Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Second Sunday of Advent. Our Church Services this morning are at 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.00 am at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry"
Today's Gospel
Matthew 3:1-12 John the Baptist Prepares the Way
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”
Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptised by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptise you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Reflection
Last week we looked at the need to be prepared and how the season of Advent is a time for reflection, prayer and penitence. A time when we need to prepare for the second coming of Christ by emulating him and leading righteous lives.
In this week’s gospel passage Matthew describes the way in which John the Baptist was telling people how to prepare for Jesus’ ministry and the first coming of the Messiah. How to make straight the path for the Lord through repentance.
A good starting point is to think about what we mean by repentance. It is clearly much more than saying I am sorry in a perfunctory way, with no real commitment or genuine remorse.
Repentance is about taking a good hard look at ourselves and examining where we have fallen short in our actions and thoughts and how we treat one another. It requires us to be honest with ourselves and accept the reality of where we have gone off course. It requires us to acknowledge the truth that we are all sinners in one way or another and confess what we have done wrong and the need to make things right.
Repentance is about being genuine with ourselves and not trying to make excuses for our behaviour or blame someone else – it is about accepting responsibility, declaring I am not fine, I am a sinner and in need of cleansing and forgiveness. It also has to be matched with a genuine commitment to change – and do things better and differently in the future. If we do not accept the need to reform, then we are not really sorry. We are not making the path straight for coming of the Messiah.
That is why John the Baptist reacted so negatively to the Pharisees and Sadducees who were coming to be baptised in the wilderness. He could see through the façade of their intentions. They were religious leaders and pious hypocrites who had heard about this religious teaching of John’s and the need to be cleansed by baptism. They doubtless thought it would look good for them to come along and take part in front of the crowds.
But John has no truck with them and calls them out – he names them as a brood of vipers. It was as much an insult then as it is to call someone a snake in today’s world. It signified their deceptiveness, like the serpent in the Garden of Eden which led to the fall of man. His point being that you need to do more than be seen to be good, you need to be good at heart as well.
We can demonstrate our genuine desire to make straight the path for the Lord in the way we change our ways and behave better. John refers to this as bearing fruit. Here is the really positive thing – when we confess our sins and show a desire to change it is not a shameful thing. It is a way of healing and receiving forgiveness. God wants us to repent and he wants us to be part of his kingdom. God doesn’t want us to live with a cloud of shame hanging over us and darkness in our hearts.
Jesus shows us time and time again when he consorted with sinners how we can change our lives and be saved. Jesus loves us so much that he died on the cross to save and redeem us all.
Repentance is how we each prepare for Jesus’ arrival. To repent is a way of acknowledging that our way is not working and that we are ready to accept the way of God as Jesus showed us. It prepares us to receive God’s divine healing and forgiveness.
Paul
Our Prayers
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the message of John the Baptist
and his call to repentance.
Help us to prepare our hearts and lives for the coming of Jesus.
Transform us from the inside out,
and may Your Spirit help us to bear fruit
in keeping with genuine repentance.
Guide us to live authentically and faithfully for Your glory.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending"
Notices
This afternoon we have our Parish Christingle Service at 3 pm at St Thomas' Church. Everyone is invited to join us.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the First Sunday of Advent. Our Church Services this morning are at 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.00 am at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worsip at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Long Ago, Prophets Knew"
Today's Gospel
Matthew 24:36-44The Need for Watchfulness
Jesus said to the disciples, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
Reflection
It's the start of a new church year as we enter the season of Advent.
It’s also a time for preparation and looking forward to the coming of Jesus, the Son of Man. In his book, ‘An Advent Manifesto’, Martyn Percy describes it as follows, “at first glance it is a seemingly inauspicious event – a child conceived out of wedlock to a teenage young woman, born in a room shared with livestock”.
But as we know this was no ordinary child, he was the incarnation of God, in the human form of Jesus, the Messiah. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth we are also called to prepare for Jesus’ second coming which he refers to in this passage from Matthew’s gospel.
Advent is a season of prayer, reflection and penitence. It is common to wish someone ‘many happy returns’ on their birthday, and as well as reflecting on the return of Jesus it is a time for each of us to return to Jesus and commit ourselves to living lives where Jesus plays a central part.
The boy scout motto is ‘be prepared’ and that is exactly the message that Jesus gives us – be prepared. Many of you will be preparing for Christmas by shopping, buying presents, decorating and putting up tinsel and lights. Indeed yesterday a group of people spent most of the day decorating the church with trees and baubles and other trimmings.
Some of you will be well-organised and may have already started planning and doing things, and others will leave it to the last minute - wrapped up in work and busyness. But the thing is, because you know exactly when Christmas happens you will make preparation so that all goes as well as it can.
But the preparation we need to do for Jesus’ return is not that easy. The point is, we know that Jesus will return because he has promised us that he will come again in power and glory to restore God’s kingdom - but we don’t have any idea when that will be. Or how it will happen. No one does apart from God our Father.
Jesus is not going to send a WhatsApp or Zoom invitation to put in our digital calendar so we can start living our lives better. Quite the opposite, it will be sudden and unexpected. So how can we possibly be prepared?
Being prepared involves constant vigilance and reflecting about at how we live our lives now. How do we relate to God who loves us so much he gave his only Son to become human and live amongst us and to die for us on the Cross.
Being prepared involves us thinking more about God and his love for us and sharing that love with one another, following the example that Jesus set for us. Jesus told us how to live and look after one another and how important it is to give thanks to God. If we do that then the very way we live our lives will be preparation for his coming again.
Maybe we should ask ourselves this question, ‘If Jesus returned tomorrow how prepared would we be?’
