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.” ’

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 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.

23rd February 2025 at 10.30am – 2nd Sunday before Lent – Eucharist

Posted on February 23, 2025 by St Mary's

The Readings

Genesis 2.4b-9

These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2.15-end

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’

Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,
‘This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken.’
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.

Luke 8.22-25

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A gale swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him and woke him up, shouting, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?’

The Sermon
Prepared by The Revd Canon Dr Alan Billings.

Two stories on radio and television, moved me greatly this week.
The first was about a Ukrainian pastor, now in his late fifties, who,
over the years, in addition to his own children, has adopted others.
Adopting children is not unusual. Adopting children made orphans
by war, which he has done more recently, is not unusual either.
But adopting 38 children is.

The programme presenter, Matthew Seyd, was using pastor
Gennadiy’s story as a way of answering a basic question about
human love. Could someone truly love so many?

Drawing on research by biologists and anthropologists his answer
was emphatically, Yes. Human love is not something finite. We
don’t run out of it if we love more people. Nor does the quality of
our love diminish the more we love.

The scientists talked about the way we grow our love. We learn to
flex it, rather as we flex our muscles.

All of that seemed borne out in the second story that moved me
this week – the return of Israeli hostages.

When I first heard this, the Israelis thought that the terrorist group,
Hamas, had returned the bodies of four hostages.

An elderly man, who had devoted his life to fostering good
relations between Israelis and Palestinians, and a mother and her
two little children. We have since learnt that the body that Hamas
had said was the mother, was not Shiri Bibas, but an unknown
Gazan woman. It was a cruel turn of events.

But what moved me were the outpourings of love by so many in
Israel for the hostages and their families, even though they had
never met them. The President, Isaac Herzog, said, ‘Our hearts lie
in tatters.’

They were powerless to do anything; but they surrounded the
families and friends of the hostages with love. This helped the
families not to feel crushed with anxiety and grief.

We sometimes say to someone who is in great distress, ‘I can’t
imagine what you are going through’. What we mean is that we
don’t want to say anything which might sound as if we are
downplaying the intensity of what they are feeling.

But saying, ‘I can’t imagine what you are going through’, is not
really true. The one thing we can do as human beings is to
imagine what someone is going through. It is a crucial part of our
capacity to love.

Of course, as soon as we do extend our love to others, we become
vulnerable to what happens to them. It will affect us as well. This is
the burden of love that pastor Genaddiy accepted when he
adopted 38 children. The burden that the Israeli people were
carrying for the hostages.

Our faith tells us that we are made in the image of God. That is
true. But sometimes we need to flip that round and ask what we
learn about the love of God from human loving?

When bad things happen in our lives we can quickly make God
seem distant or uncaring. We ask God to make things better. If we
don’t get what we want when we want it, we may think that God
doesn’t care. He can seem remote.

But start the other way round. What does human loving tell us
about these moments when bad things happen? When those we
love are caught up in war – as pastor Gennadiy’s children are in
Ukraine – or when they are taken as hostages as in Israel.

We may not be able to do anything to help those we love, but that
doesn’t mean we are uncaring. Or that we can do nothing.

So with God. He makes the world. He puts us in it. Our lives take
their course, a mix of good and bad.

When things are going well we rejoice in our freedom and would
resent interference, even divine interference. When things go
badly we cry out for intervention – though intervention on our terms
and in the way we dictate.

And if that doesn’t happen we think God doesn’t know, or doesn’t
care. The sea is raging around us, the boat is filling up with water.
Perhaps he’s asleep in the stern.

God does not sleep. But he does at these moments shoulder the
burden of love. There will be reasons why he cannot always do
what we want. But we are loved. His spirit is with us, to calm our
fears and cheer our spirits, even if he is not materially present to
still the winds and the waves.

The Prayers
Prepared by Veronica.

Lord God,
As we approach the season of Lent, we pray for your grace to observe Lent as we should. We give
you thanks for this church of St. Mary’s, and thank you for all those who hold office here, for our
partnership with St. Mark’s and St. John’s, and for all who help us to maintain our weekly worship at
St. Mary’s. We thank you for all the blessings we enjoy in this part of Sheffield, our lovely scenery
nearby, the friendly local people and all our shops.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our Prayer.

