Advent Challenge Day 13

Luke 13

We sometimes assume that if something bad things come eventually to bad people – sometimes even as a punishment from God! This is definitely the case at the start of chapter 13 when some of Jesus’ followers wondered what the Galilean had done to be killed by Pilate or the 18 who died in the tragic accident when a tower collapsed. Jesus insists that accidents happen, and that the men were no worse than any of us, we are all sinners, and just as guilty in God’s eyes.

Following this, Jesus issues a warning that we all need to bear fruit to remain in God’s family. “Bearing fruit”is an issue that sometimes puts a lot of people in fear, thinking that we need to be doing something difficult – but in reality what we really need to do is to show love to all who we meet. Many more Christians will tell you that they were influenced by someone’s personal actions and values rather that by anything that was said or preached to them when they first accepted the faith.

Jesus continues to upset the religious leaders by continuing to perform miracles and healings on the Sabbath – in complete contrast to everything they held as “sacred”! Jesus actions put their beliefs and practices to shame by asking how they would treat their animals, yet they don’t see God’s beloved people as more valuable! The shame is astonishing, but their beliefs remain unchanged!

How many people still believe that being a regular attender in Church will ensure that they will get into Heaven – but Jesus warns his followers (and us) that this will not be the case! We need to constantly work at being a faithful follower, constantly aware of our our actions and resulting circumstances. We need to be very careful to keep our faith alive, and to constantly live as a true disciple of Christ.

While we constantly think of the Pharisees as a group of evil plotters, who would stop at nothing to get rid of Jesus – there were a few that actually believed that he was both a prophet and the Messiah. One of them has heard that Herod is determined to capture Jesus and kill him, and so he approaches Jesus to warn him. Jesus responds that he doesn’t worry about Herod, calling him a “fox” – but announces that he is now headed to Jerusalem, signalling an important change in his mission to defeat the devil, sin and death, and to save the world.

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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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