Sunday 3rd May 2020

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

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

Hymns for today and notices appear at the end of this blog.

Today we reach the 4th Sunday of Easter. So sad still not to be able to gather in our churches. The odd situation we are in is beginning to feel almost normal. We may be physically cut off from so many but I know there are all sorts of networks of friendly communications going on. We have been saddened by some deaths. Some events have had to be cancelled. I am greatly frustrated that I can’t visit where there is need. I hope you are finding what you need to nourish your soul. It is beginning to look as if the end of this period is in sight, so I urge you to have patience, to carry on with whatever you are doing and to keep in touch with the Christian community as best you can. When we reach the end we will need your help to get our churches up and running again. 

God bless,        Edith 

I was rather daunted when I realised this is the passage for today. Sheep seem rather irrelevant right now (and I have already told my best sheep story). The relevant passage is the last verse. Many are really struggling to find “life in abundance” right now! There are people, who can quote large chunks of the Bible, and can say exactly where the passages come from. I am not one of those people. I don’t find it particularly helpful to indulge in what is sometimes known as text tennis. That is one person quotes a passage and the other bats it back with another one. Often the passages are taken out of context…. And this can be not just worthless but also damaging. The writings in the Bible are so much more complex than that. They are all part of the bigger picture. There are passages we can ascribe real authority too, and others which we have to recognise are of their time. One of the very few texts I can and do quote is at the end of today’s gospel passage, In John 10.10 Jesus says “I came that they may have life and have it in abundance”. Many modern translations use the word fullness but I prefer abundance.  – overflowing is another alternative. There are so many people living desolate lives, lives without that abundance. 

What does life in abundance mean? Well it certainly doesn’t mean being rich in monetary terms. I am not saying money doesn’t matter – clearly if someone is in the position of really struggling to feed and house themselves, or worse their children, then it is hard to look beyond those basic needs. Material things do matter, but the danger is in over reliance, over emphasis, on material things. So what does life in abundance mean? Many people sadly live very narrow, hollow life, with very limited horizons, unable to look beyond self.   It is very important that we try to find positives in our present situation. One of these positives is that we realise what things are important. In the face of serious illness, how useless is money. How useful is money when we are isolated, separated from family and friends. It has been heart-warming to hear of so many acts of selflessness, of kindness that have been demonstrated –big and small. We are still in the season of Easter, we are celebrating the resurrection of our saviour……who said “I am the resurrection and the life”. We are the Easter people. And we are God’s hands here on earth – he has no others! If Jesus came so that we can have life in abundance then surely we have a responsibility to do our best to ensure our fellow human beings have life in abundance, in whatever way we can in these challenging times. 

Edith

 Hymns for today - a shepherd one (of course)

- and a personal favourite

Notices -

The Church of England has introduced a new free phone line, where people can ring up and access hymns, reflections and prayers. This will be particularly helpful for all our friends who don't have internet connection, so please do let them know about it.

And finally, next Friday is the 75th Anniversary of V E Day. Despite the lockdown, people all over the country will be celebrating safely at home. It's a Bank Holiday (which won't make much of a difference to most of us at the moment), and there will be televised coverage throughout the day. Queen Elizabeth will be leading the celebrations, starting with a two minute silence at 11 am, and ending with a public address at 9 pm - the exact same moment as her father, King George VI, gave his radio address 75 years ago. 

Locally - Lees, Springhead and Grotton Business Hub and Lees & District Royal British Legion are hosting a "Virtual V E Day 75th Celebration", and we're all invited to join in. All the details you need are on the poster.

Sunday 26th April 2020

The Third Sunday of Easter

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

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Easter, and our isolation continues. I hope you are managing to cope. I know many are doing vital work in keeping in touch with others, checking up on each other. In a very difficult time, real community is still there. Our churches remain closed, and we long to gather and celebrate Easter. Not being able to share in the Eucharist is a real sadness, but this will pass. Meantime I hope you are finding enough resources to strengthen your faith, whether that is material from our churches (paper or electronic), from other churches, or on TV or radio. Please continue to hold this community in your prayers. In today’s reading Jesus appeared to two of the disciples, and they did not at first recognise Him. Perhaps, in the quietness of the lock down, you will catch sight in some way of our risen Lord.  

Edith

Here are two of the disciples already leaving Jerusalem and making for home – and it is still the afternoon of the day of resurrection. It seems the community is already breaking up.

Yet they are talking animatedly…And the risen Jesus meets them on their journey. 

Cleopas and his companion do not recognise him though. They don’t recognise him until he is inside their home, at their table. And doing something so simple. In the breaking of the bread they realise who he is. And in that moment of recognition he vanishes from their sight. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Looking back they can see that they were beginning to know him during the journey.

“Were not our hearts on fire” they say to one another “as he spoke with us on the road, when he opened the scriptures to us” Now they can identify two ways the risen Jesus revealed himself to them –his reinterpreting scripture and his breaking of the bread.

But it wasn’t his discourses on the scriptures that revealed him to them, it was their personal contact with him – which then led them back to scripture. This story is important – vitally important- it does after all tell us the central message of our faith – Jesus is risen, he is alive. It is important too on a personal level.

We know the scriptures are important. But just as Cleopas and his companion did not recognise the risen Jesus when he expounded the scriptures to them – it is unlikely that scripture alone will bring us to know Jesus for ourselves. What does bring us close to Jesus is something much more human – we meet him in all sorts of places. 

The two on the Emmaus road saw him in the breaking of the bread but they only got a fleeting glimpse, in that instant of recognition he vanished from their sight.

That glimpse was enough to send the two rushing back to Jerusalem to be with the other disciples again – it was enough to reunite the group. Fleeting glimpses are all we are likely to get, and that has to be enough. And there will be times in our lives when we can look back and realise he was with us and we did not know it. And those glimpses must be enough for us too!
Alleluia, Christ is risen!

Here is a traditional hymn for you to join in with - 

And a Taize hymn by a virtual choir from around the world -

Sunday 19th April 2020

The Second Sunday of Easter

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

Today is traditionally known as Low Sunday, and sometimes Thomas Sunday – for reasons that will become clear.  We have been through Holy Week and Easter Day, and now we move on towards Ascension and Pentecost. I can’t help wondering where we will all be by then! These last few weeks have been difficult, everyone has been affected in some way. I do hope you managed to follow in the steps of Jesus towards Easter and beyond. We have done our best to let you have material that will help keep you in touch. I have had some phone calls, which is helpful as it is difficult otherwise to know whether we are getting it right for you! We should, at this point, be heading for our Annual Meeting, with its elections of officers to run the church for the next year. This has, of course, been postponed. That does give you more time to consider what you can do to help move the parish forward. Your church needs you! 
Edith

We are very familiar with this story, which involves our own Thomas. Today’s gospel passage records Jesus’ appearance to the disciples. These disciples had been through a very difficult time – they had seen their leader, the man they believed to be the messiah, their saviour, crucified like – and with - common criminals. Their friend, their teacher, their leader was dead. And they were desolated. We can only imagine their joy when they saw him alive and beside them. And they reacted with understandable excitement. Poor Thomas wasn’t with them, he hadn’t had the experience of meeting the risen Christ, and he didn’t believe them, or rather he said he needed proof before he could believe it. What he wanted was only what his friends had already had. 
When preparing this reflection the part of the passage that struck me was right at the beginning. The disciples were gathered together behind locked doors. They were in hiding, not from the virus but from the authorities. What were they feeling? We can only imagine. I guess fear, anxiety, hopelessness, depression, loneliness. Many of us will be feeling some of these things in our current situation – fear of the illness (for ourselves and our families and friends) anxiety over job security and finances, and a general feeling of loss (of cancelled events, of closeness with others) and so on. The disciples were lifted up by Jesus appearances. We don’t have Jesus physical presence, but He is with us in our challenges and will be with us when this is all over and we can celebrate. 
Christ is Risen!         Alleluia!   
Edith 

Prayers 

Almighty Father, you have given your only Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification: grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen 


Lord, we give you thanks for all who, though they have not seen you, have believed. We give thanks for the disciples and your appearing to them in the upper room. Help us to know that you are with us in your risen power. We pray for Christians who are fearful of persecution, for all who are suffering because of their faith. 
Lord in your mercy                  Hear our prayer 

We give thanks for those who taught us the faith, for all who have set us examples to follow. May we rejoice in your presence in our homes.  May we show forth your power in our lives. Bless us in all our dealings and relationships. 
Lord in your mercy                  Hear our prayer 

We pray all who are ill in body mind or spirit, and name before you those who we know to need our prayers. We pray for all who are badly affected by the current situation, and give you thanks for all who are working to improve the lives of others. May they know the comfort and strength of your presence.
Lord in your mercy                  Hear our prayer