Welcome to Sunday Worship on the Sunday next before Advent, where we celebrate Christ the King. Our Church Services today are at 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.15 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 "At the Name of Jesus"
Today's Gospel
Luke 23: 33-43 Christ the King
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. The people stood by, watching Jesus on the cross; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Reflection
Today we celebrate Christ the King – I wonder what comes to mind when you picture the image of king. Maybe a medieval king like Henry VIII dressed in grand clothes to show off his stature and wealth. Or perhaps a king from a fantasy story like dungeons and dragons, resplendent in gold and silver armour with a bejewelled sword. Whatever you think of I suspect the image will conjure up a sense of majesty and power. Even our king Charles II is respectfully referred to a ‘His majesty’.
But this week, in the final week of the church’s liturgical year, we have had readings every day that focus on the last days of Jesus’ life and his journey to the cross. Rather than looking ahead to Advent, preparing for the coming of Jesus, it transports us back to Holy week,
Far from any images of grandeur and majesty, we have been reminded of Jesus’ last days where he was tortured and killed in ignorance by the Romans and the Jews.
They killed and ridiculed him because they misunderstood what Jesus meant when he talked about the ‘Kingdom of God’ – They saw him as a potential threat to their power; the Romans were worried about Jesus starting a rebellion against the Empire whilst the Jews, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees, saw him as a potential religious leader, challenging hundreds of years of perceived wisdom as laid down in the holy Book of the Torah.
Jesus did have a robe and crown, but these were marks of ridicule and the crown was a crown of thorns - yet another item of torture.
A couple of weeks ago we looked at how the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus, asking about the resurrection and how they were mistakenly relating the Kingdom of God to everyday life on Earth - a difficulty we all have , for none of us really know. In this scenario, we similarly need to look past the meaning of what it means to be a king in our framework of understanding.
We need to relate to the kind of king who is willing to be dehumanised, mocked and degraded, and willing to die for us broken on the cross. The Romans and the Jews were not wrong, Jesus is the ultimate king, Christ the King. But they were so entirely wrong about what Christ the King stands for and where his power lays.
He is not a king who comes to oppress his subjects with force and might, but a king who comes to serve and set free those who believe in him. To free us from our sinful ways and tell us that we can be forgiven. He shows us that true power comes from love and peace, not hatred and destruction.
At the end of the gospel passage Jesus tells the criminal next to him that he will be with him in his kingdom which will be like paradise. Jesus is promising a different kingdom, that we cannot yet truly comprehend. He calls us to be a part of that promised kingdom, with him. A kingdom where Jesus is the true king who rules not by domination or force but by gentle all-encompassing love.
A love expressed in his act of self-sacrifice on the cross to save us all.
When we confess Christ as King, we do not pledge allegiance to some earthly being but to God the Father, and we look to follow Christ’s example of service and sacrifice though loving one another. We look to share in his glorious kingdom by sharing his love and his values and spreading the Good News about a king who is willing to give everything to save those who follow him.
Paul
Our Prayers
Gracious God,
We thank You for the gift of Your Son,
who came to establish a kingdom of love, peace, and justice.
Thank You for calling us to be part of this kingdom,
and for the hope of eternal life with You.
May our lives overflow with gratitude and joy,
as we serve You and one another.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Christ Triumphant, Ever Reigning"
Notices
On Saturday 29th November we will be decorating the trees for our Harvest Queen Christmas Tree Festival. Everyone is invited to come along and help – if you would like to pre-order bacon or sausage butties, please see Karen. The Lees Christmas Lights Switch-on with Leesfield School Choir and Santa is at 5 pm on that day, so why not have a full day of festive fun? The Christmas Tree Festival is open to the public from 12.30 pm to 3 pm on Sunday 30th November as part of Christmas across the villages, to coincide with the Lees Christmas Markets, so please come and join us to look at the trees and enjoy seasonal refreshments.
Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent, and we will be having our usual Toy Services at both churches. If you are able to, please could you bring a toy in new or good condition for families who are struggling to buy presents for their children this Christmas.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish as we celebrate the Feast of St Hugh at the Worship Centre in St Hugh's School. There are no services at St Agnes' or St Thomas' Churches today.
