Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the first Sunday of Lent. Our Church services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'. If you're unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to help you worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Father, Hear the Prayer we Offer"
Today's Gospel
Matthew 4:1-11 The Temptation of Christ
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But he answered,
“It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him,
“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him,
“Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him,
“Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Reflection
Temptation can be seen as a way of testing us. Testing our principles and strength of will power, and moreover testing our faith and trust in God. The devil is always waiting and ready to lure us from what we know is right, just as he did when he sent a serpent to Garden of Eden to lure Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.
And he is cunning, he will twist things around, and lie to us. He will come when we are at our weakest and also when we think we at the top of our game. He will appeal to our desires and try to catch us out.
Here we see Jesus when he has been led by the Spirit into the wilderness. The wilderness in the bible is seen as a place of preparation and a place of waiting for God to reveal His next move and what He has in store for His people. It’s a place to learn to trust God and his mercy. The Israelites wandered the wilderness in preparation for their arrival to the Promised Land and they too faced many challenges and tests.
So, here is Jesus in that same place. On the one hand, immediately before He was led into the wilderness, He has just been baptised and told by God that he is His Son, ‘the beloved one’. So I guess that counts as a reason to be fairly self-assured. At the same time, he has spent 40 days fasting in the barren land and is physically weak.
Jesus is about to embark on his ministry and so I guess it would be fair to say He was fairly inexperienced. What better time than this for Satan to try and take advantage and try to throw a proverbial spanner into the works?
In the first temptation, Satan tries to appeal to Jesus’ physical needs. Jesus is clearly hungry for food having fasted for 40 days, but although He may be weak and starving, Jesus trusts that God will provide, just as he did for the Israelites. He trusts in His Father and the teachings of the bible – the Word of God. It is this same Jesus who turns down the temptation to turn stones into bread to satisfy his own hunger that will very soon use His power to feed the multitudes with just five loaves and two fishes.
In the second temptation, Satan is appealing to Christ’s pride.
Both the Devil and Jesus know that Jesus is the son of God and that He has the power to easily comply with what the Devil is asking Him to do. Indeed, in the Garden of Gethsemane, just after Peter has cut off the ear of the Priest’s guard, Jesus acknowledges this power when he says: “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twenty legions of angels?”
But Jesus refuses to be taunted by Satan and sees through the deception. Sometimes we don’t see the hurt that putting our pride first might do to others or ourselves. Have you ever refused to back down on an issue because of a matter of principle or pride? Something that may make no difference to you personally at that time but then comes back to bite you. The saying, ‘pride comes before a fall’ could well have been written by the devil himself!
The last temptation sees Satan trying to appeal to a lust for short term power and leadership by offering gifts that the Devil doesn’t have to offer. Jesus turns down the devil’s offer of political leadership over the kingdoms of the world, and instead he will later offer the kingdom of the heavens to all those who follow him in the way of righteousness.
So what does this all mean for us? In many ways, Jesus’ encounter with Satan reflects the daily pressures we all face from time to time. The material yearning we have for wealth, a better house or the latest technology, even when we can’t afford it or don’t need it.
Maybe instead we are tempted by the longing for more status related things in our lives, like power, achievement, recognition, success or fame.
None of these things are inherently bad in themselves but we do have to also balance the importance of earthly needs with our spiritual needs. We have to think about when it is the time to put the needs of others before ourselves and to use the blessings we have been given by God not just for our own ends.
It would have been so easy for Jesus to use His power and give in to the Devil, but He knew that this was not what God would want. We too have to know when to put our personal desires to one side and yearn also for righteousness. To trust in God, a that God loves us and will provide for us.
We need to see through Satan when he tries to lure us with promises of short term earthly satisfaction. Promises that will not ultimately satisfy our longer term spiritual needs. Paul
Our Prayers
Almighty Father,
We thank you for the blessings that you give us.
Forgive us when we are tempted to put our selfish needs before those of others.
Help us not to misuse our power to dominate rights of others
Give us the wisdom and courage to say no to temptations of all kinds
And a spirit of righteousness,
to serve and be generous to those less fortunate than ourselves.
AMEN
Today's final hymn is "Forty Days and Forty Nights"
Notices
This Tuesday we are joining with our friends from Churches Together in Lees and District for the first of our "Lent Lunches". These events are open to everyone, whether they usually attend any Christian Church, or none! Please see the poster below for details - all are welcome.
