Good morning everyone, today is the third week in Epiphany and we will hear about Jesus reading from Isaiah in the temple, showing that his prophecy has come true.
We will be having a team service at Canon Slade on the 13th of February, ‘bacon barms’ available at 9.30 for a service at 10am. I hope some of you are able to join us. There will will not be a service at church on that day. Sunday the 6th February is our next youth service and we are hoping that our young people will be involved in that service. TYC is also that evening for year 7 and above, at St Andrews.
At PCC we were talking about how to make our church building fit for the future and are considering taking out the first 3 front pews to make a communal area for coffee mornings, meetings, children’s worship and general use. We are hoping to get some moveable pews/seating in their place. We also need better toilet and kitchen facilities, but that will come in the second stage. Finance is the biggest problem as our finances are going down at the moment, so nothing is going to be happening yet, but if you have any ideas let us know.
Those of you that are unable to get to church, have you missed communion? Would you like one of us to visit to give you communion at home? Again please let us know.
Today’s reflection is by Rev Peter and intercessions by Joyce Armstrong, many thanks to them.
Take care and God bless.
Jan B.
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Lord, direct our thoughts and teach us how to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
PRAYER OF PENITENCE
The spirit of the Lord fills the world and knows our every word and deed. Let us open ourselves to the Lord and confess our sins and penitence and faith.
Lord God, we have sinned against you; we have done evil in your sight. We are sorry and repent. Have mercy on us according to your love. Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin. Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth. Lord God heavenly King almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ only Son of the Father, Lord God Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world; have mercy upon us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit. In the glory of God the Father. Amen.
THE COLLECT
Almighty God whose Son revealed in signs and miracles the wonder of your saving presence: renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness
sustain us by your mighty power; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE NEW TESTAMENT READING
CORINTHIANS 12. 12-31a
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honourable we clothe with greater honour, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honour to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
THE GOSPEL
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Glory to you O Lord.
LUKE 4. 14-21
Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ
REFLECTION
Matthew and Luke both tell the story of Jesus, and both give more space given to Jesus’ teaching than there does Mark. Matthew begins with the Sermon on the Mount as a way of identifying the heart of Jesus teaching on how we should live, Luke records Jesus speaking from Isaiah (ch 61) to give a core to his ministry and what he is about (as we see in today’s reading).
Jesus has received the Holy Spirit in a very visible way at his baptism and now he says that the words of Isaiah in a special way are fulfilled by himself. This is only a section from the longer chapter. The chapter begins with the Temptations (which we will consider at the beginning of Lent). After he has read from Isaiah the people speak well of Jesus but, as we will see, what he goes on to say enrages the crowd. The chapter ends with him casting out demons and healing – doing what Isaiah says will happen.
For today maybe, we should focus on what this passage of Isaiah has to say and how it helps us understand the ministry of Jesus; this is about good news to needy people, to the poor, to the captive to the oppressed and more than that it is about a year of the Lord’s favour, a time when the people will find themselves in a good relationship to God.
There is a question whether we should read this as primarily metaphorical – are the blind those that have not got the eyes of faith, the captives those who are trapped in a depression or anxiety? – and whether we should see this as the goal when the Kingdom comes in its fulness, or see at least glimpses of this as we work for the coming of the Kingdom in its fulness.
We can reflect on what this means and meant for Jesus ministry, and that is important – he did not “just” come to die, what he did and said in his years of active ministry help us understand more about God and more about what God calls us to be and do. So it is important also to reflect on what this reading says to us, and we may feel that it says very little. I suggest however it should challenge how we are as a church together.
In what way(s) does our local church live out this manifesto? Or – if you prefer – what does it say about our church if nothing of this is visible in our church, if nothing we do and say reveals this promise? It is a challenge.
Jesus is the messenger and we take on that role now. Jesus also made a difference for good, and we should aspire to do so now. The church is not (at least it should not be) a quiet backwater of religious tranquility, though it should be a place of peace. The weary should find rest, the lonely should find love, the lost should feel they are found, the struggling should feel supported, and the church in the more affluent areas should also be resourcing Kingdom-work – justice – the alleviation of needs – in poorer parts.
Matthew and Luke may record different teaching but both make clear that we must be “doers of the Word and not hearers only”. This is a challenge, but it is also the foundation of our hope – God in Jesus will bring justice and freedom and the year of favour, especially to those who are blind, oppressed, captive, poor etc. This is what we pray for, this is what we work for, this is what we hope for, this is what we know will be for real when we are part of the Kingdom in all its glory.
Rev Peter
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.
We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit who strengthens us with power from on high.
We believe in one god; father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
During the intercessions, we pray for the church, our country, our government, people in difficulty and those who have died. You can use your own prayers or if you prefer here are some on today’s theme.
Give us Grace Almighty Father to address you with all our hearts as well as with our lips. Teach us to fix our thoughts on you so that our prayers are not in vain, but are acceptable to you, now and always: through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord hear us Lord graciously hear us
Father, we pray for your Church throughout the world, that it may share to the full in the work of your Son, so that we and all Christian people may learn to love one another as you have loved us and your Church may more and more reflect the unity which is your will and your gift, in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Lord hear us Lord graciously hear us
Father the world is yours, for you created it and it belongs to you. But the world is also ours, for you made it for us. You have entrusted it to us to care for and cultivate, to guard from waste and abuse; that in your goodness we may all enjoy the fruits of the earth, and with thankful hearts share them with all.
Lord hear us Lord graciously hear us
Father, your love for us is eternal and unchanging: help us to make our homes patterns of your love; Places of mutual trust and forgiveness; Places of true sharing and caring;
Places of deep joy and peace; And unite us all to one another in the circle of your love.
Lord hear us Lord graciously hear us
Father, we all know so many people who are struggling today with illness, big decisions and major changes in their lives. Your care for them is even greater than ours, but let us show our own love and concern for them as we pray, naming our own people in quiet trust before God.
Lord hear us Lord graciously hear us
Father, we pray for those who we love who are now at rest in your presence, we thank you for their lives and commend them to your everlasting keeping. Comfort those who mourn them and reach into their pain with your love. We remember those whose anniversaries fall at this time. David Jonathan Digner, James Haslam and Edward Haslam
Lord hear us Lord graciously hear us
Father, help us not simply to talk about faith or speak of love, but to demonstrate both of these through the people we are and through the lives we live. Let our words and deeds be one so we may be fitting witnesses to your renewing, redeeming power: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Rejoicing in the fellowship of St. Maxentius and all your Saints we commend ourselves and the whole of your creation to your unfailing love.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen
THE BLESSING
May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to himself, the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in his service, the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our hearts and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with us now and for ever more. Amen.
