Sunday Worship 31st October

 Sunday Worship

Everyone is most welcome to join us for our Sunday Eucharist at St Thomas' Church at 11 am or at St Agnes' at 9.15 am. Reverend Chris will be preaching and presiding on the 22nd Sunday after Trinity at both churches. Some of our Covid precautions remain in place to keep everybody safe, but we'll be singing a couple of hymns and offering refreshments after the service, and Sunday School is now back at St Thomas'. 

If you're not able to be with us in person, you can find the Gospel, reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn today is "Creator God, Who Brings Light Out Of Darkness"

Today's Gospel

Mark 12:28-34                 The Greatest Commandment

One of the scribes came near and heard the Sadducees disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 

Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 

The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbour as oneself,’ — this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Reflection

It's funny sometimes how one’s mind flits from one idea to another. I mentioned a few weeks ago when we looked at Mark 9: v38-50; that there were so many messages packed into those six verses that it was almost impossible not write a reflection that was ten pages long. 

Yet, at first when I read the Gospel passage it felt quite the opposite. The scribe asked Jesus the question, “Which commandment is the first of all?” and Jesus gave him a straightforward answer and the scribe agreed with him. So, on the face of it, that’s it – job done. However, there is one particular sentence that jumped out and niggled me: “When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”  So I thought, time to go and put the kettle on and think about it..

While I was waiting for my tea to brew, I could hear a debate on the wireless about whether it was right to bring in a law that would make people prove they had been double vaccinated if they wanted to attend certain events. On the one hand some people argued it was for the benefit of public health whist others insisted it would be an infringement on human rights. Now I‘m sure most of us could talk about human rights for at least 100 pages but instead my mind flitted to the idea about laws and from that back to commandments. 

If we start way back at the book of Exodus, there were the 10 commandments given by God to Moses to pass down to the people of Israel. Hopefully most of us are aware of these! This is followed by the book of Leviticus where Moses passes down many further laws from God so that ‘man’ can be pure and God can dwell among them. To be honest, Leviticus is not the easiest read in the Bible.  It’s a bit light on stories and consists mainly of instructions to the priests, the Levites how to be faithful and pure. It emphasises rituals that are required for purification when people sin, and legal and moral practices. At this early time, it is established that while people will sin there are ways to purge that sin and seek forgiveness and only through doing so can man seek to come to God.

Fast forward a few centuries to modern times and we of course have many more laws. Some underpinned by those original commandments and many that have developed over time by lawmakers and judicial precedent. There are thousands of English Laws, European laws and international laws. Some laws tell us what we should do for our own benefit, for example wearing seatbelts so we don’t seriously hurt ourselves if we have a car accident. Some laws tell us what we shouldn’t do and range from not murdering someone to not smoking in public places. These are generally seen as being in place for the protection of all and show how we should live in a respectful and loving society. 

There are laws about education, transport, health & safety, employment, conduct, human rights, even how bendy bananas should be! The list is endless. The law is so complex that if we are unfortunate to get into problems, we need lawyers to interpret it for us. And the lawyers need teachers to lay the groundwork for their understanding.

If we put this into context of today’s reading, the Sadducees and scribes were the ones who would fulfil a similar role. They would look at the laws in the Old Testament and interpret and transcribe them – often for their own benefit. It is often accepted that it is relatively easy to take an isolated excerpts of the bible out of context and misuse it to prove an erroneous point. There are many instances where the Holy leaders have tried to trick Jesus and test him about the scriptures. 

I would like to think that the Scribe in this passage had no malicious intent, indeed he even compliments Jesus and repeats his words -“You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbour as oneself,’ . Then, Jesus then responds “… “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

He can see that the scribe is learned and has a sound grasp of the scripture but in His reply to the scribe He is saying that it’s not just about knowing what the law is, it’s about complying with the law. It is one thing to applaud the law and yet another to apply the law. If you do not live by the law you will miss the point and like the scribe, be merely making a theological comment and showing off your knowledge. For that reason, it would be fair to say that the scribe was not far from the Kingdom of God but as to whether he would ever get in, is another matter.

