20th April 2025 10.30am – Easter Day – Eucharist

Posted on April 20, 2025 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 10.34-43

Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’

John 20.1-18

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Scripture Quotations are from: 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

19th April 2025 7.30pm – Easter Eve Vigil and Service of Light

Posted on April 19, 2025April 19, 2025 by St Mary's

18th April 2025 2.00pm – Good Friday at the Foot of the Cross

Posted on April 19, 2025 by St Mary's

13th April 2025 at 10.30am – Palm Sunday – Eucharist

Posted on April 13, 2025 by St Mary's

The Reading

Isaiah 50.4-9a

The Lord God has given me
the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain
the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens—
wakens my ear
to listen as those who are taught.
The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious,
I did not turn backwards.
I gave my back to those who struck me,
and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting.

The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
It is the Lord God who helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
All of them will wear out like a garment;
the moth will eat them up.

Luke 19.28-40

After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” just say this: “The Lord needs it.” ’ So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
‘Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!’
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’

Luke 22.14-23

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper
When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!’ Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.

Scripture quotations are from: 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 Prayers
Prepared by Kath.

God our Father, hear us when we pray to you in faith. We give you thanks for the many wonderful gifts you have given us. Help us to truly appreciate all that we have and to look after our world for this generation and the generations to come. Please help and encourage us in our continuing efforts to mitigate against climate change in spite of challenges we may face.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Father, we pray for your church throughout the world and for those of other faiths who worship you. Now, more than ever, help us to seek ways to live together peaceably and respectfully in your name rather than clinging to what divides us. Help us to remember that we are all your children.

We pray for the churches of our mission partnership and give thanks for all who contribute to their life and work with their time, talents and resources and we pray for the communities we serve. Be with us in the upcoming events that bring so many people together.

As we begin the final phase of our individual and collective Lenten journeys through Holy Week we ask God to be with us and help us to truly take to heart the stories and reenactments we may hear and see. May we use these experiences to grow in faith and understanding and to allow them to shape the people we are and the way we live our lives.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We continue to pray for our increasingly troubled and turbulent world and for all peoples who are caught up in and suffering because of wars, oppression and need. We pray for those facing great and frightening uncertainty because of recent economic and political turmoil. Father, guide us and especially our leaders to know what is right and strengthen the nations to work together for it, so that everyone can live in peace. Please be with all who are courageous in standing against tyranny and corruption and help us to value and defend the freedom and liberty we have rather than taking it for granted because it really is precious.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are ill and those who are nearing the end of their lives. May they receive the care, comfort and compassion they need. We pray for those who accompany them on their journey who also need our loving care and support.
We continue to pray for the recovery of Pope Francis and for our own dear friends Harry & David.

In a moment of quiet let us call to mind anyone known to us who is in special need of our prayers at this time and let us also pray for ourselves and our own needs and concerns.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We remember all who have died, some recently and some long ago. We pray that they are at peace and that those who love and miss them will be comforted in their loss. We pray for the victims of the helicopter crash in the United States and the collapse of a nightclub in the Dominican Republic.

Again in a short time of quiet let us remember those special to us who are no longer with us.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

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

6th April 2025 at 10.30am – 5th Sunday of Lent – Eucharist

Posted on April 6, 2025 by St Mary's

The Reading

Philippians 3.4b-14

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

John 12.1-8

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’

The Sermon
Prepared by The Revd Canon Dr Alan Billings.

The gospel readings on Sundays are now taking us at speed to the last days
of the life of Jesus.

Today, Jesus and the twelve disciples are in Bethany, a small village a few
miles from Jerusalem.

Next Sunday they will arrive in Jerusalem, when people will welcome Jesus,
waiving branches of palm, and shouting hosanna. By the end of the week,
Jesus will have died on the cross.

Between now and Christ’s crucifixion, the gospels record two evening meals,
two suppers, that Jesus and his disciples go to – the one mentioned in
today’s gospel and the other on the night before he died, the Last Supper.
Two evening meals - at which something unusual but similar happens. At
both meals, feet are washed. And it’s interesting to compare the two.

Let’s begin with today’s gospel and the meal at Bethany. This is at the house
of Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary.

They must be a relatively well-off family. They have a house that is big
enough to seat at table Jesus and his twelve disciples. And they have
sufficient money to buy food for everyone.

We’ve met Lazarus and the sisters before. So we’re not surprised to find
Martha doing what Martha does best – making herself busy. We guess that
she’s already done the shopping, the cooking, the baking of bread, and now
here she is, serving the meal.

