November 2021

Readings and Prayers

''LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY''

Reading & Prayer 29th November 2021

Reflection from Jill Pargeter

Justification by faith is very prominent in the letters of St Paul. Our reading today from the letter of James seems to be a response to a distortion of Paul's teaching, speaking to those who saw their faith as precluding a commitment to human need. Faith and works are not seen here as distinct things. Our faith is incomplete, it is suggested, unless it is underpinned by works. And the author is absolutely clear about what works our faith needs. It is attending to physical needs, feeding and clothing our brother and sister. If we do not do this, our faith is hollow.

As we enter the Advent season, how can you outwork your faith by helping those in need? Perhaps your church or community is doing food parcels, perhaps you can contribute to the food bank, or donate to charities that are reaching out to poor communities around the world. Whatever you do, show your faith by taking action!

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Reading & Prayer 27th November 2021

Message from Marisha

In the Christian lectionary we have been looking not just a little ahead but to the very end of times. It may even feel a bit scary.

From our reading today we see that all events are known and allowed by our Father. Even when world events and the reporting of them, might make the strongest of us be concerned, we have no need to be afraid. He is with us. Tomorrow is the start of Advent; the looking forward, the recognising of the Light that has come into the world, a time to prepare and finally celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Already Christmas decorations are being put up, the shops are full of festive delights. It is an indication that most people want more for their lives than they have. They may not recognise that it is Jesus, the light of the world that they are searching for. As Christians we know that if we have him we have everything. Let us share when we can what our Father has revealed to us.

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Reading & Prayer 26th November 2021

Reflections on Sunday's readings from John

A new Church year begins on Sunday, for Christians surely a more important beginning than the new calendar year on 1st January?  Advent is a season of expectation and preparation though nowadays has to cope with being celebrated amid the commercial pressure of these times that create an unfortunate ever-earlier anticipation of Christmas.  In Advent we do prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ in history over 2,000 years ago, but even more important, we are called to focus on the Christ who is always coming to us and in so many ways in our lives today and will come to us in the future.  In a sense we are always in Advent, living as we do between the life of Jesus on earth and his coming at the end of time.  Our fundamental Advent prayer is ‘Maranatha – Our Lord Come!’  This should not lead us into some sort of ‘other-worldliness’ or expectation of the sudden end of the world but to an effective and expectant engagement with life, the world and all its doings with a generous love and a strong and forward-looking faith, just as Paul urges of his readers in this Sunday’s second reading. 

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Reading & Prayer 22nd November 2021

Reflection from Jill Pargeter

Yesterday, we celebrated Christ the King in our churches here in South Tenerife and it got me thinking about the names, or rather 'titles' of Jesus. He was given and called many titles, some bad like 'blasphemer', but most recognised His many ministries and godly nature, such as 'teacher', 'Lord', 'healer', 'the Word' and 'Emmanuel (God with us). In our reading today, it says He is given a name that is above all names!

There are a multitude of names and titles for Jesus in the Bible, and I'm sure you could find a list if you searched the internet. One of the names that Jesus gave Himself was 'Son of man'. He identified with humankind; he was one of us. And so I am so happy that I can call him my brother, my friend and my hero, as well as my Lord and Saviour.

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Reading & Prayer 20th November 2021

Message from Marisha

As you know I recently visited Jersey, although it was a good visit, it was tinged with sadness too, as several Christians I have known over the years had passed away. Really I should not have been sad at all. I recalled their faithfulness, perseverance and of course their love for their Saviour and know that the earthly journey done, they have only moved abode.

Our reading from Revelation reminds us that to be a Christian is not a one off event but a changed forever life where we need to persevere to the end. That life is not without it trials and tribulations but those very things will refine us over time. We too will have the guidance of the Holy Spirit and I hope every angel in heaven cheering us on until the day we meet.