The first commandment is: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength”. It’s much more than going to church once a week or so and saying prayers once, twice or several times each day. The second commandment, “to love one’s neighbour as oneself” – we need to ask ourselves, are we really mindful of everyone we encounter? Do we genuinely try to be loving and kind to every individual without any preconceptions or bias? 

Both these commandments are enormous in their scope and what they demand on us to properly fulfil them. Undoubtedly, as humans we all fall short of both of them. But Jesus did not come to us threatening  us with the weight of consequences if we don’t fully comply all of the time. Rather, He showed us what we must do so that He can save us. As the old saying goes, “it’s not a question of what you know, but who you know”. As the bible tells us, the only way to enter the kingdom of God is through true faith and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. He didn’t just come to tell and show us how to worship God or be kind to our neighbour; He came to atone for all ours sins because he knows we will all fall short at times. He came to open the door to God’s Kingdom though his supreme sacrifice for us all.

Paul

Our Prayers

Understanding Lord,

We have many pressures in our lives

And often struggle to commit the time to you 

that we know we should.

Forgive us 

and give us your grace to know

What it means to put loving you first. 

Loving Lord, 

We ask you to give us loving hearts 

that reach out to others in your name, 

bringing them closer to you.

Amen

This morning's final hymn is "For All The Saints, Who From Their Labours Rest" 

SundayWorship 24th October

 Sunday Worship

Healing of the Blind Man, Carl Bloch, 1871

Everyone is most welcome to join us for our Sunday Eucharist at St Thomas' Church at 11 am or at St Agnes' at 9.15 am. Reverend Amy-Elizabeth will be preaching and presiding on the 21st Sunday after Trinity at both churches. Some of our Covid precautions remain in place to keep everybody safe, but we'll be singing a couple of hymns and offering refreshments after the service, and Sunday School is now back at St Thomas'. 

If you're not able to be with us in person, you can find the Gospel, reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn today is "Just as I am, Without one Plea"

Today's Gospel

Mark 10:46-52         Blind 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

This short Gospel passage seems very straight forward – it’s just another example of Jesus healing someone isn’t it? After all, that’s what Jesus does and why everyone like to be around him. But as with most of the Gospels, there is more to this than is immediately obvious. 

There is much in here about the power of prayer, faith, determination, courage and trust of Bartimaeus. Next, there is the behaviour of the somewhat fickle crowd around him. Last but not least there is the compassion and friendliness of Jesus in the way he responds to Bartimaeus.

Bartimaeus was a poor beggar, an outcast in society that had little time for those who were disabled in any way. But he was clearly conversant with the scriptures, the word of God. He knew of and believed in the promise that God would send a Messiah to rule His people and bring unity back to the tribes of Israel, just as David had done in times of old. Though he was blind he recognised that Jesus was that promised Messiah and he deliberately called to Jesus referring to him as ‘Jesus, Son of David’. 

Despite his lowly position, Bartimaeus bravely shouted to Jesus to get his attention. Sure, enough the crowd scorned him and we are told tried to angrily prevent him from coming forward or being heard. Being blind, Bartimaeus would not have been able to see where exactly Jesus was. His predicament must have felt perilous and frightening but his faith was strong and his trusted in the Lord. He summoned up even more courage and shouted even louder so Jesus could here him. And his persistence paid off when Jesus called him forward. 

Bartimaeus’ next act was also one of even more courage as we are told that he threw off his cloak. Why is that a big deal? To understand the significance, we need to understand how precious a cloak would be in those times and in that part of Middle East. The temperatures could fluctuate quite widely. In the daytime it could get quite hot so a cloak could be used to provide shade but in the evenings and night-time it could be very cold, especially for someone that didn’t have a house. To sum up a cloak was deemed to be one of the most essential items you could have as protection against the elements. 

Yet, here we see that, in order to come to Jesus, Bartimaeus was willing to leave his cloak and being blind he risked not being able to find it again.  It is a symbol that his faith was so strong, he was willing to risk his greatest possessions, to come before Jesus unshrouded and lay his problems in Jesus caring hands. His faith and trust were absolute. 