Also on Tuesday we have the first of our "PCC PLUS" meetings at St Thomas' Church. All congregation members are invited to join the PCC as we talk about shaping the future of Leesfield Parish.
Welcome to our Sunday Worship on the Sunday before Lent. Our Church Services in Leesfield Parish are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'. If you're not able to be with us in person, you can find the Gospel reading, reflection and prayers below, along with a couple of hymns so that you can worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Transfiguration"
Today's Gospel
Matthew 17:1-9The Transfiguration
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Reflection
This passage starts with the words 6 days later. So you may ask 6 days later than what? It was 6 days after Peter did what he was quite good at, and showed his ignorance in that he didn’t really understand who Jesus was. Jesus had just told the disciples about some of the horrors and persecution that he would soon face from the elders and chief priests in Jerusalem, including his death and resurrection. Peter had taken Jesus aside and tried to influence Him not to follow a path that would lead to His death. He had said, “This shall never happen to you!” Peter had misjudged the true identity of Jesus.
We can perhaps understand why Peter thought that. Despite the wonders and miracles he had witnessed, it would have been hard for Peter to truly understand the nature of who Jesus was. Peter would have recognised Jesus as a remarkable and charismatic teacher and healer, even a prophet. But, he would also have seen an ordinary man, around 33 years old who was concealed by poverty and humility. An ordinary bloke made of flesh and blood.
So Jesus chose Peter to go up the mountain with James and John to witness His transfiguration. Where Jesus shone with the brilliant radiance of sprirtual light. The light of divinity that even shone from His clothes. They would have recognised this spiritual light from the scriptures, (Exodus 34: 29), “where Moses’ face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD”. And to reinforce what was happening Jesus was joined by two of the greatest prophets, Moses and Elijah, and talked with them about the fate that awaited Him in Jerusalem.
Then to absolutely remove any last shred of doubt they hear the voice of God giving His endorsement of Jesus. This is God telling the world not only that Jesus is his Son, not only that Jesus had lived a perfect incarnation as a human among us, but that he is the only person who could carry the sins of the world to the cross and pay for them with his precious, sinless blood.
God is telling the disciples and us, that for that reason we should all listen to Him.
From this point onwards, Jesus faces forward towards his fateful destiny in Jerusalem. A destiny that he was prepared to face because He was the ‘chosen one’ promised by God through the prophets, including Moses and Elijah, many centuries beforehand.
This passage tells us that Jesus knew exactly who he was, and that he knew exactly what he was facing when he walked into Jerusalem to be betrayed, denied, tortured, crucified and buried.
It also reassures us that through faith we are truly loved by God, because He was willing to send Jesus to atone for all our sins. As we face into the season of Lent, it reminds us that through Jesus’ selfless sacrifice, we are saved and all our sins are forgiven so that we may have eternal life. Paul
Our Prayers
Loving Father, we praise and thank You,
that you gave us your only Son for us.
That Jesus put aside the glory of His majesty and power
to be born into this world,
to live a perfect life of obedience
and to die for us on the cross.
We thank you that through faith and belief in Him,
we might be saved and have eternal life.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Oh, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing"
Notices
Our Tuesday morning Eucharist for Shrove Tuesday is at 10 am at St Thomas'.
This Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent with our Ash Wednesday Eucharist at 7.30 pm at St Thomas’ Church. All are most welcome to join us on this special date in the Church calendar.
Worship for all Generations continues to be on both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, 6.30 pm at St Agnes’ Church, to accommodate increased numbers of families who have joined us whilst St John’s Church is unable to provide a mid-week service. During Lent, the children will be doing sponsored prayers to raise money for church funds, so please support them by donating.
Finally, please see this notice regarding “PCC PLUS”. Regular PCC meetings are filled with operational detail, leaving little time to discuss the important matters affecting our parish. We warmly invite all members of our congregations to join us in shaping the future of our Leesfield Parish.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish. Our Church services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'.
If you're not able to be with us in person, Revd Paul Monk from our neighbouring parishes of St Barnabas and Holy Trinity has kindly agreed to share their service transcript with us, so that you may worship from home. You can find the transcript here - Second Sunday before Lent - Medlock Head
Welcome to our Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish. Our church services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'. If you're unable to be with us in person, there are some resources below to help you to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Be Still, For the Presence of the Lord"
Today's Gospel
Matthew 5: 13 - 20Salt and Light
Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Reflection
Today we read the next part of Jesus’ sermon on the mount which follows the beatitudes.