Her sister, Mary, however, does something unexpected. She anoints the feet
of Jesus with a perfumed oil called nard.

Nard. Now this is not something from Home Bargains. Remember, this is a
relatively wealthy family; so this is top of the range, Prada, Dolce and
Gabbana. I looked up nard on the internet so see whether it was still sold. It
is. A one hundred millilitre bottle will set you back £600. Bathing the feet of
Jesus in nard is an extravagant gesture on Mary’s part.

It’s also an astonishing gesture because soothing the weary feet of her visitor
is not something she should be doing at all. In the more prosperous
households, such as theirs, this was something that the servants –
sometimes they were slaves – would do. Travel in those days was mainly on
foot. You walked everywhere. But the roads were hot and dusty and by the
time you arrived, your aching feet were sweaty and grubby. The servant
poured water on them, dried and soothed them. This is what Mary does.
Anointing Christ’s feet with the oil and drying them with her – presumably long
- hair.

And the fragrance fills the whole house.

I wonder whether Jesus remembered this action of Mary at the last supper. If
Mary’s anointing of his feet made an impression on him, perhaps he saw the
washing of the disciples’ feet as a way of making an impression on them.

For Jesus, doing what the servant did, made the point that he had come to
serve people – and those who follow him should likewise be the servants of
others.

Here at Bethany, Mary intends something different. She is expressing her
love for Jesus through an action.

Judas objects. He regards what Mary has done as a waste. He says the nard
could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Though the gospel
writer suggests he had no real interest in the poor. He just wanted to get his
hands on the money.

Whatever Judas’s motive, Jesus will have none of it, because he sees what
Mary does as as worthy as giving the money to the poor. He pushes the
objection aside. ‘Let her alone.’

In another gospel, Jesus goes further and says, ‘Wherever the gospel is
preached in the whole world what she has done will be told in memory of her.’
Yes, told in memory of her, but told also because it makes a point. What she
did for Jesus was a spontaneous, loving act. And that takes us to the heart of
what God is like.

When Mary anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair she was
preaching the gospel every bit as much as giving to the poor.

This is why Jesus didn’t want her story lost but told in every generation so
that we would be equally loving, caring, generous in our relationships with
one another.

It’s why we are hearing it today.

The Prayers
Prepared by Veronica.

Lord God.
As we draw near to the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for grace to observe this time with
awe and reverence as we contemplate the great sacrifice he made for us in dying on the Cross for
our salvation. We pray for the Church worldwide, that we may grow ever closer to each other as we
observe this most solemn of times for all Christians.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the world, and for all your people experiencing war, famine, excessive heat or floods.
Help us to understand their needs and do all that we can to help them, whether as individuals
supporting charities, or as citizens of what remains one of the richer countries of the world. Your Son
told us to love one another: inspire governments of richer countries to continue to put aside .7% of
their riches to help those in dire need. We remember before you also those in our own country for
whom life at present is very difficult, as everyday items get ever more expensive, and help us to help
them also.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for our City and local community of Walkley. As local elections approach, inspire all
candidates to think of the needs of the city as a whole, and the particular needs of the area they
hope to represent. Help all candidates to think of the needs of the city, and those of the area they
seek to represent.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are ill at this time, and remember Lazarus whom Jesus loved. We pray for all
doctors, nurses and care-workers, both professional and family members, that they may find the will
to continue their work and eventually receive the recognition they deserve in terms of pay. We pray
for all known to us in special need of your healing grace at this time including the Pope………
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We remember before you all reaching the end of their natural life, that they may find their resting
place with you, alongside all others who have already died. We remember by name John Hawthorne
whose funeral Alan is taking at Stannington next week. We remember those especially dear to us by
name in a moment of silence…..
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

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

30th March 2025 at 10.30am – Mothering Sunday – Eucharist

Posted on March 30, 2025March 31, 2025 by St Mary's

The Reading

Exodus 2.1-10

Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him for three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,’ she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’ Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Yes.’ So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, ‘because’, she said, ‘I drew him out of the water.’

Luke 2.33-35

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

The Sermon
Prepared by The Revd Canon James Wilson.

Mothering Sunday is one of those strange Sundays that people don't know quite what it's all about. Mainly because we have all got it muddled up with Mother's Day, which is an American invention that is to come in in a few weeks’ time. A celebration of mum’s with cards and flowers and if lucky chocolates!

