Sunday Worship
Please see the notice after the final hymn about private prayer.
Our first hymn this morning is "All My Hope On God Is Founded"
Today's Gospel -
Reflection
As we go through November, we head towards to the end of Church year which finishes before Advent. In the next few weeks, the Gospel readings point us towards the second coming of Jesus and the final day of judgement.
In today’s Gospel, often referred to as the Parable of the 10 maidens, is not as much about the wise and the foolish but about the wait leading up to the second coming. A wait that has been over two millennium so far, probably longer than anyone expected and who knows how much longer. No one can know how long Jesus’ return will be delayed, but as result of that delay we can be thankful that we have been born and have the opportunity to participate in God’s grace and experience the everlasting life that Jesus has prepared for us.
For many the coming of the end of the world and final judgement seems almost abstract no matter how strong our faith may be. But we can be sure it will happen because Jesus said He is coming, and coming on a day and at an hour when you don't expect Him.
Waiting can make us impatient even when we know for definite when an event will occur, especially if we are waiting for something pleasant like an anniversary or a holiday, and of course Christmas. On the other hand, waiting can be arduous and stressful - for example when we are waiting for test results or the outcome of a job interview.
Whether Jesus returns next week or the next millennium one thing we do know is that we must be prepared and not be complacent.
In the case of the foolish maidens they did not prepare for the longer than expected wait and then suddenly the bridegroom was here and they had no oil in their lamps. It was too late to get any more and in any case the shops would have been closed.
As we ourselves wait we must make sure we have a plentiful supply of oil – in our case the oil is the strength of our faith borne of a healthy relationship with God. Of course that it not always as straightforward as it seems; there are plenty of distractions and demands in our busy lives and we can easily lose focus. Homes, family, job security, pain, loss, success and opportunity are all examples of what we believe are important to us. However, if we focus on just these, then like the foolish maidens, we run the risk of being caught out when Jesus returns. Our level of faith must be strong and we can only have that when we regularly make space for God in our lives.
Fortunately, building a relationship with God is within our grasp – he is always there to listen to us. It doesn’t have to be formal prayer or written down – we can just take some time to tell him what we are thinking - share our thoughts, our concerns and views on the world and our lives and of course thank him. If we pray throughout the day when we have something to share, I hope you’ll find it’s not that hard to be on good speaking terms with God.
Being faithful also involves us being familiar with God’s word – and that doesn’t mean being able to recite the Bible word for word, however we should all be able to think of some relevant passages now and then that will bring comfort to ourselves or others.
This morning's prayers -
And our final hymn today is "Lord For The Years"
Please see this notice about private prayer whilst we are unable to worship in church - we will keep you updated about when we will return.