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 "Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God"
Today's Gospel
Mark 13: 32-37The Necessity for Watchfulness
“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert, for you do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.
Therefore, keep awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
Reflection
Today is the Feast Day of St. Hugh of Lincoln and many of us will be celebrating at a joint parish service at St. Hugh’s church which is located in the school in Holts Village.
It is a joyful occasion where the school and village community join together with members of the other churches in our parish to celebrate this special anniversary.
St Hugh was actually born in Avalon, France in the 12th century and following the death of his father in 1165, he joined the religious Carthusian order in Grenoble where he was ordained priest 5 years later. He spent most of his early adult life in prayer and meditation and had a reputation for piety and holiness.
He was widely extolled for his many virtues of patience, courtesy, courage, gentleness. It was said that everyone treated him as a neighbour, as an old friend or as a brother. He loved the whole human race like himself and his abundant charity cherishes all men.
Word of his devoutness reached King Henry II in England and he was asked to form the first Carthusian monastery in England. Although a great honour, it was far from Hugh’s preferred choice of role, as he much preferred the life of prayer and dedication to God. However, under pressure from the king and the Bishop of Grenoble he was compelled to accept the role. Despite his reputation for gentleness he was not afraid to speak the truth to leaders such as the King and senior religious leaders in the country, and he persuaded the King to spend large amounts of money on the church and the poor.
He was consecrated as Bishop of Lincoln on 21st September 1186 in Westminster Cathedral, where, despite his position of power, he remained dedicated and devout and lived a humble basic lifestyle. His reputation grew as a champion of the poor and needy.
St Hugh worked tirelessly for the welfare of his people of Lincoln and surrounding areas. He was passionate about helping the poor and marginalised people in society and firmly committed to improving everyone’s spiritual well-being as well as their material needs. He was so committed to helping the poor that he often used his own resources to improve their lives.
St. Hugh was also recognised for his interventions to prevent the persecution of the Jewish people who were numerous in and around Lincoln. Attacks on them had been frequent and violent but St. Hugh spoke up for them and was not afraid to challenge the leaders of those who perpetrated the oppression.
The Gospel reading above is often associated with St. Hugh because of his life of devotion to God. It reminds us of his unremitting service of prayer and dedication and his personal example of how we should offer our lives to God and to the service of others.
It is an example to us of how we should all set time aside to spend with God in prayer and reflection and how we should live our lives as Hugh did, following the way of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sometimes we might well intend to be more virtuous but we don’t get around to it. And sometimes we don’t speak up for others when we know that we should. We all need to be watchful and alert to the needs of one another and not be complacent lest we get caught out.
Paul
Our Prayers
Holy God , who endowed your servant St. Hugh
with wise and cheerful boldness, and taught him
to commend the discipline of holy life to kings and princes.
Grant that we also, rejoicing in the Good News of your mercy,
and fearing nothing but the loss of you,
may be bold to speak the truth in love, in the name of Jesus Christ
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "All My Hope on God is Founded"
Notices
From next Sunday, the 23rd November, the Sunday Services at St Thomas’ will be at the new time of 11.15 am. This is because Revd Kirsten will be covering services on rotation between all 3 churches, so she will need time to travel in between, and also to get to know the congregations better. St Agnes’ Sunday Services will remain at 9.15 am.
It was wonderful to welcome Revd Kirsten to our parishes last Sunday, and we are all very much looking forward to her ministry.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Third Sunday before Advent, also Remembrance Sunday. Today we have only one service in the parish, a Parish Eucharist at 9.15 am at St Thomas' Church.
Following the service, we will meet with other churches from the area and the Royal British Legion at 10.10 am outside Lees Library to process to the War Memorial in Lees Cemetery for the Act of Remembrance at 10.30 am.
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 "Great is Thy Faithfulness"
Today's Gospel
Luke 20: 27 - 38The Resurrection and Marriage
Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her."
Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.".
Reflection
I have to admit – this reading is far from straight forward.
The Sadducees were trying to catch Jesus out by referencing God’s law from Deuteronomy 25 which is attributed to Moses. The Old Testament law requires a man to marry his brother’s widow to produce offspring, and they used it to set the stage to discuss a complicated scenario surrounding resurrection and so discredit the concept of an afterlife which they vehemently did not believe in.
