26th June 2022 – The Second Sunday after Trinity Eucharist

Posted on June 26, 2022June 25, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Galatians 5.1,13-25

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

Luke 9.51-end

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set towards Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?’ But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

The Sermon
By Joe, a Reader at St Mary's.

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success”

This was the advert that Sir Ernest Shackleton was reputed to have posted to recruit men for his 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Unfortunately, it’s likely that Shackleton posted no such advert and that it’s actually the creation of an advertising copy-writer’s imagination.

But I was reminded of this when I looked at this morning’s Gospel reading from Luke; in terms of recruiting disciples, at first glance Jesus’s comments seem to be more likely to put people off!
Let’s set the stage; Jesus is starting on His journey To Jerusalem where he knows He will be put to death. It seems strange to be talking of such things not too long AFTER Easter, but that’s the way the Lectionary works. He is accompanied by his disciples – his followers – and at the start of our reading they seem rather more ‘Gung ho’ about things than He is. On being rejected by a Samaritan village, his followers suggest that they call down fire from Heaven – like an Old Testament prophet would, but Jesus rebukes them, and they move on to another village, where they have a better reception.

And this leads us in to the part of the reading that I want to focus on today.

I’ll be honest; this reading always concerned me when I was a younger man, as to me it seemed that Jesus was being quite harsh to those He encounters. Listen to the way he responds to the men he meets:

“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
“Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
“No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

These responses seem sharp to us, almost brutal. And they seem to very much be reflecting upon the character of the questioners, as if questioning the willingness of the men to make the sacrifices that are expected.

And this is where I had problems with this reading when I was younger. The first response I can totally understand – it’s going to be a hard life on the road, moving from place to place. Jesus is putting some facts about a hard life ahead to the men he meets, a responsible leader warning those he leads about what may befall them. These men will become outcasts in their society – nomads, rootless, with all the associated issues and problems that might come from that situation, quite possibly including physical maltreatment and death.

But the last two – these seem to be very harsh. The sacrifices that will be made in their lives ahead have been made clear, but the men are not even allowed home to bury their dead or say goodbye to their family?
At this point it’s useful to remember that Jesus would have been speaking at a number of levels; he teaches in parables, he is speaking to people who have a cultural context very different to our own, and he is also speaking to his new and existing disciples to warn them about what’s going to happen after he has left them. He is also speaking with an enormous sense of urgency; He knows that He is soon to die, and His disciples aren’t necessarily ready for that.

If we start with the last statement:

“No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

This would be quite meaningful to people from an agrarian background. If you’re ploughing a field with draft animals – oxen, horses, mules, whatever – then you look ahead and keep your eyes on something in the mid-distance, and guide the animals in a straight line towards that distant point and that will give you a nice, straight furrow. If you look behind you to admire your handywork so far, or get distracted, then you will end up with a wobbly furrow that goes all over the place.

The Kingdom of God will come in to being through focused action, looking forward. If the disciples second guess matters, get scared, look back to their previous lives, they will lose the focus they need, the furrow of their lives will not be straight, and the Kingdom will not be served.

So – here Jesus is saying that once committed to being a disciple, ‘Keep your eyes on the prize, or you’ll be no use to the Kingdom as you will not be committed.’

Oddly enough, between the Crucifixion and Pentecost, Jesus’s disciples did tend to wander back to their own lives, and were hauled back on to the straight road ahead by the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Which leaves us with that rather cruel sounding second statement:

“Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

At first glance this seems incredibly harsh, even with the tightness of time. But this is where some knowledge of Jewish culture and customs comes in useful. The process of mourning death of a parent – particularly a father – was a bit more drawn out than we might expect. The body is buried in the tomb rather quickly, and then the family go home. They will stay in their home for 7 days, and if they leave home in that time, it’s expected that they will go to the tomb to carry on mourning – like Jesus’s disciples did after His death.

Then, after 7 days, most aspects of normal life resumed, as for any death. HOWEVER, children would mourn their parent’s death for a full year, and at the end of that time they would return to the tomb and perform a second burial, in which the bones of the deceased are gathered up, placed in a container, and stored in the ‘Ossuary’ section of the tomb where they stay for good.

As the questioner is not at the tomb, but is listening to Jesus speak, it’s almost certain that the primary burial has been conducted already and the 7 day period of ‘house mourning’ is complete.

It’s therefore most likely that this person was still mourning his father, and the burial he refers to is the secondary burial of bones. Something that could be several months away yet, and time is tight. As a good Jew, Jesus would be aware of the importance of Mosaic Law – honouring your father and mother – but in this instance ‘Honouring the father’ refers to a higher calling.

It's still harsh, but less so than we may immediately think.

The calling to build the Kingdom of God is the highest calling that will be expected of His disciples – both then and now. Jesus is not calling on us to neglect our responsibilities and families, but He is saying that there will be sacrifices to make and challenges to cope with, that may be significant.

Billy Graham once said:

“If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

This is what we’re are being asked by today’s reading.
Are we yet in a position to find ourselves guilty as charged?

The Prayers
Prepared by Barbara.

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father.

O God, the creator and preserver of all, we pray for people in every kind of need; make your ways known on
earth, your saving health among all nations ...

We pray for all those affected by natural disasters everywhere, thinking today particularly of the people in
Afghanistan as they deal with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.

We pray also for all those affected by war, thinking especially of the residents of our twin city of Donetsk,
caught up in the horror of the war in Ukraine.

We pray for all those severely affected by the cost of living crisis here in the UK, facing hard choices about
what necessities they can afford. We think of those on strike or about to go on strike, many of whom have
not had a decent pay rise in years.

Please help us to keep all these people in our hearts and to be generous in helping them when we can.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We pray for your Church throughout the world; guide and govern us by your good Spirit, that all who
profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit,
in the bond of peace and in righteousness of life ...

We pray for the success of this year’s Walkley Festival and thank you for the energy and enthusiasm of all
those putting on events and all those participating. We pray especially for those events taking place here at
St. Mary’s. Please help us to play our part in making Walkley a thriving community.

