Sunday Worship
Today's services for the Third Sunday of Lent are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'. If you are unable to be with us in person, you can find resources below to worship from home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Just as I am, Without one Plea"
Today's Gospel
Luke 13: 1- 9 Repent or Perish
At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them--do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."
Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, 'See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?' He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"
Reflection
I am writing this reflection as the war in Ukraine enters it’s third week. Only yesterday there was news about the bombing of a hospital in the already devastated town of Mariupol – a hospital caring for expectant mothers and those needing post-natal care. It seems incomprehensible to grasp that in the twenty first century, we are seeing such atrocities in Europe and some people might reasonably ask, “What have these people done to deserve this?”
As we are seeing today, there are many times over the centuries and across the world where terrible things have happened. Jesus refers to the disaster at the tower of Siloam - where 18 people were killed. Similarly, He listens to the stories of the malicious treatment of the Galileans by the blood thirsty Pilate - a portent of the fate that he too would face. However, none of these events are as a result of a vengeance seeking God punishing humanity. These dreadful things are at the hands of human beings; because of our misguided beliefs, our fears and mistrust, our fallibility in allowing ourselves to be misled and other selfish weaknesses.
Bad things happen every day but we must not blame God for this. God loves each and every one of us and he wants to forgive us. We all do things wrong and commit selfish or unfair acts throughout our lives, but God still wants to forgive us. Like the gardener in the parable, God’s desire is to nurture us and give us one more chance.
Jesus tells us that for God to forgive us, we must first examine our own actions and demonstrate a willingness to repent and say sorry. More than that, we must show a commitment turn things around, to follow a different path - His path. Crucially, Jesus is not saying that bad things don’t happen to good people or that if we repent, then nothing awful will happen to us. Rather, he is showing us that if we turn to God’s way, we will be better prepared for the time when we look for a place in God’s kingdom. Paul
This week's Manchester Diocese Lent reflection is by Revd Canon Nick Smeeton
Our Prayers
Notices
The Churches Together in Lees and District Lent Lunches continue at Zion Methodist Church, 12 noon on Tuesday.
Please see the notice below about Worship for all Generations during Lent.
Finally, next week is Mothering Sunday, and our services will be at the usual times in both churches. The clocks go forward on the previous night, so don't forget or else you'll be rather early for church.
