy’?
(For online details go to ‘releaseinternational.com’ where you will see 5 to 10 minute videos of conditions in India, Pakistan, Nigeria (with a word from the Anglican Bishop) and Eritrea).
A new hymn by Graham Kendrick (available on Youtube):
Beauty for brokenness, hope for despair
For endless suffering ,this is our prayer
Bread for the children ,justice, joy, peace
Sunrise to sunset your kingdom increase
God of the poor, friend of the weak
Give us compassion we pray
Melt our cold hearts , let tears fall like rain
Come change our love from a spark to a flame
29th October - 21st Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
First reading from 1 Thessalonians 2.1-8 Ministry in Thessalonica
1 You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2 but though we had already suffered and been shamefully maltreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3 For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts.
5 As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6 nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7 though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8 So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.
Psalm 1 The Two Ways
1 Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; 2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. 3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Gospel reading from Matthew 22.34-46 The Greatest Commandment
34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 ‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’
37 He said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’
The Question about David’s Son
41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: 42 ‘What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David.’ 43 He said to them, ‘How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 44 “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right
hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’”?
45 If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?’ 46 No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
Prayers
Dear Father God, help us to keep a quiet place in our hearts where you can speak to us.
As we pray for the whole church, we bring to you our bishops and ministers, our own clergy, especially our Rector and our little church families.
What a wonderful experience they had in the early days of the church.
It was a shattering discovery that all may come to your presence through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Give us that spirit of fellowship, so that we may learn to love each other and to create something good and constructive.
Show us the way of life; and let us walk in it. Lord, in your mercy...
Creator God, we pray for our troubled world that all may work together to bring an end to suffering brought about by war, poverty, and homelessness.
Widen our vision and help us to be the people we ought to be.
As we pray for all nations and leaders, we bring to you our own Country, our King and Government and all who serve at local levels.
Show us the way of life; and let us walk in it. Lord, in your mercy...
Loving Father, we bring to you our families, friends and neighbours, asking for your blessing, wherever they may be.
We remember our children and young people as they try to make sense of the troubles which beset our country.
We thank you for new life, and new beginnings for every child. May each one find their own ways to be the best person they can be.
Show us the way of life; and let us walk in it. Lord, in your mercy...
Ever loving God, we pray for those who need and have asked for our prayers - for those we love, for those we see around us, for those of our family and friends and for those we may never have met.
It is hard for us not to be anxious. We worry able work and money, about health and sickness, about loving and being loved.
We bring to you those who are sick...
Give them health and hope and peace of mind.
Show us the way of life; and let us walk in it. Lord, in your mercy...
Loving Father, we pray for those whose hearts have been saddened by the death of a loved one; for members of our own families who have died and whose anniversaries we recall...
Hep us to experience the comfort of the Holy Spirit within us, and the fellowship of our church family, until we are re-united once more in your Heavenly Kingdom.
Merciful Father...
29th October - 21st Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Canon Ian Gibson
“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:40)
We ask each other questions for all sorts of reasons. We greet each other saying, “Hello, how are you?” A traveller might ask, “What time is the next train to London?”; a doctor assesses a patient’s condition, asking, “Where does it hurt? What sort of pain is it?” Questions are asked to test our knowledge, sometimes for fun in things like pub quizzes and sometimes in more serious contexts like exams and interviews. In these latter cases we may have to think very hard about a question in order to work out what its main point is and what information or arguments are being sought. But examining bodies or potential employers on the whole probably don’t ask “trick” questions. They are not deliberately seeking to catch candidates out, they just want them to delve deeply into their store of knowledge and experience.
In Matthew 22, we see Jesus being questioned in a hostile way by the Pharisees in Jerusalem. They are conspiring against him, asking questions in the hope of tricking him into giving a response that can lead to a charge against him of either blasphemy under Jewish law or insurrection against Roman law. How will Jesus respond to this attempt to lure him into self-incrimination?
On the face of it the question Jesus is asked in today’s Gospel is straightforward: “which commandment in the law is the greatest?” It was not unusual for rabbis to discuss the relative importance of the 613 commandments of God contained in the Hebrew scriptures. However, there’s a catch: it was held that all these commandments were equally binding, so if Jesus were to suggest that one commandment took precedence over the others he could be accused of repudiating and annulling the Law of God. This is the trap that is set for him and tensions are running high.
Without giving any indication that he’s spotted the trap, Jesus answers the question in a very traditional way, albeit with his own little twist. He quotes Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This forms part of a prayer used twice daily by devout Jews then and now. He then links this verse with part of a verse from Leviticus 19, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” in a way not previously used in Jewish writings, and finishes off his reply by saying that all the other commandments “hang” on these two.
What Jesus is saying is that these two great commandments underpin the others. They provide a guiding principle to be applied to the interpretation of the other commandments. And that guiding principle is the overriding obligation to love God and neighbour.
What a shame the Pharisees weren’t interested in entering into a real debate with Jesus. What a fascinating and challenging conversation they could have had with him if only they had listened with open hearts and minds. What might they have learnt? What can we draw today from the answer Jesus gave to those Pharisees?
Perhaps Jesus is inviting us to take what we might call a holistic approach to our faith. He is inviting us to become fully integrated men and women whose hearts, souls and minds are working together and directed towards knowing and loving the God who knows and loves us beyond anything we can imagine.
Perhaps Jesus is inviting us to think about the differences between following a set of laws imposed upon us by some authoritative but impersonal body and choosing ourselves to follow the commandments of love which are in fact invitations to freedom from oppression and new ways of living.
Perhaps Jesus is reminding us that God creates us in God’s image and therefore the image of the divine is present in us and in all our neighbours. The commandment to love God cannot be separated from the commandment to love others and to treat them as we ourselves would wish to be treated.
Perhaps Jesus is suggesting that we need to think about balance in our lives: the way we’re influenced by our thoughts and feelings and where our priorities lie at the moment.
Whatever it is Jesus is saying to us, he is surely calling for our unswerving loyalty to God in all that we do and asking us to offer ourselves to him so that he can restore his image in us and draw us ever closer to his perfect heart of love.
22nd October - 20th Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from 1 Thessalonians 1.1-10 Salutation
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy; to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace.
The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example
2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of people we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place where your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9 For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead -Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
Psalm 96.1-9 Praise to God Who Comes in Judgement
1 O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous works among all the peoples. 4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Honour and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9 Worship the Lord in holy splendour; tremble before him, all the earth.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 22.15-22 About Paying Taxes
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’ 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ 21 They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’
22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
Prayers
Let us pray to our Father God, who is waiting to hear our prayers.
As we pray for the whole Church throughout the world, we thank you that we are able to be together in prayer. As we look forward to the week to come, we pray for opportunities to be of service to your loved ones.
We ask you to bless our little churches, that we love, our own clergy, especially our Rector and all our church families.
Please bless all those who help to spread the Good News.
Lord, we put our trust in you, hear us and help us. Lord, in your mercy...
We thank you, Creator God, that we live here amid peace and beauty.
You have given us a good earth, workers whose services provide our food and needs. We remember those here and abroad who try to cope with the problems of rural life. Remind us not to take their work for granted.
We pray for our King, our Country and Government.
Thank you for our Armed Forces and those who work to keep us safe.
Lord, we put our trust in you, hear us and help us. Lord, in your mercy...
Intimate God, we thank you for our loved ones, for all those who have been together with us in important times, for those who have laughed and cried with us, shared smiles and tears of their own with ours.
We treasure the times we spend together, sharing good or sad news, helping each other whatever the day may bring.
May your blessing rest upon these friendships that through them we may learn to love more deeply.
Lord, we put our trust in you: hear us and help us. Lord, in your mercy...
Healing God, lay your hands on those who suffer, so that they may know the support of your presence and find wholeness and peace in your love.
We bring to you those who are sick today... may each one feel your loving, healing touch.
We thank you for those who dedicate their lives to the sick and elderly.
Lord, we put our trust in you, hear us and help us. Lord, in your mercy...
We commit our loved ones, who have died, into your safe keeping for ever, remembering those who died recently and those whose anniversaries we recall... We bring to you those whose lives have been cut short by accidents or acts of war. Prepare each of us, to live with you in your heaven.
Merciful Father...
22nd October - 20th Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Rev’d d’ Fyfe
“O sing unto the Lord a new song.”
I thought I would look first at today’s psalm. It speaks to the people of its time, asking them to remember the past and to consider their future, in the light of their present! It is a new song because it tells the story of God’s works in the past. It is new to them! For them past and present are bound together in the song of God’s glory. But it goes further than that. It speaks of their past and present and then goes on to tell of the future, which is also our future. It tells us that God is the judge who rules with equity. All creation will rejoice when the time comes; when God’s Kingdom comes.
“Ascribe to the Lord O families of peoples.”
To go further: the psalm also tells us who is involved in that future. It tells us something of their time, and of the dawning years of the church and of our time too. Tribes of peoples, families of tribes: these are not just the people of Israel then - and in Matthew’s time; but those of the future. Other nations are called, other peoples, perhaps with other faiths. All creation will rejoice, not just us. Churches together, perhaps faiths together, honouring God. By some means we will all worship the one true God. I wonder if we will all worship God together, or in our separate ways under his one umbrella. This is in God’s time and in his way! This psalm invites us, as Jesus does, to accept God’s rule, and God’s judgement. He is the one true God, our Father. Come into his courts and worship him.
And then we come to Matthew’s gospel: written after Jesus’ death and telling the story through the eyes of a Jewish Christian. The authorities in Jerusalem have resolved to trap Jesus one way or the other and they take it in turn! They ask “Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar? It is an innocent sounding question, but loaded. The Herodians supported the Roman authorities; Herod was in power through them. They would pay. The Pharisees resented the tax, but they did pay. The nationalists, Zealots, were rebels who did not pay! If Jesus said it was unlawful according to Jewish law, he upset the Romans . If Jesus said it was lawful according to Jewish Law, he upset the Temple authorities. Whatever Jesus said someone would get upset.
Jesus was within the temple grounds where money for temple sacrifices and such like had to be Temple money. You changed it at money tables as you came in. (It was one way of making a profit out of the Law). Jesus did not have Roman coinage with him in the temple grounds and asked to see a coin. The Pharisees did have it and showed him a Roman coin. The question was, “Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar? The emperor regarded himself as a God and the words on the coinage declared him, a Roman emperor, God? How could a good Jew have Roman money inside the temple grounds? Jesus recognised what was at stake and called the Pharisees hypocrites.
“Show me the coin used for the tax?” Whose head is this and whose title? They replied, The Emperor’s. Jesus told them “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” They left.
What is Caesar’s and what is God’s? Our God whom we praised in the psalm is an all-powerful God who created everything. He is the God of all peoples, not just us or them. He is the God of all families of peoples. We all have different ways and habits. We live inside our own laws, which should be held within his laws. Loving God and loving one’s neighbour covers most of our laws adequately. Where the two collide is where we need to look at our morality.
Where might that be a problem?
We have the personal problems that life throws up.
Then perhaps how and on what do we spend our money.
And what about going to war to defend others? It is rarely clear cut; individually we must decide what is best. Does God, in this particular case, expect me to support the weak and attack the wicked - or not.
Individuals do not decide major policy, which is why we elect governments. We decide who suits our way of thinking best. We entrust our morality to the people who rule us. But we don’t worship them. We elect them for a term and then we either approve or disapprove of them next time. And it should be our morality that decides what is best for us and our country and our neighbours. Because we are human we have to take the best of a mixed bunch of messages; trying to find what will do the best job. I do not think that the advice of the media can be considered to be unaligned!
We are not an occupied country and so life is easier for us, and we do have a legal system that does its best. But there are times when we should ask. “Is this what I should be doing?” “Is this for God or for someone else.” Times where the choice is for or against God’s law, as we read it. We balance what we should do in the light of Jesus’ life and teaching and in the light of our times. “Is it lawful - or not”? Is it what God wants? Will it bring the Kingdom into our hearts and nearer to us? Will it help others who need our help or damage those who depend on us? Thy kingdom come. Amen
15th October - 19th Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Philippians 4.1-9 Exhortations
1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. 2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Psalm 23 The Divine Shepherd
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff - they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 22.1-14 The Wedding Banquet
22 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2 ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, “Tell those who have been invited: “Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.” 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, maltreated them, and killed them.
