Sunday Worship 22nd March

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 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 "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"

Today's Bible Reading

Ezekiel 37:1-14                   Valley of Dry Bones

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.

Today's Gospel

John 11:1-45                  Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Reflection

Ezekiel was a prophet who lived around 600 years before Jesus was born, during what is considered the darkest period in the history of Israel and Judaea. 

The Jews had broken their covenant with God and were rebellious against God. They broke the commandments handed down to Moses, by cheating, deceit, immorality and treating the poor and sick badly. Worst of all many had turned their backs on God and had begun again to worship false Gods and idols.  

God had spoken to them through other prophets like Jeremiah and had warned them to repent and turn away from their sinful ways. Yet they didn’t take any notice, they continued to ignore God.

So now they were being punished and removed from the Promised Land. First they suffered an invasion by the Assyrian army, and when they continued to disobey God they were conquered by the brutal Babylonian Empire. The Babylonians captured and exiled tens of thousands of Jews across the regions including Ezekial who at the time was in his mid-twenties. 

When he was 30 years old, Ezekiel had several powerful visions in which he recognised the Glory of God in all of His magnificence. He came to understand the immense power of God the creator and ruler of the whole cosmos – of everything that has ever existed. 

God called him to be his prophet, to speak his people. And God warned Ezekiel that his mission as a prophet would not be easy, because there would be many who wouldn’t believe him and because they were so rebellious. (After all they hadn’t listened to the other prophets!)

God uses Ezekiel to warn the Israelites that if they don’t repent, they will face much more suffering and destruction including against some of their enemies (such as the Moabs, Ammonites), who had moved into some of their land. He also foretells the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple of Solomon which took place shortly afterwards in 587 BCE.

As God had warned, Ezekiel faced derision and mistreatment when he told the people that God wanted them to repent and change their ways. But Ezekiel has the absolute power of faith and absolute belief in the power of God. He had seen the Glory of God in his visions. 

And through God, Ezekiel not only delivers warnings, but he also delivers a message of hope and future redemption. A message of a new covenant, where He tells the Israelites that they can still repent and be saved by the Glory and grace of God. 

It’s a message that God still loved his people and wanted them to change and come back to him. 

In his vision of the valley of bones, that we just heard, Ezekiel understands that the lifeless bones represent the nation of Israel being restored. Where the people will return from exile - and God, who breathed life into Adam will breathe new life into the nation of Israel. It is a story of a merciful God who has infinite power. A message that through the power of God’s Love, we can experience the Power of Faith - and through Faith, God gives us the Power of Hope.

Even though the situation the Israelites find themselves in seems totally dire and irretrievable and even though it is a situation of their own making – God reminds them of His infinite power and his love for His people. His message through Ezekiel is a promise of hope for the future. 

God’s hand is clearly at work and it’s a reminder to us that we should not doubt that the word of the Lord can do what seems impossible.

Then we come to John’s story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus, of course, totally understands the Power of God – He knows how this story ends. He knows that the Father will raise Lazarus – he knows that this is a sign so that others may believe in the Glory and Power of God. 

He even tells them plainly, “Lazarus is dead”. And He also tells them, “it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

So Jesus does not hurry to the bedside of the of the one we are told He loves. 

Jesus could have asked God to heal him before he returned to Bethany - like He did for the son of the royal official in Capernaum [John 4:46-53]. But He doesn’t, He chooses instead to take the hard alternative and let Lazarus die. 

As a consequence of this, the story unfolds into one of deep sorrow for Mary and Martha, who Jesus also loved. And it’s a story of sadness for the other friends and mourners. 

Yet amidst all the sadness, we see the power of faith. 

Both Martha and Mary had no doubt that Jesus could have saved Lazarus if He had got there in time, but neither really believed that Jesus could raise him from the dead. Not after 4 days when his body had begun to decompose. 

Nonetheless, Martha says those wonderful words, “But even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” That is a statement of faith in the power of God and Jesus - even if they did not believe that Lazarus could be raised there and then!

