Sunday Worship 26th June

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to our Sunday Worship. Our services are at the usual times of  9.15 am at St Agnes' Church, and 11.00 am at St Thomas'.

If you're unable to be with us in person, the Gospel, a short reflection and a prayer are shown below so that you can worship from  home.

Our first hymn this morning is "Beauty for Brokenness"

Today's Gospel

Luke 9:51-62                                                The Cost of Following Jesus

When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

Reflection

In this short reflection I would like to focus on the second half of the passage above. We see what looks like really harsh responses from Jesus to would be followers in response to what look like quite reasonable requests. On the face of it, Jesus seems to be expecting us to put aside all our personal belonging and homes, to turn our backs on our loved ones and not even grieve for the dead if we are to secure a place in his kingdom. 

However, if we put aside the hyperbole in these extreme examples, perhaps we can see the underlying message and then look at how it applies to us. I do not think that Jesus expects us all to lead itinerant nomadic lives with no ties and cares for our families, or that if we love our families, we will be barred from following Him. I believe his reaction is more to call out how we assess our priorities, because it is how we do this that exposes the true intention in our heart. 

How many times have you had good intentions but then not followed up on them? Maybe you intended to ask your neighbour if they want the bins putting out because they had broken their arm, or you thought it would nice to offer to cut their lawn because their mower is broken. But you put it off and then you see the bin wagon has already been or someone else has cut the grass. Deep down perhaps your actions showed that your intentions weren’t aligned with your heart so you prioritised other things ahead of smelly dustbins or getting rid of the cat droppings on the neighbour’s lawn before you cut it.

Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself"

There is no ambiguity in this statement, he is making it quite clear where our priorities should lie. Jesus is not condemning our family commitments, rather, He is challenging our priorities and how often we allow anyone or anything to come before our commitment to love and serve Him unconditionally.

I would be surprised if anyone reading this, does not want to follow Jesus. Similarly, I don’t doubt that the intentions of the three people in the Gospel reading were genuine and that they also truly wanted to follow Jesus. But once we start to make excuses for not doing something today, we need to ask ourselves where is God in our list of priorities and where is God in our heart? Have we just put God into an hour slot on Sunday or do we invite Him into our lives every day? Let us show God that we love Him as much as He loves us!

What we do not know, from reading this passage, is what the eventual outcome was for the three would be followers of Jesus. I would like to think that at some point they got their priorities right and that we can do the same. Paul

Our Prayers

Loving Father, Thank you for your unbounded love.

Amidst all the distractions and noises in our lives,

Help us to prioritise our love for you

And give us strength to sacrifice other things in our lives to put you first.

Lord Jesus, You call us all to follow you

Let us answer your call now

and not put off till tomorrow what we can do today.

Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and guide us 

in our daily lives.   Amen

Our final hymn today is "Will You Come and Follow Me"

Notices

Next Saturday, 2nd July, is Harvest Queen Annie's "At Home". Please see the poster for details.

Then on Sunday 3rd July at St Thomas' Church, we have our Parish Confirmation Service at 4 pm with Bishop Mark. All are most welcome to come along and support the candidates, but if you are unable to join us, please hold them in your prayers as they embark on the next journey in Christian life.

Worship for all Generations will continue through Summer, but with a slightly different timetable. All of the services will be at St Agnes' Church at 6.30 pm, and several will be outdoors (weather permitting). There are some rather special ones planned, so please feel free to join us. All are welcome - ALL GENERATIONS!

Sunday Worship 19th June

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to our Sunday Worship. Our services are at the usual times of  9.15 am at St Agnes' Church, and 11.00 am at St Thomas'.

If you're unable to be with us in person, the Gospel, a short reflection and a prayer are shown below so that you can worship from  home.

Our first hymn this morning is "Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God"

Today's Gospel

Luke 8:26-39                      The Healing of the Demon Possessed Man

Jesus and his disciples arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me" -- for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.

Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

Reflection

Many years ago, there was a TV series called Tales from the Darkside, which was a collection of scary stories about the supernatural. Often, they ended with a dark twist at the end. At first glance this passage reads like one of those episodes except that in this case there is a somewhat better ending - well at least for the possessed man whom Jesus rescues.

In modern days we might interpret the man as having multiple personalities or some other mental affliction which is causing him to behave in such a bizarre fashion that all the other villagers are frightened of him. He is a truly scary individual who runs around naked, screaming nonsense and living among the tombs. The possessed man appears totally deranged and has lost all sense of his original identity. But Jesus is not distracted or repulsed by the man’s craziness or savage appearance. He stands before him unafraid. 

Jesus can see in the man what the man can barely see in himself. Jesus can recognise that, despite the presence of so many demons, the true essence of this man is not totally lost. When the man falls at Jesus’ feet and shouts, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”, I think we can also see that deep down, this poor man also recognises the goodness in Jesus - the Holy one. It is not just the malevolence of the demons that are pleading not to be cast into the abyss but the underlying goodness of the possessed man which Jesus could recognise and wanted to heal. 