7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 ‘But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12 and he said to him, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?” And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.’
Prayers
Our help comes from our Father God. Let us pray to him now.
Heavenly Father, as we pray for the Church throughout the world, we bring to you our little churches, all our clergy, especially our Rector and our church families.
We pray that Christians may fulfil their vocation to be servants, caring for the needs of others, obedient to our Lord God and supportive of each other, in worship, prayer and deepening faith.
Lord, we love your ways; our help comes from you. Lord, in your mercy...
Heavenly Father, we come to you to intercede for the peoples of the world that are in such disarray.
Shine down the sunshine of your hope, help us to persevere in interceding for your peace for all nations.
Please bless our Country, our King and Royal Family and all who work in the service of our Country, for peace and unity between all people.
Lord, we love your ways; our help comes from you. Lord, in your mercy...
Heavenly Father, we pray for our little villages, for the communities in which we live, for our families, friends and neighbours; those we love and those who love us.
We pray for the spirit of co-operation and generosity towards all those that we meet. Please bless our children and young people as they try to cope with the many confusing issues of today. May they always feel loved and protected.
Lord, we love your ways; our help comes from you. Lord, in your mercy...
Heavenly Father, we bring to you those in need today; the hungry and homeless, those caught up in war and natural disasters.
May each one know that you are with them, holding them in your healing arms.
Lord, we love your ways; our help comes from you. Lord, in your mercy...
Heavenly Father, we bring to you those we have known and love who are now at rest... thank you for everything they brought to our lives.
May each one be welcomed into your heaven, where, one day, we may meet together.
Merciful Father...
15th October - 19th Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Canon Ian Gibson
“Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” (Matthew 22:9)
We all know what it’s like to be baffled or dismayed by an invitation, whether we are giving or receiving it. Whether it comes as a request to be “friends” with someone you’ve never met on a social networking site, or whether it’s a real-life call to a party that comes when you just want to hide in a dark place. Or if it’s agonising over whom to invite: who will tell racist jokes or behave inappropriately? But there’s another side to the inviting business: when we long to be invited – to an informal chat (“Let’s have a coffee”), a family ritual or for a bit of simple companionship. We all know what it’s like to long for an invitation or to dread it; to feel torn between the few we really like and the many we don’t want to leave out. There’s a complexity to inviting and being invited that is very much a part of our lives. We are agents of isolation and inclusion as well as being only too aware of what it means to be left out.
So when we approach the parable that we read today we come to it with a bit of a feel for the situation. However, it is a bizarre tale that is not at all easy or comfortable to read. Matthew has crafted this story, which exists in a slightly different form in Luke as well, to make a particular point in his own very distinctive way. The king is God, of course, and the first invitees are the people of Israel who shun the invitation repeatedly. The mistreated and murdered messengers are the Old Testament prophets. The invitation is to the wedding feast of the king’s son – the kingdom of God – the new age where God’s justice and peace are the rule and where God is recognised and worshipped as God should be worshipped. The people who are eventually invited – literally whoever happened to be around at the time – are the Gentiles.
So far, so good. But the violence in the story is disturbing. The refusers are put to the sword, and the man who turns up incorrectly dressed is thrown into the outer darkness where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth”. Luke’s version leaves out the killing and the judgement and focuses on the joyful inclusion, which is altogether more palatable for modern tastes. But Matthew’s story is very consistent with his particular concerns. He is the one who majors on instructions for right living – the Beatitudes, how to pray, when to judge and forgive, what kind of attitude to have to money, anger and divorce. Several times he includes parables that refer to how good and bad will be allowed to grow together in the kingdom, but there will be a judgement when all will be sorted out: the sheep from the goats; the weeds from the wheat; the good fish from the bad.
For Matthew, the good news is a wonderful, joyous message of inclusion that calls all to come into the community and be welcome. But this creates a great deal of messiness. Matthew is quite clear that the judgement is God’s and God’s alone, but you get the feeling that he is more than a bit offended by the sloppy behaviour of the incomers. He avoids judgement, but he makes sure his Gospel provides the newbies with plenty of instruction in the right way to behave. The issues that Matthew was addressing are a sign of a healthy Christian community – one that had welcomed everyone – and who now had to deal with the messiness that arose.
We all know what this inclusion means – we understand the barbs, insults and injustice that can be delivered or reinforced in a simple invitation given or withheld. We all know how much love and kindness can be dished out that way too. We are agents of isolation and inclusion as well as being only too aware of what it means to be left out. Are we messy enough? Should we be seeing a little more of the messiness Matthew had to deal with because he and his people were at the sharp end of what it means to welcome those you would really have preferred to leave out? It’s a tough one, but we follow in the path of the earliest Christians, and we have Matthew as a reliable guide. What could go wrong? Let’s embrace the messiness and find out. Well there’s the challenge isn’t it?
8th October - 18th Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Philippians 3.4b-14 Pressing towards the Goal
4b If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 80.9-17 Israel’s Restoration
9 You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches; 11 it sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River. 12 Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? 13 The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.
14 Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, 15 the stock that your right hand planted. 16 They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself.
Gospel reading from Matthew 21. 33-46 Parable of the Wicked Tenants
33 ‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34 When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35 But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ 41 They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’
42 Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes”?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.’
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
Prayers
Let us pray to our Father God, the Lord of all Creation.
God of the harvest, gardener supreme, you place us at the centre, feed us, equip us and, having provided for us, look to a different harvest of fruitfulness of lives, in service to you and others.
God of harvest, feed us, prune us, harvest us, that our lives might bring glory to You.
We thank you for our little churches that we love, all our clergy, especially our Rector and all or church family.
Both heaven and earth are full of God's glory. Lord, in your mercy...
God of justice, you call us to stand together - to work for a just harvest of your good gifts. Together we have the power to grow hope, to plant seeds that yield a better future.
May we walk together, side by side to bring about needed changes.
We pray for our world, your gift to us, for every nation and all leaders, for our own Country, our King and Government and all who serve their communities.
Both heaven and earth are full of God's glory. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for our families, friends and neighbours; all those we love.
Thank you for showing us that love has no boundaries, or end, but listens, has patience, compassion and grace. Thank you for showing us that true love can be ours to know and to give.
Both heaven and earth are full of God's glory. Lord, in your mercy...
We bring to you those in need, remembering especially the sick...
Bring healing to those enduring pain. Bring joy to those in great sorrow. Bring hope to the despairing. Bring provision to those who are hungry. Bring shelter to the homeless. Bring friends to those who are lonely.
Please use each of us to help wherever we can.
Both heaven and earth: are full of God's glory. Lord, in your mercy...
We thank you that you are a loving, forgiving God. In you we can be healed, restored and renewed.
Please bless our loved ones departed, especially those with anniversaries we recall...
That they may know and rejoice in your love.
We commend ourselves and all creation to your saving power and love.
Merciful Father...
8th October - 18th Sunday after Trinity,
Reflection by Rev’d Brian Adams
Our Epistle and Gospel this week bring us glimpses of life in the First Century AD. It was at the time when upheavals were taking place in the birthpangs of the Roman Empire. If you watched the TV Series ‘I Claudius’ you will have seen something of the brutality and corruption that lay at the heart of this emerging power. Palestine was a minor province which at the time was ruled by a Roman Governor of whom Pontius Pilate was one. The parable that Jesus told about the wicked tenants who plotted to murder their master’s son was directed at the Pharisees who claimed to be maintaining the true faith by opposing Jesus. He referred back to a passage in the Old Testament book of Daniel where King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream about a great statue with feet of brittle iron and clay which came crashing down when hit by a great Stone. The implication is that their present precarious situation is going to end in tears when the new Kingdom of the Christ is established after his death and resurrection. It is of course from this time that the human calendar is based, with events BC and AD.
The passage from Paul’s letter to the Christians in Philippi gives us insight into life in the emerging Church in the first century. Philippi was a town in Northern Greece which Paul had visited on his Missionary Journeys and established a Christian church. The letter suggests they were having a difficult time under Roman persecution and Paul himself in his writing suggests that he is nearing the end of his ministry. He writes from prison and his future is uncertain. He hopes to visit them again but he says earlier that it may be that ’his lifeblood his to be poured out to complete the sacrifice’.
What is there for us here in these passages? One of our hymns written in German by Joachin Neander in the 17th century and translated by Robert Bridges in the i9th speaks of “Human Pride and Earthly Glory, sword and crown betray his trust, What, with care and toil he buildeth, tower and temple fall to dust, But God’s power, hour by hour , is my temple and my tower”.
We live 2000 years and more after these writings and have seen how all human empires come to end eventually and leaving behind a mixture of good and evil. But….
“God’s’ great goodness aye endureth, deep his wisdom, passing thought,
Splendour, light and life attend him, beauty springeth out of naught. Evermore from, his store, newborn worlds rise and adore.”
Nothing I can say can add to the depth of this poetic writing. Day by day we must renew our trust in Almighty God so that whatever the ‘changes and chances of this life’ may bring us nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In Paul’s letter we see him in prison, possibly in Rome or more likely in Ephesus, under the Roman regime. It is not too oppressive as he is able to write letters and distribute them via some of his converts such as Timothy and Epaphroditus. He has good relationships with some of the Roman officials as he sends greetings ‘from those in the Emperor’s service’.
One of the things we owe to the ancient world is The Olympic Games, coming from the Greeks. Paul seems to be speaking of himself as a runner in a race, a long distance race and he is pressing towards the finishing line to win the heavenly prize to which God has called him. He’s not there yet but forgetting the past and making every effort to succeed. He has no doubt that he will get there but he wants to be the best that he can be in his Lord’s service. There are other analogies to describe our Christian life. In his letter to the Ephesians he sees us as soldiers needing to put on the armour of God to cope with life’s challenges. At other times he sees himself; as a farmer sowing seeds to produce a a harvest. In the Gospels Jesus speaks as himself as the Vine and us as his branches so that we may bear much fruit. We can draw on these at different times in our lives according to our circumstances.
I don’t expect that being in prison is something we have ever had to contemplate for ourselves, being law-abiding citizens but there are thousands of our fellow Christians being persecuted for their faith, many of whom are in prison and have been there for a long time, not having done anything wrong but just for being Christians. Many are being killed especially Christian leaders in places such as Nigeria, where militant Islam is rampant. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews says ’Remember those in prison as if you were with them, for you are vulnerable too’. How thankful we must be for freedom to worship in our country and to be actively concerned for our suffering fellow Christians.
I am finishing with two verses of another hymn for which I make no apology, as it just says it all:
“Fight the good fight with all thy might, Christ is thy Strength and Christ thy right, Lay hold on life and it shall be thy Joy and crown eternally. Run the straight race through God’s good grace, lift up thine eyes and seek his face Life with its way before us lies, Christ is the path and Christ the prize.” Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)
1st October - 17th Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Philippians 2.1-13 Imitating Christ’s Humility
1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Shining as Lights in the World
12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Psalm 25.1-8 Prayer for Guidance and for Deliverance
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. 3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!
8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 21.23-32 Jesus’ Authority Questioned
23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?’ 24 Jesus said to them, ‘I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?’ And they argued with one another, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say to us, “Why then did you not believe him?” 26 But if we say, “Of human origin”, we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.’ 27 So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 ‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” 29 He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of
his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.
Prayers
Let pray to our Father God who loves us.
Father God, we rejoice in the fellowship of all your saints and we give thanks for all who have enriched our world by their lives and by their examples.
We thank you especially for Saint Michael, the Patron Saint of two of our churches.
As we pray for the whole Church we ask your blessing on our little places that we love, all our clergy, especially our Rector and all who work to spread the gospel.
Help us to be the people you want us to be and to do what you want us to do.
