Parish of Leesfield: Sunday 21st June 2020

Sunday Worship 21st June

You can find all of our latest information, Edith's reflection for this Sunday, our Thursday "Worship for all Generations" and much more by clicking on the following link to our facebook page - Leesfield Parish

This weekend we reach the longest day of the year. We won’t notice for some weeks the gradual shortening of the days after his weekend, but the date is at least symbolic. I am writing this a little in advance, but the forecast does suggest the weather will be quite good. I hope this proves to be true.

As we see continued lifting of the restrictions placed on us, I hope you are all managing to stay safe. It is certainly pleasanter when we can get out into our gardens or other open spaces. We still cannot gather in any numbers, or return to church as before. However, we are now allowed to open for private prayer.

So from today St Thomas’ Church will be open for private prayer from 2pm to 4pm each Sunday. There are, of course, restrictions. We are not allowed to be in groups, (apart from our own household), only certain areas of the church will be accessible and the toilet and community room are not in use. If you do plan to drop in, do remember social distancing, and the guidance for people in any vulnerable group.

Our experiences over the last months will have been varied. It is easy to focus on the difficulties, but it would be good if we could share the positives from this. I hope you can identify some good things that have happened for you, and that you can enjoy each day as it comes.

Edith

Our first hymn for today is "Just As I Am"

Today's Bible reading -

Putting together a sermon for sending out (email or snail mail) or posting on Facebook is very different to writing one for a Sunday service. Lack of space means, apart from anything else, that only one reading is used.

For today I really wanted to give you one of the other readings too, from Jeremiah (20:7-13) Perhaps you could look that one up? I will refer to it, and hope you can follow my train of thought.

Both the gospel passage above, and the reading from Jeremiah have something to say about our discipleship, about our call to be Christians. Do you know which command is repeated most often in the Bible? You may be surprised to hear that it is “Do not be afraid” – repeated 3 times in today’s Gospel passage. You can see why Jesus keeps saying it to his disciples. He’s sending them out, with dire warnings about the things that they will face. Matthew records Jesus reminding His followers that God protects them, and that they are of more value than many sparrows to him. This isn’t always a great consolation. Sometimes, like him they will long for ordinary friendships, for family life, for simple pleasures, without the awful responsibility of being God’s chosen ones.

The prophet Jeremiah lived through times of enormous political upheaval. His long career saw a good king, a couple of bad kings, a weak king and the forced deportation of all but the dregs of the population. Jeremiah had warned about most of this in advance, but his foresight had won him no friends. He was increasingly isolated from the people he was born to serve and at times his life was threatened by those who couldn’t bear to hear the truth. Perhaps he could have refused to pass on what God gave him to say, but in today’s lament Jeremiah cries out that not to speak is as painful as the fear and loneliness that follows after he has spoken. Jeremiah doesn’t have any choice about what he is to say. He is given words of violence and destruction however much he longs to speak love and reassurance. So the words we hear from Jeremiah are words of deep despair. Jeremiah almost hates God – and we need to know that that is OK. Jeremiah accuses God of lying to him and forcing his words on him. All around him, he hears whispers, sees shadows, anyone of which could mean his death – except that the God who assaults him is also the one who protects him from others. What we have here is a one-sided picture of Jeremiah’s relationship with God – and it may well be one we can share to some extent.

Life as a Christian isn’t all sweetness and light– it can be hard. Just as Jeremiah hates the God who calls him to serve so we may also blame God for our difficulties – and that is all right! Briefly then, three points:-

1. We all have a calling. We are all chosen by God for particular roles. And how do we find out what God wants of us? – we must, we really must, listen to him.

2. We are allowed to be angry with God. Christians are not promised an easy ride – we are still human beings and life can be hard. If angry is what we are we must tell him. Of course he knows, but if we don’t talk to God we don’t listen either. And he is big enough to take it!

3. We are all precious to God. Whatever we do, we are precious to him.

Edith

Today's second hymn is "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer"