‘Reaching out to each other’ – 20th December 2020 – 4th Sunday of Advent

Posted on December 20, 2020December 19, 2020 by St Mary's

The Readings

2 Samuel 7.1-11, 16

Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.

Luke 1.26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

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

The Sermon
by Canon Dr Matthew Rhodes

This morning on the fourth Sunday of Advent we focus on your patron saint, Mary, the mother of our Lord. In the past few months I’ve been very conscious of women having to give birth alone because of Covid. Some have had to do that without having their partners present. And many have done it without having their extended families to support and celebrate with them. Mary did have Joseph with her when she gave birth to Jesus but she was far from home and among strangers. It must have been hard and possibly quite frightening for Mary, a young woman, to give birth to her firstborn son like that.

I think we also forget how potentially dangerous it would have been for Mary to be an unmarried mother in that society. We are used to that in this country now but we don’t have to look very far back in our history or very far around the world to find women for whom pregnancy brings enormous risks. Risks to their reputations and position in society. And risks to their lives. Maternal mortality is still horribly common around the world. And it is important that we celebrate Mary’s bravery and willingness to say yes to God. Although there are lots of things that we cannot do at the moment, we too need to be brave sometimes and say yes to God. We can cooperate with him in bringing new things to birth, if not now then in the months to come. With the news of the vaccine it feels as if this Advent is pregnant with possibilities. Though so much is dark and difficult at the moment, we also catch glimpses of light and hope for the future.

My wife Cathy is a retired obstetrician so pregnancy and childbirth have been a bit of a family business. The calls in the night. The rush to the labour ward. I have heard more than my fair share of hair-raising birth stories but I’ll spare you those. Instead, I want to share with you a bit of medical science which my wife passed my way recently. We’re all learning a bit about science these days but I’ll try not to blind you with it too much. I’m not a scientist myself so there won’t be time for questions afterwards. This bit of science come via the University of Michigan. And it concerns the placenta and something called fetomaternal microchimerism (microkimerism).

You may not have thought much about placentas but they are extraordinary things. The placenta is the only organ in human biology that is made by two people together, in cooperation. It is ‘built’ from tissue that is partly from mother, and partly from the growing baby. Because of this, the placenta is referred to as a ‘feto-maternal’ organ. In the creation of the placenta, cells from the embryo, ‘reach down’ towards the wall of the mother’s uterus. At the same time, the spiral arteries from the mother’s uterus are ‘reaching’ up towards the embryo. And this leads to the creation of the placenta. This reaching out might make us think of that picture from the Sistine Chapel where God and Man reach out to one another. Or more topically of the annunciation in our Gospel where God reaches out to Mary via the Angel Gabriel and she reaches out to God by agreeing to collaborate with him.

The placenta is the only organ that is designed to be disposable but unlike every other organs it has many different functions. It eliminates waste like the kidneys. It facilitates the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, like the lungs would do, and it provides nutrients, just as our digestive system does. The placenta even has an immune function. It is a magnificently complex shared organ that supports the formation of children in the womb.

In addition to all this, the placenta enables something called ‘fetomaternal microchimerism’ (microkimerism). This refers to the presence of a small population of genetically distinct and separately derived cells within an individual. During pregnancy, small numbers of these cells travel across the placenta. Some of the child’s cells cross into the mother, and some cells from the mother cross into the child. The cells from the child integrate into tissues in the mother’s body and start functioning like the cells around them.

The presence of these cells is extraordinary for several reasons. One is that these cells have been found in various maternal organs and tissues such as the brain, the breast, the thyroid and the skin. These are all organs which in some way are important for the health of both the baby and the mother. They help to signal to the mother’s body that it needs to making milk. And they help to produce collagen which helps the mother’s body to heal. So that baby is actually helping the mother to recover from giving birth.

Usually, foreign or ‘other’ cells are detected by the host’s immune system and are destroyed. The fact that these foetal cells ‘survive’ and then are allowed to integrate into the mother’s body speaks of an amazing ‘cooperation’ between the mother and her child. It suggests that the physical connection between mother and baby is even deeper and more beautiful than was previously thought. Research in into these cells suggests that may help protect mothers from breast cancer many years after they have given birth.

This radical mutuality at the cellular level is something that we are just beginning to understand. We are not the singular autonomous individuals that we sometimes imagine. We know that at a theological level. We have a sense of our mutual interdependence. We have a deep sense of God’s presence in each one of us. And Christmas is a wonderful reminder of that. But now we have a profound biological illustration of that mutuality. We speak of Mary not just being the God bearer but of her being redeemed by her son. And now we can see that at a biological level. Mary’s body didn’t just help to bring Jesus into the world. It was also changed by that experience. Jesus brings life and healing to each one of us and he brought life and healing to Mary in a very particular way.

There was a time when science and religion seemed to be at loggerheads. Virgin births were dismissed as superstition. These days, virgin births are quite common technically speaking. And instead of being antithetical to religion, so much of science seems to demonstrate the wonder and majesty of God and his creation. The creation of Covid 19 vaccines is just one miracle that we have seen recently. Like Mary, we too need to be open to the miraculous and new. For, as the Angel Gabriel reminded her, nothing will be impossible with God. Amen.

The Prayers
prepared by Oli

Lord, as we look back on a year of grief, turmoil and restrictions, we look to your coming to bring a renewed hope to the world. may we humbly welcome and nurture this hope, as you were humbly welcomed in a stable, nurtured in a manger lined with straw.
Lord Jesus, within the darkness,
Let us celebrate the coming of your light.

Lord, where we have experienced division and uncertainty - in the world, in our country, in our close relationships, and within ourselves; may we experience your healing peace and unite these fractures, seeking reconciliation in every broken place
Lord Jesus, within the darkness,
Let us celebrate the coming of your light.

Lord, in the quiet moments of prayer, in the chaotic buzz of Christmas preparation, in the ordinary and extraordinary, may we experience your joy, mercy and simplicity
Lord Jesus, within the darkness,
Let us celebrate the coming of your light.

Lord, as we approach the coming of Christ into the world and into our hearts, may we be always aware of your ever present love, unconditional and without end nor limit.
Lord Jesus, within the darkness,
Let us celebrate the coming of your light.

Lord, as we look back on a year of loss and grief, we ask that your loving, healing presence be with all those who have lost family and friends and that your presence is also felt by all those who are sick in mind, body or spirit including those known personally to each one of us.
Lord Jesus, within the darkness,
Let us celebrate the coming of your light.

‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’ 13th December 2020 Evening Prayer – 3rd Sunday of Advent

Posted on December 13, 2020 by St Mary's

The Readings

Isaiah 40.1-8

Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.

A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

Mark 1.1-11

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight” ’,
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

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

The Sermon

By Kath, a Lay Reader at St Mary's.

