22nd December 2024 at 10.30am – 4th Sunday of Advent – Eucharist

Posted on December 22, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

Hebrews 10.5-10

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body you have prepared for me;
in burnt-offerings and sin-offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, “See, God, I have come to do your will, O God”
(in the scroll of the book it is written of me).’
When he said above, ‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt-offerings and sin-offerings’ (these are offered according to the law), then he added, ‘See, I have come to do your will.’ He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Luke 1.39-55

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’

And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

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 The Revd Canon Dr Alan Billings.

The life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was hard.

Apart from the mystery of the conception of her child, the holy family receive no special favours from God, no miraculous help. They are on their own. They have to get themselves to Bethlehem, despite the fact that Mary is close to giving birth. They have to make do with a stable for a hotel and a manger for a cradle. There is no miraculous escape from poverty.

Then they have to raise this child, who has been pronounced special, without any miraculous help either.

So how do you bring up the Son of God? I think every parent can sympathise with that question – which Mary must surely have asked herself.

Now, if you’ve been a parent you will know that one of the most nerve wracking things you ever have to do is go to parents’ evenings at your offspring’s school. You sit in front of each teacher waiting for the verdict. You feel as if it’s you that’s on trial. And what’s the worst thing a teacher can ever say?

Not that your child is never going to make it as astronaut or brain surgeon. You know that. The most difficult thing to hear is that your child has ‘potential’. It’s a word teachers love to bully parents with. ‘Your child has potential’. It’s not shown itself in anything concrete yet; but the potential is there – if only...

But if only what? What are you, the parent, supposed to do? Should you encourage or threaten? Should you chain the little beast to a desk, or encourage it to relax with friends? How do you best help them to realise their potential – or at least not get in the way?

If we feel these things with our children who have the potential to be good, honest, ordinary citizens, what must it have been like to know that you were responsible for the upbringing of the Son of God? How was Mary supposed to bring him up?

Well, we are not told what Mary thought or did. And apart from one incident when Jesus was 12, we have little information about his upbringing and childhood. We can only guess.

But I think a good guess is this: that God chose Mary to be the mother of the saviour because she could give him the sort of upbringing that would make him a loving person.

How does Mary do that? By being an ordinary loving mother, doing what ordinary loving mothers do with their children. Chastising when needed. Certainly. Praising when appropriate. Definitely. Sometimes getting that right; and sometimes getting it wrong – sometimes not being sure which is which, but even when getting it wrong still communicating that you love your children.

These are not miraculous qualities. They are the common or garden, everyday skills of being a parent. This is surely why the virgin Mary is chosen to be the mother of the Lord. Because she is a good, ordinary mother.

In saying this, we draw attention to something which goes against some more pious ideas about Mary. It is sometimes said of her that all she had to do was to say Yes to God. Yes, I will be the mother of the Lord. Just that, then God would do the rest. Her vocation is seen as utterly passive.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Saying Yes to God is only the beginning for Mary. It’s the easy bit. But a mother’s job is never passive.

Mary has to create a home for her son. She has to teach him how to forgive by forgiving him, how to love by loving him. This is passionate, patient and long-term work.

There are no miraculous short-cuts to raising a child to be a loving adult. You have to stick with it. That’s what Mary does and that’s why she was chosen to be the mother of the Lord. And it’s crucial; because what her son will do by being a loving person is show to the world what God is like. For God is love.

But notice this, What Mary says to the angel, ‘Let it be with me according to your word’, is what we each say every Sunday in this service when we repeat, as we do, the Lord’s prayer. We say, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done.’ Your will be done - by me. This part of the Lord’s Prayer is our Yes to God.

Like Mary, saying that Yes is the easy bit.

We say it in the context of worship where we are aware of the angels and archangels around us.

But then we have to go from here and live out our lives in the way we believe God wants of us – we must live passionately, patiently, in our everyday lives, whatever they consist of, without miraculous short-cuts.

Have we got it in us to do it? Surely, yes – for this must be why God chose us, just as he once chose Mary.

15th December 2024 10.30am – 3rd Sunday of Advent – Eucharist

Posted on December 15, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

Philippians 4.4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Luke 3.7-18

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’

And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

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 Kath, Reader at St Mary's.

The central character of our reading from Luke’s Gospel this morning is John the Baptist, a man of no frills whatsoever and also, as many will know from his story, not one for mincing his words. But even for him, this speech in our passage is very direct and uncompromising. Presumably it came as something of a shock to some of those who had come to him for baptism. He has seen right through to their motives for coming, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” And when he says to them “Do not begin to say to yourselves, “we have Abraham as our ancestor”, he doesn’t just puncture any notion of entitlement they may have had to be baptised, because of their ancestral connections, he blasts it away completely. This is pretty strong stuff and no doubt some of them would have been affronted, maybe humiliated to have been spoken to in this way, especially in front of others.

The passage makes it clear that people from all walks of life had come to John. I wonder, what were they expecting? Why had they come? Was it because so many others were coming; a sort of fear of missing out? Or was it a desire to be seen as part of this new wave of religious expression? Was it even a sort of divine insurance policy, just in case there was anything to it? People may have had all sorts of motivations, as they do nowadays. However, I’m sure at least some of them were actually taking to heart what John was saying and doing. Maybe this was the first time some of them, like tax collectors and soldiers; who tended to be looked down on, saw that they too could be included in this opportunity for salvation and that there could indeed be a way for them to redeem themselves in the eyes of God and society. They were recognising that the ways they had been behaving were wrong and asking “what then should we do?” Again John is very direct in his answers, share what you have, don’t take more than what is due to you because you can get away with it, don’t abuse your power over others.

