Sunday 28th June 2020

Sunday Worship 28th June

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

This weekend is a very special one for many ordained people. Tomorrow is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul. Most ordinations take place in Petertide, so many priests will this weekend be reflecting back over their years as priest and probably also wondering what the future holds. I was ordained Deacon in 2001 and priest in 2002, both of these taking place in our cathedral, and today I remember those moving, life changing services. Today our new deacons in this diocese will begin work, but their ordination has had to be postponed because of the current situation. Please pray for them today and in the weeks to come. We all have a vocation, and now, as the church is undoubtedly entering a time of uncertainty and change, is a really good time to think and pray about our role in the church, about what God’s plan is for our lives. This may mean big changes in our lives, or small ones, it may mean stepping forward or it may involve some stepping back. Friday (3rd) is St Thomas’ Day, so also a good time to think and pray about the future of this parish.

Edith 

Our first hymn today is "Take My Life And Let It Be"

Today's Bible reading - 

Today’s gospel passage is very short but very powerful. It comes at the end of chapter 10 of Matthew’s gospel, at the end of what is called Jesus’ missionary discourse to his disciples. 

In the gospel readings for the last two weeks we heard Jesus sending his disciples out to continue his work, warning them that it won’t all be easy. Matthew, of course, is not only recalling Jesus' instructions to his first disciples; he is also speaking to his own community of disciples a few generations later – and to us today. There is still need to send out labourers into the harvest, to send missionaries out beyond the community into a perilous world. And those sent will still need to depend on the hospitality of others. Jesus says of those who enact such hospitality, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.  

The verses in today’s passage speak about hospitality as receiving and welcoming the stranger. In today's gospel text, Jesus reminds us of a very profound privilege, and, along with that, a tremendous responsibility. He tells us that we represent and symbolize him before others. He tells us that the reverse is also true: namely, that others represent and symbolize him before us. Jesus assures us that he himself is present in our lives when we welcome others into our midst. He is also present when others do the same for us. Jesus is present each and every day in the hospitality that we offer others and others offer us. We bring Christ before others in our homes, in the church, in school, at work, at play, in the whole world. 

What would happen if, every day, we were always conscious of this truth and did our best to put it into practice? When we offer and receive hospitality Jesus is made present. This truly is the most precious gift we could give to anyone! Most of us probably don't find it too difficult to offer hospitality to our family and friends, but what about the stranger, the youth playing football in the street, the neighbor we meet across the back lane, the fellow worker on the assembly line that speaks a different language, the fellow student in a wheel chair? How often do we welcome these and similar people who have fallen through the cracks or who are labeled outcasts in our society? Do we give them the gift of Christ's presence? Or do we say to ourselves, they got their own people who look out for them? I don’t want to mess with them…Hospitality is risky business. 

An open heart and an open home or church can be a target for unpleasant experiences. But, it can also be the recipient of unexpected surprises. The real meaning of hospitality is found in inviting someone who cannot repay you, someone who is unfamiliar to you. Then the concept of hospitality receives a Christ related meaning. Christ is the Hospitality of God toward us. He invites all of us, from all languages and cultures, to His great banquet, the feast which none of us can repay. Christ is God’s hospitality toward us. God gives Himself fully to us in His Son Jesus Christ. In fact, He did not spare His own life to show us how much He wants us to be with him for all eternity. But, God doesn’t only give Himself fully to us. He also fully receives us and accepts us as we are. In Christ we experience both sides of the coin of God’s hospitality toward us. 

To be faithful disciples, we need to push the boundaries of what we find comfortable. It is hard for many of us but with God’s help it is not impossible. So the next time you give or receive hospitality remember to rejoice in the other person’s presence. Remember that it may make all the difference in the world to the person who receives your hospitality. And the reverse is also true, someone may be the very presence of Christ for you in an unexpected time and place. Whenever you give or receive hospitality in the name of Christ, God himself is present. 

Edith

Today's second hymn is a favourite at Ordinations - "I, The Lord Of Sea And Sky"

Today's prayers

And our final hymn for today is "Shout To The Lord"

Mid-week Joy 24th June 2020

Mid-week Joy

Welcome again to our mid-week celebration of all the great things happening in Leesfield Parish and beyond.

Our Sunday service details will be here at the weekend, but there's so much more we would love to share with you in the meantime.

