Reflection: Sunday 19th September and for the week ahead:Scripture :Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. (James 3:13-17)Reflection :James speaks in his letter about wisdom from above. Elsewhere in the Bible wisdom is described as a female presence, often equated with the Holy Spirit. The Book of Wisdom describes her in similar terms to James; she is gentle, peace-loving, graceful.James contrasts this wisdom from above with earthly wisdom. To be worldly shrewd is not a road to peace and happiness. It may make you gleeful in the short term, but sows the seeds of discord.It is important that every decision we take is born out of love and takes the longer perspective, God’s perspective.This week, use your imagination and find ways to serve those around you, not because they might do you a good turn in return, but because God loves them, just as he loves you. Revd Ylva
Services Sunday 19th September8am Holy Communion at St Nicholas - led by Revd Ylva Blid Mackenzie10am Holy Communion at St George's - led by David Harmsworth & Revd David Commander
Services Sunday 12th September8am Holy Communion at St George's led by Revd David Commander10am Holy Communion at St Nicholas led by Revd Rosemary Kobus van Wengen & Revd David Commander
Reflection: Sunday 5th September and for the week ahead:Scripture :‘My brothers, what use is it for a man to have faith and to have no deeds to show for it? Are you going to claim that his faith can save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear, and not enough to eat, and one of you says to them ‘Go in peace! Keep warm and eat well!’ and yet does nothing to provide for his physical needs, what use is that?’ (James 2.14-16)Reflection : The theme of caring for the needy is one that runs right through the Bible. In the Law and the Prophets, the Psalms and Writings of the Hebrew Scriptures, and throughout the New Testament, we are constantly reminded that loving God and loving our ‘neighbour’ are two sides of one coin.James points out how easy it is to say kind words that cost us nothing, while claiming to have ‘faith’. Genuine faith is seen not in polite platitudes or words of sympathy , but in action, in working to understand the need and to address it.Faith without works, says James elsewhere, is dead.We cannot pretend not to know of anybody in need, whether near or far away, whom we can help.So what are we, as people of faith, to do about it? Revd Rosemary