We thank you for all the many blessings we enjoy as citizens of the United Kingdom and Sheffield,
with the right to vote for those who hold office both nationally and locally. We pray for all those
elected to represent us, that they may always opt to provide the best quality of life for those most in
need whom they represent.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all those in need of your saving grace at this time. We pray for the Pope who is seriously
ill at this time. We remember in a moment of quiet by name all those known to us who are ill or in
other kinds of trouble.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We remember all those who are no longer with us, both our family members and members of this
church. We pray for those approaching the end of their lives, particularly those to whom we have
been close during their lifetime.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Rejoicing in the fellowship our partner churches, St Mark’s and St John’s, 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.

16th February 2025 at 10.30am – 3rd Sunday before Lent – Eucharist

Posted on February 16, 2025February 16, 2025 by St Mary's

The Readings

Jeremiah 7.5-10

For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly act justly one with another, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, then I will dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your ancestors for ever and ever.

Here you are, trusting in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are safe!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?

Luke 6.17-26

He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.

‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
‘But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
‘Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.

‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

The Sermon
Prepared by Catherine B.

Do any of you here grow fruit trees? What does your tree need in order to provide apples, plums, pears or cherries?

Good soil. The right amount of water. Bees.

If there’s too little, or too much, rain, poor soil or no bees, the tree will wither, its leaves will fade and drop. It will struggle to flower or bear fruit. It will become weak and susceptible to disease.

The Biblical writers knew this well. And so they love to use images of plants to describe the condition of God’s people and kingdom. Jesus tells parables about fig trees, vineyards, mustard seeds and sowing seed on different soils. Isaiah describes both a vineyard of sour grapes and trees clapping their hands in joy. The wise people of Psalm 1 are like trees planted by streams. The wicked are like chaff blown away in the wind.

Today’s passage from Jeremiah echoes Psalm 1 – God says: those who trust in mere human ways are to be cursed. They’re like a shrub trying to survive in the dry, salty, lonely wilderness.

Those who trust in God are like trees planted by water. Hot, dry times will come, but their roots will be able to find the water they need. Their leaves will stay green, they will continue to bear fruit. They will have all they need to survive without fear.

But times are turbulent and the people of God are about to be brutally uprooted.

6 centuries before Jesus, Jeremiah knew that catastrophe was imminent. Babylon would invade Judah. Jerusalem would be destroyed. Many people would be taken to Babylon, where they would spend the next 70 years.

Judah’s leaders hoped nearby countries would aid them in resisting the Babylonians. Jeremiah said not. God’s people had fallen so badly astray that their land would be invaded. They would become exiles. They could only accept this and settle down in the foreign land. They should live their lives, grow food, follow their trades, marry and have children there. Unsurprisingly, the people did not like this message.

We need to be aware of this backdrop when understanding today’s passage from Jeremiah.

What happens when you can’t plant your tree by a stream in your own land? When there’s an invader with an axe about to chop it down? How can it flourish and grow? Jeremiah says this: You have no choice – you must leave your land and its streams and go where you are taken. But take seeds from your tree with you. For there are streams and rivers in the land of the invader. Go there. Plant your tree there. Let it grow and bear fruit there.

It was a difficult message. Judah was sacred land: Land promised by God to Abraham. Land that they’d returned to after generations of slavery. Land where their God was. If your land has gone, so it seems, your God has gone too. But Jeremiah says:
Not necessarily. Trust in God, and you can still flourish in a place which is not your homeland.

We know what plants need to thrive and grow. And plants can be symbols of what the people of God need to flourish and grow.

But plants are more than symbols. Like Jeremiah, they too can be prophets. For they display what humanity is doing to God’s world. A struggling plant might be saying:

“your actions have created this dry land where it never rains. They’ve led to this incessant rain drowning my seeds. They’ve polluted the rivers and I can’t cope. And if I can’t grow and produce fruit, you will struggle to thrive too. You may move and try to plant me somewhere else. But ultimately you’ll fight each other over what little good soil remains. If you don’t change your ways, I still might not thrive. And nor might you!”