Further afield, we pray for all residents of the USA, facing the actual deprivation of certain rights that have
been in place for half a century and the potential deprivation of other rights such as access to contraception
or education. We pray that such deprivations are not done in your name and ask that you bring strength
and determination to those fighting back against such deprivations.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body or
estate; comfort and relieve them in their need, give them patience in their sufferings, and bring good out of
their troubles ...

As we enter yet another wave of covid, we think especially of those known to us amongst our own
congregation and community who are afflicted by covid at this time – we ask you to bring them relief from
their suffering.

In moments of peace and contemplation, we name to you all those known to us who are suffering. Please
care for them and for all those of whose suffering we are unaware.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We remember those who have gone before us in the peace of Christ, and we give you praise for all your
faithful ones, with whom we rejoice in the communion of saints ...

We remember those who have lost their lives either directly because of covid or because their diagnosis and
treatment was delayed owing to the pressure covid put on the NHS. We ask that you welcome them to your
kingdom in heaven and bring comfort to their families and friends.

We name to you in our hearts all those known to us both near and far, asking that you bring your comfort
and healing to their families and friends at this time of grief.
All this we ask for Jesus Christ’s sake.
Amen.

Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

‘Returning Home’ – 19th June 2022 – The First Sunday after Trinity Eucharist

Posted on June 19, 2022June 19, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Galatians 3.23-end

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

Luke 8.26-39

Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me’— for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Legion’; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.

Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

The Sermon
By Rev. Dr Alan Billings

Jews do not eat pork. It is a forbidden food. It is not kosher.

So when we heard today’s gospel read, we knew at once that Jesus was now in a place where non-Jews lived – because the people here kept pigs, swine.

Jews would shudder at the thought of pigs, which is why in the parable, the story Jesus told about a prodigal son, we know the younger son has reached rock bottom in his life when he has to get work on a pig farm and share the animal’s food.

So here is the first thing to notice about the work of Jesus: he does not restrict his healing ministry to Jews alone. There are gentiles in this place. Jesus is motivated by need, not someone’s ethnicity or their religion. This is medecins sans frontieres. He heals a stranger, a gentile, a non-Jew, because this man is in a bad way. He’s not at all well. He needs help.

And that should be a guiding principle for all followers of Jesus. The spirit that motivates us to help others must also be one of generosity and compassion, knowing no boundaries.

The second thing to notice is how superstitions will fill a vacuum if no one can give a rational explanation for something, not least in this area of mental illness. For the man in this story suffers from what today we would surely identify as a mental or psychological illness; but no such explanation was available to people at that time. They understand and so explain it differently.

I once had a member of one of my congregations – I’ll call her Joan - who suffered from a severe psychological illness. Her symptoms were something like this:

When she became particularly unwell, she said her head would fill with thoughts, words, sentences that flitted across her mind all the time. She felt as if she had multiple personalities that came and went inside her.
She became progressively more and more agitated and restless.
She acted impulsively and did risky things, so much so that her family on occasions felt they had to try to restrain her.
Then she became depressed.

Looking back, it seems as if what Joan went through was something very similar to what the man in this passage is going through. When Jesus asked him his name he gave this odd reply ‘I am Legion’ - a legion was a company of Roman soldiers. In other words, he feels as if he is not a single person but multiple personalities, like my parishioner, Joan.

Like her, he too became agitated, on edge, easily spooked, so much so that he has to be restrained, bound with chains and fetters.

When Joan became very unwell, she tried to tell herself that she was having a crisis in her mental health but she could be helped – though in fact she found it hard to believe that she could be helped. After all, she had endured many years of getting if not worse than certainly not better. So if someone were to say to her, we can help you when she felt this was impossible, that just seemed like one more torment.

The man that Jesus meets cannot reach for a psychological explanation. None is available in those days. So he speaks about what he experiences in the way he understands the world.

He feels as if a legion of evil spirits has entered his mind and body. And when Jesus seeks to help him, he feels it more as a torment. After years of being shunned by people, he is fearful about what a different future would be like.

There are times when we fear an unknown future, even a future without some debilitating psychological illness. After all, those who are ill over many years often find ways of functioning despite their illness. So getting better is not one easy moment of transition. it’s more often a series of steps, some forward, some back, over a long time. Never easy.

What happens next to the sick man is not hard to imagine. In some final moment of extreme agitation, he frightens a herd of pigs who rush off and fall down the bank into the water. And this is interpreted as the evil spirits in the man leaving him, entering the pigs and agitating them.

The man, we are told, is now ‘in his right mind’. But the people do not rejoice at this. They are scared by it all. This too convinces me that what we have here is a psychological or mental illness, interpreted as demon possession. Mental ill health does often frighten us more than physical ill health. We can’t see it. Diagnoses are not easy. Prognoses are not always certain and finding better health can take a long time and is often exhausting.

The advice Jesus gives is interesting. ‘Return to your home.’ He seems to be saying, You will need on-going help and support so return to those who know you best and who, perhaps, have it in them to love you still.

Return to your home. Just as the prodigal son realised that his final redemption lay in returning home. To his earthly father, of course. But to his heavenly father as well.

The Prayers
Prepared by Veronica H

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, Let us pray to the Father.
Oh Lord, we pray for our world, that reconciliation between warring nations and factions may be achieved, and that all your peoples may live in peace and harmony. We especially pray for Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan and all places suffering war and oppression. Enlighten those inflicting that suffering so that they understand that what they are doing is wrong. We pray that our country will reach out and offer sanctuary to all fleeing war and oppression.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the Church worldwide, that all Christians may join together, to work for peace and harmony throughout the world. We pray that the Russian Orthodox Church will speak out against the slaughter being inflicted on Ukraine. We pray for our archbishops Justin and Stephen, our bishops Pete and Sophie, and for our partnership of Churches, St John’s, St Mark’s and St Mary’s. Help us to demonstrate your love for your people throughout our parishes.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for our community of Walkley as it starts its Festival next weekend. We give thanks for all the individuals and organisations who work so hard to put on events for the enjoyment of all, and all our local businesses that they may be renewed by the Festival. We pray also for our local schools, in particular St Mary’s, and that our close links may be renewed after the pandemic.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Today we pray especially for Sino and Delna as they renew their wedding vows and receive Your blessing. We give thanks that they found their way to St Mary’s and rejoice that we are able to share with them their very special day.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are ill at this time, many of whom have had to wait a long time for treatment. Be with them and let them know your healing power. We remember in a moment of silence all those known to us who are suffering in mind or body at this time…………..
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We remember before you all those who have passed on to your nearer presence, especially those dear to us, whether relations, members of this congregation or friends and colleagues…….. grant us with them a share in your eternal kingdom.

Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Rejoicing in the fellowship of Mary, John, Mark and all your saints, we commend ourselves to your unfailing love.

Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is used here is copyright (c) The Archbishops' council 2000

‘Open Ended’ – 12th June 2022 – Trinity Sunday Eucharist

Posted on June 11, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Romans 5.1-5

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

John 16.12-15

‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Sermon By Rev Dr Alan Billings

Sometimes it is the shortest of Bible passages that carry the most important messages for us. Today’s gospel is short but its implications are big. In this passage, Jesus, just before his death, makes two things clear to his followers. The first is that they don’t know everything. They don’t know everything about God. They don’t know everything about how to live. They have much still to learn. “I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” But they are not to worry, because when they no longer have his visible presence with them, they will not be on their own. They will have the unseen presence of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit will help them wrestle with whatever they will need to know in the future for the living of their lives. And this is something quite open-ended. Jesus doesn’t say, the Holy Spirit will tell you all you need to know within six months, or a year, or a decade, or a century. Guided by the Holy Spirit, there is no time limit to discovering and learning new things. So this is a message for us, latter day disciples, as well. Learning, discovering, understanding afresh, is something we will go on doing all our days and Christians will go on doing down the centuries. And it’s not hard to see why. Because times change. And what we need to know now may not be all we need to know in some other part of our lives. It may not be all the human race needs to know in some distant future. Guided by the Spirit, we will go on discovering and learning. So for the Church, yes, the early centuries are important. These are the centuries when, guided by the Spirit, the first Christians set down in writing the key things they recalled from the life of Jesus – the gospels. These are the centuries when they worked out who Jesus was and what his coming meant. As people who believed in one God, they had to understand how you hold together the notion of one God, yet a God who makes himself known as Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the idea of God as a unity yet a trinity of persons. And in those first centuries they eventually formulated the creed – which we will say in a moment – and which has guided all our thinking as Christians ever since. If that’s the first thing about this little passage – that guided by the Holy Spirit, we will go on learning – there is a second point which follows directly from it. It’s not always understood and it’s more controversial. Learning is not always a straight line. In fact it’s not often just a matter of adding something new to our stock of experience and knowledge, while everything else stays the same. Learning leads to a shift in how we think, a shift in our attitudes, a shift in our behaviour when we discover more about the truth of things. To learn is to change. We can see how this works if we think for a moment about how the Spirit guides us. One of the most important ways is through the scriptures. Even if we have got out of the habit of reading the Bible, we hear it read each week in this service and the Spirit will guide us into all truth when we understand scripture, the Bible, in a certain way. The bible has many functions. It coveys truths about God. It inspires us. It comforts us. But -and this is what is often missed or forgotten - it also provokes us – if we let it. Truths, insights can lie there in biblical passages for many years, even for generations, until something makes us look at passages anew. Then the Spirit can lead us to new truth. Think for example of the way for centuries Christians accepted the institution of slavery without a thought, until some Christians said, Wait a moment, are there not passages in our scriptures that speak about all people being made in the image and likeness of God – not some people, but all people. Don’t those passages provoke us, challenge us to think again about slavery. To say. We have got this wrong. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must change our attitudes and behaviour towards them. Scripture provokes. You could say the same about our attitude towards women. There are passages that have always been there in scripture, but only now have we begun to let them provoke us. Only now have we allowed the Spirit to guide us to new truth. “I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all the truth...” That is the promise. But it is open ended. That guiding into all truth has not come to an end. Being open ended, therefore, the promise is that there will be more truths to come.

The Prayers
Prepared by Oli Giles

Father, Creator God, who fashioned the heartbeat of the swallow, And the breath of the wren, wrapped in frost, Hold fast our purpose, our life, in your palm, And may our works upon the earth, be your delight & joy!
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear Our Prayer

Son, born of woman, who dwelt in the dew-stained poppy fields, And wept in grey, grief laden graveyards, At your feet we lay, the weights of love and death, And broken and breathless, behold this new Eden!
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear Our Prayer

Wild Iridescent Spirit, who whistles through the reeds and rushes, And warms the hazy, honey golden dusk, The lightness of your call, waltz upon our thoughts, And our rest, our sabbath, soar on Your fertile breath!
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear Our Prayer

Mother, Creator God, who birthed & bathed the blue thrush eggs, And knows by rote, its raptured, twice sung song, Huddled we seek, the Grace of aching, listening love, And soothe to psalms of spinning, turquoise earth!
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear Our Prayer

Son, born of Spirit, who grew like the supple rod of almond trees, And lost us in the crush, of torrenting, temple throng, From the well we draw, so you might know, tarry and thirst, And in being known, seek out to send, sing our offering!
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear Our Prayer

Still Small Voice, Spirit, seep softly after quake, storm and fire, And hold trembling fears, in tender calming Grace, Hold fast this wound, this weeping clay, this calling dust, And in that Grace, decaying flesh restore, in Easter’s song!
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear Our Prayer

Written by Dr. Sanjee Perera for The Church of England’s Online Trinity Sunday Service 2021

‘Stepping Up’ – 5th June 2022 – The Day of Pentecost Eucharist and The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Posted on June 4, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 2.1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
“In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

John 14.8-17, 25-27

Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

‘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.

The Sermon
By Katherine Boyd

Well here we are, finally at Pentecost. Is it just me or does it seem like an incredibly long time since the start of Lent? Perhaps this is largely because so much has happened over the last three months; the war in Ukraine resulting from the Russian invasion of that country, many thousands of people fleeing and becoming refugees, many others doing their best to offer them help and sanctuary, shortages of oil, gas, food and other commodities contributing massively to the cost of living crisis we are currently enduring. We’ve also had “Partygate” and “Beergate” and the subsequent enquiries, recriminations and repercussions, the continuing twists and turns of the ongoing pandemic and on a happier note the preparations and celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. All these issues and others I haven’t got time to include here have bounced us around relentlessly and probably left us struggling to know what to make of it all and in many cases wondering how we’re going to cope. Yes, a lot has been going on!