Where did I spend quality time with God, praying and talking to him? Thanking God and reaching out for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to show me how to be a better person.
It is striking that in the scenarios Jesus uses, he describes everyday situations. When he cites to story of Noah in Genesis, he talks about people going about their everyday lives, eating and drinking and getting married. They are consumed by the busyness of their lives but they have no time for God.
When he gives examples of the two people in field and the two people grinding meal, he is describing everyday folk going about their lives. It is not a sin to work or go about our lives, but if we are to be prepared we must go about our business in the way that Jesus showed us. We need to live our lives with generosity and kindness, welcoming the stranger and the outcast. Showing compassion and love, helping to build God’s kingdom here on earth in anticipation of Jesus’ return.
On my phone I get a message every week which tells me how much time I’ve spent on my phone, talking, messaging, screentime etc. I wonder what picture a similar app would paint about how much time we spend living our lives in a way that prepares us for Jesus’ return?
Advent is a time for reflection and repentance but it’s not about beating ourselves up; it’s about looking at ourselves framed in the context of the unlimited mercy and love of God. To quote Martyn Percy again, “God’s love arrived in the person of Jesus Christ, unmerited and unbidden – so our love for ‘others’ must be unbidden too, especially the least in our world. We love because God loved us first."
Our preparation for Jesus’ second coming needs to be no more and no less than living our lives as he showed us. Paul
Our Prayers
Loving Father,
We thank you that in your endless love,
You sent your only Son Jesus Christ to be with us.
As we walk our Advent path,
Help us to journey with him to that stable in Bethlehem
And not be distracted by the busyness of our lives.
Keep our hearts aflame with the promise of his coming.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness"
Notices
Please see below posters for all of our Advent Services and Events in Leesfield Parish
Welcome to Sunday Worship on the Sunday next before Advent, where we celebrate Christ the King. Our Church Services today are at 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.15 at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "At the Name of Jesus"
Today's Gospel
Luke 23: 33-43 Christ the King
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. The people stood by, watching Jesus on the cross; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Reflection
Today we celebrate Christ the King – I wonder what comes to mind when you picture the image of king. Maybe a medieval king like Henry VIII dressed in grand clothes to show off his stature and wealth. Or perhaps a king from a fantasy story like dungeons and dragons, resplendent in gold and silver armour with a bejewelled sword. Whatever you think of I suspect the image will conjure up a sense of majesty and power. Even our king Charles II is respectfully referred to a ‘His majesty’.
But this week, in the final week of the church’s liturgical year, we have had readings every day that focus on the last days of Jesus’ life and his journey to the cross. Rather than looking ahead to Advent, preparing for the coming of Jesus, it transports us back to Holy week,
Far from any images of grandeur and majesty, we have been reminded of Jesus’ last days where he was tortured and killed in ignorance by the Romans and the Jews.
They killed and ridiculed him because they misunderstood what Jesus meant when he talked about the ‘Kingdom of God’ – They saw him as a potential threat to their power; the Romans were worried about Jesus starting a rebellion against the Empire whilst the Jews, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees, saw him as a potential religious leader, challenging hundreds of years of perceived wisdom as laid down in the holy Book of the Torah.
Jesus did have a robe and crown, but these were marks of ridicule and the crown was a crown of thorns - yet another item of torture.
A couple of weeks ago we looked at how the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus, asking about the resurrection and how they were mistakenly relating the Kingdom of God to everyday life on Earth - a difficulty we all have , for none of us really know. In this scenario, we similarly need to look past the meaning of what it means to be a king in our framework of understanding.
We need to relate to the kind of king who is willing to be dehumanised, mocked and degraded, and willing to die for us broken on the cross. The Romans and the Jews were not wrong, Jesus is the ultimate king, Christ the King. But they were so entirely wrong about what Christ the King stands for and where his power lays.
He is not a king who comes to oppress his subjects with force and might, but a king who comes to serve and set free those who believe in him. To free us from our sinful ways and tell us that we can be forgiven. He shows us that true power comes from love and peace, not hatred and destruction.
At the end of the gospel passage Jesus tells the criminal next to him that he will be with him in his kingdom which will be like paradise. Jesus is promising a different kingdom, that we cannot yet truly comprehend. He calls us to be a part of that promised kingdom, with him. A kingdom where Jesus is the true king who rules not by domination or force but by gentle all-encompassing love.
A love expressed in his act of self-sacrifice on the cross to save us all.
When we confess Christ as King, we do not pledge allegiance to some earthly being but to God the Father, and we look to follow Christ’s example of service and sacrifice though loving one another. We look to share in his glorious kingdom by sharing his love and his values and spreading the Good News about a king who is willing to give everything to save those who follow him.
Paul
Our Prayers
Gracious God,
We thank You for the gift of Your Son,
who came to establish a kingdom of love, peace, and justice.
Thank You for calling us to be part of this kingdom,
and for the hope of eternal life with You.
May our lives overflow with gratitude and joy,
as we serve You and one another.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Christ Triumphant, Ever Reigning"
Notices
On Saturday 29th November we will be decorating the trees for our Harvest Queen Christmas Tree Festival. Everyone is invited to come along and help – if you would like to pre-order bacon or sausage butties, please see Karen. The Lees Christmas Lights Switch-on with Leesfield School Choir and Santa is at 5 pm on that day, so why not have a full day of festive fun? The Christmas Tree Festival is open to the public from 12.30 pm to 3 pm on Sunday 30th November as part of Christmas across the villages, to coincide with the Lees Christmas Markets, so please come and join us to look at the trees and enjoy seasonal refreshments.
Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent, and we will be having our usual Toy Services at both churches. If you are able to, please could you bring a toy in new or good condition for families who are struggling to buy presents for their children this Christmas.