In reality no one present expected that!

Jesus did what the Father wanted, to demonstrate beyond all doubt, the power of God. A power that is infinitely greater than death. A power of God’s love and mercy for us all when we do his will. 

In the prophecy of Ezekiel and the story of Lazarus, we can see the presence of God in the times of utmost grief and despair. 

We can see God’s hand at work doing the impossible. 

So, in a world that is broken and at times seems full of despair, let us put our trust in God. Let us show the power of faith in the power of God to reveal His glory. The God through whose word the universe and all that lives came into existence. 

Let His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.                            Paul

Our Prayers

Father God,

We thank you that you demonstrated your power 

through Jesus, Christ your son.

That you demonstrate your power over death

and reveal your glory to the world through your word.

Help us to have the power of faith

to put our total trust in you.

In Jesus name we pray.  

Amen

Today's final hymn is "Christ Triumphant, Ever Reigning"

Notices

Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, and in addition to our usual services, St John's Church are holding "Stations of the Cross". Please see the poster below for details. 

Sunday Worship 15th March

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, which is also Mothering Sunday.

Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 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 "Lord for the Years"

Today's Gospel

John 19:25-27            Jesus entrusts His mother into John’s care

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

Reflection

Today’s Gospel passage is perhaps one of the most harrowing and yet at the same time one of the most loving and compassionate parts of the Bible.

Harrowing, because we are at the point where Jesus is on the Cross where He will soon die. Harrowing when we think about His mother Mary at the foot of the Cross and what she is having to endure as she has seen Jesus, her beloved son,  criticised and victimised by the religious authorities and the Roman leaders. A mother who has seen Jesus betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, one of His closest allies, and abandoned by most of the rest of His disciples and followers.

And now she stands at the foot of the cross, witnessing the way people are treating, deriding and spitting on her beautiful son as He is publicly humiliated with the indignity of death by public crucifixion. How much pain and suffering must she have felt as her heart was pierced, as she witnessed the horrific suffering of her eldest son?

   

Amidst this scene of anguish and torment, John, the only disciple to witness the crucifixion, tells us that as Jesus hung on the cross, He saw his mother. 

And we learn of the extreme compassion in Jesus’ heart with His concern for the pain His mother is going through. Let’s just think about that the level of selfless compassion that happens at that moment. Jesus is hanging on the Cross, near to the point of death, where He is about to sacrifice His life for the sins of the human race - and His immediate concern is for His mother and who is going to look after her. Added to the physical pain and torment He is going through, He has to witness the pain and agony His mother is going through as she weeps at His feet. 

His immediate thoughts are for her future and who will look after her and care for her when He is gone. (It is generally believed by most scholars that her husband Joseph had died by this time and as a widow she would have been left alone).

John describes this most wonderful act of compassion as Jesus says to her, “Woman, here is your son,” before saying to John, “Here is your mother.” In that moment Jesus is making sure His mother will be looked after.

It is a moment of both extreme sorrow and extreme compassion and love. 

Jesus’ interactions emphasise that caring for one another is at the heart of the Christian faith. He sees his mother’s pain, and ensures she has support in the form of his beloved disciple, John. In this act of compassion, Jesus is also tending to the loss and sorrow of John, who must also be deeply hurting for his friend who has been ridiculed and tortured and will soon die. 

On this Mothering Sunday we see how much Jesus loved His mother. There is a message in this passage about how we should remember our mothers and all the things they have done for us during our lives. They look after us and tend our wounds when we fall and scrape our knee. They listen to our troubles and heartaches and provide emotional support when things go wrong. They teach us to look after each other and of course they care for us; with the hundreds of mundane things; like washing and ironing, cooking meals and cleaning the house so it is safe for us. But most of all, through the example they set from the time we are first cradled in their arms, they teach us how to love. 