Root your people firmly in your love. Lord, in your mercy...
We thank you for all who serve the world in their vocation, especially remembering our King.
We ask for your guidance and blessing on all who hold positions of responsibility in our Country.
We pray for those who quietly give themselves in the service of the communities in which they live.
Root your people firmly in your love. Lord, in your mercy...
We give thanks for our homes and loved ones. Make us aware of the quiet sacrifice and love that is often given unheeded.
We that you for our littles villages, for our schools and those who care for our children, for those who dedicate their lives to family and neighbours.
Root your people firmly in your love. Lord, in your mercy...
We ask your blessing on all in need today, especially those caught up in crime and are unable to find a way out.
We remember the hungry and homeless, and those who are sick.
We bring to you...
Give each one peace and hope and healing.
Root your people firmly in your love. Lord, in your mercy...
We give thanks for all who have served you here on earth, who are now at rest. We remember those who died recently... and those whose anniversaries are this week...
We rejoice in the fellowship of all your saints and we pray that, one day, we may share them in your eternal kingdom.
Merciful Father...
1st October - 17th Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Canon Ian Gibson
“Lest we forget.” This inscription is found on many village war memorials, erected to remember the village’s sons and fathers who died in the First World War, the “war to end all wars”, as it was famously called. But yet more were to die in the Second World War, and in subsequent wars around the world still. Memorials call us to remember people lost, tragedies endured, challenges faced, “lest we forget”.
Modern daily lives of celebration and sadness, deadlines and multitasking, cause us generally to deal with life as it comes, live “in the moment”. Memory fails us, we don’t keep promises, we don’t learn from the past and we don’t keep on track, unless somehow we are reminded. We also don’t consider the future often enough – the world we are leaving to the next generation, shaping their attitudes and possibilities – until something or someone brings us up short, teaches us something new. But there is hope for the future in remembering where we’ve come from, what has happened,
if, in the remembering, we choose something different.
On Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, in the days before the cross, he follows up provocative and symbolic action with teaching in the colonnades around the Court of the Gentiles, from which he had just expelled the traders. Jesus knows that time is now short and he needs people to think again about their attitude towards him. In today’s passage, his questions are directed at the chief priests and elders of the people. These were among the official leaders of the Jewish nation, the guardians of the religious and moral conscience. As some of the power groups of Judaism, they might frequently not see eye to eye, but, in different ways, they were all being drawn into active opposition to Jesus. These leaders are on a collision course with the nation’s Messiah.
The passage opens with a question about the authority of Jesus, which was attracting attention and causing a disturbance. Jesus’ response about the authority of John the Baptist threw his questioners, and they had to discuss amongst themselves before they could respond – they knew that if they said that John was led by God from heaven, Jesus could ask them why they hadn’t then learnt from him; if they criticised John, they’d lose some popular support. They couldn’t win this diplomatic dilemma and the opportunity to challenge Jesus’ authority publicly was lost. Jesus didn’t respond to their question, at least not in the way they might have wanted.
Instead, Jesus responds with the story of two sons: one is a rebel who eventually goes to work on the farm; the other says the right thing, but does the opposite. Such a story highlights the fact that people can change, can choose to respond differently, can act in new ways. It wasn’t the religious people who responded to John, but those on the margins who chose new life. They recognised and welcomed God’s saving action in John’s ministry, and longed for God’s kingdom.
For Jesus to remind people of John was to link himself to the same message and authority. Both believed and spoke of something new that was happening, something so new that others urgently needed to put their lives in order. Jesus hoped that by remembering John, perhaps people would be more open to hearing Jesus. Jesus’ parable was to share some space to rethink, reassess and choose to change their minds. Changed minds would be a step towards transformed lives.
A changed mind holds the seed of hope for a transformed world. When we choose lives of peace and justice, reconciliation and the common good, we necessarily examine, change and choose to order our lives, our politics and economics, education and religion, to reflect that choice. It is, in fact, also choosing to give up some past habits that no longer reflect what we now know and believe. We choose to remember so that we can change.
The journey of choosing to change and believe, seeking transformation, is shared at the gatherings of those on the same journey. It is what we call church. Being church together is sharing that journey, a journey in the direction of God’s kingdom. Our shared sacraments draw us to the life of remembering the one whose authority Jesus shared, to Jesus’ calling to be whole and to the faith we live together. In the sharing, we are strengthened, encouraged and transformed with our world. AMEN
17th September - 15th Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Genesis 50.15-21 Joseph Forgives His Brothers
15 Realising that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, ‘What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?’
16 So they approached Joseph, saying, ‘Your father gave this instruction before he died, 17 “Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.” Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.’ Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, ‘We are here as your slaves.’
19 But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? 20 Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. 21 So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.’ In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.
Psalm 103.1-13 Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits - 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 18.21-35 Forgiveness
21 Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ 22 Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.’
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
23 ‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25 and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” 27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.”
29 Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” 30 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.
32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?” 34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt.
35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’
Prayers
Let us bring to our Loving Father, our concerns for the Church and the World.
Thank you, Father, for the love which forgives again and again, and is prepared to trust us with the care of those you love.
Teach us to minister to one another with compassion and understanding.
We thank you for the Church, for those little places that we love, all our clergy, especially our Rector.
The Lord is full of compassion: His love lasts for ever. Lord, in your mercy...
We ask your blessing on all who have shown your ways by their love and generosity; for all those who seek to bring peace and unity in our world.
We remember all who are suffering from natural disasters or war, at this time.
We ask you to bless our Country, our King and Government.
The Lord is full of compassion: His love lasts for ever. Lord, in your mercy...
We give thanks for the love and protection of our own families, friends and neighbours. We bring to you all who are in need: the homeless and hungry, those who feel unloved and are finding it difficult to cope on their own.
Help us to reach out to all those who are hoping for friendship and understanding.
The Lord is full of compassion: His love lasts for ever. Lord, in your mercy...
We thank you for our well-being, that in you we are forgiven and free to live life to the full. We remember those who are sick, at home or in hospital, especially those with long-standing pain and anxiety. We bring to you... and pray for your healing and transforming love.
The Lord is full of compassion: His love lasts for ever. Lord, in your mercy...
Thank you, Father, for those whose living and dying has taught us much about love. We specially remember...
Freed from that pain, the restrictions of handicap or injury, may they enjoy for ever, the new life in your heaven.
Merciful Father...
17th September - 15th Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Mr Ian Stobart
‘To err is human, to forgive divine’.
So wrote Alexander Pope in ‘An Essay on Criticism’, a poem published in 1711. Did you know that it also contains the now well known phrases ‘a little learning is a dangerous thing’ and ‘fools rush in where angels fear to tread’?
We all know what it is to err, to make mistakes - we are, of course all human. We all do things wrong sometimes.
But forgiving…..That is different. Even when we try to forgive someone who has done us a little wrong it can be incredibly difficult to do. Forgiveness is an active process letting-go of wrongs, deciding to give up our resentment and can be really difficult to do. One of the most famous examples of forgiveness is that of Gordon Wilson who, hours after a bomb planted by the Provisional IRA during Enniskillen’s Remembrance Day parade in 1987 exploded, injuring him and killing his daughter, was able to say “I bear no ill will. I bear no grudge”. Forgiveness can be a huge force for good - his words and actions were a factor in the success of the peace process in Northern Ireland. But it does not mean forgetting. I am sure Gordon Wilson never forgot that his daughter had been murdered, but as a result of his act of forgiveness (which probably had to be renewed every day!) both he and his community were able to ‘move on’ and experience some healing.
In Matthew’s gospel we hear that Jesus has been talking about disagreements between people and what to do if someone wrongs you. Then Peter asks ‘How many times do I have to forgive someone?’ I wonder if something in particular had happened that he had in mind? Perhaps he suggests seven as a good biblical number that indicates completeness and should surely be enough times. But Jesus’ reply must have shocked him. “Not seven, but seventy seven’ (or seventy times seven in other translations - which I make to be 490!). A huge, possibly even impossible number of times to forgive.
Jesus then goes on to tell a story about a man who owed an enormous amount of money. Apparently a talent was worth more than 15 years’ wages for a labourer, and this man owed ten thousand talents. So it could take (if my maths is correct) 150000 years to earn that much! But after the man begged him, the lord forgave the debt. However, soon after, when the man found someone else who owed him the equivalent of just three months wages, he had hime thrown into prison. When the lord found out, not surprisingly he was upset and angry. The end result wasn’t great for the man, as he was ‘tortured until he could pay the entire debt’ - tens of thousands of years!
The lord in the story can be seen as God. We have a God who loves us so much that he is willing to forgive us the enormous debt we have. In fact God will is willing to forgive everything. In order to forgive us, God actually became one of us. God lived a life on earth and then suffered and died the horrible death of crucifixion so that our sins can be forgiven. And not only that, God continues to forgive us when we do wrong, if we own up to it and accept that we have erred, and God will keep on forgiving us - again and again and again.
But, and it is quite a big but… Our response has to be that we must forgive as well.
We, like the man in the story have been forgiven such an unbelievably huge amount that it is impossible for us ever to be able to repay it. But what he didn’t do, and we have to do is forgive others what is a relatively tiny amount in comparison. None of us can know whether we could possibly be like Gordon Wilson and be capable of forgiving in such terrible circumstances, and hopefully we will never have to find out. But we do have to make that active decision to forgive. To do the hard work of breaking the cycle of resentment. Having been forgiven a lot, we have to forgive only a little. This is for our own good as well. The story Jesus tells gives a grisly example of what may happen should we not forgive, but being able to give up grudges - forgiving, but not forgetting - has a positive benefit on our heath, both mental and physical. Perhaps not surprisingly, research has shown that being treated poorly by others can make people feel a loss of their humanity but has also found that those who can forgive a transgressor, rather than seek revenge, are more likely to feel their humanity restored.
And, what happened in Northern Ireland on a grand scale can happen in smaller, everyday ways. People who are forgiven are more likely to feel better about themselves and so act in a positive way towards others. The world becomes a better place. God’s kingdom draws near.
Forgiveness is a way of demonstrating love in, and to the world. It is a mirroring of God’s love - that countercultural way of living that the world has always needed - possibly now more than ever. It may not be easy, and we may not always succeed. To err is human, but to forgive is to show the divine.
24th September - 16th Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Jonah 3.10 - 4.11 Jonah’s Anger
10 When God saw what the people of Nineveh did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
4.1 But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. 3 And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ 4 And the Lord said, ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’ 5 Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.
6 The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, ‘It is better for me to die than to live.’
Jonah Is Reproved
9 But God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?’ And he said, ‘Yes, angry enough to die.’ 10 Then the Lord said, ‘You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labour and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?’
Psalm 145.1-8 The Greatness and the Goodness of God
1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you, and praise your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendour of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6 The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed, and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 20.1-16 The Labourers in the Vineyard
20 ‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; 4 and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went.
5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” 7 They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.”
8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.
11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” 13 But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’
Prayers
Let us come to our Father God, to express our concerns to the God of compassion.
Loving Father, whenever we start to feel jealous of your generosity to others, give us the grace to repent and join in their rejoicing.
Bless the Church, all our little churches, our clergy, especially our Rector, and giving thanks that we can worship in peace amid such beauty.
Not our will: but yours be done. Lord, in your mercy...
Loving Father, we pray for the world.
Help us to understand and increase in our love, not just for victims, but for the perpetrators of evil in our world.
We pray for all governments as they deal with fear and corruption.
We ask your blessing on our own Country, our King and Government.
We pray for a change of heart and a better way of living.
Not our will: but yours be done. Lord, in your mercy...
Loving Father, we thank you for those we love and those who love us. May we always be inclusive, welcoming others in, encouraging hospitality.
Keep us from becoming possessive with those we love.
Not our will: but yours be done. Lord, in your mercy...
Loving Father, we bring to you those in need today - the homeless and hungry, the lonely and unloved, those who find life difficult in any way.
We bring to your those in the shock of sudden illness and pain and facing frightening treatment and long term pain. We bring t o you... give each one your peace and hope and healing.
