Advent Reflection - 24th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Julie Hackney

Glory to God in the Highest

Luke 2:8-18

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,

    and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

Reflection

For the shepherds watching their sheep on the hills outside Bethlehem, it was just another night. They had no idea that something incredible was about to happen that would change their lives, and the lives of millions of people throughout the ages, for ever.

When the Angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to them, surrounded by the amazing, golden light of God’s glory, they were, understandably, terrified. But they were told not to be afraid as the Angel said to them (in the words of the King James Bible), “Behold. I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.”

Who knows what they made of it all, let alone what was to come, as the Angel went on to tell them, that a baby was born in Bethlehem? A saviour. Christ the Lord.

And yet, it was to these shepherds that a sign was given. It was their mission, should they choose to accept it, to go and look for the baby who, the Angel said, would be wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. This was how the shepherds would know that they had found the right baby. There was to be no mistake. Then, just to underline the fact that this was what they should do, “a multitude of the heavenly host” joined the Angel to sing out these words that are at the very heart of the Christmas story, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill to all”.

The shepherds must have been reeling from all this but, after some discussion, they decided to do as they had been asked and set off into Bethlehem to find the baby. They had to know for sure; the Angel had given them all the clues and now they had to see for themselves if what they had been told was true.

This was a leap of faith on the part of the shepherds. But how they were rewarded.

And we are told that they “came with haste” and found Mary, Joseph and, as promised, the baby lying in a manger. After seeing all this for themselves, the shepherds went off to spread the Angel’s “tidings of great joy”, telling anyone who would listen what the Angel had said.

They had indeed been changed from the timid shepherds who had been so afraid when the angel first appeared. Now they were confidently going round “glorifying and praising God for all the things they’d seen”.

We don’t know what happened to the shepherds after they returned to their flocks, but it’s hard to imagine that they all went back to sitting in the fields night after night watching their sheep, maybe, now and again, one of them saying to the others, “Do you remember that night when…....”

And now, thousands of years later, the shepherds’ story resonates with us as 21st century Christians. It is Christmas Eve and, unlike the shepherds, we know that it is a momentous night and we know what we are waiting for: to celebrate the birth of Jesus, that baby that was found by the shepherds lying in a manger.

Everywhere we turn at Christmas we are reminded of the shepherds’ experience that night: Christmas cards featuring angels and shepherds, decorations on our Christmas trees, the words of carols such as “While Shepherds Watched” or “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”. But of greatest significance is the light. The light of God’s glory which shone all around.

At Christmas, lights are an integral part of our celebrations. We have been lighting our Advent candles each day whilst we make our preparations since the first of December. Candles continue to cast their soft, gentle glow in our living rooms and on our tables. The lights on our trees glisten against their branches, both inside and outside our houses. As we look at the sky on a clear night, stars pierce the darkness.

Tonight, we can be pretty certain that there won’t be a host of angels appearing in the sky, giving us instructions as to how to find the baby Jesus. But, fortunately we have already found him and we are reminded, especially at Christmas, that he is the light of the world, shining for us in the darkness.

Sometimes, and particularly perhaps during this challenging year, we may wonder about the Angel’s promise of peace and goodwill to all on earth. But we believe that this is God’s hope for his world and that there is a job which he has given to us, that is to work towards making it a reality in whatever way we can.

He wants us to be his light in the darkness.

The shepherds remind us that we can all play a part in spreading the Angel’s “tidings of joy”, just as they did on the night when Jesus was born.

They had faith, they followed the signs, they were afraid but went out into the world to declare what they knew, share the good news and bring joy.

Surely if they could, so can we.

Wishing you all a joyful Christmas filled with love and light.

Carol A Day in Advent

Michael Crawford sings a transcendent "O Holy Night" -- possibly the best version ever recorded -- on the TV special "David Foster's Christmas Album" (NBC, D...

Advent Reflection - 23rd December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from David Daniels

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Luke 1.39-45

39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’

Reflection

Mary wanted to share her experience and news of being pregnant with her relative Elizabeth, who was also having a baby, which was an answer to her prayers.  She had given up hope of being a mother and in those days would have been judged to be too old. Mary was betrothed to Joseph but was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. The contrast is of an older married woman and a girl, yet to consummate her coming marriage. The baby carried by Elizabeth moves surprisingly when Mary greets her. The baby Elizabeth had named him John, since her husband had been made dumb and could not do so, she had been inspired to call him John. This meeting shows us the coming together of two prayerful and devout women and the impact of the guidance of the Holy Spirit working within them both. Mary had believed in God’s promise and Elizabeth had become the mother of the prophet who would proclaim the coming of the Saviour of the World.  

The older woman realises the importance of the situation that when she says that she is humbled that the mother- to- be, carrying the Lord of All, should visit her. That her baby proclaimed the other child as the Saviour. This prophet inside her would be the voice crying in the wilderness, the first of many who would proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.   This moment was the beginning of the events that would change the behaviour and thinking of the population of the world for all future generations. These two children would grow up and experience the learning and the guidance of their Fathers which would keep them safe.

Mary is with Jesus throughout his journey, it may be a stretch to see that Joseph was only his teacher as he was a devout Jew and would have taught him the Law. He also taught Him the skills needed to be a builder and carpenter throughout his working life; but Mary was his first disciple and followed Him. She was holding Him at his presentation in the Temple. The emphasis is the circumcision and the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, rather than the purification of Mary following his birth. Simeon who has waited his lifetime to see the Saviour proclaims Jesus as the one he has waited for. Anna has spent her life praying for the Messiah. Mary held these things in her heart.

Mary prompts the first of his miracles, He accepts the instruction given by her to the servants serving the guests, as running out of refreshment would have embarrassed their hosts.

In the last days Mary watched the cruel end to her son’s life and stood by Him to the final breath.

The Holy Spirit guided Him throughout his ministry, his mother was watching over Him as only a mother can.

What has this reading meant to me. Have I listened to God speaking to me? I have often referred to coincidences in my life. When I have prayed most fervently then sometimes there is an immediate answer – or would it have happened anyway?

Mary had a conversation which ended when she agreed by her submitting. She becomes pregnant and by this incredible action she then knows she is totally in God’s hands.

This is a special time of the year for our family, because December 18th is the birthday of our daughter Johanna. She was with us for three years and died suddenly.  I was shattered and broken. I prayed for her and her Mum that we would find peace and comfort as we moved towards the funeral. Then I had a dream. Little Jo’ was running across a field towards Grandma who was holding out her arms and calling “Mano mergaite” I asked Tricia what it meant. She was very surprised and said it was Lithuanian and meant “my little girl”. She said that Grandma had moved to England and had married here. I had never heard this language. I now know there is a heaven and we will meet others. I am certain that God had spoken to me.

Carol A Day in Advent

Selection from the concert presentation "Let Earth Receive Her King"Performed Sunday December 4, 2016.

Advent Reflection - 22nd December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Mark Tomlinson, from St Marys, Cheadle

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

Hebrews 12:1-3, 13:1-2

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or faint-hearted.

13 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Reflection

Christmas is fast approaching now, almost certainly a Christmas like no other for us. But even with the challenges and restrictions of this year, this is still a time for reflecting on the past and experiencing the joys of past traditions.

One of my loves has always been films - especially at Christmas. We live in a time now when the access to films is greater than it has ever been, you can almost see any film at any time. But many of us will still remember a time when one of the highlights of Christmas, in particularly Christmas Day, was to see a blockbuster film or one of the ‘old Christmas favourites’ . . . . . James Bond, White Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life, to name just three. I can almost feel the tingle and emotion of remembering.

Nearly all of these films have a hero of some kind, who eventually comes through in some way. I love heroes coming good, and the escapism of it all getting lost in the experience, even for an hour or so.

So, what has this to do with today’s readings in Hebrews?

I love the letter to the Hebrews and especially chapters 12 & 13, not just for them in themselves but also because of what they follow. Chapter 12 starts with ‘therefore’! I hope your first thought was, ‘what is chapter 12 referring to’? Chapter 11 is an amazing chapter of ‘Faith in action’ and lists so many heroes of faith from the Old Testament, like Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Jacob and Moses, to name a few. The beginning of the chapter reminds us that faith is, ‘confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ And as we are reminded of the different characters, we are also reminded that faith is understanding God’s commands, righteousness, what pleases God, the importance of seeking God and obeying Him.

