Holy Communion and Junior Church

for 1 hour, 15 mins
Kidbrooke, St Nicholas
Whetstone Road Kidbrooke London, SE3 8PX, United Kingdom

Holy Communion for the sixteenth Sunday after Trinity: celebrant the Revd Cynthia Finnerty. Junior Church takes place at the same time in the hall.

First reading: 1 Timothy 1. 1–14
Gospel: Luke 17. 5–10

In different ways, today's readings both explore the principle stated in the passage from Timothy 1 that God saves us 'not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace'. Of course this does not mean that our actions are irrelevant; instead, it means that rather than transactions, whereby we seek to buy God's favour in return for good behaviour, they are an expression of our love of God and our wish to do things pleasing to him.

In the Gospel, Jesus makes this point quite bluntly in two different ways. He first suggests that faith is not a measurable commodity; it is more like a critical force whose presence, however minimal, is transformative. He tells his disciples that they already have all the faith they need. He mentions a mulberry tree because the tree itself grows in the harshest conditions and so is a symbol of resilience in the face of adversity, an idea reflected in the van Gogh painting above (and complete in the attachment below). The second part of the Gospel is challenging to modern eyes because of its master-and-slave language, but its setting in fact suggests a modest household in which the sole servant carries out his duties without question because they are the things he ought to do

At the end of 'Paradise Lost', John Milton explores the relationship between faith and works in a surprising and illuminating way. When he is expelled from the earthly Paradise, Adam affirms his belief in God. The archangel Michael assures him that knowledge of God is the only knowledge he needs, but then continues:

only add
Deeds to thy knowledge answerable...
then wilt thou not be loth
To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess
A paradise within thee, happier far.

Milton's point is that the knowledge and love of God bring us to everlasting life; responding in 'deeds' to that knowledge and love restores us to paradise in the here and now.

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Kidbrooke, St Nicholas

All are welcome at St Nicholas's, whether at services, our other events, or through this A Church Near You page, which we intend to use in future as our main website. If you are viewing the page on a phone or tablet, please click on the three bars top right to access the menu; on a desktop or laptop, the menu will be found on the left.

For pastoral and confidential matters, please call our Priest-in-Charge,  Revd Tola Badejo, on 07950 917985, requesting  a call back if necessary.  For non-urgent general enquiries, a messaging form is available under 'Get in Touch' in the panel on the left. To ask about hall hire, please contact Linda Peppiatt on 07905 609944 or [email protected]


gallery image gallery image

Get in touch

Revd Tola Badejo (Priest-in-Charge)

66A Whetstone Road, London

SE3 8PZ
Revd Tola Badejo
07950 917985
Linda Peppiatt (hall bookings)
07905 609944
What's on

Holy Communion and Junior Church

for 1 hour, 15 mins
Kidbrooke, St Nicholas
Whetstone Road Kidbrooke London, SE3 8PX, United Kingdom

Holy Communion for the sixteenth Sunday after Trinity: celebrant the Revd Cynthia Finnerty. Junior Church takes place at the same time in the hall.

First reading: 1 Timothy 1. 1–14
Gospel: Luke 17. 5–10

In different ways, today's readings both explore the principle stated in the passage from Timothy 1 that God saves us 'not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace'. Of course this does not mean that our actions are irrelevant; instead, it means that rather than transactions, whereby we seek to buy God's favour in return for good behaviour, they are an expression of our love of God and our wish to do things pleasing to him.

In the Gospel, Jesus makes this point quite bluntly in two different ways. He first suggests that faith is not a measurable commodity; it is more like a critical force whose presence, however minimal, is transformative. He tells his disciples that they already have all the faith they need. He mentions a mulberry tree because the tree itself grows in the harshest conditions and so is a symbol of resilience in the face of adversity, an idea reflected in the van Gogh painting above (and complete in the attachment below). The second part of the Gospel is challenging to modern eyes because of its master-and-slave language, but its setting in fact suggests a modest household in which the sole servant carries out his duties without question because they are the things he ought to do

At the end of 'Paradise Lost', John Milton explores the relationship between faith and works in a surprising and illuminating way. When he is expelled from the earthly Paradise, Adam affirms his belief in God. The archangel Michael assures him that knowledge of God is the only knowledge he needs, but then continues:

only add
Deeds to thy knowledge answerable...
then wilt thou not be loth
To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess
A paradise within thee, happier far.

Milton's point is that the knowledge and love of God bring us to everlasting life; responding in 'deeds' to that knowledge and love restores us to paradise in the here and now.

View attachment

Everyday faith

Discover how we can support you to find and follow God in your everyday life.

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Safeguarding

Our parish of Kidbrooke, St Nicholas is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults from harm. For further details, please refer to the separate Safeguarding page on this site and the link to the Diocesan page below.

Southwark Diocese safeguarding page