I’m sure at that time, many people felt powerless to change the status quo in a very unequal, frightening and violent society. Probably many of them behaved selfishly or unethically in order to look after their own interests or just to survive, even if it meant treading on others in the same or worse circumstances. An “every man for himself “ type of attitude and in some ways this is understandable. Roman dominated society was not exactly famous for fairness, benevolence or compassion. Hopefully, in our own times and for most people, things are not nearly as bad but there are parts of the world where they are. The liberation of Syria from the Asaad regime has brought to light some truly horrific treatment of people, including children, who had fallen foul of those in power. We have seen such horror before in the not too distant past and we know it is still going on, usually out of sight which sadly means it is too often out of mind.

Certainly in the prayers I have written for our services here in church over the last few months, if not longer, I have made reference to our world being increasingly troubled. We see things going badly wrong, to put it mildly, in many places. I don’t want to go into a long, depressing list of these situations because we’re probably all too well aware of them. They dominate the news every day. Although it’s probably “good “, for want of a better word, to be aware of what is going on, the problem with this onslaught of global dysfunction and the resulting pain and misery is that it can leave us feeling helpless. What can little old I do when people who are far more powerful and influential than I am, can’t or don’t do anything to change things, or worse still, some of them actively promote or engineer bad situations because it suits their purposes to do so. We can end up feeling just like the people of John’s time and sadly some of us will behave as some of them did by looking after our own interests at the expense of others. But it wasn’t right then and it isn’t right now!

So how do we change things? In John’s time maybe things were simpler in many ways although not necessarily easier but the principles he propounded still stand. As individuals and societies we need to be more willing to share, even if it means we have less. We shouldn’t extort or take more than our share just because we can. We shouldn’t cheat others out of what is rightfully theirs by abusing our power and advantage. Behaving badly and selfishly really does range from individuals to big corporations and even to nations. Trying to live by good principles and encouraging others to do so can be hard when all too often this bad behaviour is applauded and rewarded. But this is undermining and destroying so much on every level of life.

I go back to my question, “ how do WE change things?” Do my little efforts make a difference? The answer is, yes they do! It might not seem like much at the time but in the long run and collectively we can and do make a difference and in seemingly impossible situations. From time to time we do see major steps forward. Dictators and tyrants do sometimes get overthrown and people are liberated, corporate greed and malpractice does sometimes get brought to light and stopped, individuals and organisations who abuse their power to hurt and exploit others in all sorts of ways do sometimes get found out and sometimes they are even punished. These changes usually start when someone says “this is wrong and I’m going to do whatever I can about it “. If we stop to think about it we have countless examples of courageous people who have shown us the way: Florence Nightingale made a difference, Nelson Mandela made a difference, Gretta Thunberg is making a difference, Alan Bates is making a difference. How we live our lives, at home, at work, in our society, and how we bring up our young people makes a difference, for good or ill. Which of these paths we choose is up to us.

Advent is a time to make space for reflection on life and faith and it’s a time for daring to hope that the world can be a better place for all if we follow the teachings and values Jesus came among us to share.
Lord please give us the insight and wisdom to take those teachings and values to heart and to do our very best to live by them.
Amen.

8th December 2024 10.30am – 2nd Sunday of Advent – Eucharist

Posted on December 8, 2024 by St Mary's

The Sermon

By Joe, Reader at St Mary's.

When I hear today’s Gospel reading from Luke, two things spring to
mind from my childhood; the song ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord’
from the musical ‘Godspell’…and JCBs. Only the mind of a 12 year old
boy can take ‘Every valley will be filled in’ literally.

Today’s Gospel passage from Luke 3 continues our Advent journey.
Advent, this season of anticipation and waiting, is a time for us to
reflect, prepare, and align our hearts with the coming of
Christ—both the commemoration of His birth and the promise of His
return.

Luke provides us with a specific time and place: "In the fifteenth year
of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of
Judea..."; And then after giving us a cast list of the powerful,
representing the most powerful empire on Earth and local royalty
and theocracy, he introduces us to John the Baptist:
“the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the
wilderness”

The voice of a common man, a humble man, crying out in the
wilderness, fired with passion, delivering a new message to anyone
who will listen.

Today’s Gospel invites us to reflect on what true preparation for the
coming of Christ looks like.

John’s Ministry begins with a call to repentance: “Prepare the way
for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” This echoes the prophecy
of Isaiah, reminding us that John’s role was not only to proclaim but
to prepare the people for an encounter with God.

Repentance should be at the heart of our Advent preparation. The
Greek word for repentance, metanoia, means a transformation of
the mind, a turning away from sin and toward God. John challenges
us to confront the obstacles in our lives that hinder our relationship
with God. What are the “crooked paths” in our hearts that need to
be made straight? What valleys of despair need to be filled with
hope, and what mountains of pride need to be levelled? And – no
JCBs required for this momentous task.

We live in a world that often resists the notion of sin or the need for
transformation, and a call to repentance like this might make us feel
uncomfortable, or even ashamed. But repentance is not about
shame; it is about letting go, laying down our burdens,
acknowledging where we have fallen short in our relationship with
God, and being able to start again by accepting God’s grace anew.
John preaches in the wilderness—a stark, barren landscape that is
both literal and symbolic. The Israelites wandered there for forty
years, learning to trust in God. Jesus Himself would later spend forty
days in the wilderness, preparing for His public ministry. The
wilderness is a testing place, a place of transformation.

