Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the First Sunday after Christmas. Today we have a Parish Eucharist at 11 am at St Thomas' Church, with no service at St Agnes'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "O Little Town of Bethlehem"
Today's Gospel
John 1:1-18The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.
Reflection
If there’s one gospel passage that most church goers are familiar with it is probably John 1, which is also known as John’s prologue. It is always said at mid-night mass, the first service of Christmas when we welcome Christ into the world and throughout the year at other key services such as today.
As we look ahead to the new calendar year, I thought it might be nice to use this space to invite you to do something a little different. Lectio Divina.
Sometimes, when we are really familiar with a text, we just let it wash over us without really taking time let it sink in. Lectio Divina is a spiritual practice that gives us the opportunity to look at scripture more contemplatively and is based on the practices of St. Ignatius.
When we do this we often find new meaning to the bible and a depth of richness that speaks to us through our imagination, as we interpret God’s word through our hearts as well as our mind.
Before you start, try and find a quiet place and maybe light a candle. As you find that calm space in yourself, you may also want to take a few slow deep breaths and relax.
Start by slowly reading the passage above. Don’t rush, just take your time and read at a moderate pace, and as you do, make a note of any words or phrases that resonate with you. Don’t worry if nothing jumps out immediately just take a short break and reflect on what you read and then slowly read it again a few times.
With each repetition, new insights or perceptions may begin to develop, unveiling the richness and meaning of God’s Word.
The next step is to meditate on the text, particularly bringing to mind any words or images that emerged during your reading of the passage. Perhaps there are things that relate to joy or stressful things that are happening in your life at the moment or it may be a memory of something from the past that re-emerged in your consciousness.
Stay with those images a while and pray with them. Don’t try too hard – this is not structured or formal praying. Just ask what is the spirit saying to you, even if it feels vague, and then think how you might want to respond.
God is calling us to share what our heart is feeling and speak to Him in our own words. Have a conversation with God, whether that be through requests for help, thanking Him, or telling Him how much you love Him.
Lastly, we contemplate - we reflect on the spiritual encounter and ask if there is something that we are being called to do or change in our lives. This can be unnerving as we open ourselves to be transformed and guided by God’s will, but it can also be tremendously fulfilling and enriching as we surrender ourselves to God.
All this may sound strange if you’ve never done it and it may also sound difficult but it does get easier as we open our hearts to the Lord.
If you’re still struggling, it might help to meditate on some of the following questions:
-John refers to Jesus as the light shining in the darkness that cannot be overcome. Are there any areas of darkness in your life that you are worried about and need Jesus to shine a light on, to help you understand things better and overcome them?
-How has the Word of God, born this Christmas, inspired you? Is there something in the reading that stands out and that the Lord wants you focus on in the New Year?
-We see the baby Jesus in the manger helpless and small – a symbol of hope for all. What are your hopes? What do you think Jesus is hoping for in your life?
-Jesus is the word of God - God with us; do you see how He might be reaching out to you?
-Jesus is God’s son, the Word of God made flesh – He is the utmost symbol of God’s love for us, God’s children. How have you experienced His love in your life in the last week, days or year? What do you want to thank God for?
Let the Holy Spirit enter you so that you can experience Jesus at work in your mind, heart and your soul as He brings you to the truth of Jesus, the Way the Truth and the Life in God the Father.
Happy New Year to all of you. Paul
Our Prayers
Merciful Father,
Creator of all things seen and unseen,
Help us to see your glory in all things,
to use our imagination and be guided by your Holy Spirit
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.00 at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "How Far is it to Bethlehem"
Today's Gospel
Luke 1:39-45(46-55) Mary visits Elizabeth
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
[And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."]
Reflection
Last week I talked a lot about joy and this week we continue that theme as we wait impatiently for the imminent coming of Jesus.
In the gospel, we hear first of Elizabeth’s joy. She is overjoyed because she was very old and despite being righteous in God’s eyes, she had remained childless. This was deemed to be shameful in the Jewish culture if the time – yet, now in her old age, she was miraculously, by God’s grace, expecting a child.
