Sunday Worship 28th May

 Sunday Worship - Pentecost

Welcome to our Sunday Worship on the Feast of Pentecost. Today we have only one Eucharistic Service in the Parish - 9.15 am at St Thomas' Church. We then assemble at St Thomas' at 11 am for our traditional Whit Sunday walk around Leesfield. At 12 noon, our fellow Christians from around the area will join us at St Thomas' Church for the Churches Together in Lees and District joint service for Pentecost. 

Everyone is most welcome to share in our celebration of Pentecost.

If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find today's Gospel reading, a reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn this morning is "Breathe on me, Breath of God"

Today's Gospel

John 7: 37-39                           Jesus Prays for His Disciples

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Reflection

Instead of the more commonly used Gospel passage for Pentecost, I have chosen the alternative text for the day.  It is much shorter but there is still much to be taken from these 2 verses of John’s Gospel.

 

In our reflection on 12th March we looked at Exodus 17:6 where God had compassion on the Israelites even though they were angry with Him and also Moses. Through His compassion and love, God provided water from the rock of Horeb to quench the thirst of the Israelites in the desert. Jesus was an expert in religious teachings and scripture, so the metaphor of rivers of water flowing would no doubt have resonated with the Jews.

This was not the first time that Jesus has referred to living water; in John 4: 14, Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well and says; "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

But of course, Jesus is not referring to physical water that we can get from a tap or see in the rivers and oceans, Jesus is referring to Himself. He is not inviting us to fill a glass and drink, He is inviting us to believe in Him, in all that he represents and has to offer when he says; “let the one who believes in me drink”.

Humans are approximately 70% water and without daily water our physical bodies would not survive. But Jesus is not offering to fill us with liquid water, He is offering to fill us with something far more precious. Something that will not just sustain our human bodies but give us eternal life. 

Jesus wants us to partake of the gift of the Holy Spirit which He will provide in abundance to those who follow Him and believe in Him. He wants to quench our Spiritual Thirst.

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Ascension Day, with a lovely service led by Father Phillip Miller. In his sermon, he reminded us that when Jesus ascended in to Heaven to take His place at the right hand of the Father, He also took with Him part of the humanity that He had experienced in His time on earth. Moreover, He left behind something for all of us, a part of Himself.  

When He was exalted into heaven and glorified, He received the gift He asked for from the Father. The gift of the Holy Spirit, which He will give freely to all who believe. As we continue to believe in Jesus and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we can experience how Jesus wants to work through us. 

By doing want Jesus wants us to do, by loving and caring for one another, we are sharing what He has left behind with others. We can enable the Holy Spirit to flow through ourselves to others;  ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”          Paul

Our Prayers

Almighty God, creator of all things,

We ask you to fill us with the gift of the Holy Spirit,

To quench our spiritual thirst.

We pray that we may follow teaching of Jesus,

to love each other and care for our neighbours. 

That Your living Water may flow though us 

and make the world a better place.

Amen

Today's final hymn is "The Spirit Lives to set us Free (Walk in the Light)"

 

Sunday Worship 21st May

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish. Our Church Services today 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 can find resouces below for worship at home.

Our first hymn this morning is "Be Still for the Presence of the Lord"

Today's Gospel

John 17: 1-11                           Jesus Prays for His Disciples

Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”

Reflection

A really powerful passage today where Jesus prays for the Father, His disciples and followers and also Himself. It is sometimes known as “The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus Christ”   It is in essence divine conversation between Jesus and The Father on the eve of His death on the cross.

 

The prayer is a passionate  example of the love Jesus has for his followers and His desire for unity of believers, both at that time and also and after He has gone. It is a prayer for lasting unity among His followers. As believers ourselves, this prayer can give us confidence that though Jesus and the Father we are watched over as we continue to proclaim His gospel message. We can continue to feel the power of  Jesus and His presence in our daily lives.

 

In this divine petition, Jesus starts by recognising the divine authority of the Father and glorifying Him before praying for His own glorification as His time draws ever nearer. Not only is He looking at His death and resurrection, but also He is looking to His Ascension and asking God to reinstate His former glory at the right hand of the Father.