For us, the wilderness is rarely a literal landscape, but instead
represents those moments in life where we feel lost, uncertain, or
vulnerable. We may use words like ‘desolate’ and ‘arid’ to describe
our inner lives at these times. But it is often in these desolate times
that we are most open to encountering God.

Advent invites us into a kind of spiritual wilderness, stripping away
distractions and inviting us to focus on what truly matters. I know –
difficult when the world is chucking glitter at us from all directions.

But the wilderness is also a place of clarity. Away from the noise and
busyness of daily life, we can hear the voice of God more clearly.

John’s cry in the wilderness is not drowned out by competing voices;
it rings out with urgency and purpose.

I am reminded of my own time in Alaska, and the words of an RAF
pilot quoted by CS Lewis:

“I know there’s a God. I’ve felt Him: out alone in the desert at
night: the tremendous mystery.”

Our first Advent challenge, then, is to create our own "wilderness"
spaces this Advent—times of quiet reflection where we can hear
God’s call.

Luke’s Gospel doesn’t stop with repentance. John’s mission is framed
by that vision of transformation:

"Every valley shall be filled, every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways
smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation."

This would have been a powerful image for the people; putting a
road through the wilderness would not be an easy task. But God’s
coming kingdom is radical; it opens up everything, barriers are
removed, injustices are corrected, and all are invited to partake in
God’s salvation. The physical imagery of valleys and mountains also
points to a spiritual levelling. In God’s kingdom, there is no hierarchy;
all are equal before Him. The positions of the mighty and powerful
that we heard of at the start of the Gospel are irrelevant in this new
kingdom.

As we prepare for Christmas, it’s easy to get caught up in the
external preparations—decorating our homes, buying gifts, planning
celebrations. These things are not inherently bad, but they can
distract us from the deeper preparation God desires.

Finally, Luke’s Gospel culminates in a promise: "And all people will
see God’s salvation." This is the heart of the Advent message.

Salvation is not a reward for the righteous; it is a gift for all who turn
to God. The good news of Jesus Christ is for everyone who is willing
to accept the grace of God in to their lives.

This promise challenges us to broaden our vision. Who are the
people in our lives who need to experience God’s love and grace?
How can we, like John, be messengers of hope and reconciliation?
Advent is not just about preparing our own hearts; it is about
preparing the way for others to encounter Christ.

When we leave here today, let’s take John’s call to heart. Prepare the
way for the Lord - in our homes, here in church, in our hearts and
communities. Let’s examine our lives, repent of what is holding us
back, and embrace the hope and transformation that God offers.
Advent is a time of waiting, but it is not passive waiting. It is active,
expectant, hope-filled waiting. It is a time to reflect on the light of
Christ that has already come into the world and to prepare for the
fullness of His kingdom.

Let’s ask – what is Advent to us?

Advent is a time to ask: How can we participate in God’s
transformative work? How can we make the world a little more like
His kingdom? How we do this is a personal matter; we may be
levelling the landscape in our own personal inner wilderness, or we
may be looking outward to the world and trying to remove barriers
and injustices. But prepare.

Each week we light our Advent candles. Let them remind us of the
light that shines in the darkness—a light that the darkness cannot
overcome.

Let us be people of that light, and in our Advent preparations bear
witness to God’s love in a rocky, wild and unforgiving world that
desperately needs it.
Amen

The Prayers
Prepared by Kath.

God our Father, hear us when we pray to you in faith. We give you thanks for the many wonderful gifts you have given us. Help us to truly appreciate all that we have and to look after our world for this generation and the generations to come.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Father, we pray for your church throughout the world and for those of other faiths who worship you. Now, more than ever, help us to seek ways to live together peaceably and respectfully in your name rather than clinging to what divides us. Help us to remember that we are all your children.
We pray for the church as it faces long running and deep seated problems with safeguarding thinking first and foremost of the victims. May the church be genuinely open to working with others to find effective ways to prevent more people becoming victims in the future.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We continue to pray for our increasingly troubled world and all peoples who are caught up in and suffering because of wars, oppression and need. Father, guide us and especially our leaders to know what is right and strengthen us to work together for it, so that everyone can live in peace. Be with all who are courageous in standing against tyranny and help us to value and defend the freedom and liberty we have. Let us pray particularly for the women and girls in Afghanistan whose lives are being systematically controlled and restricted and whose spirits are being relentlessly crushed. May they and we remain steadfast in prayer and action for better and fairer lives for all.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are ill and those who are nearing the end of their lives. May they receive the care, comfort and compassion they need. We pray for those who accompany them on their journey who also need to be supported.
In a moment of quiet let us call to mind anyone known to us who is in special need of our prayers at this time and let us also pray for ourselves and our own needs and concerns.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We remember all who have died, some recently and some long ago. We pray that they are at peace and that those who love and miss them will be comforted in their loss.
Christmas can be an especially hard time for those already struggling with bereavement. Lord help us to be sensitive to their feelings and needs. Again in a short time of quiet let us remember those special to us who are no longer with us.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Father we pray that in all the bustle and busyness of preparing for Christmas, we will take time to truly appreciate what it’s actually about.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers, for the sake of your Son, our saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

1st December 2024 4pm – Advent Carol Service

Posted on December 1, 2024 by admin

1st December 2024 10.30am – 1st Sunday in Advent – Eucharist

Posted on December 1, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

1 Thessalonians 3. 9 - end

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Luke 21. 25 - 36

Jesus said, ‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’

Then he told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.’