For all that he is one of the best known characters in the Bible; it seemed to me that we don’t actually know that much about John the Baptist. This concerned me when I was allocated the task of preaching about him today, what was there to say about him beyond the stories that most of us know? In the interests of being thorough and making sure I hadn’t missed anything, I set about reading as much on John as I could find in the Bible and he is referred to in all four Gospels but to a large extent they say pretty much the same things. So what do we know about him? Well to start with his role is foretold in our passage from Isaiah; personally I think that the imagery used to convey something can sometimes get in its own way and I find it so with this passage which sounds more like a description of a colossal civil engineering project than telling us that someone will be sent ahead of the Messiah to prepare the way for him. Perhaps what it does successfully covey is the sheer scale of the task. “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight”. No pressure!

To start at the beginning of his life we know that John was the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah, a blessing from God in their old age. We hear how the baby leaps in his mother’s womb when she is visited by her cousin Mary who is pregnant with Jesus. In a break from tradition the child is not named after his father. Because he had not trusted God at a critical moment, Zechariah had been rendered unable to speak but at the naming of his son, when he confirms in writing that he is to be called John, his ability to speak is restored and he begins praising God. The neighbours present are made rather fearful by what has happened and they spread word of it throughout the region. All who hear about it recognise that there is something very special about John and wonder “What then will this child become?” Zechariah makes a speech about God’s gift of the Messiah and on what his own son’s role will be. “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.”

I think it would be fair to say that most of us take a long time to find our career or path in life. Many of us make a few mistakes, take wrong turns or things don’t work out as we had hoped or planned, some of us have more than one career or vocation, some trust to providence, some just fall into whatever is available at the time and sadly some never find their way at all. For John it seems that his role and destiny were preordained before he was even born.

We hear nothing further about his life until he begins his public ministry other than that he was in the wilderness where he grew and became strong in spirit. It seems that he was taken into the wilderness to hide and protect him from King Herod’s edict to kill all the infant boys less than two years of age. I always thought that wearing camel’s hair clothing and a leather belt and living on locusts and wild honey didn’t sound like the most appealing of job descriptions but when you put it into the context of literally surviving that gives a slightly different perspective. It also stood John in good stead later in that he couldn’t be accused of using his ministry to “feather his own nest” so to speak. Instead he was accused of having a demon. It seems that sometimes you just can’t win!

As far as I can make out from the information readily available, it is probable that John began his ministry in his early thirties, as Jesus did. In Luke’s Gospel we hear that he went out into all the region around the Jordan “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. From then on, great numbers of people from all walks of life went out to him to be baptised in the river Jordan and seeking advice about what they should do in order to be saved. What he told them was simple and practical, for example to tax collectors he said “collect no more than the amount prescribed for you”, and to soldiers he said “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” This might not sound particularly remarkable but bear in mind this was a society where many people used whatever means they could to further their own interests, even if it meant trampling on or cheating others because they could get away with it. Come to think of it, things are not always so different nowadays!

When some Pharisees and Sadducees came to John for baptism he didn’t hold back in his criticism of them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not say to yourselves we have Abraham as our ancestor. ... 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.”

In light of what they saw and heard about John, many people wondered whether he was the Messiah but he always told them that he was not, saying “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptised you with water; but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”

When Jesus himself came to John for baptism, John was initially reluctant to do this and thought that Jesus should be baptising him. But Jesus said it was right for him to be baptised by John so that is happened; as described at the end of our passage from Mark’s Gospel, “Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. Immediately afterwards Jesus went into the wilderness and sometime later John was arrested by King Herod because he had openly criticised him for divorcing his wife and for his relationship with his brother’s wife, Herodias.

While in prison even John needed reassurance that Jesus was the Messiah. He sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus “Are you the one who is to come or should we wait for another? Jesus sends word back “Tell him what you see and hear”.

It might seem that John is not the important one in this story and that is how he saw himself but Jesus says of him “he is the greatest of all prophets” and calls him “Elijah, who is to come”. John said of his relationship with Jesus “I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He displays true humility!

It seems that John knows that his role has been fulfilled. While he is in prison, there is a big celebration for Herod’s birthday and Salome, the daughter of Herodias, dances for him. He is so delighted by this that he promises her anything she asks for. At her mother’s bidding she asks for the head of John the Baptist and because he doesn’t want to lose face in front of his guests, Herod orders John’s immediate execution and he is beheaded. His head is given on a platter to Salome who then presents it to her mother. To all intents and purposes, it would seem that John had failed and lost and that his life had accounted for little. His disciples took his body away and buried it and they told Jesus what had happened. John’s death effectively warned Jesus to leave the area to avoid persecution. I couldn’t find any reference to how Jesus felt about all this but I don’t doubt that he was very distressed and saddened.

So what are we to make of John’s life and his death, what can we learn from it? This set me thinking about how we make our value judgements about our own lives and the lives of others. In our time and society we tend to be judged by our “successes” which in turn are frequently measured by our social status and financial wealth; not to achieve these things is all too often seen as making us a failure or somehow “lesser” and therefore lacking in value. We can be manipulated to be over-concerned with how we appear to others who then make value judgements about us without real knowledge or understanding of who and what we are or why and this can be done with a total lack of compassion or care. We see this happen not just to celebrities and well known people but to pretty much anyone. I feel sorry for those who have grown up in this culture where there is little to challenge or counter balance it. How does all this distort our approaches to life and vocation, especially when it is seen as the norm for behaviour?

A phrase I have always liked is “Standing on the shoulders of giants”. It comes from a quote by Sir Isaac Newton, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” We are all shaped, at least to some extent, by those around us and in our history. If we are wise we will learn from them, both from their successes and their mistakes. My parents did their best to equip my sisters and me for life and to make things better for us for which I am profoundly grateful, enriched and humbled. Their parents did the same for them. I in my turn try to do the same for my children and their children. This desire to make things better for others doesn’t have to be within a family context, it can apply to any relationship.

Perhaps we can all benefit from reflecting on this. Maybe it isn’t our place to be number one or the most famous or rich or important but we can still be giants to those around us or who follow after us, just as John was for Jesus.

It seems there was more to say about John than I first thought.

The Prayers
Adapted from Common Worship Times and Seasons.

Watchful at all times,
let us pray for strength to stand with confidence
before our Maker and Redeemer.

That God may bring in his kingdom with justice and mercy,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That God may establish among the nations
his sceptre of righteousness,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That we may seek Christ in the Scriptures
and recognize him in the breaking of the bread,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That God may bind up the brokenhearted,
restore the sick
and raise up all who have fallen,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That the light of God’s coming may dawn
on all who live in darkness and the shadow of death,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That, with all the saints in light,
we may shine forth as lights for the world,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

We commend ourselves and all for whom we pray
to the mercy and protection of our heavenly Father:

Silence is kept.

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

‘John the Baptist’ – 13th December 2020 -3rd Sunday of Advent

Posted on December 13, 2020December 13, 2020 by St Mary's

The Readings

Isaiah 61.1-4, 8-end

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.

For I the Lord love justice,
I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.