Then what of the crowds? How quick they were to condemn and put Bartimaeus to shame. To try and obscure this beggar from their wonderful teacher. But then we learn that as soon as Jesus calls to Bartimaeus, their whole demeanour changes. They now start to encourage him to come forward. There is a clear example of how two-faced people can be especially when in a group. In this instance they were so keen to ‘be seen’ to do the right thing that they changed their behaviour despite what their initial inclination had been.  

We too have to guard against such behaviour. In our modern society it is all too easy to ‘jump on the band-wagon’ or ‘follow the crowd’. Especially, now we have the technology of Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and other social media. It can become all too easy just to ‘share’ things without taking time to really understand what the underlying message might be or whether the person who originated it may have an ulterior motive. 

For those who don’t use technology so much, we still need to be careful about carelessly sharing opinions and the way we react to each other. We are striving to be an inclusive church and we need to take every aspect of that to heart so we do not commit acts of unconscious bias based on misguided or populist attitudes. 

We can see how Jesus behaved in an inclusive way in the manner in which he dealt with the beggar. Imagine what emotions the beggar must have had going through his head in those few moments. There was the fear of the treatment he had received from the angry crowd, and now he was being jostled by them whilst not being able to see where he was going and finally, he was in front of Jesus. Was he scared? Daunted? Excited or nervous? Maybe all of these? 

Although it was obvious what was wrong with the beggar, Jesus chose to communicate by voice and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” In doing so, although the beggar couldn’t see the love in Jesus’ eyes, he would know where Jesus’ face was and could sense the caring and support in Jesus’ voice. He took away all the beggar’s anxiety and gave him permission to ask for what he wanted. He showed the love and compassion that Jesus has in unlimited amounts – He answered Bartimaeus’ prayers and rewarded his trust and faith.  

Let us hope that we can follow the example of Bartimaeus. To have the faith to trust in Jesus and to have confidence to place our concerns and fears in His hands knowing He will hear our prayer. 

Paul

Our prayers

Loving and compassionate Lord,

When you ask us, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Give us the confidence to come before you unshrouded,

To hand to you our disappointments, concerns and worries

Knowing that you genuinely want to listen to each of us.

Caring Lord,

You have given me the gift of faith.

Help me nurture that gift day by day,

To let You into my heart

and trust absolutely in your everlasting Kingdom.

Amen

Our final hymn this morning is "Let us with a Gladsome Mind"

These articles and prayers are free to re-use and not subject to copyright.

Sunday Worship 17th October

 Sunday Worship

Everyone is most welcome to join us for our Sunday Eucharist at St Thomas' Church at 11 am or at St Agnes' at 9.15 am. Reverend Lyn will be preaching and presiding on the twentieth Sunday after Trinity at both churches. Some of our Covid precautions remain in place to keep everybody safe, but we'll be singing a couple of hymns and offering refreshments after the service, and Sunday School is now back at St Thomas'. 

If you're not able to be with us in person, you can find the Gospel, reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn today is "Here is Bread, Here is Wine "

Today's Gospel

Mark 10:35-45       The Request of James and John

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptised, you will be baptised; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”      

Reflection

“…whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all”.

If you, like me are feeling a sense of déjà vu it is perhaps not surprising. In the previous passage of Mark’s gospel, we heard about the rich man who wanted to know what he needed to do to inherit the Kingdom of God. He was hard working, good and honest and as we saw, he felt that he was a deserving of a place in heaven. So, he decided to have word with Jesus just to confirm he was on the right track.

This week it is James and John who, for want of a better phrase, decide to chance their arm. They boldly approach Jesus and ask him if he will give them ‘whatever they want’. Then they follow this up with a specific request to sit at his right and left hand. Not just any old request then, they selfishly wanted Jesus to use his power to make them very rich and powerful. 

