Reflection: Sunday 5th October and for the week ahead:Scripture:As they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’ (Luke 17:14b-19)Reflection: This is a story of Jesus healing ten people of leprosy, but only one of them coming back to thank him. All ten heard Jesus words, and his instruction to go and show themselves to the priests. All ten of them did as Jesus said; they went. And in doing as Jesus instructed, they were all healed. But only one of them recognised the healing power of Jesus and came back to say, “thank you”. Only one of them came back and praised God with a loud voice.It raises a number of questions for each of us: Do we listen to Jesus? Do we then do what he asks? Do we stop to thank Jesus? Do we acknowledge and praise God?We shouldn’t be ashamed of knowing God in our lives and loving him. We need to be like the one who came back, not like the other nine who did not recognise God’s healing in their lives. Know and own your faith; proclaim it; and live it. That is the message from today’s scripture.Revd David
Reflection: Sunday 5th October and for the week ahead:Collect for Trinity 16Lord, we beseech you mercifully to hear the prayers of your faithful people who call upon you; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil them.Reflection:This Collect reminds us of the need for prayer to guide our decisions. Knowing that God hears us and cares about us, we pray that He will guide our actions. Of the various possibilities that lie open to us, we have to make a choice, to choose between what is easiest or most appealing and what is right. But that’s not all! Having established what we ought to do we may or may not actually decide to do it. And so we pray for strength, spiritual and physical, to do what we know is right.Show me your ways, Lord, guide me in your truth and teach me (Psalm 25.4-5)Revd Rosemary
Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 28th SeptemberScriptureRejoice 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)Reflection‘Do not worry about anything’ is a command much easier said than done. On one level it is obvious. God is sovereign and will provide for all my needs so there should be no need to worry. The trouble is, it’s not always that easy to allow that head knowledge to invade my heart and mind.Not worrying is something we cannot easily do by ourselves, however, we can learn over time to trust God, bringing everything (large and small) to him in prayer, letting the knowledge that he is near seep into our hearts and souls bringing peace, a peace that surpasses all understanding and gradually allowing him to turn our worry into his contentment.Lyn Hayes, ALM
