Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Our Church Service this morning at St Agnes' is at 9.15, and St Thomas' service is at the slightly later time of 11.30.
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 "New Every Morning is the Love"
Today's Gospel
John 14:1-14 Jesus Comforts His Disciples
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
You could be forgiven if you feel a little confused after listening to John’s Gospel reading today. Here we are 5 weeks after Easter, when Jesus has risen and has been seen by Mary, the disciples and many others since his resurrection, and yet we find ourselves back in the room at the last supper.
So to remind ourselves of the context, Jesus and the disciples are at the Passover meal and in the course of the evening he had told them some pretty bad news. Firstly, He’s told them one of the disciples will betray him to the Romans, then He’s told Peter that he will deny knowing Jesus 3 times before day break, and last but not least that He will soon be killed. Even as He is now speaking to them, Judas is undertaking his act of treachery.
A short while before, he was washing their feet and giving them a new commandment to love one another, and now he’s turned the whole mood upside down. It’s hard to imagine the atmosphere in the room and how the disciples must have felt. After all, they have left everything behind to follow Jesus, and they realise as well that their own lives are also at risk. Apart from being confused they must have felt very vulnerable and frightened.
So Jesus tries to reassure them. He loves them and wants to set their minds at rest. He shifts their minds and their focus away from fear, and calls them to have belief and faith. He wants them to understand that death is not the end, and that they can have eternal life through faith and trust in him. He says; “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” Jesus starts to outline why they should trust in Him, even after he is gone. He lays out the case in plain language and says, “I am going to prepare a place for you”.
When Thomas is still puzzled, Jesus elaborates and says 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.”
Then Philip joins in the questioning, asking Jesus to show them the Father. Thomas and Philip were willing to ask the questions that were no doubt troubling the whole group, because at this stage of course, they had not experienced the glorious resurrection of Jesus. In their minds they didn’t know where Jesus was going to. They hadn’t yet fully grasped that Jesus was divine and was God.
Of course they wanted to believe and trust in Jesus, but they were totally perplexed. So, in the short time they had before Jesus left them all alone, they absolutely wanted to understand how they would go about following him.
They needed to know how to get to this wonderful dwelling place which Jesus was going to prepare for them. It must have felt like Jesus was making lots of reassuring promises but hadn’t given them all the pieces to the jigsaw. And perhaps there is a hint of frustration from Jesus when he says to Philip, 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 disciples were looking for a physical map to follow, but Jesus wasn’t talking about following a route map, He was talking about following in His ways and teachings. Something that the disciples wouldn’t fully understand until after his resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, when the missing pieces of the jigsaw would fall into place.
So what does this say to us here in Hey and Lees? The message is exactly the same. Jesus calls each and every one of us to follow Him. To live the way that He showed His disciples, following His commandment made at the last supper, to love one another as He loved us. He calls us to believe in Him and whilst we haven’t physically seen Him, we witness Him in the Good news of the Gospels, and we see God in all creation and His grace in the miracles that continue to happen across the world.
When we believe and trust in Jesus, He will show us the way to God’s dwelling place where He prepares a place for all who believe and trust in Him. But He won’t send us a link to Google maps in our ‘in box’, because in verse 3, Jesus promises “I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” Paul
Our Prayers
Risen and reigning Lord,
Strengthen our faith and trust in you,
that our troubled hearts may be assured
that you have gone to prepare a place for us,
so that where you are, we may be also and
that the Father will come to us through you.
Amen
Todays final hymn is "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer"
Notices
Our Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) will take place at St Thomas’ Church at 12.15 pm on Sunday 17th May. On that day we will have a Parish Eucharist at 11.15 am at St Thomas’, and there will be no service at St Agnes’.
The APCM is where we review the parish activities and finances for the previous year, and elect Churchwardens and parish officers for the coming year, so it’s really important that as many people as possible attend.