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Readings & Prayer 19th November 2021

John's reflections on Sunday's readings

We come to the final Sunday of another Church year.  The year that begins with the hope of the coming Christ ends with the proclamation and celebration of his universal sovereignty. We look towards the completion of God’s new creation in Christ.    We have heard the Christ story over the past twelve months.  We are about to hear it once again.  But is it just words?  The whole point of our yearly celebration of the events of our salvation, is that we enter into them, that they will make an important difference to our lives.  At the end of a Church year and the beginning of a new one, let us reaffirm our commitment to make the Christ story our own story, a story that enables us to see the world, the creation, the people with whom we share this planet, through his eyes.   

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Reading & Prayer 17th November 2021

Message from Marisha

During this last week our minds have been cast back to the times when the world was at war; nation against nation, people against people. We have remembered with sadness the loss of lives of so many and the bravery of those who put their lives on the line for the sake of freedom. We know that our God desires peace for all. I believe that true peace between the nations of the world begins in the individual heart. Each of us must first find peace with our maker and redeemer, accepting his ways and truth, living a Godly life. Can you imagine a world where each person had their heart full of love for the Lord and each other ? ….. It would be impossible to start a war.

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Reading & Prayer 15th November 2021

Reflection from Jill Pargeter

As Christians we all pray; some pray when they need something, some set aside time each day to pray, some are prompted to pray in certain situations (I like to pray on the bus!), some are in constant state of prayer.

In today's passage (I have abridged it for brevity, but it's worth reading the whole of the two chapters in 1 Samuel) Hannah prayed with great patience for years that God would give her a son. When God answered her prayers, she recognises that it is God who has made it possible, and remembers to give Him the thanks.

It is all too easy to take the answers to our prayers for granted and forget that it is God who blesses us with all good things. Let's not just take time to pray, but to thank God when He answers.

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Readings & Prayer 12th November 2021

Some reflections on Sunday's readings from John

The readings for this coming Sunday have a strange ‘feel’ about them, a sense of foreboding. In the Old Testament and Gospel readings we have the language of apocalyptic.  While in popular use today the word tends to mean something threatening, destructive and final, in its original and biblical meaning, apocalypse is about revealing something new.  Apocalyptic language sought to shake people out of their reliance on conventional wisdom and make room for a new vision.  In the context of our themes this Sunday that means a new vision of peace and justice for our world, a future inhabited by God and not by fear.

Apocalypse is not about the end of the world, but the end of the ‘worlds’ (the systems) that we have created and have become overly attached to.  This thinking should help us get our focus right on Remembrance Sunday.  We remember the horrors, the tragedies and the sacrifices of the past, which, sadly, are still with us, to spur us on to create a new and better world, one that God intends for human beings to enjoy and share together in peace.  

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Reading & Prayer 10th November 2021

Reflection from Jill Pargeter

Since tomorrow is Armistice Day, 11th November, I thought it would be appropriate to relate today's reading and prayer to the theme of those who have died on behalf of others. We take time each year, both on 11th November at 11am and on the nearest Sunday, to stop and be silent and remember those who have died in war or as a result of war. We thank God for those who have given their lives for our freedom.

But, of course, the greatest sacrifice was Jesus Himself, who died so that each and every one of us could have freedom in life and freedom in death, with a promise of eternal life. Thanks be to God for the gift of Jesus.

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Reading & Prayer 8th November 2021

Reflection from Jill Pargeter

What is peace?  There are so many outworkings of peace in the world and in our lives.  The obvious answer is simply the lack of war and conflict, whether that’s between nations, between opposing political parties, between neighbours, between families, or within families.

But we also refer to inner peace – a peace with ourselves, and maybe the definition of that could be a lack of conflict within ourselves.  We all know the feeling of a ‘troubled heart’, when worries or uncertainties disturb our inner peace.

In today’s passage, Jesus gives us several things for us to consider when our hearts are troubled: He is preparing a place in eternity for us; He has given the Holy Spirit as a helper and companion; His peace surpasses anything we receive from the world.

So as we share the peace in our services each week; let’s remember that we are passing on God’s peace, a peace that goes beyond our human understanding.