Many of us will have heard someone described as ‘The Salt if the Earth’. What does the phrase conjure up for you? Someone who is reliable, selfless, helpful, generous or caring perhaps? The sort of person who is always willing to lend a hand, even if they are busy.
I wonder though, how many of us would ever consider describing ourselves as, the salt of the earth? If not, I guess that begs the question, why not? Jesus tells us that we too are, or can be, the salt of the earth, and we can play our part in flavouring the world and changing the lives of people around us. Salt was considered a precious commodity in the times of Jesus. It was used for preserving food in a time long before we had artificial preservatives or fridges, let alone freezers. It was so valuable that some people were even paid wages in salt, (hence the word salary).
So, Jesus the source of divine salt and light, shared this with the thousands who had come to see him, so that they and we might share with others. He was telling us that we too can transform the world, like salt transforms the taste of food. That if we appreciate God’s role in our lives and do his will, we can illuminate the world and shine a light into the recesses and dark places around us. That by loving one another, we can enlighten them and bring them into His Kingdom to know his love.
So how does this work? What does being the salt of earth mean for us in our day to day lives? What behaviours and attitudes should we think about if we would like Jesus to think of us as ‘the salt of the earth?’
Do we look at the beggar outside the supermarket or the ‘junkie’/alcoholic in town and think of them as one of God’s precious people. Someone like us, who deserves our respect and recognition. Someone we should acknowledge as valued and created in God’s image! Or do we avert our eyes and try to ignore them, pretending we are distracted by something else or just too busy to stop and say hello.
Do we look at the blessings and gifts that God has provided for us, our families and friends, and then pray hard that God will also bless others who have less, with similar good fortune. Especially, do we ask God to bless those who we don’t agree with, dislike or don’t relate to.
Are we truly and honestly feeling compassion for people who are struggling, and if so, what are we doing about it?
Life can be hard, and it is often despairing reading or listening to the news. It can be almost defeatist because we either don’t know what to do or we think somewhere, someone else can solve everything. People say, ‘when is someone going to sort all this out or when is the government going to put things right?’ If you’re one of those people, searching for answers to the issues that face society, then you’re on the right tracks. But if we are to so see a difference and transform the community or even the world we live in, much has to start with us.
It's one thing to know and protest about the state of the world, and another thing to make a difference. If we are to be the salt of the earth and enhance the lives of others, we need to consider what we can do to add to the richness of the world and improve the lives of others.
As Jesus told his followers, if salt has lost its taste, (i.e. if we are self-centred and do little for others), then we are no longer good for anything. You can’t improve the flavour of the stew by leaving the salt in the jar.
For some, doing more may be a challenge at first. It may mean changing some of our routines, doing some things at different times or even stopping doing things altogether. Perhaps going to different places, even seeing some places on our doorsteps that we choose not to go to. It might even mean asking someone else for help so that we can remove some of the obstacles that we put in our own way. Have you ever said, “Of course I’d love to help out a but I can’t get there easily.” At the same time someone else might be saying to themselves, ‘I’d quite like to give that a try, but I’ve no one to go with’. Or, “ If I knew so and so wanted to help, I would gladly have given her/him a lift”.
Here's a random thought: 2 ounces of salt contains approximately 700 grains of salt. There are 720 hours in a month. How many grains of salt do you put into doing things for others each month?
If we can help others, then we too will be blessed, because when you add salt to the stew you improve the flavour of both the stew and the salt. If we take time to show to show our neighbours that we love them, even those we may not know , then our lives too will be enriched. When we bring light into the lives of others or lives will also be brightened through Jesus.
When we are baptised, we say together: “Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father”. May we all be filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit and let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven. Paul
Our Prayers
Heavenly Father,
We thank you for the light of Christ who illuminates our being.
Give us the courage to look honestly at our lives,
To question what more we can and should do to help others,
So that we can be true and authentic to ourselves.
That we may not lose our saltiness but shine brightly through our acts of kindness and generosity.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Longing for Light, we Wait in Darkness (Christ be our Light)"
Notices
Our 'Worship for All Generations' service has been extended to 2 nights each week at 6.30pm in St Agnes' Church on a Tuesday and Wednesday (apart from the last week of the month - subject to change). We have had an increased attendance since our friends from St Johns, Hey joined us this year. To make sure we can worship comfortably and more personally with more families involved we have made this decision for all those who attend. We ask you try to commit to one of the two nights each week rather than 'swapping and changing' where possible. All new families will be made most welcome! Worship for all Generations will continue to be on our Facebook page each Thursday.