They could see the wonders that Jesus had performed and the following he had and would have assumed that this would lead to him becoming almighty and powerful in an earthly sense. More powerful than Herod, richer than the most powerful leader anyone had ever known with an abundance of wealth and servants. Someone who would soon be able to give them more gold and prosperity than could be dreamt of and the power to lord it over others. Maybe, James and John, like the rich merchant had view that they deserved some reward. After all they had been with Jesus for some time and if he was going to be powerful, they were surely entitled to some payback. 

We cannot begin to think how Jesus felt. After all James and John had been called by him and had been following him for a considerable time, listening to his teachings and seeing his examples of love and selflessness. Hearing Jesus tell of the need to put others first and help one another. 

How would you feel under the circumstances and how might you have reacted? Would you have said, “Haven’t you heard a word I said?” “Don’t you know better?” Would you have cast them out and told them they weren’t fit to be a disciple and follow him? Or maybe just sighed in despair and told them to go away?

But of course, that is not Jesus’ way. Instead, he patiently explains that real greatness comes from acts of selflessness not selfishness. A message that he would repeat time and again right through until the Last Supper when he washed the disciple’s feet and gave then a new commandment: “…….. that you love one another, just as I have loved you”

What of the other disciples during all this? We are told they were angry with James and John. Was it because they too felt they should be rewarded but hadn’t had the temerity to ask? Did they feel jealous? Or did they feel let down by their friends for the selfish way they had behaved?

Then finally, how about us? Surely, we wouldn’t have behaved like James and John – would we? Unfortunately, we do so regularly. Haven’t we all asked God for something for ourselves at times? “Please let me get that promotion and pay rise, please let my child pass those exams, let my friend or relative get better”, and many other requests both large and small.  Do we sometimes like James and John think perhaps we are deserving because we’ve made the effort to come to church. Or do we think we can make contracts with God - like a child who promises to behave if they can have some sweets, (even though they know they can’t), do we promise God we will do better somehow if God answers today’s prayer?  The reality of course is that none of us are afraid to ask for God’s help when we want something. 

God is no doubt capable of giving us everything we want in life but that is not the way. Instead, he chose instead to give us his Love in a more powerful way. He gave his only Son that we might be saved. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  He gave us the ultimate ‘King’s ransom”. God has shown us the way to salvation and happiness and asks us to follow the path that Jesus showed us by serving others and showing love to those around us. 

We can be thankful, that we have the selflessness of Jesus who showed tolerance and love for his disciples even when they were selfish and should have known better. Because we are human, we will of course continue to put ourselves first and ask Him for help.  But we need to remember in return to love God with all our heart, mind and strength and be willing to serve one another with gladness.    

Paul

Our prayers

Almighty Father, 

We humbly confess that we are weak and selfish

who expect more from you than we are willing to give in return.

We thank you for your endless love which knows no limits

And we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ

who gave his life as a ransom for us all.

We ask you to enter our hearts and minds

That we may ask not to be served but serve you and each other

With gladness and joy

And that we may love you and each other

With all our soul.

Amen

Our final hymn this morning is "From Heaven You Came (Servant King)"

Mid-week news 15th October

 Mid-week news

It’s absolutely great to have our Sunday school children and their families back with us in St Thomas’ Church. They’ve only been back a few weeks and already we’ve seen some fantastic work from them. For Harvest they made some beautiful cards to be delivered to people who are not able to get out to our churches, and last week they made lovely harvest wreaths from autumn leaves.

Next Saturday Harvest Queen Annie is holding an Autumn Fair in St Thomas’ School Hall from 12 - 5 pm. This is our first proper fundraising event in absolutely ages, so please do come along and have some fun! We have some fantastic stalls (KNITWITS, GIFTS & CRAFT CELLAR, PICTUREFUL OF MEMORIES and HEAVENS SCENT), as well as TOMBOLAS, the BUZZ GAME, the LOLLY GAME, FUN CRAFT for the children, LUCKY DIP and our fab RAFFLE full of great prizes including donations from local businesses.

The Ladies of Leesfield are also now re-starting their monthly meetings, which will be at 2 pm on the third Tuesday of each month from Tuesday 19th October. New members and visitors are always welcome, and there will be refreshments and a raffle for a donation of £3.