In this Thursday's Worship for all Generations we celebrate the Nativity of St John the Baptist. Everyone is warmly invited to join us at 6.30 pm on our facebook page - Leesfield Parish 

Last weekend Edith managed to take a well-earned day off, and visited Etherow Country Park, where she took this great photo of some geese and their goslings. Along with our Sunday schools we've been looking at matching up wildlife photos with bible verses, but so far we haven't been able to find any reference to geese in the bible. However, the wild goose is an ancient Celtic symbol of the Holy Spirit, originating on the island of Iona, and that's where this week's musical item comes from. To listen to this lovely song of hope please click on the following link - Iona.org.uk/2020/06/15/we-will-meet-a-new-song-by-john-l-bell

The hope to meet again in our churches is gradually being fulfilled as the lockdown restrictions begin to ease. St Thomas' Church is now open for private prayer from 2 - 4 pm every Sunday, but with physical distancing and hygiene precautions in place. Unfortunately St Agnes' Church cannot be opened at present because the building is just too small to allow for safe distancing. Some small church services are expected to follow, as soon as we are have guidance from the Government, Church of England and the Diocese.

The PCC will meet next Monday via "Zoom" - please pray for us as we try to "get all our ducks in a row".

Covid19 and the lockdown have done nothing to stop our brilliant Sunday school families and friends joining in the Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research UK. Karen, Amy and Annie, Louise and Evie, Sarah, Eva, Sean and Joseph, and Chrissie have raised a fantastic £555 so far, and it's not too late for you to sponsor them. To find out more and make a donation just click here - https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/team/st-thomas-leesfield-sunday-school 

And finally, this week's nature feature also comes from Edith's day out -  a lovely video of moorhens feeding their chicks - https://www.facebook.com/edith.disley.7/videos/163916771923340/

Sunday 21st June 2020

Sunday Worship 21st June

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

This weekend we reach the longest day of the year.  We won’t notice for some weeks the gradual shortening of the days after his weekend, but the date is at least symbolic. I am writing this a little in advance, but the forecast does suggest the weather will be quite good. I hope this proves to be true. 

As we see continued lifting of the restrictions placed on us, I hope you are all managing to stay safe. It is certainly pleasanter when we can get out into our gardens or other open spaces. We still cannot gather in any numbers, or return to church as before. However, we are now allowed to open for private prayer. 

So from today St Thomas’ Church will be open for private prayer from 2pm to 4pm each Sunday. There are, of course, restrictions. We are not allowed to be in groups, (apart from our own household), only certain areas of the church will be accessible and the toilet and community room are not in use. If you do plan to drop in, do remember social distancing, and the guidance for people in any vulnerable group.

Our experiences over the last months will have been varied. It is easy to focus on the difficulties, but it would be good if we could share the positives from this. I hope you can identify some good things that have happened for you, and that you can enjoy each day as it comes.

Edith

Our first hymn for today is "Just As I Am"

Today's Bible reading - 

Putting together a sermon for sending out (email or snail mail) or posting on Facebook is very different to writing one for a Sunday service. Lack of space means, apart from anything else, that only one reading is used. 

For today I really wanted to give you one of the other readings too, from Jeremiah (20:7-13) Perhaps you could look that one up? I will refer to it, and hope you can follow my train of thought. 

Both the gospel passage above, and the reading from Jeremiah have something to say about our discipleship, about our call to be Christians. Do you know which command is repeated most often in the Bible? You may be surprised to hear that it is “Do not be afraid” – repeated 3 times in today’s Gospel passage. You can see why Jesus keeps saying it to his disciples. He’s sending them out, with dire warnings about the things that they will face. Matthew records Jesus reminding His followers that God protects them, and that they are of more value than many sparrows to him. This isn’t always a great consolation. Sometimes, like him they will long for ordinary friendships, for family life, for simple pleasures, without the awful responsibility of being God’s chosen ones.  

The prophet Jeremiah lived through times of enormous political upheaval. His long career saw a good king, a couple of bad kings, a weak king and the forced deportation of all but the dregs of the population. Jeremiah had warned about most of this in advance, but his foresight had won him no friends. He was increasingly isolated from the people he was born to serve and at times his life was threatened by those who couldn’t bear to hear the truth. Perhaps he could have refused to pass on what God gave him to say, but in today’s lament Jeremiah cries out that not to speak is as painful as the fear and loneliness that follows after he has spoken. Jeremiah doesn’t have any choice about what he is to say. He is given words of violence and destruction however much he longs to speak love and reassurance. So the words we hear from Jeremiah are words of deep despair. Jeremiah almost hates God – and we need to know that that is OK. Jeremiah accuses God of lying to him and forcing his words on him. All around him, he hears whispers, sees shadows, anyone of which could mean his death – except that the God who assaults him is also the one who protects him from others. What we have here is a one-sided picture of Jeremiah’s relationship with God – and it may well be one we can share to some extent.