There is a great need at both churches for people to step up into various roles, not only for what we see at worship on Sundays and midweek, but also for everything that happens in the background to enable Leesfield Parish to continue to thrive at the heart of our community.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fourth Sunday of Easter. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 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 "Loving Shepherd of Thy Sheep"
Today's Gospel
John 10:1-10 The Shepherd and His Flock
Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice.
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Reflection
In various translations of John 10 we may read about sheep pens, rather than folds. For many, this conjures up the image of the type of sheep pens we often see in the UK which are used for temporarily restraining small numbers of sheep before they are sheared.
If you walk along the hills above Oldham you will invariably see sheep roaming the fields and moorland day and night and they are seldom locked up.
Part of the reason for that is that we have very few predators such as wolves who would attack and kill them.
So, like me, you might find it hard to visualise what a sheep pen or sheepfold looks like. In the picture above, is a typical example of a sheepfold from ancient Israel which would not be dissimilar from those in biblical times when Jesus was alive. They were often built of stone and sometimes topped with thorns to deter thieves and predators. Shelters like this would vary in size and were usually built in a valley or on the sunny side of hill where there was protection form cold winds. In smaller folds like the one above, a watchman or shepherd would sleep at the gate or entrance overnight and act as a human gate.
The presence of a large number of sheep in the Holy Land was significant, as both Jews and Arabs relied on them for their livelihood, which is one of the reasons sheep are referred to so much throughout the Bible.
The shepherd would lead the sheep out to pasture every morning and would look after them, making sure they are well and not lame. I suspect most of us have never worked on a farm but it is not difficult to appreciate that over a short period of time the shepherd gets to know his sheep well, their habits, idiosyncrasies and behaviours very well. If you’ve ever had pets I’m sure you will be able to relate this. Similarly the animals get to know and trust the shepherd and they are wary of strangers. You can see this if you go for a walk in fields - sheep will always run away, but when the farmer comes along they run towards him or her.
So it was in the scenario Jesus outlines. The sheep would recognise the shepherd and be happy to follow him out of the fold to graze, knowing that he would lead them to good pasture where they would be safe. But if a stranger tries to entice them out they would be reluctant. Perhaps they remember past times when they were led out by a stranger and were separated from each other and their lambs were taken. Or they were abandoned in a place where there was little pasture to graze on.
Jesus says, “they will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” John points out that some did not understand Jesus, so Jesus clarifies that the point of the parable is not about the shepherd – it’s about the gate. A closed gate serves to keep the sheep in safety within the fold, but an open gate is the way to a source of life giving food and sustenance. To find that source of abundance of life we must go through the gate and follow the one that we can trust.
We are invited through Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross to walk through the ultimate gateway – because what God has given us through Jesus is ultimate security in the knowledge that we are forgiven people. We are free to wander in God’s unending pasture as His children and help one another flourish. We are free to put aside our fears and uncertainties to embrace the grace of God. We are free to live as God wanted us to live when He created humankind - loving caring people being what he intended us to be.
Paul
Our Prayers
Heavenly Father,
You call us by name and know every one of us.
When we are tempted to stray, guide us by your voice.
You are the gate that leads to eternal life,
strengthen our faith to trust in you
and guide us into the pasture of everlasting peace.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "All People that on Earth do Dwell"
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Third Sunday of Easter. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 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 "Jesus, Stand Among Us"
Today's Gospel
Luke 24:13-35 The Road to Emmaus
Now on that same day two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Reflection
Today’s passage is full of emotion. Grief, sadness, hope, fulfilment and joy.
As we begin, we encounter the disciples, dejected and forlorn. They have are leaving Jerusalem, the place where they had hoped their friend Jesus, who they believed was the Messiah, would lead them into glory and overthrow the ruling Roman empire.
Instead, they wander away in a state of loss, discussing what has happened over the recent days, since Jesus triumphant entry on Palm Sunday. Can you put yourself into their state of mind? They have lost both a dear friend and also hope for the future.