Sunday Worship 10th October

 Sunday Worship

Everyone is most welcome to join us for our Sunday Eucharist at St Thomas' Church at 11 am or at St Agnes' at 9.15 am. Reverend Amy-Elizabeth will be preaching and presiding on the nineteenth Sunday after Trinity at both churches. Some of our Covid precautions remain in place to keep everybody safe, but we'll be singing a couple of hymns and offering refreshments after the service, and Sunday School is now back at St Thomas'. 

If you're not able to be with us in person, you can find the Gospel, reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn today is "Blest are the Pure in Heart"

Today's Gospel

Mark 10:17-31             The Rich Young Man

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions — and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Reflection

As I read this week’s Gospel, I thought about the parallels with the Harvest Gospel (Matthew 6: V25 -34), which we heard last week. In it Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" He goes on to explain how God provides for the birds in the air and clothes the lilies in the field. He asks why do we worry about money and belongings when we should first and foremost strive for the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 

I would argue that in today’s Gospel Jesus takes that one stage further as not only do we need to trust in God to provide for us but we also need to consider what we should do in order to enter in his kingdom. The answer Jesus gives is perhaps surprising and as his disciples found, not an easy message to hear.

We do not know much about the man who ran up to Jesus in respect to his age, occupation, lifestyle, or family circumstances. However, we are given sufficient information to conclude that he is law abiding and we assume honest as he has always followed the commandments. Given his deference in the way he approached Jesus and addressed him ‘good teacher’, we know that he is a respectful person. Finally, we also know that he is fairly wealthy as we are told that he has many possessions. 

So, all in all, he is described as a good, well to do individual – perhaps the sort of person we would like think we are like. Yet, for all his fortune and good behaviour he knows deep in his heart something is lacking. He is spiritually challenged and knows there has to be something else he can do in order to please God and be assured of a place in heaven when he dies.  

For ourselves, it is common for us to worry about finances and our future even though we are arguably amongst the most privileged in the world. When we are young, we worry about providing for ourselves and our children, their education, putting a roof over their heads, and paying the mortgage. As we get older, we worry about having enough money for retirement and enjoying the sunset years of our life. We may not be millionaires but we also long for money to enjoy ourselves and buy luxuries such as bigger TVs, the latest i-phone or a better car even though our existing one is perfectly fine. While we indulge ourselves, there are many in our community who can only focus on where the next meal is coming from and people who are literally starving in Africa.

The news this week is full of doom and gloom about the ‘the cost of living’ Gas prices and food prices going up, spaces on supermarket shelves, inflation rising. However, what is most stark is the fact that there is so much disparity and lack of equity in our world. I listened with incredulity as I heard someone on the radio bemoan the fact that the food shortage meant he couldn’t get fresh strawberries when minutes earlier another person had been deeply worried about the choice of whether they could afford to ‘eat or heat’. 

To some the abundance of material belongings is seen as a blessing from God. It’s almost as if we believe we are being personally rewarded by God for being good and working hard. The wealthy man in todays Gospel knows he has something missing in his life - something money can’t buy. He is seeking life abundant but cannot reconcile himself to the fact that to achieve this he must dispose of some of the abundance in his life. So, he goes away unhappy. In his mind he believes that what he has earned is all his, the fruits of his labour. Whilst wealth is sometimes seen as a measure of success or greatness, there are many in the poorest parts of the world and indeed in our own communities who consider themselves more blessed than those who have plenty. As the saying goes – “money can’t buy happiness”!

During the pandemic many people have given up things in life which they wouldn’t previously have considered doing - going on holiday, meals out, drinks in the pub or Starbucks coffee. Some of us may even feel better off financially and also feel healthier as we are now going out walking or cycling instead of spending money on going out for entertainment. Does it make you wonder if we should resume spending money on all these things again – or is there perhaps a message we need to take on board in all of this?