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Reading & Prayer 5th November 2021

A little preview of Sunday from John

As on All Saints’ Day, which we celebrated last Sunday, we are reminded again this Sunday and throughout this final month of the Church year that no Christian is, or can be, solitary.  Through baptism we become members one of another in Christ, members of a company of saints whose mutual belonging transcends human and personal differences, distinctions, and even death.  Our transformation into Christ is a work of God’s grace.  There is nothing for us to do beyond what Christ has already done for us.  This is a time to be thankful for the sheer grace that can shape a human life, our lives included, as we reflect on the example of the saints whose holiness and Christlikeness grew out of the ordinary circumstances and the sometimes extraordinary crises involved in being human on planet Earth.  Our role as Christians is to follow them by participating with our hearts and lives in the work of Jesus Christ. 

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Reading & Prayer 4th November 2021

Reflection from Jill Pargeter

My thoughts this week have been drawn to the COP summit in Glasgow where many of the world's leaders have gathered to discuss what action is needed to curb global warming.  So I have taken the reading and prayer today from Christian Aid’s climate resources. 

Some of you will know that I worked for Christian Aid in the UK for almost 20 years and my heart and passion is with those who suffer injustices at the hands of those who hold power. Climate change is dramatically affecting people in the global south where the majority of those living in extreme poverty live; droughts, floods, forest fires, landslides, etc, which are increasing in frequency year on year, can all be attributed to the changing climate and global warming. 

For many of us living in the developed north, climate change is barely noticeable and does not severely affect our lives (although people in Cumbria would disagree with me), but for people in places like Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Honduras, the effects of climate change are life-threatening and destroying livelihoods.

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Reading & Prayer 1st November 2021

Reflection from Jill Pargeter

Yesterday we celebrated All Saints Day in our parish of St Francis here in South

Tenerife, and today (1 Nov) is a national holiday in Spain.  In fact, I think it’s a holiday in many European countries; it’s a shame it isn’t in the UK – a chance to give thanks for all those who have gone before us and given us great examples of Christian lives and service.  Perhaps take a moment today to thank God for those who laid the foundations for your Christian journey – a grandparent, a parent, a Sunday school teacher or youth leader or maybe a figure from the Bible who inspired you.

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 Reading & Prayer 29th November 2021

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?  If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?  So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.  You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.  Do you want

to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren?

James 2:14-20

Faithful God, we praise you for your great mercy and compassion.  Thank you that we are justified by faith in Your Son, Jesus.  Help us to share that faith with others through our words and our deeds.  We pray that Your love for those in need would be visible in us and that we would respond to your call to help the poor.  Amen

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 Reading & Prayer 27th November 2021

Blessed be the name of God from age to age,

for wisdom and power are his.

He changes times and seasons,

deposes kings and sets up kings;

He gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to those who have understanding.

He reveals deep and hidden things;

he knows what is in the darkness,

and light dwells with him.

Daniel 2:20-22

Almighty God, we see your hand upon your world, seeds are set and harvest comes, so too the times of fallowness. Nations rise and prosper, some fall and yield nothing; you alone know the times for all things. We trust in your purposes and pray that we will always walk according to your will. You have given us the very Light of the World, may it shine for all humankind to see. Blessed be your name for ever. Amen 

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 Readings & Prayer 26th November 2021

A new Church year begins on Sunday, for Christians surely a more important beginning than the new calendar year on 1st January? Advent is a season of expectation and preparation though nowadays has to cope with being celebrated amid the commercial pressure of these times that create an unfortunate ever-earlier anticipation of Christmas. In Advent we do prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ in history over 2,000 years ago, but even more important, we are called to focus on the Christ who is always coming to us and in so many ways in our lives today and will come to us in the future. In a sense we are always in Advent, living as we do between the life of Jesus on earth and his coming at the end of time. Our fundamental Advent prayer is ‘Maranatha – Our Lord Come!’ This should not lead us into some sort of ‘other-worldliness’ or expectation of the sudden end of the world but to an effective and expectant engagement with life, the world and all its doings with a generous love and a strong and forward-looking faith, just as Paul urges of his readers in this Sunday’s second reading. 

