Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 30th August & for the week ahead: Scripture: “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good.” (Romans 12:9) Reflection: Paul gives us a simple but powerful message: love should be real.It’s easy to say, “I love you,” but genuine love is about more than words. It means caring for people, helping when we can, forgiving when we are hurt, and standing alongside others when life is difficult.Jesus showed us what this kind of love looks like. He cared for the hungry, comforted those who were sad, welcomed people who were rejected, and gave His life for us. His love was not just something He talked about—it was something He lived.Paul also tells us to “hold fast to what is good.” Real love doesn’t ignore things that hurt people. Instead, it chooses kindness, honesty, forgiveness and goodness.Loving like Jesus isn’t always easy. But as we allow God’s love to fill our hearts, we can share that love with others. Lyn Hayes, ALM
Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 23rd August & for the week ahead: Scripture: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.” (Romans 12: 2, 4-5) Reflection: These verses almost feel like they could have been written very recently by a wellness specialist. The writer encourages us not to feel that we must be the same as everyone else while remembering that we are all different and unique, and this is something to be celebrated. We can struggle with this though, when we see the capitalist world saying that if we buy this one product or service, all will be well, we’ll achieve success and everyone will like us. Spoiler alert; not going to happen. Have you ever come back from an event and promptly dissected everything that happened? Who said what, what everyone wore, how they all behaved. And that you were so much better than them and hit the mark just right. Two things to take away here; we don’t need to fit in, because God made us and loves us as we are. And we should honour and welcome what makes us different. Try to compliment someone this week, instead of finding the criticism. You may be surprised with what you find. Victoria Bray
Reflection: Sunday 16th August and for the week ahead:Collect:‘Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give us more than either we desire or deserve…’ (Collect for Twelfth Sunday after Trinity)Reflection:Often we are reluctant to ask for help. We can be too proud or too stubborn; we can be too optimistic; we can be ashamed; maybe we don’t want to admit even to ourselves that we are getting out of our depth; maybe we don’t want to be nuisance. I know I’m bad at it.People often say that in a crisis they find themselves praying, though they never normally do. Saying ‘Help!’ aloud in a private prayer can be the first step in admitting our need, and that makes us open to receiving help.In the back of my head I hear my mother saying ‘Those who don’t ask, don’t get’David Harmsworth