John 1.6-8, 19-28

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ He said,
‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord” ’,
as the prophet Isaiah said.

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

The Sermon
By the Revd Canon Dr Alan Billings.

John the Baptist, whom we remember today with our third Advent candle, prepared people for the coming among them of Jesus. He was the cousin of Jesus, though a very different sort of person from him.

John was an ascetic. He believed you had to suffer a bit to be seriously religious. You had to go without creature comforts. Jesus, we know, took an opposite point of view. As a result, he was accused of being a bit too fond of the food and drink. His enemies said he was a drinker and a glutton. Compared to John the Baptist, he probably was. But that is not saying much. For John liked his religion lean and spare. No frills. Best practised away from the temptations and distractions of life in the city.

So John took himself off into the desert, while Jesus stayed in the towns. Not for John fine clothes. He dressed in a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt. Not for him fine food. He ate locusts and wild honey. Not for him the chatter and the laughter. What a contrast with Jesus who liked dinner parties, wore the tasselled dress of a rabbi, and joined in lively conversation.

But although he was very different from Jesus, even puzzled by Jesus’ behaviour; nevertheless, he could see who Jesus was and was very clear that his task was to prepare people for the coming of Jesus, and to see him as the Christ. In that respect he was a very gracious and humble man.

He said: ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.’

He might have been humble but he was far from being timid. He spoke out, urging people to sort out their lives as part of this getting ready for Christ’s coming. He even on one occasion publicly denounced the King who had married his dead brother’s wife – something forbidden. That got him put in prison and his head chopped off. But while he lived he never lost sight of the fact that he had the task of preparing the way for Jesus.

This was not a matter of making the Jews godly. They were already believers. They had the Torah – the scriptures – they worshipped in the Temple and said their prayers in the synagogue. John the Baptist’s task was to help them see God in Jesus.

All of which made me wonder how we, the Church, collectively, might be John the Baptist for people now. How might we point people to Jesus and help them see God in him.

Strange as it may seem, I believe the last few months of living with this awful disease, the coronavirus, with all its restrictions, has made me think about that afresh. I’ve come at it this way.

In my day job I have 23 people who work for me in my office. Since March they have all been working from home. Twice a week we all get together by video call and so I’ve been listening to what they say. It has been really quite revealing.

Eight months ago they were all saying how wonderful it was not to have to drive in every day to the office – it’s opposite IKEA - spending so much time sitting in traffic. Now, while they still want to have some days working from home – and we can arrange that – they have come to value and appreciate the working day, which for the moment they have lost. They have realised how the job didn’t just provide them with a wage; it also brought them companionship, friendship, human contact. We have all missed that.

And that is something that the Church also supplies week by week. Friendships and human contact. We miss it and have re-valued it during these last months.

As well as missing something, my office also discovered something. They discovered neighbours – neighbours in the sense of people next door or down the street. They noticed people around them, looked out for those who were frail or on their own. They appreciated more than they had ever done before what it means to be part of a community, to live in a place. They discovered what the Church of England has always understood the importance of the place you live – which we call the parish – where our neighbours are, where we are rooted.

This is the Anglican way of being a Christian. In our journey through life we become the people God wants us to be, not by ploughing some lone spiritual furrow, nor by joining a congregation distanced and unconnected with where we live, but by making our journey alongside others who are part of the community in which we live. A Church on the road, in the parish. The parish church, as its name suggests, brings together neighbours and teaches us all to value the parish, the place where our lives and our Church is set and to find Christ there.

If, like John the Baptist, our task is to help our neighbours find Jesus Christ, we need to value again both the parish church and the parish.

The Prayers
Prepared by Siobhan.

Holy God, as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of Christ our Saviour we ask you make us a holy people fit to meet him. We pray for our leaders ordained and non ordained, may they be blessed with wisdom as they guide us through Advent despite the pandemic. Strengthen the links between St Mary’s and our partnership churches St John’s Ranmoor and St Mark’s Broomhill.
Let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

Creator God,help the leaders of nations seek justice and peace, may there be good news for the poor and broken heartened, release those wrongly imprisoned and may conflicts be resolved. We pray for our country as we draw close to Brexit may solutions and a way forward be found. Help all who are struggling at this difficult time as COVID 19 continues globally.
Let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

Father God, we pray for all who bear witness to the message of Christ by word and example. We pray particularly for the teaching staff at our church school and for all those involved in the education of young people. We pray for parents and grandparents and remember families who are troubled or face financial hardship. We pray too for chaplaincies, community leaders and for all who work with the homeless and marginalised in our society.
Let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

Compassionate God, we entrust to your tender care those who are ill or in pain, knowing that whenever danger threatens your everlasting arms are there to hold them safe. Comfort and heal them and restore them to health and strength. Be with hospital staff and medical researchers, give resilience, empathy and compassion to those caring for the sick.
Let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

Gracious God, may those who have died be granted the peace of your heavenly kingdom. May they rest in peace and rise in glory.

Faithful God, as we continue this Advent journey, may we open our minds and hearts to your word and presence in those we encounter. In silence we bring our own prayer intentions and those who have asked for our prayers before you.

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

‘The Prophets’ – 6th December 2020 @ 6:30pm – The Second Sunday of Advent

Posted on December 6, 2020December 5, 2020 by St Mary's

The Readings

Ezekiel 34: 11-16

For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.

Matthew 5: 17-20

Jesus said ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

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
By Catherine, a Reader at St Mary's.

This time last year, the coronavirus was something we were dimly aware of as a health problem in China. Few had heard of Jonathan Van-Tam, Britain’s deputy chief medical officer. Yet this week “JVT” as he is now being styled, is fast becoming a national treasure, someone we trust to tell the truth about anything concerning the pandemic. He tells it like it is, dishing out the advice he’d give to his mum, and voicing his concerns about some of the official advice given by politicians.

JVT likes to use metaphor to explain things. Where another person might slip the occasional metaphor into a sentence when explaining something, JVT picks one and runs with it. So you get a whole paragraph describing in detail how the latest situation with respect to lock-downs or vaccines is like a football match (complete with goals, extra time and penalties) or railway journeys (the train has slowed safely and stopped at the station. It will call all over the country – so please get on board. More trains will follow).

I wonder if JVT is familiar with chapter 34 of Ezekiel? Because like JVT, Ezekiel likes to take a metaphor and exploit it to the full. We only heard a few verses this evening, but the prophecy of chapter 34 is best read as a whole. It explores the well-used Biblical metaphor of sheep and shepherding from many different angles.

Ezekiel’s prophecy voices the word of God:

In verses 1-6 God addresses the “Shepherds of Israel”. They have fed themselves and not their sheep, whose wool they continue to take. They have not healed their sheep when sick, and have not sought them out when they’ve strayed. As a consequence the sheep have been scattered far and wide.

In verses 7-10 God declares that he has therefore stripped the shepherds of their responsibility. They no longer have charge of the sheep. God himself will rescue the sheep.