Jeremiah 33: 14 – 16

The promise of God in chapter 23 is repeated here, probably by a later editor of the prophecies of Jeremiah. The failures and faithlessness of Judah and Israel which caused them to be conquered and exiled have not stopped God from loving them. For God’s love is unconditional. A brighter future is promised to encourage the people to remain faithful amid signs that many of them were ready to give up on their covenant with God and their religious heritage and become as other nations. So here is a vision of a restored Davidic kingdom. Of course, it never came to pass in that way. But we Christians understand that Jesus is that king, of the Branch or stem of David, whose reign is universal and everlasting.

Psalm 25

This is an acrostic psalm.  The order of ideas may have been partly governed by the initial Hebrew letters of the verses.  There are several other such psalms.  Here, the prayers alternate between praise of God’s forgiveness and the psalmist’s admission of his own and others’ sinfulness.

1 Thessalonians 3: 9 – 13

Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia, a port city strategically located between Rome and Byzantium (Istanbul today).  Paul’s letter to the Christians there may well be his earliest, and therefore, it is probably the earliest of Christian writings and of the New Testament.  The community is needing encouragement in their difficulties, which have been reported to Paul by Timothy.  Paul writes of his earnest desire to return to Thessalonica to help them, but being prevented from doing so for some time he proceeds to address some of their issues in the following chapter. First, he assures them of his constant prayers and reminds them of the approaching ‘Parousia’ (Advent, coming of the Lord, the Day of Christ’s return) which at this stage he clearly thought would be soon.  He prays that they might prepare for this by living holy lives and loving one another.

Luke 21: 25 – 36

Using the apocalyptic imagery we met in the book of Daniel, Luke tells of Jesus warning that the Son of Man is coming on ‘a cloud’ with power and great glory.  This passage also draws on other Old Testament verses (e.g., Isaiah 13: 10 and Psalm 65: 8 – 9).  Here, the cloud may refer to the Transfiguration and the Ascension clouds that were signs of Jesus’ presence in glory and the promise of his coming again.  The Son of Man, the Human One, the Christ would return not to gather his elect from the earth but to set the Christians free on the earth.  It is to be a time of conversion, of liberation, of the visible presence of the kingdom of God.  The warning signs that are described are not of terror or the end of the world but of hope for a new world, a new creation under God for the earth.  

A prayer for this Sunday:

Lord our God, we are your people on the march who try to carry out the task of giving shape to your kingdom of justice, love and peace. When we are discouraged and afraid, keep us going forward in hope.  Make us vigilant in prayer, that we may see the signs of your Son’s coming.  May Jesus walk with us here and now on the road that he has shown us, that he may lead us to you, our living God for ever and ever.  Amen

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 Reading & Prayer 22nd November 2021

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset

as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,

    did not consider equality with God something to be

used to his own advantage;

 rather, he made himself nothing

    by taking the very nature of a servant,

    being made in human likeness.

 And being found in appearance as a man,

    he humbled himself

    by becoming obedient to death—

        even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

    and gave him the name that is above every name,

 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

Father God, thank you for sending Jesus into our world.  We praise You that You are so many things to us: Eternal God, Prince of Peace, the Good Shepherd, the Light of the world, our Lord and Saviour, our Redeemer and Healer.  We bow our knee to the One who has the Name above all names and acknowledge You as Lord.  Thank you that you are also the Son of man, one of us, our friend, Jesus, who we can trust and rely on.  We pray that we would become more like you each day.  Amen 

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 Reading & Prayer 20th November 2021

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens: “I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

Revelation 3:7-8

Almighty

God, you have blessed us with salvation though Jesus our Lord and Saviour, who has opened the doors of heaven for us. Give us Grace to persevere and hold the truth of your Gospel in our lives. Our strength is in you, for we have none of our own and we look to you for our protection. Complete the good work you have begun in us and let our lives magnify your Holy Name. Amen

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 Reading & Prayer 19th November 2021

We come to the final Sunday of another Church year.  The year that begins with the hope of the coming Christ ends with the proclamation and celebration of his universal sovereignty. We look towards the completion of God’s new creation in Christ.    We have heard the Christ story over the past twelve months.  We are about to hear it once again.  But is it just words?  The whole point of our yearly celebration of the events of our salvation, is that we enter into them, that they will make an important difference to our lives.  At the end of a Church year and the beginning of a new one, let us reaffirm our commitment to make the Christ story our own story, a story that enables us to see the world, the creation, the people with whom we share this planet, through his eyes.   