To make things simpler, the Sadducees could have made exactly the same point by just referring to a situation with one brother, but they were so devious they added extra layers of complexity to try to make themselves look clever. I would argue they did exactly the opposite – by being so convoluted they probably lost half the people they were trying to show off to.
Because the Sadducees thought the whole idea of resurrection was just a silly concept they never thought to consider what the afterlife might be like. Their hypothesis is based entirely on our human life, existence and laws as a frame of reference. They had never entertained the idea that heaven is entirely different our day to day experience here on earth as we know it.
Jesus’s rebuttal is simple and direct – in as many words he is saying, “ Who ever said that marriage will exist as part of life in a post-resurrection existence? Why would we even need marriage in God’s new Kingdom, where everything will be refreshed and made new again.”
Of course this opens up a whole realm of technological debates about what heaven is like and what will the after-life be like? It’s certainly not a question that we can address in a short reflection, and I would not consider myself remotely able to give a firm view. In reality the only person that could answer it, stunned the crowd and Sadducees into silence – in the verse that follows today’s passage it says; “And no one dared to ask him any more questions.” What a shame, wouldn’t it have been great if someone had asked, ‘What is heaven like?’
But it does give us pause to think what our own ideas might be. I don’t think many of us picture heaven as a place with angels sitting on fluffy white clouds playing a harp; to be honest I don’t really know where that image came from, perhaps a TV advert from many years ago?
There is plenty of reference throughout the bible about the idea of a ‘new earth’, such as Rev. 21:1, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away “. Some scholars suggest that this infers God will totally refresh the world as we know it. The brokenness, violence and sin that exists in our world will be totally refreshed and made anew in a perfect way that will never be tarnished again by sin.
But what that will look like is for God alone to know. If we try to speculate based on our current experience then we are making the same mistake as the Sadducees did.
However, the good news is that the promise of resurrection is a reality and Jesus is the living proof.
The promise of the world to come, God’s kingdom where He is with us is also reality whatever that may look like, because Jesus the Son of Man tells us it is. When we turn to Jesus he promises, “we cannot die anymore, because we are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection."
Now that is something to look forward to, even if we can’t yet understand what it might look like.
Paul
Our Prayers
Almighty and everlasting Father,
We thank you for the promise of your kingdom to come.
We look forward to the time, when
You will wipe every tear from our eyes.
Death will be no more; mourning and
crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’
Amen
Today's final hymn is "O God, Our Help in Ages Past"
Notices
This afternoon at 3 pm at St John's Church, Hey, we have a Welcome Eucharist Service for our new Curate in Charge, Revd Kirsten Stott. All are most welcome to join us for the service and refreshments, but if you are not able to be with us, please offer your prayers for Revd Kirsten and both parishes at this joyful time.
Next Sunday, the congregations from both our churches will be joining pupils, families and staff from St Hugh's School for our annual St Hugh's Day Service, and there will be no other services in the parish on that day.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fourth Sunday before Advent, when we also celebrate All Saints Day.
Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.00 at St Thomas'. We also have a special service for All Souls at 3 pm at St Thomas' Church, where we light candles and pray for our departed loved ones by name.
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 "As we are Gathered, Jesus is Here"
Today's Gospel
Luke 19:1-10 Jesus and Zacchaeus
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way.
When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.
All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."
Reflection
This weeks reflection arguably raises more questions than answers. Before we get into that, I’ll start with one of my own. Have you ever wanted something quite badly but can’t put your finger on exactly what it is? Maybe you fancy something different or special for tea and you don’t know what it is until hopefully you see it.
Let’s look at Zacchaeus; he was definitely looking for someone – he was looking for Jesus. But why was he looking for Jesus?
Luke tells us that he was a chief tax-collector and he was rich.
No doubt from cheating the Jews and the Romans. Indeed Zacchaeus half admits this when he later says, “If I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Being a chief tax collector, it is reasonable to presume that he was probably middle aged. In my mind's eye, I picture him as quite portly or stout in stature from having a good standard of living and we are told that he was also short.
Zacchaeus is driven for some unknown reason to want to see Jesus as he passed. There is however no suggestion that he actually wanted to meet him face to face. However he was struggling to be able to see Jesus go by because he was too short to see over the crowds and in all likelihood, they may have deliberately prevented him from getting to the front because everyone hated crooked tax-collectors.