In verses 11-16, which we heard this evening, God declares that he himself will seek out all the lost sheep from the many places they have strayed. They will be brought back to good grazing land in Israel. He will strengthen the weak and destroy the strong. Justice will come about.

Then in verses 17- 22 comes a message addressed to the sheep themselves. Feed on good ground, but beware of trampling on the food and spoiling it for others. It is not to be a mad dash survival of the fittest. God will destroy those sheep who have become fat at the expense of others.

Forget any notions of romantic rural idylls. Shepherding was a difficult and responsible management job, leading the sheep to places where they’d find decent food, keeping them safe from wild animals, rounding up the strays and keeping the flock together.

Of course Ezekiel is not declaring God’s word to actual shepherds and sheep, but to people. In the Ancient Near East, kings were often described as “shepherds”. The Kings had overall responsibility for the welfare of their people – safety from enemies, enough food to eat, shelter, care when sick, keeping people together in the community, maintaining harmony within the community and above all, religious guidance.

Ezekiel is thought to have been among those from Judah who were deported to Babylon when the Babylonians invaded the land and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. Yet he addresses them as if they are the whole nation of Israel. He is highly damning of the leaders who have failed in their responsibility to their people. And now they are being punished. They no longer have care of their flock.

Ezekiel addresses the ordinary people too – in this time of great upheaval, it has been everyone for themselves, with people fighting over scarce resources and some thriving at the expense of others. They too are warned of the consequences of this.

But the prophecy does not end with doom and warning. In verses 23-4 God promises to restore his servant David as shepherd of the people. God is ultimate king, but David is his human representative on earth. David, or someone descended from him will come to restore things. As a result, verses 25-31 foresee a renewal of the Covenant of peace, the land restored with fruitful trees and plentiful harvests. The people will be released from slavery and will be safe from both wild animals and threats from other nations. All will know that the LORD is God and that the people, the House of Israel, are his people.

Ezekiel’s prophecy holds true for the world today just as it did for the remnant of Judah in exile in Babylon. Times are very tough. Our leaders do not always seem to be getting things right. And as the pandemic drags on, patience is being severely tried, tempers are becoming frayed and some people are looking out for themselves and forgetting the more vulnerable.

In this second week of Advent we focus on the prophets. Times were grim, but the prophets foresaw a time when a king from David’s line would be restored and all would be well. It would be, as Joe said last week, around 14 more generations before the birth of this new king. A long time to wait. But he would be born and all would be well.

Times are grim at the moment and we won’t be able to celebrate the birth of this new king quite in our usual way. The vaccines are almost ready to be rolled out, so hopefully we won’t have to wait 14 generations before we can freely mix with our friends and families at Christmas. In the meantime, like Israel we watch and wait, and we take encouragement and guidance from the words of the prophets of old and the deputy chief medical officers of today.

The Prayers
Prepared by David, adapted from Common Worship Times and Seasons.

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

Come to your Church as Lord and judge.
We pray for our Bishops, Pete and Sophie,
our Mission Partnership churches, St Marks and St Johns,
and all who minister here at St Mary's
Help us to live in the light of your coming
and give us a longing for your kingdom.
Lord, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy.

Come to your world as King of the nations.
We pray for the leaders of the nations,
for those negotiating a mutually equitable agreement with the European Union
and for a peaceful transfer of power in the United States of America.
Before you rulers will stand in silence.
Lord, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy.

Come to the suffering as Saviour and comforter.
We pray for those who are struggling with loneliness,
for those undergoing medical treatment,
and for those who have no hope.
Break into our lives,
where we struggle with sickness and distress,
and set us free to serve you for ever.
Lord, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy.

Come to us as shepherd and guardian of our souls.
We remember all who have died, praying for Pam and all who mourn her loss.
Give us with all the faithful departed
a share in your victory over evil and death.
Lord, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy.

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.
Lord, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy.

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.
Lord, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy.

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

‘Comfort and Joy’ – 6th December 2020 @10:30am – The Second Sunday of Advent

Posted on December 6, 2020December 5, 2020 by St Mary's

The Readings

Isaiah 40.1-11

A voice says, ‘Cry out!’
And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’
All people are grass,
their constancy is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
when the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand for ever.
Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
‘Here is your God!’
See, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.

Mark 1.1-8

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The Sermon
By the Revd Caitlin Thomson from St Mark's Broomhill and Broomhall

My favourite carol has to be ‘God rest ye merry..’ – with a beautiful tune and memorable lyrics, it succinctly summarises the purpose of the Christmas season:

God rest ye merry, gentlefolk,
let nothing ye dismay;
for Jesus Christ our saviour
was born on Christmas Day;
to save us all from Satan’s power
when we were gone astray.
Oh tidings of comfort and joy –
Comfort and joy!
Oh tidings of comfort and joy!

As I continue to remain mostly at home, it has felt important to me that I set this season apart to embrace its message – it could so easily melt into the indistinct blob of time which started in Lent… indeed, for many of us it may feel like we are still in Lent, awaiting the resurrection and celebration of Easter.

I’ve been putting extra effort into marking Advent – the Nativity set is out, my Jesse Tree is up to help me reflect on the journey from Creation to Christ, and my Advent playlist has been brought out of its digital slumber.

In many ways, it is starting to feel more like Christmas for me than past years now. I’m more engaged with the season, because my longing for its message is deeper.

I desire to be merry this season, and to put aside my fears and troubles.

I want to bear tidings of comfort and joy.

And so, this morning, because I long to share tidings of comfort and joy, I want to talk about the message of comfort that we heard in our reading from Isaiah this morning.

First, some context:

In the previous chapter of Isaiah, the prophet goes to see King Hezekiah who is being courted by the Babylonian empire (and is enjoying the attention). Isaiah warns him that the Babylonians are going to invade and carry off all the wealth that Hezekiah has been showing off – even some of the king’s sons will be stolen away as slaves. However, Hezekiah doesn’t care and is instead comforted as the misfortune will not affect him but his descendants!

So we enter chapter 40 with an Israel whose King cares only for himself – an Israel who, due to the actions (or inaction) of their King is going to endure a time of suffering.

And these are the opening words of God to this people:

Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.

The consolation is immediate, the contrast clear – this is a ruler who cares. In the Hebrew, the instruction ‘comfort’ is plural, an instruction to the heavenly courts… it is as if God is calling his kingdom to rise up around the people in support and solidarity – not just one voice of comfort, but many. This message is also to be repeated – enduring and continuous as a more accurate translation of God’s action here is not just ‘says your God’ but ‘your God keeps saying’.

And what do the people need to hear? On the surface, verse 2 seems to indicate that Israel is being punished, but digging deeper reveals the opposite – the price has already been paid. The image of ‘receiving from the Lord’s hand double’ is not intended as an expression of harsh punishment, but instead paints a picture of how God’s wisdom is ‘folded over’ double on itself – difficult to understand, but always overlaid with love. This is an image of forgiveness laminated with grace – unconditional and generous.