Daniel 7: 9 – 10 & 13 – 14

This chapter forms the beginning of the long apocalyptic conclusion of the book of Daniel and consists of a series of visionary stories.  They point to the deliverance of Israel from its persecutions and the ultimate triumph of the faithful.  Here, God is called the ‘Ancient of Days,’ a familiar title in the poetry of the time.  He sits in judgement and the books, the record of human behaviour and actions are open before him.  The book or books are commonly referred to in apocalyptic literature (see Revelation 20: 12).  We meet the ‘Son of man,’ a title best translated simply as ‘the human one.’  He represents the people of God as a whole as they emerge from suffering to triumph.  Jesus used the title to refer to himself no less than fourteen times in the Gospel of Mark.  It is an expression of ordinariness and humility, a sort of ‘I am one of you.’  But in Daniel the title is about a triumphant figure who will be given kingship over the world.  We must not assume that Jesus ever meant this about himself in his lifetime, but the Easter experience, the Resurrection, the victory of Jesus over death, naturally gave the Gospel writers and first Christians a connection with the triumphant Son of man of the Daniel vision.

Psalm 93

This is the first of a group of ‘kingship psalms’ (praising God as king of the universe).  God’s immense power and glory are contrasted with the weakness of the waters of chaos. The ancient Israelites believed that the world and the cosmos were like a vulnerable bubble in the midst of these waters but were protected from them by the Lord’s supreme power.

Revelation 1: 4b – 8

The water theme helps to explain the message of this passage.  Water that breaks through a dam begins with just one trickle.  Revelation celebrates Jesus as the firstborn from the dead, the first one to breach the ‘dam’ of death.  His kingdom ‘floods’ all other kingdoms and power structures.  It is God’s very nature to be ruler of all that is including time and space.  Any power that attempts to hold out against God and God’s Christ must always, in due course, perish.

John 18: 33 – 37

We have to read the Gospel of John from the standpoint that we already know who Jesus is, rather than assume that it is a ‘ball-by-ball’ commentary of events and words in the life of the historical Jesus.  We are reading back from his position of risen glory.  That becomes clear in this account of his trial before Pontius Pilate.  John wants to show Jesus as almost running the show.  The irony is striking.  It is as if Pilate is on trial!   Following this scene, the crown of thorns that the soldiers placed in mock homage on Jesus’ head is to John a real coronation.  As Jesus is presented to the hostile crowd, he is still wearing the purple robe of a king that they put upon him.  His crucifixion will be his moment of glory!  The light of resurrection victory is already shining on this awful event.  

The encounter with Pilate reveals that the kingdom of Jesus is not of this world.  It has no boundaries or power structures.  Its citizens are those who listen to his voice.  Pilate had the opportunity of listening to Jesus and so coming to know ‘the truth’ – about God, and God’s ways of justice, love and peace, and what real power is.  But Pilate did not get it.  Do we get it!?  We hear Jesus regularly through the words of scripture.  He comes to us in the Eucharist and in so many situations in life.  How well are we listening to him?   How well are we living and acting according to his words?

A prayer for this Sunday:

God our Father, when you wanted to show us that you are the master of all and the Lord of all people, you sent us Jesus your Son as the humble servant of your love, who lived for people, demonstrated your ways for the world, and showed your love supremely through his death on the cross.  Give us enough faith to learn from him that to serve is to reign, and that to give our life to our brothers and sisters, our fellow human beings, is to find a joy and happiness that surpasses all others.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our King and Lord for ever. Amen 

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 Reading & Prayer 17th November 2021

Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O Lord,

and shall glorify your name.

For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth;

give me an undivided heart to revere your name.

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,

and I will glorify your name forever.

