Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 22nd February and for the week ahead: Scripture: 'Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; 9 and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ 10 Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it iswritten, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”’ (Matthew 4.8-10)ReflectionWhen we are children, when asked what we want to be when we grow up, we might answer: “King (or Queen) of the whole world.” It seems so delicious to rule supreme!And here the devil offers this very opportunity to Jesus – on condition that He, Jesus, falls down and worships Satan. But how could pure goodness subject itself to pure evil?We might not be tempted with the prospect of being world rulers, but we are often, whether young or old, tempted to sell out. Just a small lie, or a little bit of obfuscation to make our life so much more convenient - surely no one will notice? But we ourselves know, and God knows, that we have not been true to our best self, that we have damaged that image of God that lives in our hearts.This week marks the start of Lent, a period when many turn to self-examination and acts of kindness. Why not use these weeks leading up to Easter to turn to God and to do something for others. For it is in serving others that we “serve only him”.Revd Ylva
Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 15th February and for the week ahead: Scripture: 'Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. And there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him…As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’’' (Matthew 17:1-9)Reflection:I’ll wager that Peter, James and John wanted to tell anyone and everyone about the extraordinary event they’d witnessed! But Jesus tells them not to…..until after he has been raised from the dead. Maybe Jesus knew no one would believe them. Maybe he knew they didn’t really understand what they had witnessed, so wouldn’t be able to tell other people.We may not have witnessed a transfiguration, nor met Moses or Elijah; so we can’t speak with passion and personal experience of these things. But we can speak about our own personal encounters with God, however and whenever they might happen. Jesus is not saying to us, “Tell no one”; in fact, quite the opposite later in Matthew’s gospel when he says, “Go and make disciples.” You are the best person to share your experiences of God. If you do, it may transform someone else’s life….just like those first fishermen did when they spoke out.Revd David
Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 8th February and for the week ahead: Scripture: Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. And there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him... Suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’’ (Matthew 17.1-9 The Transfiguration 8.3.36)Reflection: Soon it will be Lent, traditionally a time when we reflect on the suffering of Jesus, leading up to his betrayal and arrest, his physical and mental agony and his death on the Cross. Unlike his companions, however, we are blessed with the knowledgethat this was not the end; that in spite of everything death, for us as for Jesus, is not the end.As witnesses of Jesus’s transfiguration, his closest friends were granted an awesome experience of his glory, a confirmation of his true identity, to strengthen them in preparation for the challenges and horrors that lay ahead. How could they later forget this and flee in terror when everything seemed to fall apart?In all the misery and injustice that we see and hear about day by day, we pray that we may not lose sight of the glimpses of God’s glory all around us, perhaps not dramatic like the sign given to those disciples, but still a continuing source of hope and encouragement for us, day by day. Revd Rosemary Kobus van Wengen
Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 1st February & for the week ahead: Scripture: On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ 4 And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ 5 His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ (John 2 1-5)Reflection: Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all learn to be a little more like Mary—the first to welcome Jesus into her life and, in that sense, the very first Christian. Everything she does points us toward her Son, drawing our attention to his words and his works. To those in need, her message is simple and powerful: “Do whatever he tells you.” Here lies the heart of the matter. When Jesus says, “My hour has not yet come,” Mary does not question or challenge him. Instead, she receives his words with grace, trusting completely, and quietly instructs the servants to watch and wait. She understands what we so often forget—God’s timing is not our timing. Jesus’ “hour” was not Mary’s “hour,” yet because she was willing to wait, a miracle unfolded precisely when it was meant to.Patience, indeed, is a virtue. When we place our trust in the Lord, we learn that all things come to fruition—not according to our schedule, but in God’s perfect time.Lyn Hayes, ALM