Mary, having been told by the Angel Gabriel that her relative Elizabeth was pregnant, decides without hesitation to go and visit her.
Despite her teenage youth, the dangers of travel and the distance, (some four days away), Mary had no hesitation in setting off to visit Elizabeth to share in her joy and help in the last months of her pregnancy.
When Mary greets Elizabeth, Luke tells us that the baby in her womb, who is John the Baptist, also leapt for joy as well.
Luke then says that Elizabeth, filled with Holy Spirit, also becomes aware that Mary is with child and moreover, recognises that Mary is not carrying just any child - she is carrying the Holy Son of God.
Elizabeth is filled with awe and joy as she realises how blessed they both are. Mary’s response is the wonderful rejoicing in the words of her song which we now use as the Gospel Canticle or Magnificat.
There is so much joy as together, both women recognise this tremendous honour and rejoice at the role they have been given to play in God’s plan. It’s probably one of the most touching scenes in Luke’s gospel.
Their story is also significant in testifying to the unwavering faith that both women had in God. Both of them had reason to be totally fearful of the people in their society. Elizabeth an aged yet childless woman suddenly becoming pregnant would have been subject to scorn and suspicion. Mary, a very young teenager who was unmarried and pregnant would have been disgraced, accused of adultery and could even have been stoned.
But instead, what we see in them is absolute faith and trust in God and what he calls them to do. A faith that doesn’t fill them with despair, but leaves them overflowing with joy and thanksgiving.
In our lives, we too may be called to make sacrifices or do things that we are not comfortable with for the sake of our faith. Albeit, that might be relatively small things, but you never know if some of us may be called upon put ourselves in harm’s way or risk persecution as we stand up for what we believe in. I would like to hope that we would show the same level of strength and joy as Mary and Elizabeth as we face whatever lies ahead.
Paul
Our Prayers
Heavenly Father,
You sent your servant Mary with our Lord Jesus,
and filled Elizabeth with your Spirit so that she could recognise who He was.
Help us to open our eyes and recognise where you are at work in the world and in our lives,
and rejoice with praise at your presence every day.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Tell Out My Soul"
Notices
Tuesday is Christmas Eve, and we have our lovely Nativity and Crib Service with Sunday School at St Thomas’ at 5 pm. Everyone is invited to come and join us.
Then at 11.30 pm we celebrate the First Communion of Christmas at St Thomas’. This service will be led by Archdeacon Karen Smeeton, who many of you will remember as a young curate in our parish in the early 2000s.
Our Christmas Morning Eucharist is at St Agnes’ at 9.15 am. Anyone who wishes to attend this service but would struggle to get there please let us know and we can arrange a lift for you.
There will be no Tuesday morning service of Holy Communion or Worship for all Generations this week or next, and on Sunday the 29th December there will be a Parish Eucharist at St Thomas’ at 11 am, with no service at St Agnes’ on that day.
For all attending services at St Thomas’ Church, please wrap up warmly because the main heating system has failed. For smaller services we will worship in the Community Room as we do on Tuesday mornings, because that space is on a separate heating system.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone in Leesfield Parish,
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Third Sunday of Advent. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.00 at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"
Today's Gospel
Luke 3:7-18 John the Baptist Prepares the Way
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptised, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptise you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Reflection
Today is the third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete comes from the Latin word for Rejoice.
For me, that means the feeling of joy and expectation as we get nearer and nearer to Christmas Day and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It signals a move from solemn reflection to celebration and expectation.
Some of us no doubt are already beginning to feel a sense of anticipation as we look forward to all the festive activities that will happen – getting together with friends and family, exchanging presents and cards and sharing various forms of hospitality.
On the other hand, some of us may be feeling stressed at everything that needs to be done in such a short space of time.
The pressures of work, where deadlines and tasks still have to be met before the holidays.
And in the midst of that, as if we didn’t have enough to do, there are so many extra things that appear in diaries at this time of year - Carol concerts, taking the kids to parties or going to our own works party - and there’s always so much to plan!