This is, after all, the character of the Lord: gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in love. Whatever is happening, however far God’s people have strayed, the Lord’s loving kindness endures.

The passage then continues to express this message through three movements:

In the first movement a voice cries out in the wilderness, “prepare the way of the Lord!” This is a call to make ready to receive the royal procession, to welcome with joy and celebration the King of Love whose glory shall be revealed to all people. This is a ruler who cares for everyone (a stark contrast to the selfish Hezekiah), and who will move among his people.

In the second movement, the prophet turns back to himself and asks, “what shall I cry?” Humanity is held up in contrast to the divine nature – humans are fleeting and inconsistent - the prophet even uses the word hesed which is the word used for God’s loving-kindness/goodness/mercy throughout the Old Testament but which you may be most familiar with in Psalm 23 – (surely goodness and mercy shall follow me…) Humanity’s hesed (in the NRSV translated as consistency) is like the flower of the field – it withers and fades – this is held in contrast to the eternal and unchanging hesed of God. Human purposes will falter and fade, and our experiences are transient – but the divine purposes never fail. The love of God underwrites all of history – it is always there and always constant.

The third movement carries us up the high and holy mountain; an instruction for the heavenly kingdom to herald the coming victory of God. The language used alludes to Miriam, the prophetess - heralding victory already accomplished and rushing to assemble a welcoming party to meet the Shepherd and those he is leading home.

So what is the comfort to God’s people?

That even through the hardest times, the Lord has not abandoned us. God is with us in the darkest valley and leads us through the wilderness to reach our home.
No matter what we believe about divine punishment, God’s mercy always extends further.
We have a divine ruler who cares about us and wants us to be happy – he wants us to be rejoice and be glad, and to be free from the shadow of despair. God is actively concerned with our wellbeing – and even wades in to retrieve us when we stray too far.
In all of this, God is constant – his loving mercy endures forever.

This is a message to sustain Israel through their trials – and one which is still relevant to us today. This message of comfort and joy can sustain us too - the Church of England has even identified it as the message which is most needed this year and has chosen ‘Comfort and Joy’ as our Christmas 2020 ‘strapline’.

The more I engage with this message, the more it means to me. As with many matters of faith, message circles deeper, and the more you encounter it the further in it draws you.

I began Advent this year recognising that comfort and joy seemed a bit further away, that the ‘different’ nature of this season meant I would need to work more proactively and intentionally to ‘feel’ Advent and Christmas. And it has been working – I am discovering comfort and joy because I am seeking it and expecting to find it.

It is this active involvement which is making the difference – just as there is a call in Isaiah to prepare the way of the Lord and to herald his victory, so we are called to herald the birth of our saviour and celebrate with tidings of comfort and joy by living in expectation of their truth.

There are a myriad of ways that we can do this – whether you are counting the days to Christmas with an advent calendar or candle, decorating a Jesse Tree, baking, cooking, decorating your house, preparing gifts and activities for friends and family, or planning services and events in which we can communally celebrate the birth of Christ (even if we have to do so in different ways this year)… whatever you are doing to mark Advent and prepare for Christmas, I encourage you to seek eagerly in expectation knowing that you will find Jesus in the manger. The light of the world has come: it shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

And whatever you are going through this Advent, may you find comfort in this: the Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in love. His love endures forever.

Amen.

The Prayers
Prepared by David, adapted from Common Worship Times and Seasons.

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

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

‘The promise of hope’ – 29th November 2020 – Advent Sunday

Posted on November 29, 2020November 29, 2020 by St Mary's

The Readings

Genesis 12.1-4a

Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Matthew 1.1-17

An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

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

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

Advent. The start of the period of waiting for the birth of Christ. This year it seems that we’ve spent a great deal of time waiting, in one way or another. From when we entered in to Lockdown 1 (and yes, you know you’re in trouble when you start numbering these events) half-way through Lent, this year has been a strange time of uncertainty, with few of the usual ‘anchor points’ of our daily lives left unaffected.

At first glance, some readings would appear to give little for a preacher to go on. I have to say that that was my first feeling about tonight’s lectionary pairing. But I slept on it, prayed, and concluded that, if nothing else, these readings do go to show that our Lectionary isn’t just thrown together, and that there are frequent connections, even if at first glance the links between readings may seem tenuous.

We’re once again talking about waiting; this time the long and patient wait of the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah.

Our first reading, from Genesis, takes place after the destruction wrought by the Flood. God now takes a new approach with Humanity. He takes a particular couple – Abram and Sarai – of an age where the idea of children seems impossible – and from them he intends to bless the world with His people. He tells Abram to leave his country – in fact, God tells him to even leave much of his family behind when He tells Abram to “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” And promises that He and Sarai will be the start of a great nation. God is focusing on a single family from all the branches of man that have emerged after the Flood. And from this unlikely start, He will create His Kingdom on Earth. It’s a big job…and a long game.

And then in our second reading, the opening of the Gospel according to Matthew, we see the genealogy of Jesus. And yes – it starts with Abraham (after he changed his name from Abram).

Jesus’s genealogy turns up in two forms in the Gospels. There’s the one in Matthew, and there is a further one in Luke Chapter 3. The version in Luke traces Jesus right back to Adam; indeed, it finishes with the words ‘the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.’ Luke’s version of the family line also gives attention to Mary. The lineage in Matthew, on the other hand, follows the line back from Joseph – Jesus’s legal father – back to Abraham.

Luke, the Gentile, emphasises Jesus’s relationship to the whole of mankind; Matthew, writing as a Jew, puts more emphasis on the lineage of Jesus as a figure of Jewish history. I always feel that the inclusion of the genealogy in Luke is almost a secondary thought, whereas in Matthew it’s ‘up front and centre’, starting the whole Gospel off.

This would probably have been a deliberate decision by Matthew. Although the Gospel was written in Greek, it’s quite likely that it was aimed heavily at Jewish readers. Matthew quotes Old Testament sources more than any other New Testament author; he assumes that his readers will have a knowledge of Jewish custom and terminology, and the family lineage he uses starts with Abraham – the name which Abram took when he became the ‘father’ of the tribes of Israel.

Matthew is setting out from the very beginning to show his Jewish readers that Jesus Christ is their Messiah. And he does this by building upon existing Jewish scriptures, using Old Testament scriptures to show how Jesus fulfils the prophecies to be found in the OT.

It's also worth noting that some scholars have suggested that in the 1st Century AD, Chronicles was regarded as the last book of the Hebrew scriptures. The first part of Chronicles – what we know as Chronicles 1 – is very much a set of genealogical data, and so if Matthew is writing with the intention of making it clear that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, then starting his Gospel with the genealogy of Christ provides a continuity between old and new scriptures that would be obvious to his readers.