When they are joined by Jesus, like Mary earlier in the day, they don’t recognise Jesus as he offers to walk with them. They are astounded that this stranger seems oblivious to the momentous events of the last few days – they question how can that even be? Then Jesus gently prompts them to explain everything to him as they journey together. They pour out their hearts to him as they lament the loss of their friend. Jesus allows them to go over everything in detail, even telling Jesus that there were some who claimed to have seen the Messiah alive earlier that day.
Still Jesus does not reveal who he is, he just listens patiently, allowing them to offload all their pain and disappointment. Then he says, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!” In my mind I don’t picture this as a remark of rebuke or scorn, rather something that is softly out of compassion, he understands their sorrow and loss. He doesn’t admonish them for interpreting the scriptures wrongly, rather he takes time to explain and unpack all the prophesies of people like Malachai, Isaiah, Samuel and Jeremiah, gently explaining how all the events that had happened were totally necessary and that the true Messiah was destined for suffering. Even before he reveals himself, he fills their hearts with fire, expectation and hope once again.
Looking back, what does this tell us about how Jesus showed love for these disciples. He chose not to reveal himself straight away, but he chose to walk alongside them in their grief, and he chose to let them vent their frustration and sorrow, maybe how we might come alongside others who are suffering loss and disappointment. He was also showing us how, at times of sorrow in our own lives, God will be by our side, whether that is in our thoughts, or in the presence of a stranger or friend who is willing to listen and let us pour out our grief and other emotional feelings. Perhaps you have looked back on a time of sadness and realised that God was with you all the time.
The same goes for times when, like the disciples, we lose hope because of set-backs in our lives or on a bigger scale we begin to lose hope for the world. If we offer our concerns and frustrations to God and read scripture, God will help us to find new hope, and our hearts also may burn within us in the knowledge that God is with us always.Paul
Our Prayers
Loving Father,
Thank you that you are always with us.
We pray that even in the darkest of times,
our faith in you will remain strong and we will never give up hope.
We ask you to guide us to support those around us at times of grief, or sadness. To show love, compassion and to be a listening ear and source of strength in their time of need.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Second Sunday of Easter. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 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 "Alleluia, Sing to Jesus"
Today's Gospel
John 20:19-31 Jesus Appears to the Disciples
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’
Jesus and Thomas
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
The Purpose of This Book
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Reflection
As I have been reflecting on all that has ‘been’ over Lent and Easter, there is so much to be grateful for – God has been at work in Leesfield for sure!
A particular highlight for me has been the children from all our primary schools attending ‘Experience Easter’ – together with children from Clarksfield Primary (Oasis), over 240 children have come through the doors of church to learn more about Jesus and the ultimate sacrifice he made. Their questions were consistently amazing and have made me think about so many aspects of Easter.
Our gospel reading today sees the resurrected Jesus, still performing miracles. His disciples are locked into a house ‘for fear of the Jews’. Of course, they were reeling that they have lost Jesus, and so could not be overtly ‘out and about’, as they have a bounty on their head, so they are covertly locked away.
Jesus miraculously appears to them, in a locked room, and says ‘Peace be with you’. He then shows them his wounds and they rejoice when they believe it is him. He then breathes the Holy Spirit upon them, and they are gifted the ability to forgive sins. (This will antagonise those who believe they have disposed of Jesus, as ‘absolution’ or ‘forgiveness of sin’ is a gift only bestowed by God under the old laws).
As I was reading ahead this week, the news was also on the television. Threats were being made, ‘annihilation of entire nations’ an agenda item. The contrast of everything we have experienced and prayed for at Easter suddenly exposed and vulnerable in the most volatile way.
I wondered where is the ‘locked room’ for the people who are at risk from this scenario? Being covert is not so easy when you cannot see your attacker as they are in another land. I imagined Jesus going to those innocents, fearful of the next drone attack or bomb, and blessing them with ‘Peace’, then breathing the ‘Ruach’ the very breath of God onto them and leaving the Holy Spirit for protection and guidance.