The Prayers

In joyful expectation of his coming to our aid
we pray to Jesus.

Come to your Church as Lord and judge.
Help us to live in the light of your coming
and give us a longing for your kingdom.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to your world as King of the nations.
Before you rulers will stand in silence.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to the suffering as Saviour and comforter.
Break into our lives,
where we struggle with sickness and distress,
and set us free to serve you for ever.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to us as shepherd and guardian of our souls.
Give us with all the faithful departed
a share in your victory over evil and death.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come from heaven, Lord Jesus, with power and great glory.
Lift us up to meet you,
that with Mary, Mark, John and all your saints and angels
we may live and reign with you in your new creation.
Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay;
give new courage to your people,
who trust in your love.
By your coming, raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom
on earth as in heaven,
where you live and reign with the Father and the Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
Amen.

24th November 2024 10.30am – Christ the King – Eucharist

Posted on November 24, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

Daniel 7.9-10,13-14

As I watched,
thrones were set in place,
and an Ancient One took his throne;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued
and flowed out from his presence.
A thousand thousand served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.
The court sat in judgement,
and the books were opened.

As I watched in the night visions,
I saw one like a human being
coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient One
and was presented before him.
To him was given dominion
and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
that shall never be destroyed.

John 18.33-37

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’

The Sermon
By The Revd Canon Dr Alan Billings.

This is the last Sunday of the church’s year. Next week we start the new year and the season of Advent.

The church uses this Sunday to sum up the work of Christ by celebrating Christ as King. But this is puzzling. How can a wandering preacher, born in a stable, dying a criminal’s death on a cross, be a king? King of the Jews, king of all people.

The point about kings in the ancient world is that they commanded loyalty and allegiance – and the first Christians wanted to say that Jesus too claimed the allegiance of all true people of God. In that sense he also was a king.

But kings commanded allegiance because they had power. It was a coerced loyalty. You didn’t choose your king. He imposed his authority on you. You did as you were told. This was the very core and meaning of kingship. Kings had the power to boss you around.

But this is just what Jesus does not do – hence our puzzlement. If he is a king, he’s not a king like others. In fact, he rejects any idea of commanding loyalty from people in that way.

The key moment for Jesus is in the desert just before he began his public ministry. For forty days and nights he struggles to think through what his vocation is, so that when he starts his work he will not be tempted to go in wrong directions.

In the story, you will remember, the devil tries to tempt him away from his true vocation. The devil tells him, in effect, this. If you want people to follow you in this world there are three ways of doing it. You must offer them either bread, or mystery, or authority.

Turn stones into bread. Satisfy their bellies. Don’t bother them with anything else – like living a morally good and worthwhile life. Just concentrate on the food. They’ll follow anyone who feeds them. Jesus dismisses that. People cannot live on bread alone. There’s more to life than that.

Then came the second test. Mystery. The devil took him to the pinnacle of the temple and said, Jump off and get God to save you. He’ll catch you and bear you up. Then keep giving people eye-catching, breath-taking wonders. People will follow anyone who keeps giving them mysteries. Jesus resists that as well. We must not seek to manipulate God to do what we want.

So out go bread and circuses.

And finally the devil takes him to a mountain top and shows him all the kingdoms of the world. You can be king of the world, he says, if you will just do things my way, the devil’s way – the bully’s way, the coercive way. People want the smack of authoritarian rule. They don’t really want freedom, to think and choose for themselves. Jesus firmly puts that way behind him too. You must worship the true God and live your life in the light of his character. That rules out absolutely, bossing people around. Because God does not boss people around.

From that moment on the mountain the way of Jesus could not be clearer. If people are to follow him, it cannot be through bullying or coercion. They must follow him out of love and devotion – or not at all.

Jesus was the king of the Jews in the sense that he could claim people’s loyalty and allegiance. But people had to give him that allegiance willingly and gladly – out of love. He was not king of the Jews in any worldly sense or because of any worldly power. He had no worldly power. He refused it on the mount of the temptation. As he said to Pontius Pilate, My kingdom is not of this world.

And this is why those who follow Jesus, you and me, must never use any worldly power we maywe
have – however small and slight that power may be – we must never use our little bits of power to coerce others, especially to coerce them in the name of Jesus. As Jesus said, in the world rulers boss people around. But it must not be so with you. If you want to follow me you must be the opposite of that. You must be the willing servant of all.

So the day we proclaim Jesus king is a good day for asking ourselves how we treat those around us. Each of us here has some power, however small, over someone else – it may be as a parent with a child, with a friend or partner, at work, in some group, in this church. Do we throw our weight around. Do we subtly manipulate? Are we outright bullies? Do we make some people just that little bit fearful of us?

Today we call Jesus king. But not as the world knows kings. Yes, he commands our loyalty, but not out of fear, out of love.

The Prayers
Prepared by David.

Let us with confidence present our prayers to the throne of grace.