As the people of God today, we are the stewards of God’s planet. The Anglican Church has explicitly recognised this in the “Five Marks of Mission”. The fifth mark encourages us…

...to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

During the Covid lock-downs, many of us spent time outside in parks and by rivers. There were fewer cars on the roads. The tree blossom seemed more fragrant. We could hear birdsong. The air was cleaner. Times were tough, yes, but for many of us, being in nature was healing.

Let’s remember this. Let’s continue do our bit fulfil the fifth mark of mission. We might plant a tree, or a pot of herbs. But there are plenty of other things we can do to help create an environment in which the natural world will thrive.

Plants are not just symbols for the people of God. Their well-being is affected by our actions. We live in a mutually dependent relationship. If we look after God’s world, God’s world will be there to sustain us too.

The Prayers
Prepared by Barbara W.

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 …

This week we particularly pray for peace throughout the world.

We particularly pray for Ukraine and all of Europe as Trump tries to serve Ukraine to Putin by excluding
Ukraine and Europe from peace negotiations – please help wiser heads to prevail to stop these tactics. We
pray for the success of the emergency meeting of European leaders convened yesterday by the French
president, Emmanuel Macron and likely to take place on Monday. May they succeed in ensuring damage
limitation following the interventions of Hegseth and the US vice-president Vance, in addition to the
damage already done by US president Trump.

We pray also for the continuing success of the ceasefire in Gaza. Please help all your children in Gaza and
Israel to realise the benefits of a lasting peace and to reject Trump’s interference in Gaza.

We pray for the continued success of citizen-led boycotts of USA products in Canada and Mexico. Please
help us to buy selectively in support of these countries, as they face ever-increasing tariffs imposed by
Trump.

Closer to home, we pray for the survival of steelmaking in this country, which is also affected by Trump’s
swinging tariffs. Please help Britain and the EU to buy steel and aluminium that has been produced in
Europe in preference to that produced by the USA.

We also pray for all those in this country who are feeling the pinch of a harsh climate, financial and
meteorological. Help our government to remember that they were elected to serve all the people of this
country including those most vulnerable because of ill health, disability or age.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We pray for the joint worshipping community of St. Mark’s Broomhill, St. John’s Ranmoor and St. Mary’s
Walkley. Please help us to play our parts in this worshipping community. Help us to help the vulnerable of
our own community, by providing a warm and welcoming place and by supporting our local food bank.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We pray for all babies born prematurely: please help them to thrive and grow into children who are
successful in their everyday lives.

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 name to you in our hearts all those known to us both near and far who are suffering the loss of friends
and loved ones, asking that you bring your comfort and healing to them at this time of grief.

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

9th February 2025 at 10.30am – 4th Sunday before Lent – Eucharist

Posted on February 9, 2025 by St Mary's

The Readings

Isaiah 6.1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’

Luke 5.1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

2nd February 2025 10.30am – Candlemas – Eucharist

Posted on February 2, 2025 by St Mary's

The Readings

Romans 12.1-5

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.

Luke 2.22-40

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’

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.’

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

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

26th January 2025 at 10.30am – Third Sunday of Epiphany – Eucharist

Posted on January 26, 2025 by St Mary's

The Readings

Nehemiah 8.1-3, 5-6, 8-10

All the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen’, lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ‘This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’

Luke 4.14-21

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’

The Sermon
Prepared by The Revd Canon Dr Alan Billings.

We have just heard how Jesus begins his life’s work, leaving behind the carpenter’s workshop.

Just before this, he’s been in the wilderness for forty days trying to understand what God wants of him, wrestling mentally with tempting but unworthy ideas about doing God’s work, and putting them firmly to one side.

Now, he marks the start of his three year ministry by going into his local synagogue on the sabbath day. He’s invited to read and preach.

He finds words of the prophet Isaiah which henceforth must guide him in all he does. “The Prophet says: the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight of the blind and to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”

Good news to the poor, lifting the burdens of the oppressed.

As I thought about today’s gospel, I had the television on. It showed me someone else who was just beginning what he also sees as his God-given mission for the next four years. He too was beginning his work in a place of worship.

I mean, of course, the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump.

If you watched any of the inauguration ceremonies, you may have been surprised by the amount of religion there was: church services and in the swearing in ceremony in the Capitol, the parliament. America is a religious country in a way we no longer are.

