Readings: Isaiah 62v1-5; Psalm 36v5-10; 1 Corinthians 12v1-11; John 2v1-11.A word from Lucy: The Isaiah reading tells us that God is ever working to help His people because of God's love for His creation; and the psalm is a prayerful echo of this. The letter, to the people in Corinth, is a call to live spirit filled lives in which we recognise that we all have different gifts that should be used for the common good. Today, we need to be mindful that the gifts that God gives us are all equally important to the community as a whole and are given to us so we can play the part God has designed for each one of us for the benefit of others. So, today we need to think about our gifts and find where God wants us to contribute them for the good of others. Today as I thought about the gospel and Jesus' attendance at a wedding, I noticed that I had never thought of the steward before. For here was a man serving his community at a wedding. A man who was willing to follow Jesus instructions and in so doing not only provided quality wine to the gathered community celebrating the sacrament of marriage but also witnessed a miracle. Today, its your turn to discern how God is calling you to serve the common good.Let us pray: Dear Lord, help us to serve you by serving others using the gifts you have given to us. This we ask in Jesus name, Amen.
Reading: Luke 3v15-17&21-22A word: Today we call to mind that Jesus chose to be Baptised by his cousin John, The Baptist. I commend the appointed gospel account to you because it tells us about the time at the end of John's ministry and the start of Jesus' ministry. For John, there were significant signs from God about Jesus. For Jesus, there was the anointing for his ministry by the holy spirit. For both, there was the handing on of God's mission from one to the other. For us, in our time and place, there is a message that is sometimes overlooked, which is that the Mission of God must be handed on in every generation. Today it is our turn to hand-on the baton of God's mission and our faith to others. What will you say and to whom?Let us pray: Lord, we ask you to guide and help us to hand on your mission and ministry to the next generation by sharing what we know of your plans and purposes, as well as sharing how you have been present in our lives. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen
Readings: Isaiah60v1-6; Psalm 72v1-15; Ephesians 3v1-12; Matthew 2v1-12A word from Lucy: Today we remember that scholars in Persia who studied the stars saw something so astounding in the sky that they set off on a long journey to find a child they believed was born to be King. Once in the Holy Lands the men headed for the palace of King Herod, because they thought that this was where they would find the King they were searching for. The scholars continued their search and when they eventually found the holy family, they offered the child gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and in so doing fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy.However, these men who are described as wise, were not so clever because they made a mistake in going to the palace and set Herod off on an evil course of action to kill the rival to his throne. Herod’s plot failed because the holy family were warned and escaped to Egypt in the night. Sadly though, all the children under two years of age from the area were murdered on Herod’s instructions.Today, we have so much to ponder: the prophecies in the Old Testament that were fulfilled in Jesus; the way God connects with and speaks to people from all over the world; the physical and spiritual journeys we are all called to make to find Jesus; the unforeseen consequences of the errors we make in our journeys throughout life; and the gifts we can bring and offer because God has a plan and a part for us to play in it. I hope and pray we will all listen, hear and respond.Let us pray: Lord inspire us, so we set out to find you; lead, help and guide us, so we stay firmly on the right path; then when we come face-to-face with you – may we offer to you the gifts you have made us to be, in service of your world.
1st Sunday of Christmas Readings: 1 Samuel 2v18-20&26; Psalm 148; Colossians 3v12-17; Luke 2v41-end. Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. A Word : In the readings from Samuel and Luke we hear how God calls children into his service. In the reading Samuel was a child who had been handed over to the priest Eli for training in the service of God. Samuel was the son of Hannah and Elkannah, a child that Hannah had prayed for over many years. A child that she wanted and loved and continued to provide for, even though she had handed him over to the service of God. As a child gifted from God, Samuel was blessed by God and became a prophet and guide who accepted by God and the people. Elsewhere in the Book of Samuel we hear that when he was a child that he heard God calling to him, even though Eli the priest had not yet taught him that God makes his presence known to some people in supernatural ways. In the gospel of Luke we hear that Jesus went to Jerusalem every year with his parents for the feast of the Passover. However, when he was 12 years old, Jesus lingered in the temple and was left behind when his parents and those they were travelling with set off for home. After a search of three days, Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the temple and because of their anxiety, Mary complained to Jesus when they found him. However, instead of apologising, Jesus questioned why they had not first come to the temple because he thought his parents knew that he had to be in his father’s house. As Jesus’ parents did not understand what he meant, Jesus left with them and returned to Nazareth where he was obedient and grew in wisdom as well as growing in favour with God and those who knew him. I believe that these readings are a reminder to us that children are God’s people, they are the Church of today and the ministers of God’s people as they grow up. Paul’s letter to the Colossian people, tells us how we should live and how we should raise the children of the world if we and they are to live as God’s blessed, much-loved and chosen people. Pauls says that In our dealings with others we are to be: gentle and modest; caring and kind; patient and forgiving; loving and peaceful and agreeable. And as one body of people serving Christ we are to: study God’s word; teach and correct one another wisely; gather for worship and live our lives in the service of Jesus. This is an important calling for all of us who believe in God and follow his son Jesus, for from ancient scriptures such as Psalm 148, we have been taught we have a God who created us and is to be exalted for from his glory he raised up a Saviour for his people. For we have a God who the whole of heaven and creation is called to pray to, praise and give thanks to. The God of creation who is worshipped by: angels and the heavenly multitude; the sun, the moon and stars; the earth, the waters and the weather; the mountains, the hills and the trees; the birds of the air, all wild and domesticated animals, all creatures that live in fresh and salt waters and all the creepy crawlies of the earth. Alongside all creation, there is a special call to humankind: the kings, princes and rulers of the earth; the young and old – both male and female; all God’s faithful people and his chosen people Israel. I pray we take this calling to heart and live by it as best we can, each day of our lives. Let us Pray: Heavenly Father, redeeming God we thank you for sending your son into the world to show us the way to heaven. Fill us with your grace, teach us how to be obedient and show us the way you have designed to be – for the love of Jesus. Amen Thanks for joining us today.