We pray for all those in positions of power,
that they may govern with wisdom and integrity,
serving the needs of their people and the wider world.
May your kingdom come;
Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for the Church, the sign of your reign,
that it may extend your welcome to all people.
May your kingdom come;
Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for Christians of every denomination,
that together we may come to understand
the royal priesthood you bestowed on us in baptism.
May your kingdom come;
Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for those whose commitment to truth
brings them into conflict with earthly powers,
that they may have the courage to endure.
May your kingdom come;
Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for this community of faith,
that attentive to your word
we may always worship in spirit and in truth.
May your kingdom come;
Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who suffer in body, mind or spirit,
that they may know relief and your healing presence.
May your kingdom come;
Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who have died
and now rest in your eternal keeping.
May they know that peace which never ends.
May your kingdom come;
Lord, hear our prayer.

Loving God,
you have taught us that the power of the heart
is greater than the power of wealth and might.
Hear us as we pray for the fulfilment of your reign.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our King;
to him be glory and power for ever.
Amen.

17th November 2024 10.30am – 2nd Sunday before Advent – Eucharist

Posted on November 17, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

Daniel 12.1-3

‘At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

Mark 13.1-8

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

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

Picture the scene. It's perhaps your first visit to Jerusalem. Here’s
the temple you've heard so much about - for real. It's big. It's
impressive. You're awestruck. You say so. And then your
respected friend and teacher declares that it will all come tumbling
down. Not one stone will be left. What do you think?

Perhaps you're aghast. How could he say this about the holiest
place of your faith, a place dedicated to worshipping God?

Or perhaps, like Peter, James, John and Andrew, your ears have
pricked up. Things are politically unstable – the Romans rule, and
times are tough. Prophetic voices, including some from your own
tradition have declared that the end is nigh. Things are so bad that
God will bring about the destruction of the world as you know it. A
new and greater order will take its place.

As a follower of Jesus, you’ve also heard him speak frequently
about the coming of the Kingdom of God. Now that you’ve reached
Jerusalem, it appears as though things might be about to happen.
So you ask Jesus when this might be.

But He doesn't give you a date. He gives you a warning. The end
will come. Before that there will be wars and rumours of wars.
There will be earthquakes, famines and suchlike. And there will be
people excitedly proclaiming "this is it! God is coming!" But it won't
be the end just yet. In fact it's just the beginning...

Jesus challenges the temple authorities. They have neglected the
weakest members of society focusing instead on protecting the
institution. He warns that the end will come. The Jerusalem temple
was destroyed a few decades later.

Within so many human institutions lies something ugly. Corruption.
Cover-up. Abuse of the weak. Failure to listen. It’s happened in
the Church of England. Senior people in the church were aware of
the horrific abuse perpetrated by John Smyth over decades, but
failed to act to stop it. His abuse continued overseas. This week
Archbishop Justin Welby resigned as a result of his own part in the
collective failure to respond properly. Sadly this is not the only such
case that has affected the Church.

The Church of England has rightly come under scrutiny. Over
recent years, it has begun to take a good, hard look at itself and
how it has responded to Safeguarding concerns. Survivors and
victims of abuse have warned that if the culture of the Church
doesn’t change, this institution will come crumbling down.

Today is Safeguarding Sunday. And I, your Parish Safeguarding
Officer, have, landed today’s preaching slot!

And I want to tell you that among the dire and very necessary
warnings are signs of hope. Signs that God’s kingdom is breaking
into the ugliness of the culture that has prevailed. Positive change
is happening. We can all help the nastiness crumble and a new
caring culture thrive.

It begins at parish level. What are we already doing at St. Mary’s?

-Over recent months members of the PCC have spent hours
making sure all the many policies regarding safeguarding,
health and safety, working on your own and such like are
robust, up-to-date, shared and followed.

-We are following the approved Safer Recruitment procedure
whenever we appoint someone to a role, be it a paid or
voluntary role. This means that some activities, such as our
new children’s activity have taken longer to get started than
they might have done 20 years ago, but we can be confident
that the activity is being run as safely as possible.

-Many more of us are taking part in training. For those of us
with particular roles, such as clergy, Readers, and PCC
members there are several different courses to do. I was
doing one of these myself only the other day. And there’s one
course that is open to anyone – it’s an online course called
“Basic Awareness” and helps to develop your confidence in
noticing when something isn’t right, and what to do next.

Jesus said about the coming of God’s kingdom: we aren’t at the end
yet, we are only at the beginning.

Sadly the national church has not yet done all that is needed to
become a safe and caring place for everyone. It has made huge
steps to help us achieve this at parish level. We are not there yet.
There are more things to do at national level. There are more
things to improve locally too, and hopefully over the next few weeks
and months you will notice some positive changes. We can’t do this
alone. But with the help of God and each other, together we can
help to make the church a safer place for everyone.

The Prayers
Prepared by Barbara.

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

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

We pray for all those affected by war, thinking of people in Ukraine, Russia, the Gaza Strip and Israel,
particularly, as they face the outcome of the US election. Please bring strength and comfort to all those
affected and help every one of us to be part of a path to peace throughout the world.

We pray also for all those involved in trying to fight the climate crisis, as we approach 1.5 degrees global
warming throughout the world. Please give all governments the political courage to resist further use of
fossil fuels and to invest in sources of renewable energy instead. In particular we pray that the UK
government faces up to its responsibility to help poorer nations achieve the necessary measures to bring
climate warming under control. Please help us to put pressure on our government to do so.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

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

We pray especially for our worshipping community of St. John’s Ranmoor, St. Mark’s Broomhill and St.
Mary’s Walkley, that we may continue to bear witness to our faith in the way we live our daily lives.