Yet originally Mothering Sunday was and is strangely much more than just being about mothers. The clue is in the name of this service, that word mothering. And mothering is something that we all do, even though of course, mothers are the source of much of it. We all nurture each other in some way.

In our first reading today the story of the birth of Moses. When the mother of Moses (who is not named, sadly not seen as important enough). As she gives away her child, which she is doing the safety of her child. Our reading did not include that earlier on in the story Pharoah had ordered that every male child that was born of a Hebrew was to be murdered. she was saving her son from that fate, despite the cost to herself. She never could imagine that one day her son would lead the people of Israel out, called by God to take them to the Promised Land. She simply wanted him to have a chance of life.

What she was doing was doing the best thing she could for her child, which in her view, was let the Nile take him and pray that fate would be kind. But it's the boy’s sister that stands by it is the sister that probably was watching and protecting him from crocodiles get him and take him away before he was snapped up. It's the sister that was there for him not his mother.

We as a community gathered here today, that protection and nurturing is something that we all do for each other. We watch out for each other we nurture, and we care. It is not just the mothers that's sitting here today that will receive flowers, it is all of us to remind us to do that. As everything that is good and kind that is given by us stems from God, who is both mother and father to everything.

We think of God as this stern chap with bright white hair sitting on a throne. But that's our invention to cope with the enormity of what God is. The all-powerful God, the all loving God. God the creator. God the giver of life. God that fashioned a universe so wonderful that in the whole of eternity we will never be able to understand it fully.

As we sit here celebrating this Eucharist and rightly thinking about our mothers, we also must remember about the relationships that we hold within the love given by God.

My mother turns 90 this year, which is frightening because that means I turn 60 this year.

Time flies. And I was tasked by the rest of the family to put together a photo book of her, photographing old photographs that chronicle her life. And for the first time, I feel I am understanding my mother.

She was just always there, always just giving, making tea or often not coming in from work and dad making egg and chips. She was there always looking after and it's always been there for me. It has surprised how little I knew her. As I started looking at the photographs, I realised she was a beautiful young woman and that mum and dad fell in love. They did all the foolish youthful adventures. Mum and dad went to war and went through so many experiences growing and maturing in their relationship. Ever changing but the constant was she was always mum to my siblings and me.

And isn't that incredible? Living with someone and only seeing them through your own relationship with them.

Often, we do that with God, yes, God is unchanging but our understanding and relationship with God is not. Sometimes we can even fall out with God. We get angry because we do not fit in the same way as other people. I don't know about Tom, but I grew up not wanting to be gay. I most hated the thought of it because the thing that I wanted more than anything else was to have a family.

But God had other plans. I would never have become a priest if I had just gone out and followed what my parents had done. Worked hard, married and had children. I don't know how straight people ever have the time to bring up children. But I wish I had been given that option. But God was looking for me I don't have the time to tell you, how much joy I have received because I was given the opportunity of loving a congregation even though it takes so much time, so much effort. Sometimes! Especially loving the people, you don't really like. I like you all. Mostly!!!

That is what mothering is, freely giving of love even when life works out differently from what we want. I know my sister and my mother don't get on sometimes. It is only recently, after nearly 90 years, they have finally found a truce.

The way that they can work together in their love. They have worked out their relationship and work out how to care for one another. Who cares for who and how. 90 years is a long time working out, and some people never actually manage to do that, for they don't have a relationship with their mother because it wasn't nice or right. It's difficult and it's never perfect, it's never like how the cards say that we gave each year to recognise our mothers’ love.

But we have hope, and we have joy, in this place. We have bright flowers that symbolise that we are reflecting is the goodness of God and the goodness of mothering.

We will have simnel cake! For this Sunday is a day to rejoice even though we are in Lent,

This was the moment we pause, rest and refresh before we started on our journey towards the Passion of our lord. Passion Sunday, Palm Sunday and Good Friday.

Today is a time of refreshment, of joy. A day when we eat special cakes.

In some churches, I would be wearing pink at this time. It doesn't suit me, so I'm glad we don't have it. But that pink expresses the joy and beauty of this life. And we must not lose that Joy. I mean, we enjoy the fact that we matter one another as we matter to God.
So when you take your flowers out, do not just think about your mother, but think about each other. Think about how we can react to each other’s needs and care for each other better. Think about the laughter we can share and the hope that is in this day.
This day where we are fed by God so that we can grow into the likeness and follow our Lord into the promised land.

