Dear Friends, In this Sunday’s gospel we are given a summary of Jesus experiences of baptism and temptation and the joyful message that emerges from them as he brings his mission to the world. What I have begun to explore in my sermon is how Jesus’ experience of his relationship with the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit gives him his secure conviction that he shares “good news”. Today I read the following quote from Howard Thurman who is talking about a human experience of such conviction: One night I was awakened by my mother, who asked if I would like to see the comet [Halley’s Comet]. I got up, dressed quickly, and went out with her into the back yard. There I saw in the heavens the awesome tail of the comet and stood transfixed. With deep anxiety I asked, without taking my eyes off it, “What will happen to us when that thing falls out of the sky?” There was a long silence during which I felt the gentle pressure of her fingers on my shoulders; then I looked into her face and saw what I had seen on another occasion, when without knocking I had rushed into her room and found her in prayer. At last she said, “Nothing will happen to us, Howard. God will take care of us.” In that moment something was touched and kindled in me, a quiet reassurance that has never quite deserted me. As I look back on it, what I sensed then was the fact that what stirred in me was one with what created and controlled the comet. It was this inarticulate awareness that silenced my fear and stilled my panic. Here at once is the primary ground and basis of people’s experience of prayer. I am calling it, for the purpose of this discussion, the “givenness of God” as expressed in the hunger of the heart. This is native to personality, and when it becomes part of a person’s conscious focus it is prayer at its best and highest. It is the movement of the heart of a person toward God; a movement that in a sense is within God—God in the heart sharing its life with God the Creator of all Life. The hunger itself is God, calling to God. It is my prayer that in the challenges of this time, Lent will give us the space to recognise the movement of God in our own hearts and lives. Many of you will know that my own prayer life is guided by the Ignatian tradition – on this first Sunday of Lent the morning service on Radio 4 (8.10 Sunday morning) explores the temptations of Jesus in the light of the wisdom of this tradition (more details and links to supporting information can be found here: https://www.jesuit.org.uk/join-us-first-sunday-lent-bbc-radio-4) God bless Samantha
Dear friends, It was midway through Lent last year that we first experienced what we now call “lockdown”. As we reach Ash Wednesday this year, we can look back over almost a year or restrictions to the way we live that have a lot of the qualities of a very long Lent – giving things up for a greater purpose than our own satisfaction and sacrificing what we often have enjoyed for the wellbeing of others. THis Lent then, our observance may be about giving that meaning to the daily life choices we currently make – offering to God and our neighbour the “not doing” that is necessary now. Traditionally there have been three main Lenten practices: almsgiving, fasting and prayer. This year, I suggest they remain a very good way to keep a holy Lent, and they have particular resonance in all that we are experiencing. After a year with a very limited number of services, restricted fundraising and no visitors’ gifts, but continued upkeep expenses, the finanancial situation of each of our churches is extremely stretched. Any extra “almsgiving” you are able to offer to your church this Lent will be essential to being able to continue the ministry that each parish church offers its community in the months to come. We are coming up to Fair Trade Fortnight (22nd February to 7th March) which is a good reminder to us to think about what we consume and the effects of our food choices on those who produce our food (both locally and abroad). Might this year’s “fasting” be about limiting how we consume to products where producers are fully supported and our environment is honoured? As we await the return to worshipping in church together, our personal prayer is also one way of being united with one another in faith. As we pray for our world and our local community we offer what we can for the transformation of all that we are living through. In our Sunday reflections we pray generally for all who are in need rather than for individuals by name so as to maintain people’s privacy, but I would encourage each one of us to take time to pray by name for those who we each know need our prayers. I know that many people have used the extra time inside to deepen their own relationship with God in prayer, or found inspiration as they pray on a walk or in the garden – using Lent as a time to reconnect with these practices is a great opportunity. The reflection I have recorded is the liturgy offered by the Church of England for Ash Wednesday – it offers an opportunity to start Lent well, handing over to God all that gets in the way of God’s love, and opening our hearts to reconciliation and life. May God bless you and guide your way through this Holy season Samantha
In the absence of Revd Samantha, this week's service is composed by Laurence Hillel. Please follow the service and the sermon in the attached notes at these links. There is no Youtube video this week.
Dear Friends,This weekend we are marking Candlemas - the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. Its a feast where the words of Simeon that Jesus is "light to the nations" are symbolised by the lighting of candles. In my sermon I have used some of the special liturgy for this feast for a time of prayerful reflection. If you have a candle that you can light as you watch or read today's act of worship it may deepen your experience of the prayers. May Jesus, the light of the world, be reflected in our homes and in our lives in all that we do and say this week, God bless,Samantha