Christmas is a wonderful and perfect time to be reminded of all these characters and what they help us to remember about our own faith. ‘So since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses . . . . . ‘, what do we need to do this Christmas? Our verses today give us really clear instructions . . . keep your eyes on Jesus, focus on Him. What wonderful words of encouragement to us all, but what does this mean in practice? The writer to the Hebrews explains this to us in the verses we are reflecting on today:

·     Lay aside every weight and sin (12v1) – God’s rescue story, beginning at Christmas and through to the story of Easter, is all about God’s forgiveness. As we remember all that God has done through Jesus, we must let go of anything that gets in the way of our relationship with God. Will you do that today and continue into the new year?

·     Run the race with endurance (12v1) – our faith is all about living it out, putting it into practice and being faithful and persevering, even when it is hard, like it has been this year. Will you run the Christian race with endurance?

·     Look to Jesus and His sacrifice (12v12v2) – remember and recognise what Jesus has done, which all began with the His birth in the Nativity story. Jesus’ love for us is so complete that He gave up everything for us. How amazing is that? Christmas is a great time for us to reflect on Jesus’ love and think about how we can show our love for Him in our life.

·     Don’t grow weary (12v3) – As we think of Jesus and all He has done this Christmas, we need to be encouraged, and not grow tired or faint-hearted. Despite the challenges this Christmas, will you make the most of circumstances?

·     Show love to your church family (13v1) – ‘Let brotherly love continue’ is challenging at the moment isn’t it, with all the restrictions of Covid-19, but are there things you can do to help others? Even within our own church there are so many who are finding this Christmas very difficult. Can you make contact with someone by phone? Is there a word of encouragement you can share? Are there members of church who can’t get out and need some practical help? This Christmas we need to do what we can to show love.

·     Show hospitality to strangers (13v2) – Jesus challenges us to show hospitality to all, but it is very challenging in our present situation. But can we be creative in our thinking? And when all this eases, are we beginning to think in what ways we can bless those in our wider community?

My hope and prayer is that you will have a very safe Christmas, and one when you will know God’s love, provision, protection and blessing.

God Bless

Mark

Carol A Day in Advent

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Advent Reflection - 21st December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from David Walker

Jumping for Joy

Luke 1:39-45

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 

40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 

41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 

42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 

43 But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 

44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 

45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!”

Reflection

If the passage above were to have been made as a film, it would have been made as a prequel to the major blockbuster: The Birth of Jesus Christ, and might have had the title: Jumping for Joy, and it would have been introduced by an American voiceover proclaiming that we mustn’t miss this new movie.

But a story of two mothers-to-be, excitedly discussing their impending motherhood, is a scene of anticipation and love, and one which has been enacted everyday throughout the ages, right up to the present. So, what would be new about that?

What makes it new is the essential ingredient not mentioned in the text above; the back-story; the Angels. God’s messengers, heralds, God’s ambassadors call them what you will. They are always there in the background. Helping and guiding. Portents of good things to come.

It could be perceived that angels exist only in the Bible. They are locked in a biblical time- capsule, so to speak. They couldn’t possibly exist today. Or could they?

To me, angels are nudgers; providing that little nudge in the right direction; that spark which results in that Eureka! moment. Producing comprehension and resolutions to problems and issues every single day; or being there for us when a life-changing catastrophe is avoided. How often have you heard the phrase: they must have a guardian angel? They probably have.

Exactly one year ago, during Advent 2019, we would have been frenetically trying to cram in to a short amount of time a multitude of activities. Christmas shopping – what a nightmare! Parking! Being here and there, for this or that reason, trying to keep a lid on the stress-levels. Who’s going to whom for Christmas? Are we reciprocating at New Year? The list goes on and on so that, eventually, and in the words of Anthony Newley (if you’re younger than forty, Google him), we scream, Stop the World I Want to Get Off! I suppose we ought to be careful what we wish for. Because quietly, surreptitiously, a serial-killer virus set about doing just that- stopping the world.

Where are the angels now? Answer: all around. They are in the Health Service, nudging those doctors and nurses to do another shift, because they are needed.  Encouraging us to donate more. More money, more food, more help.

I was at the foodbank recently and standing in the doorway was a young mum waiting patiently. She was well dressed, her toddler daughter was playing in the smart SUV which was parked behind my car. It only occurred to me, as I was leaving and I saw her carrying two bags of food to her car, why she was there. It’s highly likely that twelve months ago she would have been donating to the foodbank, not being a recipient of it.

That’s both the angelic act of guardianship and the encouraging angelic nudge given to help one another. How often have we heard about the selflessness of others helping to ensure those isolated and in fear of going out have been given provisions to keep them well fed? Angels every one of them.

And now, against the most unlikely odds, our scientists around the world have produced a vaccine to combat the virus. Not by chance, but by doggedly trying to understand and produce a solution. I wonder how many doctors, scientists, nurses and engineers eventually had that Eureka! moment in the quiet of the night? And where did it come from?

As I come to the end of my scenario for ‘Jumping for Joy’ which like most films these days leaves us with an element of uncertainty - are there angels? That’s how I’m going to finish, but not before paying homage to the best angel movie of all time – in my opinion, anyway – It’s a Wonderful Life in which the angel Clarence has to do some ‘nudging’ and ‘guarding’ to get his wings.

So, when you next come to St Michaels looking for ‘JOY’, writ large under the East Window, remember it’s not only St Michael, it’s… and ALL ANGELS, as well.

Merry Christmas.

Carol A Day in Advent

"This Is The Best Christmas Song I Have Ever Heard. It Will Give You Chills."Support my art on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/peterhollensStream or Buy Thi...

Advent Reflection - 20th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Julie Hackney

You Know when People are Feeling Joyful!

Luke 15:1-10

Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’

So, he told them this parable: ‘Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.

Reflection

You know when people are feeling joyful. You can see it on their faces.

In my job as headteacher of a Primary School, I could easily become swamped with the amount of emails, paper work, meetings and so on, which I had to deal with each day.

But the joy of my job was being with the children, not in completing a form, and so I made sure that I spent as much time with them as I could. That may sound odd but sometimes the bureaucracy could take over if you let it.

One of the things I looked forward to each week, was having the children altogether to sing. When I was a child it was called hymn practice. If you want to see joy on children’s faces just watch them when they are singing.

There were a number of joyful songs that we loved. “You shall go out with joy”. Which they did! Out into the playground still singing. On a gentler note, “Joy is flowing like a river” and a simple, but great favourite “I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul”. Granted, the accompanying actions played a big part in the joyfulness!

I mention all of this because I wonder if there was any singing at the party which was held when the lost sheep was found?

Jesus told The Parable of the Lost Sheep when the Pharisees and Rabbis around him were complaining that he was welcoming sinners and eating with them.

The well known parable tells of the shepherd who has lost one of his hundred sheep and cannot rest until he has found it. When he does find it, he carries it home on his shoulders and is full of such joy that he gathers everyone, neighbours and friends, together to celebrate with him by having a party.

There wasn’t anything special about the one sheep that was lost. It wasn’t any different from the other ninety nine. But the point was that this sheep had been lost but now it was found and that was why there had to be a joyful celebration.

There are actually three parables in this Chapter of Luke’s Gospel; The Parables of the Lost Sheep and The Lost Coin and The Parable of The Prodigal or Lost Son. Through each of them Jesus is basically telling us the same thing, which is that when one person repents and follows him, God is so full of joy that there will be a party in Heaven to celebrate.

At the end of The Parable of The Lost Coin, when the woman finds what she had lost, just as the shepherd did, she invites her friends and neighbours to come and celebrate with her.

And then, Jesus paints a wonderful picture of a Heavenly party when he says, “I tell you there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

What a wonderfully joyous party that must be! And what singing!

Although current restrictions prevent us from singing together in church this year, singing carols is an intrinsic part of Christmas worship for me. They are part of my way of celebrating the birth of Jesus and, Mark will tell you, I can be heard singing them throughout the season.