Amen.

The Prayers

As children of a loving God who always listens to our cries, let us pray to our Father in heaven.

Loving God, you have given us the right to be called children of God. Help us to show your love in our homes that they may be places of love, security and truth.
God of love,
hear our prayer.

Loving God, Jesus, your Son, was born into the family of Mary and Joseph; bless all parents and all who care for children; strengthen those families living under stress and may your love be known where no human love is found.
God of love,
hear our prayer.

Loving God, we give thanks for all those celebrating significant milestones in life, praying especially for Mela.
O Lord God, from whom we come,
in whom we are enfolded,
to whom we shall return,
bless us in our pilgrimage through life:
with the power of the Father protecting,
with the love of Jesus indwelling,
and the light of the Spirit guiding,
in life and love eternal.
God of love,
hear our prayer.

Loving God, we thank you for the family of the Church. We pray that all may find in her their true home; that the lonely, the marginalized, the rejected may be welcomed and loved in the name of Jesus.
God of love,
hear our prayer.

Loving God, as we see the brokenness of our world we pray for healing among the nations; for food where there is hunger; for freedom where there is oppression; for joy where there is pain; that your love may bring peace to all your children.
God of love,
hear our prayer.

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

23rd March 2025 at 10.30am – 3rd Sunday of Lent – Eucharist

Posted on March 23, 2025 by St Mary's

The Reading

1 Corinthians 10.1-13

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.

Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Luke 13.1-9

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’

Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” ’

The Sermon
Prepared by Joe, Reader at St Mary's.

May I speak in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

There’s a short novel by Thornton Wilder called ‘The Bridge at San Luis Rey’. It’s something you can read in a day, but it will stick with you. A bridge collapses and five people die. A monk, Brother Juniper, investigates the people who died. Why those people? Why were they on the bridge when it collapsed? Were they bad? Unlucky? Is there any deeper meaning?

In our Gospel, we hear that group of Galileans have been slaughtered by Pilate while offering sacrifices, and that their blood was mingled with the sacrifices. This wasn’t just an act of violence—it was sacrilege. And naturally, the people wanted answers. Not just about Pilate—but about God. What did it mean? Why did it happen? Had these people brought it on themselves?

Brother Juniper would have been in his element.

Jesus’ response is both sobering and surprising. He asks them: “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way?” And then He answers it bluntly: “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.”

And just in case the message wasn’t clear, He brings up another incident—a tower collapsing in Siloam, killing eighteen people. Like the bridge at San Luis Rey - just sheer tragedy. But again, Jesus asks: “Do you think they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?” And again, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

Now, this might seem like a harsh message of doom. But it isn’t. It’s not about condemnation—it’s about calling people not to speculate on the sins of others, but to examine their own hearts.

Jesus is not offering the consoling thought (for some) that bad things happen to bad people. In fact, He’s rejecting that. Instead, He’s saying: Don’t look for someone else to blame.

Jesus is saying that we should use these moments—these reminders of life’s fragility—as a call to turn back to God. Because life is short, and the time available to us to accept God’s grace is equally limited.

In the parable, a fig tree hasn’t borne any fruit for three years. The owner is fed up and tells his gardener to chop it down. But the gardener—merciful, patient, and probably very good at his job—intercedes. “Let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.”

On one hand, there’s the urgency: this fig tree has had enough time. It’s been planted, cared for, and expected to grow. On the other hand, there’s compassion: “Let’s give it one more year.”

This is the nature of grace. It is patient, but it is not passive. It calls for response, but the time available for us to respond is limited by us being alive.

The gardener doesn’t just hope for the best. He gets his hands dirty and gives the tree every opportunity to live into its purpose.

We are the fig tree. We’ve been given life. As the tree needed soil, rain, sunlight and manure, we’re given spiritual nourishment - the Word of God and our Church and community. And now, in this Lenten season, we are again being asked—what fruit are we bearing?

Fruit, in Scripture, is not just about good deeds. It’s about transformation. The fruit of repentance, the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are signs not of what we’ve achieved, but of how deeply we are allowing God’s grace to change us.

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, touches on something similar. He reminds them of their ancestors—those who came out of Egypt with Moses. They had everything: spiritual food, spiritual drink, miraculous deliverance. But they still fell. Why? Because they presumed upon God’s grace, and didn’t allow that grace to shape their hearts. They desired evil. They grumbled. They turned to idols. And Paul says, “These things happened as examples for us.”