By the time they got to what we now know as Pentecost, a lot had been going on in the lives of Jesus’ disciples, to put it mildly. Perhaps a better description of their experiences would be dramatic, turbulent and traumatic. In order to try to appreciate how they may have been feeling I’d like us to imagine ourselves into their shoes so to speak. They were ordinary people who had met Jesus and been completely captivated by him. They had given up everything of their lives including their families and livelihoods in order to follow him. Just hold that thought for a moment and really take it in. They had left their families. They had seen Jesus’ works and listened to his teachings which were utterly different to those of other religious leaders. They had believed in him and invested everything of themselves in being his disciples. And then they had seen his betrayal and the horror of his humiliating death leaving them feeling bereft. What was it all for?Then everything changes massively again with Jesus’ resurrection, which at first the Disciples struggled to accept until they actually saw him for themselves. This brings us to the place in the story we’ve just heard in John’s Gospel where Jesus is about to leave them again, at least physically. Up to this point they have had him there with them as their mentor and been used to relying on him for wisdom, guidance and strength. They have been followers but now they are about to step up to the role of being leaders. How would we feel if we were them? Anxious, fearful, wondering whether we’re up to the incredible mission entrusted to us??? It’s hard to even comprehend isn’t it!

To bring the concept of personal challenge a little closer to home, I wonder whether any of you saw the recent TV drama series “This is going to hurt” which was based on the diaries of an NHS junior hospital doctor, Adam Kay? Through the episodes we get to see how ill equipped and unsupported he often felt to deal with some of the situations he was presented with on a daily basis. The opening line was something like “Welcome to the NHS, where you’re frequently sailing the ship alone, a ship that’s massive and on fire but no one has had the time to teach you how to sail“. As an ex nurse myself I remember plenty of occasions when I and my nursing and medical colleagues could identify with that sentiment. You have the title but you don’t necessarily feel like the expert you fear people might expect you to be. When my niece got her medical degree and first started work on the wards people would ask her words to the effect of “what are your instructions doctor”? She kept thinking “who’s this doctor person they’re talking to? Oh, it’s me”. I think this kind of anxiety can be there for many of us when begin a new job or role or take on something unfamiliar. We worry whether we’re up to it, we worry about being an imposter because we don’t know as much as others might expect us to know. It can be daunting and very stressful.

Perhaps this is how the disciples were feeling, especially coming after Jesus and his work and ministry. How could they ever be good enough?Jesus had done as much as he could to prepare them but, as with all of us, eventually they had to step out on their own. If Jesus had stayed with them, would they ever have developed into the people they became or have the ministries they had that eventually spread Christianity throughout the world? Perhaps it took them a while to see themselves as the leaders they needed to be but they kept going and growing into their roles and we are able to see what they became and what they achieved. It’s almost unbelievable. How we see ourselves plays a big part in what we become and what we do but conversely it can hold us back if we are unable or unwilling to visualise ourselves in a particular role. It can be tempting to want to stay in our comfort zone with what is familiar and where we feel safe and secure; believe me I know the feeling, but if we never challenge ourselves or accept the challenges life presents us with, will we ever become the people we have the potential to be or to use the gifts God has given us?

Again I ask you to imagine yourself into someone else’s shoes. As we celebrate her Platinum Jubilee this weekend imagine how the Queen may have felt when she was informed of her beloved father’s untimely death and that she was now the regent. She would have known that someday the role was going to be hers but not at that time and under those circumstances. As she said in an interview some years later, “I didn’t have an apprenticeship “. But she did take on the role of queen and head of state and ever since, she has seen it as her duty to faithfully carry it out. The current celebrations show how much she is loved and respected and appreciated in many parts of the world for having done so.

Occasionally circumstances mean that we get flung in at the deep end with something we are unprepared for; as happened only this week when Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York had to stand in for the Archbishop of Canterbury and preach at the Thanksgiving service at St Paul’s. He described it as “slightly terrifying but a great honour”. More often than not though we get the chance to grow gradually into a role and by the time it becomes fully ours we at least have some practice and familiarity with it enabling us to see ourselves in it. However, taking that final step up can still be daunting and take a lot of courage, but having taken it we can begin to grow in knowledge, experience and confidence and when we look back we can see just how far we have come. I remember at the start of my Reader training someone telling me that where God calls he also equips and at each stage of what I’ve been doing, I’ve found this to be true. So if you feel that you are being called to some service, be it great or small either in the church or in the wider world I would encourage you to step up and accept it. God gives us all gifts so try not to be shy about using yours. Don’t hide your light under the proverbial bushel. Speaking as one of the team who grapple with producing the rota, believe me when I say, we need you.

The value of people stepping up can’t be overstated. The Disciples stepped up when Jesus called them to continue the work he had started even though they didn’t feel ready. The Queen stepped up to be our regent even though she didn’t feel ready. Millions of people all over the world and throughout time have stepped up when they were needed so let us be inspired and encouraged by their examples and trust that through the Holy Spirit, God will provide us with all that we need for the tasks before us.

The Prayers
Prepared by David Clark.

We pray for God to fill us with his Spirit.
Generous God,
we thank you for the power of your Holy Spirit.
We ask that we may be strengthened to serve you better.
Lord, come to bless us
All and fill us with your Spirit.

We thank you for the wisdom of your Holy Spirit.
We ask you to make us wise to understand your will.
Lord, come to bless us
All and fill us with your Spirit.

We thank you for the peace of your Holy Spirit.
We ask you to keep us confident of your love wherever you call us.
Lord, come to bless us
All and fill us with your Spirit.

We thank you for the healing of your Holy Spirit.
We ask you to bring reconciliation and wholeness
where there is division, sickness and sorrow.
Lord, come to bless us
All and fill us with your Spirit.

We thank you for the gifts of your Holy Spirit.
We ask you to equip us for the work which you have given us.
Particularly today we give you thanks
for your servant Elizabeth our Queen,
and for the example of loving and faithful service
which she has shown among us.
Help us to follow her example of dedication
and to commit our lives to you and to one another,
Lord, come to bless us
All and fill us with your Spirit.

