5th May 2024 10.30am – 6th Sunday of Easter – Eucharist

Posted on May 5, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 10.44-48

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

John 15.9-17

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands

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 Joe.

We pray for the Church of Christ, for Bishop Pete and Bishop Sophie,
our Archbishops Justin and Stephen, all here who lead us in worship
and prayer, and all those whose time and talents are given to St
Mary’s, St John’s and St Mark’s. As Anglican Primates from
throughout the world meet with Pope Francis, we pray for a growth
of understanding and unity between all Christians.
Lord, hear us:
Lord graciously hear us.

We are reminded in today’s Gospel to love one another, as Jesus
loves us. We do not always find this easy; we pray for the strength
and humility to love one another in this way.
Lord, hear us:
Lord graciously hear us.

We pray all those wounded, suffering, imprisoned and displaced in
Gaza, that the current crisis may be brought to a just and peaceful
conclusion. We pray for those who have died in this conflict, and the
wider conflicts in the Middle East. We pray for the people of Ukraine
and Russia and hope for a just and peaceful resolution to that
conflict.
Lord, hear us:
Lord graciously hear us.

We pray for our community here in Walkley, and for the city of
Sheffield, and for our neighbours and friends. We keep in our
prayers those who are homeless at this time. We pray that during
this season we remember all those less fortunate than ourselves and
do what we can to support them.

We pray for those in politics and leadership; we pray that those
elected on Thursday to councils, mayorships and Parliament speak
and act wisely and with compassion for all of their constituents.
Lord, hear us:
Lord graciously hear us.

We pray for the aged and infirm, and those sick in mind, body or
spirit, and those who find life especially difficult at this time. We pray
that you bring them strength, healing, and peace. In a few moments
of silence, we think of those we know who need your healing
presence in their lives.
Lord, hear us:
Lord graciously hear us.

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

Finally, Lord, we silently bring before you those special to us, and
those issues and concerns that we have in our own lives.
Lord, hear us:
Lord graciously hear us.

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

28th April 2024 10.30am – 5th Sunday of Easter – Eucharist

Posted on April 28, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 8.26-40

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.’

The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

John 15.1-8

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

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

“I am the true vine, my Father is the Vine-grower. He removes every branch in
me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes, to make it bear
more fruit.”

Like last week’s readings about shepherds and sheep, we have a well-used
biblical metaphor. This time it’s the Vine. As with the sheep metaphor, we we
can interpret it in a way that isn’t particularly helpful, and even seems
threatening. Are we the branches that bear no fruit? Are we in danger of being
pruned out?

I grow strawberries and rhubarb, but I’ve never grown a vine. So I looked
online to see what the experts recommend. I also wanted to see how the vine
metaphor might be understood more helpfully. And I found at least 6 things to
ponder.

1. Vines are hungry plants. They need a lot of manure to produce a good
harvest of healthy fruit.

Christians need regular feeding too. Where do you get your nourishment?
From the Bible perhaps. Maybe from reading, TV or radio programmes or
podcasts. Perhaps through the example of saints who have gone before us, or
discussion at a study group.

2. Vines don’t, however, need too much water. If they get too wet, they drown
and go mouldy. Are we as a church getting oversaturated and drowning in
things to do? (I know we sometimes find ourselves with a leaky roof, but that’s
another story...)

3. Vines are vigorous climbers whose branches need permanent support. A
Vine must have a trellis or similar structure to grow up, supporting its branches
all the way.

What supports us? Perhaps it’s the church building, where we gather for
worship. A focal point in the community, a place of shelter and rest. Maybe
it’s the structure of regular weekly worship. Perhaps it’s the structure of the
liturgy with its mixture of songs, Bible readings, prayers and Eucharist. Maybe
it’s the structure of the liturgical year, helping us to focus on a different aspect
of our faith at a particular time. And don’t forget the support we can and
should provide for each other.

4. Vines do need pruning. Dead and diseased branches are removed to keep the
rest of the plant healthy. Other branches need removing too, to help fresh air
circulate and sunlight reach the plant. The fruit won’t ripen without sunlight.
Once the grapes have started to form, there are too many of them, so they need
thinning out too. This allows those left to have the space to grow big and
juicy. So in our own lives, and in our church life, what things might be better
dropped in order to give other areas space to flourish?