So on this special day, no matter how many things are going on in our lives - let us make some time to remember them and how they have loved us. Even if our mothers are far away or are no longer with us, let us hold them in our thoughts. And let us give thanks for their love by loving one another.

As Rudyard Kipling wrote: "If I were hanged on the highest hill, I know whose love would follow me most – Mother of mine, O mother of mine!"         

Paul

Our Prayers

Loving Father,

As your son hung from the cross,

He continued to show us how to love one another.

He commanded us,

to love one another, just as He loved us.

Help us, day by day, to follow his selfless example of 

compassion and love with all whom  we meet. 

Amen

Today's final hymn is "The King of Love my Shepherd is"

Notices

The Ladies of Leesfield meet this Tuesday, please see the notice below for details.

All of the Holy Week and Easter Services in the parishes of Leesfield and Hey are shown in the poster below.

Sunday Worship 8th March

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Third Sunday of Lent. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 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 "As the Deer Pants for the Water"

Today's Gospel

John 4:5-42               Jesus and the Woman of Samaria

Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.”

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”

Reflection

As we journey though Lent, we are presented with repeated stories of transformation and the power of the Holy Spirit. Last week we looked at the transformation of Nicodemus from his first meeting with Jesus to His death on the Cross.

Today we look at the transformation and reconciling powers on a number of levels. Firstly the encounter between Jesus and the woman, and secondly the ethnic and religious barriers that are so wonderfully removed when the Samaritan community recognise Jesus as the Messiah.

In speaking with a woman Jesus’ actions would have been seen as outrageous. Rabbis were not to be seen to talk to women in public - it just wasn’t done. Even speaking to their wives and daughters was not acceptable. There were even Pharisees who were called ‘the bruised and bleeding Pharisees’ because they shut their eyes when they saw a woman on the street and so walked into walls and obstacles!” I have to admit, I do find that quite amusing. 

There may also have been potential sexual connotations, not least because of the number of relationships she had had. But this is Jesus, He sees the woman for who she is. He knows her whole life story and how sinful she is. Yet Jesus reaches out to the sinners because part of His mission is to reach out and save those who have fallen, including you and I. John later describes the awkwardness of the disciples when they return and see Jesus with the woman. They are obviously shocked, but remain silent, unwilling to challenge His behaviour. They had probably learned on several occasions that Jesus always had reasons for His actions which are often not obvious.  

John also mentions how Jews, “do not share things in common with Samaritans”. The people at that time would have been well aware of the extreme hatred between the two communities who had been fighting each other for several hundred years. So this is the most significant act of all, because although there is extreme hostility between the Jews and Samaritans, (we should remember that Jesus was a Jew), He chose to reveal himself to the Samaritans as the Messiah and Son of God. Moreover, He reveals how He has come to eliminate the barriers and hostility, not only between the Jewish man and Samaritan woman, but also He is inviting the non-Jewish people to be part of this new future. A future where all will worship God, not through sacrifices in different temples in Samaria and Jerusalem, but  together with a spiritual harmony in unity and worship of spirit and truth.  

In this week’s encounter, Jesus is offering an opportunity for miraculous reconciliation through faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. An opportunity that opens the way to reconciliation in one of the most pervasive and longest conflicts of the era.  John’s listeners are invited to witness the wonder of the transformation that happens, because the outcast woman chose to believe and then, through her faith, the community accepted the invitation of the Holy Spirit and chose to believe as well. As disciples, we too are called to profess our faith and extend that same invitation to all, to become united by the Spirit in the truth.

Paul

Our Prayers

Father God, we thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit.

That through faith and belief in you,

we can break down barriers and come together to worship in truth. We pray that we may labour and find new believers, to help others to live in harmony together and to bring peace in our world. 

Amen

Today's final hymn is "And Can it Be"

Sunday Worship 1st March

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Second Sunday of Lent, also the day for Church Action on Poverty. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 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 "Beauty for Brokenness"

Today's Gospel

John 3:1-17 Nicodemus visits Jesus

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

“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.”