It’s easy to fall into the same trap—thinking that being near holy things means we are holy. That being in church, being moral, being “better than most,” is enough. But God is after something more: not just performance, but transformation, giving inward renewal.

There’s a line in the 1 Corinthians passage that strikes to the core: “If you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.” It’s a call to humility. A reminder that none of us are beyond the need for repentance. And yet—it ends with hope: “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength… he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”

Both our Gospel and our first reading are reminders that God’s grace is active, not abstract. God’s grace nourishes us, and whilst there is pressure, that pressure of God’s love is to wake us up to the urgency of acting and transforming NOW.

So what can we take away today?

First: life is fragile, and, as the saying goes…Stuff happens. We can see that in the headlines and our own life experiences. But Jesus tells us not to use that fragility as a reason to speculate or point fingers—but as an invitation to reflect. Where in our lives do we need to repent? Where do we need to turn back to God?

Secondly, God is patient. Like the gardener, God does not give up on us. He intercedes, He works the soil, He feeds us with grace. But that patience is not an excuse for complacency. It’s a window of mercy. And we don’t know how long that window will remain open.

Finally, we are called to bear fruit. Not out of fear—but because it is what we were made for. A fig tree without figs is not living into its purpose. And a Christian without love, mercy, or joy is not either. We were not just saved from something—we were saved for something.

So let’s not waste the soil we’re planted in. Let’s respond to the God’s mercy with hearts open to transformation. Let this year’s Lent season be the time in which we get our act together and smell the roses, to say, and respond to the opportunities given to us by the Lord’s grace to bear the fruit we’re supposed to.

Amen.

16th March 2025 at 10.30am – 2nd Sunday of Lent – Eucharist

Posted on March 16, 2025 by St Mary's

The Readings

Philippians 3.17-4.1

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

Luke 13.31-end

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.” Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’

The Prayers

With confidence and trust let us pray to the Father.

For the one holy catholic and apostolic Church
that in faithful witness it may preach the gospel
to good times and in bad.
We pray for our Bishop, Pete,
and our partner churches of St Marks and St Johns.
let us pray to the Father.
Lord of compassion,
in your mercy hear us.

For those preparing for baptism and confirmation
and for their teachers and sponsors,
let us pray to the Father.
Lord of compassion,
in your mercy hear us.

For peace in the world,
that a spirit of respect and reconciliation may grow
among nations and peoples,
let us pray to the Father.
Lord of compassion,
in your mercy hear us.

For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer,
for refugees, prisoners, and all in danger;
that they may be relieved and protected,
let us pray to the Father.
Lord of compassion,
in your mercy hear us.

For those whom we have injured or offended,
and for grace to amend our lives and to further the reign of God,
let us pray to the Father.
Lord of compassion,
in your mercy hear us.

In communion with all those who have walked in the way of holiness
let us pray to the Father.
Lord of compassion,
in your mercy hear us.

God our Father,
in your love and goodness
you have taught us to come close to you in penitence
with prayer, fasting and generosity;
accept our Lenten discipline,
and when we fall by our weakness,
raise us up by your unfailing mercy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

9th March 2025 at 10.30am – 1st Sunday of Lent – Eucharist

Posted on March 9, 2025 by St Mary's

The Readings

Romans 10.8b-13

But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Luke 4.1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.” ’

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you”,
and
“On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

The Sermon
Prepared by The Revd Canon Dr Alan Billings.

Today, the first Sunday in Lent, we recall how Jesus went into the Judean wilderness for forty days and nights.

At one time, I used to take parties to the Holy Land to follow in Christ’s footsteps and go to the places we read about in the gospels: Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jericho, the lakeside, Jerusalem. On one of the days, we would go in our coach into the Judean wilderness. We’d get out and imagine what it would have been like for Jesus to spend days and nights there.

We compared it with remote places in this country - like the moors of Derbyshire or Yorkshire. Where our moors can be green, the Judean wilderness is brown. Where our moors have vegetation, the wilderness is stony. The moors have rain. The wilderness is parched.

As the hymn puts it: Sunbeams scorching all the day, chilly dewdrops nightly shed, prowling beasts about thy way, stones thy pillow, earth thy bed.

This is where Jesus was for forty days and nights.

But as we stood there, we realised that this was not the only wilderness Jesus experienced. He goes into not one, but two. The one I have just described – the physical environment that surrounds him. We could call that the external wilderness.