Well, it’s another party! And this one is a birthday party of course!

Wishing you all, a very merry, musical and joyful Christmas!

Carol A Day in Advent

Aled sings "Candlelight Carol" on Songs of Praise from Israel on Sunday 20th Dec 2009.This is produced solely to promote Aled and his music.

Advent Reflection - 19th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Calum Piper

The Joy of the Lord is my Strength

James 1:1-8

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings.

2 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; 4 and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. 6 But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; 7, 8 for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Reflection

December for me always feels a little bit like a marathon. You know the finish line is Christmas and there is a fairly long journey to go throughout Advent. Its normally about this time during the month that the finish line appears in site, with the majority of carol services concluding, the Christmas service sheets sent for printing, and just a few remaining sermons left to craft. I have found the best way to keep myself on track is for a thorough and well put together plan – I love a good plan – but something always manages to disrupt and cause chaos despite my best efforts of planning.

A bit of chaos in the middle of my Christmas planning is nothing compared to some of the trials many face on a daily basis and is nothing compared to the trials we have faced as a church, nation and global population this year. I don’t need to list of the trials of 2020 for you to be able to agree – and at first glance, your might find the words of the letter of James difficult to accept –

Whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy.

Put that statement into our modern context and it reads something like the following:

Whenever you face lockdown, consider it nothing but joy.

Whenever you face not being able to see your family, consider it nothing but joy.

Whenever you find your worship limited, consider it nothing but joy.

Does James really mean that?

Of course he doesn’t – James isn’t calling us to find joy within the suffering and the tribulation but rather to understand one of the side-effects of our trials – growth in maturity.

Immediately following his baptism, an identity affirming moment for Jesus, we read that he is forced out into the wilderness. As Jesus walks in the wilderness, he faces a number of trials – these trials strength his faith and his dependence on God.

The trials we have faced this year, the disruption to all our lives has not been a joy, in fact much of it has caused heartache – yet we can still know the joy of the lord because of some of the other fruit of our trials.

• We may no longer take for granted the things we used to, like family, freedom and maybe even Church.

• The confidence we have in our own devotion to God may have grown, as we have each become responsible for our worship of God.

• The life of our community may have been strengthened through the long absence of genuine fellowship.

These are all things we can find joy in.

2020 will be a year none of us forget, but my aim is to try and remember the good things as much as bad – the places where I have grown and matured, the strength I have seen in the people of God in Bramhall, the overflowing generosity of so many to things like the foodbank, Stockport and Brinnington, The Children’s Society and so much more.

A verse of scripture that has been foundational for me over the last couple of months has been this:

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

In those times and places when you feel weak and burdened, remember that the Lord you God is with you. Ask him for help just as Mary and Martha did, just as the Roman Centurion did, just the criminal on the cross did. To all of them, their situations seemed inevitable and unchangeable and yet they still asked. In the love of Jesus, and in his strength, things changed. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the centurion’s servant was healed, and the criminal on the cross was welcomed into the Kingdom of heaven.

If Jesus could change the outcomes of these trials – so he can provide you with strength (and joy) in the trials, you face.

 May the inner joy and peace of God continue to strengthen your walk with him each and every day.

Carol A Day in Advent

Advent Reflection - 18th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Mark Hackney

‘We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete’.

1 John 1:1-9

1 We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— 3 we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; 7 but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Reflection

Knowledge is a curious thing, and it can sometimes become fractured or even go missing.

If you have seen the play, or watched many of the film versions, of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (or even if you have done neither of these things) you will realise that, at no point in the proceedings, does a monkey play a key role. In fact, there is no monkey whatsoever. There is a monk, (Friar Laurence, crucial to the plot) but absolutely no monkey. Yet a student of mine, in his actual SATS’ exam, managed to write: ‘Romeo fails to receive Juliet’s important letter that she is not really dead because the monkey fails to pass it on.’  What on earth the examiner thought I shudder to think. But, of course, we all make errors under pressure. And he was a clever student; he simply miss-wrote.

In any case, a false piece of knowledge had been transmitted. On a different scale altogether, the issue of distorted messaging is what concerns John in his first letter. He wants to make it clear to his readers what true knowledge is. He writes about ‘knowing’ and ‘knowledge’ an impressive forty-five times in the five chapters of this letter. It is crucial to John that he conveys to people that the Gospel alone imparts true knowledge of God – not the false teachings (what some may call Gnosticism) that was emerging in some early churches during John’s old age.

John wants to keep it simple and clear, our messaging must be borne of our knowledge of Jesus Christ, and not be contaminated by other worldly influences. John knows the truth, he possesses true knowledge, he was there! ‘What we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us’.

We have the same concern today in our wider society, where society exhibits a spiritual lethargy. We try to convey the real truth, God’s reality, the Good News, to others. But it’s challenging, isn’t it?

The contemporary, postmodernist, mindset finds big ideas pretentious, naïve – and Christianity is the biggest of big ideas. If you talk of ethics you might be accused of ‘signalling’, and if you wish to hold a truly serious conversation about life’s meaning, you might be accused of being something of a ‘downer’. ‘Keep it light!’ they may say to you. Of course, you reply, in this time of Advent especially, ‘That’s exactly what I am doing by telling you of Jesus’.

Yet, if we still our Christian voice, keep our light in the shadows, allow what we know to be true to linger in the recesses of society’s consciousness, we do John’s legacy a disservice. Rather, as I strongly suspect, John would say: we do God a disservice.   

During the expectancy of Advent, and the joy of Christmas, let us try, as much as we are able, to feel and transmit, the love and glory of God. By our demeanour, our visits to church and home Bible reading, our Zooming, real-timing, phone calls, longed-for (if brief) visits, charitable works – by all these things – we can live and promote our Christian knowledge. God’s truth.

During this somewhat claustrophobic Christmas, we can and will feel joy and appreciate John’s words to us. We will walk in the light as Jesus himself is in the light. The eternal life that was with the Father and has been revealed to us through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you for writing or reading our Advent Reflections. As John states: ‘We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete’. And we still have six to go!

Carol A Day in Advent

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Advent Reflection - 17th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Sheila Collins

Our Helper and Comforter

John 14:15-31

‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.  They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.

Reflection

When my nephew, W, was 3 he was in possession of a ‘cuddly’. Not a toy but a muslin cloth which accompanied him everywhere and which held, for him, protective, and comforting powers. Holding this soft rag to his face and thumb firmly plugged in mouth, his resolve strengthened, this shy boy was able to step out bravely from his front door to face the world. However, the temporary misplacement and occasional loss of the ‘cuddly’ was met with fearful tears. (My sister did have spares!) The ‘cuddly’ was the comforter that W needed to have the strength and confidence to help him to go anywhere.

For the last 7 months we have rarely left the house without washed hands, a mask, and a spare, and a small bottle of hand sanitiser; obeying advice and reassured that we are doing everything possible to avoid spreading and /or catching the virus. We feel a little more confident and somewhat comforted (to a certain degree), that in the face of the invisible virus, we have the tools to enable us live a life which has become our new normal.

The things which comfort and protect us, give us confidence to get on with different circumstances, relationships and situations, vary from person to person. For my nephew it was a muslin cloth, for us now it is hand sanitiser and masks, for those who are in pain or lonely it would be a visit or hug or a listening ear (some of which we which can’t do at the moment). In this season of Advent we have a chance to reflect on who Jesus is and how he explained to his disciples that they would never be left without Him to comfort and reassure them.

In John’s Gospel Jesus speaks to his disciples at the last supper about his imminent betrayal. He tells the disciples that he is going away. He gives the disciples a new command to love one another as he has loved them. He reassures them promising to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house, although some of his disciples really don’t quite understand what Jesus is saying to them at this point and the reasons why. Maybe they feared that Jesus was abandoning them and they wouldn’t know what to do. Jesus goes on to say, ‘If you love me you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper (1) to be with you forever.’  In fact, the disciples wouldn’t have less help; they would have more help because the Father would send another Helper. Jesus understood that His disciples (both those with Him on that evening and those across the centuries including us) would need God’s presence and power to keep His commandments. God the Son promised to pray to God the Father and ask for the giving of God the Holy Spirit to the believer to accomplish this.