And for some people, Christmas is a time of financial worry, especially for those who struggle to make ends meet at the best of times.
But no matter how busy and stressed we find ourselves, we still need to find time to be joyful.
Paul calls us to rejoice and says: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. He then comforts us when he says,
Rejoice and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4],
How positive and spiritually uplifting is that - as we prepare to ready our hearts for the coming of Jesus? In this short passage, Paul calls us to rejoice no less than 3 times.
By repeating the call to rejoice, it is almost like Paul is turning up the volume knob to make sure we haven’t missed the message. The joy he advocates is not simply happiness because we’ve enjoyed something or because something good has happened to us – It’s a special kind of joy; it’s joy in the knowledge of the peace of God shown to us in Jesus Christ.
In the gospel passage Luke tells us about John the Baptist exhorting the good news to the people.
I have to admit that at first reading the theme of joy didn’t immediately jump out at me.
He starts off by addressing them as “You brood of vipers!”
He goes on to talk about the axe that is waiting to chop down those who don’t bear fruit and sorting the wheat from the chaff before burning the chaff in unquenchable fire!
Wow, pretty strong stuff or what?
Sounds like we are all doomed, because the reality is, we all fall short of the glory of God and all sin at times. [Romans 3:23]
But for me this is not a message about judgement and punishment - it’s about repentance and hope and joy. Hope that we can be saved when we recognise what we have done wrong, and when we are genuinely sorry in our hearts. Joy that we have the opportunity to change our ways and be forgiven.
That’s probably why there were thousands of people at the River Jordan flocking to hear what John had to say and to be baptised. Some of them mistakenly thought that it was some easy way to avoid any kind of judgment or punishment.
They were sinners and were hoping for a quick fix that would absolve them of all their bad ways and cost nothing.
But of course that’s not what repentance is about. John tells them that in order to truly repent they also need to change their ways – that what repenting is – not just feeling bad and saying sorry, but it’s about committing to change our ways and stopping behaving sinfully.
When the crowds asked, “What should we do?” , They were asking, how do we bear the good fruit that John had been telling them about.
In response John doesn’t ask them to do momentous or impossible things.
He doesn’t tell the tax collector to resign his job and sell everything he has, He tells him to stop cheating the people and asking for more than what is prescribed. He’s saying, ‘change your ways’.
To the soldiers, who had been bullying people and abusing their power, he doesn’t say pack in your job and give everything you have away. - He tells them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.” He’s saying ‘change your ways’.
And to everyone, he tells them how they can bear good fruit by loving one another, being generous and showing hospitality.
“Whoever has two cloaks, should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Righteousness can begin by doing small, virtuous things. But also doing them diligently, and with a positive attitude. Repeated, small good deeds pave the way for righteousness and joyful hearts. The joy of God’s ways comes when we help others and respect them.
If we were to ask John the Baptist, “What should I do to bear good fruit? What might he say?
He would no doubt ask us to look closely at ourselves and examine what we might need to be sorry for in our hearts.
Do we always look for the good in others? Do we bear grudges? Have we taken advantage of a situation when we knew it was wrong? Are we as generous as we could be, or do we just share what we can easily afford with no real impact on ourselves?
When we live out our faith with a generosity of heart we create more space for joy in our heart.
Sometimes though, that can be hard, especially with people we dislike or those we don’t know.
But that’s OK because we have help.
We have help in the shape of Jesus, who came to give everything he had for those in need.
The same Jesus who didn’t reject and punish the tax collectors and sinners, but welcomed them and shared food with them and showed them how to love one another. The same Jesus who invited a tax collector to be a disciple.
When we genuinely say sorry and ask for help to change, Jesus is there for us, willing to forgive us and send the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with love – a love that is capable of spilling out with joy to others.
Advent joy springs from the realisation that the presence of Jesus in our lives can transform us for the better when we let him into our hearts, turn our back to sinful ways and follow Him.