Not our will: but yours be done, Lord, in your mercy...
Loving Father, we bring to you those who have travelled through the journey of death, remembering...
Gather them up into your everlasting arms of love and bring them to new life in all its fullness. We pray that, one day, we may meet together in your heaven.
Merciful Father....
24th September - 16th Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Rev’d D’ Fyfe
When God saw what the people of Nineveh did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity.
In its simplest form we are told that God doesn’t hold grudges. Whatever the people of Nineveh had done, God knew that they were sorry.
However, Jonah was not happy. He had tried to avoid God’s initial instructions, had been swallowed by a whale, spewed up on to the land and then God had told him a second time to go to Nineveh to warn them of their fate. He had trekked for days to reach Nineveh to tell them of God’s displeasure. After all that effort, the very least he expected was that the people should be punished. It didn’t occur to him that the people had listened and understood, had repented. If he hadn’t been in Nineveh to tell them, the people would not have changed their ways.
Jonah went off in a huff and sat in the desert. He wanted to die. He had known that God was merciful, but frankly this was too much. Initially he had tried to escape God’s command and run away to sea. He was a prophet, but he hadn’t wanted this particular job. God had brought Jonah and all the sailors on the ship into danger. When Jonah was in the whale he had prayed and he was saved. I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. And now God had asked him to go to Nineveh again. What was the point of it all?
It was hot in the desert and God caused a bush to grow to shelter Jonah. That was more like it. Jonah had spent a quiet night and then in the morning the bush had died and Jonah was left sitting in the sweltering heat. Again, he decided that death was the solution. God thought differently. He asked Jonah why he was angry about the bush dying. That was what bushes did. They grew and then they died. It was not a long life-span. However, God said, Nineveh was a huge city with thousands living in it and they didn’t really understand right from wrong and had livestock as well.. Should He not be merciful to them?
I feel sorry for Jonah. We all argue with God on greater or lesser things. Jonah had tried to avoid the task he was set, which was to warn the people of Nineveh to behave. It had taken time for the truth to sink in! What truth?
That is where I have to think. We start with Jonah’s original premise. God was a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and ready to relent from punishing. That was why Jonah had tried to run away. He didn’t want to obey God’s instructions and go to Nineveh. Was it that he didn’t want to waste his time and effort? Or perhaps it was an unwillingness to see destruction.
But God had persisted. He wanted this to be done. It wasn’t up to Jonah to decide Yes or No. God’s choice not ours! It wasn’t Jonah’s job to make that sort of decision. He was required to follow instructions. Does this apply to us? I suppose it depends on whether we recognize the instructions as coming from God.
God does require things of us and we have to decide what to do. Is this request of God or not? Few of us are asked to decide things of such great moment as Jonah was. But we do have to make smaller decisions. I think the question to ask would be: Is this something that I think God would ask of me? Forgive me using a slightly modern phrase! Does this request fit with God’s profile? He is a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.
Let us take comfort from that.
10th September - 14th Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Romans 13.8-14 Love for One Another
8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
An Urgent Appeal
11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; 13 let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Psalm 119.33-40 The Ways of the Lord
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. 36 Turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways. 38 Confirm to your servant your promise, which is for those who fear you.
39 Turn away the disgrace that I dread, for your ordinances are good. 40 See, I have longed for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 18.15-20 Reproving Another Who Sins
15 ‘If your brother sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained that one. 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If your brother refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector.
18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’
Prayers
Let us come to our Father God, with our hopes and fears.
Unchanging God, change us from the heart, until every person awakens to your love, that matures us.
We thank you for the Church, for our little places, for all our clergy, for our Rector and all our church families.
Lord, take us by the hand: and lead us. Lord, in your mercy...
Almighty God, give us such love for the world that we pray 'Let your Kingdom come”.
We pray for our Country, our King and Government. Give our leaders the grace to see their work as service, and their role as stewards. Help us all to share in their commitment.
Lord, take us by the hand: and lead us. Lord, in your mercy...
.
Merciful God, thank you for our families, friends and neighbours - all those that we love.
Break our habit of destructive behaviour in our homes and in our friendships.
Help us to celebrate what is good and face what is not, with honesty.
Lord, take us by the hand: and lead us. Lord, in your mercy...
Healing God, lay your hands on those who suffer. We bring to you... and pray that they may know the support of your presence, your healing touch and your peace.
We thank you for those who dedicate their lives in their service.
Lord, take us by the hand: and lead us. Lord, in your mercy...
Eternal God, in your unchanging love, receive all those who have died recently, and those whose anniversaries we recall..
We thank you for providing us with sure hope in which we can face the worst and not be overwhelmed.
Merciful Father...
10th September - 14th Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Rev’d Brian Adams
Love is the fulfilling of the law’, ‘All you need is love’. The first is a verse from the Epistle for today ,the second the title of a song by the Beatles. ‘Love ‘ is a word used to cover a vast range of subjects’: holidays, ice cream, Mum and Dad, reading, our pet puppy, the grandchildren, listening to music, the list is endless. In the Bible, when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandments were he said ‘The first commandment is this ‘Thou shalt love the Lord the God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind and with all thy strength and the second is like unto it’ Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets ‘
What is meant by loving God? Not an easy question to answer when you stop to think about it It is suggested that the words God and Good come from the same root so to love God is to love ‘Goodness Personified’. The Bible writers assert that the existence of God is plain for all to see in the wonders of the world in which we live and he who denies it is a fool. It is awesome to contemplate as we see and explore Creation and see what it provides for us and our hearts are drawn to wonder and to praise and to give thanks So to love God is to respond positively to all this, to accept it with grateful hearts and to grow in understanding of his ways . Voltaire the French philosopher said ,If God did not exist it would be necessary to invent him’.
We move on to the Second Commandment, loving your neighbour as yourself C S Lewis ,in his book ‘The Four Loves’ distinguishes four different meanings of Love based on the words used by the ancient Greeks. The four are Affection, Friendship, ‘Being in love’ and Charity. All four are concerned with our relationship with other people, not items or activities in which we say we ’love’ to engage.
Affection is the love parents give to their children and is diffused throughout the family members . God is seen in this relationship with humanity as we are told to address him as Father, as in the Lord’s prayer, so we are part of his family.
Friendship refers to people we are drawn to in the course of our lives and get to know to a greater or lesser degree. Friends as we know can be a great blessing and support through life. Jesus told his disciples they were his friends, what a privilege.
“Being in love’ comes from the Greek word Eros from which we get our word Erotic and so is the attraction between man and woman which lead to marriage, children and the continuation of humanity.
The fourth, Charity, at first sounds somewhat downbeat as we immediately think of organisations set up to raise money for people in need and we have the saying ‘cold as charity’ which sadly has come to mean giving without the love that should go with it. My dictionary gives this definition but then finally adds ‘love of humankind, typically in a Christian context’ and adds ‘archaic’. Would that we could revive this meaning because that is exactly what the word means in Bible terms, denoting God’s loving gifts to the world especially expressed in the famous verse ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3.v16) . The word we use mostly now is Grace to express God’s attitude to the world, he is the giver of all good gifts and the Second Commandment tells us to show this to our neighbour.
We are having to learn that we have to look after the planet which is our home using its resources responsibly, showing care for all humanity, helping where there is need. In the Old Testament the people were repeatedly told that had to look after the aliens in their society, remembering that they were once slaves in Egypt. We must remember too that the commandment to love your neighbour includes the Ten Commandments given to Moses in the Book of Exodus (chapter 20) written on tablets of stone. The first three are concerned with our relationship with God, the last three with our relationship with our neighbours. We used to say them in our Church services and rereading them to write this reflection brought me up with something as a jolt as I realised how far we have generally let them slip. We neglect them at our peril as our freewheeling society is beginning to find out. God is not mocked - whatever we sow we shall reap.
So let us end with what we call ‘THE GRACE’ and often use to end our services. MAY THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (his total giving of himself to mankind in love), THE LOVE OF GOD ( his creation and preservation of the world we inhabit),and THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT( his presence in our individual lives and communities) BE WITH US ALL EVERMORE. AMEN.
May it be so, Amen.
3rd September 2023 - 13th Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Romans 12.9-21 Marks of the True Christian
9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. 11 Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 5 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ 20 No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Psalm 26.1-8 Plea for Justice and Declaration of Righteousness
1 Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. 2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and mind. 3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you.
4 I do not sit with the worthless, nor do I consort with hypocrites; 5 I hate the company of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked. 6 I wash my hands in innocence, and go around your altar, O Lord, 7 singing aloud a song of thanksgiving, and telling all your wondrous deeds.
8 O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 16.21-28 Jesus Foretells His Death
21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ 23 But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’
The Cross and Self-Denial
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
27 ‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. 28 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’
Prayers
As followers of Jesus Christ, let us pray to our loving Father in heaven.
Father, help us all to understand what it really means to love and serve you.
At times of testing, strengthen us; at the end of our energy revive us, and teach us, through it all, the peace and joy that comes from doing your will.
We thank you for the Church, for our little places, for all our clergy, especially our Rector and all our little church families.
We look to the Cross: and see your love for us. Lord, in your mercy...
Father, help us to use your gifts widely and fairly.
Empower us so that justice and righteousness are established, upheld and celebrated.
We bring to you those whose lives are so damaged by war, poverty and natural disasters.
Please bless our Country, our King and Government. Help each of us to use our gifts to the benefit of the communities in which we live.
We look to the Cross: and see your love for us. Lord, in your mercy...
Father, we thank you for those we love - our families, friends and neighbours and ask you to watch over them.
We pray for our children and young people as they begin a new school year, and for the staff and governors who serve them.
We look to the Cross: and see your love for us. Lord, in your mercy...
Father, bring healing and wholeness to those who suffer in body, mind or spirit. We bring to you... in the sleepless nights and endless days of pain, give us the grace to persevere and realise that you are beside them.
We look to the Cross: and see your love for us. Lord, in your mercy...
Father, may those who have died rest in the eternal peace of your presence.
We remember those who have died recently and those whose anniversaries we recall...
Father, the full extent of your love for us is so much greater than we can imagine and in our thankfulness, we offer you the praise of our lives.
Merciful Father...
3rd September - 13th Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Canon Ian Gibson
In 2010 a fascinating book won the Costa Biography Award. Written by Edmund de Waal and entitled The Hare With Amber Eyes, it traces the fate of 264 miniature Japanese carvings. The reader meets De Waal’s extraordinary ancestors: a Jewish banking family from Odessa in Russia who moved to Vienna and Paris, amassed immense wealth, built themselves vast homes, became connoisseurs of furniture, art and all good things before losing everything to the Nazis. The carvings however survived … just… returning to Japan and eventually arriving in London. De Waal, in travelling the world to research all this, admits that he’s not sure what he’s writing about: the story of a family, art, world history? At times he seems to lose the plot. But the end result is magnificent and highly recommended.
In the passage from Matthew’s Gospel immediately before the section we read today, Peter is commended and called “the Rock”, by Jesus for naming him as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (v.16). He is the first to grasp and confess the “plot” of who Jesus really is.
Moving on to today’s reading we find a marked contrast. Jesus starts to speak to his disciples for the first time about the necessity of the terrible suffering and death that he must shortly undergo in Jerusalem. The disciples’ shock is understandable: nowhere in the Old Testament was there any suggestion that the Messiah would die a shameful, criminal’s death. But when Peter rebukes Jesus, far from a commendation from the Lord, he is told, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me.”
Peter is trying to affirm Jesus’ role as Messiah, but he has yet to understand what the Messiah came to achieve. He sees the role as it was popularly thought: establishing a politically independent Israel in which the Jewish people could worship their God in freedom. He has not grasped the depth of Jesus’ work of dealing with the sin of all humanity, nor the length to which he must go to achieve it. So, ironically, Peter’s words echo those of the devil, the tempter, in Matthew 4 as he distracts Jesus away from his allotted path. The man who had been called “the Rock”, is now called a “stumbling-block”: a rock in the middle of the road over which Jesus might trip up.