Jesus promised his disciples he would never leave them. He comforts them and promises that another Helper/Comforter will be present with them, not temporarily, but forever. He understood his disciples then and he understands us now, we are human, not perfect and need help.

Jesus speaks to his disciples using the words of someone reassuring his children: ‘I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you’.  An orphan has parents who are dead; the Spirit shows us Jesus is alive. An orphan is left alone; the Spirit draws us close to God’s presence.  An orphan has no one to look after them; the Spirit is protector.

Nephew, W, no longer needs his ‘cuddly’ (he’s 35 now), he outgrew it. It was a temporary comforter/helper to enable him to leave the house to engage in nursery life, go to friends and play in the park: to live joyfully and without fear.

It is to be hoped that the necessity for carrying face masks and hand sanitiser to reassure ourselves and others that we are a little safer from catching or spreading the virus is also temporary.

Jesus knew and understood what it was to be human, to be fearful, alone, misunderstood and ultimately abandoned. Knowing that he was going to his death he still promised, comforted and reassured his disciples that he would be present with them forever. He promises us the same, that His heavenly Father will send his spirit to be our Helper and Comforter always and to enable us to keep his commands: to love one another as he loves us.

 (1) The word Helper translates the ancient Greek word parakletos. This word has the idea of someone called to help someone else, maybe like an advisor, a legal person or a mediator. The King James Version translates parakletos with the word Comforter.

Carol A Day in Advent

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Advent Reflection - 16th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Phil Wadsworth

Advent in One Chapter

Isaiah 55:1-13

Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy?  Hearken diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in fatness.  Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.  Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.  Behold you shall call the nations that you know not, and nations that knew you not shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Reflection

Before those responsible for such things decided to change some of the dates in the Kalendar, today, 16th December, was an Observance called O Sapientia, the celebration of Divine Wisdom.  Much theological and philosophical debate, and many books, have covered the subject, but in essence, while Jesus is identified as the Logos, the Word of God (as in at the beginning of John’s Gospel), Divine Wisdom is, variously, characterised as that aspect of God becoming incarnate as Jesus, or as the Holy Spirit (or as an aspect of the Trinity).  An interesting – to some! – aside is that in the original Greek, Ἁγία Σοφία (Hagía Sophía), is feminine.

That may seem rather abstruse and not particularly relevant, but it’s no accident that O Sapientia was – and is, on 17th December now – celebrated during Advent.  In this season of preparation and consideration, reflection and self-examination we need to appeal to and for wisdom: both better to understand ourselves, our Faith, and our relationship with God; and for our preparations to bear fruit in plans for our development in future.  As we have been made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) – in the sense of being independently sentient entities – we can sense, if dimly (1 Corinthians 13:12), the preparations and plans of omniscient Wisdom; and God’s preparation and planning for our salvation, beginning to be realised at the Incarnation, is what Advent and Christmas are all about.

 Isaiah 55 lifts a corner of the veil on this.  We are reminded, though, that “my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (verse 8): we cannot hope to understand more than a little of how God brings about the things which He intends, how His plans are made and accomplished, and the means by which His actions fulfil His purposes.  We can rest assured, though, that they are perfect, and will exactly bring about that which God intends; everything that God plans and executes is fulfilled completely (“so shall the word … that goes forth from my mouth … not return to me empty”, verse 11a) and brings about what God intends (“it shall accomplish that which I purpose and prosper in the thing for which I sent it”, verse 11b).

While considering our own personal journey through Advent, our self-examination and resultant plans, the above part of Isaiah 55 provides assurance of support, guidance, and a route; all dependent upon the divine planning of the Incarnation and all that the revelation of Emmanuel, God with us, means.  While this is seen in the central part of the chapter, its earlier verses give us a range of things to think about during our Advental contemplations and self-examination, and directions in which we may (hopefully will) plan to go.  We’re called to think about ways in which we are wasteful; to turn to God for things which last; to listen to God and to come to God; to be witness to those who don’t know God; to follow the path that God intends for us.

Isaiah 55 is, in some ways, a complete ‘Advent package’:  It begins with things to think about and to plan to do, it moves on to glimpse the sure foundation in God on which all is based, and it concludes with the message of comfort and joy.  Echoes from elsewhere in Isaiah recall themes which keep bubbling up and bursting out, in some of the most well-known passages and elsewhere.  “For you shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace …” (verse 12a) continues the loving assurances that God gives in ”Comfort, comfort my people, says your God …” (Isaiah 40:1); while the glimpse of God’s coming Kingdom, in which “instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle” (verse 13a) recalls “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb … and the calf and the lion and the fatling together” (Isaiah 11:6).

The chapter ends with the reminder that while our Advents and Christmases come and go, and all the things of this world are transitory, God’s preparation and planning, which includes each of us individually, is for eternity; that the Incarnation and its full working-out are for eternity; and that, for each and for all of us, our indwelling within God’s love is for eternity – “it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off” (verse 13b).

Carol A Day in Advent

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Advent Reflection - 15th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Bryan Goodwin.

 The Agenda for Rejoicing.

Psalm 4

1 Answer me when I call, O God of my right!

    You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.

2 How long, you people, shall my honour suffer shame?

    How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies?

3 But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.

4 When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent.

5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.

6 There are many who say, ‘O that we might see some good!

    Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!’

7 You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound.

8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.

Reflection

Psalm 4 is a night Psalm, which invites us to trust in God to guide us through difficult times, as we lie on our beds, in the expectation and knowledge that God will not desert us, and we can look forward to the comfort and joy with which He will reward us for our trust in him.

Particularly relevant this strange year of 2020, but the news of the last few days, that a Vaccine to protect us from Covid-19, is now here and is amongst us, is good news.

Let us thank God for guiding the wonderful work of the Medical Scientists.

The Psalm itself, for me, brings back memories of my childhood. Born and raised in the inner city of Manchester, in the 1940s, we all lived in row upon row of close packed terraced houses, mostly 2 up 2 down with an outside loo. There I went to the local Church Sunday School, from an early age, once Churches re opened again after the War, and later gradually progressing to become a not very good Chorister.

In my early teens, after Evensong, twice a month, about 12 of us, 3 Teenage boys and 3 girls, with 4/5 adults, led by our Choir Master, would walk a mile or so to Manchester Royal Infirmary, and afterwards each one of us Boys would walk one of the Girls’ home. An added attraction perhaps for us to go and sing, as many a young romance started out as a result.

In the Hospital we would go around the Wards, singing the requests of the Patients. In the weeks up to Advent, especially around Armistice Day, as we used to call it, uppermost in lots of people’s minds in those days following the recently ended War, in every Ward we were always requested to sing “Abide with me”. The Hymn popularised during the Great War, and sung at every Wembley Cup Final since 1927 when Cardiff became the only non-English Team to win the Cup.

In December “God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen” was the popular request in the Male Wards. The former we hoped brought some comfort and hope to Patients, in their pain and distress in Hospital, whilst the latter, with its rousing Chorus and refrain of “Glad Tidings of Comfort and Joy“, speaks for itself.

On Christmas Eve we would sing Carols, including the latter, in the terraced streets around our Church, passing from under one street gaslight to another, so we had enough light to see our Hymnals clearly, and our Vicar with us, would encourage people to come to Church, later that night, or at least on the following day.

All this reminds me that as we are now passing through the darkest days of the year, the short dark days of Winter, we know that it starts to turn to lighter longer days after the Winter Solstice, and that the Light of the World truly is with us on December 25th, when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus.

His arrival was heralded by the bright star that led the Wise Men, and, symbolically, there is a bright star in our night sky on December 21st this year when Jupiter and Saturn are in conjunction, perhaps reminding us that Jesus is the Bright Morning Star. Jesus brought comfort and joy to his faithful followers in Israel, as he proclaimed that the Kingdom of God was at hand, and that he, as the Messiah, fulfilled the Law of the Prophets, and taught a new message. To love one another as he loved us. For God so loved the world he sent his only Son into our World, our Emmanuel. God with us.

