Shipley Church Self-Service Sunday 6th December 2020 Thought for the Week – Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher who told people to believe in the one who would be coming after him. His remarkable ministry included the baptism of Jesus as a young man, in the river Jordan. “I baptise you with water for repentance” (Matthew 3:11). Baptism was a symbolic act of spiritual cleansing – an expression of repentance, but also an act of preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Baptism administered in Jesus’ name today is seen as one of the foundations of the Christian community, and combines into one sacramental rite both concepts of repentance and initiation, when a person is willing to humbly repent of their sins in public, and then be admitted into the membership of the Christian Church. At infant baptisms these undertakings are of course made for them by Godparents. At such a point in our lives we are taught that life isn’t just a pleasure cruise! It does matter whether we are truthful or untruthful, honest or dishonest, kind or unkind, for we have obligations according to God’s purposes for each of us. (Mark 1:1-8)Hymn for TodayCome thou long expected Jesus Born to set thy people free, From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in thee.Prayer for TodayWe pray and prepare to celebrate another Christmas, in the hope that at the end of a uniquely difficult year those who have lost loved ones or who are unable to be together, or face losing their own livelihoods, may find comfort and consolation. Amen.Note: The Gospel and Readings set for today can be downloaded from the top right of this page.
Shipley Church Self-Service Advent Sunday 29<sup>th</sup> November 2020 Thought for the Week – O come, O come, Emmanuel! Advent, means the “coming” of something of great significance, and is an important part of the Christian calendar. The church’s year begins today,with waiting expectantly for the birth of Jesus at Christmas, as well as the reception of Christ in the hearts of the people, and his anticipated second coming into the world. The prophet Isaiah foretold: “Comfort ye, my people. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:1-3). God’s first intervention into human history was not in the form of some earth-shattering event, but instead he chose to come into the world as we all do, to be born as a baby, human yet also divine. In several ways this Advent is for us a fresh beginning: today is the start of the new Church’s yearly calendar; it’s also the official licensing of our new Parish Priest the Rev Chris Allen, following his arrival in Shipley; we shall soon commence a new Decade; and the distribution of a vaccine, so desperately needed, to help the world recover from the Corona Virus pandemic seems imminent. We must watch and wait patiently, and become well prepared. It was Baden-Powell who devised the Scout Motto “Be Prepared”, meaning you will always be in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty: the cornerstone of Scouting that prepares young people for life. Not a bad guide for Christians, either! (Mark13: 33-37)Hymn for todayOn Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry Announces that the Lord is nigh; Come then and harken, for he brings Glad tidings from the King of KingsPrayer for todayWe pray that, as we begin this new year, our difficulties will not overthrow us nor temptations defeat us, but that we may go forward on our journey through life in a spirit of courage and godliness.Note: The Gospel and Readings set for today can be downloaded from the top right hand corner of this page.
Shipley Church Self-Service Sunday 22<sup>nd</sup> November 2020 Thought for the Week – O come, let us sing unto the Lord The liturgical year culminates with St Matthew asserting that Christ makes himself known to those we readily put down, the hungry, the sick and even those imprisoned as well as to the faithful (Matthew 25: 31-46). Jesus’ ministry concludes as he enters into Jerusalem as Christ the King. Today’s psalm (Psalm 95) is one of several that call for us to praise Him, and to do so with music and song. The Psalms in the Old Testament originate from the early Hebrew Bible, and are thought to have been written over an extended period of a thousand years of Jewish history between 1440 & 586 BC. They have had a profound effect on the development of Christian worship, and of course, form the backbone of Morning and Evening Prayer in the Anglican Church. Worship in the Jewish temple included songs, shouts, and dancing to a variety of musical instruments: “Come let us sing to the Lord; let us shout for joy.” (Psalm 95); “Be joyful in the Lord; come before his presence with a song.” (Psalm 100); “O praise God in his holiness; praise him in the sound of the trumpet.” (Psalm 150). Music powerfully expresses the response of Christians to the love and grace of God, and the enduring popularity of the BBC’s “Songs of Praise” reflects the significance of this in many people’s lives today. In the hope that it won’t be too long before we are permitted to sing again in church, be of good cheer, and praise the Lord!Hymn for todayRejoice, the Lord is King:Your Lord and King adore!Rejoice, give thanks and sing,And triumph evermore.Lift up your heart,Lift up your voice!Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!Jesus, the Saviour, reigns,The God of truth and love;When He has purged our stains,He took his seat above;Lift up your heart,Lift up your voice!Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!His kingdom cannot fail,He rules o'er earth and heav'n;The keys of death and hellAre to our Jesus giv'n:Lift up your heart,Lift up your voice!Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!Prayer for todayWe pray for our parish community – particularly asking that Christ’s love will comfort us, calm our fears, and lead our nation and our world through this tragic pandemic.Note: The Gospel and readings set for today can be downloaded from the top right corner of this page.
Shipley Church Self-Service Sunday 15th November 2020 Thought for the Week - “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with five talents; see, I have gained five more. There is in the UK a Christian charity called “Five Talents” recently supported by Shipley Church, that aims to provide help for families in the developing world to increase their income, improve their diet, safeguard their healthcare and life expectancy, stimulate better housing and education, and work their way out of poverty. By empowering people to help themselves and through supporting them in an activity of their own choice, the dignity of human beings is often enhanced if the help they receive can be attributed in part to their own efforts and initiative. This, surely, is the message of the parable of the talents described in today’s gospel reading. (Matthew 25:14-30) Jesus teaches us to take the gifts we have been given, and to use them in the service of God, and in association with others for our common good. Much of this chimes with a quality possessed by dear departed Joan Lindsay, at whose funeral in September Adam, her elder son, spoke of her attitude towards the pursuit of happiness. What mattered to her was that personal success, which brings with it a sense of self-worth, is usually the product of application. Those who fail have probably not tried hard enough or occupy the wrong field. They should try something else where they would doubtless succeed through hard work. Hymn for the DayTake my life, and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.PrayerWe pray, O God, give us grace to employ our talents and faculties in thy service, and that whatever our hands find to do, we may do it with all our might.Note: The Gospel and Readings for today can be downloaded from the top right-hand corner of this page.
