Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord,
and vindication from the God of their salvation. Psalm 24 : 3 - 5

Readings this week : Mark 12 : 28 - 34

For All Saints Psalm 24 : 1 – 6; Isaiah 25 : 6 - 9; John 11 : 32 - 44

Thought for this week

This season of All Saints reminds us how we are connected through faith not only to all those who believe in Jesus in the world today, but also to those who have gone before us. We give thanks for their faith, their example, and in our worship we are gathered as Christ’s people with the whole of heaven!

Yet this challenges and hopefully encourages us in our lives as Christ’s people today. We are called to pray for each other across the world, and support each other. At the moment we have the Open doors petition in church for our brothers in sisters in Africa who are being displaced and persecuted.

We are also called to be a beacon and a witness to Jesus. We have the ministry of all the Christians of the past to build on. At St Ed’s and St Peter’s we have visible signs of that witness. And we are called to bring Jesus’ hope to our world. We’re giving the shoeboxes to people who we will never meet, whose lives and poverty we can barely imagine, yet they will pass from our hands to theirs, and we pray will bring light and hope.

All Saints reminds us Jesus calls us together to be His people for the world. Let’s celebrate all we are able to be for Him in our time, and for those who will come after us. 

Rev Paul

Prayer for this week

Almighty and eternal God, you have kindled the flame of love in the hearts of the saints: grant to us the same faith and power of love, that, as we rejoice in their triumphs, we may be sustained by their example and fellowship; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, Amen

A Prayer for Neighbours

We thank you, God, for coming to us as a neighbour, a stranger, a refugee, binding our wounds and carrying us to safety, so that we might love you with all our heart, soul, and mind, and welcome the stranger, loving our neighbour as ourselves.

Adapted from Nathan Nettleton’s “Short Preface,” www.laughingbird.net/LectionTexts/CP10.html Posted on Acts of Faith.

People to pray for

Those who will receive the shoeboxes

The church across the world