5. There are many different types of grape – red, green, big, small, those which
are good to eat, those which are good to make wine. There are many different
wine grape varieties, leading an abundance of different wines. No one vine can
produce all these grapes!

So no one church can do everything – it’s good to have a handful of things to
do really well, in the knowledge that a neighbouring church will have different
strengths to complement ours.

6. The different grape varieties are not strong enough to grow all by
themselves. So they are grafted on to a rootstock. This might be a hardy,
wilder vine that produces small, sour fruit, but whose very strength is that it can
survive through the tough times and conditions. The hardy rootstock nourishes,
and supports the grafted branches and gives them what they need to produce
good, healthy grapes for eating or wine making.

Jesus is this tough rootstock, supporting us, the grafted branches of the church
and her people through the trials of life. We find it difficult to produce the fruit
of God’s kingdom without being firmly grafted to Jesus the vine, abiding in
him.

Six ways in which the Vine metaphor might help us understand how to live our
lives as God’s people.

How might the Ethiopian Eunuch have been encouraged by this metaphor if he
heard it? In a very physical human sense, he was unable to bear fruit –
deprived of his manhood, he could never have his own children. He would
have been excluded from fully participating in worship at the temple too.
But through his encounter with Philip, he realises that God does love and want
him. He can be grafted on to the vine and bear fruit. Indeed, there have been
Christians in Ethiopia from very early in church history. As the Eunuch was
grafted into Christ the vine at his baptism, so we are grafted into Christ. Let us
take care of God’s vine. And let us bear good fruit.

21st April 2024 10.30am – 4th Sunday of Easter – Eucharist

Posted on April 21, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 4.5-12

The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is “the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.” There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.’

John 10.11-18

‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.’

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

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

14th April 2024 10.30am – 3rd Sunday of Easter – Eucharist

Posted on April 14, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 3.12-19

When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, ‘You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

‘And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,

Luke 24.36b-48

Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

The Prayers
Prepared by David.

We pray to Jesus who is present with us.

We pray for peace in the world. For Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine and Iran
that a spirit of respect and reconciliation may grow among nations and peoples,
Jesus, Lord of life,
in your mercy hear us.

We pray for the one holy catholic and apostolic Church. For our Bishops, Pete and Sophie, for all who serve at St Mary’s, St Mark’s and St Johns.
That in faithful witness the gospel may be preached with humility and justice.
We pray also for the process of appointing a new Priest in Charge.
Jesus, Lord of life,
in your mercy hear us.

We pray for those preparing for baptism and confirmation
and for their teachers and sponsors and all who support and uphold them.
Jesus, Lord of life,
in your mercy hear us.

We pray 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, and we give thanks for those who care for them.
Jesus, Lord of life,
in your mercy hear us.

We pray in communion with all those who have walked in the way of holiness, and now dwell with God. We give thanks for their lives amongst us.
Jesus, Lord of life,
in your mercy hear us.

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

7th April 2024 10.30am – 2nd Sunday of Easter – Eucharist

Posted on April 7, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

Acts 4.32-35

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

John 20.19-31

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

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

The Sermon
By Kath, Reader at St Mary's.

In terms of the church’s calendar I think it would be fair to describe Easter and the lead up to it as the most dramatic part of its year. In our journey through Lent, where we think about the culmination of Jesus’ ministry and in some of our services, where we re-enactment the final days of his earthly life and his death, we can feel deeply moved by what we hear and see. But I wonder, because we have become so familiar with these stories, whether we truly take in the absolute horror of Jesus’ death and the fear and desolation felt by his disciples and those who loved him, when he was gone. Unlike us, they didn’t know what was to happen next.

Our Gospel story today is about the man we’ve all come to know as “doubting Thomas”, a title that is still used to describe someone who doesn’t want to accept what they’ve been told. In some ways it’s a bit sad that that is all we remember him for because like the other disciples he went on to have his own courageous ministry in the world. Imagine how we would feel if we were referred to as something like, confused Kath or unsure Ursula or wavering Wilf, (apologies to any Ursulas, Wilfs or other Kaths out there), as though that summed up the entirety of who we are. I’m sure we all have ideas of how we’d like to be thought of; kind, compassionate, wise, knowledgeable and so on but I doubt whether “doubting” would be on the list.

