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
Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 25th January - The Third Sunday of Epiphany - & for the week ahead: Scripture: Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose. (1 Corinthians 1:10)Reflection: “Why can’t you just all get along?”. I feel the initial reaction to this Bible verse was that it’s easier said than done, even at the time it was written, let alone for us today. We don’t have to look far to see divisions; local and global politics, different church denominations, the same church, even discussions about how charitable groups should spend their money. The challenge is a tough one; to come together and believe the same thing. But let’s think about where this does work. “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” is the Olympic motto. “United by Music” is the Eurovision motto. In these competitions, contestants are reminded of their common cause, even within the competition. But our lives aren’t a competition, meaning that we can take the time to share ideas, have challenging debates, and really listen to other people. By doing this, we stand a much better chance of being united. Victoria Bray
Scripture:I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus. (I Cor 1.4)Reflection:Grace… in church parlance this refers to ‘divine grace’ – the open armed love of God shown in Jesus for any and all of us, regardless of just how undeserving we are of love. More generally, we may talk about moving or acting gracefully, that is, in a way that is beautiful. The crime writer Peter James chose to call his Brighton detective Superintendent Grace because, he says, he wanted a name that connoted the restoration of order at the end of a story dealing with the gritty, dark world of crime.Thank God for every moment of each day when we come in contact in any way with the beauty of his grace.David Harmsworth