That Message is still being preached today, it is timeless, and underpins all our hope and belief in the comfort and joy that we can bring to others, as well as to ourselves, if we trust in Jesus.

Sadly, today many have forgotten or have never been taught that message of love, salvation, and hope. They are too focussed on the material things of life, and, boy, are there plenty of them these days, to distract us. More perhaps than any other Society has ever had before.

Yet still many people are not happy. They still want more. What more could they want than the comfort and joy of knowing we have a mediator working for us in Heaven with God to hear our Prayers? They miss out on so much. Perhaps we can help them find that comfort and joy this Christmas? Let’s all try anyway by sharing our own comfort and joy to help them.

PS “Abide with me” coincidentally played at the Funeral of our former Reader Claud Metson last Wednesday.

Carol A Day in Advent

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Advent Reflection - 14th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Mary Impey

 ‘Can a woman forget her nursing-child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb?’

Isaiah 49:8-23

8 Thus says the Lord: In a time of favour I have answered you,

    on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you

    as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages;

9 saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out’, to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’

They shall feed along the ways, on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;

10 they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,

for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.

11 And I will turn all my mountains into a road, and my highways shall be raised up.

12 Lo, these shall come from far away, and lo, these from the north and from the west,

    and these from the land of Syene.

13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing!

For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones.

14 But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.’

15 Can a woman forget her nursing-child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb?

Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.

16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.

17 Your builders outdo your destroyers, and those who laid you waste go away from you.

18 Lift up your eyes all around and see; they all gather, they come to you.

As I live, says the Lord, you shall put all of them on like an ornament,

    and like a bride you shall bind them on.

19 Surely your waste and your desolate places and your devastated land—

surely now you will be too crowded for your inhabitants,

    and those who swallowed you up will be far away.

20 The children born in the time of your bereavement will yet say in your hearing:

‘The place is too crowded for me; make room for me to settle.’

21 Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has borne me these?

I was bereaved and barren, exiled and put away— so who has reared these?

I was left all alone— where then have these come from?’

22 Thus says the Lord God: I will soon lift up my hand to the nations,

    and raise my signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom,

    and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.

23 Kings shall be your foster-fathers, and their queens your nursing-mothers.

With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,

    and lick the dust of your feet.

Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.

Reflection

I have always loved to read and honestly cannot remember quite when I made the transition from learning my alphabet to actually putting words together and then finally constructing sentences. Books were not quite so available to most children as they are today. However, it was wonderful when I was old enough to have a Library ticket but at the time you were only allowed one book and it could only be changed once a fortnight ! I have always encouraged my children and grandchildren to read as it opens a new world, whether the book is fiction to indulge and dream in, or facts about new subjects or places to absorb or inspire them to visit.  

Can I share with you two books concerning two girls with the name of Mary?  The first is “The Secret Garden” which was one that was read to us by our Junior School teacher for the last half hour of Friday afternoons before the bell was rung for “home-time.” Originally intended as a book for children, it has sold in millions, and I am sure has been re-read by many adults. It concerns Mary Lennox, sadly an orphan who was born and brought up in India until her parents die when she is brought to England to live with an Uncle and his son who is called Colin. Mary is overwhelmed initially by the large bleak house set on the Yorkshire Moors and is very unhappy and very lonely. Colin is an invalid, seldom leaves his bed room and is very spoilt.  Mary’s Uncle is a desperately sad man who travels a great deal - his wife  died when Colin was born and  he feels his father blames him for her death.    

Mary spends a great deal of time in the grounds of the estate, and   rummaging through overgrown bushes and shrubs finds a way into a walled garden. Mary keeps this a secret but finds great joy in beginning to clear away and tidy parts of the garden. She has help eventually in the garden from Ben the old gardener, and Dickon, a young local boy whose sister helps in the big house. Mary finds great happiness in bringing new life to the secret garden and wants to share this with her cousin, Colin. How can this be achieved? .............  Well, that is something you could find out by reading “The Secret Garden.”  It has a surprising ending!

Let me introduce you to my second Mary who is only a little older than Mary Lennox.  This second Mary would have been about fourteen or fifteen years old at the beginning of this amazing story, which can be found in the New Testament of the Bible, in Luke Chapter 1 starting at verse 26.   

It tells us that this Mary is engaged to be married to a man called Joseph who was a descendant of King David. One day Mary is startled to find an angel in her room and wonders what he wants. The angel tells her “Peace be with you!  The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”  She is completely flummoxed by this and very worried wondering what on earth the angel means. The angel then tries to assure her that she has no need to be afraid and that God has chosen her to give birth to a son who will be called Jesus.    The angel amazes Mary by adding that her son will achieve great things and will be called the Son of the Most High God.   He will be a king like his ancestor David was, and will be the king of the descendants of Jacob for ever .... his kingdom will never end.

Can we try and imagine how Mary is feeling by this news and she says to the angel “I am a virgin so this can’t be possible.” She is probably already wondering how she will tell such news to Joseph. The angel tells her that the Holy Spirit will be with her and God’s power will protect her.   She also learns that her relative, Elizabeth, is already pregnant despite the fact that she has been barren during her married life.  Mary then tells the angel that as a servant of God, she accepts this amazing news.  She visits Elizabeth who tells her how blessed she is to be chosen to be the mother of Jesus and Elizabeth is humbled by her visit. It is at this point we read Mary’s Song of Praise, which we know as The Magnificat, and you can sense her wonder and joy as she absorbs what is to happen. Hopefully we will all experience this sense of wonder as we journey through Advent.

Carol A Day in Advent

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Advent Reflection - 13th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Linda Goodchild. Lay Reader in Training in Timperley Parish.

 The Agenda for Rejoicing.

2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again, as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted to us through the prayers of many.

Reflection

I bring warm greetings from Christ Church and Holy Cross in Timperley parish, Bowdon deanery.  Mothers’ Union members may recall that our branches have been prayer partners in recent years.  It is my privilege to share a reflection with you and I am grateful to my friend Mark for his kind invitation.

When I read of Paul and Timothy’s travels I am in awe.  How did they plan their routes, was there an equivalent of a travel agent to help them?  How did they endure the journeys they made?  I enjoy my holidays very much and this year I was looking forward to visiting Crete with my friend.  The planning which goes into our holidays does not reflect in any shape or form, the preparations which Paul and Timothy would make.  We chose a holiday confident that everything will be in place for us and leaving us free to pack our suitcases, finding space for those new tankinis and the clothes we have finally decided to take.  Then we received the dreaded email to say that Crete was closed, and the holiday was cancelled.

There are other ways to travel.  Let us put ourselves into the sandals of Paul and Timothy and gather some blankets, food, and water to help us as we journey along the way with them.  This pair of intrepid travellers share with us a route they have planned along the many Roman roads which have been built to support the movement of goods and livestock and of course soldiers.  We have a donkey to carry our load, no suitcase on wheels for us, we have left them at home.  We walk along at a steady pace, stopping from time to time to give our donkey a rest and being watchful for predators as there are some rather unsavoury characters about.  The road is quite busy with other travellers passing by going from place to place for trade or business or sightseeing.  Paul and Timothy take the opportunity to talk to whomever they meet to share their story and the good news of Jesus.  It is always good to take time to chat to people as they can suggest where to find an inn or a house or a hostel to stay.  On warm nights we sleep in the open air when we find somewhere safe.  Paul and Timothy are usually on the road for a long time and they earn money along the way to buy food for the donkey and support themselves.  We have found our way to a small town and here we will leave them.  Paul and Timothy will be staying with friends and he is in demand to make tents and to build up their resources for the next stage of their journey.

It is time to take our leave and it has been a different experience from our usual holiday and before we parted Paul recalled the story of a journey which has not gone to plan  v 8 “We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia, for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself.  v9Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raised the dead.”  NRSV

Paul and Timothy were demanding travel companions as the days were long and the roads dusty.  They cared for us with such kindness and love and this story made us aware of the message they share.  A message of comfort and joy, that no matter what our problems are, what terrible times we are encountering, that whatever our sufferings are, there is joy and consolation in God.  We are reminded that Jesus patiently endured and suffered and died on the cross to save us.  There is help and consolation for all of us.