Jesus, meanwhile, is imperative that this suffering must (v.21) take place. Indeed this is not a mere human imperative, “it must happen because it’s very important that it does”; this is a divine imperative: “it must happen and it certainly will happen!”
At this point Jesus does not go into the reasons why he must suffer the fact of his suffering is sufficient for now. And he goes on to draw out its implications for the disciples as they continue to follow him with the words, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”. Again this saying may not have meant much to the disciples until after Jesus’ death, but at this point it would probably have challenged and puzzled them, thinking, as they were, of Jesus’ mission in political terms and probably imagining they stood a good chance of attaining some high office in his administration. Their minds are set “not on divine things but on human things”. They have indeed, like Edmund de Waal, lost the plot.
In our time the challenging force of Jesus’ words can sometimes be lost. People speak of something relatively trivial, some mild annoyance or discomfort, as “a cross I have to bear”. But this does no justice to Jesus’ strange and frightening invitation: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” The cross, signifies not just an agonising death but also shame and humiliation. For us to carry our cross, therefore, implies that we are prepared to bear witness to Christ crucified, and to bear the shame, hostility and mockery that others may heap on us, for the sake of the Gospel. This means putting aside our desire to make Jesus into our kind of Messiah, following our storyline. It means following his plot, rather than ours. Peter came to understand this and ultimately lived out this “plot” to the full, even to death.
27th August 2023 - 12th Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Romans 12.1-8 The New Life in Christ
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8 the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
Psalm 138 Thanksgiving and Praise
1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down towards your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything. 3 On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth. 5 They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 16.13-20 Peter’s Declaration
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ 14 And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ 15 He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’
16 Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ 17 And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’
20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Prayers
Gathered as the Church of God, let us pray together.
Fill your Church, O Lord, with life and energy, spiritual health and vitality. May we grow more like you and exercise your loving, minister with your tenderness and serve with humility.
We ask you to bless our little churches, all our clergy, especially our Rector and all our church families.
Lord, we come to you: only you can make us whole. Lord, in your mercy...
Fill the world with the wonder of your creation, recognition of our mutual responsibility, desire for redeeming what is at fault, and hope in the possibilities of living in peace.
We ask you to bless our Country, our King and Government and all who take responsibility at national or local levels.
Lord, we come to you: only you can make us whole. Lord, in your mercy...
Fill our homes and neighbourhoods with the generosity and trust that allows space, but is always ready to encourage and support each other.
We pray for our young people that they may look forward to the beginning of the school year.
We thank you for our families, friends and neighbours. May we always be ready to show our appreciation for all that they bring to our lives.
Lord, we come to you: only you can make us whole. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for all who are sick, at home or in hospitals; for all who have just discovered that they are injured or have illnesses that will change their lives.
We bring to you... May each one feel your loving, healing touch. We pray for those who are anxious about them, and those who spend their lives caring for them.
Lord, we come to you: only you can make us whole. Lord, in your mercy...
We pray for the dying and those who love them.
We pray for those who have made the journey through death to your heaven. We remember...
May we, with them, one day, share in the fullness of your Kingdom in glory. Merciful Father...
27th August - 12th Sunday after Trinity - Reflection
“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’”
(Matthew 16:16)
Illustration
What’s in a name? Each culture has its own tradition when conferring names and there can be a mixture of tribal, family and individual meanings attached. As time goes by some of these meanings can be lost. For example, the surname “Carpenter” tells us something of a family’s trade in the past, but it is by pure chance if a “Carpenter” is a carpenter today. In some Christian traditions, first names are taken from those of saints or scripture. Now a baptismal name is as likely to reflect family links, or book or film characters.
We may have strong feelings for or against our own name, but it carries power for us. An “icebreaker” activity sometimes used in the first session of a group can be to ask each person present to state their name and something about it. As well as being a useful tool to fit faces and names together, the layers of history, meaning and feelings revealed can be fascinating.
Gospel Teaching
Names are always significant in the Bible. They tell us much about the role the person is asked to play in the unfolding plan of salvation. Remember the importance given to the naming of Jesus and of John the Baptist in Luke’s Gospel. One of the pivotal moments in the Old Testament is when Moses asks God for his name and God appears to evade the question.To know someone’s name is to have power over them and no one can have that power over God.
In the Jewish tradition even God’s elusive reply to Moses, often translated as “I am who I am”, is never spoken aloud. Yet in today’s Gospel passage Jesus asks his disciples about his own identity. To begin with he is circumspect. He asks who the crowd thinks him to be, employing the title used in Matthew’s Gospel, the Son of Man. The replies are those from the past, important characters who heralded momentous shifts in the history of salvation.
But Jesus then asks his disciples who they think he is, much more direct and resonant of God’s elusive self-disclosure to Moses. “But who do you say that I am?” And it is Simon Peter who answers accurately. “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus is recognised and named for who he is. It is a turning point in his mission and provides for a crucial change in our understanding of the nature of God. God is no longer keeping himself apart, jealously guarding his own identity, but revealing himself as one like ourselves, even subject to human power.
The immediate sequel to today’s story is the proclamation by Jesus of his journey towards suffering and death. For his faith, Peter is especially blessed by Jesus and is given a new name. He is to become the rock, the source of strength and authority for the new community, the Church, the followers of this newly revealed Christ.
Application
Whatever our role in life, whatever our position in the Church, our starting point is the same as that of Peter and the disciples. We have to answer the same question Jesus put to them: who do we say Jesus is? Can we answer? Not just with the mind, but with the heart? We need to be ever aware of God constantly revealing himself and emptying himself for us in and through his Son. If we have the faith to do that, then we in turn receive our names. We are allowed to turn the question round and ask Jesus what name he gives us. Who does he say we are? We are all his followers but, as St Paul points out, the good of the Church and the growth of the kingdom require that we have a clear idea of what our individual contribution may be.
It is not only the clergy who are called and named in this way. Every single one of us is called by God. It is through daily prayer and reflection and the help of those who know us well that we can discern how we are to live out that calling in our everyday lives. We all have a unique contribution to make and each of our names is known to God, so it is up to us to live out that name to its fullest in the service of the kingdom.
Redemptorist Publications Weekly Homily. Edited by Jane Williams © Redemptorist Publications. Chawton, Hampshire, GU34 3HQ, UK Tel. +44 (0)1420 88222, Fax. +44 (0)1420 88805 Email rp@rpbooks.co.uk, www.rpbooks.co.uk A Registered Charity limited by guarantee. Registered in England 03261721. All rights reserved.
20th August - 11th Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Isaiah 56.1, 6-8 Do what is right
1 Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. 6 And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it,
and hold fast my covenant - 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
8 Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.
Psalm 67 The Nations Called to Praise God
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, 2 that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. 7 May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 15.21-28 Canaanite Woman’s Faith
21 Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.’ 23 But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.’
24 He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ 26 He answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ 27 She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’
28 Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.
Prayers
In faith, let us pray to God, who is Lord of all.
Holy God, may the worship of your church throughout the world, be attentive and expectant, ready to love without exception and without limits.
We thank you for the Church, for our little, well loved places, all our clergy, especially our Rector and our church families.
Servant God: let us honour you with our lives. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, we pray for the areas of the world where darkness seems to triumph over light. We give thanks for all who are called to govern and to guide us.
We ask your blessing upon all who strive to improve our world and encourage us to live in peace.
Please bless our Country, our King and all the Royal family, and our Government.
Servant God: let us honour you with our lives. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, we give you thanks and praise for those who have shared their faith with us; for all who have cherished and encouraged us.
We ask for your blessing upon them and upon our friends, and loved ones.
Servant God: let us honour you with our lives. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, we remember all who suffer from weakness or illness, or who are handicapped in anyway.
We bring to you those we know who need our prayers...
May they know that you love them, and feel your loving, healing touch. Servant God: let us honour you with our lives. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, you call us to yourself and to life eternal.
We pray for our friends and loved ones departed, remembering...
We rejoice in the fellowship of all your saints. May we, one day meet with them and have a share in your eternal Kingdom.
Merciful Father...
20th August - 11th Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by D’ Fyfe
It is August and like many of us, our house has been very full of visiting friends and family. At the back of my mind I knew there was a Reflection due this week but there were mouths to feed and games to be played. Grubby clothes full of tomato sauce, sandwich and something horribly sticky needed to be washed and hung out to dry. (I was lucky; it didn’t rain on them!) It was a happy time but busy. As I fell into bed, I thought of the Reflection and wondered what on earth I was going to say. I fell asleep. In the morning I found the words of a psalm flitting through my mind. O put your trust in God for I will praise him yet who is my help and my Redeemer. It gave me a push.
Jesus has gone from Galilee into Tyre and Sidon to get away from the crowds, but his fame has gone before him. A woman comes to where he is staying and asks him to heal her daughter. Matthew uses the words Canaanite woman: in other words; not Jewish, a foreigner and indeed not a very well bred one. Someone who shouts in the street and badgers people, demanding that she should be heard. The disciples are, frankly, fed up with her constant shouting and pursuit of them. Do something Lord, they beg Jesus.
Somewhat unusually, Jesus tells her rather bluntly that the sheep are fed before the dogs! It could be put more tactfully! This was not gentle Jesus meek and mild, but hot and bothered and telling it the way it is. But the woman persists and replies that even dogs are fed from their master’s table. Pretty shocking. Then Jesus answers her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.‘ The child is healed from a distance and the woman leaves them alone. Matthew says it is because of the mother’s faith.
It is the brutal response that shocks us. It has been suggested that maybe Jesus is marking out the rift between the rich of the gentile cities in that area and the poor upland Jewish farmers who supply them and are paid little for their work... a sort of turnabout of circumstance. Gentiles don’t look after Jewish poor why should He look after gentile poor. I don’t agree with that. It has a bitter ring for me. Pragmatic, but not Jesus. Jesus heals the child, leaving us to think about it.
What do I think? On the one hand the woman was very persistent. She had obviously heard that Jesus could cure people and she was determined to make sure he cured her beloved child. But Jesus had said that he didn’t heal non-Jews. Was this to test her? I looked up various books that try to explain theological stuff.
There are suggestions that it was Jews first and then, after Jesus’ Resurrection, the gentiles were included. I can’t verify or clarify that. It was a long time ago. It might appeal to Matthew because he was, I think, a teacher - possibly a group of teachers - who wrote the gospel. He/they liked things being defined and orderly. Was the child healed because the mother fought back? Perhaps Jesus recognised her agony. We will all have our own ideas.
If I have to put a theory together, I think it is a simple fact that Jesus helped those in distress, who believed that he could heal them; who had faith. He understood what it is to be an underdog. Each race and nation has a group of people who are outsiders initially. They may not belong to the dominant religion; may have no faith in anything. They may be the wrong sex. In our world women are often considered to have less worth than men. We are lucky that it is now possible for women to be recognised as leaders. We do not have to be home makers and general dogs-bodies, whose only role is to serve men. I think that Jesus recognised in that woman, someone who had faith that he could heal her child.
Faith is an odd thing. It doesn’t necessarily bring you what you ask for. Quite the opposite sometimes! It can bring something that we do not immediately recognise as a solution to our problems. Sometimes we ask for what cannot be, or perhaps what is not the best for us or the other person. How would we know? We pray in faith, but feel that our prayers are not answered. Maybe they are, but we neither recognise not understand it.
That last sentence brings me back to the phrase I wrote about at the beginning of this reflection. It is something to hold on to and a reminder that God is with us despite it not being very obvious on occasion!
“O put your trust in God for I will praise him yet who is my help and my Redeemer.” (Ps 42)
Collect
O God, you declare your almighty power
most chiefly in showing mercy and pity:
mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace,
that we, running the way of your commandments,
may receive your gracious promises,
and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
13th August - 10th Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from 1 Kings 19.9-18 Elijah Meets God at Horeb
9 At that place Elijah came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 10 He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’
11 He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 14 He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’
15 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 6 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.’
Psalm 85.8-13 God will speak
8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. 9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. 11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. 12 The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 14.22-33 Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray.