In his urge to see Jesus pass by, he decides to run ahead and climb a tree. The sight of this would most probably have been comical - watching a portly, short man running and climbing trees. Moreover, it would have been totally undignified and against the social etiquette of that period in time.
This brings us to some more questions; what did Zacchaeus expect to happen when he had climbed the tree? Did he expect Jesus to see him? Did he expect anyone in the crowd to see him? What did he think would happen as Jesus passed by? We don’t know but clearly he was consumed in his mission to see Jesus at all costs.
I believe the Holy Spirit was deep at work in this poor sinful man. It was the Holy Spirit that was transforming him. Deep down Zacchaeus knew he was a sinner and he may have wanted to change who he was for a long time. He needed that push to answer that nagging feeling deep within him – He needed to listen to his inner voice and guided by the Spirit he was compelled to seek out the one who could help. Jesus was able to open his heart and his mind to transform and release him from his sinful ways and Zacchaeus see what he has to do to receive salvation.
Jesus has opened his heart and mind and for me, this is as significant as the miracle when Jesus cured the blind man and enables him to see again in the previous chapter Luke 18:42.
Jesus has opened Zacchaeus’ eyes as well.
Perhaps if there is a time when we get a nigging itch or feel there is something missing in our lives, or something that we feel needs to change but don’t know what it is - then that is the time for us climb a metaphorical tree and seek the answers we need.
Find a space and look for Jesus in prayer and ask him for guidance – let Jesus be the one to look at you, call you by name and invite himself to stay in your house today. Because Jesus is also looking for you, ‘for the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’
I close with some words from Psalm 32:Verses 1 & 6
Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away!
I said," I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin. Paul
Our Prayers
Loving Father,
Help us to understand when you
are nudging us to change direction.
Open our minds to listen to your call,
and our hearts to receive your message.
And give us the courage to respond to your will.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "For all the Saints"
Notices
Next Sunday the 9th November is Remembrance Sunday, and there will be a short, said Parish Eucharist at 9.15 am at St Thomas’, with no service at St Agnes’. We will then assemble outside Lees Library at 10.10 am to process to Lees Cemetery for the joint service of remembrance.
Also next Sunday, the Welcome Eucharist with Bishop Mark for our new Curate in Charge, Revd Kirsten Stott, will be held at 3 pm at St John’s Church, Hey.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. 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 "Beauty for Brokenness"
Today's Gospel
Luke 18: 9 -14 The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt:
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, `God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.'
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, `God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."
Reflection
Reading today’s parable, I was reminded about a TV comedy sketch from the 1966 satirical programme the Frost Report – it starred John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett and parodied the social class system of the era.
John Cleese was an upper class city gentleman, Ronnie Barker a middle class, management worker and Ronnie Corbett a working class labourer. The sketch is about relative superiority and inferiority of the socio economic status of the three people and is reinforced visually, by the difference in physical height of the 3 actors and the clothes they are dressed in. It shows the absurdity of how people of different standing either look down on people or look up to each other depending on wealth and upbringing. (If you’ve never seen it, I’ve included a link at the end of the reflection).
In today’s parable, Jesus similarly juxtaposes two extreme examples to make his point about how we see ourselves and how we should approach God in prayer.
If we look at the pompous, self-centred Pharisee, we see a person who is pretentious and self-important. A person who thinks he is better than most and looks down his nose at other people. Even in the Temple whilst praying he feels the need to ‘grandstand’ and show off how much better he thinks he is. We picture him standing by himself at the front in prominent sight of everyone else – it’s almost like he’s trying to get to front of the queue. Does he mistakenly think that God will see and hear him ahead of everyone else?
He is trying to impress everyone and show that he is more important than he actually is.
We see his arrogance compounded when we look at his words of prayer. He starts by trying to prove to God and those around him how much more righteous he is than other people, especially the tax collector. (Tax collectors were despised by most people as cheats and collaborators with the Roman Empire.) He is trying to shift the focus to others and at the same time totally ignoring his own sins. His sins of greed, and selfishness, the ways the Pharisees invented new laws to make life harder for people, and the way they also took money off the poor. Instead he is shining the spotlight on everyone else in the mistaken belief that his sins are not as bad. But all sins are wrong and we need to own up to them and repent. By not asking for forgiveness he is missing the opportunity to ask for God’s grace.
