Daily Scripture 6 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’ (Luke 6:36-38)Daily ReflectionNone of us is perfect. In fact, most of us are far from perfect. We try to do the right thing, to be the right kind of person, but so often we fail. This is not something that we find very comfortable to admit, even to ourselves. Then it is so much easier to look at the faults of others. Where we are only too happy to let our own wrongs pass with a shrug of the shoulders and an “Oops!”, we like to notice and point out whatever mistake our neighbour has committed. In fact, it makes us feel better about our own shortcomings, or so we seem to think. This is not how things work in God’s economy. Mercy is one of God’s defining qualities. God goes over and beyond to reach out to us, to meet us more than halfway with his forgiveness. The least we can do in response, is pass this precious gift on to our neighbour, forgiving as we have been forgiven.Revd Ylva
Daily Reflection:The priest and poet George Herbert is commemorated in the church’s calendar on 27th February. Aristocratic, intellectually and musically gifted, he gave up his high profile position at Cambridge University to become a humble and much loved priest to a small rural community near Salisbury. He died shortly before his fortieth birthday, but his literary, and above all spiritual, legacy is still huge. A teacher friend of mine claimed that after studying Herbert with an A-Level class neither she nor her students were ever the same again. And she is not alone.This poem, one of Herbert’s best known, expresses both his deep sense of his own unworthiness and his growing realisation that God welcomes us, not because we have done anything to deserve his love, but because he is Love.A profound thought to meditate on this Lent.Revd RosemaryLove III (George Herbert, 1593-1633)Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,Guilty of dust and sin.But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack From my first entrance inDrew nearer to me, sweetly questioning If I lacked anything.A guest’, I answered, ‘worthy to be here’.Love said, ‘You shall be he’.‘I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,I cannot look on thee’.Love took my hand and smiling did reply‘Who made the eyes but I?’‘Truth, Lord, but I have marred them; let my shame Go where it doth deserve.’‘And know you not’ says Love, ‘who bore the blame?’‘My dear, then I will serve.’‘You must sit down’, says Love, ‘and taste my meat.’So I did sit and eat.
Next Service:10am Holy Communion ONLINE Holy Communion Service. Please see 'Services and Events' for a cut and paste link to this service. A Zoom Coffee morning follows the Sunday service.
Daily ScriptureJesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6 v 35)Daily Reflection Today Jesus tells the crowds: “I am the bread of life.” Jesus also says that anyone who comes to Him will never hunger, nor thirst. Jesus was not talking about food and drink that we consume. Rather, Jesus was speaking of our “spiritual” hunger and thirst. What is it you hunger for? Is it love, friendship, financial stability, a healthy and happy family? We human beings have many hungers. However, we often try to satisfy our deepest hungers with money, material things, people, or even food or drink. Yes, these things do satisfy us to some extent - However, even if we have all the money in the world or a multitude of friends, if God, Jesus or the Spirit is not part of our lives, nothing else will ever satisfy! Lyn Hayes ALM
