Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Seventh Sunday of Easter. Today is our Annual Parochial Church meeting, and we have only one service in the parish - at 11.15 am at St Thomas' Church.
If you are unable to attend our services in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "I Cannot tell, why He whom Angels Worship"
Today's Gospel
John 17:1-11 Jesus Prays for Himself and His Followers
Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”
Reflection
A few years ago, one of our former vicars, Edith, started a prayer group. It was attended by a few who would come together and explore prayer. Sometimes with candles, or hand held objects or music. We experimented with different things as we explored different ways of reaching out to God and one another guided by the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes we discussed and prayed about things in the world, or in our schools and community, and sometimes, if people were comfortable sharing things, we prayed for and about each other.
I have a similar prayer group with some of my friends from college which has been a true blessing as we journeyed together as ordinands over the years. We continue to pray through our ups and down, highlights and worries, and find spiritual strength guided by the Spirit as we reflect about what is going on in our lives, our old and new parishes and also across the wider world.
Prayer is always special but there is something even more powerful when we come together as a group and pray as friends, and even more so when we pray for one another. It can be an intense and also unifying experience.
In John 17, it feels like John has invited us to eavesdrop into Jesus’ prayer group with his closest friends - Those who will soon become his apostles, charged with the responsibility of continuing to take His message to the wider world and build his Church. John brings us into Jesus presence as he prays with his disciples just before he goes to the Cross.
It starts with Jesus praying for himself, not in a selfish way but for his glorification through what he knows lies ahead and also for the glorification of God the Father. He is praying for his coming re-unification with the Father and for the disciples to understand all that has happened and what will happen.
During our Ascension Day service last Thursday, Rev. Kirsten talked about the contrast between Christmas and the Ascension – the former being Jesus’ human incarnation on earth and the latter being the reversal, where Jesus returns to heaven to be re-united with God.
It reminds us that Jesus existed and was one with God the Father before he came to earth, and moreover, how much he set aside to become human and be with us. We are also reminded that Jesus has been with God since the beginning of time, before the world existed and will remain with God until the end of the ages. Jesus is eternal in unity with God and the Holy Spirit. At his ascension, he is re-united in heaven at the right hand of God.
Whilst he is praying, Jesus is mindful of his faithful disciples. Amidst the talk of his glorification, he prays for his faithful and beloved disciples; he asks the Father to watch over them and protect them on the perilous mission that lies ahead after he has gone. He prays that they are protected so that they might know the sort of unity that exists within the Godhead.
At first glance we might think that he is only praying for his disciples – But if we read the prayer carefully, we can see Jesus extends his prayer to all who have received the truth that came from the Father to us though Christ and who believe in him. He is not just praying for the disciples but for all who believe and have been glorified in him and for those who are persecuted or ridiculed for their faith.
I mentioned how powerful it can feel when you know people are praying with you and for you, even if you are not present when the prayers are said. How absolutely wonderful and beloved do you feel when you realise that Jesus is praying for you alongside his disciples and across time when he says - “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”? How marvellous is it to know that not only is he praying for our protection but also for our unity with him? As we eavesdrop on Jesus praying, we witness his invitation to join him in unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. How special does that make you feel today? Our unity is Jesus’ prayer for himself.Paul
Our Prayers
Loving heavenly Father,
Thank You that You sent Jesus to enable all who believe in Him
to be witnesses to the truth of Your Word.
Bind us together in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
to seek unity and reconciliation in our broken world,
as we spread the Good News of your wonderful plan of redemption,
through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Christ Triumphant, Ever Reigning"
Notices
Next Sunday is Pentecost, and the arrangements are shown in the poster below
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Sixth Sunday of Easter. 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 "Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness"
Today's Gospel
John 14:15-21 The Promise of the Holy Spirit
Jesus said, ”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 will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”
Reflection
Our Gospel passage today is a continuation from last week, where Jesus is comforting His disciples following his disclosure that he will soon die. It’s part of what is known as Jesus’ ‘farewell disclosure’ during the Last Supper.
Last week we looked at Jesus’ message to follow Him, and what that meant following His commandment to love one another and follow His example. Here we see Jesus emphasising that same message – He starts by making it clear that the only way to show how much they love Jesus is keep His commandments. Jesus isn’t looking for signs of sorrow and mourning, He is looking for positive love in the way they love others as He loved them.
As I think about this, I try to put myself in the disciples’ shoes – they’ve been following Him for a few years and witnessed some pretty awesome events, and heard first hand how Jesus interprets God’s word in a new and refreshing way. So they must be thinking, How do we follow an act like that? How can we possibly follow Jesus’ commandments and live up to His example without Him by our sides to guide us?
Jesus, of course, knows and understands their innermost doubts and so He promises to ask the Father to send another advocate - the Holy Spirit. A comforter who will abide in them and be constantly guiding and encouraging them, strengthening them as they grow in the power of Christ to go forward and spread the good news of the risen Lord.
Jesus is addressing the questions and doubts that we heard about in last weeks reflection. But more than that, He is alluding to nature of the Spirit and the need to be open to it through our faith in Jesus and the Father.
When he says, “This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him”, Jesus is describing those who are still alienated from God and the knowledge of His son. Importantly, that does not mean that an unbeliever cannot become a believer. Everyone is capable of becoming a believer and turning to faith - that happens to people every day. It is up to the disciples and followers here and now, who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to channel that precious gift and share it as widely as possible.
I mentioned the doubt that the disciples must have felt, being daunted at the challenge of carrying on Jesus’ footsteps after He had gone. How would they spread the message without Him?