When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. 25 And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’
28 Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ 29 He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’
Prayers
Trusting our Faithful God, let us pray.
Faithful God, we pray for the gift of deeper faith in you; so that we trust you in a way that alters our dependence on everything else and allows us a clearer vision.
Thank you for our little churches, all our clergy, especially our Rector, and our church families.
Lord our God: let only your will be done. Lord, in your mercy...
Faithful God, as we call to mind the stormy areas of our world - the confusion and bewilderment, the restlessness and fear, let your calming influence help our leaders to bring about peace and goodness in those decisions that affect us all.
Please bless our Country, our King and Government.
Help each of us to play our part in the communities in which we live.
Lord our God: let only your will be done. Lord, in your mercy...
Faithful God, come to us in the storms of life: when we let each other down, when we miss opportunities to be of service.
Help us to serve one another, to show patience and understanding.
Bless our families, friends and neighbours - those we love and those who love us.
Lord, our God: let only your will be done. Lord, in your mercy...
Faithful God, we know people who are suffering with prolonged illness, debilitating pain and emotional distress.
We bring to you...
Lay your hands on them to bring relief and hope and healing.
Lord, our God: let only your will be done. Lord, in your mercy...
Faithful God, we place in your loving care all those who have died, remembering ...
We thank you for them and their gifts to us and to the world.
We ask that we may, in our turn, come to you across the waters of death and live in your company for ever.
Merciful Father...
13th August - 10th Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Ian Stobart
‘It’s a leap of faith’ we might say before starting something that is quite big and we aren’t quite sure will be as successful as we hope. It is certainly true of Peter when he got out of the boat and started walking on the water!
The disciples had just seen Jesus feed at least five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes. He had sent them to go ahead of him in the boat to the other side of the lake whilst he dismissed the crowd. It wasn’t the right time for the crowds (or the disciples) to take matters into their own hands and declare him king. So Jesus went to pray alone. In the morning, he took the most direct route to catch up with his followers - which involved walking across the lake. Despite the miracle they had experienced the day before, this terrified the disciples. It is Peter - of course - who blurts out ‘if it is really you, command me to walk on the water too’.
And so he does, until he realised exactly what he was actually doing and started to sink. Then he cried ‘Help me!’ and Jesus does. What tone of voice do think Jesus used when he said ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ Angry? Annoyed? Disappointed? Gently encouraging? A bit exasperated? Teasing?
‘If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat’. The premise of John Ortberg’s best selling book, and indeed many a sermon, is that without taking that leap of faith, like Peter did, to move from a place of comfort into what can be the rather scary unknown of where God may be leading us, or asking us to go, we will never fulfil our full potential as Christians. Obviously we need to discern that what we are going to do is not just foolish, or a whim, but what God wants. Then we need to take that first step, and get out of the boat. Like the famous aphorism - ‘the longest journey starts with the first step’. But that first one can be the hardest. Getting out of our comfort zone is difficult. A good friend of mine often says ‘do one thing a day that scares you’. By which, I think he means that getting out of your comfort zone is a good thing. It allows you to experience new things and enlarges the potential for you to grow.
If you are going to do something potentially dangerous, you would want to make sure that the risks are minimised: that the bungee rope is firmly attached, and people have done it before; that the parachute will open; that you have a compass and map when you walk in the mountains so that you won’t get lost. The great thing as Christians is that we are never doing this alone. God is with us all the way and all the time.
We can probably all identify with Peter, losing faith in the face of fear and trouble, and starting to sink in worry and panic before being rescued and gathered up by the huge forgiving love of God.
We can be sure that Jesus will be there to catch us when we realise that we are out of our depth, or fear that we cannot manage what we are doing. He will lift us up, and as he did with Peter, repeat this time and time again. Never tiring of helping us when we try to do what God would want us to do.
We all, at some point will have to take that step, or leap, of faith and get out of the boat so that we can start the next part of our journey of faith.
But it is worth noticing that Jesus and Peter got back into the boat and joined the other disciples there. Then the storm subsided and they worshipped Jesus, realising that he was the Son of God.
It is possible to see the boat as a metaphor for the church. It is a place of relative safety. One that we may well have to step out of in faith into the storms of life. But the boat is still there to go back to. It is a place where Jesus is recognised. The disciples who remain there continue to worship God, whilst others go walking on the water. It may be their turn at some point. In the meantime the boat needs to have people in it, working at keeping it ship-shape and running well. This too is vital, if less exciting work.
So whether we are currently walking on water, considering whether you should be taking a step of faith or keeping the boat going in the right direction, Jesus is with us all and will always support, help and love us, even if we are ‘of little faith’.
6th August - 9th Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Isaiah 55.1-5 An Invitation to Abundant Life
1 Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
Psalm 145.8-9, 15-21 A merciful God
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. 16 You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing. 17 The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfils the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves them. 20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless his holy name for ever and ever. 8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 14.13-21 Feeding the Five Thousand
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.
15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ 16 Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ 17 They replied, ‘We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.’ 18 And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’
19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.
21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Prayers
Lord Jesus, as we pray to you, help us to know the glory of your presence among us.
As children of light, by your grace, reveal your presence to us and to the world.
We thank you for your Church, for all our little places, all our clergy, especially our Rector and our church families.
Lord of Creation: let your Kingdom come. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord Jesus, we pray to you for the life of our nation, with its joys, its sorrows and its wrong doing.
We pray for those involved in the administration of justice. Give wisdom to all those who are in authority over us.
We ask you to bless our Country, our King and Government.
Help each of us to accept responsibility for the community in which we live. Lord of Creation: let your Kingdom come. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord Jesus, we thank you for those we love; our families, friends and neighbours. Help us to be good neighbours, especially to those we find it difficult to like.
We pray for the young people of our community, who are on holiday. Keep them safe and happy and be a strengthening presence in their lives.
Lord of Creation: let your Kingdom come. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord Jesus, you know what it is to experience the joy and wonder of God's presence, and then to go down to the depths of despair and pain.
We give thanks for your compassion, with the power to bring comfort. Help them, and us, to know that you are with us, although your presence may be hidden from us, you are still there to bring comfort and healing.
Lord of Creation: let your Kingdom come. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord Jesus, we pray for those who are now with you in your eternal glory.
We remember, with love, those who have died recently, and those whose anniversaries are this week...
Be with us on our journey and transform our lives with the promise that you will grant us, with them, a share in your heaven. Merciful Father...
6th August - 9th Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Rev’d Brian Adams
As we prepare to think about today’s readings let us cast our minds back to a time when we were really really sad, a death of a parent or a very close friend; we find ourselves thrust into uncharted territory. An important part of our life structure has been taken from us and we feel bereft. All we want to do is to hide away and be quiet.
This was the situation Jesus found himself in, in the previous verses (Matt 14.1-12) when the disciples came and told him that John the Baptist had been brutally killed on the orders of king Herod and he was already in his grave. We hear virtually nothing about Jesus’ family members ,but we are told of John the Baptist that he was the son of Elisabeth his mother Mary’s cousin and the two mothers met while they were awaiting the birth of their children. Jesus spoke powerfully about John saying there was none greater born of women than he. Now suddenly the disciples come with the sad news of his death and all Jesus wants to do is to get away and be on his own. He slips away on a boat to another part of the lake to a deserted place where he can be quiet.
But it is not long before he is aware of people on the horizon. Not to be deterred, the people who he had been ministering to are approaching, having taken the roundabout route by land to the place where he was. Had it been me I would have had an inward groan at my best laid plans being thwarted but not so with Jesus; we read ‘he had compassion’ as he saw the advancing thousands coming towards him, and he ministered to them unstintingly into the early evening. So much so that the disciples started to panic and wondered what would happen if they remained stranded in the open without anything to eat. Jesus suggests they give them some food but all they have is a few fish and some small loaves of bread which they bring to him ‘Now go and feed them’ says Jesus. It sounds ridiculous but off they go and we know the rest. All are fed and twelve baskets of scraps left over. A miracle indeed.
Jesus did get his quiet time. He did have time to reflect on the death of his cousin John and the forces of evil at work in the world to which he had come. Perhaps he thought about his own future suffering which he knew awaited him when he went to Jerusalem He had sent the disciples away on the boat and remained alone as night drew on. The disciples on their homeward journey found themselves struggling with high winds and were alarmed when ,in the early hours of the morning, they saw Jesus walking towards them on the water and so they all arrived safely back on land.
As we reflect on this episode there are several lessons to be drawn for it. First, we have to be ready for the unexpected. Jesus’ withdrawal to the desert place was not on his agenda for that day but became his natural reaction to sad news of John’s death. He must ’get away’. So that led on to the events following and without it we might not have had the Feeding of the Five Thousand and Jesus Walking on the Water. Secondly we have the feeding miracle story. No one had prepared for this large crowd to be in Jesus’ ‘desert place’ and so the lack of food became a problem. Jesus knew the disciples didn’t have food yet he told them to feed them. The disciples could have reacted with ridicule at the idea as it was obvious they couldn’t cope, but instead they offer what is available and bring it to Jesus. The lesson for us is that however inadequate and pathetic we feel if we do what we can he can transform our offering into far more than we ask or think. A word spoken here, a small gift there, may just be what a sad and lonely person needs and be a life changer.
Thirdly, there is a cost to be paid in all of this. The disciples had given up their careers to follow Jesus when they obeyed his call to follow him and now they give up what little they had in the way of food. But the reward was beyond all expectation, the feeding of five thousand people. The cost to Jesus was of course immense as he gave up his life totally to the service of others and ultimately followed in the steps of John the Baptist in his faithfulness unto death, even death on the Cross. Christian history has many exemplars giving up all to follow Jesus, notably such as Francis of Assissi who literally gave up everything, even the clothes he was wearing, as he stepped out of them in his village square and set off to ‘rebuild God’s church.
The one thing Jesus did insist on this episode is his time of quiet with God which he got after night fell and the crowds and the disciples had gone.
Some of us may feel we more time alone than we want and for much of the time feel lonely. That is not the issue here. It is when something deeply hurtful happens in our lives like the death of a loved one and we want to be alone and find time to deal with the grief and the terrible feeling of loss. It is then that we have to cast ourselves on God’s mercy and leave him to guide us through the difficult days. Psalm 23 says it all: ’Even were I to walk through a valley of deepest darkness I should fear no harm for you are with me; your shepherd’s staff and crook afford me comfort.’ And so life goes on, the five thousand are fed, Jesus has had his quiet time, the disciples have got safely back to shore and Jesus’ ministry continues.
A verse of a hymn to finish;
Of his deliverance I will boast, till all that are distressed
From my example comfort take, and charm their griefs to rest
(Nahum Tate 1652-1715)
30th July - Eighth Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from 1 Kings 3.5-12
5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask what I should give you.’
6 And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?’
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.
Psalm 119.129-136
129 Your decrees are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. 130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
131 With open mouth I pant, because I long for your commandments. 132 Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your custom towards those who love your name. 133 Keep my steps steady according to your promise, and never let iniquity have dominion over me. 134 Redeem me from human oppression, that I may keep your precepts.
135 Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes. 136 My eyes shed streams of tears because your law is not kept.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 13.31-33 & 44-52
31 He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’
33 He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’
44 ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 ‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ 52 And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’
Prayers
Let us draw close to our Father God who waits to hear our prayer.
We thank you for the Church, for our little churches, for all our clergy, especially our Rector.
We thank you for all who have helped us to pray.
We ask you to bless all those who teach and minister in your name.
May our worship together be an expression of our deepening love for you.
Lord of all creation: teach us your ways. Lord, in your mercy...
Hear the voices in this world who are crying out for war and show no regard for life.
We bring to you those who are suffering because of man's inhumanity.
Work within their hearts, clear away the deeds of hate and create instead, fertile soil where, one day, a seed of love may germinate and grow.
We ask you to bless our Country, our King and Government.
Lord of all creation: teach us your ways. Lord, in your mercy...
Bless our children as they set out along the journey of life and faith; and parents also, as they cherish and encourage their families.
