From the Collect for today, the Second Sunday before Lent: Almighty God, you have created the heavens and the earth and made us in your own image: teach us to discern your hand in all your works and your likeness in all your children... Reflection:The Collects are a wonderful resource: encouraging, challenging, thought provoking. Today’s is one of my great favourites, one to which I constantly return and often quote from. It calls us to open our eyes to the amazing complexity and beauty of our planet, and to praise God for it. Not hard, living where we do, with signs of spring appearing all around us! Rather more challenging is the call to discern God’s likeness in ‘all his children’. In some blessed souls His likeness shines through; in others it is much harder to find. But if we look hard enough, and humbly enough, we may be surprised at what is to be discovered in apparently unlikely places.And more challenging still: How likely are people to discern something of God’s likeness in us? Revd Rosemary Lyn Hayes
8am 1662 BCP Holy Communion at St Nicholas
Scripture:'Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.' (Luke 6 20-21 & 23-24) Reflection:Jesus has an uncanny knack of turning all that you hold dear, upside down!! He presents a totally different standard of living, in fact, the opposite of the world’s standard. He says that the poorer you are, the more blessings you will receive. Indeed, the teachings of Jesus can only be described as radical. We must always remember that Jesus came for the last, the least and the lost. He came to bring glad tidings to the poor and freedom to the oppressed. He provided hope for the hopeless and taught the people the importance of faith. Then He asked them to be servant of all if they wanted to be the greatest. In short, He wants all followers to be like Him and to walk in His path. What then can we do this week for the last, the least and the lost? Lyn Hayes
10 am Holy Communion at St Nicholas