In his arrogance he fails to see the need to ask God for what he really needs - He does not recognise that his sins are taking him away from God.
In contrast, the tax collector is acutely aware of his shortcomings. Even the manner in which he approaches God with humility and deference says much about his demeanour and his respect for God. He is addressing God in a humble manner – When we pray we should remember that ‘The Lord lifts up the humble’. [Psalm 147:6].
The tax collector focusses his prayers on what he needs and is asking for what is truly important in his life – God’s mercy. He says a version of what is now known by many as the Jesus prayer - `God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' [Luke 18:13].
He does not try to judge or blame others or pretend that he is better than he is. He tells God about the burden of shame he is bearing because of his sins. We do not know why he was a tax collector, maybe it was the only way that he could support his family – but he is clearly troubled and sorry about his ways and he knows that he needs to turn to God and ask for His grace. His conversation with God is full of genuine contrition, sorrow and repentance.
We too need to have that same approach – we may do lots of good things in our lives but we are also sinners. It’s no good trying to pull the wool over His eyes, because God knows what is truly on our mind and more importantly what is in our hearts. So when we pray, we should do so with a contrite heart and humility, and not be afraid to admit where we have let ourselves and God down. We should recognise that we need to ask God for the greatest gift he has for us – His mercy. Paul
Guide us by your Spirit, to examine our deeds and thoughts and admit our failings.
Give us a humble and contrite heart,
That we may come to you in humility,
And ask for your mercy.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Thou Whose Almighty Word"
Notices
Everyone is most welcome to join us for our service for All Souls next week. If there is anyone you would like us to pray for by name, please let us know.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity. 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 "Jesus, Stand Among Us"
Today's Gospel
Luke 18:1- 8 The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Jesus told his disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, `Grant me justice against my opponent.' For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, `Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Reflection
In the last 2 chapters of Luke he has shown us how Jesus stresses the need for faith – faith in God the Father.
Putting it simply, there are three key points to this parable -
1)Take your concerns to God
2)Be persistent
3)Don’t be discouraged.
As we go through the trials and troubles of daily life, we will all face adversity and sometimes, it’s fair to say, we may be at a loss to see how things will change or be made right.
We may see this at a personal level or at a national or international level. My wife often tells me I’m turning into a “grumpy old man” (not so sure about the old bit!), when I grumble out loud at the news which seems to show a constant stream of stories about unjust wars, corruption and endless abuse of power. I grumble about injustice and people being treated unfairly or exploited.
In Jesus’ parable of the unjust Judge we see many of these things exposed. The Judge is clearly out of line and the Hebrew people at the time would have rightly been shocked by the parody that Jesus outlines. A couple of weeks ago I wrote how Hebrew law repeatedly states that the Israelites should look after the orphans and widows. They were considered to be the most vulnerable in society because they were destitute and had no one to stand up for them - so when the Judge ignores the widow’s request for help he is clearly going against expectations and religious teachings of the day.
Jesus gives no reason as to why the judge behaved so unfairly, so we might assume he was probably being selfish because the widow had nothing to give him for his services. But the widow refuses to give in and in the end the recalcitrant judge gives in.
Reading this translation it almost gives the impression that he did so because the persistent widow ground his will down and he just wanted to get her off his back.
However, in the original Greek version we learn that the widow was so persistent she eventually threated to resort to violence and give the judge a black eye to expose his unjustness. The judge would no doubt suffer deep embarrassment, so he gives in and does the right thing to save face, both physically and metaphorically. The widow was indeed very persistent and was rewarded for her resilience.
You may wonder why Jesus needs to tell His disciples this, and to understand this it is useful to look at the end of the previous chapter. In Luke 17:22-25 Jesus tells them quite bluntly about the suffering and rejection He will soon face. He also tells them how, at the end of times, He will return to judge the living and the dead. He is describing the ’Coming of God’s kingdom’, a time when ultimately all will be judged when the Son of Man returns.
