Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 2nd August and for the week ahead:Scripture: – The feeding of the five thousand:15When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ 16Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ 17They replied, ‘We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.’ 18And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’ 19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. (Matthew 14:15-20)Reflection:There’s a few things going on in this story. Firstly, Jesus tells his disciples to feed the crowds; and their response is, “We’ve got nothing!” How often is that our response to what God asks us to do? “I can’t do that!” Secondly, Jesus takes what is offered, blesses it, and uses it to God’s glory. Perhaps we should give to Jesus the little we think we can offer and see just what he can do with it. And thirdly, all ate….and were filled….and there were twelve full baskets left over. How did Jesus, did God, do that? I have absolutely no idea. But it shows just how generous God is; he provided abundantly.If you feel your offering to Jesus is insubstantial, give it, with a free and open heart; he will multiply whatever we give to him. It is when we give, without counting the cost, that miracles can happen.Revd David
Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 26th July and for the week ahead:Scripture:Jesus put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’ He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’ (Matthew 13.31-33)Reflection:It’s quite surprising to hear the Kingdom of Heaven described in such homely, everyday terms. A latecomer to gardening, I’ve never quite got over my amazement at seeing a tiny seed grow into a healthy plant, yielding beautiful blooms or even edible fruit. And I never fail to be astonished that such tiny amounts of yeast can transform a lump of dough, lightening its texture and doubling it in size. In such small, ordinary beginnings, says Jesus, we see the power of God at work. The majority of us are not people of power and influence, and yet in our undramatic everyday lives God can work in us to further his kingdom. Lord, take our lives, our words and our actions, and make them a blessing to others. Revd Rosemary
Reflection: Sunday 19th July - The Seventh Sunday after Trinity - and for the week ahead:Scripture:‘For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8. 24 & 25)Reflection:Verse 25 says, “we wait for it with patience.” This doesn't mean sitting around doing nothing. It means choosing to keep trusting God, even when life is hard and we can't yet see what He's doing. The Greek word for "patience" describes staying strong, not giving up, and continuing to follow God through difficult times. As Christians, we don't wait without hope—we wait with confidence because we know God always keeps His promises. Even when we face disappointment, pain, or uncertainty, God gives us the strength to stay faithful and keep moving forward. Every time we choose to trust Him instead of giving up, we're showing that we believe His plan is better than what we can see right now. Our struggles won't last forever. One day, Jesus will make everything new & that future hope gives us strength to keep going today.Lyn Hayes ALM
