Scripture‘Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.’ (Acts 6 - v8) Reflection These days, the Feast of Stephen is more often sung about in the carol Good King Wenceslas than celebrated in church. It has become Boxing Day, with its principal activities of sporting fixtures or shopping!! This is a shame as Stephen has much to offer us. He is chosen as a deacon - someone who is selected to minister to the physical needs of the church members - and he is chosen because of his gifts. He is full of the Spirit - of faith, grace & power. He does signs and wonders and is very wise. He is revealed as an ideal disciple who shares the fate of Christ. Having celebrated the birth of Christ yesterday, we may feel too full for one more mince pie, but we will never feel there is no room for an extra helping of hope. Spiritual feasting is not about having consumed, but about being consumed by the love of God. This is what will make us a disciple as faithful as Stephen. Lyn Hayes
Scripture“I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you…..Worship God!” (Revelation 22, v8-10)ReflectionThe last book of the bible, Revelation, tells us the story of the end of the world as we know it. Time and time again, we read that Jesus will come back again to earth - a day Christians might describe as the “Second Coming”. For John, a simple human man, this ‘revelation’ must have been almost too much to imagine, and so he falls down at the feet of the angel to worship him. The angel - powerful, strong and brilliantly shining as he was - told John in no uncertain terms to stop and look to God, the only One worthy of worship and adoration. As we look forward to the ‘big day’ next weekend, pause for a moment and ask yourself what you are looking forward to the most. Whatever it is - and it may be the best thing you can imagine - nothing and no-one can compare to the great day at the end of all time when Jesus, God’s son, who gave up His life for you returns to gather his flock. There will be no greater celebration among those who know that He is the only one worthy of worship, than on that day.Vicki Young
ScriptureRejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.. (Philippians 4.4-7) ReflectionGiven the grim events that we hear about or read in the news in so many countries of the world, as well as the painful circumstances facing those close to home, it can seem very hard to ask us to ‘rejoice always’. St Paul also wrote ‘rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep’, so he is not asking us to ignore or bury the pain. He is directing us towards Jesus. On the cross the forces of evil failed to break his spirit of love and his trust in the victory of truth and goodness. There we can see the light shining in a darkened world. The innocence of the baby at Christmas brings one sort of rejoicing; the life well lived even to death can bring another. His light shines on in all those who show love to those in need, enables us to tell true religion from false and gives us the hope and faith to see ourselves and the whole world as capable of love – and change.David Harmsworth
ScriptureSo this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11 - The Message Bible)ReflectionLove is…not what we expect. Not just warm feelings, as we think when we are young and keen. If it should have meaning, and if it should have lasting value, it needs to be tempered, to be tested and tried, much like a piece of metal in a furnace. Another reading for this Sunday comes from the prophet Malachi, who says of the One who is to come, that ‘he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver’ (Malachi 3:3). God in Jesus, who is Love through and through, teaches us to live a life of love, fruitful and abundant, overflowing in goodness, but also full of discerning wisdom, being able to see the truth and act accordingly.Revd Ylva