But he also enters another, an internal wilderness. In this remote and inhospitable place where there is no one to talk to, no one to interact with, Jesus is alone with his thoughts and feelings. He goes inward. This is a different sort of wilderness, an inner wilderness.

It’s vital for him to do this because this is how he sorts out in his heart and his head how he is to live out his vocation as God’s promised messiah.

Each of the temptations is about a possible way of being messiah to his people. The devil is the devil within, the inner voice tempting him to take a particular path, a path that would bring popularity and worldly success, but a distraction from what he should really be doing.

So, give people bread. Give them marvels. Give them political leadership. Make Israel Great Again. Do any of these things and you will be a success.

These temptations to want worldly success, and the attraction of them, have to be understood by Jesus and put firmly to one side. His ministry is to show in word and action what God is like and what God wants, whether popular or not.

Yet this inner wilderness is something we also may experience. There are times when we too find ourselves alone with our thoughts. We don’t have to go into a deserted place. We can be surrounded by people, yet still find ourselves frighteningly alone.

Things happen in life and drive us inwards, to dark places. They can be triggered at any time. The journey from teenage to adult can sometimes seem very lonely. Why does no one understand me? In our working lives we can lose a job or have a career disrupted. Relationships can go sour. Illness or old age can get us down. Why is this happening to me? Why me?

In all these and other circumstances we may find ourselves in a lonely place and have to wrestle with dark thoughts.

And we often describe those experiences in words that echo today’s gospel. We say we have our demons.

Our demons. The devil within. The inner wilderness.

There is one other temptation at work in the wilderness. It’s the most pernicious temptation of all, lying behind all the others. And it’s a temptation we may face as well. It’s the temptation to doubt God and doubt yourself. For Jesus that’s the doubt that he may have got everything wrong, that he is not the Son of God. That’s the doubt the devil sows in his first words, ‘If you are the son of God….’ If. If. Can you be sure?

At the end of today’s gospel, Luke says that the devil departed from Jesus ‘until an opportune time’.

And the opportune time for self doubt and for doubting God comes on Good Friday. As Jesus hangs bleeding on the cross, there is a moment where the temptation to doubt comes back. ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’

In our own lesser ways, there can be times when we too can feel the force of that temptation to doubt – to doubt ourselves and to doubt God.

Lent gives us opportunity to build our resources of faith so that, like Jesus, we can see off the devil within, whenever he might strike.

2nd March 2025 at 10.30am – Sunday next before Lent – Eucharist

Posted on March 2, 2025 by St Mary's

The Readings

Exodus 34.29-end

Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Luke 9.28-36

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

The Prayers
Prepared by David.

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

Lord of glory, we pray for the nations of the world,
scarred by hatred, strife and war.
We give thanks for those who speak truth to power
And may we all work for peace, justice and mercy.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.

Lord of glory, we pray for your Church,
We give thanks for where it listens to your Spirit and fulfils its calling,
And we atone for its failings, praying for humility, discernment and renewal.
Guide all who serve you in this place and our partner churches of St Marks and St Johns.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.

Lord of glory, we pray for those in need and distress,
suffering as your Son has suffered.
We give thanks for those who heal and care for others.
Help us to support those around us.
In moment of silence we hold before you any who are in need of prayer.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.

Lord of glory, we pray for the departed,
Those who walked alongside us in life and now dwell in your keeping.
In a moment of silence we remember them in our hearts.
According to your promise bring us and the whole of creation
to our eternal home.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.

Lord of glory,
In peace we make our prayer to you.
In trust we confirm our faith in you.
In the coming week help us to set our faces steadfastly to where you would have us go.
Lord, in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.

St Marys Walkley

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

Author: St Mary's

20th April 2025 10.30am – Easter Day – Eucharist

19th April 2025 7.30pm – Easter Eve Vigil and Service of Light

18th April 2025 2.00pm – Good Friday at the Foot of the Cross

13th April 2025 at 10.30am – Palm Sunday – Eucharist

6th April 2025 at 10.30am – 5th Sunday of Lent – Eucharist

30th March 2025 at 10.30am – Mothering Sunday – Eucharist

23rd March 2025 at 10.30am – 3rd Sunday of Lent – Eucharist

16th March 2025 at 10.30am – 2nd Sunday of Lent – Eucharist

9th March 2025 at 10.30am – 1st Sunday of Lent – Eucharist

2nd March 2025 at 10.30am – Sunday next before Lent – Eucharist