We thank you for the fruit of your Holy Spirit.
We ask you to reveal in our lives the love of Jesus.
Lord, come to bless us
All and fill us with your Spirit.

We thank you for the breath of your Holy Spirit,
given us by the risen Lord.
We ask you to keep the whole Church, living and departed,
in the joy of eternal life.
Lord, come to bless us
All and fill us with your Spirit.

Generous God,
you sent your Holy Spirit upon your Messiah at the river Jordan,
and upon the disciples in the upper room:
in your mercy fill us with your Spirit,
Merciful Father,
All accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

29th May 2022 – 7th Sunday of Easter

Posted on May 29, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 16.16-34
One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, ‘These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.’ She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour.

But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, ‘These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.’ The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They answered, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

John 17.20-end
‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’

The Prayers
Prepared by Joe P.

On this Sunday after Ascension Day, we pray that you send the Holy
Spirit to be among us and comfort us.

We pray for the Church of Christ, for Bishop Pete and Bishop Sophie,
our Archbishops Justin and Stephen, all here who lead us in worship
and prayer, and all those whose time and talents are given to St
Mary’s, St John’s and St Mark’s.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

As we in the UK prepare to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen
Elizabeth, we thank you for the decades of service she has given this
country, often under difficult and trying circumstances. May her
service be seen as an example to all those in positions of leadership.
We pray that leaders of all nations show compassion and act justly in
all that they do.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the people of Ukraine that the war may soon come to an
end and a just and lasting peace can be created between Russia and
its neighbours. We pray for all those affected by this and other
conflicts; civilians, soldiers, those trapped in war-zones and those
who are refugees.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for our community here in Walkley, and for the city of
Sheffield, and for our neighbours and friends. We pray for those
involved in community activities this week. We pray for those who
have taken in refugees, and those who have found refuge in this city,
and for our sister city of Donetsk.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the aged and infirm, and those sick in mind, body or
spirit, and those who life has proven difficult for. We pray that you
strengthen them and bring them the healing and peace that belong
to Christ’s kingdom.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for those currently close to death, and those accompanying
them on this final part of their Earthly journey. We pray for those
who have died, recently and in the past, and those who mourn.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Finally, Lord, we silently bring before you those special to us, and also
those issues and concerns that we have in our own lives.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Rejoicing in the communion of Mary, Mark, John and of all the Saints,
let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to God.
Merciful Father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our
Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

‘Christ’s Peace’ – 22nd May 2022 – 6th Sunday of Easter

Posted on May 22, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 16.1-10

Paul went on also to Derbe and to Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went from town to town, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.

They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

John 14.23-29

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.

The Sermon
By Rev Allan Billings

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.’

Words of Jesus Christ to his disciples; and so to us from today’s gospel.

Peace. People speak about peace in many different ways, in many different contexts and mean many different things by it.

There have been times in my life when peace meant having a few precious minutes to myself after the children were in bed. This was literally a time when there was little or no sound. When the chattering and noisy voices of excitable infants had fallen silent. Peace.

But others can find peace amid chattering and noisy voices. Once when I was a vicar there was a woman who lived near my church who very kindly unlocked and locked the building every day when she took her dog for a walk.

But she lived in a house with a husband and other relatives who fell out and rowed all the time. So each evening she retreated to a local pub, which was very small and extremely busy, in order to get what she called ‘a bit of peace and quiet’.

And if you are in Ukraine right now, sheltering in the basement of your ruined apartment block, peace for you is an end to Russian bombing. And for frightened children in those cellars peace would be the cessation of the noise of war.

So what is the peace that Christ promises?

Well, it’s none of the things I mentioned. Christian faith doesn’t change our external circumstances. Christ is not saying, trust in me and all will be sweetness and light in your life and war will be no more.

I think we can begin to understand what he is saying in this way.

Last year I met a woman whose brother had been murdered. They had been very close. The killing had been a random and apparently motiveless attack by a man on drugs. Although this was now some years ago, it had continued to haunt her. Questions kept going round and round in her head. What made the killer do this? Why did he pick on her brother? And so on. It blighted her life.

Then she heard about something called Restorative Justice – the chance for victims of crime to be put in touch with the offenders, where the offenders are willing to take part.

To cut a long story short, she had written to the killer, he had replied, and eventually, in carefully managed circumstances, they had met in person in a Doncaster prison.

She had asked all her questions and many more besides.

I asked her how that had made her feel. She paused for a moment and then said, ‘I felt a wonderful sense of peace’.

A wonderful sense of peace. In one sense nothing had changed. Nothing had changed in all the external circumstances of her life. Her brother was still dead, never coming home again. The murderer was in prison where he would spend most of the rest of his life. She was back to work on Monday morning.

Nothing had changed. And yet everything had changed. She felt a wonderful sense of peace.

I think the peace that Christ brings is something like that. It is not a promise to change our external circumstances. The children will still run us ragged and make a noise. The family will still have its quarrels. There will still be wars and rumours of wars. All the things that bring disruption, sickness, and death into our lives will still be there.

No, the peace Christ promises is something internal.

Let’s just remind ourselves what he said:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.’

The peace Christ gives is not the kind of peace the world gives. It’s not a change in those external circumstances. It’s not about no more struggles in life or disrupted lives, it’s not about no more death or war. It’s something internal, a matter of the heart. The promise is that those who put their trust in Christ can find an untroubled and fearless heart in the middle of all these occasions of human stress and suffering.

The untroubled heart is the heart that puts its trust in Christ by always seeking to do the right thing. To be the Good Samaritan when people are in trouble, even if that inconveniences us. The untroubled heart is the heart that puts its trust in Christ when he says that God is the God of the Living, who will take us to himself beyond the grave, even when death has been brutal and seems so final. The untroubled heart is the heart that puts its trust in Christ, believing Him when He says he will always stand beside us, even in the darkest times, even when we do not feel his presence.

External circumstances will not overwhelm us because our security lies within.

As Christians, we put our trust in Christ. And we will not let our hearts be troubled or afraid whatever life may bring.