We thank you for our families, friends and neighbours. May our homes be centres of love, acceptance and welcome.
We pray that you will make your home among us in each room and relationship.
Lord of all creation: teach us your ways. Lord, in your mercy...
As we bring to you those who are sick, we thank you for the advances in medical knowledge.
We bring to you those known to us who are sick......
May they be aware of your constant presence and your loving, healing touch.
Lord of all creation: teach us your ways. Lord, in your mercy...
We bring to you those whose earthly lives have ended, remembering those who died recently and those whose anniversaries we recall...
We thank you for lives well lived and lives well loved.
We remember those who miss them.
We hope that, one day, we may all meet together and live in your light for ever.
Merciful Father...
30th July - Eighth Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Canon Ian Gibson
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.” (Matthew 13:44)
Brother Lawrence was a seventeenth-century Carmelite lay brother, and he is known to us today through the record of his words found in The Practice of the Presence of God. In the conversations that make up this little spiritual classic, Brother Lawrence makes clear that he was no intellectual: the intricacies of academic debate were not for him, neither, he believed (after much experimentation!), were the rarefied heights of mystical prayer. Rather, his natural way of life and prayer was simple and straightforward, rooted in ordinary daily experience, and potentially accessible to everyone, whatever his or her position in life.
His “method” was simply this: to practise the presence of God faithfully, day by day, minute by minute, wherever he happened to be and whatever he happened to be doing at the time. His chief work was in the monastery kitchen, and of this he said, “The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquillity as if I were on my knees at the Blessed Sacrament.”
In the teaching in today’s Gospel passages, Jesus offers a cumulative cascade of images as he tries to convey to his hearers something of the tantalising, elusive presence of the kingdom of heaven in their midst. The title “kingdom of heaven” may sound exalted, supremely holy, and consequently, perhaps, not really connected with matters of daily life. Yet the word pictures Jesus paints couldn’t be more down to earth: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed… yeast… treasure hidden in a field…one pearl of great value…” and so on. We shouldn’t really be surprised at this; after all, as Christians we believe in the reality of the incarnation, with its mysterious meeting of the realms of the human and divine in the person of Jesus.
But while we may well be able to accept this theology intellectually, we may yet still miss its practical implications. Jesus is determined that his hearers should not miss what is right in front of their noses and all around them. So his teaching points consistently to a kingdom of heaven that is not out of reach somewhere in the skies, but very much to be found in the here and now – in the seeds of the mustard bush, the loaf of bread, the fish in the sea, and in the ebb and flow of ordinary daily life and relationships.
As Jesus’ teaching makes clear and the experience of Brother Lawrence underlines, we so often make things too complicated and grandiose. In respect of our Christian faith, one contemporary scholar makes an interesting point when she states that “most contemporary Christian music sings about ‘enthroning’Jesus, raising him up and exalting him in the highest heaven” (Talitha J. Arnold, Feasting on the Word, Year A, vol. 3, p. 284). And while there is clearly a place for this approach in worship, there is a danger that too heavy a concentration on this aspect may make it more difficult for us to see and experience God’s kingdom alive and active in our ordinary everyday lives.
Jesus addresses housewives, farmers and fishermen, and speaks of yeast, growing seeds and animal life. We may feel that, for many – at least in the so-called “developed” world – this is not an easy connection to make: technology rules our lives; many children don’t know where milk comes from, and most of our foodstuffs come pre-packaged from the supermarket shelf. But the truths embedded in Jesus’ teaching are timeless and universal, and, where necessary, we need to translate them into new parables.
Jesus continues to encourage his followers to live their faith through a deep reconnection with the wonders of the created world, and within the ordinary fabric of their daily lives, whether they happen to be young or old, stockbrokers or farmers, housewives or unemployed. In the normal life and activities of every age and every person the kingdom of God is potentially to be found; but it is hidden, and needs to be searched out.
The kingdom of heaven is all around us, in our direct prayer and worship and in the stuff of our daily lives. Whatever our age or life situation, perhaps a part of our prayer each day should echo the sentiment expressed by the seventeenth-century poet-priest George Herbert: “Teach me, my God and king, in all things thee to see.”
23rd July - Seventh Sunday after Trinity - Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Romans 8.12-25
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh - 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ - if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Psalm 86.11-17
11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name. 12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name for ever. 13 For great is your steadfast love towards me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, the insolent rise up against me; a band of ruffians seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them. 15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant; save the child of your serving-maid. 17 Show me a sign of your favour, so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 13.24-30, 36-43
24 He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.
27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” 28 He answered, “An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” 29 But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’ 37 He answered, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!
Prayers
Let us draw near to our Loving God and pour out our concerns for the Church and for the world
Loving God, as we join the unending cycle of prayer on our planet, we rejoice in your mercy and forgiveness.
We ask you to bless our little churches, all our clergy, especially our Rector. Help us to look around us with your vision and to act with your wideness of compassion.
God of mercy: hear us as we pray. Lord, in your mercy...
Loving God, we bring to you our leaders and politicians who attend those meetings and negotiations where feelings are high and many lives are affected by the
decisions they make.
We pray that we may learn to live together in peace and harmony.
Please bless our Country, our King andGovernment and those who serve at national or local levels.
God of mercy: hear us as we pray. Lord, in your mercy...
Loving God, we pray for our villages and communities.
We thank you for good, thoughtful neighbours, for our families and friends and al those that we love. We bring to you our children and young people as they try to understand their challenging lives.
God of mercy: hear us as we pray. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord God, we pray for those with ongoing health problems, those in hospitals, nursing homes or hospices.
We bring to you those we know who are sick today...
Surround them with your love and healing, your reassurance and your peace.
God of mercy: hear us as we pray. Lord, in your mercy...
Lord God, we pray for those who have died recently. We bring to you ...
We pray for your mercy on them and thank you for all their acts of goodness and kindness. We thank you for your steadfast and unchanging love which sustains us all. Merciful Father...
23rd July - Seventh Sunday after Trinity
Reflection from Redemptorist Publications
Illustration: “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man” (Matt 13:37)
You can walk into some school classrooms and find a model of attentiveness, application and industry, with an atmosphere of good humour and comradeship. The teacher is respected, the rules obeyed and the examination results confirm what a good school it is. But you can walk into another classroom in the same school and discover a bedlam of noise, disturbance and an undercurrent of violence which holds no promise of success for students or the school.
The difference is in the conditions under which the young people come to the school. Within each of these classrooms we would find sincere young people, keen to learn, and others who care not one jot for education, even among students whose background and advantages predispose them to self-confidence and the desire to learn. We would find others whose poverty and lack of stability can undermine their potential and self-respect, ill preparing them for the demands of school, against which they rebel.
If we were school inspectors, how should we deal with the troublemakers? Close the school? That would be unfair to the industrious children. Weed out the nuisances? But perhaps external circumstances beyond their control are to blame for their attitudes. Perhaps we should wait until they are at the end of their education to examine their overall results, to allow for greater inspiration and the effects of a healthy, optimistic environment on their growth and ability to change; and then permit their own actions to determine their futures.
Gospel Teaching
There has been much discussion about this parable and to whom it applies. It would be easiest to believe that it is the world in general. It could refer to those people in Israel who would not accept Jesus as the Messiah. But others suggest that it actually refers to us, the members of Christ’s own Church.
In his explanation of the parable, Jesus says that it is the Son of Man “who sows the good seed” and “the field is the world”. But those whom Jesus draws into membership of his Church gather in his name and it is amongst these, his chosen, that the weeds are sown by the evil one. There has always been evil in the world at large and it was partly to overcome such evil that Jesus came in the first place. But as this Gospel was written when the Church was in its early stages of development it may be a warning. Just because the teaching of Jesus is the perfect model to be followed, some of its adherents are not perfect, just like the errant children in school.
It would be wonderful to think that the influence of Jesus would instantly transform his followers to mirror him in every way, but life is not like that and neither are people. Spiritual opportunity, like education, can transform its participants but also may be abused; a good influence can turn rotten and can poison the whole. Even in the best surroundings, some good people change, becoming like weeds in a field of good grain. Jesus warns us against assuming that all people in his field of activity are wholesome. It is his word, his influence, his life which must guide us, or we may end up collected together with the weeds and dealt with accordingly.
Application
However, our next question might be, “Can a bad seed change its nature?” We need to watch out for and guard against the bad influences even where trustworthiness might be assumed. But what about those children whose disadvantaged start in life disturbs their behaviour? Or those church members who have been swayed by other influences? What about the possibility of change, for naughty children, for developing churches, and for us?
It is important to heed Jesus’ warning because our eternal life depends upon it. But it is crucial that we do not become paralysed by fear. Jesus never gave up on anyone; indeed, just before his own death he forgave a criminal and promised him a place in heaven – not sometime in the future or at “the end of the age”, but that very day. Leaving behind our evil ways is an opportunity we can take up every single day. Forgiveness by God is complete for those who repent.
So perhaps, then, the answer to our question is “no”: a seed cannot change its own character, but God can, by his gifts and the promises which he makes clear through Jesus, promises which he keeps.
Redemptorist Publications Weekly Homily. Edited by Jane Williams ©
16th July - Sixth Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Isaiah 55.10-13
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Psalm 65.8-13
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it. 10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness. 12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, 13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen!’
18 ‘Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.
22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’
Prayers
Let us bring our prayers to our Father God, who waits to hear us.
Heavenly Father we thank you for your Church - those in large cities and those in tiny villages.
We give special thanks for those who taught us the Faith, who sowed the seeds of the Gospel in our hearts.
Bless all our clergy, especially our Rector and all our little church families.
Eternal Truth, Living God: your word is life and strength. Lord, in your mercy...
Heavenly Father, we long for the time when the kingdoms of the world become the Kingdoms of the Lord.
May the rulers on earth reflect the gentle loving rule of your kingdom in heaven.
Please bless our Country, our King and Government and all those striving to do your will, and all those who witness to you, by their way of life.
Eternal Truth, Living God: your word is life and strength. Lord, in your mercy...
Heavenly Father, make our homes, places of love and growth, welcoming to all who visit them and accepting, and forgiving, to all nurtured there.
Help us to love and honour one another as your cherished children.
Eternal Truth, Living God: your word is life and strength. Lord, in your mercy...
Heavenly Father, may all whose bodies, minds and souls are aching, know the comforting and strengthening power of your companionship and the healing work of your love.
We bring to you...
May we always be ready to support and befriend one another through difficult times.
Eternal Truth, Living God: your word is life and strength. Lord, in your mercy...
Heavenly Father, we pray for those whose earthly lives are drawing to a close. We remember with love...
May the dying know your reality and find comfort and hope in you, and may those who have died live for ever in the beauty of your holiness.
Merciful Father...
16th July - Sixth Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Rev’d D’ Fyfe
I like to grow vegetables. Both my grandfather and father had wonderful vegetable gardens. My grandfather grew vegetables that I hadn’t seen before. Sweet corn was completely new to me. He told me it had been grown in Nigeria, where he had worked as an engineer, building the railways. Years later we were posted to Nigeria as part of a training team. In Jos, an old railway terminus, I went to an outdoor museum. I saw one of those one person push-pull railway carts that are used to move along the tracks. It was of his era and I like to think that he had used it inspecting new track. Our army quarter had a very small garden. We had a banana palm and as well as herbs, I grew tomatoes. I discovered that borage was a good companion plant for them. It kept away the bugs. It was a different sort of gardening, but the principals were the same. It needed water, care and attention, in other words, love.
Jesus used stories that people could relate to in their lives. Sitting by the lake, he told the crowd the story of the man who went out to sow his seed. In those times the seed for crops was not sown in neat tidy rows. It was scattered; thrown out in handfuls everywhere, on weedy bits and rocky bits, as well as good soil. The seed grew and the quality of the harvest depended on where it had landed and, I suppose, whether there was rain or not! Jesus didn’t mention the rain however, so I won’t!
