Advent Challenge Day 8

Luke 8

We all know about Jesus’ 12 disciples, the men who were chosen to accompany him on his missionary journey – but Luke gives credit to the women who supported his ministry too. They were there too when Jesus preached and healed as he passed through the towns and villages. Many people criticise the Bible as being "[artistic" - male-centric - but Jesus and the early church accepted the ministry of both male and female, exactly mirroring the Creation when God made both male and female to be equal.

The parable of the sower and the seed is well known, and often told – we need to see it here amid the arguments with the Pharisees. Followed by the parable about shining your light for God, the two parables highlight the need for those who proclaim Jesus’ words must bear fruit and shine to the world.

In the middle of another long chapter, we have two related stories show Jesus’ power over both the natural world with the stilling of the storm, and the spiritual world with the release of the demoniac, a man possessed by so many demons that they referred to themselves as “Legion” – 1000 men in a Roman army. Following his restoration, the people of the region were that frightened that they demanded Jesus to leave the area!

Back on the Jewish side of the lake, Jesus is once again welcomed by the crowds. Here then we have a leader of the synagogue, Jairus, whose daughter is dangerously ill. On his way to safe her, Jesus is touched by an ill woman, who is healed immediately. She eventually confesses what had happened, despite the worry that her healing might have been revoked, but Jesus commends her faith.

Back to Jairus’ daughter, who had now died, Jesus is scorned by the crowds for denying that he was too late, only to have the last laugh when the child gets up at Jesus’ command – the second child raised from the dead by a gracious Saviour. Never give up on your prayers and faith, our God can answer the big and the small issues!

Comments

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

Aghavea Parish Church

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