Matthew’s intended audience would be at home with the idea of a lineage starting his version of the Gospel. If we take a look at the reading, we see that it states:
“Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.”
Now, a quick examination of the lineage given reveals the fact that there aren’t actually 14 generations in each of the three sections; it would be more accurate to say ‘about 14 or so generations’ but that wouldn’t have read as well. There are also a few names missing in this lineage, if you compare the list here to the similar list in Chronicles. And – note that it’s only David who is marked as ‘King David’ in the list – no other ruler is so described in the genealogy.

Matthew uses his ‘rule of 14’ to split this list along lines that emphasise the role of David in the family tree of Christ – the first 14 generations end with David becoming King; his ‘regnal line’ continues for the next 14 generations until the Exile, and then, 14 generations later, the Messiah is born in to the line.

From the very start – in the opening lines of the Gospel – Matthew is asserting the continuity of the line from Abraham, through David and other well known kings and events in Jewish history, right through to the Messiah, born in this generation as Jesus Christ.

So, what’s in a number? To be precise, why does it look like Matthew is working hard to create this association with the number 14?

An aspect of Jewish spiritual beliefs was the practice of ‘Gematria’ – a process whereby numerical values are assigned to characters in the Hebrew text. The value that comes from David’s name is 14; so Matthew, with his focus on 14, is reminding his readers – who’d be aware of this – that as well as Jesus being descended from David, that descent also involves 2 lots of 14, which links the Messiah and David at a deeper, almost mystical, level in the minds of the readers.

Matthew knew his stuff. What he was saying to his readers is ‘The long wait is over; the promise given to the people is being fulfilled now, in this generation. The promised Messiah is here.’

We experience this wait every year; we experience the waiting, the anticipation, the looking forward to the light in the darkness. The Jewish people had also waited for, and anticipated the coming of the Messiah – and Matthew was letting them know. He is coming; the one we have waited for is here.

This Advent finds us waiting, uncertain, perhaps a little fearful of what is coming in the future, at the end of a year when certainties have been cast aside. But we have one certainty; one source of hope, one source of light in the darkness. The Messiah IS coming. May we all have a blessed and enlightening Advent season as we wait.
Amen

The Prayers
Prepared by Joe

The bidding for our prayers this evening is “Lord, have mercy” and the response is “Christ, have mercy.”

With thankful hearts we bring our prayers to our heavenly Father.

As we enter the season of Advent, 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.
In these uncertain times, we know we can rely on you, Lord, to keep your promises to us, as you kept them to Abraham and Sarah.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We pray for all those in authority, and those who have influence in the world, that their power and influence be used compassionately for the good of all. In this time of uncertainty, people are fearful; we pray that leaders work to calm those fears, not inflame them. We pray that people speak the truth to each others, and that we have discernment to know when we are being deceived.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We pray for our community here in Walkley, and for the city of Sheffield, and for our neighbours and friends. We pray that the levels of Covid-19 infection continue to fall, and that the health services in our city and region are not overwhelmed. As we plan for coming out of lockdown, we people will be careful and care for one another, keeping our homes, schools and workplaces ‘Covid Secure’.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We pray for the aged and infirm, and those sick in mind, body or spirit, those that need your grace and blessing. We pray that God’s power and spirit will strengthen them and bring them the healing and peace that belong to Christ’s kingdom. We pray that the scientists working on vaccines and treatments for Covid19 are successful, and that we may soon be able to be with friends and family without fear.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We pray for those close to death at this time, 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. We pray for those who have died without the comfort of their family around them, that they were comforted by your presence, Lord. We pray that you give strength and love to all those close to death and caring for the dying at this time.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

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

Rejoicing in the communion of Mary 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.

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

‘Christ the King’ – 22nd November 2020 – Last Sunday before Advent

Posted on November 22, 2020November 21, 2020 by St Mary's

Readings

Ephesians 1.15-end

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Matthew 25.31-end

Jesus said, ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’

The Sermon
By Canon Dr Alan Billings

We are so familiar with this passage and so familiar with the way it is often, if not always, explained, that we can miss, as a result, many of the things that Jesus is actually saying to us – both then and now.

For instance, starting where the parable starts – with sheep and goats.

it was only when I went to the Holy Land that I realised how difficult it is to separate sheep and goats in that part of the world. Here, we have no trouble. Sheep look very different from goats. But the Palestinian sheep and the Palestinian goat look alike – with their droopy long ears.

So the first thing Jesus is saying is quite hard for us to grasp, let alone put into practice. He is saying something about how difficult it is to recognise in the here and now those who deserve to be on God’s right hand and those who will be on his left – the good and the bad. In the here and now they are often indistinguishable.

We don’t really believe that. So we have to be jolted into thinking about the truth of that. We need to pause before we start condemning others. We may not be as clever at spotting the difference as we think.

And there will be all sorts of reasons for that.

In the first place, we only see what people do, we don’t see, we can’t see, their motivation for doing it. And that may be very important.

Why did she walk out on her children all those years ago? We may be quick to judge. But we don’t know that she knew that, if she had stayed, she might well have done something to them that she would have regretted. She knew the inner compulsions. She knew how close she came on more than one occasion to hitting them with fury. So she walked away, even though it broke her heart to do so.

As God said to Samuel: “...for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16.7

We do not see as the Lord sees, so we ought to pause before we judge others – in the same way we might hope that others would pause before they judge us – a familiar theme in the gospel.

Jesus is also saying something else in this passage. And this too may be hard to hear.

He is not saying, I’m going to give you a list of things I want you to do in order to win the approval of our heavenly Father. This is not a check list for us to scroll down and tick off:

yes, fed the hungry – gave to a foodbank

yes, gave sustenance to the thirsty – supported the charity Water Aid

yes, took in someone stranded who needed a bed for the night

.. and so on.

The point of the list is not that we go down it and tick things off, it is only to make the point that there will be those who should have done something – not necessarily these things – but they didn’t. They didn’t because they didn’t recognise what they should have done. Their hearts, perhaps, were hearts of stone, or lacked compassion or generosity. The point is that they didn’t understand why their outward behaviour was so lacking because they didn’t acknowledge what their inner self was really like.

In the same way, those who are commended are not commended because they did what was on this list – the list could have been any number of things. They are commended for doing good in ways they didn’t know were good. They did these things because they had generous, loving and compassionate hearts, not because they followed a checklist. They didn’t know they were doing good. They were not self conscious about it at all.

So the parable is saying this. Not do the things on this list and you will be alright in the judgement. It is saying you will not know what the judgement is until you are judged because the important thing will be what you carry in your heart, what motivates you. That is what will put you on God’s right or his left. And that holds the potential to surprise us all – unless we sort our heart out.

For while man looks on the outward appearance, the Lord will look on the heart.

The Prayers
Prepared by Joe.