Knowing what we do, it might be easy to think critically of Thomas and some people have done, but that would probably be unfair. Like the other disciples and close followers of Jesus, Thomas had been through a real rollercoaster of experiences and emotions in a relatively short space of time. Like them he had left his old life behind and put his faith and trust in this amazing, charismatic man and witnessed him preaching, teaching and performing miracles which touched the lives of thousands of people. Just imagine being part of all that. And then he sees everything dramatically fall apart as Jesus, in whom he has invested everything, is condemned and humiliated and cruelly put to death. Thomas himself would be known as one of his disciples and therefore a likely target of those who had persecuted Jesus. His situation would have been both devastating and terrifying.

In the days after Jesus’ death, the remaining disciples are having to meet in secret, not knowing what to do next. And then, Jesus appears among them and invites them to see and touch his wounds. Unfortunately Thomas was not with them on that occasion and when they tell him, he refuses to believe. Of course it’s impossible for us to know his reasons but maybe, having gone through all that he has, perhaps he didn’t dare to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead, however much he would have wanted to. Can we really blame him?

There are all sorts of reasons why people have doubts about their faith or even lose it altogether. My own dear dad had always been a believer but towards the end of his life I remember having a conversation with him about faith. When I said I believed he said “I’m not sure I do anymore”. He’d been going through the distressing symptoms and treatment of a terminal illness, but it wasn’t that which was destroying his faith. It was seeing the terrible things that were happening to others, especially to children and not understanding why God didn’t intervene. I know that is the case for many people who struggle to believe or who have given up on God. “Why didn’t he show up when I most needed him?” is the question. All I can say is, it’s a very hard one to know how to respond to.

I recently watched a documentary in which the filming was done entirely by frontline Ukrainian soldiers wearing bodycams. It showed how they lived in dugouts, how they fought, how some of them got injured and sadly how some died. The footage wasn’t as sanitised as our news programs routinely are. Towards the end of it, a soldier was walking through a war ravaged landscape. I can’t remember his exact words but they were something like “If God exists, he’s forgotten Ukraine “. Given what he and many like him have seen and suffered it would be hard to blame them for doubting. But in the same documentary there were other soldiers who were just as battle hardened who gathered to pray every time before they set out to fight. They knew as well as anyone else that they were likely to be injured or killed but their faith in God was undiminished.

I’m pretty sure that through our own experiences we understand that belief in God is not a guarantee that we won’t suffer. If that were so then "belief” would likely be more about self interest rather than trust in God; a sort of divine insurance policy that it would be “sensible” to have. But as people of faith we share the same ups and downs, trials and tragedies, joys, sorrows, losses and gains as everyone else and we will probably all have at least moments of doubt. In a way I felt relieved and encouraged when I read what Bert Ghezzi says in “The Times Book of Saints”. "We feel great kinship for the apostle Thomas because, like him, most of us curiously combine faith and doubt.”

I would say that there is nothing wrong with doubting. Indeed I would say it’s advisable or even essential in all areas of life if we are not to be taken advantage of. It’s part of discerning who and what we can trust and believe in. Going back to Thomas’s story, when he finally sees the risen Jesus for himself, it’s very telling how Jesus treats him. He doesn’t berate or shame or guilt trip him for having doubts. He simply and gently reassures him. “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side” and asks Thomas if he believes because of what he has seen.

Finally Jesus has a message for all of us too. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe”. Just like Thomas, we are not cast aside for our moments of doubt.

Amen.

The Prayers
Prepared by Veronica.