As Jesus told us, there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need to repent. [Luke 15:7]
So I hope, on this Gaudete Sunday, all our hearts are filled joy as we prepare in our own ways for the coming of our Lord Jesus. Paul
Our Prayers
Loving Father,
We thank you for the gift of joy in our hearts
As we look to the coming of you Holy Son.
Grant us wisdom to look at ourselves
and to see where we can be more like Him,
and give us determination to change our ways
where we need to.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Make Way!"
Notices
Our traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols is at 6.30 pm this evening at St Thomas’, followed by seasonal refreshments and the Christmas Hamper raffle draw. Please wrap up warmly for this service, as the main heating system has failed.
Tomorrow at 6 pm we will be meeting at St Thomas’ to go Carolling around the village, and collecting money for the Booth Centre. This is really appreciated by people of all ages where we visit - especially those who are not able to get to a church service during Christmas. Families are especially welcome, and the children love the singing and collecting, so please do come and join us – the more the merrier!
The Tuesday morning service of Holy Communion is at 10 am at St Thomas’, and Worship for all Generations is at 6.30 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday at St Agnes’.
Next Sunday’s Services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes’ and 11 am at St Thomas’.
All of the Christmas Services and Events are on the blue poster below.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the First Sunday of Advent. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.00 at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Wait for the Lord (Taize)"
Today's Gospel
Luke 3:1-6 The Proclamation of John the Baptist
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
Reflection
Last week, we looked at how Advent tells us as much about the second coming of the Lord as well as His first coming two millennia ago.
This week we focus on the role of John the Baptist who had a very specific role - to point to the first coming of Jesus.
John is heralding the importance of someone significant coming, the Messiah and the Son of God.
Advent is a busy time, as the church prepares to celebrate the birth of Christ with endless activities such as carol concerts, Christingles, Advent services and myriad other events.
In our homes there is also an endless list of things to do as we prepare for get-togethers with relatives and friends, preparing food, buying and wrapping presents, sending cards, going to Christmas parties with friends or work colleagues and what seems like never ending amounts of cleaning and cooking.
It perhaps feels like there are two distinct lists of things to focus on. Things we need to do at church and things we need to do to meet the expectations of everyone around us. No wonder it so stressful and hectic!
But amidst all this palaver and commotion how are we personally and spiritually preparing for Jesus?
We read that the voice of God came to John the Baptist in the wilderness and immediately he began travelling around preparing the way for Jesus. So where is our equivalent of the wilderness, that time or space where we can make time to listen to that still small voice calling us to prepare for Jesus.
A voice that shows us how to prepare for Jesus in our hearts.
I don’t expect God to talk to me in a burning bush like he did to Moses, or the belly of a big fish like Jonah, but I can say with confidence that I’m sure He talks to us all in one way or another.
We just need to find a little bit of ‘God time’ to let Him into our lives and listen to what He is saying to us.
So, how do we even begin to think about preparing our hearts for Jesus? What valleys do we need to fill and roads do we need to make straight to prepare the way for Jesus in our heart?
We are shown the way by John - we can repent and ask forgiveness.
We can prepare our hearts for Jesus through meditation and self-examination and thinking about how we live our lives. What value we put on things that are important to us and others not only at Christmas but all the time.
We can look honestly at how we might do things differently going forward and then promise to change and stick to it. That’s what repentance really means, it’s not just saying sorry but also making a change for the better. Advent is the church’s New Year and, I suggest, a much better time to think about resolutions to make life changes than the 1st January.
If you are thinking about how to prepare your heart for Jesus, the person who died for us all to be redeemed, perhaps think about what you might get Him for a present this Christmas.
Pray to Him more regularly, point others to the good news of the gospel, make time to listen quietly and let the Holy Spirit help you to build a stronger relationship with Him who loves you.
Instead of an Advent calendar this year, why not buy yourself a few tea-lights and set aside time each day in Advent to light one and spend a few moments alone in His presence. Pray that He will speak in your mind and show you the straight path He wants you to take each day.