We have been given the most precious gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit which brings us love and supports us and will be our consolation as we face the coming months.  Paul gives thanks to the people of Corinth for their blessings and prayers as he knows that without prayer our lives are weak and unsupported.

There may not be an end to this pandemic for some time, it is path we must travel along together being loved, supported, consoled, and rescued by Jesus just as Paul and Timothy were.  We cannot and must not underestimate the power that prayer brings to our lives and those whom we pray for.  How can we spread the Gospel of our Lord if we have not experienced pain and received consolation and put our trust in Him?

God bless you all at this time of Advent and wishing you a joyous Christmastide.

Carol A Day in Advent

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Advent Reflection - 12th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Carolyn Wort, Reader at St Mary's Whitewell.

Seen as Whole.

Isaiah 40:1-5

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Reflection

What is your go to comfort food?  When the going gets tough do you turn to chocolate, cake, a bowl of soup or does hot chocolate do it for you?  For me it’s all of the above plus I could add a few more!!  At times like this, in the midst of the pandemic, we are all feeling in need of comfort and I guess a lot of us are turning to baking and eating!

Comfort is a hot bowl of a bowl of soup or a cup of tea when I have been working outside in the freezing cold all day. Comfort is something we hopefully receive from others when we are having a really bad time in our lives, maybe after losing a loved one.  Comfort for the Disciples was hearing Jesus rebuke the storm.  When they woke him from sleep, He rebuked the wind and told the disciples to be of good cheer. They took comfort in his words.

There are many situations that we find ourselves that involve fear and discomfort. The world is in great dread right now from the Coronavirus Pandemic. The fear is palatable for many and we can see it in people’s faces.  Combined with this there is political and economic upheaval worldwide.  We might add as Christians that Jesus told us that in the end times there would be pestilences, wars and rumours of war, earthquakes and other natural disasters as well as the return of Jesus as judge. There are so many things beyond our personal power to stop, and there are things which nobody at all seems able to stop. Even the vaccine that we praise God for won’t let us return completely to our old ways of being for a long time, it is always hard to live when things are so out of our control. We need to be comforted. Paul tells us in Romans 15:4 that Scripture was given to instruct us “that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

So how does God bring comfort to us?

In our passage he sent a herald in John the Baptist and he tells us that a way has been prepared in the wilderness. All the obstacles such as hills and valleys are to be made level. The crooked road must be straightened and the potholes in the road filled. John the Baptist preached repentance to Israel.  All of us as Christians are called to be like John the Baptist. 

Our role as Disciples is to bring people to the better way of life, the road that God has chosen for all of us.  God has chosen us, flawed as we are, to help people find that way of comfort and peace that we are all desperate for.  Our God can provide everything we need to get through these times if we will let him.  We don’t need our comfort food, our retail therapy, if we can afford it, we don’t need to do anything other than trust and obey him.  This is the way John the Baptist tells us about while he preached repentance to Israel in the wilderness. We realize that Isaiah was talking about a different road to the one often travelled. 

John was to introduce the one God had chosen to redeem us, Jesus Christ. Jesus calls himself “the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) He is the way to a better Jerusalem where the Father is. This is indeed good tidings to Zion and also to us.  It shines the light of hope on us too. 

So how do we smooth out the way for ourselves and others this Advent time?   How do we prepare our hearts for the Christ child? 

Although it is dark outside these mornings, can you make space for the Christ child by starting the day a little earlier, maybe you do already?  You could use that time to just to just sit and be still and let God be your comfort or listen to the words of our reading sung in this recording of the Messiah.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCjAi1hod0E

However you choose to spend your time preparing the way, I pray that each one of us will be comforted by the Lord this Advent time.

Carol A Day in Advent

Listen to King's College Choir, free, on their website: http://bit.ly/kingslistenA carol for Epiphany, The choir of Kings College, Cambridge sing We Three Ki...

Advent Reflection - 11th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Phil Wadsworth

Seen as Whole.

Romans 12

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him.  For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them; if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to that which is good; love one another with a brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honour.  Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints, practise hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited.  Repay no-one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.  If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all.  Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord”.  No, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by doing so you will heap burning coals upon his head”.  Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.

Reflection

Sometimes reading through a Bible passage of some length, such as this, can leave a “What was that?  What just happened?” feeling.  The familiarity of the phrases helps them pour through the mind, but perhaps not gain firm purchase this time.  The injunctions to do this and not do that, the calls to action, the exhortations come thick and fast.  We can struggle to keep pace with them, to try to remember them all, to think how to respond without indulging in a tick-list – “Yes, I think I pass that one”; “Hm, some work needed on that”; “I’ll pretend that one just isn’t there”.  It’s all rush and bustle and trying to catch up … rather like daily life, really!

Advent is a season of preparation and consideration, reflection and self-examination.  Doing this from within the bustle and detail of our lives doesn’t work – you can’t see the wood for the trees – and, as great teachers and pastors down the centuries remind us, you have to step back and see the whole thing before working out how and where the pieces fit within.  That can apply to us individually considering how we are living, and to our church community; but it can also be applied to getting to grips with arguments and ideas – such as those in a Bible passage.

So let’s step back from all the details of Romans 12, and hold the passage in a sort of soft-focus while we see what impression it’s made, what we are hearing it saying, as a whole.  There are echoes (or a foretaste, if we take the Epistles in the order we’re given them) of St Paul telling the Corinthians (in 1 Corinthians 12) that there are varieties of gifts, service, working, etc but the same Spirit; and that each part of our own body is different from the others but all have to do what they are designed to do – have been given a gift to do – for the whole to function.  Paul ends that passage by reminding the Corinthians (1 Cor 12:27-31a) that, though individual, they are all parts of the body of Christ, and each has an individual and particular rôle in the greater whole – something specifically said in Romans 12:5-6 also.

We are individual members of the Body of Christ and its expression locally, all our church family at St Michael’s, and we therefore glance in the direction of what this passage means for us communally as that community, for we each need to be trying to live as God wants us to live for that church family community to work to its best, just as each part of the human body must perform its function as far as it is able (the alarms and excursions of the passing years permitting) for the body to function.

In Romans 12, though, we mainly focus on ourselves, our own individual lives and minds, thoughts and actions.  This is the preparation and introspection part of the Advent narrative.  The details are a sketch of how we live as we follow Jesus on our life journey; they present a précis of what we find on that journey and, though each is important individually, the whole picture is much more important: an image of a Christian life.  This isn’t an exam sheet – “Answer ‘yes I do’ to each before proceeding to Chapter 13” – that has to be done immediately and fully, but a work in progress, one which we work on, and improve, as time goes by (and hopefully not just in Advent and Lent!).

We know we can’t get it all right, but we’re encouraged to “be transformed”, “prove the will of God”, “use [our gifts]”, “be patient, be constant”.  Only Jesus lived a perfect earthly life, but “we, though many, are one body in Christ” (v 5) and thus, in and through following Jesus, we can present ourselves as acceptable to God.  Being reminded that we “are individually members one of another” draws attention for a moment back to our church family community, where we help each other to follow Jesus and continue on the road to presenting ourselves to God, though Jesus.

Nor are we doing this in isolation, or in our own strength, of course.  Looking at the whole picture painted by this passage, we see that it is all within the will of God.  Being parts of “the body of Christ” means that we are living and acting within His will, and that will is that we “prove … what is good and acceptable and perfect” (v 2).  We are each working with what God has assigned to us (v 3), just that and specifically to us as an individual, and that is therefore sufficient for His purposes for us.

We can therefore, as the passage exhorts us, “hold fast to that which is good” and “rejoice” and, looking up from Advent preparation for a moment in anticipation of its end-point – Emmanuel, God with Us – see that, though not necessarily apparent when looking at the detail, this passage is indeed one which tells us of comfort and joy.

Carol A Day in Advent

Now here's a real treat for you. A very dramatic rendition of this carol which has everything. Thunderous organ, solos, soaring descant.... and the cameras s...

Advent Reflection - 10th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Jenny Gallimore

Psalm 27

‘Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.’