The Prayers
Prepared by Shirley Moore

With thankful hearts we bring our prayers to our heavenly Father

We pray for the Church of Christ, for Bishop Pete and Bishop Sophie, our Archbishops Justin and Stephen, all here who lead us in worship and prayer, and all those whose time and talents are given to St Mary’s, St John’s and St Mark’s.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We pray for all those in authority, and those who have influence in the world, that their power and influence be used compassionately for the good of all. Bring clarity of thought and vision to those who make and implement policy. We pray that all world leaders think carefully about what they do and say, and are aware of the power of their words.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We pray for the people of Ukraine that the war may soon come to an end and that normal relations can once again exist between the countries of Europe. We pray for all those affected by this and other conflicts; civilians, soldiers, those trapped in war-zones and those who are refugees.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We pray for our community here in Walkley, and for the city of Sheffield, and for our neighbours and friends. We pray for those involved in helping alleviate poverty in our communities, through community work and food banks. We pray for those who have taken in refugees, and those who have found refuge in this city, and for our sister city of Donetsk.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We pray for the aged and infirm, and those sick in mind, body or spirit, and those who life has proven difficult for. We pray that God’s power and grace will strengthen them and bring them the healing and peace that belong to Christ’s kingdom.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We pray for those currently close to death, and those accompanying them on this final part of their Earthly journey. We pray for those who have died, recently and in the past, and those who mourn.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Finally, Lord, we silently bring before you those special to us, and also those issues and concerns that we have in our own lives.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Rejoicing in the communion of Mary, Mark, John and of all the Saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to God.

Merciful Father
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour,
Jesus Christ.
Amen

‘Learning step by step’ – 15th May 2022 – 5th Sunday of Easter

Posted on May 15, 2022May 14, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 11.1-18

Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, ‘Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?’ Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, ‘I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” But I replied, “By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.” But a second time the voice answered from heaven, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, “Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.” And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?’ When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, ‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.’

John 13.21-26

After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, ‘Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.

The Sermon
By Catherine, a Reader at St. Mary's

During the week, I teach instrumental music. I like to keep up to date on the latest ideas in music education. I don’t want my teaching pattern to fall into a rut. So I attend courses for music teachers from time to time. After a stimulating and thought provoking weekend in London or Manchester I come back with new ideas to try out on my pupils. Often these are lapped up with enthusiasm by my students. But not all of them. When I try something new with one of them, she looks at me disapprovingly and says “You’ve been on a course again….” I have to break things down into steps in order to convince her that this idea is worth trying.

The apostle Peter was out and about on his travels, meeting new people and sharing the gospel. It turned out to be like going on a course. First there was the dream. In it he saw a vision of a table on which were all sorts of animal food forbidden to Jews, and being told to kill and eat it. He was most reluctant to do so, but when the vision appeared two more times, he understood it was a vision from God.

Next there was an invitation. A gentile household wanted hear him preach the gospel. To his amazement, he had hardly begun to speak when the Holy Spirit came down among Cornelius and others in exactly the same way as had happened to Peter himself and Jesus’ other close friends at Pentecost. Peter was exposed to a new idea – Gentiles could become followers of Christ just as the earliest Jewish believers had done. And so it naturally followed that Jewish and Gentile Christian alike could eat at the same table and share the same food.

Peter got it. Well he was there, he experienced it – it was obvious. But for his friends who had stayed in Jerusalem, it was all rather alarming. News reached them: Peter has been socialising with Gentiles! He’s eaten food forbidden to a good observant Jew. Not the way to go Peter! Explain yourself!

The only way Peter could get his friends on board with this amazing new revelation was to explain it step by step. First the dream: the vision of unclean food, protesting that he couldn’t possibly eat it, the voice declaring that if God has made something clean, it is no longer profane. Three times! After the dream, the messengers from Cornelius. Come and share the gospel with my household! And then as he started to speak, the Holy Spirit coming down and filling them all. This had to be from God: What else could explain it?

Peter’s step-by-step explanation was then accepted, indeed welcomed by the amazed Jerusalem church. Jesus’ message of life-giving repentance was open to Gentiles too!

Life at St. Mary’s has seen a lot of change recently, with a lot of new things to learn. We have begun to work more closely with St. Mark’s and St. Johns, our Mission Area partner churches. We have shared in some study courses together. And during the lock-downs we have had to imagine and create new ways of being church together when we couldn’t meet in-person. Online worship is now very much mainstream, and our understanding of God and church has evolved as a result. And we have seen growth too.

There will be further opportunities for learning, change and growth as we elect new members on to the PCC at today’s annual meeting, and as we work with our new parish administrator.

Today’s gospel reading reminds us that the only way we can be Jesus’ disciples is to have love for one another. This love means being respectful of each other, listening to each other, taking time to work through differences of opinion.

Changes and new ideas can be threatening. But done well, with everyone on board, they can be life-giving times of growth. Successful change means being able to understand that not everyone may be keen at first. Their concerns matter, and can be helpful in discerning whether or not a suggested change is indeed a good idea. Peter listened to the concerns of the Jerusalem church. He then explained his experiences clearly and carefully. And in doing so the church embraced the new idea and grew. We can do this too!

The Prayers
Prepared by Oliver Giles

Lord, help us to bring your kingdom close through restorative justice. Where we see inequality in our society, help us call it out and implement change. Where we see acts of hate done to a neighbour, give us the courage to not be a bystander. Help us work with purpotrators of wrongdoing to behave and think differently.
Lord, by your grace,
Open In us the gates of your kingdom

Lord, help us bring your kingdom close through nurturing Joy. Help us to be thankful for the small things. Help us delight in the successes of others. Help us rejoice in your perfect creation.
Lord, by your grace,
Open In us the gates of your kingdom

Lord, help us bring your kingdom close through fostering divine Peace. Help us be peacemakers in situations of conflict. Help us bring reconciliation to broken relationships. Help us to find inner peace when we feel scattered or broken.
Lord, by your grace,
Open In us the gates of your kingdom

Lord, help us to bring your kingdom close through sharing with all your unconditional Love. Help us love those who trespass against us. Help us to love those who have no one else. Help us love those we disagree with. Help us love without needing anything in return.
Lord, by your grace,
Open In us the gates of your kingdom

Lord, as the days get longer and we increase our productivity, As we help to bring your continued creation to fullness, help us also to remember the importance of rest. Help us to rest without guilt and without to do lists crowding our minds.
Lord, by your grace,
Open In us the gates of your kingdom

8th May 2022 – 4th Sunday of Easter

Posted on May 14, 2022May 14, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 9.36-end

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, ‘Please come to us without delay.’ So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

John 10.22-30

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.’