I suspect many of us feel like that from time to time, and I’ve heard the worry expressed by several people in our churches. Sometimes it is voiced in words such as, ‘Why do so few people come to church nowadays?’
We too need to have faith and follow Jesus’ commandment to love one another and trust in the Holy Spirit that was sent for all to enable us to be active disciples. We can follow the examples of the first disciples and pray together and for each other, especially those who have yet to come to faith.
Perhaps as part of our personal prayer and reflection, we could pose these questions to ourselves – “ When and how did I show love to someone today?” Or maybe, when did I fail to show love to someone today? Whatever our answer is, we can pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to be truthful in our response, and if need be, encourage us to do better next time.
Because the Holy Spirit is not sent to judge us or to make us feel bad The Holy Spirit is sent to be alongside us, to guide us and comfort us and help us to carry on Jesus’ mission.
When was the last time you talked to someone about your faith either to your family, friends or even a stranger? If we don’t talk about Jesus to anyone outside church, how can we share the our faith effectively. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us to share our faith and give the Spirit an opportunity to bring more people into the joy and love of our gracious Father.
Paul
Our Prayers
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the blessing of your Holy Spirit,
to be alongside us,
guiding, comforting and strengthening us.
Send us out each day in confidence,
to proclaim our faith to those we meet in our life journeys,
And bring new followers into your kingdom.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Breathe on me, Breath of God"
Notices
Ascension Day is this Thursday, and there will be a service at St Thomas’ Church at 7 pm.
This week is Christian Aid Week, and we are having a ‘Big Brekkie’ on Friday 15th May from 8.45 to 10.45 am to raise funds for Christian Aid, so please come along and join us if you can.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Our Church Service this morning at St Agnes' is at 9.15, and St Thomas' service is at the slightly later time of 11.30.
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
John 14:1-14 Jesus Comforts His Disciples
Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “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.”
Reflection
You could be forgiven if you feel a little confused after listening to John’s Gospel reading today. Here we are 5 weeks after Easter, when Jesus has risen and has been seen by Mary, the disciples and many others since his resurrection, and yet we find ourselves back in the room at the last supper.
So to remind ourselves of the context, Jesus and the disciples are at the Passover meal and in the course of the evening he had told them some pretty bad news. Firstly, He’s told them one of the disciples will betray him to the Romans, then He’s told Peter that he will deny knowing Jesus 3 times before day break, and last but not least that He will soon be killed. Even as He is now speaking to them, Judas is undertaking his act of treachery.
A short while before, he was washing their feet and giving them a new commandment to love one another, and now he’s turned the whole mood upside down. It’s hard to imagine the atmosphere in the room and how the disciples must have felt. After all, they have left everything behind to follow Jesus, and they realise as well that their own lives are also at risk. Apart from being confused they must have felt very vulnerable and frightened.
So Jesus tries to reassure them. He loves them and wants to set their minds at rest. He shifts their minds and their focus away from fear, and calls them to have belief and faith. He wants them to understand that death is not the end, and that they can have eternal life through faith and trust in him. He says; “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” Jesus starts to outline why they should trust in Him, even after he is gone. He lays out the case in plain language and says, “I am going to prepare a place for you”.
When Thomas is still puzzled, Jesus elaborates and says to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”
Then Philip joins in the questioning, asking Jesus to show them the Father. Thomas and Philip were willing to ask the questions that were no doubt troubling the whole group, because at this stage of course, they had not experienced the glorious resurrection of Jesus. In their minds they didn’t know where Jesus was going to. They hadn’t yet fully grasped that Jesus was divine and was God.
Of course they wanted to believe and trust in Jesus, but they were totally perplexed. So, in the short time they had before Jesus left them all alone, they absolutely wanted to understand how they would go about following him.
They needed to know how to get to this wonderful dwelling place which Jesus was going to prepare for them. It must have felt like Jesus was making lots of reassuring promises but hadn’t given them all the pieces to the jigsaw. And perhaps there is a hint of frustration from Jesus when he says to Philip, 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 disciples were looking for a physical map to follow, but Jesus wasn’t talking about following a route map, He was talking about following in His ways and teachings. Something that the disciples wouldn’t fully understand until after his resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, when the missing pieces of the jigsaw would fall into place.
So what does this say to us here in Hey and Lees? The message is exactly the same. Jesus calls each and every one of us to follow Him. To live the way that He showed His disciples, following His commandment made at the last supper, to love one another as He loved us. He calls us to believe in Him and whilst we haven’t physically seen Him, we witness Him in the Good news of the Gospels, and we see God in all creation and His grace in the miracles that continue to happen across the world.
When we believe and trust in Jesus, He will show us the way to God’s dwelling place where He prepares a place for all who believe and trust in Him. But He won’t send us a link to Google maps in our ‘in box’, because in verse 3, Jesus promises “I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” Paul
Our Prayers
Risen and reigning Lord,
Strengthen our faith and trust in you,
that our troubled hearts may be assured
that you have gone to prepare a place for us,
so that where you are, we may be also and
that the Father will come to us through you.
Amen
Todays final hymn is "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer"
Notices
Our Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) will take place at St Thomas’ Church at 12.15 pm on Sunday 17th May. On that day we will have a Parish Eucharist at 11.15 am at St Thomas’, and there will be no service at St Agnes’.
The APCM is where we review the parish activities and finances for the previous year, and elect Churchwardens and parish officers for the coming year, so it’s really important that as many people as possible attend.
There is a great need at both churches for people to step up into various roles, not only for what we see at worship on Sundays and midweek, but also for everything that happens in the background to enable Leesfield Parish to continue to thrive at the heart of our community.
