Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.‘Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes, and I will keep them unto the end.’ (Psalm 119:33)Hymn: Just as I am, without one plea...Genesis 9:8-17; 1 Peter 3:18-22Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. Let us us confess our sins remembering before God the times when we have fallen from temptation into sin:Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be: that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Prayer for the day: Heavenly Father, your Son battled with the powers of darkness, and grew closer to you in the desert: help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer that we may witness to your saving love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Mark 1:9-15Please see the Message from the Minister.Let us turn to the Lord in prayer:We pray for St Peter’s Church and the church throughout the world, that we will be known as your disciples by the love we show to one another;We pray for the world, that we will learn to live in peace and to take our stewardship duties seriously;We pray for our friends, families and neighbours - that relationships will thrive and community spirit will grow;We pray for people who are sick or suffering, and for those on our hearts and minds today, that they will know our Lord’s healing presence;We pray for the departed, remembering all who mourn.Let us pray for the coming of God’s kingdom in the prayer that Jesus taught Peter and all of us: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.Hymn: O Jesus, I have promised...May Christ give us grace to grow in holiness, to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him; and may the blessing of God Almighty who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon us and remain with us always.Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.
This week we hear echoes from last week. ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him!’ was heard by the disciples as Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, when he turned his face toward Jerusalem, the cross and resurrection.We have now gone back in time. ‘You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased’ is heard by Jesus at the very beginning of his ministry when he is baptised by John in the Jordan. The Holy Spirit is seen to descend upon him like a dove, after the heavens are torn apart. God the Father is affirming him in what he is about to do. And immediately the Holy Spirit drives him into the wilderness, where he is to remain for 40 days and 40 nights.As Jesus is tempted in the wilderness, he is able to hold on to those words of encouragement, to the symbol of the dove which signifies new life - it was a dove which was sent out from Noah’s Ark and returned with an olive leaf - and to the angels who wait on him.Jesus had said goodbye to his old life and stepped into the new, as Noah and his family had done, and in the same way as we still do when we are baptised or confirm our baptism. Peter said that baptism is ‘an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.’ The desire to change our ways, to resist temptation and become more faithful to all Jesus teaches us and wants us to be, needs to be in our hearts if we are to live in relationship with God and receive the hope and promise of the Holy Spirit.The relationship we have with God is a dynamic one, it is active not passive. God’s covenant with each one of us is not one of equals, as God is all-powerful. God does give us a choice however, to accept what is on offer and say yes to all of the obligations this puts on us, or to walk away. If we say yes, we walk the way of Jesus.A few years ago, Angela and I went to the Holy Land and physically walked the way of Jesus. We went to the place in the Jordan thought to be the spot where John baptised Jesus. We were able to renew our baptism vows there and to go into the water. It was touching, and wonderful, to be there. It was also interesting, in that the border between Israel and Jordan ran along the river, and there were bathers being baptised on both sides. We were told not to stray from the area, as there were minefields nearby. Behind us in an elevated position were border troops with large guns. The river itself was depleted as it has been dammed upstream. The landscape has been corrupted by human hands since Jesus was there. While standing on the same ground as Jesus, however, we could know that the Holy Spirit was still living and active in those making their way to the water of life. ‘The Kingdom of God has come near,’ said Jesus, ‘Repent and believe in the good news’.We might feel at times that we are in the wilderness, with the wild beasts of evil, hatred and deception around us. It might seem as if the whole landscape has been corrupted. But we can be assured that God is with us, God loves us, God’s angels will wait on us and the Holy Spirit will guide us as we continue to be faithful to him.Repent - that is, change your ways - this Lent, and believe in the good news: The Kingdom of God, built on earth as it is in heaven as long as we love one another, is all around us.Amen.Julie Rubidge, Lay Minister
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Ash Wednesday & Valentine’s Day 2024Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 2 Corinthians 5:20b – 6:10 John 8: 1 – 11 The last two times that Ash Wednesday has coincided with Valentine’s Day was 2018 and before that, 1945. This day in popular culture is associated with indulging with a loved one in champagne, chocolates and red roses and this year it also coincides with the beginning of a season of fasting, praying, self-denial and repentance.Who was St Valentine? There were at least two Valentines: one lived in the 3rdcentury and went against Emperor Claudius’ wishes to stamp out Christianity andhave everyone revert to paganism. He forbade Christian priests and bishops to conduct Christian marriage services. Bishop Valentine refused and was arrested. In Rome, in 269AD, the night before his execution, he wrote a letter to his jailor’s daughter, who he learned was blind. The next day, after he had been killed, the daughter was given the letter, which she could now read, because she had been healed. Red is the colour of the blood of the martyr Valentine. Red is the colour of roses given on Valentine’s Day.Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40 days of Lent, and looks ahead to the cross. Yet, with our perspective we know that the Resurrection follows the crucifixion. New life follows death.New life follows forgiveness and turning from our sin – the Gospel reading is of the woman caught in adultery, whom Jesus forgives and affirms.There is new life for those who are in Christ, as we take the message and ministry of God’s reconciling the world to himself in Christ, where we become God’s ambassadors – the righteousness of God, which Paul writes about in the Epistle for today.It was for love of God that kept Valentine faithful to the end.It was for love of us and of his Father that kept Jesus faithful to the end. Whether you choose to raise a glass with a loved one this evening or sip a glass of water, if you do it in love, putting God first, you will be keeping the spirit of Valentine’s Day - and of the beginning of Lent - alive.The Revd Christina Rees