The Sermon
By Joe Pritchard

In the Monty Python film ‘The Life of Brian’, which follows the life of a fellow in Palestine called Brian who keeps getting mistaken for the Messiah, there is a moment in which Brian’s mother states rather strongly “He’s not the Messiah; he’s a very naughty boy”.
Joking aside, this rather reflects the strongly polarised view of Jesus shown by the people in the Gospel according to John.
Some people regard Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, others as a charlatan, others feel he is possessed by demons, some feel he’s a lunatic, and some feel he’s a blasphemer who should be killed.
Some of the hateful attitudes towards Jesus expressed in John’s Gospel have occasionally led to John’s writings being regarded as anti-semitic, and historically some preachers have used John to support pogroms and attacks on Jewish communities, the flawed logic being ‘Well, the Jews killed Jesus, didn’t they?’
Let’s start today by knocking that particular old saw on the head, hard. My own view is that John wrote his Gospel after a large part of the Jewish religious priesthood – those particularly outspoken against Jesus - had been killed off in the destruction of the Temple in AD 70. As John was writing for a gentile audience, he probably used the phrase ‘Jewish’ as shorthand to refer to the Jewish authorities so he wouldn’t have to provide context and background. Unfortunately, history and bigotry tend to lose such nuances.
Today’s reading shows Jesus again dealing with questioning people. Jesus is in the Temple, walking in an area called ‘the Portico of Solomon’ – Solomon’s Porch. This was a particularly beautiful part of the Temple, and was a popular meeting place for people within sight of the Temple. It was also a place where religious teachers and their followers would gather to discuss religious affair. Jesus and Peter both spoke here; in general, it’s a place where we might expect to find religiously inclined people who were up for theological debate.
This isn’t just any old time of the year, either – it’s the time of the Festival of Lights – Hannukah – which celebrates the recapture of Jerusalem and the re-dedication of the Temple in the Maccabean Revolt of 164BCE. John also adds ‘It was winter’ to this description of when things happened. Now, the timing of Hannukah is dependent upon the Jewish calendar, which is lunar based – like Passover. However, it will always fall around late November through into late December, which tends to be a time of the year that is wintry. So, why point this out? Some writers have suggested that gentiles reading this might not understand that Hannukah is a winter festival. Now that might matter if the season mattered for the meaning of the reading to be clear. Others have suggested that it’s more a comment about the spiritual season in which Jerusalem is existing at this time – which, given the more spiritual emphasis of the Gospel according to John, appeals to me. At a celebration of the renewal of Jewish religious worship after a period of repression, is John pointing out that Jesus is speaking at another time that could be regarded as somewhat wintry weather in the relationship between man and God?
It's Hannukah, so we can assume that more people are there than usual. The people around him ask Jesus what He would now regard as ‘the usual question’
“How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly”
Whether Jesus rolled his eyes and took a deep intake of breath at this point is not recorded, but he starts to reply to them:
“I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe”
He has previously told those questioners the answer, and demonstrated that He performs miracles and works in the name of His Father, God, but they do not believe him.
I think from this statement, Jesus isn’t speaking to just a mixed bag of people who just happened to be there; I think the fact that Jesus says ‘I told you’ suggests that He has spoken to these people – or at least similar folks – before. Perhaps his questioners are representatives of the religious authorities?
Earlier in John we find that Jesus has been accused of breaching Jewish religious law by healing on the Sabbath, of being in cahoots with demons to perform his miracles, and so on.
As a preacher, one thing I take away from this is that if Jesus can’t convince unbelievers by His words and actions, then I’m not going to do any better.
Jesus then tells the people around him why they don’t believe what he says:
“because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”
Basically, Jesus knows that whatever He tells these people, they will not believe, because they do not want to believe; they do not have faith in him as their shepherd. They wish to go their own way.
Jesus continues:
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
This is something of a ‘mic drop’ moment.
Those who have faith in Jesus as their shepherd will never be taken from His care. Like all good shepherds, He will protect his flock; those with faith in Him will not be snatched from his hand.
Another translation of verse 29 is :
“My Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand”
This makes it much clearer that those who have faith in Jesus have been given in to Jesus’s care by God, and that they’re in God’s hand and so are forever safe.
And then the final statement
“The Father and I are one.”
Jesus isn’t just the Messiah; He is not just the Son of God; He is one with God. Jesus posits an unspoken question to his interrogators ‘Where is your safety if you are not in my flock?’ In the spiritual winter of establishment Jerusalem, those questioning Jesus are out in the cold, away from Him, on their own, unprotected.
Those in Jesus’s flock are there by faith; they believe; they trust in His promises. Those not of his flock refuse to believe, no matter what they Jesus says or does.
The question for us to answer is ‘Are we in Jesus’s flock, or are we choosing to ignore His voice?’

1st May 2022 – 3rd Sunday of Easter

Posted on May 1, 2022May 1, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 9.1-20

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’

John 21.1-19

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’

The Prayers
Prepared by Catherine

Risen Jesus,
When your disciples were confused about what to do next,
you appeared to them in their ordinary place of work,
helped them to achieve the extraordinary,
then set these everyday people the task of proclaiming your gospel,
baptising people in your name
and building your church.
We pray for ordinary churches and people everywhere,
continuing where the first disciples left off.
We pray for those preparing for baptism and confirmation
thinking especially today of baby Isobel and her family and friends.
We pray for our own church community here in Walkley.
Jesus, Lord of life,
In your mercy, hear us.

Risen Jesus,
When all his energy was being directed into persecuting your church,
you appeared to Saul,
changing his heart,
redirecting his zeal towards proclaiming your good news.
We pray for aggressors and persecutors in today’s world,
that their hearts might, too, be changed,
and that people everywhere might live in peace and harmony.
We pray for all those who are suffering as a result of aggression and persecution,
that they might receive sanctuary.
We continue to remember all those troubled places of our world...
Jesus, Lord of life,
In your mercy, hear us.