We pray for the whole of the Anglican Communion, but especially for the Church of England, and ask that
you help our church to recognise the wrongs done to children and others, where safeguarding measures
have clearly failed. We are sorry for this continuing problem and for our church’s tendency to export this
problem to other countries both in the recent past and in more historical times, thinking of affected
children in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Canada. This is not a new problem, and we need your help in
finding ways to make reparation and to ensure that it doesn’t continue to happen. Please help us to find a
way to peace and reconciliation.

It is not just the church that needs to improve its safeguarding policies. Our government also needs to
recognise its responsibility for ensuring that children who come into the care system do actually receive the
care that they deserve. People are reluctant to step forward to be foster parents, as they are seldom properly
recompensed for the money and time that they expend on behalf of looked after children. The previous
government outsourced more and more of this care to for-profit organisations, some of whom charged the
government a lot but delivered little. Please help us to recognise the need for reform and the need to finance
this reform through our taxes.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.

Tender God, look with mercy on all who have experience profound harm and any for whom faith is associated with hurt and damage. Bless those for whom this week’s events have stirred up memories and emotion that evoke grief and woundedness. Send your Spirit on your church, that it may be wiser and more rigorous even as it is sadder and humbler. Surround Archbishop Justin as he faces the glare of public scrutiny and blame. Guide your church to cherish all your children, exalted leaders and vulnerable members, that in your Son’s broken body we may see not only sorrow but also your everlasting faithfulness to us. In Christ we pray.
Amen.

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 ...

We pray for all those caught up in waiting lists for health care. Please bring them healing and future good
health.

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.

10th November 2024 6.30pm – Eucharist

Posted on November 10, 2024November 9, 2024 by admin

The Readings

Revelation 7. 9 - 17

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, singing,
‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honour
and power and might
be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.’

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?’ I said to him, ‘Sir, you are the one that knows.’ Then he said to me, ‘These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

Matthew 5. 1 - 12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The Sermon
By the Revd Canon Dr Alan Billings.

Over the last few years I have visited many schools across South Yorkshire. One thing I have noticed, wherever I have been, is that every school has a set of values. They are often displayed: posted on noticeboards, painted on walls, they sometimes appear on tee shirts. They vary hugely, though there are some commonalities.

All primary schools seem to have something along the lines of ‘kindness’ or ‘friendliness’. Secondary schools generally have something along the lines of ‘ambition’ or ‘excellence’. Both primary and secondary will have ‘tolerance’ or ‘respect’ or something that means the same thing.

But there are many other values. From memory I recall: empathy, happiness, resilience, compassion, confidence, fairness … the list goes on.

I wondered when this need to set out the school’s values like this started as I didn’t remember it from the schools of my youth.

At least that was what I first thought. Then I realised that my boys’ grammar school did have values, but hid them inside a Latin motto that was part of the school badge – which I wore on my cap until I was 18.

We also sang the values in songs and hymns every day at morning assembly, which in those days was an act of worship.

One of my favourites was called Treasure. I still remember it. The first verse went like this:

Daises are our silver,
Buttercups our gold.
These are all the treasures
We can have or hold.

This is not very aspirational. I can see why ni head teacher would want that sung now. We must aspire to a good salary and not be content with a buttercup. (Though it didn’t stop my school producing a governor of the Bank of England.) But it does commend an appreciation of the natural world, which is very relevant in these days of anxiety about nature.

In those decades just after the second world war, many of these hymns reflected quite explicitly Christian values. We shall have one later:

When a knight won his spurs
in the stories of old,
he was gentle and brave, he was gallant and bold...

Other hymns commended unselfishness, sacrifice, hard work, not clock-watching, putting others first. It was thought that these values got us through the war and were needed to bring post-war renewal.

These were the default values of that time.

Fast forward to the present and we find that these are not the values people want to start with now. Not hard work and self sacrifice but almost the opposite. And all organisations have them, not just schools. They are often now about personal well-being, life-work balance and so on.

A well-being champion in my office in my last job summed them up in a wonderful post one week. It said: When you are saying yes to others, make sure you are not saying no to yourself’. That captures the essence of so many of these modern values very well. This is the new default position.

No wonder so many people find Remembrance day a puzzle. It creates a tension between that new emphasis and what the men and women who fought and died stood for.

Putting the interests of others ahead of your own, self-sacrifice. These are not often part of the default values of modern Britain. Perhaps on Remembrance Sunday it’s time to revisit them.

The Prayers

Let us pray for all who suffer as a result of conflict,
and ask that God may give us peace:

for the service personnel
who have died in the violence of war,
each one remembered by and known to God;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For those who love them in death as in life,
offering the distress of our grief
and the sadness of our loss;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For all members of the armed forces
who are in danger this day,
remembering family, friends
and all who pray for their safe return;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For civilians, children and adults
whose lives are disfigured by war or terror,
calling to mind in penitence
the anger and hatreds of humanity;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For peacemakers and peacekeepers,
who seek to keep this world secure and free;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For all who bear the burden and privilege of leadership,
political, military and religious;
asking for gifts of wisdom and resolve
in the search for reconciliation and peace;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

O God of truth and justice,
we hold before you those whose memory we cherish,
and those whose names we will never know.
Help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world,
and grant us the grace to pray for those who wish us harm.
As we honour the past,
may we put our faith in your future;
for you are the source of life and hope,
now and for ever.
Amen.

10th November 2024 10.30am – Remembrance Sunday

Posted on November 10, 2024November 9, 2024 by St Mary's

The Readings

Isaiah 1.16-19

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your doings
from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
seek justice,
rescue the oppressed,
defend the orphan,
plead for the widow.