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—

my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;

though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.

4 One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after:

to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

    he will set me high on a rock.

6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!

8 ‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, do I seek.

9     Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help.

Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!

10 If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path

    because of my enemies.

12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.

13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage;

    wait for the Lord!

Reflection

When I was a little girl, I was afraid of the dark. A childish fear, perhaps, but a genuine one nevertheless. I would plead with my parents to leave the landing light on at night time so that I wouldn't be plunged into the complete darkness that terrified me at bedtime. In the end, we came to a compromise where they left the hall light on downstairs - so that some light would reach my open bedroom door, but not so much as to disturb my siblings in their rooms. That chink of light in my room at night was a beacon of comfort for me, and it helped me to sleep. You might well ask, why didn't I just have a night light for my bedroom? My parents always said that they didn't want me to become reliant on a night light, in case we ever stayed somewhere where I couldn't have one. Besides, surely, I would grow out of such a fear?

David opens Psalm 27 with the words, 'The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?'. I find this opening to be immediately reassuring. There isn't anything to be frightened of. In much the same way as our hall light shone through the night for me as a child, the Lord is the light in our lives; shining in the dark and giving us hope. God is with us, even in the difficult times. This year has been a challenge for all of us in different ways, but I have actually found that my faith has grown stronger during this time, and that God has given me strength which I didn't know that I had. He is indeed my 'stronghold'.

David faced his fair share of troubles in his time. In this Psalm, he is struggling against enemies who are 'spouting malicious accusations'. He cries out to the Lord in prayer: 'Hear my voice when I call, Lord'. We all need to feel listened to and to have someone to depend on in times of struggle. During these strange and often isolating times, we might have felt cut off from some of our usual sources of support. For myself, as a mother with two young children, I have really missed the company of other mums at playgroup and being able to take my children to their normal activities. Of course, I've also missed being able to see family and friends. My family haven't been there in person to hear my son begin to talk properly (and not stop!), and they have missed seeing my daughter learn to walk. So, for me, to have the support of God has been crucial. I've found prayer to be almost therapeutic, and knowing that God is listening has been a great comfort. Knowing that, as David says, "in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling" has helped me greatly.

Psalm 27 ends with the words, 'I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.' I find this ending to the psalm as uplifting and encouraging as I do the beginning. We have seen great acts of good and kindness during this pandemic, and I feel quite strongly that this has been God-inspired. As it is Advent, and we are preparing to celebrate Jesus coming into the world, these last words of the Psalm remind me that in waiting for the Lord, we can be strong by His grace.

You will be glad to know that I have long since outgrown my fear of the dark (my parents' refusal to give me a night light evidently worked in the end). But now I have something far greater and more comforting than a night light - the knowledge that Jesus is the light of the world who brings great hope to all who believe in Him. And if that doesn't bring us comfort and joy, then I don't know what else will.

I hope everyone is safe and well, and wish everyone a very Happy Christmas!

Carol A Day in Advent

Listen to King's College Choir, free, on their website: http://bit.ly/kingslistenCAROLS FROM KING'S 2011The Choir of King's College, CambridgeOther recording...

Advent Reflection - 9th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Janet Ketteringham

 A Humble Heart Trusting in The Lord.

Psalm 27

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold[a] of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—

my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;

though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.

4 One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after:

to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.

6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!

8 ‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, do I seek.

9     Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help.

Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!

10 If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path

    because of my enemies.

12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.

13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage;

    wait for the Lord!

Reflection

This psalm of David starts off with a statement of bravado to the world – with the Lord I am invincible, I have no fear, I am never afraid. Defiant – I will not be afraid.

Well, sometimes we do find ourselves in situations where bravado and defiance are our weapons, our mainstays, even when our knees are jelly and our instincts say run away and hide; or we may even stand and lash out and fight. So, there’s David, hands on hips, swaggering about, throwing out words which say I can defeat anyone ‘cos the Lord is with me, so there!

Then David asks the Lord for peace, quiet, shelter, safety, security – and we nod and agree they’re good things, needful things. Surprisingly, however, he asks them not for himself as a petitioner i.e I want to stop fighting and slaying and instead I’d like to be a prayerful man, looking only to God. No, none of that, David is still in full puffed-up chest mode asking these things as king, so he can be safe, and he can triumph over his enemies and then he’ll shout and sing to you Lord, with joy!

Now the psalm changes; David has an abrupt reality check – oh, Lord, be merciful to me and don’t be angry with me, don’t abandon me – it’s almost as though he’s just read what he’s written , and realised he’s an idiot, a proud vengeful king, a posturing nitwit saying Yah boo, I’m not afraid, God will keep me safe and you lot, watch out! He’s re-heard his words and you can feel his collapse in the next verse, his moment of clarity at what he’s been asking for, as though it’s just there for the taking like a spoilt, demanding child.

So, he says, he begs the Lord, please don’t turn away from me, but humbly and quietly asks - teach me Lord what you want me to do. Lead me. Show me the way. And he finishes the psalm, exhausted with emotion – looking out at us – Trust in the Lord, Have faith, Do not Despair, Trust in the Lord.

And here we are, part-way along our Advent journey and we have just met David, boy and king. Confident, brave boy defying Goliath who represented a terrible enemy threatening the existence of the Israelite people. A people who needed an innovative, dynamic leader. But he’s a king now, still with real enemies - but within his court as well as outside the walls. He feels he needs a great smiting, a great solution once and for all and you can picture him almost tearing out his hair he shouts his prideful words of fearlessness and wants the Lord to just show him how to succeed.

But the thinking David, the realist David, the prayerful David prevails; you can see him kneeling and asking, teach me Lord, keep me safe from harm – words we can use as we pray.

And it’s both a comfort and a joy for us to know the heart of this important man; that despite his might and power, he has realised that only with a humble heart and true intention to listen will he get through the next crisis at court, the next battle, the next flood, the next famine, the next pandemic.

And we can truly take comfort from his final words in this psalm – Trust in the Lord, Have Faith, Do not Despair. And we will find Joy for as David writes at the start of the psalm The Lord is my Light and my Salvation. And He is Coming!

Carol A Day in Advent

Our fifth grade teachers had so much fun surprising our students with this fun skit!

Advent Reflection - 8th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Jo Oughton

 The Agenda for Rejoicing.

Luke 10:1-20

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.” 12 I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

13 ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But at the judgement it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum,

will you be exalted to heaven?

No, you will be brought down to Hades.

16 ‘Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.’

17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ 18 He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’

Reflection

At this time of year, we often seem to be too busy. Too busy to take time out to meet with God, too busy to spend time with the family, after all, we can do that at Christmas. Perhaps the last thing we are thinking about is going out into the world to talk about our faith.

I have been obsessing about red cushion covers for on my sofa, I have spent hours looking for cheap velvet cushions, preferably second hand, but definitely cheap. I have at times felt that Christmas will be ruined if I don’t have my house decorated in the best Christmas style and if I haven’t bought the best stocking fillers. In fact, these things have seemed most important and have taken my eye off other things that may seem more Important in the long run. Daily prayer and reflection can get lost during busy or high stress times, let alone sharing our faith with others. Yet today’s reading asks a lot of us.

3 “On your way! But be careful—this is hazardous work. You’re like lambs in a wolf pack.”

4 “Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage.”

Perhaps this year we are tempted to run away with little or no luggage to a strange land to tell them all about Jesus, but I suspect we are mostly excited by the thought of travel. If like me the most exciting place you have been recently is a supermarket or a dog park, perhaps the thought of going out into the world and meeting strangers feels exciting. Even so I am not sure I would be able to trust the goodwill of others or to shake the dust from my feet if they were not welcoming. Of course, this was written for a pre covid world, and so today what would following this verse look like?

Perhaps the town we enter consists of the people we come into contact with, either face to masked face, within our family and bubble, on the phone, by Zoom, on social media or any of the other ways we get human contact at the moment. When we interact with people, are we telling them about God’s Kingdom? Are we walking alongside them in their lives with advice, love and prayer?

It can feel hard to bring God up with people, but often when we do, it’s so nice to connect with someone on a deeper level that I’ve often wondered at my past reticence. We have to practise to get better at things, we train to run faster, we practise painting to improve our skills, maybe we use an app to learn a foreign language so we also need to practise sharing our faith with others.