Paul
Our Prayers
Merciful God,
who sent your servant John and the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:
Give us grace to heed their warnings
and repent of our sins,
And help us to prepare our hearts
as we await the coming of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "On Jordans Bank the Baptist's Cry"
Notices
This afternoon, our family Christingle Service will be at St Thomas’ at 3 pm. All are most welcome – please bring your own orange.
Churches Together Advent Praise is at Zion Methodist Church at 2.30 pm. Come and join our friends from the Christian churches in our area.
The Tuesday morning service of Holy Communion is at 10 am at St Thomas’, and Worship for all Generations is at 6.30 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday at St Agnes’.
Next Sunday’s Services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes’ and 11 am at St Thomas’. Then in the afternoon, Worship for all Generations Christmas Party is at 1 pm at St Agnes’ (tickets £3 from Neil).
Our traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols is at 6.30 pm next Sunday at St Thomas’, followed by seasonal refreshments.
On Monday the 16th December we will be meeting at 6 pm at St Thomas’ to go Carolling around the village, and collecting money for the Booth Centre. Everyone is welcome to join us – the more the merrier!
Details of all the Christmas Services and Events are on the blue poster below.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the First Sunday of Advent. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.00 at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness (Christ be our Light)"
Today's Gospel
Luke 21:25-36Signs of the End of the Age
Jesus said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
Reflection
"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down…”
This sermon from Jesus is sometimes referred to as the ‘Little Apocalypse” sermon and was one of the last speeches Jesus gave before He started His passion journey.
He wasn’t ranting crazily about the end of the earth, He was calmly describing what is to come, to the hundreds of people who came to the Mount of Olives daily to hear him talk.
However, what He was saying would be horrifying to them. He had just predicted the fall of the Temple which would have seemed impossible - after all this is God’s temple which is glorious in every respect and stood for hundreds of years. Surely that cannot happen!
Yet within a few decades after his death, they would witness the fall of Jerusalem and the total destruction of the temple by the Greco-Roman forces. His followers, the early Christians, would be persecuted and scattered across the regions.
Jesus goes on to tell them that even more catastrophic events of cosmic proportions will follow - and predicts the signs that will foretell the ‘end of the age’.
Some people take this quite literally as the end of all mankind and the earth. However, others see this as the way people of that time used exaggeration and hyperbole as a way to get an important message across.
Whichever view you take it is still clear that there will be a massive and cataclysmic impact on everything as we know it. But when that will happen, only the Father knows, (Matt 13:32).
All this sounds very negative and even depressing, but that was not the message that Jesus wanted the people to take away. His message to them, and us, is one of hope and salvation; because He also promises us, that when this all happens it will be a sign that the Son of Man is returning to redeem the believers. It is not a threat of damnation but a promise of salvation.
“Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
Strangely, I am reminded of the image of meerkats, where one of them alerts the pack and they all stand up straight, raise their heads and look around. That’s what we are asked to do, stay alert. But not because of something bad, rather because when we see these signs something wonderful is about to happen. Jesus also provides us with comforting guidance when He says, “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life”.
He is reminding us how to live our lives in goodness. Not to waste time on meaningless things that add no value to ourselves or others, (dissipation). Dissipation is the opposite of stewardship, where instead of making the most our time, money, relationships and other God given gifts we waste them and have nothing to show for it. Similarly endless worrying burns up energy and diminishes hope [Matt: 6:31-33], do not worry but seek the righteousness of God.
Looked at in this light, Jesus’ message is really positive, when we turn to Him and pray and live our lives in a good and meaningful way, He will be our hope and salvation.
Advent is the time when we look forward to Jesus’ first coming, however none of us know when He will come again. Neither do we know what the End of Age will look like or when it will happen any more than the early Christians did. Maybe it will be a major war to end all wars, or climate disaster, or maybe something cosmic like a massive sunspot that destroys all our technology and sends us back to the stone age, because without computers there is no money apart from physical possessions.