Life as a Christian isn’t all sweetness and light– it can be hard.  Just as Jeremiah hates the God who calls him to serve so we may also blame God for our difficulties – and that is all right! Briefly then, three points:- 

1. We all have a calling. We are all chosen by God for particular roles.  And how do we find out what God wants of us? – we must, we really must, listen to him. 

2. We are allowed to be angry with God. Christians are not promised an easy ride – we are still human beings and life can be hard. If angry is what we are we must tell him. Of course he knows, but if we don’t talk to God we don’t listen either. And he is big enough to take it! 

3. We are all precious to God. Whatever we do, we are precious to him.

Edith  

Today's second hymn is "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer"

Today's prayers -

And our final hymn for today is the more modern but much loved "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord )"

Mid-week Joy 17th June 2020

Mid-week Joy

Welcome again to our mid-week celebration of all the great things happening in Leesfield Parish and beyond.

Our Sunday service details will be here at the weekend, but there's so much more we would love to share with you in the meantime. 

Worship for all Generations is back on Thursday - with a "Father's Day preview". Everyone is welcome to join us on our facebook page - Leesfield Parish

  

This week's musical item comes from the Oldham Learning Disability team, who have produced a signalong video to Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds to send out to people with Learning Disabilities, their families and staff teams. It may be some time before we are able to sing hymns in church - so if anybody could teach us how to sign them we'd love to hear from you.

As the Government continues to ease lockdown restrictions, we are now permitted to open church buildings for private prayer, subject to strict observance of distancing and hygiene rules. St Thomas' Church will be open from this Sunday, but unfortunately St Agnes' Church is just too small for this to happen. Please see the poster below for more details.

Our Sunday school children and adults have been sharing their favourite Bible stories, and why they love them on their facebook page - St Thomas Leesfield Sunday School . We would love to hear what your favourites are too so we can share them with all our friends.

They have also been sharing their beautiful nature photos, taken in their own gardens or whilst out on walks. It would be lovely if we could link the photos to Bible verses to create a feature for forthcoming issues of "Mid-week Joy", so please do let us know if you can help.

Many of our regular followers will be familiar with our Carol singing around the village and in Lees Co-op to raise funds for the Booth Centre for homeless people in Manchester. The centre has recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and posted the following on its facebook page :- 

Introducing our 25th-anniversary mosaic… now proudly displayed on our wall!

The mosaic was designed and created by our art group and is another example of the hard work and creativity that happens at the Centre.

If you would like to support the work of the Booth Centre please consider donating by clicking on the following link - https://www.boothcentre.org.uk/donate.html

Sunday 14th June 2020

Sunday Worship 14th June

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

If we were in church, you would see that today we change the colour of our vestments. The Easter season is over, we move from white to green as we move into what the church calls Ordinary Time. So we have been out of church since mid-Lent and have “missed” Easter completely in terms of being in church. It seems odd timing that our great season of celebration has coincided with what we are calling the lockdown. I am not a great believer in coincidences, and I am pondering the significance of this. What do you think? As we move from that great festival we are also seeing a lifting of the restrictions on us. Hopefully this heralds a more ordinary time in other ways too. We still, as I write this, have no indication of when we may return to church and so we will continue to produce written material including readings, sermons and prayers on Sundays, together with videos and Neil continues with his Thursday evening service each week too. I hope you are able to find enough to resource you in all this. It isn’t enough – we need to be able to gather again – but it is the best we can in these circumstances.

Edith

Our first hymn for today is "Will You Let Me Be Your Servant"

