Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fourth Sunday before Advent, and also All Saints Day. Our Church Services today are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'. If you are unable to be with us in person, you'll find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "For all the Saints, Who from their Labours Rest"
Today's Gospel
John 11:32-44Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead
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 for 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 upwards 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.
Reflection
Today we celebrate All Saints Day in the church although it actually falls on the 1st November.
It is a day where Christians remember all saints and martyrs, known and unknown, throughout Christian history.
“This invites us to turn our gaze to the immense multitude of those who have already reached the blessed land, and points us on the path that will lead us to that destination.” Pope John Paul II.
We are called to remember the many who have passed through earthly death and have eternal life with the Father. In the scripture reading we hear of Lazarus who Jesus raised from earthly death to walk again as a mortal amongst his friends and family.
Lazarus was raised as a sign so that the Jews might believe that Jesus was the Son of God and moreover to understand the glory and power of God.
But there is much more to this story than the miracle, that Jesus asked the Father to perform in raising Lazarus. Aside from the great power of the Son of God we see the humanity of Jesus exposed before us.
We learn of how when he saw the grief of Mary, Martha and their friends, “He was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved”. Some translations of the Bible use the words, “He groaned in the spirit and was troubled”. Then we are told that Jesus began to weep.
We might wonder why Jesus felt such anguish and wept; after all, He knew what He was about to do; that in a few minutes He would raise Lazarus from the tomb and bring him back to life. Is it because Jesus is showing us His deep compassion and the empathy that He feels for us all in our times of grief and suffering? Mary, Martha and Lazarus were close friends of Jesus, it is only human nature to feel for our friends in times of pain and sorrow. We should not forget that Jesus is human as well as divine.
He might have wept because he felt sorry for putting them through the ordeal instead of saving Lazarus – as some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ Whilst Jesus knew that this was all part of the predestined plan that would foretell His own death and resurrection in the days to come, He could still feel sorry for the hurt it caused.
Some biblical scholars believe that there is a much deeper significance for Jesus’ tears. He is weeping for the fact that mankind, (who God had created to be perfect and not been intended to suffer or face death at all), now has to suffer in this way. Death is a consequence of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden because of Adam’s sin. He is weeping because there is still death in the world and mankind continues to sin in so many ways.
Maybe, when the mourners asked Jesus to come and see where Lazarus was laid, they were also inviting Him to come and see the state of humanity and consequent suffering. Wouldn’t that be enough to make your inner spirit groan?
Or perhaps He is weeping because He knows that this will all be repeated in the near future and own friends, disciples and family will be grieving when He dies for us on the cross. They will mourn deeply even though they should have known that Jesus has power over death and would rise again as He had told them and demonstrated by raising Lazarus.
Jesus raised Lazarus to show us the ‘Glory of God’. We can see this when we put our faith in Jesus in the midst of our tears and when we refuse to give up believing that Jesus, through His compassion, weeps with us and one day will wipe away all our tears. [Isaiah 25:8]. Paul
Our Prayers
Almighty and eternal Father,
We thank you that you sent your Son to show us your glory,
and to be by our side when we feel pain and sorrow.
Strengthen our faith and belief
That we will hear Jesus call our name
and be invited out of our tombs,
and into the light of everlasting life.
with all the saints in heaven.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Ye Holy Angels Bright"
Notices
Next Sunday is Remembrance Sunday, and we will have a Parish Eucharist at 9.15 am at St Thomas’, with no service at St Agnes’. Please see the poster below for full details.
The Tuesday morning Services of Holy Communion are at 10 am at St Thomas’, and Worship for all Generations is at 6.30 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at St Agnes’.
On Monday we have our All-age Worship Singing at 4.30 pm at St Thomas’.
Also on Monday, there will be a Service for All Souls at 7 pm at St Thomas’ Church. This is where we pray together for the souls of all those known to us who have died, and everyone is welcome to attend. If there is anyone who you wish us to pray for by name, please let us know in church, or by contacting Neil or Paul.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Twentysecond Sunday after Trinity. Our Church Services today are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'. If you are unable to be with us in person, you'll find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Breathe on me, Breath of God"
Today's Gospel
Mark 10:46-52Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
Reflection
In our reflection today, we look at the story of blind Bartimaeus. It is a story of active faith and belief but there is much more to it than that.
We do not know how old Bartimaeus was, but it is generally assumed that he was at least in his middle ages. Similarly we do not know if he was completely blind, however, we can assume that he was not born blind because he asks to be able to see again.
So we have the story of someone who, in his younger days, would have been able to work and do normal things, that has been afflicted with a problem affecting his sight and that in turn has resulted in him losing his livelihood and becoming a beggar and an outcast.
To us in modern day society, the majority of us maybe take our gift of sight for granted. We can get regular eye checks and if we are long or short sighted it is relatively quick and easy to get contact lenses or glasses from as little as £10. If there is something more seriously wrong, regular eye examinations allow opticians to identify this in the early stages and hopefully take early medical action.
Sadly there are still some people who go blind and when we consider them, it hopefully reminds us just how precious our eyesight is.
For Bartimaeus in the first century he would not have been so lucky, hence his downfall and change in circumstances. Like many he falls to bottom of the pile in society through no fault of his own. He is sat on his cloak, which would serve as both a cushion and also essential protection from the cold nights – probably his most precious possession, and he hears the commotion of the crowds as Jesus approaches.