I wonder how often you might have done something totally out of character or said something that you wished you hadn’t said. Have you ever used the phrase, “I don’t know what possessed me!”. Maybe, you acted irrationally or felt like you were ‘totally losing it’! At these times, things can feel totally out of our control. It is also in these moments, when if we put ourselves at the feet of Jesus, he will remind us who we really are and give us back ourselves as we would want to be. And just like the man who was healed in today’s passage, he wants us to go and tell others about the difference he makes in all our lives. Paul

Our Prayers

Most caring and merciful Father,

We thank you that even when we behave badly,

You can see the good in us,

That when we stray from your path,

You are there to guide us back.

Almighty and forgiving Lord,

At times when we are tempted to do wrong,

Help us to ignore the voices that would distract us

And cast out our demons.

In Jesus name we ask.  Amen

Today's final hymn is "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine"

Sunday Worship 12th June

 Sunday Worship - Trinity Sunday

Welcome to our Sunday Worship for Trinity Sunday. Our services are at the usual times of  9.15 am at St Agnes' Church, and 11.00 am at St Thomas'.

If you're unable to be with us in person, the Gospel, a short reflection and a prayer are shown below so that you can worship from  home.

Our first hymn this morning is "Firmly I Believe and Truly"

Today's Gospel

 John 16:12-15

Jesus said to the disciples, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."

Reflection

The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is hard for us to fully comprehend. Jesus was aware of this when he spoke the above words at the Last Supper. He acknowledged that his disciples could not be expected to grasp everything at once. He gently positions their expectations and foretells the important role of the Holy Spirit in continuing to guide and teach them after he has gone. As he speaks to them, he explains the united existence of the Triune being. He reiterates what he has already said so many times – that everything he has taught them is a single message that comes from Himself, the Father and the Spirit as one.  

So why is this so hard for us to understand? I think it is probably because of our natural desire to anthropomorphise things. To try to humanise things and put them into a frame of reference that feels natural or comfortable to us. The reality however, is that however hard we try, it is virtually impossible for us to put into words what we haven’t experienced at first hand.  However, if we start by acknowledging that the Trinity is a mystery that is beyond the ability for mankind to fully understand and that no single explanation can capture everything God is, then that’s okay because it’s exciting and wonderous!  

I once heard the Holy Trinity compared to an egg. An egg has three elements; shell, the white and the yolk but at the same time exists as a whole. However, this is far too simplistic and I would suggest heresy. It is another example of how we always try to relate the supernatural to our own experience.

However, even if we have questions, there is no reason that we can’t still believe and trust His revelation through the bible and in Jesus. The bible that tells us; that each member of the Trinity is distinct from each other but at the same time tells us that all three linked together.  The bible helps us understand a few essential truths about God.

1. Each Person of the Trinity is believed to be completely God. God isn’t One God cut into three parts like slices of a pie.

2. The Father, Son, and Spirit are not three properties of God or just different roles.

3. The Trinity isn’t Three Gods combined into one.

Each member of the Trinity is different but 100% God. They’re all equal. And they all share the same divine Nature.

The mystery of the Holy Trinity is not an easy concept. We need to make the time to invite the Father, Son and Holy Spirit into our lives to enrich our being and draw us into the Holy presence of God’s truth. We can do this by spending time in prayer - inviting the three persons to share and reveal more of God’s precious mystery piece by piece as and when we are able to bear it.  Paul

Our Prayers

Heavenly Father, 

Thank You for sending the Lord Jesus 

to reveal to us the divine mystery of the Holy Trinity.

Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

Thank you that through faith,

 we have the opportunity to learn the marvellous things revealed in your Word.

May the Holy Spirit open our minds and guide us to more enlightenment 

so we may grow in grace as we journey through this life. 

 Amen

Our final hymn today is "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty"

Jubilee Celebrations and Whit Sunday

 Jubilee Celebrations and Whit Sunday

What a great weekend we've had!

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in Oldham got under way on Thursday evening, with beacons being lit around the borough. Below are a few of the photos from Oldham Parish Church, and also one from Hartshead Pike. Our St Thomas' Sunday School leader, Karen Jakeman, was proud to be one of the torch bearers for the event.

Back in our parish, the Ladies of Leesfield hosted a lovely Celebration Afternoon Tea on Saturday afternoon at St Thomas' Church. Many thanks to all who worked so hard to make this such a great success.

At the same time, our Sunday School had a street party outside the church, with fun and games (and pizza!). Huge thanks to Karen for organising this.

