Shipley Church Self-Service The 5th Sunday of Lent 21st March 2021Thought for the Week – The place where Jesus gathers all people to himselfAs the cross casts its shadow over the coming fortnight, it is not always easy to see where we’re going, but it can help to notice just where we’ve been already. Jesus doesn’t seem to pluck us out of the tougher times so much as to promise to walk us through them. “Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23)Soon we shall be at the place where love “so amazing, so divine” is revealed in all its fullness. (John 12: 20-33) Christ accepted a violent and undeserved death, and through taking our nature and teaching us by word and example, he bound us (and all of humanity) to himself through his death and resurrection. The pouring out of his earthly life – signified by the New Testament phrase “the blood of Christ” – reveals the total self-sacrifice he made on the cross for the salvation of mankind. Hymn for the Day When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss And pour contempt on all my pride. Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were an offering far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.Prayer for TodayMeditation: At this time of turbulence, when our lives have been turned upside down and our fixed points uprooted, we can’t even raise our voices in song or press a hand as a sign of peace. But there is comfort in knowing that God is unchanging, and that “the truth of the Lord endureth for ever” (Psalm 117).Note: The Gospel and readings set for today can be downloaded from the top right of this page.
Shipley Church Self-Service Mothering Sunday 14th March 2021 Thought for the Week – Jesus commends his mother Mary to John’s care Observance of Mothering Sunday began in the 16th century, when it was a tradition for people to return to their “mother church” on the 4th Sunday in Lent. Gradually, it altered into a celebration of motherhood and the maternal nature of God’s love. For every parent, love involves a willingness to allow their child to grow and follow its own path through life. Just as the process of caring for people as a mother reaches its agonising crisis for Mary, as she stands by the crucifixion of her son, the sufferings of Christ also are at their greatest. Yet, at that very moment, Jesus demonstrates that no amount of suffering can extinguish the capacity for love, as from the cross he entrusts his Mother into the care of his closest disciple, John. (John 19: 25-27)Hymn for todayLord Jesus Christ, you have come to us, You are one with us, Mary’s Son. Cleansing our souls from all our sins, Pouring your love and goodness in, Jesus, our love for you we sing, Living Lord.Prayer for todayWe thank God, in our prayers, for all those who work in ways, great and small, to help others. As with a mother’s unconditional love, they do this instinctively, without any expectation of thanks or recognition. Note: The Gospel and Readings set for today can be downloaded from the top right of this page.
Shipley Church Self-Service The 3rd Sunday of Lent 7th March 2021 Thought for the Week – Thou shall have no other gods before me On this third Sunday of Lent we are told that Jesus went again to the temple and found it being used as a market. He reacted by expelling the money-lenders and chastising those whose activities exposed them as being dependent on material things only. God’s people have always needed holy places, but they can be abused by what takes place within them. Jesus’ cleansing of the temple resonates strongly with the central message of the Ten Commandments: that the worship and devotion which God requires is absolute. (John 2: 13-22) Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart ….. this is the first commandment. “Write all these thy laws in our hearts”, we pray every Sunday at Communion. At our churches and cathedrals we enter places made sacred and set apart for worship; despite their beauty and grandeur, the purpose of all our ecclesiastical buildings is not as shrines to a past age, or museums of art and artefacts, but as expressions on earth of the Kingdom of Heaven, serving as places of prayer and pilgrimage. Hymn for TodayJust as I am, without one plea But that thy blood was shed for me, And that thou bid’st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come.Prayer for TodayWe pray: If we love thee, keep your commandments, and have the Holy Spirit dwell within us, may we emerge from the sorrows and uncertainties of today’s world and journey towards lasting change, a more sustainable global environment, and peace among peoples. Amen.Note: The Gospel and readings set for today can be downloaded from the top right of this page
Shipley Church Self-Service Sunday 28th February 2021 Thought for the Week – Seeking a place of prayer On this second Sunday in Lent Jesus teaches that following him is costly in the extreme, and we have to “lose our life” in order to save it. Indeed, his own destiny is to suffer and die. (Mark 8: 31-38) Death is natural and inescapable, and yet salvation is also possible for those who pass through the gateway of physical death believing in the fulfilment of God’s promises. This will mean different things for each of us. One answer may be to turn to prayer. When we do so, we don’t pray alone. Countless others are praying with us across the world – some with prayers of praise and thanksgiving, and others in desperation. Part of our mission might be to pray alongside those who may even doubt if their prayers are being heard. An American hymn published in 1971 asks “Did you think to pray?” ‘Ere you left your room this morning, Did you think to pray? In the name of Christ our Saviour, Did you sue for loving favour, As a shield today? Oh, how praying rests the weary, Prayer will change the night to day; So when life seems dark and dreary, Don’t forget to pray!Hymn for TodayO Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder Consider all the works thy hand has made, I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, The power throughout the universe displayed; Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art! Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art!Prayer for TodayWe pray: Holy Spirit, Spirit of Jesus, guide me to the place of prayer and to the people of prayer - that I might pray with them and together we might find you waiting for us.Note: The Gospel and Readings for today can be downloaded from the top right of this page