The acquisition of wealth is not a means to an end in itself. In fact, as Jesus makes clear, the pursuit of wealth and the worship of money before God is a sin. Those who see themselves as most blessed in their lives on earth will face a bigger challenge entering the kingdom of God. The way to eternal life and bliss starts when we follow Jesus. When we give up some of the things that we think are important to us and spend more time with Jesus. Of course, doing good things and obeying the law is righteous and proper but we need to do more. We need to follow Jesus with our heart for He knows what is in our heart. We need to make time and space for Jesus for as long as we live on earth. 

If you think you are at the stage in your life when you believe you have been good enough and given enough of yourself to enter the kingdom of heaven then, like the disciples, you’ve probably missed the point. Jesus loves us and wants us to follow him all the way along the path - the path to promise and where all things are possible through God. We need to follow His example - after all Jesus gave up everything for us - even his life because he loves us all.   

Paul

Our prayers

Almighty Father, 

we thank you for the blessings you have given us.

Help us to show solidarity 

with those who are less fortunate and suffering.

We pray for people to be rewarded fairly for their effort.

We ask for an equitable distribution of the planet’s resources 

Let us show our neighbours love and generosity

each and every day. 

In Jesus name.

Amen

This morning's final hymn is "The Spirit Lives to Set us Free (Walk in the Light)"

Mid-Week Joy - Harvest & Creation

The beginning of October for many is the time we think and give thanks for our Harvest.The Old Testament reading for this Harvest will be familiar to most people and tells of the story of of the creation of all creatures on the earth and the creation of woman as a partner for man. Immediately before this passage we read about the creation of the world and God’s own reflection on his creation: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Gen 1:31).

As we near the end of another year which has been dominated by the impact of Covid-19 in all our lives and day to day activities, it made me think about some of the times when I have thought about the wonders God has given us.

There have been times when we were initially in lock down and travel was banned when we longed for holidays. I sometimes thought about how fortunate I had been to be able to go snorkeling in crystal clear seas, marveling at the wonderful varieties of fish, octopus, even turtles. On other occasions my thoughts drifted to magical sunsets over the horizon or mountains. In fact, only a few weeks before the first lock down I had been fortunate to be hiking in the highlands of Scotland looking at views of snow-capped mountains.

Then as events progressed more people than ever started walking in and around our local environs. Many of us found areas on our doorstep that we never took the time to explore before. Just down the street from St. Thomas there are extensive walks though Leesbrook nature trail and just below St. Agnes there is Grotton Hollows. For those familiar with the annual Parish Boundary walk you will also be aware of many other areas of lovely scenery and wildlife that is in our parish. If you are not familiar with the Boundary Walk, please look out for details of when this year’s will take place in the coming weeks - it’s a great experience for everyone from young kids upwards.

Leesbrook

For myself, there is something about rambling that is fulfilling and good for the soul. In fact, the term ‘rambling’ is of itself suggestive of what I mean – it’s walk that is not driven by urgency and impatience, a need to simply get from A to B. It’s about going on a journey where you have time to look around and take time to appreciate what is around you. On a large scale, to see the magnitude of the scenery, the hills, rock-faces, reservoirs, trees, and wildlife. On a smaller scale to look more closely at elaborate detail of individual plants and creatures. To marvel at how much variety God has given us to enrich our lives.

The complexity of each plant from a simple hedgerow flower to a huge oak tree. Have you ever studied how beautiful and intricate a humble blade of grass or oak leaf is? Then there are the myriad creatures from bees and butterflies to deer, cattle and the birds of the sky. Even spiders, bugs and beetles! 

Above: Blackberry Flower.    Below: Ringlet Butterfly

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” and we too can and should take time to look and appreciate what God has given to us.

Harvest time is of course a golden opportunity to give thanks for what God of given us. It is associated with giving God thanks for what he provided – for the bountiful harvest of food at end of the year. It is also time for us to collectively show our appreciation for everything else God provides – not just food but farmers, transports workers, (in air, land and sea), food processors, carers, scientists, medical workers and teachers. In fact, everyone and everything God has given us to support our lifestyle.