Jesus knows that they too will face persecution and suffer in His name. So he wants to reassure them that when they pray to God persistently and trust in Him, their prayers will be answered. It is a message of hope and faith that He will make all things right when he makes all things new and He will wipe every tear from the eye of the suffering,
For me, this the heart of faith, that we pray and share our concerns with God, trusting that He will always hear us and respond in the way that He sees best for us. And when I might be in a ‘grumpy’ mode listening to the news, I am also praying to God that things will change. When I see or hear about people’s worries and ailments and concerns, I am compelled to pray for them time and again.
We may at times feel a little frustrated when things don’t seem to change in the world or when our requests aren’t answered immediately - but then Jesus reminds us to not to lose heart. The last thing we should do is be disheartened or discouraged, because God hears all our prayers and will answer them when the time is right in the way that is right. We should never give up on God because He will never give up on us.
He never gives up on us, even when we have broken our promises. God listened to His people when they cried out because they were enslaved by the Egyptians. He listened to their cries when they were thirsty and hungry in the wilderness. Even when they broke their covenant with Him and were exiled, He listened to their cries and rescued them. We should all have faith that when we pray to Him, He is listening and he will be there to help when the time is right. And unlike the judge in the parable, He will not do it grudgingly - when God does respond He will do so willingly because He loves us. Paul
Our Prayers
Heavenly Father,
We thank you that you are always there,
Listening to our prayers and concerns.
We know that you know what is best for us. Help us to be persistent but also patient,
Give us hope and confidence that you will always respond as and when it is right,
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11.00 am 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 "Lord, for the Years"
Today's Gospel
Luke 17:11-19 Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him.
Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."
Reflection
Unfortunately, we missed the normal lectionary reading last week as we celebrated our Harvest Festival. The Gospel reading was all about faith, and there is strong element about faith in our Gospel passage today as well as gratitude and thankfulness.
It’s maybe hard to grasp the enormity of what Jesus did without understanding the impact of Leprosy on the people at the time. It was truly awful and devastating.
People’s skin would go snow white and flake away. Fingers and limbs would lose feeling and literally rot away and eventually fall off. Sufferers would be covered in sores all over their body. The outcome was always death although the sufferers may well live for twenty years or more. They would also be repulsive because the smell of their flesh condition. On top of that there was the emotional and psychological suffering – the stigma of having to leave their family and friends, being social outcasts and having to shout to everyone and warn them not to come too close because they were unclean.
Leprosy was a death sentence and it was the priest’s duty to examine people with any kind of skin infection, and if they suspected leprosy they were to declare them unclean and cast them out of the camp. [Leviticus 13:45-46]. It was also the priest’s job to examine those deemed to be cured and perform rituals on them before they could be declared clean and readmitted to society. This was why Jesus instructed the ten to show themselves to the priest.
The reality however was that no one was ever cured from the disease, although there could have been instances where a person had been mis-diagnosed and subsequently recovered from some other kind of skin infection. Bear in mind, 2000 years ago medical knowledge was virtually non-existent and fear of leprosy probably led priests to err on the safe side and cast out people when they were unsure what was wrong.
It is unclear from the reading what the ten lepers expected. We are merely told that they asked Jesus to have mercy on them. Were they expecting pity, food, clothes or money? They would probably have heard of the many rumours of Jesus’ kindness as His reputation grew in the region. But it is unlikely they expected to be cured. No one was ever cured of leprosy at that time.
But nevertheless, they did what Jesus told them to do. They set off to see the priest. They couldn’t have had any idea what would happen. They had not been miraculously cured on the spot. They would have still been in pain with all the other awful symptoms described above. The journey would probably have taken quite a while, let’s not forget they were crippled – but still they set off. They had some sort of belief that Jesus was going to make something extraordinary happen, but surely no reason to think they would be miraculously healed; that their damaged body parts would be restored and their skin made like new. But still they set off with belief in Jesus. They had faith. At the depths of their despair they had faith and did what Jesus asked.
Here’s the point. If they hadn’t trusted Jesus and set off in pain and agony. They wouldn’t have been healed. If they’d looked at each other and said, nothing’s changed we’re as ill now as we were before we met Jesus, so why bother? - they wouldn’t have been healed.
Like the woman who was healed when she touched the hem of Jesus’ cloak, faith came before the miracle.