How can you share your faith today? Do you need to feel closer to God before you start to practise? What stops you from sharing?

This reading ends in triumph, the pairs that Jesus sent out come back triumphant. They have changed lives and defeated some of the darkness in the world. All the same, the great triumph is not in their authority over evil, but in God’s authority over them and his presence.

Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that’s the agenda for rejoicing. We could do with people out there defeating some of the darkness now! Will you join in this harvest and help?

I hope so.

Carol A Day in Advent

I could not but upload this great version of this popular carol. I especially enjoyed the organ interlude.This is part of the Christmas Eve Service of Euchar...

Advent Reflection - 7th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Calum Piper

 The Greatest Sacrifice.

Matthew 13:44-46

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

Reflection

I once watched TV documentary on The Savoy Hotel in London. Within one of London’s most famous hotels there is a very expensive jewellery shop. In one episode there was a segment on a lady who visits the shop every week to look at the latest jewels. Each week she would buy at least one new things – racking up a weekly bill well into the thousands. She said she just loves jewellery!

We all have things we like to buy, comforts we don’t mind spending money on. Food, cars, holidays. Its nice to have things that we like. Buying, collecting, desiring are all comforting things to do (most the time).

Just think for a moment – what is the most valuable thing you own?

Now think about that thing you most love to collect – What is it?

Imagine someone comes a long one day and offers you the greatest gift of all time, in the whole wide world. Its yours right now – they say. The only string attached is, you have to get rid of your most valuable possession, and give up your collection of toys, gins, cars, golf clubs (insert your loved possession).

Would you give it up for the greatest gift in the world?

That’s exactly what is happening in Matthew 13. The man finds a treasure that he longs to be his. It must have been an incredible treasurer because he gives up everything else to have it.

We are offered the greatest gift in the world, Jesus the Son of God.

God welcomes and calls each of us by name. Instead of us having to make great sacrifices to receive Gods love – he made the sacrifice. He gave up everything. Philippians 2 says:

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Jesus gave up his place in heaven to become one of us. God gave up his only Son to reclaim the greatest treasure – Us!

What a comfort! What a Joy!

Carol A Day in Advent

Disclaimer: I do not own this!Note: I've received many messages and notifications about this one, specifically saying that it cuts off in the end. My apologi...

Advent Reflection - 6th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Mark Hackney

 The Road we Tread.

Isaiah 35:1-10

1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom;

like the crocus 2 it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.

They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.

3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.

4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,

    ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God.

    He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense.

    He will come and save you.’

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

6 then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water;

the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

8 A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way;

the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people;

    no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray.

9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;

they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.

10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing;

everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness,

    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Reflection

Chapter 35 of Isaiah is a wonderful poem on God’s final salvation with his people. Note how much movement there is. A lot of walking!

The desert, blossoming, (1) takes us back to Israel’s first freedom march through a desert (Exodus – Numbers) and suggests a restoration of all creation. The healing of blind, deaf and lame symbolizes salvation on a grand scale – beyond mere restoration to the land of Israel (5-6). The ‘highway’ (8) recalls the way from Assyria to Egypt, where those people would worship God, but by verse 9 we seem to be in paradise. In verse 10, the return to Jerusalem, after Babylonian captivity, drifts over into a greater salvation.

It is so reassuring, comforting, to be reminded of the supreme protection that our loving God offers to us as we ‘march’ on our Christian ‘highway’: ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God ... He will come and save you.’ We can know that ‘the majesty of our God’ embraces, surrounds us, and that He knows what lies behind and beyond us as we travel on life’s road. And I take great personal reassurance from the promise: ‘not even fools, shall go astray.’ I have sometimes tested my God on this! Yet, always he has come and saved me, kept me on the true path.

We are all travellers, foolish or not, as we try to keep to the right road, the straight path, yet, as we know all too well, there will be obstacles on this straight path, difficulties on the road.

Have you read the book or seen the film: ‘The Lord of the Rings’? The hobbit Frodo decries the fact that he is tasked with the responsibility of taking the one ring to Mount Doom to be destroyed. His road ahead to the dark land of Mordor feels too much for him to bear. Frodo says, ‘I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.' The wise wizard Gandalf, given these words by the Catholic author JRR Tolkien, replies to Frodo: 'So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.’

Wise words indeed: we may feel at times that the road we are on is uncertain, troublesome, even frightening. But we do not walk alone. God is watching us, seeing how we decide what to do ‘with the time that is given to us.’ He is our compass on the road. Our God walks beside us. This is our great comfort.

Peter reminds us of our obligation that Jesus left us a specific path to follow: ‘For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was passed on to them. (2 Pet. 2:21). We reflect on the road we tread on our Christian journey through life. We want to take care of the footprints we leave, let them be signs to others that the Lord is the one true way: ‘whoever says, ‘I abide in him’, ought to walk just as he walked. (1John 2.6).

Our Lord is our trailblazer. We have someone who has travelled the path before us so we can follow … and succeed. We will reach our heavenly destination; the route God has mapped out for us. Our passage from Isaiah reminds us that ‘the redeemed shall walk there’.

Though it has its challenges, because of He who is beside us, it is above all a comforting road we walk.

Carol A Day in Advent

Listen to King's College Choir, free, on their website: http://bit.ly/kingslistenCAROLS FROM KING'S 2005The Choir of King's College, CambridgeOther recording...

Advent Reflection - 5th December

Today’s Advent Reflection is from Andrea Millington

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus

Philippians 2:1-5

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

Reflection

This passage is a letter of encouragement from Paul to the church in Philippi. Encouraged himself by the reception and the support  he has already received Paul wants to develop their faith further. The words he uses remind us of the second of the two commandments given to us by Jesus. ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’.  Paul goes even further suggesting that we not only treat our neighbour as ourself but in fact put their needs above our own. That is quite a challenge in itself but the further statement is the one which interests me ‘Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,’ or in another translation ‘ have the same mindset as Christ Jesus’.

Of course we have heard such phrases as ‘ God has no other hands ( eyes/feet) on earth but yours’  and with it the encouragement that we can do God’s work whoever we are and wherever we be. But to me that does not equate to having the same mind set as Jesus.    Hopefully as we are part of a church family living out our faith in a supportive community we do care for each other. Many Christian values have become a way of life for everyone including those of no faith and are regarded as ‘decent and considerate’ . I think having the same mindset as Jesus takes us to a different place in our relationship with God and I wonder if it is achievable or even presumptuous to think it might be?

So we could admit defeat and consider this an impossibility. Instead, If we are to aspire to think as Jesus does then do we first need to reread the Gospels and ask ourselves a few questions?  How was Jesus with people? How did he respond? What did he say and do? Did he ever turn anyone away? Was his response ever challenging etc ?  If we follow Jesus’ example in how we live and interact with others then over time how God wishes us to live will become our way too.   We will begin to live as though we have the same mindset in some respects.  So the first step is to learn more about Jesus and the second step surely is to look at ourselves and see if we can in any way become closer to how God would have us be.  Perhaps during this Advent as we prepare to celebrate the Nativity we might take some time to reflect on ourselves. This is not a self centred exercise but a means of acknowledging who we are, our strengths and weaknesses.  

Previously it has been my privilege to work and be alongside people as they work through various issues and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and determine the right way forward. That required giving them my full attention, space, and an opportunity to be heard in an enabling and non-judgemental setting.   Our daily conversations cannot be quite like that especially with people we know but the principals still apply . Often our own issues or preconceived ideas and judgements can hinder our communication with others and really listening to what is being said can be a challenge.

So perhaps Advent might be a time to learn more about Jesus’ life, and also to look at our own life story, the highs and lows, the things/ people/ situations we know we find difficult.  I believe it will help us to be more understanding of others if we know ourselves better. Then through prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit we may aspire to live with the same mind set as Jesus. 

Carol A Day in Advent

Listen to King's College Choir, free, on their website: http://bit.ly/kingslisten CAROLS FROM KING'S 2011 The Choir of King's College, Cambridge Other record...