Risen Jesus,
You encouraged your first disciples
to work together as a team
to make decisions together
and choose suitable leaders.
We pray for our country and city
as we participate in local elections this week,
giving thanks for those prepared to represent their communities
and stand as candidates.
We pray that those elected
will serve their communities with wisdom and integrity
that all might flourish.
Jesus, Lord of life,
In your mercy, hear us.

Risen Jesus,
You cared for the poor, the sick and all in need.
We pray for those who need that care now.
We pray for all working to relieve sickness, poverty, and loneliness,
whether paid or unpaid,
and for the resources they need to care effectively.
In a few moments quiet, we think of any people or situations known to us personally.
Jesus, Lord of life,
In your mercy, hear us.

Risen Jesus,
By your resurrection you gave us hope
of life beyond the grave.
We pray for the souls of those who have gone before us,
thinking especially of those who have recently died,
that their loved ones might be comforted.
Jesus, Lord of life,
In your mercy, hear us.

‘The Blessed who have not Seen and yet Believe’ – 24th April 2022 – 2nd Sunday of Easter

Posted on April 24, 2022 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 5.27-32

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour, so that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’

John 20.19-end

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

The Sermon
By The Revd Dr Alan Billings

Last week my wife and I attended a funeral service at a crematorium in Cambridgeshire. It was non-religious, conducted by someone from the Humanist Society. He did it sensitively, therapeutically.

But I realised again how confused our society now is about death and faith and that can affect any of us.

We think we are a secular society. And in many respects we are. Religion does not play the role in most people’s lives that it once did. This funeral service was secular – and the celebrant made that clear in his opening remarks.

Death, he told us, ended all life and in that respect human beings were no different from the flowers and the animals which come into being, have their day, and die. We have one life and we should make the most of it.

So the secular funeral can only do one thing: look back. Look back at a life lived and give thanks. It can’t look forward because there is no forward to look forward to. This person has ceased to be. They no longer exist. This world is all there is.

Now there is much in that secular account that Christians would agree with. We do believe, to quote the scriptures, that we are taken from the dust and to the dust we shall return.

In that secular service, as there could be no future reference, most of it was taken up with looking back at the person’s life – editing and recalling it, playing music and reading poems that summed it up.

But then as we came towards the end the celebrant said something which jarred. He said, We are now going to say farewell to our friend. And he addressed her by name, as if she was still present with us. And he invited us all to do the same. Yet he had begun by saying death had ended her life. She was not here. She was not anywhere. She had ceased to be.

It seemed like an admission that despite everything he had said at the start of the service, we don’t actually think the death of a human being is of no more significance than the death of a flower or an insect. And we often have strong presentiments that our loved ones are not lost for ever. So we struggle to make sense of what we experience. What can we say about death?

Over these weeks of Easter, in our gospel readings, we find the disciples having to do something similar. Believing that Jesus had not been swallowed up in death but somehow was with them again did not come easily to them.

The male disciples, we learnt last week, did not accept what the women had told them about the tomb being empty. Their words seemed like an idle tale. Just wishful thinking.

But now, in today’s gospel, the men themselves come face to face with the Risen Lord. He greets them and shows them his wounded hands and side. This is no apparition. It really is him.

Then they are glad.

But one of the Twelve, Thomas, is not with them and won’t just take their word for it. He must see for himself. More than that. For him, seeing is not believing. Seeing is not enough. He must feel the wounds in the hands of the Risen Lord – if he is to believe.

Perhaps none of this is surprising. This was something completely outside their experience, outside anyone’s experience. They were not expecting it. They didn’t understand what was happening. They didn’t have words to describe it. And when they did try to describe it, their words reflect the strangeness of what is happening.

But gradually they build a picture. Jesus, who was dead is alive. Substantial. He can be touched, as Thomas found. But not clung to, as Mary found. But he’s not alive in the same way that he was before – subject to the laws of physics which say you can’t appear and disappear.

So this is no miracle because miracles just restore things to how they were before. The sick are made better, but they will get sick again. The deaf hear and the blind see, but any of them might lose hearing or sight again.

Jesus is not restored to the human life he knew before. He lives and is available for all people at all times and in all places. No one has experienced this before. So it is no wonder that they can’t easily find the words, and it is no wonder that in the end, all they can do is tell us, as best they can, what happened, strange though it is.

When we come to think about the death of those we have loved and lost, that is part of our context. Yes, we will have experiences that we will struggle to put into words. We will certainly react strongly against any suggestion that death is anything other than disaster: we will feel the truth and the force of those words: ‘dust to dust’. But as Christians we will also feel the truth and the force of the presence with us of the Risen Lord, who has gone before.

We are the blessed who have not seen and yet believe.

The Prayers
Prepared by Veronica

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, Let us pray to the Father.

Oh Lord, as we continue to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, we pray for our world, that reconciliation between warring nations and factions may be achieved, and that all your peoples may live in peace and harmony. We especially pray for Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan and all places suffering war and oppression. May those inflicting that suffering realise what they are doing is wrong, and not in accordance with whichever religion they claim to follow.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the church worldwide, especially for the Orthodox Church celebrating Easter this weekend. We ask that all Christians may come together, whatever their different ways of worship, to work for peace and harmony throughout the world, and to show your love to all humankind.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for our community of Walkley as it prepares for its Festival after a three year break. We give thanks for all the individuals and organisations who work so hard to put on events for the enjoyment of all, and all our local businesses that they may be renewed by the Festival. We pray also for our schools as they return for the summer term at the end of three very difficult and disrupted academic years, that staff and children may catch up on time lost, and enjoy being together for learning and fun once more.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are ill at this time, whether with Covid or other illnesses, many of whom have had to wait a long time for treatment. We remember in a moment of silence all those known to us who are suffering in mind or body at this time…………..
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Rejoicing in the fellowship of Mary, John, Mark and all your saints, we commend ourselves to your unfailing love.
Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

St Mary's Church, Walkley

The Church on the Road: inclusive, eucharistic, a safe place to be with God

Author: St Mary's

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‘The Blessed who have not Seen and yet Believe’ – 24th April 2022 – 2nd Sunday of Easter