With thankful hearts we bring our prayers to our heavenly Father

As we celebrate the festival of Christ the King, 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.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We pray for all those in authority, and those who have influence in the world, that their power and influence be used compassionately for the good of all. Bring clarity of thought and vision to those who make an implement policy. We particularly pray for a smooth and peaceful transition of power in the United States. We pray that all decisions made are for the benefit of all people, and that they bring your Kingdom closer to all people.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We pray for our community here in Walkley, and for the city of Sheffield, and for our neighbours and friends. As we start to look towards the end of our current lockdown, remind us to behave with the good of all people in mind. Lord, we pray for those who are worried and troubled especially at this time of continuing uncertainty. We pray for those whose health and livelihoods have been affected by Covid-19, and those who have ongoing health or emotional problems where treatments are still only partially available.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

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

Heavenly Father, you have rescued us from the power of darkness. Help us to walk in this world as citizens of your kingdom of light where Christ reigns as King in eternal glory.

Rejoicing in the communion of Mary 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

‘Multiplying talents’ – 15th November 2020 – 2nd Sunday before Advent

Posted on November 15, 2020 by St Mary's

The Readings

1 Thessalonians 5.1-11

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

Matthew 25.14-30

Jesus said:
‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Scripture Quotations are taken 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
by Canon Dr Matthew Rhodes.

Cathy and I had a meeting with our financial adviser recently. On Zoom of course. And I was rather dreading it. The economy has had such a turbulent time recently that I thought that the Rhodes family fortune would have been badly depleted. Had it been down to me I might have been tempted to stick it all under the mattress. Which is why I am a vicar not a financial adviser. So many people are suffering at the moment and it feels as if that pain needs to be shared. And certainly our savings and investments have not grown all that much in the past year. But actually the news from our adviser was better than I had feared. The people who look after the Rhodes millions seem to have looked to the future. To have taken some intelligent risks. I’m not sure if they have invested in Zoom or Pfizer but they have put money into green technologies. Industries that will play an important part in the post Covid recovery.

In the midst of all the chaos and upheaval of the past year, some people are investing for the future. At St John’s we have been refurbishing the Parish Centre. Looking forward to the day when it can reopen properly and serve our community better. We have also used this time to restore the organ and that work is nearly completed. We are investing in technology to improve the way we stream our services. The Diocese is investing in new structures of ministry which mean that in addition to St John’s, I now have responsibilities at St Mary’s Walkley. And hopefully, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, is investing wisely for the future, laying the foundations for a greener, more sustainable, economic recovery.

In today’s Gospel, a wealthy man distributes his property to his slaves. To one five talents. To another two and to another one. And then he goes away. And I think we can all identify with that sense of absence at the moment. We are separated from our loved ones. From the people who give us security. Some of us are separated from work. And if the rich man is God, we can all identify with that sense of him feeling a bit absent sometimes. It’s not a new feeling. In our first reading, the prophet Zephaniah addressed a people that had given up expecting God to return. They had grown complacent and sinful. But Zephaniah warned them that the day of judgement was near. Their wealth and property would be no protection from his wrath. And we are going to hear a lot about God returning in judgement in the next few weeks.

The Thessalonians in our second reading, were more expectant and hopeful of the Lord’s return but Paul warned them that it was not for them to know when that would be. The Lord would come like a thief in the night. But they were not to be fearful. As children of the light, he told them to keep awake. To encourage one another and build each another up. We can identify with that sense of not knowing when things are going to happen. What will things be like after 2nd December? What will Christmas be like? We have had some good news about a vaccine this week but we don’t quite know when that will be rolled out. Like the Thessalonians, we need to be open and hopeful, encouraging each other and building each other up.

Some have suggested that this parable was aimed very much at the disciples. Jesus was preparing them for his departure. When the rich man returns, the first two slaves have doubled the talents that he gave them. They have gone out into the market. They have speculated to accumulate. And the master commends them for their efforts. Although they were given different amounts and made different profits, they are both commended in the same way. Like the workers in the vineyard they both receive the same reward. They are to be put in charge of many things and are to enter into the joy of their master. We cannot all be Captain Tom or Marcus Rashford. The size of our efforts is not really what is important. It is our faithfulness. Whether in small things or large things.

The third slave is quite different. He has a very different picture of his master. A distorted image. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden were persuaded by the serpent that they were somehow in competition with God. That he wanted to deny them things. In the same way, the slave has absorbed the idea that the master is mean and vengeful. And his actions reflect that image. He hid master’s money in the ground. Burying it as Jesus was buried by the religious authorities. The slave had taken no risks but neither had he increased what he had been given.

In response, the master lives up to the slave’s image of him. He strips the slave of his talent and gives it to another. And he has the slave thrown out into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Sometimes we get the sort of God we believe in. If our God is narrow and judgmental then that may be the God we experience. But if we can have a bigger picture of God. A more generous, open, loving God then that may be the God we encounter instead.

The talents are a bit like the mustard seed or the yeast in Jesus’ other parables. They are to be used. Shared. Multiplied. Our attitude to them reflects our attitude to God. Our picture of the kingdom. Not all of us can use our God given talents to the full at the moment. But this is not just a time of waiting. Not just a time to keep our talents buried. All of us can do something. As we prepare for Christmas, whatever that looks like, many of us can use our spending power to support local businesses and vital charities. I continue to be very thankful for the ongoing generosity of so many to the Foodbank. Cathy and I have felt very blessed by all the prayers and messages of support and the practical help that we have received while we have been ill. In this second lockdown with the colder weather and shorter days, there is such a need for that ministry of love and care which so many people exercise. God has given us so much. Entrusted us with so many talents. How can we use them, multiply them, in this extraordinary time?

Amen.

The Prayers

prepared by Siobhan

In the power of the Holy Spirit and in union with Christ we pray to the Father. You promised through your Son, Jesus Christ to hear us when we pray in faith. We pray for the church, the world and those whom we love.

We give thanks for St Mary’s leadership team who continue to serve our church community with their gifts and talents during this challenging time. May they be inspired by your love and wisdom as they continue to answer your call to embody your truth and love in Walkley. We pray for the continuing strengthening of links with St John’s and St Mark’s as we invest in joint ventures.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for a world that is hurting. May world governments seek solutions which protect the health and wellbeing of the global community. As health services continue to experience increased demands may frontline workers receive the support they need. We give thanks for the work of scientists committed to developing safe and effective vaccines for Covid.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for all those who are vulnerable especially remembering those in nursing and residential homes. We pray for those suffering because of Covid 19 that they may have good care. We pray too for those whose treatment may be delayed at this time. Be with all people who are unwell in mind, body or spirit. Give healing, compassion, support, and courage to all who need your love.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We pray for the bereaved that they may know the compassion of Christ. In silence we remember those known to us who have died. May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We remember in silence our own personal intentions and the intentions of those who have asked for our prayers.

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

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

‘Remembrance Sunday’ – 8th November 2020

Posted on November 8, 2020November 7, 2020 by St Mary's

The Readings

Micah 4. 1 - 5

In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised up above the hills.
Peoples shall stream to it,
and many nations shall come and say:
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples,
and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid;
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

For all the peoples walk,
each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
for ever and ever.

John 15. 9 - 17

Jesus said, 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 so that you may love one another.

