We are absolutely delighted to welcome Bishop Jill to lead our service and celebrate the Eucharist with us.When: Sunday 26th July at 10:30 AMWhere: St Anne's Church, Woodplumpton Road, Preston (PR4 0NE)After the Service: Stick around! We will be hosting a BBQ and refreshments to keep the celebrations going.Whether you are a lifelong regular, haven't been to church in a while, or are just curious to see what our community is all about, all are welcome. Come along, share in the fellowship, and celebrate with us!
If you were with us at St Anne’s last Sunday, you’ll know we are diving deep into the parables of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew. Last week, Reverend Jeff challenged us to look at the power of God’s word and asked a crucial question: Are we actually willing to listen to God? This week, we picked up right where we left off, looking at Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43—better known as The Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat.The Urgency Behind Closed DoorsTo set the scene, Jesus had just finished speaking to a massive crowd from a boat on the lake. After telling a few stories, He said goodbye to the crowds, and He and the disciples headed back to their base camp in Capernaum.The text suggests that the very second they shut the door to the house, the disciples lunged at the opportunity to ask questions. There was a real urgency there. They didn't want to just hear a nice story; they wanted to understand it.That is exactly why we gather on Sundays and throughout the week in 2026. We are trying to figure out what a story told nearly 2,000 years ago means for our lives today.A Tale of Two Plants (and Bad Gardening)Now, Jesus loved using farming imagery. I’ll let you in on a little secret: I am a keen gardener....Okay, that’s a bit of a fib. My wife, Tracey, is the keen gardener. I am the guy who gets a checklist of manual labour to do in the garden! But even as an amateur, I know that at this time of year, weeds are an absolute headache. And unless you’re an expert, it can be incredibly difficult to tell a weed apart from a intentional plant when they are young.In this parable, Jesus talks about a specific weed: Darnel (often called "poison ryegrass" or "the cheat").The Deception of Darnel: During its early stages of growth, Darnel looks absolutely identical to wheat. Even a seasoned farmer walking through the field cannot tell them apart. To make matters worse, Darnel is often infected by a toxic fungus. If it's harvested and ground into flour accidentally, it causes severe sickness, hallucinations, and can even be fatal.The Age-Old Question: Why is There Evil?In the story, the servants notice the weeds and immediately start pointing fingers at the master: “Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?” (v. 27).It’s the ultimate human question, isn't it? Why does bad stuff happen? If God is good, why is there evil in the world? The Master’s reply in verse 28 is completely direct: “An enemy has done this.” But notice when the enemy struck: "while everyone was sleeping." This doesn't mean the workers were lazy; it just means it happened during the night when it was dark and they were oblivious. The enemy’s act was cruel, cowardly, and calculated.The Takeaway for UsWhile we absolutely need physical sleep, we must work hard to stay spiritually awake. When God’s people go to sleep spiritually—neglecting prayer, stepping away from scripture, and drifting into apathy—that is exactly when the enemy does his worst work.Two Major Lessons for St Anne'sWhen the servants realise what happened, their immediate human reaction is to try and fix it: “Do you want us to go and pull them up?” We love being in control, don't we? We want to sort things out and decide who is "in" and who is "out." But the Master gives a firm instruction: "No... because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them."Here are the two things we need to take away from this:1. The Pressure is Off (Stop Judging!)The instruction not to interfere takes a massive load of pressure off our shoulders. It is not our job to play cosmic judge. God is the ultimate reader of human hearts.Sometimes, good and bad grow side-by-side in our lives, our communities, and even our own hearts, looking identical for a very long season. Instead of trying to police the field, our task is simple: don't pull up the false; plant the true. Live with a radical openness, pray for those who are different, and let God handle the rest.2. Good is Growing TooIf the weeds and the wheat are allowed to grow together until the harvest, that means wherever evil is growing, God's goodness is growing just as fast. We live in a world saturated with bad news, but if we train our eyes to look for it, God is doing incredible things right beside it. Jesus is the ultimate good news, and His grace is actively working in the world.The Ultimate Test: Standing Tall vs. Bowing LowSo, how do you eventually tell the difference between the weeds and the wheat? You wait for the harvest. When they finally reach maturity, the difference becomes obvious:The Fake Wheat (Darnel): Stands tall, stiff, and proud. It looks impressive, but it’s light and hollow because it has no real substance inside.The Real Wheat (That’s us!): Bows low to the ground. Why? Because it is heavy and overflowing with the weight of good grain.True maturity in the Kingdom of God isn't about standing tall in self-righteous judgment. It’s about bowing low in humility, heavily laden with the fruit of the Spirit. And the promise at the end of the story is beautiful: the righteous will ultimately "shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.
This past Sunday, we celebrated Rogation Sunday, a traditional time when the church prays deliberately for our farming communities and the land that sustains us.I’ll admit, Rogation Sunday crept up on me a little this year! Historically, this day involved the "Beating of the Bounds", a parish-wide walk where the community marked their boundaries with willow branches, prayed for God’s blessing on the water and soil, and finished with a celebration (and some traditional "Rogation beer").While we missed the walk (and the beer) this time around, the heart of the tradition remains: acknowledging that we live in a created order we do not control, and asking God to fill the gaps that we cannot.The Lesson of the Veg PatchLast week, Tracey and I planted our vegetable patch. It looked smart, but by the next day, the seedlings looked sad and weary. I watered them, but they still struggled. Then, overnight, the rains came; that gentle, consistent rain that cleans the air and wakes up the earth. By morning, those green shoots were standing tall.It was a humble reminder of Deuteronomy 11:13-14. There is a direct connection between our relationship with God and the health of our land. When we love and serve Him with all our heart, He provides the "early and late rains." It’s a joint enterprise: we plant, but God provides the growth.A Faith That Gets Its Boots DirtyCaring for God’s creation isn't just for farmers; it’s a lifestyle for all of us. Our love for God is manifested in our everyday choices:Our Shopping Baskets: Buying locally and reducing food miles.Our Stewardship: Recycling and encouraging garden wildlife.Our Neighbours: Keeping an eye out for farmers wearing Yellow Wellies. (Did you know that yellow wellies are often a sign that a farmer is struggling with mental health? A simple "how are you?" is a profound act of loving your neighbour.)The "Internal Rain"In our readings from James and John, we see that faith requires active waiting. Like a farmer waiting for a crop, we don't just sit idle; we pray with expectation.But we don't do this in our own strength. Just as the earth needs physical rain, our souls need the "internal rain" of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised us an Advocate who abides in us. The same power that sustains the universe dwells in ordinary, "messed up," and broken people like us to help us build His kingdom.Your "Rogation Task" this WeekAs you go about your daily life, I invite you to take on a small challenge:Pray specifically for our local farmers and the challenges they face.Reflect on your purchases, how does your treatment of the environment reflect your love for God?Notice the Bounds: You don’t just live in a parish; you live within the bounds of God’s presence.Whether we are planting seeds in the soil or seeds of kindness in our streets, remember: we are never alone in our labours. The Holy Spirit is the rain that makes it all grow.Amen.Fr. Martin