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

Oh God, as we continue to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, your Son, we give you thanks that
you gave Him to live among us and to be sacrificed for us, then to rise again and be seen by his
disciples, so that they might tell the world of his wondrous works. Help us to live according to his life
and words.
Lord. In your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the world, especially for all who are living with war. We pray especially for the people of
Ukraine and Gaza, and also for all people living with global warming and climate change. May the
wealthier parts of the world give generously to those in need, and welcome to cooler parts of the
world those fleeing hotter weather. May we also do whatever we can not to contribute to further
global warming, and help to conserve all the good things with which you have provided us.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray that the coming elections will give us government and local government that will really
endeavour to produce a fairer and more just society, and work for peace and justice throughout the
world. Move the hearts of all who are called to high office that they may really work for the good of
all.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for our partnership of churches, St Mary’s, St Mark’s and St John’s, that we may grow ever
closer in our witness to our communities.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are ill at this time, asking your blessing upon them and those who care for them.
Help those who are recovering to be restored to full health, and be with those who are reaching the
end of their lives, in the faith of Christ who died for us.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who have died recently or many years ago, whom we still remember fondly. We
entrust them all to your unfailing love.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

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

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

31st March 2024 10.30am – Easter Day – Eucharist

Posted on March 31, 2024March 31, 2024 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.’

Mark 16.1-8

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

The Sermon
By the Revd Canon Dr Alan Billings

Down the years, people have responded to Easter in two principal ways.
Some have said Easter changes nothing. Others have said Easter changes
everything.

Let me explain. Beginning with those who say Easter changes nothing.
You can see why people might say that. After all, think of the land to which
Jesus came. Think of these last days of his life.

Jesus and his followers, male and female, had made their way to Jerusalem
to celebrate the Jewish festival of Passover, along with crowds of others. The
city was full. It was tense. And it was under Roman occupation. The Roman
governor, Pontius Pilate, sent extra soldiers to Jerusalem at this time each
year, to keep public order, because there had been insurrections. Barabbas,
you will remember, who the crowd asked Pilate to release instead of Jesus,
had been imprisoned for insurrection and murder.

Violence was never far away and the prudent resident in Jerusalem would not
go out at night without being armed. When Jesus went into the Garden of
Gethsemane on the last night of his life, the disciples had swords with them:
one was used to cut off the right ear of the slave of the High Priest.

Into the middle of this violence came Jesus, a man of peace who taught his
followers in both his parables and his living that they should love one another.
Now look at this same land today. From the horrific attacks on Israelis by
Hamas combatants on 7 October to the continued holding of hostages and
the relentless bombing of Gaza, this same land remains a place of violence.
Two thousand years after Jesus said ‘love one another’, nothing has
changed. And in between the time of Christ and today there roll two thousand
years of wrong.

This is the reality some people will fasten on. You can see why they might say
Easter changes nothing.

In a sense their thinking stops at the place where Christ was buried. Stops at
the tomb. Doesn’t look inside the tomb. For them, Good Friday was the last
word on the life of Jesus. He died; and everything he was and stood for died
with him.

The English poet, A.E.Housman, wrote a poem called Easter Hymn. It has
two verses and the first verse captures very well the sentiments of those who
stop at the tomb, those for whom Easter changes nothing. This is the first
verse:

If in that Syrian garden, ages slain,
You sleep, and know not you are dead in vain,
Nor even in dreams behold how dark and bright
Ascends in smoke and fire by day and night
The hate you died to quench and could but fan,
Sleep well and see no morning, son of man.

In other words, if the world has gone on its way with all the man-made evils
that Jesus came to save us from, perhaps he didn’t rise from the dead after
all. Perhaps he sleeps in that Syrian garden.

But what if you don’t stop at the entrance to the tomb. What if you do what the
women do in today’s gospel. They stoop down and look in... as other
disciples will also eventually do. And when that happens they have to come to
terms with another reality.

The tomb is empty. And over the next few days their understanding of reality
will be pushed even more. Their crucified Lord will show himself to them – to
Mary in the Garden, to the twelve in the upper room, to two others on the
road to Emmaus.

They will struggle to make sense of their experiences. Thomas will not accept
what the others tell him until he sees the marks of the nails in the Lord’s
hands. The two who meet him on the Emmaus road will only know him when
he breaks the bread at the end of the day. But gradually they will find the
words to describe what has happened. The one whom they saw crucified.
The one whose body was laid in the tomb, is not swallowed up in death, but
lives.

And that changes everything. If Christ is risen, we can have him present with
us. If death is not the last word on his life, it will not be the last word on ours
either. Even if the struggle to overcome violence, the struggle to love one
another, must continue in every generation, the Risen Lord will be there for
us, to give us the strength to go on and make a difference. He sees and will
save.