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

“I have a dream” said the prophet Micah. It was a dream shared by the prophet Isaiah, for the same words read this morning from Micah also appear in chapter 2 of Isaiah.

It’s a dream of the holy mountain of God. The mountain where the temple stands. And in this dream this mountain is higher than any other mountain. It might be the mountain of Jerusalem, the holy city of the Hebrew people, but in this dream, people are flocking to it from many different nations. It’s a place of pilgrimage for all.

Why are the people drawn to the mountain? It’s because they want to learn God’s ways, walk in his paths, and take his Word back to their home countries to share with their own people.

In this dream God will act as referee, helping strong nations to work out the differences between each other. God’s action will be so effective that the people will be confident enough to take their weapons of war and recycle them into tools to farm with. There will be no more need to learn the skills of war. There will be no more fear because there is no longer any threat from anyone else. So the people of each nation can grow their own vines and figs in their own lands, safe in the knowledge that they will not be destroyed by enemies, but will bear fruit and feed them.

In this dream, no one is afraid. In this dream the world is at peace.

Micah’s dream was not about to be realised any time soon. In Micah’s reality the kingdom of Israel was about to be cruelly overthrown by the stronger, brutal Assyrians. A century later, the kingdom of Judah would be overthrown by the Babylonians; Jerusalem and her temple destroyed. There would be no growing of figs or vines and the people would be taken into exile. In reality, many people were afraid. In reality the world was far from being at peace.

And as we know, the world continues to be far from peaceful. Today we remember especially those who died in the two world wars. Young men who should have had their whole lives ahead of them. Families whose lives were turned upside down through loss of a son, brother, father.

And we bring to mind too those lost in the conflicts that have taken place, or are still taking place around the world. Their grieving families. Their displaced peoples. Those living in constant fear. The world is still far from being anything like Micah’s dream.

Micah and the other prophets knew that there was unlikely to be peace in the world in their near future. They could see that the actions of their nations and leaders would result in conflicts against bigger, stronger nations. These bigger, stronger nations would overthrow them. The prophets warned the people about the consequences of their behaviour. Their warnings came to pass.

And yet the prophets still had hope. They still dared to dream of days to come when things would be different. Days when people the world over would be guided by God into reconciling their differences. Days when the nations and their people would learn how to live in harmony with each other. Days when weapons of war would no longer be necessary and could be turned instead into useful tools, tools which would sustain life.

Their hope stood firm. It refused to die. Their hope still stands firm. It still refuses to die.

A dream of days to come. A dream not yet realised.

Not yet.

The Prayers
From Common Worship.

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

for the service men and women
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 civilian women, children and men
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.

‘Wait Quietly for the Lord’ – Sunday 1st November 2020 – Eve of All Souls Day

Posted on November 1, 2020November 1, 2020 by St Mary's

The Readings

Lamentations 3.17-26

My soul is bereft of peace;
I have forgotten what happiness is;
so I say, ‘Gone is my glory,
and all that I had hoped for from the Lord.’

The thought of my affliction and my homelessness
is wormwood and gall!
My soul continually thinks of it
and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
‘therefore I will hope in him.’

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.

The Reflection
by Catherine, a Reader at St. Mary's

Bereavement is never easy. Bereavement in the time of a pandemic is especially difficult. And some of you here with us this evening or following online may be feeling this really keenly. The loved ones we were not able to be with during their final days and hours. Saying our goodbyes over video call or phone. The funerals we would have attended, the memories shared, the mutual support of hugs, or the conversations had with friends and family over food and drink. In-person attendance restricted to a select few people, with everyone else following via video link. Having to grieve alone. Yes, bereavement is especially difficult this year.

The opening verses of our reading from Lamentations may have resonated with you, echoed what you have been, or are still feeling inside.

“My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is…

The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall!
My soul continually thinks of it
and is bowed down within me”

Normal human feelings. Feelings of turmoil, feelings of loss, feelings of bitterness. Feelings expressed by an exiled people centuries ago and from a different place and culture. Feelings expressed in the Bible itself. And this in itself can be comforting. The stark reality of grief and loss is there in the Bible. It is not covered up or watered down. It is there in all its rawness.

And yet even in one of the Bible’s bleakest books, there is a flicker of light. The people have lost everything, but still just manage to call to mind what will give them hope in this bleakest of times:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness”

You get the sense here of the people taking one day at a time, giving thanks for whatever little thing happens to be good that morning. This is not a quick fix to happiness. It won’t solve their immediate crisis. But it will sustain them until the next day. And then the next.

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.”

Sometimes in the midst of our grief all we can do is sit with the pain and wait. We may have no words. We may have no energy to act. Waiting is all we are capable of. And that is all OK.

It will be some time yet before we can fully celebrate the lives of those we have lost this year. It will be some time before we can freely gather with all our families and friends, hold each other physically, sing, cry and laugh together, then begin to build a new life. It’s a time of upheaval and uncertainty. Sometimes all we can do at the moment is wait. We don’t know what the future will bring. But in our reading from John’s gospel we have a glimpse of what it might look like. A house with many rooms, enough for everyone, past, present and future. Rooms that Christ himself will prepare for his friends. And his presence forever alongside us. Let us take hope from that.

Scripture Quotations are taken from: The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Prayers

Let us pray to the Lord, who has conquered death.

Jesus, bread from heaven,
you satisfy the hungry with good things:
grant us a share with all the faithful departed
in the banquet of your kingdom.
Hear us, risen Lord,
our resurrection and our life.

Jesus, the light of the world,
you gave the man born blind the gift of sight:
open the eye of faith
and bring us from darkness
to your eternal light and glory.
Hear us, risen Lord,
our resurrection and our life.

Jesus, Son of the living God,
you summoned your friend Lazarus from death to life:
raise us at the last to full and eternal life with you.
Hear us, risen Lord,
our resurrection and our life.

Jesus, crucified Saviour,
in your dying you entrusted each to the other,
Mary your mother and John your beloved disciple:
sustain and comfort all who mourn.
Hear us, risen Lord,
our resurrection and our life.

Jesus, our way and truth and life,
you drew your disciple Thomas from doubt to faith:
reveal the resurrection faith to the doubting and the lost.
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

‘Reaching out to each other’ – 20th December 2020 – 4th Sunday of Advent

‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’ 13th December 2020 Evening Prayer – 3rd Sunday of Advent

‘John the Baptist’ – 13th December 2020 -3rd Sunday of Advent

‘The Prophets’ – 6th December 2020 @ 6:30pm – The Second Sunday of Advent

‘Comfort and Joy’ – 6th December 2020 @10:30am – The Second Sunday of Advent

‘The promise of hope’ – 29th November 2020 – Advent Sunday

‘Christ the King’ – 22nd November 2020 – Last Sunday before Advent

‘Multiplying talents’ – 15th November 2020 – 2nd Sunday before Advent

‘Remembrance Sunday’ – 8th November 2020

‘Wait Quietly for the Lord’ – Sunday 1st November 2020 – Eve of All Souls Day