Come now, let us argue it out,
says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be like snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;

1 Thessalonians 4.13-18

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

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

I think I can say, without fear of contradiction that our world is in a mess right now, perhaps more so than it has been for a long time. This description could be applied to the climate crisis, mass migration, financial crises, public health, crime and many other areas of life, but this being Remembrance Sunday it is conflicts throughout the world that I want us to focus on.

A few years ago, I think in preparation for a sermon, I looked up how many active conflicts there were and although I can’t remember the exact number, it know it was big and it really took me by surprise. I looked again the other day and according to to an organisation called Vision of Humanity there are 56 wars going on right now with 92 countries involved in conflicts outside their own borders. This number apparently does not include gang wars and the like and is the highest since The Second World War. Even though we see or hear reports of war pretty much daily through the various media, these numbers may surprise you. But sadly, most of these conflicts, terrible as they are, seldom if ever make the news, at least in this country. Perhaps there are two ways of thinking about this. One is to feel troubled by our lack of knowledge about them and another is that if we were aware of the scale of all these human tragedies we would feel overwhelmed and paralysed by them. Feeling helpless about the ones we know of is hard enough to bear, especially over the last two or three years.

Looking back through history it seems that there were always people fighting somewhere or other but some wars really stand out and last long in our collective memories. The first and second World Wars, the American Civil War, Vietnam, Korea, Rwanda, Northern Ireland, the Cold War to name but a few. It can feel like we never stop fighting with each other. When I was younger this really got to me at times. The Northern Ireland troubles felt very close to home, especially when there were bombings here on the mainland in pubs and night clubs. These were just the sort of places my friends and I might go for a night out together. It was frightening, even though we were very much on the periphery of this particular conflict. But hard as this may be to believe, people get used to war and its effects and it can become a way of life that has to be coped with, just as it did in the World Wars and as it is in Ukraine and other places today.

Another sad fact that we have to acknowledge is that for all sorts of reasons, war suits some people’s purposes, especially those hungry for power, influence, control and vast wealth that they couldn’t otherwise acquire and many of them have no scruples whatsoever about how they acquire it. We cannot afford to be naïve about such people and need to be aware of these sort of agendas if we are to avoid being manipulated into conflicts that benefit the few at the expense of everyone else. I don’t know about you but sometimes when I watch the news I just can’t understand why groups of people or even whole nations choose what appear to me to be awful leaders or regimes who are repressive and cruel. But often there are reasons, that again don’t make the news, such as people who are repeatedly not listened to or who are struggling against deep seated corruption that blights all efforts to to do good. Their choices, however bad they may very well be, are the least worst option open to them and have outcomes they didn’t foresee or want. We see this in places like Afghanistan where the choice was a very corrupt government or the Taliban.

So many people, both military and civilians have fought and sacrificed bravely for what they believed to be right and against what they believed to be wrong and yet here we are in the 21st century with more conflicts than ever. Why does the path to peace continue to elude us? How do we stop repeating the same patterns and mistakes? I was struck by the straightforward words in our reading from Isaiah, “cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression”. An awful lot of the strife we see in the world is caused by oppression, a lack of justice and deeds that are undeniably evil. Again in the words from Isaiah, when God says “Come now, let us argue it out “he is inviting us to be part of the solution.

When faith based solutions are suggested, for many people they can seem too slow or, dare I say, a bit airy fairy, they want something more dynamic with rapid results. But in reality things seldom work that way. Instead of feeling discouraged, we have to take what feels like a slower path and hold onto the values God has given us and do our utmost to practice them in our daily lives, whatever the challenges. In a world where standards of decency and respect for others is often in decline, this can be hard to stick with but if we lower or abandon our own standards of how we treat our fellow people we already know what the results will be because we are already seeing them; people being trolled or ridiculed or persecuted by those who disagree with them, pretty much anyone being fair game for those bent on exploiting them, civilians being targeted or tortured as weapons of war,.

All this can feel very disheartening but one of the benefits of getting older is that I have seen many of the interminable conflicts that have happened in my lifetime, come to an end. Even the Hundred Years War came to an end and the ones that are going on at the moment will eventually cease. What war weary victims really need is the opportunity for healing and well-being, space for rest and recovery. They need peace. We all do and we should never stop working to achieve it.

The Prayers

Let us pray for all who suffer as a result of conflict,
and ask that God may give us peace:

for the service personnel
who have died in the violence of war,
each one remembered by and known to God;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For those who love them in death as in life,
offering the distress of our grief
and the sadness of our loss;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For all members of the armed forces
who are in danger this day,
remembering family, friends
and all who pray for their safe return;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For civilians, children and adults
whose lives are disfigured by war or terror,
calling to mind in penitence
the anger and hatreds of humanity;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For peacemakers and peacekeepers,
who seek to keep this world secure and free;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

3rd November 2024 6.30pm – All Souls Memorial Service

Posted on November 3, 2024 by admin

The Reading

Romans 14. 7 - 12

The life and death of each of us has its influence on others; if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that alive or dead we belong to the Lord. This explains why Christ both died and came to life, it was so that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
We shall all have to stand before the judgement seat of God; as scripture says: By my life – it is the Lord who speaks – every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall praise God. It is to God, therefore, that each of us must give an account of themselves.

The Sermon
By Kath, Reader St Mary's.