That poem I mentioned had a second verse. It goes like this.

But, if the grave rent and the stone rolled by,
At the right hand of majesty on high
You sit, and sitting so remember yet
Your tears, your agony and bloody sweat,
Your cross and passion, and the life you gave,
Bow hither out of heaven and see and save.

Christ is risen. And that changes everything.

The Prayers

In joy and hope let us pray to the Father.

That our risen Saviour may fill us with the joy of his
glorious and life-giving resurrection
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.

That isolated and persecuted churches
may find fresh strength in the good news of Easter
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.

That God may grant us humility
to be subject to one another in Christian love
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.

That he may provide for those who lack food, work or shelter
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.

That by his power war and famine may cease through all the world
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.

That he may reveal the light of his presence to the sick,
the weak and the dying,
to comfort and strengthen them
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.

That, according to his promises,
all who have died in the faith of the resurrection
may be raised on the last day
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.

That he may send the fire of the Holy Spirit upon his people,
so that we may bear faithful witness to his resurrection,
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant that, as his death has recalled us to life,
so his continual presence in us may raise us to eternal joy;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

30th March 2024 7.30pm – Easter Vigil and Service of Light

Posted on March 30, 2024March 29, 2024 by St Mary's

29th March 2024 2.00pm – Good Friday at the Foot of the Cross

Posted on March 29, 2024 by St Mary's

28th March 2024 7.30pm – Maundy Thursday – Eucharist

Posted on March 29, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

Exodus 12.1-4

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbour in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it.

John 13.1-17, 31b-35

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You will never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’ Jesus said to him, ‘One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.’ For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, ‘Not all of you are clean.’

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

The Sermon
By the Revd Canon Dr Alan Billings.

In most of the Church’s liturgies there is usually a dominant mood. On
Christmas Day, it is one of great joy: ‘A Saviour has been born to us.’ It will be
the same at Easter: ‘The Lord is risen.’ At the other end of the emotional
scale is, tomorrow, Good Friday. We shall be sombre and sad.

But tonight, Maundy Thursday, we scarcely know how to react emotionally.
The vestments are white, which suggests joy and celebration. Yet we know
that this was the night of betrayal, when the Lord is delivered up into the
hands of wicked men. By this time tomorrow, he will have died an
unspeakable death. Perhaps all we can be is thoughtful.

For this is no ordinary night, but a time of crisis for Jesus and his friends.
Things are coming to a head, and knowing that, Jesus uses this night to give
the disciples two signs, two acted parables if you like, that will sum up all that
he taught them and serve to bind them closer to one another. The two signs
are first the bread and wine, and second the foot-washing. Let me say a word
about the second – the washing.

We say, rightly, that if we are to call ourselves Christians we must be willing to
wash the feet of others - to serve our brother or sister in need, in any way we
can. Just as Jesus on this night took a towel and a basin of water and did
what the slave of the household would do: he washed the feet of those who
came through the front door – feet made grimy and sweaty from walking
through dusty streets. There could not be a more welcome or more menial
task.

The sign is one of humility and service. The followers of Jesus are called to
wash the feet of others. But this is not all that he intended by it.

Peter protested when Jesus approached him. Then he tried to get Jesus to
wash his hands and head as well. And Jesus says, No. A man who has
bathed needs no further washing. So what is going on here?

Our attention now shifts from what the slave does – washes feet – to the
symbol of the water itself. Water makes clean, and Jesus is concerned with
making clean, not in a physical sense – which is what Peter is thinking - but in
a spiritual sense. Washing in this sense is about the need for forgiveness.
Jesus recognises that all human groups - including his disciple group – all
human groups will come to grief if they do not understand that they have to
become communities of mutual forgiveness. Because every human group –
families, friends, colleagues, church – is a site for jealousies, resentments
and hurts. If the disciples of Jesus do not learn how to deal with that, they will
fall apart. This is what Jesus means when he says, ‘Love one another’:
because forgiving lies at the heart of loving.

But it’s demanding, more demanding, perhaps, than being of service to
others. And we can understand just how demanding if we see what happens
to two of the disciples – Judas and Peter – over these days.

