Sunday Worship
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the First Sunday after Christmas. Today we have just one service in the parish, at 11 am at St Thomas' Church.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find today's Gospl, a reflection, prayer and hymns below.
Our first hymn this morning is "O Little Town of Bethlehem"
Today's Gospel
John 1:1-18 The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
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 testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 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.
Reflection
For those of you who come to our annual service of nine lessons and carols, I am sure you will be familiar with today’s scripture reading – it’s the last reading that we always say by candlelight with the church lights turned out.
There have been whole books written on this passage alone, but don’t worry I’ll keep this short, after all, I’m sure some of you have New Year’s Eve parties to attend!
This is the preface from the Gospel according to John, who jumps straight in by introducing us to the divine nature of Jesus. Moreover, it begins by setting out the absolute power and magnificence of God himself by referring back to Genesis and the creation of all things from nothingness.
He reminds us that everything that exists and ever will exist happens because God wills it to be. John also highlights just how much God loves us, so much so that He gave us His only Son who lived amongst us and will always live amongst us, to be with us and by our side. [John 3:16]. All we have to do is to recognise His presence and turn to Him.
In just a few paragraphs, John paints a magnificent outline of divinity which sets the scene for the whole gospel and includes references to life, light, truth, the world, and the existence of Jesus from the beginning of time to the end of time. I have to admit it’s pretty heavy and powerful stuff, both theologically and conceptually. But we don’t have to worry that this is complex or even supernatural; we just have to accept and have faith in Jesus the word made flesh by God. Jesus who didn’t just look like one if us but someone who was actually human. Someone who experienced life and growing up as we did, and someone who would eventually give up that life on the cross to save us all.
John tells us that Jesus is the ‘light of the world, the true light, which enlightens everyone’. So as we start a new year, let us gaze at that light, and let Jesus shine in our lives so that we may be guided by Him and experience His grace, truth and love for us. Paul
Our Prayers
