Peace to you who are near and to you who are far away.The Lord is near…do not worry. Strangely comforting and yet challenging words to us from the writer of Philippians. Yet again our collective anxiety levels are being raised by the arrival of the new covid variant and Plan B restrictions as we move towards the reason for the season – the birth of Yeshua – Jesus the Messiah.How can we with all that is going on in the world around us find our way to the place inside ourself, the place where the Holy Spirit of peace dwells? And yet this is the challenge to us from the writer of Philippians. Can we remember in the middle of our anxieties and fears, that we are to place all of this into Gods hand’s? Remember we are the walking breathing tabernacle of the Holy Spirit. God has called us by name we belong to Him. We are precious in His sight. You are beloved. You are a child of the King.Because of the birth of Jesus and the death and resurrection of Christ that we celebrate at Easter we have now been reconciled to the Prince of Peace. It is the peace of Christ that we are to claim as our own.Never has there been such a time when our need for God has been so great, never has there been such a time when our need for peace in our interior world is so needed. This peace that we speak of is not a peace that the world can give us, or that can be found in the many things that we try to manage our anxieties and our troubles with, it is the peace that only Christ can bring. This season, this moment, stop, be still, breathe for a moment, allow the peace that passes all understanding to quiet your heart and mind and receive the gift of peace from the Prince of peace.My prayer is that in the coming weeks and months you will know this peace that only God can give, and that this peace will sustain you through all of life’s trials, the ups and the downs, the valleys and the mountain tops. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Revd Deborah Hamilton-Grey.
Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ‘Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.’ (Psalm 146:1-2)Hymn: On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry...Philippians 4: 4-7When the Lord comes, he will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness, and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Therefore in the light of Christ let us confess our sins: Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen. May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayer for the day: God for whom we watch and wait, you sent John the Baptist to prepare the way of your Son: give us courage to speak the truth, to hunger for justice, and to suffer for the cause of right, with Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Luke 3: 7-18 Please see the message from the minister. Let us join in prayer, as we look forward to our Lord’s coming: We pray for St Peter’s Church and the Church throughout the world, that this season leading up to Christmas will be a special time of peace and joy; We pray for our world, that the Earth and all of its creatures will thrive; We pray for our friends, families and neighbours - may we all share the love of Christ; We pray for people who are sick or suffering, to know the Holy Spirit’s healing presence; We remember the departed, including Ivor Gotts, and pray for all who mourn. Let us pray for the coming of God’s kingdom in the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hymn: Longing for light, we wait in darkness...May Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon us, scatter the darkness from before our path, and make us ready to meet him when he comes in glory; and may the blessing of God Almighty who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon us and remain with us always. Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.
Do you feel perhaps that Latin is an outdated language? Yet you will find it within so many words in our language. It is used by most families every Christmas, in the word `advent`. Not many people necessarily know what that word `advent` means. The word `advent` means `coming towards`. We look forward to coming towards Christmas. Today is the second Sunday in Advent, and we remember the prophets and their clear message. Here it is in our Gospel reading: `Prepare the way for the Lord.` In a short time we shall be celebrating, coming towards, the first coming of the Lord – and look forward to his coming again.John the Baptist preached about repentance and baptism, and we shall hear about his ministry next Sunday. Baptism is a graphic picture of someone going down into the water of baptism – drowning to an old life – and coming up, rising again to a new life. Advent: a `coming towards`. Our Gospel and Epistle readings speak of two aspects of the good news we celebrate Sunday by Sunday in our coming to God in repentance, and God`s grace working in us, enabling us to become who we already are. John the Baptist`s message is clear: that we are to turn away from sin and turn to Christ in repentance. Repentance: it`s important that we include that aspect of our Christian faith. I can remember coming to faith in Cromer in the 1970s and celebrating all that the Gospel is. But I was confused about emphasis on repentance. I didn`t feel I had done anything too terrible – why did I keep having to repent, say sorry to God? I asked him to show me what he meant by repentance. Over the next weeks I began to wish I hadn`t asked as God showed me so many ways in which I failed him. I understood some of what repentance meant. I needed to come towards God and admit my failure and ask for his forgiveness. We can use the simple Jesus Prayer: `O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.`Have a look at our stained glass window, one you have examined many times as you have sat within the body of the church. Here is Jesus and his disciples, male and female. We look at their faces. But if you look carefully, you will see one of the disciples whose face is hidden. Is it because he is humble, embarrassed to be shown? Is he hiding, not wishing his life to be seen? Is he wanting us to concentrate on the person of Jesus and show he comes towards him alone? We come towards . . . Our Epistle this morning is about another kind of `coming towards`. Here in Philippians 1 are the words of St Paul. Very different ones from the strident words of John the Baptist. Paul writes to the church at Philippi about what he feels about the Philippians` faith in action: `I thank my God for you every time I think of you, and every time I pray for you all, I pray with joy. . . . And so I am sure that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus.` What lovely words of encouragement to a Christian church. Again and again we realise that it is God who is working in us, to make us more like him. He didn`t wait for us to be perfect: he met us where we are. Romans 5:8: `while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.` God in Christ comes towards us. And as we say `yes` to his call, as Mary did, so his grace grows in us, to make us what we already are in Christ. Such a response is pivoted on love. Love for God as we bring our lives to him in repentance. Love from God to ourselves as we receive his grace and grow further in love for him and for those around us.John encouraged his listeners to show a sign of their repentance, to be baptised. That is a graphic picture of dying to an old life and rising again to a new as we go down into the waters of baptism. But there can be other signs of repentance and commitment which strengthen us and draw us closer to God. It matters that we meet up like this. It matters that love is so clearly shown in our church life. Love was the sign of the early church. It is the sign of the Christian church here now. We see clearly the presence of Christ in our midst, in one another, and in his church. We see the signs of our coming towards, through God in Christ coming towards us. Philippians again:`Your lives will be filled with the truly good qualities which only Jesus Christ can produce, for the glory and praise of God.` There in Philippi. Here in Sheringham. The Revd Pat Hopkins
Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ‘Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. (Psalm 85: 10-11)Hymn: Long ago, prophets knew...Philippians 1:3-11When the Lord comes, he will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness, and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Therefore in the light of Christ let us confess our sins: Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen. May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayer for the day: Almighty God, purify our hearts and minds, that when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as judge and saviour we may be ready to receive him, who is our Lord and our God. Amen.Luke 3:1-6 Please see the message from the minister. Let us join in prayer, as we look forward to our Lord’s coming: We pray for St Peter’s Church and the Church throughout the world, that this season leading up to Christmas will be a special time of peace and joy; We pray for our world, that the Earth and all of its creatures will thrive; We pray for our friends, families and neighbours - may we all share the love of Christ; We pray for people who are sick or suffering, to know the Holy Spirit’s healing presence; We remember the departed, including Hazel Smith, and pray for all who mourn. Let us pray for the coming of God’s kingdom in the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hymn: Dear Lord and Father of mankind...May Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon us, scatter the darkness from before our path, and make us ready to meet him when he comes in glory; and may the blessing of God Almighty who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon us and remain with us always. Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.