How would he be received amid the current conflict, I wondered? Jesus, in admonishing Thomas for his disbelief, tells his disciples, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet come to believe’ - all that is needed is faith. A fact that we all need to be reminded of sometimes.
John finishes his chapter, telling the reader that these things are written so we can believe Jesus is the Messiah. His miracles were and are still amazing, death could not contain him, and the promises of a resurrected life for all who believe just as longed for now as then. His disciples needed their faith to be sharpened to believe he was with them, Thomas needed proof - we are no different. When our faith is weakened, when it feels the world is spiralling out of control, we need to be back in that locked room and remind ourselves of the events of ‘Easter’.
Aggressors and loud voices will come and go, but the ‘Ruach’ breathed into us, the very breath of God, is enough to make us rejoice that our leader is the saviour of the world, and to him we must pray for those who have no locked room just now. Rev Kirsten
Our Prayers
Heavenly Father
Your son Jesus appeared to his disciples in a locked room
And they rejoiced when they believed.
Help us share that news with the whole world,
especially where there are no locked rooms for safety.
In the beautiful name of Jesus.
Amen.
Today's final hymn is "God Forgave my Sin in Jesus' Name"
Notices
Today the Parish Electoral Roll opens until the 26th April. Please see the poster below for details.
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on Easter Sunday. This morning we have just one service in the parish - at 11.15 at St Thomas' Church.
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 Christ is Risen Today"
Today's Gospel
Matthew 28:1-10 Jesus has Risen
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Reflection
Happy Easter everyone!! It’s been a very busy week this week so I have chosen to share a short reflection that I wrote a few years ago which features the two Marys.
I’ll focus on the interaction with the two Marys, (Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James). We should bear in mind that, although Jesus had repeatedly told his followers that He would rise again, that was not the reason why they went to the tomb. In fact, it was probably the last thing they expected to see, after all they had seen their Lord crucified and buried only a few days before. No, they were at the tomb out of an act of pure love, empathy and devotion. They were there to anoint Jesus’ dead body with expensive perfumes and spices purchased by Salome who was also present.
As they arrive, there is an enormous earthquake caused by the appearance of an Angel from heaven. Such was the nature of the earthquake and the entrance of the angel that it rendered the roman guards unconscious. But not the two Marys. Although the angel told them not to be afraid, I suspect that was exactly how they felt. Then the angel removes the stone from the tomb and says, “Come, see the place where he lay.” Matthew’s gospel does not go into detail about what happens in the tomb and the garden, but please take time to read John’s gospel for this.
Matthew next describes how the Marys felt, “They left with fear and great joy”. It’s almost a throw away comment, but just imagine for a moment what must have been going through their minds and how their emotions would have been in turmoil. Yes fear; amidst earthquakes, bright angels, and the body of their Lord gone! Then, the news from the angel that Jesus has been raised from the dead. Everything Jesus had been telling them was true – He is the son of God. What overwhelming Joy must have filled their hearts!
Then to top everything, Jesus appears in person. Absolute and irrefutable proof that He is risen indeed. But in this version from Matthew, Jesus appears to be almost nonchalant. He says to them, “Greetings”. As it is described here, it’s almost like an everyday, “hello” as if to say, “Hey what’s the big deal, I told you I’d be back didn’t I?” The Marys recognise Him immediately and are overcome with bliss at His loving compassion. They are compelled to touch His Holy feet and worship Him. We can only imagine what outright delight must they have felt.
It is a message of joy and delight for us too on this most Holy of days……. God keeps His promise to all of us. It is a message of love, hopefulness and forgiveness. It the truth that: God so loves the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16). That is worth celebrating not only on Easter Day but every day. Happy Easter! Paul
Our Prayers
Christ is Risen: The world below lies desolate,
Christ is Risen: The spirits of evil are fallen
Christ is Risen: The angels of God are rejoicing,
Christ is Risen: The tombs of the dead are empty
Christ is Risen indeed from the dead, the first of the sleepers,
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on Palm Sunday. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 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 "Meekness and Majesty"
Today's Gospel
Matthew 21:1-11 Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
When Jesus and his disciples had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, `The Lord needs them.'
