Advent Challenge Day 12

Luke 12

Today’s chapter opens with Jesus warning his disciples against becoming “infected” by the yeast of the Pharisees, whose hypocrisy had taken them well away from worshipping God to almost worshipping themselves! In warning the disciples to fear God not the opinions of men, he sets in place a precedent that still speaks to the church in today’s world. We, Christian men and women, should not be seeking to please each other, or to impress the world around us – but rather we should only seek to be faithful to the calling of God.

This warning is backed up in the parable of the Rich Landowner, whose harvest had been plentiful, and rather than thank God for it and to share with those in need, he built bigger barns and stores for riches he would never enjoy, being called to give an account of his actions before God that very night!

This world brings troubles and anxieties in abundance at times, and this was just as true in Jesus’ day as it is today. To his followers Jesus tells them to not worry about our physical life, because God will supply our needs – just as he does to the rest of nature. “Seek first His kingdom” is the best advice Jesus could give to his disciples – and it still is just as true today.

While telling his followers to stop worrying, Jesus follows this advice in warning them against laziness – telling them to be ready to serve at any time, day or night! Complacency is not an acceptable quality in a Christian, we must live in constant expectation of God’s imminent arrival and final call. If we do, we will naturally develop an urgency in our work to bring people closer to God in everything we do.

We could well be living in the last days, and as Jesus shows that we can interpret the weather by the signs it develops and brings, we need to be conscious to the “spiritual climate” and act accordingly. We see dark clouds in the sky and think that’s it’s about to start raining, so we will lift our coats and umbrellas – but we are often blind to the state of the world around us. We must be Christians who live as if this could be our last day, and be prepared for the final judgement at any time!

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AccessNI Check process

Hi folks Please see the following pages for the process of getting our AccessNI accreditation for our Sunday School and GFS leaders and helpers. You will need to print out the pages and keep a special note of the long number provided to you by email and let me know as soon as possible. We require an Enhanced check for everyone - and use the PIN number 918066 as detailed on the first page. The second page details the forms of identification you will need to provide - one from the first group, and two from the second group. The quicker we can all get the checks completed, the sooner we can get everything back to normal and put this whole process behind us for another three years! If you can photograph yourself (by smartphone or tablet) and email (revdjohnny@gmail.com) or WhatsApp (07488371680) them to me, that'd be great. I will also be available at the Parish Hall on Monday evening from 7pm to 8pm to help you with anything you would like assistance with! If you need any help at all

Pray for Peace

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 The Holy Land, the place sanctified by the presence of prophets, poets, and priests, crying out for justice, urging on towards hope, and seeking after peace, has been, and continues to be a place sacred to millions of people around the world. We have watched with horror the appalling violence that has been unleashed over the last few days around this sacred place. We have seen families devastated, communities shattered, and countless lives lost. We, as followers of Jesus are called in this time to pray. Pray for the end of hostilities, pray for the protection of the most vulnerable on both sides in Israel and Gaza, and pray for a recommitment to a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. We also pray that God might grant comfort to the afflicted, healing to the broken, strength to the weak, and courage to those in authority to lay down the instruments of violence and destruction and stud

Back to the BCP!!

Hi folks It’s been a long time since the pandemic started and the lockdowns - and Covid hasn’t really gone away! I had the dubious honour of getting Covid for the second time just before Holy Week, giving me the chance to think about ministry direction, both my own and in the parish. One of the original responses to the pandemic was to limit our use of the hymn books and our Prayer Books. At the beginning I produced a service sheet with all the relevant liturgy - which we used in the car park and when we returned to the church. Our “temporary measure” lasted almost three years - and it’s time to move on! Our Book of Common Prayer contains our unique identity - in fact the word “Common” doesn’t mean ordinary but that it shows our unity - the liturgy we hold in “common”. We will be returning to our BCPs from this weekend, the Second Sunday of Easter. We will be using Morning Prayer Two - and we will guide us through the service. We look forward to seeing you in church or online via Fb

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