However, for those who are in Christ, this is not something to fear, it is something to look forward to, because it is a signal of our redemption and the end of suffering.
A time when Jesus will return to transform all that we know and reign in glory. Paul
Our Prayers
As we begin this season of Advent,
may our hearts be filled with the hope that comes from knowing your promises are true.
We look toward the day when we will see You face to face.
May we live righteous lives, in faith and goodness,
Assured of your redeeming power and love.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Hark, the Glad Sound! The Saviour Comes"
Notices
Next Sunday’s Services are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes’ and 11 am at St Thomas’. Also next Sunday, our Christingle Service will be here at St Thomas’ at 3 pm, and the Churches Together Advent Praise is at Zion Methodist Church at 2.20 pm.
The Tuesday morning service of Holy Communion is at 10 am here at St Thomas’, and Worship for all Generations is at 6.30 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday at St Agnes’.
On Monday at 4.30 pm at St Thomas’ we’re having our ‘All-age Worship Singing’. This is a special one, where we’ll be practicing all our Christmas Carols, ready for our Christmas services and Carolling around the village, so please join us if you can.
The Ladies of Leesfield Coffee Morning is at 10.30 am on Saturday 7th December in the Community Room at St Thomas’ – all are most welcome!
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Sunday before Advent, and the Feast of Christ the King. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.00 at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "The King of Love My Shepherd is"
Today's Gospel
John 18:33-37Jesus Before Pilate
Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Reflection
“You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Today we celebrate Christ the King. But King of what or where?
It is clear from Pilate’s question that Pilate is thinking in earthly terms of a king, like the Roman emperors. He sees a kingdom like an empire that is ruled by those with power and authority and status, based on wealth and might.
A king would have armies to conquer and rule others.
We should remember that in Jesus’ time, Jerusalem and the Middle East were ruled by the Roman Empire. The Jewish people, although no longer in exile, were living in occupied territory ruled by the invading Romans.
But Jesus’ kingdom and power are based on truth and love.
Jesus is a divine king who comes from God - the ultimate king, maker and ruler of all that is seen and unseen.
Jesus comes with humility and power as the Servant King, who wants to capture our hearts rather than our land and possessions. A king who wants to conquer, not people and lands with swords and spears or bombs and drones - rather He wants to conquer our hearts and minds with love, compassion and truth.
A love for us. He didn’t come to pander to the wealthy and powerful, but to walk humbly with the poor and excluded.
Jesus calls us to build God’s kingdom on earth by following His example.
He calls us to care for and love one another, rather than to make war and fight.
He calls us to be compassionate and share what we have, rather than selfishly ignoring the suffering or plight of the needy.
He calls us to help one another, rather than help ourselves.
We may think at times that we are in control of our own destiny and that we have the right to do as we please. But when we put ourselves first, we are making a choice to put the earthly kingdom before the heavenly kingdom.
We may deceive ourselves that everything we have is a result of our own hard work. But everything we have is by the grace of God.
When we are in Christ’s presence, we should feel a sense of humility. Christ is our friend and our redeemer, but we can only appreciate His friendship when we acknowledge that he is our King, our Saviour and our Lord.
So let us follow Jesus as our King of love until He returns to complete what He has started, and fully establishes His kingdom here on earth.
As the hymn says……….
He is the king of love, I’ll nothing lack if I am His and He is mine forever.
Paul
Our Prayers
Our prayers for Christ the King come from Faye Rowlands, aka Mother Clanger.
Jesus,
King of all past empires,
Lord of all present rulers,
Master of all that is to come,
Lord of kingdoms great and tiny,
Teach us to hold lightly
on to the reins of our supposed power,
Remembering that all aspects of our life and loves,
our work and worship,
our time and treasure are under your rule,
And that in all things,
You are king.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Christ Triumphant, Ever Reigning"
Notices
In preparation for Advent, we will be dressing the Christmas Trees next Saturday for our annual Christmas Tree Festival. Everyone is most welcome - please see the poster below for details.
All of the information about our special services during Advent can be found in our poster below.