He has no doubt heard of Jesus’ reputation for mercy and healing and calls to him, only to be hidden and crowded out by others who look down on him. They probably thought that as a beggar he didn’t even have a right to be near Jesus. But Bartimaeus had strong faith that Jesus would rescue those in need. We need to be clear here that faith is not about being well versed and articulate in the scriptures and being able to quote chapter and verse in the Bible, it’s about belief in our saviour. Bartimaeus was resilient in his faith and persists in shouting to Jesus until he is heard.
When Jesus hears Bartimaeus, he does not go to him and neither does he call out for Bartimaeus to come to Him. Rather, he tells those who have been trying to keep him away that they should call him and bring him to Jesus. This is an example of how the prophesy in Jeremiah above is fulfilled, where people from all over the world will be united in God’s family, including the lame and the blind.
Moreover, it is a call to all of us to be inclusive and to help rather than shun people who are afflicted in any way.
I think there is also a more subtle message as well. Everyone is deserving of Jesus, as Christians the last thing we should do is try hide others from Him or keep Him for ourselves. We are called to share the good news and not obstruct how God works in the world where He chooses to work.
When Bartimaeus was allowed to see Jesus he became a follower and went with him all the way to Jerusalem and the cross. That opportunity and his active faith was all he needed to become a devoted member of Jesus’ followers and community. He left behind his most treasured and important possession to follow Jesus in faith. This is in stark contrast to the ‘rich young man’ [Mark 10], who we read about 2 weeks ago, who went away unhappy and grieving when Jesus told him that the way to enter the Kingdom of God was to give his money to the poor.
When we think of vision we normally think of eyesight but it can also refer to what vision we have of the future. If Jesus were to ask you, ‘what do you want me to do?’, What would you reply? Might you perhaps ask for a clearer renewed vison of a better world, or a different way of seeing the world based on faith, love and trust in Jesus. Paul
Our Prayers
Loving Father,
We pray for those who are looked down on by others and
for a better world where all people feel included and valued.
Lord, let that vision of hope start with us,
and bless us with the active faith that Bartimaeus showed.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "The Spirit Lives to Set Us Free"
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Twentyfirst Sunday after Trinity. Our Church Services today are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'. If you are unable to be with us in person, you'll find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Let all Mortal Flesh Keep Silence"
Today's Bible Reading
Hebrews 5:1-10Jesus the Great High Priest
Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honour, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,
“You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place,
“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Reflection
Perhaps a good place to start to unwrap this passage is to think about the question - what is a priest?
There are many ways we could answer this but here are some of the qualities and descriptions that you may recognise from the Bible.
Priest are called to worship God and lead us in our worship. They are appointed by God to be his representative on earth and to represent the people to God. For want of a better phrase, to act as the bridge between God and his people.
A priest will represent people with prayer and will lead others in a prayerful life. They will show us how to be reverent and God fearing. In the old testament the priest would make blood offerings of burnt animal sacrifices on the peoples’ behalf as an atonement for our numerous sins. A priest would be required to acknowledge his own sins and pray for his own forgiveness as well as those he represents.
You may be familiar with some of the priests of ancient time such as Moses, his elder brother Aaron and their descendants. They were also responsible for ensuring that the laws of the ten commandments were followed as well as more and more laws of their own making.
So you may be wondering who Melchizedek is and how was this order of priests any different from the Levite priests like Aaron?
Melchizedek first appears in Genesis 14, in the time of Abraham 400 years before Moses and 2000 years before Jesus. He is described not only as a priest but as the ‘Priest of the ‘Most High God’ – our God. He is also described as the king of Salem, (which many people believe came to be known as Jerusalem), and St. Paul described Melchizedek as king of righteousness and king of peace.
What is also important about Melchizedek is that when this mysterious priest and king offered a sacrifice before Abraham he did not use traditionally prescribed burnt offerings but celebrated with bread and wine – a fore sign of the Eucharist. Also a sign that he was a priest of a totally different order.
When we look at Jesus, we should have no doubt that He is not only priest of the Most High God, but that He is the Most High Priest of eternity appointed by God. Hebrews 5, describes how Jesus is the true servant willing to give everything for us. The High Priest who prayed so hard that his sweat was like drops of blood, [Luke 22:44].
He was the Priest who rather than sacrifice a burnt offering, chose to sacrifice his own body so that we can be at one with God. Unlike other priests, Jesus was free from sin, He did not have to atone for his own sins so his sacrifice on the cross was an atonement for all our sins then and now. He is the one who continues to pray and intercede for us every second of every day and acts as the ultimate bridge between God and ourselves.
Jesus is obedient and loving, he deals gently with all of us who have strayed from the path of righteousness, He shows us compassion and forgiveness.
We too as members of His church, whether ordained or not, are called to follow that model of kindness and service.
In the related Gospel reading for today [Mark 10: 32-45], Jesus has been telling his disciples that the Son of Man is about to humiliated and condemned to death. Without thinking, James and John ask Jesus what they could do for him in order to sit at his right and left hand in glory. Clearly their request is not thought through and they no doubt thought that, as part of the inner circle, they are entitled to step into the limelight. But Jesus gently reminds them that we should do things out of love of others, not for status.
Greatness comes not from wanting to be noticed or seen to be doing things, not from self-importance and making one’s mark, but from service and serving each other with humility. We all need to make sacrifices at times; as Jesus says, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.As Great High Priest, Jesus calls us to quietly and humbly do what we can, when we can. Paul
Our Prayers
Merciful Father,
As we strive to be more like you each day,
Help us to do so out of love,
and the recognition that it is our duty to care for each other.
May we not seek glory or personal gratification,
but to be satisfied that we are following in your footsteps.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen
Our final hymn today is "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine"