The Bible reading for today -

No one can really operate effectively by themselves. We need companions, colleagues. We need them in order to be truly human – being human is all about relationships. And we need people to share in the work we have to do. If you have a big task to undertake, who do you ask to help you with it? Your friends, people you like and who like you? People who you know will be good at the task? What about whether they will all get on? 
In today’s gospel passage we see Jesus gathering his disciples around him and sending them out to continue the work. Up to this point the disciples have been followers. The have been close to Jesus and seen what he did, and been amazed by it all, but up to this point Jesus has made all the decisions, handled all the tricky moments, steered them through the towns and villages and taken all the criticisms. Now he’s telling them to go off and do it themselves. We can imagine how they must have felt! They were very ordinary men – men with no wealth or academic background or social position. Jesus is not looking for extraordinary people, but for ordinary people who can do extraordinary things, or do ordinary things extraordinarily well. Jesus sees in each one of us not only what we are but also what he can make us. Jesus chose his disciples not only for what they were but also for what they were capable of becoming under his influence and power. 
We need never think that we have nothing to offer Jesus for Jesus can take what the most ordinary people can offer and use it for greatness. It is really important that we be open to what we are being led to do, that we listen to God with open hearts and minds. Back to the gospel passage for today. Jesus, then, sends out his disciples with clear instructions. They are not to show off, it isn’t about them as individuals. They are to be healers, restorers, people who will bring life and hope to others. They are to be scrupulous about avoiding any suggestion they are in it to make money. They are not to take cash with them, or any begging bowl. It is expected that those who receive them will feed them, but the gospel, the all-important message, is free. Jesus mission goes on – he chose his 12 – and they were a success – they stayed the course, and most went beyond that. Because of them the church exists. 
And we Christians take that mission on – learning from those stories of the choosing and sending out of the disciples. We are chosen, and appointed to our role, we must go on learning and being open, we must be in the presence of Christ if we are to take his message out to others, and we must be sure that that message IS his and not just our own. Above all, we must remember and take seriously our role as disciples of Christ in this place at this time. 

Edith

Our second hymn for today is the great Charles Wesley anthem "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing"

Today's Prayers -

And our final hymn is "We are Marching in the Light of God" , the English Language version of "Siyahamba", which originated in South Africa -

  

Mid-week Joy 10th June 2020

Mid-week Joy

Welcome again to our mid-week celebration of all the great things happening in Leesfield Parish and beyond.

Our Sunday service details will be here at the weekend, but there's so much more we would love to share with you in the meantime. 

Worship for all Generations is back on Thursday - with "Fruit of the Spirit part two". Everyone is welcome to join us on our facebook page - Leesfield Parish

On Monday this week Manchester Diocese invited us to join them in protesting through prayer and reflecting on the theme: Loving Harder than the Hatred. You can watch the full event on our facebook page, or you may wish to use the prayer below.

This week's Musical item is "Siyahamba", performed in memory of the late Nelson Mandela.

As the government eases lockdown, there is now talk about how and when churches may be able to open their doors again. This will require a great deal of careful thought, and the Standing Committee and PCC are preparing to meet via Zoom to discuss this. What we are certain of is that it will not be "business as usual" for some time, so here's a humorous (and possibly accurate) picture of what going to church could look like in the near future.

Our Sunday schools have been thinking about the things they would like to pray for, and several of the children have written their own prayers. You can see these and all the other activities on their facebook page by clicking on this link - St Thomas Leesfield SundaySchool

This week we would have been celebrating "Cherish Your Churchyard Week", with activities around the church. We can't do that this year, so here's a lovely photo of the children on their Easter Egg Hunt on the lawn.

Churches reopening?

Church opening?

There has been some talk in the media about churches opening on June 15th. I need to clarify what this means. It is NOT business as usual. It means we can open for individual supervised private prayer. If someone goes into church, they have to be watched, and everywhere they have touched needs to be cleaned carefully when they leave. So, while it would be lovely to return to normal, this is a long way off. I will let people know when returning to church becomes possible.

Edith

Sunday 7th June 2020

Trinity Sunday

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

We do seem to be in rather uncertain times. Back in March, when the lockdown was first announced, though things became difficult quite suddenly, it was fairly clear what was needed, how we were expected to act. Since the beginning of the easing of the lockdown it does seem less clear. Not helped by the rather public breaking of the rules by some, we do have less certainty. Many are desperate for life to return to normal, whatever that means, and it is clear that life won’t return to what it was for quite some time. We want to meet family and friends again, we’d like to travel, to shop as we did before ….. But there is still a great deal of fear around, and confusion over how to proceed. After weeks at home, many are reluctant to go out and about again. There is worry over schools reopening, and how that is to be managed. The legacy of the past three months or so will be huge. Some relationships have been put under great strain, many people’s financial futures will have been made uncertain, children’s learning will have been affected and their social lives upset. Many people will have been affected in different ways. As a community, it is important that we recognise that we are all different. Some will have stories they need to tell, much to share, and that may not all be easy. As we come together, little by little, it is important that we are gentle with ourselves and with each other. 
Edith

Our first hymn for today is "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind"