Also surprising, was that, traditionally, the two services were held in Anglican churches, which in America are called Episcopal, the main one being the national cathedral.

But most surprising of all was the sermon given by the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Marrian Budde.

The election of this new president came after a bitter election campaign which has deeply divided America – Republicans and Democrats.

If there was to be unity, she said, it must be based on three foundations – respecting the dignity of all people; speaking truthfully; and being humble.

Then she spoke directly to the President, who was sitting a few feet in front of her. In effect, she was recalling how Jesus began his public ministry, shaping it on God’s priorities: good news for the poor, the lifting of burdens from the oppressed.

She exhorted the president, in the name of God, to have mercy on those who were fearful now of what he might do with his power. People like poor immigrants who toiled day and night to pick the crops, clean the offices, and wash the dishes in the restaurants. They paid their taxes, they were good neighbours, they attended churches. But because they didn’t have the proper documentation, they faced deportation. They and their children, who were Americans by birth, were scared, she said.

Have mercy on them. Treat them with dignity. Acknowledge truthfully their contribution. Be humble.

We talk glibly about speaking truth to power. Usually, the Anglican way is to do that indirectly, subtly. The bishop was anything but. Perhaps that was a mistake. It could be dismissed as discourteous rather than challenging. But truth was spoken to power.

At the end of this service we shall have an American hymn: Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. It was written by Julia Ward Howe during the American Civil War and became the battle hymn of the unionist army. Although she came from a privileged family, she campaigned all her life for the abolition of slavery, which is what the civil war was in part about.

Towards the end of the war, Abraham Lincoln began his second term as president. He could have gloated in victory. He could have blamed his opponents for the country’s woes. Instead, he sought to unite a divided nation and start a process of healing. He said this:

“With malice toward none; with charity for all … let us … bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.”

That generosity, it seems to me, is in the spirit in which Jesus began his ministry and in the spirit of what the bishop of Washington hoped for in her sermon – good news to the poor, lifting the burdens of the oppressed.

For Christians, it’s the spirit that should surely guide all our politics.

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 …
This week we particularly pray for all those whose lives have become significantly worse and more
dangerous since the inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the USA, including both those living in
the USA and those living in Denmark, Greenland, Panama, Mexico and Canada. Please help those
countries to stand up to the USA in this hour of need. None of us want to become Trump’s Ukraine!!!
We pray also for the continuing success of the ceasefire in Gaza. Please help all your children in Gaza and
Israel to realise the benefits of a lasting peace and remind them that they are all “children of the book”.
Closer to home, we pray for the strengthening of trade ties with Europe in preference to making a trade
deal with the USA. Trump has made it clear that he favours his enemies, such as China, over his major
trading partners Canada and Mexico. Help our government to see that with clear eyes, and act
accordingly.

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 joint worshipping community of St. Mark’s Broomhill, St. John’s Ranmoor and St. Mary’s
Walkley and welcome Beth Keith as our new Priest in Charge here at St. Mary’s. Please help us to play our
parts in this worshipping community.

We pray also for all Christians living in the USA, that they are more receptive to the Right Rev Mariann
Budde’s plea for mercy to all those now living in fear than Trump was. In her words, “May God grant us all
the strength and courage to honour the dignity of every human being, speak the truth in love, and walk
humbly with one another and our God, for the good of all the people of this nation and the world”.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

We commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are in any way 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 …
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 name to you in our hearts all those known to us both near and far who are suffering the loss of friends
and loved ones, asking that you bring your comfort and healing to them at this time of grief.

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

19th January 2025 at 10.30am – 2nd Sunday of Epiphany – Eucharist

Posted on January 19, 2025 by St Mary's

The Readings

Isaiah 62.1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

John 2.1-11

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

St Marys Walkley

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

Author: St Mary's

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

23rd February 2025 at 10.30am – 2nd Sunday before Lent – Eucharist

16th February 2025 at 10.30am – 3rd Sunday before Lent – Eucharist

9th February 2025 at 10.30am – 4th Sunday before Lent – Eucharist

2nd February 2025 10.30am – Candlemas – Eucharist

Romans 12.1-5

26th January 2025 at 10.30am – Third Sunday of Epiphany – Eucharist

19th January 2025 at 10.30am – 2nd Sunday of Epiphany – Eucharist