Losing people we love or are close to is sadly inevitable at some stage, especially as we ourselves grow older; it’s part of our human existence. Such loss is hard enough to bear when a death is expected or even “timely” but so much harder when it is sudden or traumatic or untimely. How do we deal with such loss? The simple answer; although it isn’t a simple process to go through, is that we grieve. How we grieve is unique to us as individuals and to our relationship with the person we have lost, and it is something that develops and changes over time. This is as it should be because there is no “one way” that works for everyone for all time.

To illustrate what I mean I’ll share some of my own experiences of loss. I loved my mum and dad dearly and we were very close. We worked together for many years and saw each other socially a lot, so perhaps you can imagine how guilty and bad I felt when I couldn’t cry when they died. That is still the case to this day and I lost my dad seventeen years ago and my mum six years ago. How could it be that we were so close and yet I couldn’t cry? At first all sorts of awful thoughts went through my head. Had I become hard-hearted or unfeeling I wondered, genuinely fearfully. But I had to tell myself no, because I continue to love and miss my parents. One of the biggest things that has helped me deal with these uncomfortable feelings is the realisation that I actually did a lot of my grieving for them while they were still alive and this in turn reminded me of one of the most meaningful lectures I’ve ever heard. It was given by the then chaplain at the Northern General Hospital, Revd. David Equeall, when I was a student nurse back in the 1970s. Up to the time I heard his lecture I had always thought of grieving only in relation to death but he explained how we can grieve for many other kinds of loss too, and indeed I saw this in many of the patients I went on to care for.

My dad lived for ten years after receiving a terminal diagnosis and during that time I watched him gradually lose many of his skills and abilities, his strength, his privacy and dignity, his freedom to go about his life as he once had. He never really complained much and was endlessly practical in finding ways round his difficulties but I know each loss hurt him. He had always been the one to fix things for others and now he was the one needing to be helped. It didn’t sit well or easily with him and I grieved those losses with and for him. Towards the end of his life he was in a lot of pain and when he died, if I’m completely honest it was a relief that he was no longer suffering.

The illness that took my mum from us was Alzheimer’s disease and it was truly heartbreaking to see her gradually robbed her ability to enjoy her life and to look after herself, her dignity and autonomy and worst of all her wonderful personality and her voice. She had always been unfailingly kind and compassionate and loved talking to people so it was cruel to see her grow quieter and quieter until she barely spoke at all. Again I grieved this and felt angry as it was happening and then relief when she was finally released from what this awful disease had done to her. But much as I loved and miss both my mum and dad I couldn’t have wished to hold onto them or to wish them back unless it was without the suffering they endured.

As preachers we seldom get a choice of readings for the services we preach at but this one is different. At first I struggled to find one that really spoke to me but when I found the one from Romans; and it is a slightly unusual version, I knew it was the one and it was the first sentence in this particular translation that I found so powerful.

“The life and death of each of us has its influence on others;” The very fact that you’re here at this service tells me that you have been through your own unique journey or journeys of loss and perhaps, like me, you have a whole host of mixed feelings and emotions about your relationship with your own loved one and the way you lost them. But wouldn’t it be saddest of all if it was the ending of their lives that was our overriding memory of them. When the time is right for us it’s good to remember all the different aspects of our time with them. We don’t have to pretend that all was perfect because that’s seldom how life really is but hopefully there will be positive, happy and uplifting memories to cherish that will help to sustain us as we move on with our own lives because move on we must. Grief, when it is raw, can be all consuming and allowing it to soften can feel like betrayal but think about it another way. If we were the ones who had died, would we want those we left behind to be in pain forever? I’m pretty sure the answer to that is no.

Thinking of what our loved ones have been to us, perhaps we should also consider who and what we are to others. Do we support and inspire and encourage them to live good lives as we have been inspired. I will be forever grateful for the love and support and life lessons I have received from the people I have lost and I hope in turn that I’m doing the same for the people I still have.

God gave us his own beloved Son that we might have life. Should we not take this gift of life and value it as it deserves in gratitude to the one who gave it, even in the midst of our sadness. Surely the answer this time is yes.

Amen.

The Prayers

God our Father, hear us when we pray to you in faith.

We give you thanks for the lives of those who we have loved and lost.
For all that we were to each other and all that we shared together.
Hear us, risen Lord,
our resurrection and our life.

Comfort us in our times of grief and help us to help each other in our sadness.
Hear us, risen Lord,
our resurrection and our life.

Guide and uphold us through the loneliness and darkness of loss, especially when it feels like our pain will never come to an end.
Hear us, risen Lord,
our resurrection and our life.

But when the time is right, Lord give us the courage to live again, for our own sake and for those who love and need us, secure in the knowledge that those we have lost, rest in peace with you.
Hear us, risen Lord,
our resurrection and our life.

May God in his infinite love and mercy bring the whole Church,
Living and departed in the Lord Jesus, to a joyful resurrection and the fulfilment of his eternal kingdom.
Amen.

St Marys Walkley

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

Category: Sermons

22nd December 2024 at 10.30am – 4th Sunday of Advent – Eucharist

15th December 2024 10.30am – 3rd Sunday of Advent – Eucharist

8th December 2024 10.30am – 2nd Sunday of Advent – Eucharist

1st December 2024 4pm – Advent Carol Service

1st December 2024 10.30am – 1st Sunday in Advent – Eucharist

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17th November 2024 10.30am – 2nd Sunday before Advent – Eucharist

10th November 2024 6.30pm – Eucharist

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3rd November 2024 6.30pm – All Souls Memorial Service