Reflection from Jon EllisMatthew 5.27-3227 ¶ "You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.31 "It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. (NIV)REFLECTIONAt the Celebration for Anne Wright, Mothers’ Union members made a point of mentioning how much family life is to be valued. That takes commitment. In the Marriage vows, is the word submit. It is often misunderstood to mean giving in to someone. In fact, it refers to thinking of the other person as well as yourself. If both partners do that, it will be a lasting marriage. That also goes for children and parents.I can understand why many young people do not value commitment. Gone are the jobs for life that were the case when I was young. As long as you ‘kept your nose clean’, you had security. Now, even the traditionally secure jobs are not any more. But when we look back at our lives, it was commitment that helped us to stay the course. The problems come when one person is submitting and the other is not. There are so many temptations in life. I remember my Son-in-Law made a complaint when there were advertising posters in London encouraging people to sign up to a dating site, even if they were already married. The Lord’s prayer says, “Lead us not into temptation” – in other words, “Lead us away from temptation”.In today’s reading, Jesus is addressing what happens when a man divorces a wife. There was no Universal Credit for her. She could become destitute. Thankfully that is not the case in our country. But maybe, that is why divorce is too easy an option. So many children grow up in one parent households. I don’t think that is what God wants for us. Let us pray for the work of organisations like Mothers’ Union which value family life.COLLECT – PentecostHoly Spirit, sent by the Father, ignite in us your holy fire; strengthen your children with the gift of faith, revive your Church with the breath of love, and renew the face of the earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Common Worship: Collects and Post Communions, material from which is included here, is copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2000
Monday evenings 6:15pm-8:00pm at Holy Trinity Hall Westward Ho! Supper served with tea & coffee Starting 3rd March! For more information call Rev Jules on 07857 946576
The repairs to the bell tower of the church started in March and work is progressing well.Once the repairs have been done the bells will be able to be rung again; we still need to raise money to complete the job, though, so any contributions to this will be welcome.