When He prays for His disciples, He is calling upon God to sanctify them and protect them from the devil. But He doesn’t stop there, for He goes on to ask the Father to embrace all believers, that we too may be one with the Father and Jesus. He is assuring us that if we love Him, believe in Him and are true to Him, then we can be one with Him.

In this way, Jesus is praying for unity that can come not only through a deep love for Jesus but also for one another. That we should love one another as He loved us. That will, at some stage, probably involve us making some sacrifices along the way. There will be times when we have to give up our personal wants and desires for the benefits of others. That may be some of our possessions, our time or views in order to acknowledge the needs of others.  It’s a love that’s about taking the time to understand and acknowledge our differences and our diversity so that we can all work for a common objective of building God’s kingdom.

Jesus prays that we too can know the love and protection of the Father and have the courage to face the many challenges we may encounter in our lives so that we can be set aside for God’s purpose.       Paul

Our Prayers

Heavenly Father, thank you that you glorified Jesus Christ your son,

That through Jesus we are invited to believe in You and glorify You.

Thank you that you love us and that, 

through our belief in You ad love for each other,

we may become one with you and Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Our final hymn this morning is "God is Working His Purpose Out"

Notices

Next week we celebrate the Christian festival of Pentecost, so our service times are rather different to the usual. Please see the poster below for details -

Sunday Worship 14th May

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Sixth Sunday of Easter. Today is our Annual Parochial Church Meeting at 11.15 am, so we have a Parish Eucharist at St Thomas' at 10 am, and no service at St Agnes'.

If you are unable to join us in person, you can find the Gospel reading, a reflection, and prayers below.

Our first hymn this morning is "This is My Body, Broken for You"

Today's Gospel

John 14: 15-21                                   The Promise of the Holy Spirit

Jesus said, ”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

Reflection

We start this week exactly where we left off last week. It’s still the evening of the last supper, just after Jesus has told His disciples that He is going to leave them. He has spelled out to them that, “ He is the way, the truth and the life”, that He and the Father are one and the same!  

Whilst the disciples do not yet know what is about to happen, Jesus knows that He is soon to be crucified. 

This is Jesus’ last chance to teach them what they need to know to carry on the work he has begun. It’s also his last chance to tell them how much he loves them. Jesus is explaining to His disciples how to follow Him even after He has gone. 

Let’s be honest, what He’s asking of them is no small challenge - “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” -  First and foremost , that is ‘to love one another as I have loved you’.  The Greek word for love, (agape), means more than we understand in the English translation. It is an indiscriminate and overarching form of love for both friends and strangers alike. Even to those who we don’t like or who might despise us. 

It is the limitless love that Jesus showed when He washed His disciples feet, including those of Judas who would betray Him. It is the unending love that Jesus showed when He died on the Cross for us.

It is that same selfless love which Jesus gives to us, that He wants us to show to each other. That is why He asks His disciples to follow the example which they have seen in His actions and teachings through His ministry. To love with the intensity that brings people to the way of God, to experience God’s love and welcome new believers into the fellowship. To keep on loving in the face of adversity, betrayal and abuse. 

That also is the challenge Jesus also gives to us, and yes, there will be times when this feels almost impossible. How on earth are we supposed to be able to love in the same way as Jesus did? But Jesus knows how hard this can be, because He has already experienced it all. And because he understands and loves us so much, He promises to ask His Father to send an advocate who will be with us all forever. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. 

Again, the Greek word, (parakletos), means much more than the single translated word, “advocate”.  It also means comforter, counsellor, and helper. This Holy Spirit is one who comes alongside us to teach us, remind us, abide with us. Jesus reassures us that when we follow Him, we will know the Spirit of Truth because the Holy Spirit abides with us and will be in us.                                   Paul

Our Prayers

Spirit of Truth, come live in me,

come rest on me and make me ready follow Jesus

Spirit of truth, Seeing as you see

Fill my mind and heart, let me hear your counsel.

I ask this with humility. 

Amen

Today's final hymn is "How Great Thou Art"

Notices

This week is Christian Aid Week, so we will be collecting in our churches and around Lees for this charity. If you're not in our churches or on our collecting round, you can find out more about Christian Aid and how to donate here - Christian Aid Week appeals

On Thursday we have the Ascension Day Eucharist, 7.30 pm at St Thomas' Church. All are most welcome to join us.