People sometimes say after someone has been wronged or hurt, ‘You must
forgive and forget’. That is not what Jesus is asking for. Quite the contrary. He
does not ask us to forget because that is really an invitation to trivialise
whatever has happened, and to fail to take someone, and what they have
done, seriously. To say you must forget is like saying, ‘It’s alright. I’m actually
not that bothered.’

There can be no forgetting – because once something is done it cannot be
undone – and hurts and betrayals can be enormously destructive and on-
going. There is little we can do about that. But the guilt and the danger of on-
going resentment can be dealt with. It needs one person to be able to say,
‘This is what I have done and I am very sorry’, and the other to say in effect,
‘This is what you did, I cannot forget that, but because you are sorry, I can
forgive you; and the reason I can forgive you is because I too am a sinner
who also needs forgiveness.’

After this night, Peter and Judas, who both betray the Lord, though in different
ways, face what they have done. Peter weeps bitterly. Judas is filled with
remorse. They both know that what is done cannot be undone and will never
be forgotten. The Lord stands ready to forgive both. But while Peter can ask
for forgiveness and is restored, Judas lacks the courage to ask. His remorse
turns inwards and becomes self-pity – and he goes and hangs himself.

Every Christian congregation is called tonight to remember the two symbols –
the bread and the wine and the washing. But part of that washing is about
spiritual cleansing, becoming a mutually forgiving community of people. That
way, the hurts we do to one another, that always threaten to blight the groups
we belong to, will become not stopping points but starting points in our
journey to spiritual maturity and the kingdom of God.

Prayers of Intercession

In the power of the Spirit let us pray to the Father
through Christ the saviour of the world.
Father,
on this, the night he was betrayed,
your Son Jesus Christ washed his disciples’ feet.
We commit ourselves to follow his example of love and service.
Lord, hear us
and humble us.

On this night, he prayed for his disciples to be one.
We pray for the unity of your Church.
Lord, hear us
and humble us.

On this night, he prayed for those who were to believe through his disciples’ message.
We pray for the mission of your Church.
Lord, hear us
and humble us.

On this night, he commanded his disciples to love,
but suffered rejection himself.
We pray for the rejected and unloved.
Lord, hear us
and humble us.

On this night, he reminded his disciples
that if the world hated them it hated him first.
We pray for those who are persecuted for their faith.
Lord, hear us
and humble us.

On this night, he accepted the cup of death
and looked forward to the new wine of the kingdom.
We remember those who have died in the peace of Christ.
Lord, hear us
and welcome all your children into paradise.

24th March 2024 10.30am – Palm Sunday – Eucharist

Posted on March 24, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

Philippians 2.5-11

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

The Prayers

We stand with Christ in his suffering.

For forgiveness for the many times we have denied Jesus,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For grace to seek out those habits of sin which mean spiritual death,
and by prayer and self-discipline to overcome them,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For Christian people,
that through the suffering of disunity
there may grow a rich union in Christ,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For those who make laws, interpret them, and administer them,
that our common life may be ordered in justice and mercy,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For those who still make Jerusalem a battleground,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For those who have the courage and honesty to work openly for justice and peace,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For those in the darkness and agony of isolation,
that they may find support and encouragement,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For those who, weighed down with hardship, failure, or sorrow, feel that God is far from them,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For those who are tempted to give up the way of the cross,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

That we, with those who have died in faith,
may find mercy in the day of Christ,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

Holy God,
holy and strong,
holy and immortal,
have mercy upon us.

St Marys Walkley

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

Author: St Mary's

5th May 2024 10.30am – 6th Sunday of Easter – Eucharist

28th April 2024 10.30am – 5th Sunday of Easter – Eucharist

21st April 2024 10.30am – 4th Sunday of Easter – Eucharist

14th April 2024 10.30am – 3rd Sunday of Easter – Eucharist

7th April 2024 10.30am – 2nd Sunday of Easter – Eucharist

31st March 2024 10.30am – Easter Day – Eucharist

30th March 2024 7.30pm – Easter Vigil and Service of Light

29th March 2024 2.00pm – Good Friday at the Foot of the Cross

28th March 2024 7.30pm – Maundy Thursday – Eucharist

24th March 2024 10.30am – Palm Sunday – Eucharist