And finally, on Sunday we celebrated the feast of Pentecost. For the first time in 3 years we were able to have a short Whit Walk, despite the weather, and then held our Churches Together joint service in St Thomas' Church. The hymns in church were accompanied by Dobcross Brass Monkeys, who were fantastic. More photos can be found on our facebook page - Leesfield Parish

Sunday Worship 5th June

 Pentecost

Welcome to our Sunday Worship for Pentecost. There will be a short said Eucharist at St Thomas’ Church at 9.15 am, with no service at St Agnes’ today. 

We will then assemble outside church at 11 am for our Whit Sunday procession – down West Street, along Spring Lane, and then back up Thomas Street to Church. We haven’t been able to do this for a couple of years, so it will be wonderful if you could join us, or watch the procession somewhere along the way.

At 12 noon we gather with our fellow Christians from around the area for the Churches Together in Lees and District joint service for Pentecost at St Thomas’. Afterwards we are invited to join our friends at Zion Methodist Church at 1 pm for celebratory refreshments. 

If you're unable to be with us in person, the Gospel, a short reflection and a prayer are shown below so that you can worship from  home.

Our first hymn this morning is "Spirit of God, Unseen as the Wind"

Today's Gospel 

John 14:8-17 [25-27]                       Jesus Comforts His Disciples

Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you."

["I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."]

Reflection

At the time of writing this week's reflection, we are only a couple of days away from a weekend of celebration on this belated Bank Holiday. The sun is shining and the forecast for the weekend looks good – so it will be great excuse to get out and take part in the Whit Walks on Sunday. If you can’t do the walk yourself but live on the streets where we march, please take a moment to come out and wave as an act of witness and support. There is also Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and I know many folk are preparing for street parties and other events commemorate this fabulous achievement. All in all there is plenty to look forward to. 

We also have a birthday to celebrate as we remember the birth of the church when Jesus fulfilled his Ascension promise and sent the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles (Acts 2). They too were looking forward to a celebration as they gathered in Jerusalem for the Jewish Festival of Weeks which marked the end of Passover. 

It probably fair to say that they must have been feeling quite anxious and fearful, having been through the roller coater ride of witnessing their mentor and master being crucified, dying and then been raised from the dead. It was on one of the occasions after he was raised that he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.”  This is why they were celebrating in Jerusalem with so many other Jews from across many regions.

Jesus’ gave his words of comfort above before his crucifixion, but despite this after this they witnessed His ascension into heaven they once again must have felt alone and vulnerable. Jesus was gone yet again. He had left them to their own devices, and they were probably wondering what on earth to do next. How would they carry on with the ministry of bringing God’s kingdom of love, mercy justice and peace to the world? Jesus hadn’t exactly left a user guide or instruction manual. But of course they needn’t have worried, for as we read in the Gospel passage, Jesus had promised that the Father would send an Advocate in His name; the Holy Spirit who would teach them everything, and remind them of all that He had said to them. 

The Holy Spirit is a birthday present we can receive and also more importantly, it’s a present we can share with others. For as Jesus promised, we can all do great things under the influence of the Holy Spirit and the world will experience God’s mercy, love and forgiveness. Through our actions and the intervention of the Spirit others will know the joy of God’s generosity, peace, grace, and hope. Happy Birthday everyone!      Paul

Our Prayers

God of Wind and Fire, we celebrate today the gift of Your Holy Spirit, which You sent upon the believers on the day of Pentecost, and which is our blessing today.

We hunger for the life-changing power that Your Holy Spirit brings. May our lives exemplify the fruit of Your Spirit: love, joy, peace, and patience; kindness, faithfulness, and self-control. In Jesus’ name.

AMEN

This morning's final hymn is "The Spirit Lives to Set Us Free "Walk in the Light"

 

Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in Leesfield

 Celebration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee

Welcome to our Jubilee Celebrations in Leesfield Parish. As well as information here on this page, we'll be sharing prayers, reflections and services from farther afield on our facebook page - Leesfield Parish.

Our Sunday School children have been really busy preparing for the events, and have made the fantastic bunting for in St Thomas' Church, shown in the picture above. As always, our children use fully recyclable, environmentally friendly materials, for their displays instead of resorting to plastic. Well done everyone!

Before our three Church Schools broke up for half-term, they all had their own celebrations - here's a photo from St Hugh's School Jubilee Picnic.

A special Prayer from the Church of England -

Celebratory events in Leesfield take place on Saturday, with parties suitable for all the family. Please see the posters below for details.

On Sunday we celebrate the great Christian feast of Pentecost, and there will be a short said Eucharist at St Thomas’ Church at 9.15 am, with no service at St Agnes’ on that day. 

We will then assemble outside church at 11 am for our Whit Sunday procession – down West Street, along Spring Lane, and then back up Thomas Street to Church. We haven’t been able to do this for a couple of years, so it will be wonderful if you could join us, or watch the procession somewhere along the way.

At 12 noon we gather with our fellow Christians from around the area for the Churches Together in Lees and District joint service for Pentecost at St Thomas’. Afterwards we are invited to join our friends at Zion Methodist Church at 1 pm for celebratory refreshments.