Sunday Worship 7th May

 Sunday Worship

Welcome to our Sunday Worship on the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Our Church services today 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 today's Gospel reading, a reflection and prayers below.

Our first hymn this morning is "Morning Has Broken"

Today's Gospel

John 14: 1-14                                Jesus the Way to the Father

Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”

Reflection

Only a couple of paragraphs in this reading but there is some fairly heavy theology involved. 

In today’s passage we see Jesus acting in the role as comforter. So why do His disciples need comforting? 

Well, imagine this scenario; you work for a highly successful company and the CEO has invited you and some of the other leading people in the company out for a meal. Having had some great food and a few drinks, the CEO announces that he is going to quit and leave the company. He goes on to say that one of the senior staff has embezzled cash from the company and is in the process of selling company secrets to the opposition. Then last but not least, one of the most respected members of the board is going to go on social media and publicly disown the company. I think most of us would be a little shocked, and perhaps the first thing we might think about is – what does this mean for us and our future?

John is describing the scene very similar at the Last Supper. Jesus has told His disciples that one of them is about to betray Him, His ‘right hand man’ Peter, will deny Him three times before the night is out and to cap it all, He is going to leave them and they won’t be able to go with Him.

 

Here is a someone that they have given up their livelihoods and left their families for. Someone they believed was the Messiah, and now He’s talking about leaving them. They must all have been thinking, ‘What’s going to happen to us?’ So, in that context, it is not surprising that Jesus could feel their pain and inner turmoil and wanted to reassure them.

His opening words are, “Do not let your hearts be troubled”. His compassion and love for His disciples is so overtly evident.  Imagine for minute how you would react to these words, spoken by the Messiah?

 

In this one sentence He is providing the comfort they so need. He is also about to reinvigorate their trust and faith in Him and dispel their fears as He reassures them that He is not abandoning them forever. He also tells them that he is returning to the Father and not only that, He is also going to make preparation for them to join Him. Most importantly, Jesus is coming back for them.

   

It is clear that the disciples are struggling to understand what Jesus is talking about. We should bear in mind that Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension haven’t happened at this point when Jesus is talking about these things, so they don’t have that experience to help them understand ‘the big picture’.

 

On the one hand, Jesus has told them that they cannot follow Him yet, so from their perspective the destination is a mystery. Hence Thomas says, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”  Jesus lovingly tries to describe not the destination, but that He is the means to get there. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also.”  

As we can see, all is still not clear and so next it is Philip who seeks clarification. “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”  It’s as if Philip is saying, "Yeah I sort of get it, but you still haven’t told us exactly where this place is and how to get there. Can you give us a bit more information so we can find it on Google Maps?" They were trying to take what Jesus was saying in a literal sense.

I think if I were Jesus, I might have been getting a little frustrated at this point, but we have to remember, the disciples were ordinary everyday folk from villages and not well educated scholars or theologians. 

So Jesus explains as simply as He can; “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father………  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?"

Now He is spelling it out, Jesus and the Father are one and the same. He is the route, (the traveller’s guide), if you follow Jesus, His teachings and examples, you are following the way to Holiness and the Father. This follows on nicely from last week’s Gospel reading John10: 1-10), Jesus spoke of himself as "the gate" through which his sheep enter into salvation.

To sum up, If we want to know the way to the Father it is quite simply through Jesus. This was part of Jesus’ mission, to enlighten us as to who God is. 

Jesus who came from the Father and returned to Him is our revelation of the nature of God. If we want to know who God is then we need look no further than Jesus.        Paul

Our Prayers

Father, thank you that you listen to our prayers.

Thank you for your son Jesus Christ, our Way, our Truth, and our Life.

Help us to understand Your Word, especially at times when we struggle.

Enlighten us and open our eyes and our minds to see the glory of Your kingdom.

Guide us to follow You, that we may receive the promise of a place in the Father's House. 

In your Holy name, we pray. 

Amen

Today's final hymn is "Lift High the Cross"