“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.”

Reflection

Today we reflect on the visitation of Nicodemus with Jesus. 

Many argue that it is one of the most important stories in the Gospel, because of the important teaching about being ‘born again’ and ‘being born of the Spirit’. It highlights the concept of spiritual transformation which is fundamental to Christian faith and salvation. And as Nicodemus illustrates, it is not immediately easy to understand. 

This passage also reminds us of the unconditional love that God has for us in the that much loved and often quoted passage [John3:16]. “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.”

But I want today to think about Nicodemus and who he was. Moreover, to reflect on his transformational journey which is often overlooked. 

Nicodemus is only mentioned in John’s account of the Gospel but is clearly significant. He is mentioned three times in John’s Gospel.  However, we do not always join the dots and see how Nicodemus’ journey of faith, and confidence and his recognition of Jesus as the Son of Man develops throughout John’s narrative. We will see how, each time Nicodemus is mentioned, his faith and his support for Jesus is growing as he is transformed by the Holy Spirit. 

We start with the first encounter in the reading above. We know that Nicodemus is a pharisee and a senior one at that because he is member of the Jewish ruling council, (the Sanhedrin). He would therefore be a learned and respected member of the Jewish community and also a man of influence and status.

It is reasonable to assume that not only has Nicodemus heard accounts of Jesus’ teaching and healing, he has also witnessed these first hand. He acknowledges that Jesus is seen as a ‘teacher who has come from God’. Yet he chooses to visit Jesus by night. 

He is clearly more than a little curious about who Jesus actually is and he obviously wants to know more albeit he is also cautious, because he is aware that many of his fellow pharisees see Jesus as a nuisance and a threat. Hence the reason why he visits at night under the cover of darkness. In this first encounter, Nicodemus is open minded about Jesus and his teaching and is also open to receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, even though he has not yet fully grasped what Jesus is saying.  

We next encounter Nicodemus in [John 7:50-52]. By this time, Jesus is really becoming a thorn in the side of the Jewish religious establishment. So much so that the Pharisees have issued arrest warrants for Him and sent the temple police out to arrest him on sight. It is now that Nicodemus finds the confidence to challenge the other religious leaders and question their decision to arrest Him. He argues that Jesus should be given a fair hearing, and in doing so, Nicodemus is berated for defending Jesus and is accused of being led astray by a false prophet. 

The final mention of Nicodemus by John is at the Cross. It is poignant event where Nicodemus helps Joseph of Arimathea take Jesus’ body down from the Cross, to lovingly prepare His body with spices, and wrap it linen according to the burial custom of the Jews.  [John 19:39-40].

For me this completes Nicodemus’ transformation, from cautiously curious enquirer to someone  who, despite the obvious danger, is willingly to publicly align himself with our Lord and Saviour. He now fully appreciates the message that Jesus shared with him on that first night. 

We don’t all get an epiphany moment where we are instantly enlightened. We don’t fully understand the divine mystery of God. But if, like Nicodemus, we are open to the work of the Holy Spirit, and we are willing to listen to and read what Jesus teaches, he will lead us on our journey of transformation of faith and fulfil His promise that we will have eternal life. Paul

Our Prayers

Loving Father, we thank You that,

You gave your only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

As we journey through our earthly lives,

let us be open to the work of your Holy Spirit. That our faith and belief will be stronger every day. 

Amen

Today's final hymn is "All My Hope in God is Founded"

Notices

Events for next weekend can be found in the posters below -

Sunday Worship 22nd February

Sunday Worship

Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the First Sunday of Lent. Our Church Services this morning are at 9.15 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 "Forty Days and Forty Nights"

Today's Gospel

Matthew 4: 1-11      The Testing of Jesus

Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,

‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ 

and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, 

“All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,

‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’”

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Reflection

The story of Jesus; sojourn in the wilderness is hopefully familiar to many of us. It happens immediately after his Baptism at the River Jordan and before he starts his public ministry. 

