What’s the best news you’ve ever heard?
Christianity Explored is an informal course to consider who Jesus is, what he’s done and what that means for us. There will be chance to discuss and ask questions but you won’t be put on the spot, asked to pray, sing or read out loud.
Sessions start at 6pm on Sunday 2nd June at the Chapel. Contact Matt to find out more or visit this link.
Since the 16th century it was custom for people to return home to their ‘mother’ church, the church where they’d been baptised, in the middle of Lent. Those who did so were said to have gone ‘a-mothering’, hence Mothering Sunday. In some English parishes the custom of “clipping the church” was carried out, the congregation linked hands and formed a circle around the church, effectively giving the building a hug!
I’m reminded of a quote from Augustine: “You can’t have God as Father without having church as mother”. That presents you and I with a challenge, how highly do you think of the church? View it as your mother or can you take it or leave it? Is it precious to you? Do you love the church of Jesus Christ?
In time the day turned into a family reunion and a rare chance for children working away from home to spend time with their mothers. As folk walked to church, many used to pick spring flowers from the verges along the way to hand to their mothers when they got home, hence the connection of giving flowers.
Of course, you can’t sell anything on that basis and a visit to the shops will show how things have changed! An American lady Ann Jarvis who popularised Mother’s Day in the states and it soon followed on this side of the Atlantic. Interestingly, Jarvis would later become increasingly concerned at the commercialisation of the day: “I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit.” Apparently she disapproved of the use of greetings cards which she described as “a poor excuse for the letter you are too lazy to write”.
It’s right that we thank God for our mothers and pray that God would strengthen and encourage those who care for families. We shouldn’t don’t forget the origins of the day and remember that God the Father has incorporated his children into a new family, the church which cares for us as a mother.
These are the Tim Keller tips mentioned on Sunday morning:
Keller suggests we usually begin with 1-4. If people are interested then we might move further down the list. To speak to people at stages 8,9,10 you have to do the groundwork at 1-4.
HT: Salternlite
We will sing this on Sunday morning, please listen so that you can join in.
It seems to have snuck up on us, but Christmas is here!
Our carol service will be on Sunday 20th December at 10am.
Matt will be speaking at the Christmas Eve service in the parish church, 4pm.
Our Christmas Day service will be at 10am.
On Sunday 27th December there will be a morning service (10am) but no evening service. Normal service resumes on the 3rd January.
Amid all the traveling, gifts, cooking and preparation, don’t lose sight of the real wonder of Christmas. The line from one of the carols sums it up: “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity.” In other words, Jesus is God with skin on. In an unimaginable act of love, God became what we are so that we might be what he is. That’s wonderful, humbling and more than a little baffling.
We look forward to welcoming you to any of these services and pray that God richly blesses you as you ponder the wonder of the incarnation.
You can’t have escaped the news coverage over the last few weeks; heartbreaking scenes that have shocked us all. At times like this people have lots of questions and as Christians we turn to the bible for God’s wisdom.
The bible has many accounts of those forced to flee homes to avoid persecution, conflict or famine, but can we apply anything to this situation? How should we respond to the hungry or those without shelter? How were God’s people told to treat outsiders who settled among them? What hope is there of resolution to this terrible situation?
On Sunday 4th September we considered what the bible has to say and prayed for the situation.
The audio of the sermon can be found here.