And he will send them immediately." This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
"Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven! "
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."
Reflection
A brief reflection this week, because at the beginning of Holy week there is so much to consider and reflect on as we move from Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem to his sacrificial death on the cross.
I have recently been looking at the topic of leadership and in particular leadership in the church, and that gave me a different perspective on the first Gospel reading for Palm Sunday.
It made me think about the preparations we have to do each and every Sunday to get ready for our Sunday worship. Of course most people don’t see or realise what has to be done because, hopefully, by the time the congregation arrives everything is in place to make things run as smoothly as possible.
But consider a few things that people who volunteer each week do. There is putting the hymn numbers up on the board, (or if we are in the Community Room, printing them out everyone including the vicar). But long before that, someone has to look at the readings for the day and decide which hymns are most appropriate and then someone who is a bit tech savvy has to load them up to a media player.
There are seats to be put out and cleaned and carpets to be hoovered, the ladies who come early and make sure the kettles are filled and there is fresh milk in the fridge. And most importantly, as we are the Church of England, there has to be a generous supply of cake and biscuits.
Add to that someone has to come in a few hours before the service and ensure the heating has been turned on. Then someone has to prepare the altar just before the service and set up the bread and wine for communion, (because no one likes to receive soggy communion wafers that have been on the altar since the day before).
There are so many other things which need attending to, not least your vicar spending many hours reading, praying and asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit as they prepare the sermon.
I am not saying this to make anyone feel guilty, however when we look at the beginning of the Gospel of the Palms, above I realised that Jesus was doing what any good leader does….. he was making preparations so that everything would run smoothly. All the things he was doing were about setting the stage so that all went to plan and ensuring that there were no hiccups. He was doing exactly what we do before a service at church.
He was ensuring that people got the message. The prophet Zechariah had foretold that the Messiah would come from the Mount of Olives, just had Jesus had done. He would come riding on a donkey, just as Jesus had done.
Jesus’ method of entry into Jerusalem was itself a deliberate teaching tool. When Jesus did this, most of the people knew exactly what was going on. He wanted people to relate to the Jewish teachings and prophesies and understand that he was the Messiah.
In addition to being the fulfilment of prophecy, it was Jesus showing the people how the Kingdom of God was going to conquer the world. He wanted to ensure that those who would listen and witness his entry would know exactly who he was and how important the events that would unfold over the next few days were..
What are we doing to help other people accept Jesus and know who He is?Paul
Our Prayers
Heavenly Father
you brought your son Jesus into Jerusalem
to show people the radical grace of your love.
Show us this grace,
and give us eyes to see your goodness.
We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ,
our Saviour and Lord..
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Make Way, Make Way for Christ the King"
Notices
Please see the poster below for all of our services this week
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 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 "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"
Today's Bible Reading
Ezekiel 37:1-14 Valley of Dry Bones
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.
Today's Gospel
John 11:1-45 Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
Reflection
Ezekiel was a prophet who lived around 600 years before Jesus was born, during what is considered the darkest period in the history of Israel and Judaea.
The Jews had broken their covenant with God and were rebellious against God. They broke the commandments handed down to Moses, by cheating, deceit, immorality and treating the poor and sick badly. Worst of all many had turned their backs on God and had begun again to worship false Gods and idols.
God had spoken to them through other prophets like Jeremiah and had warned them to repent and turn away from their sinful ways. Yet they didn’t take any notice, they continued to ignore God.
So now they were being punished and removed from the Promised Land. First they suffered an invasion by the Assyrian army, and when they continued to disobey God they were conquered by the brutal Babylonian Empire. The Babylonians captured and exiled tens of thousands of Jews across the regions including Ezekial who at the time was in his mid-twenties.