Throughout the Bible we see that the wilderness as a place for meditation and preparation, a place of learning to listen to the Spirit and to trust in God. 

I once heard someone describe this as a sort of probationary period where Jesus was being tested to see if he was ready for the job. I sort of get the analogy, but it does not entirely sit comfortably with me. If we accept this at face value then we would have to ask, who is testing Jesus?

We know that it is Satan who is setting the challenges, but normally in a probationary period, it would be your new manager or employer who does the evaluation. So if we follow that through to its logical conclusion then it is God who is testing Jesus.  

We know that Jesus has been in the wilderness for 40 days and nights without food or drink, presumably sustained by the Spirit, as he awaits what is next in God’s plan for him. 

I prefer to see this as Satan, up to his evil tricks and trying to win a victory through deceit and trickery, coming to take advantage of a situation where he thinks Jesus is weak. Because, that’s what Satan does!

Jesus is tested with three scenarios, which can briefly be described as;

Personal needs and security – an abundance of food, 

Power - to test God and have Him command the angels to save Him. 

Leadership – to become leader of the kingdoms of the world.

Arguably, we all desire some or all of these at times, and it is not always wrong to do so. But part of the message here is that there is a time and a place to do so. Ultimately each of these scenarios will face Jesus again and play out in His life’s ministry with different outcomes.

Consider Jesus’ refusal to turn stones into bread relieve His own hunger. – Yet when Jesus is faced with hungry hordes He uses His power to feed thousands of people with just five loaves and two fishes. Jesus is doing this for others, not just himself.

He declines to test God by throwing Himself from the Temple. Yet at the Cross, He willingly submits to mockery and an agonising death. In doing so He is not testing God but demonstrating His absolute trust in God to fulfil His promises. 

Jesus refuses Satan’s offer to lead the Kingdoms of the world, but later He will extend the offer of the kingdom of heaven and eternal life to all those who follow Him in the way of righteousness.

We all have decisions to make about how we live our lives. How much are we tempted to use the money, power or leadership we’ve been given to look after ourselves and how much we think about how we can extend the kingdom of God by loving and helping others? 

How often are we tempted to nurture our day to day physical needs at the expense of our spiritual needs?

If you were to take yourself off to the wilderness, or just a quiet room, and think about your life as a probationary period, how well do you think are doing? How often do you spend a bit of time reflecting or meditating on your day and listening to the Holy Spirit? How much do you trust in God rather than yourself.  Is there anything you might want to change?  Paul

Our Prayers

Loving Father, we thank you for all you have given us.

Forgive us when we forget that all we have comes from you.

Help us to use the talents, time and resources you have given us

to help others and not to be self-centred.

Lord we pray for faith to trust in you 

that when we put our lives in your hands

you will guide us in righteous ways. 

Amen

Today's final hymn is "Jesus, Good Above all Other"

Notices

Please see the posters below for extra services through Lent.

Sunday Worship 15th February

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Sunday next before Lent.

Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 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 "New Every Morning is the Love"

Today's Gospel

Mark 9:2-9          The Transfiguration of Christ

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Reflection

As I looked at this reading, a couple of things came to mind.

The first thing that happened was a TV programme I noticed, called the Summit. It’s a reality TV show with Ben Sheppard, where a group of people have to climb a mountain in New Zealand. 

It reminded me of the years I worked in Scotland, when we often hiked up mountains at weekends. There were always spectacular views and vistas to see, taking in the majesty and magnitude of God’s creation in the breathtaking views of the peaks, glens and lochs. It almost always felt spiritual and made me feel genuinely nearer to God. 

Perhaps that’s because – subconsciously I associate mountains with God’s presence. 

In the OT reading [Exodus 24] and Gospel passage, we see two such examples of God appearing on mountains, on each occasion He is manifest in the form of a cloud. 