However, this year more than ever it is perhaps right that we not only give thanks for what God has given us but also spend time to think about what we have done to be stewards of his creation. In the epistle reading for today, [Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12], we are reminded that ‘God crowned humans with glory and honour, subjecting all things under their feet. God left nothing outside their control’. 

 As world leaders prepare for the COP 26 summit in Glasgow, we all need to consider what a mess we humans have made of God’s beautiful world! Pollution, forests wiped out, species of animals extinct because of human actions, a dangerously thin ozone layer, and millions of people starving.

 So, I ask you to pray with all your heart for God to give wisdom and courage to our leaders to make brave and challenging commitments to heal the world. Let each of us pray for the areas of the world that are not as fortunate as us; people in regions that are impacted by drought or flood as a consequence of our actions. God has provided for all of us, are we doing our bit to share what we have? 

Whilst we as humans may have made a mess of things, God has not left us alone to get on with it! God not only created the world – he created us and cares for us. He sent his only son Jesus to show us how we should behave towards one another. God sent Jesus into the world to die for us. He loves us and loves his world that much! “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good”

If you can find the time, why not go for a walk and revel in the wonders of our countryside this autumn. 

Paul

Sunday Worship 3rd October - Harvest

 Sunday Worship - Harvest

Everyone is most welcome to join us for our Parish Harvest Eucharist at St Thomas' Church at 10 am, where Reverend David Halford will be preaching and presiding. 

Some of our Covid precautions remain in place to keep everybody safe, but we'll be singing a couple of hymns and offering refreshments after the service, and Sunday School is now back at St Thomas'. 

Donations of non-perishable food items will be gratefully received, and will be passed on to Impact Community Church 

If you're not able to be with us in person, you can find the Bible Reading, reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn today is "For the Beauty of the Earth"

Today's Reading -

Genesis 2:18-24                       Creation

The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;

this one shall be called Woman,

for out of Man this one was taken.”

Therefore, a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. 

Reflection -

Harvest Thanksgiving is a time when we take stock of our blessings and a time when we think of others as ourselves.  It can be thought of as an attitude that is sometimes expressed in prayers and hymns. The Christian writer Ann Lamott has written that the best prayers she knows are “Help Prayers” or Thank you Prayers”.  I am sure we all recognise that a great many prayers do express those feelings.

In everyday use a great many prayers are born out of urgency and it may well be that there are more “Help me” prayers than “Thank You prayers” – but that is wide open to debate.  What we can say is that might be an interesting debate.

The Israelites, in their time, certainly appear to have been fearful on a number of occasions – but then, there would always have been a place for gratitude because it can sometimes make us feel vulnerable having been freed from slavery in Egypt.

Like the Israelites in the wilderness, we, as a people often resist gratitude because there is often an element of vulnerability in that.  It may be tempting to say that we have nothing to learn from the Exodus story.  But we do know that we have a God who hears our prayers and often chooses mercy.

It is often said that we have a God who can be trusted in every sense.  Our God is about Creation, Life, Freedom, Renewal.  These are all feelings really appropriate to this Season of the Year.  It is a real time of Thanksgiving.  Real Gratitude is challenging because it can sometimes make us feel vulnerable – but it can take us away from ourselves and towards our God – which is why our Prayerbooks frequently contain Hymns and prayers of thanks and praise.

Real Gratitude means we are grateful for the things we hold in common with everyone especially the ability to Love and be Loved.   Creatures who all bear the image of God and who all deserve equal dignity.  This Harvest Time, may our Gratitude be properly placed with thanks and praise in our Living God who rescues us from sin.  May our prayers of “help me” be answered as we need – not as we deserve, and may our prayers of ‘Thank You’ be born out of real gratitude – which sees the Love of God for all His Creation – and which compels us to love and share with our neighbours.

David

Our Prayers -

Creator God,

Our breath connects us with every living thing,

Trees, greenery, birds, insects or animals

and to everyone alive and who has lived

We all breathe the same air.

Let everything that has breath

Give thanks and praise the Lord!

Amen

Our final hymn this morning is "Harvest Samba"