Sometimes the birds took the grain and sometimes the ground was too dry or was too rocky. The seed just dried up. Sometimes there were too many weeds. I imagine bindweed winding around it, choking it or perhaps it was tangled up in brambles. However, sometimes the ground was fertile and the seed grew and when it came to harvest time, there was a field of good wheat. But if the crop didn’t do so well, then the harvest was a poor one. Where the seed fell on the ground mattered, because it affected the quality of the harvest. Jesus was saying that God’s words are like seed and in this tale we are the ground.
What sort of ground are we? Care and attention (love) are poured on us. But, how do we hear God ? Perhaps sitting in church or somewhere quiet or beautiful; perhaps in a sermon; maybe in the form of conscience or by reading the bible. Who can say? Sometimes, we don’t hear or feel anything. We read a bible and perhaps it is too hard to understand, or we aren’t in the mood! Sometimes we are so busy with the other things in life, that God’s words are lost in the weeds of business! Or they are lost because our hearts aren’t feeling very loving. His unheard words lie on stony ground! Sometimes, something else comes along like the birds and we just don’t hear, because we are interested in that something else. And, of course, sometimes we are rich earth and we hear!
But I want to look at it from another point of view. Not the type of ground, which is us! I would like to look at the sower. In those days he didn’t use a tractor; grain was chucked on the ground by hand, broadcast. Broadcast was the phrase I was taught to describe scattering seed. There was no question of missing out the bad or rocky ground: no suggestion that to do that was a waste. The seed was sown liberally, so that it might have a chance to grow.
To us now, broadcasting means sending the word out by radio waves; anywhere and everywhere. Nearly everyone has the chance to hear. That is the sort of God we have. He sows with generosity. God offers his teaching, his love to anyone and everyone, however unlikely a proposition they might be; however poor or lowly; however rich. He scatters his words and his love just like the old-fashioned sower; who scattered the seed in bad places as well as good. God isn’t fussy about where his love falls. It isn’t only for ‘good’ people. It is for everyone; fat, thin, cross, happy, worried, girl or boy, all people. God’s love is scattered widespread. just like the seed. It grows from something tiny to something very big. As Isaiah wrote, It shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
9th July - Fifth Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Romans 7.15-25a
15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good.
17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Psalm 145.8-15
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you. 11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, 12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. 14 The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 11.16-19, 25-30
16 ‘But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another, 17 “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.”
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.
25 At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, 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.’
Prayers
Our Loving God is here with us. Let us pray to him now.
At the beginning of this day, may we walk confidently with our God, knowing his love willing us onward, his peace surrounding us and his supporting strength, guarding and guiding us on our journey of faith.
We thank you Father for the Church, for our little places, all our clergy, especially our Rector, and our church families.
As you called us: Lord, we come to you. Lord, in your mercy...
In this world of inequality - of haves and have nots - it is good to remember, Father, that all in your kingdom are of equal worth.
Help us to work together that this might become a fairer, more equitable world.
Please bless our Country, our King and Government.
As you called us: Lord, we come to you. Lord, in your mercy...
We thank you Father God, for our families, our friends and neighbours.
We bring to you our children, growing up in a world full of anxieties and disagreement.
Give wisdom to parents and teachers and support workers, and all who desire the best for our young people, that they might not only survive but go on to thrive.
As you called us: Lord, we come to you. Lord, in your mercy...
Father, we pray for those who cry out for relief and rest from pain or burdens that weigh them down. We bring to you those known to us.....
Pour out your compassion and reassurance that each person may know the full extent of your love.
As you called us: Lord, we come to you. Lord, in your mercy....
Father, we pray for those who have died recently, both those known to us and those dying unknown and un-noticed.
We remember with love...
May we all, one day, meet together again in your heaven.
Merciful Father.....
9th July - Fifth Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Mr Ian Stobart
‘Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’
We sat looking at one another, then glanced up the hillside in unison. Grinned and shook our heads. ‘Never again. Please don’t ever let me get talked into doing this again’. We raised our glasses in a silent toast. We were so tired we had only just managed to potter to the bar before slumping onto a bench outside with our drinks to wait for the others, not knowing if we would be able to stand up again. But we had succeeded. We had just come down Snowdon, which we were looking at and which was the last of the Three Peaks (Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike being the other two) which we had climbed in the last 23.5 hours. And now we really were weary and needed a rest.
Probably all of us have got to the end of a hard day and felt completely exhausted. It may not be climbing three mountains in 24 hours, but long hours of all sorts of things - paid work, family, housework, volunteering, travelling - can cause us to be weary and tired to the bone.
As well as this physical tiredness there are all sorts of burdens which we have to carry at times in our lives which cause even more fatigue. Things like illness, bereavement, grief, stress, financial concerns and even those nagging worries that just will not go away. They are always there, on our backs, making everything we do so much more difficult and tiring. And we seem to pick up more and more of these in the busy lives that we now lead.
If we then read this passage, and hear Jesus saying that ‘my yoke is easy and my burden is light’, we may wonder why, despite the fact that we are Christians (followers of Jesus) that it doesn’t seem quite that way for us - we feel continually tired and worn down.
Having to carry burdens & problems, even being exhausted at times is part and parcel of life. It was probably always this way, but the stresses, strains and the ever-changing nature of modern life do seem to make it worse. Jesus never promised us an easy life. Indeed to follow him we have to take up our cross. But as well as offering to give us a lighter load, he also promised to be with us always.
It is interesting to note that this rest and relief from our heavy burdens that Jesus promises is not automatic. It doesn’t just happen. It requires something from us. ‘Come to me….take my yoke upon you…and (then) you will find rest’. We have to do something before we can get the rest. We have to come to Jesus and be with him so that he can care for us. I had to go to the bar to get our drinks. It wasn’t a table service. We are invited to learn from Jesus. Learning - at least for me - takes time, patience, and practice. It involves some effort and work in itself, but Jesus reassures us that he is a teacher who is ‘gentle and humble in heart’. He will make the learning as easy as possible, but we still need to make some effort and do our homework, so to speak!
Jesus says that his burden is light. However, you will notice we still have a burden, but it is lighter, it fits better and is really well made. When I got to the bottom of Snowdon I took off my rucksack. Even though it was only a day bag I felt suddenly so much lighter and freer than I had been. The straps no longer rubbed on my shoulders and the tenseness in my back was released. To take up the lighter burden offered by Jesus we have to find ways of doing the remarkably difficult thing of taking off our existing burdens and putting them down. Only then can we be free (like me without my rucksack) to be able to pick up the lighter burden he offers, in place of our old heavy ones.
There are possibly quite a lot of things that we carry and that weigh us down that cannot simply be taken off. But it may be worth spending time to reflect on whether we could lay down at least some of our burdens and so allow God to give us a lighter load. And if we manage to make a habit of learning from God and spending time in prayer, worship and reflection, we might well ‘find rest for our souls’.
2nd July - Fourth Sunday after Trinity
Readings & Prayers
The First reading from Jeremiah 28.5-9
5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord; 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, ‘Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord fulfil the words that you have prophesied, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. 7 But listen now to this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people.
8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.’
Psalm 89.1-4 & 15-18
1 I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, for ever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations. 2 I declare that your steadfast love is established for ever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
3 You said, ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David: 4 “I will establish your descendants for ever, and build your throne for all generations.”’
15 Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance; 16 they exult in your name all day long, and extol your righteousness.
17 For you are the glory of their strength; by your favour our horn is exalted. 18 For our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 10.40-42
40 ‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple - truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’
Prayers
Let us focus our bodies and minds and hearts as we pray to our Father God.
Holy God, you are the focus of our love and worship, because you alone are the Lord who made us and rescued us.
We thank you for your Church remembering our little churches that we love, all our clergy, especially our Rector and our church families.
Help us to serve you with joy and thankfulness.
Heal us Lord: and use us for your glory. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, though the world may often reject you, you never fail to believe in us all and you always love us. We pray for the world, for all areas of conflict, mismanagement and greed and for those who suffer because of it.
We ask you to bless our Country, our King and Government. We thank you for all leaders as they struggle to help the people in their care.
Heal us Lord: and use us for your glory. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, we bring to you those we love - our families, friends and neighbours. Our daily lives provide a rich ground for acts of loving kindness and self discipline.
Remind us of these opportunities and strengthen us to use them...
Heal us Lord: and use us for your glory. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, we remember all those whose lives are affected by sickness of mind, body or spirit. We bring to you...
We thank you for all who lovingly look after those in nursing homes, hospitals or at home.
We pray for all who need such care and have to depend on others for help. May they feel secure and safe.
Heal us Lord: and use us for your glory. Lord, in your mercy...
Holy God, we call to mind those who have died recently and those whose anniversaries we recall...
We bring to you those who are still missing them.
We thank you for each memory of goodness in their lives.
May they share the joy of heaven for ever.
Merciful Father...
2nd July 2023 - Fourth Sunday after Trinity
Reflection by Canon Ian Gibson
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” (Matthew 10:40)
Picture the scene. It’s the final of the 4 x 400 metres relay in the Olympic games. Great Britain are the favourites having won 120 gold medals so far in the rest of the games. We’re cheering our team as each of them runs their lap, pushing themselves to the very limit. The baton is handed on smoothly each time, and the exhausted runners stumble from the track to watch their team-mates complete their laps. At the finishing line they’re cheering on the last runner as loudly as we are in the stands … and we’ve done it! All that hard work has been worth it. Our team has won. An outstanding team effort, against all the odds. And now it’s time for the medal ceremony, and all four of them are on the podium. Our flag is raised, our anthem is played and our whole country celebrates. We can dream can’t we???
So There’s something of a relay race in today’s Gospel. Jesus is handing the baton on. He’s sending out his closest disciples to continue his own mission of both proclaiming and putting into practice the good news of the kingdom of God. In this chapter Matthew has named the twelve apostles and then recorded the instructions that Jesus gave them for their mission. They were to heal the sick, drive out evil spirits, bear witness to Jesus and announce that the kingdom was near. It would be a difficult task, and they would need to risk hardship, rifts with their loved ones and even their very lives. Why, then, should they bother?
In this final passage of the chapter, short as it is, Jesus sums up the whole purpose of their mission. The people who listen to them, the ones who welcome the good news they bring, will receive a reward: a prophet’s reward, or the reward of the righteous. A prophet’s reward is to see his prophecy come true (as we can read in Jeremiah) while the reward of the righteous, as Jesus made clear in the Beatitudes during the Sermon on the Mount, is nothing less than a place in the kingdom of heaven.
This, then, is the ultimate purpose of the mission: that those who are listening will know that the disciples’ words come from God and that they too will be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven, where the whole company of saints will celebrate the victory that Jesus has already won for us. There is a sequence here, almost like the handing on of a baton in a relay race. God reveals his Word of love in Jesus, who passes the word to the disciples, and the disciples hand it on to those who listen to them and welcome them into their lives.
There are some important differences, of course, between the model of the relay race and the reality of mission and evangelism. When we hand on the baton of God’s love, we don’t lose touch with it ourselves! Love, especially the love of God, is something which can be kept and passed on. And as any Christian minister will tell you, those who listen will often hand it back, polished and shining, as a gift to enrich the minister’s own life.
The relay race of revelation is one which goes on and on, round and round the track of this life. God’s love flows through Jesus, through the action of the Holy Spirit, through the Church, through us as individual Christians, into the lives of those who hear about it for the first time … and back to God in our worship. We are caught up into the dynamic which is at the heart of God the Trinity: love in action.
We are the disciples; we are the runners. The baton passed to us is so good that we want everyone to have a chance to hold it! Like dedicated athletes, we are not coerced into this race, but enter it. And the reward for this race, not earned but freely given by God, is eternal life.
Like the original disciples, we are called to spread the good news of the kingdom of God, the good news of God’s love. What a privilege, what a responsibility! But talking about it isn’t enough — it needs to be put into practice, like the disciples healing the sick. In this Eucharist we remember that Jesus didn’t just preach about the kingdom of heaven: he opened the door to it. Here, in Jesus, is the word of God, love in action. Pass it on!
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