The first is on Mount Sinai where God gave Moses instructions for the people of Israel as to how they are to live together in peace, and how to worship and honour God. God revealed detailed instructions for building the tabernacle, (a holy place of worship), priestly vestments, and keeping the Sabbath. He also revealed rules about cleanliness, how to treat one another and punishments. And most important of all, The Ten Commandments. The mountain was where God, in the cover of cloud, renewed His covenant with the people of Israel. 

When Moses comes down from Mount Sinai a second time his face is shining like the sun, because Moses has been in the presence of God. And the Israelites were so frightened that Moses had to cover his face. 

In the Gospel passage, Peter, James and John share a similar experience as they witness the Transfiguration of Christ. This again takes place on a mountain. Many people believe the mountain was probably Mount Hermon, in the region of Caesarea which had a position of extreme grandeur and beauty, overlooking the whole of Palestine. 

I wonder what was going through the minds of Peter, James and John as events unfolded.

To some extent they sort of know that there is something special about Jesus. They’ve been with him for a while and have seen some pretty awesome things: They’ve seen Him heal the sick and cast out demons, not to mention a few miracles along the way such as feeding of the 5,000 and walking on water. And they’ve listened to his teaching, interpreting the scriptures in new ways and referring to God as His Father. A few days before they went up the mountain to pray with Jesus, Simon Peter has even acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah and Son of the Living God.

Now Jesus was revealing everything to his closest apostles and His true nature was being made visible before their very eyes.

Just like the Israelites had been when they saw Moses face shining, Peter, James and John were also frightened when they saw Jesus’ face ‘shining like the sun.’

But Jesus has not changed. He is still the same Jesus, but the glory of God has been revealed. The veil of Jesus’ flesh is pulled back and the disciples can see the light of the glory of God shining forth. This is the revelation that Jesus is both fully human and also fully divine. This is a revelation not only to the apostles but to all of us. 

The other thing that influenced my thinking this week was a conversation with Rev. Kirsten. It was about how some churches seem to focus less on the Old Testament and just on the Gospel readings. In doing so they miss much of the context and significance of God’s whole plan for us. 

It is therefore important that we understand the implication of the appearance of Elijah and Moses appearing on the mountain alongside Jesus. The presence of Elijah and Moses points us to the importance of the whole Word of God and God’s plans for humanity - from the beginning of time to eternity. 

As we heard, Moses was the one who brought the Law of God to the people of God. Elijah was one of the greatest prophets. Their presence highlights how Jesus is the fulfilment of God’s law and the prophecies of the Old Testament.

However, His incarnation, life, death and resurrection does not supersede everything that goes before His birth at Bethlehem. 

Whilst Jesus argued with the scribes and Pharisees from time to time, he was highlighting how they often manipulated or misinterpreted the law for their own purposes. He was not challenging the law. 

As Jesus says in Matthew 5:18 ‘…. until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.’ 

In other words, every element of God’s law outlined in the scriptures of the Old Testament remains complete and totally unchanged, and even the smallest part must not be disregarded. The Old Testament remains essential to our understanding of God’s word. Jesus’ actions and teachings show us how to live by God’s law. As God said to the apostles on Mount Hermon, we need to listen to Him. 

In the Epistle reading, Peter recalls the transfiguration event stating that; he was a witness to the voice from heaven confirming the majesty of Christ Jesus, telling us that Jesus is the One to whom we must listen and whom we must obey. Like Peter, we are called to witness the glory of God manifest in Jesus - fully human and fully God. And we too are called to listen and obey Him.

Paul

Our Prayers

Heavenly Father, 

We thank you that you revealed your glory in your Son Jesus Christ.

And that through Him you renewed your covenant with Israel and also the Gentiles.

Help us to worship you as Jesus showed us how to,

And love and help each other and to obey your laws.

In Jesus name we pray.

Amen

Today's final hymn is "I Cannot Tell, Why He whom Angels Worship"

Notices

This week we enter the Season of Lent, and there will be lots of additional services and events.

Please see the posters below for what's happening this week, and there will be more to follow next week.