The Bible reading for today -

Some time ago, as they walked to school, one of my grandsons (Isaac) said to his mum “So, is Jesus his own dad then?” I never heard the reply – though it may have been along the lines of “ask grandma”. This innocent question does rather sum up the difficulty we have with the doctrine of the Trinity. Today is Trinity Sunday, and Trinity Sunday is possibly the Sunday that preachers least like to preach on.  At this stage in the church’s year, we have had the drama of holy week, the desolation of the crucifixion, the elation of the resurrection, the puzzle of the Ascension and then, last Sunday we commemorated the coming of the Spirit. Now all that is behind us and we move on to today when we restate our ideas on the nature of God. We have talked, prayed and sung about the son, Jesus, and of the final moments of his life on this earth. Of his rising from, his conquering of the power of the grave and hence the promise of eternal life. And of his leaving this place to return to the father at the Ascension. At the Ascension Christ told his disciples that he would ask the Father to send “another comforter” And so followed the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. God is composed of Father, Son and Holy Spirit – three elements making up one God.  And it is important that we are clear that we are not talking about three Gods. The three aspects of God are moving, interweaving. While we 
might talk of the Father, Son and Spirit these are indivisible, inseparable aspects of the nature of God. We talk of each aspect as separate but that is just a way of coping with the complexity of the thing. Human minds are limited – we have to accept that we can’t understand or explain everything! In today’s Gospel passage, which is known as the great commission, Jesus gives his disciples their instructions, tells them what is to happen now. In that short passage he gives them three tasks. The first is to make disciples. Just as Jesus called his the fishermen by the Sea of Galilee and trained them up so they learned to understand his Kingdom message, so his followers ever since have the responsibility of calling men, women and children to follow him and train them to understand his message and follow his way. Sadly, this has sometimes been used as an excuse for intolerance, or even persecution, of those of other faiths. The second task is to baptise, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Baptism is not an optional extra for followers of Jesus. Baptism is the public, physical and visible way in which someone is marked out with the holy name. The third task is to teach. Christians are to learn about the faith and to pass that learning on. So, a short Gospel passage with huge content. Three tasks for every Christian to have in mind always. But note that these tasks are topped and tailed as it were with promises at the beginning and end of the passage.  The reason we are to do these things is because he already has all authority, and the promise that sustains us in these tasks is that he is with us always and forever. 
Edith

Our second hymn is "Holy, Holy, Holy"

Today's Prayers -

And our final hymn today is "Tell out my Soul"

Mid-week Joy 3rd June 2020

Mid-week Joy

Welcome again to our mid-week celebration of all the great things happening in Leesfield Parish and beyond.

Our Sunday service details will be here at the weekend, but there's so much more we would love to share with you in the meantime. 

The theme for this Thursday's Worship for all Generations is "Fruit of the Spirit" , and you can join us on our facebook page by clicking on the following link - Leesfield Parish

This week's musical item is from our friends Joanne & Steve from Dearne Big Band, who performed for us at a fundraiser a few years ago. As well as helping us out with the music for the Churches Together online service for Pentecost, they've been entertaining their neighbours as part of the weekly "Clap for Carers". They were definitely not misbehavin' (at a time when quite a few other people may have been) - to watch please click on the following link - Ain't misbehavin'

Here's a calendar filled with daily activities - have a Joyful June! 

We managed to celebrate Pentecost together in a Churches Together in Lees and District joint service - ifyou missed it you can still watch on the blog page for the 31st May.

Our Sunday Schools also celebrated by sharing some photos of earlier Whit Walks. A few are shown below, but to see more just click on this link to the Sunday School Facebook page - St Thomas Leesfield Sunday School

RACE FOR LIFE AT HOME
Harvest Queen Annie and her retinue and Sunday School friends are still going ahead with the Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research, but at home between now and the end of June.

Everyone is doing their own type of “Race for Life” with the Yates family, who are currently shielding, walking round their field for 5k. Amy, who has recently taken up running, plans on running 5k a day for 14 (her age) days. Chrissie Whitehead is currently practising for her 10k and others including Annie have also decided to do 10k as they can complete it over a few days around the beautiful countryside in our area. Anyone who wishes to join them please message this page and we'll forward your message to Karen.
PLEASE SPONSOR THEM online with the link below. THANK YOU. St Thomas Leesfield Sunday School Race for Life 

Hope you had fun doing the Leesfield Parish Photo Quiz - the answers are below.

And if you were wondering what photo 8 was about - here's how it happened - The teddy bear accident

Our final item for today involves both nature and music. Thank you Beryl for sending it in!

See you at the weekend!