When he was 30 years old, Ezekiel had several powerful visions in which he recognised the Glory of God in all of His magnificence. He came to understand the immense power of God the creator and ruler of the whole cosmos – of everything that has ever existed.
God called him to be his prophet, to speak his people. And God warned Ezekiel that his mission as a prophet would not be easy, because there would be many who wouldn’t believe him and because they were so rebellious. (After all they hadn’t listened to the other prophets!)
God uses Ezekiel to warn the Israelites that if they don’t repent, they will face much more suffering and destruction including against some of their enemies (such as the Moabs, Ammonites), who had moved into some of their land. He also foretells the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple of Solomon which took place shortly afterwards in 587 BCE.
As God had warned, Ezekiel faced derision and mistreatment when he told the people that God wanted them to repent and change their ways. But Ezekiel has the absolute power of faith and absolute belief in the power of God. He had seen the Glory of God in his visions.
And through God, Ezekiel not only delivers warnings, but he also delivers a message of hope and future redemption. A message of a new covenant, where He tells the Israelites that they can still repent and be saved by the Glory and grace of God.
It’s a message that God still loved his people and wanted them to change and come back to him.
In his vision of the valley of bones, that we just heard, Ezekiel understands that the lifeless bones represent the nation of Israel being restored. Where the people will return from exile - and God, who breathed life into Adam will breathe new life into the nation of Israel. It is a story of a merciful God who has infinite power. A message that through the power of God’s Love, we can experience the Power of Faith - and through Faith, God gives us the Power of Hope.
Even though the situation the Israelites find themselves in seems totally dire and irretrievable and even though it is a situation of their own making – God reminds them of His infinite power and his love for His people. His message through Ezekiel is a promise of hope for the future.
God’s hand is clearly at work and it’s a reminder to us that we should not doubt that the word of the Lord can do what seems impossible.
Then we come to John’s story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus, of course, totally understands the Power of God – He knows how this story ends. He knows that the Father will raise Lazarus – he knows that this is a sign so that others may believe in the Glory and Power of God.
He even tells them plainly, “Lazarus is dead”. And He also tells them, “it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
So Jesus does not hurry to the bedside of the of the one we are told He loves.
Jesus could have asked God to heal him before he returned to Bethany - like He did for the son of the royal official in Capernaum [John 4:46-53]. But He doesn’t, He chooses instead to take the hard alternative and let Lazarus die.
As a consequence of this, the story unfolds into one of deep sorrow for Mary and Martha, who Jesus also loved. And it’s a story of sadness for the other friends and mourners.
Yet amidst all the sadness, we see the power of faith.
Both Martha and Mary had no doubt that Jesus could have saved Lazarus if He had got there in time, but neither really believed that Jesus could raise him from the dead. Not after 4 days when his body had begun to decompose.
Nonetheless, Martha says those wonderful words, “But even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” That is a statement of faith in the power of God and Jesus - even if they did not believe that Lazarus could be raised there and then!
In reality no one present expected that!
Jesus did what the Father wanted, to demonstrate beyond all doubt, the power of God. A power that is infinitely greater than death. A power of God’s love and mercy for us all when we do his will.
In the prophecy of Ezekiel and the story of Lazarus, we can see the presence of God in the times of utmost grief and despair.
We can see God’s hand at work doing the impossible.
So, in a world that is broken and at times seems full of despair, let us put our trust in God. Let us show the power of faith in the power of God to reveal His glory. The God through whose word the universe and all that lives came into existence.
Let His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Paul
Our Prayers
Father God,
We thank you that you demonstrated your power
through Jesus, Christ your son.
That you demonstrate your power over death
and reveal your glory to the world through your word.
Help us to have the power of faith
to put our total trust in you.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Christ Triumphant, Ever Reigning"
Notices
Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, and in addition to our usual services, St John's Church are holding "Stations of the Cross". Please see the poster below for details.
