Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 28th July & for the week ahead: Scripture:‘Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.’ (Ephesians 4.29)Reflection:Many years ago, I heard a sermon preached on this text, the crux of which has always stayed with me. The preacher suggested that before saying anything derogatory or unpleasant we should ask ourselves these three questions. Firstly, is it true? Secondly, is it kind? And thirdly, is it necessary? If what you were going to say, or to write, or to post online cannot in all honesty be met with a ‘yes’ to all three questions, just don’t say it. The person who re-tweeted the totally false statement that an illegal Muslim immigrant was responsible for the shocking events in Southport is quoted as saying they just passed it on in an idle moment, without really thinking about it. The consequences of that ‘idle moment’? Rioting, looting, attacks on mosques and police stations and on innocent fellow citizens who look ‘foreign’. And all this to ‘protect British values’. Words fail me!Humans alone have the power of speech. Words can bring people together or tear them apart. Words can uphold the truth or perpetuate a lie. Let us choose our words with care.Revd Rosemary
Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 28th July & for the week ahead: Scripture:Jesus 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)Reflection:Right here, Jesus declares that all are welcome to feast on what he has to offer. None shall be turned away. Age, race, gender, country of origin, socio-economic status, and every other classification you can name will not be a reason for withdrawing the invitation. Every person and every type of person is asked to come and feast on this bread of life we know as Christ. And none will ever be asked to leave.Imagine being able to say “Anyone who comes to me I will not drive away” That’s the kind of Christ-like hospitality we should all get behind. It’s the kind of hospitality that says to people, “Don’t worry about what you look like, where you’ve come from, or how you got here. Just come and eat.”Are you willing to accept such a wonderful invitation?Lyn Hayes ALM
Scripture & Reflection: Sunday 28th July & for the week ahead: Scripture:“I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3.18-19)Reflection:When we ask people to pray for us, we may expect it to be dramatic and using lots of long and difficult words. We may expect lofty phrases. It might be about something specific in our lives, such as relief from illness or grief. We don’t always expect people to pray that we may know God. Here, the writer goes some way to demonstrate just how much we don’t know because of how enormous God is. If we had that understanding, it may be akin to finding the answer to the mystery of life itself. However, the prayer is that we understand the love of God and that it fills us up. Imagine the most powerful love you’ve felt, whether for a parent, carer, child or lover. Then multiply that, substantially. It still wouldn’t compare to how much we are loved by God. So, a dramatic prayer indeed.Victoria Bray