There are always times in our lives where things don’t go as we want. Illness, bereavement, losing a job, financial stress. But in the midst of all our turmoil and issues, God is still present and still loves us. When we can’t see the way out of difficulties, we need to have faith that God has still ‘got our back’. Because nothing pleases God more than when we have faith in Him.
It is not for us to bargain with God or put conditions on our faith by asking Him to fix these issues in my life and I’ll pray more often or go to church more. Or, make my worries go away and I’ll do more to help others. Having faith is about understanding that when we trust in God and obey His will – He will always make things work out according to His plan, not ours. We cannot know what God has in store for us but we need to look hard and recognise where God has been and is working in our lives.
We need to take stock of all the positive things and above all say thank you. We should be confident that God loves us all, even the outcasts, and He will heal us in ways we can’t imagine. God who sent His only Son that we might all be saved and healed. Paul
Our Prayers
Loving Father,
You pour out endless blessings upon us.
Open our eyes to see your hand at work,
And to give you thanks for all you continue to do for us.
Lord, we pray that we have faith to trust in all you do
And obey your will.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Through all the Changing Scenes of Life"
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, our Harvest Festival. Today we have just one service in the parish, at 11 am at St Thomas' Church, followed by a Bring and Share Lunch, to which everyone is invited.
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 "Now Thank we all our God"
Today's Bible Reading
Deuteronomy 26:1-11 First Fruits and Tithes
When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the first fruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket.
Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous.
But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labour. Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the first fruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.
Reflection
Today we celebrate harvest festival. Some people believe that Harvest Thanksgiving originates from pagan times and the druids who worshipped the sun and moon and seasons of the year. But in this excerpt from the Bible we can clearly see that it is God’s desire for us to show thanks.
The passage selected comes from the Book of Deuteronomy which means repeated or second law. It is the fifth book of the Bible and essentially, it is a recap of the first four chapters from Genesis through to the Book of Numbers and tells the early story of God’s people and also God’s guidance and laws that we are to follow.
Verses 5 to 11 very briefly tells of the people of Israel in the Book of Exodus. The story of the descendants of Abraham who were forced to move to Egypt because of a famine in their own land. It tells how, when they got there, they flourished and thrived as immigrants and became a great nation of people. So much so that the Egyptians feared them and forced them into slavery. Then God heard their cry for mercy and rescued them, sending Moses to lead them to the Promised Land of milk and honey.
The passage is prophetic, because it is telling the Israelites how they are to behave in the Promised Land before they actually get there. They are still in the desert and have been wandering for many years, but are now on the verge of entering and conquering Canaan.
They are being told in advance how, once they have settled, they are to remember their journey as God’s people and all that He has done for them over generations. You could say that are being given the draft version of the first Harvest Festival Service. They are shown how to be thankful for all of God’s creation and what God continues to do. They are also told that they have to give something back. In the verse that follows this passage they are told to give a tenth (tithe) of the harvest to the orphans, widows and aliens.
In our celebrations we focus on food and provisions and quite rightly we make donations that will be given to the local foodbank or other good causes to help the less fortunate. But we perhaps miss the underlying message in this text about liberty and freedom.
The Israelites first went to Egypt in search of food during a famine. In today’s world some might refer to them as economic migrants. They were fleeing from poverty and starvation looking for somewhere to find a better way of life.
In our world today we see people doing just the same. They are driven to leave their homes by starvation and poverty. Lands where drought and famine are still prevalent and diseases cause hundreds of thousands of deaths because of lack of money to pay for medical support. People risk their own and their families’ lives to get a better standard of living.
We need to be grateful to God by sharing and giving to international agencies trying to help. And when people immigrate to our country we need to treat them with the respect they deserve. We should show our gratitude for all God provides by welcoming those who want to make their lives better amongst us. “…… foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household”
Paul
Our Prayers
Loving Father,
We give you thanks for goodness and love.
We pray for those across the world who are in poverty;
For people who are desperate for food and water.
For people whose land is unable to support crops
And where animals cannot graze.
Help us to hold out the hand of friendship and give more than we do at the moment.
Help us to show our gratitude for what we have by helping those who have less.
Amen
This week our prayers are especially with all those affected by the attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. For the victims, those bereaved & injured, the community, and for all who are working for peace and standing against everything that seeks to divide.