For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

Psalm 86:4,9-13

Almighty

God, we come to you in thankfulness for your great love and compassion towards us. Your desire is that all would come to know and love you and that all nations would acknowledge your sovereignty and prosper. Draw us ever closer to you O God that our lives, our voices, our actions will echo your love for all people and your created world.   Amen

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 Reading & Prayer 15th November 2021

And Hannah made a vow, saying, ‘Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’ As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.  Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.’ She said, ‘May your servant find favour in your eyes.’ Then she went her way and

ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. In the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him.’ ‘I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.’

Then Hannah prayed and said:

‘My heart rejoices in the Lord;

    in the Lord my strength is lifted high.

My mouth boasts over my enemies,

    for I delight in your deliverance.

‘There is no one holy like the Lord;

    there is no one besides you;

    there is no Rock like our God.’

1 Samuel 1:11-13,17-18,20,27; 1 Sam 2:1-2

Merciful God, we are truly grateful for Your many blessings.  You listen to our cries for help and you delight in our praises. Forgive us when we fail to remember who is the source of those blessings, when we take things for granted and help us to always give you the glory. Amen 

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 Reading & Prayer 21th November 2021

The readings for this coming Sunday have a strange ‘feel’ about them, a sense of foreboding. In the Old Testament and Gospel readings we have the language of apocalyptic.  While in popular use today the word tends to mean something threatening, destructive and final, in its original and biblical meaning, apocalypse is about revealing something new.  Apocalyptic language sought to shake people out of their reliance on conventional wisdom and make room for a new vision.  In the context of our themes this Sunday that means a new vision of peace and justice for our world, a future inhabited by God and not by fear.

Apocalypse is not about the end of the world, but the end of the ‘worlds’ (the systems) that we have created and have become overly attached to.  This thinking should help us get our focus right on Remembrance Sunday.  We remember the horrors, the tragedies and the sacrifices of the past, which, sadly, are still with us, to spur us on to create a new and better world, one that God intends for human beings to enjoy and share together in peace.  

Daniel 12: 1 – 3

The book of Daniel is the last book of the Old Testament to have been written (c.166BC).  Its background is the struggle of the Jews to maintain their religion against the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes (who ruled   175 – 164BC) to stamp it out.  It is an early example of a popular Jewish form of writing called apocalyptic (the book of Revelation is a later Christian version) which was intended to encourage those being persecuted, stressing the unlimited power of God which would protect those who remained faithful.  The character Daniel may be based on a long past sage called Daniel, mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel but of whom nothing is really known.  Or he may be some authoritative figure from the Exile period (597 – 538BC) around whom legends had grown.  Or he may be simply a creation of ancient Jewish folklore.   Today’s short passage is notable because it is the earliest clear biblical statement of belief in the resurrection of the dead.

Psalm 16

A song of gratitude for God’s unfailing care through this life and beyond.  Without explicitly mentioning resurrection or immortality, the psalmist expresses faith in the continual joy of God’s presence always and for ever.

Hebrews 10: 11 – 14 & 19 – 25

Just as musicians rehearse for the big concert and athletes for the big race or other sporting event will repeat their practice again and again in preparation for the big day, they know that these work-ups are preparatory and only a shadow of the real thing.  With an audience steeped in Jewish Temple practices, the writer wants to show that, similarly, the Temple rituals performed by priests were only a preparation for the one eternally effective sacrifice that would end all need for sacrifices.  The writer stresses that Christ is that final and effective sacrifice opening the door to a new relationship with God and a new life that has thus far only been experienced in shadows.  Christians are urged to support one another in living the life of the new Kingdom and enjoying its benefits, because these have been won for us at the greatest cost possible. 

Mark 13: 1 – 8

Mark, the first written Gospel is a wartime Gospel.  The war was between the empire that ruled his world and the people from whom Jesus came and who had been given the promises of God.  Mark is writing in the year 70AD (or shortly thereafter), the year of the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple by the Romans.  Mark 13 begins with the followers of Jesus marvelling at the magnificence of the Temple and its huge stones.  But Jesus warns them that it will all be cast down and tells of what will ‘soon happen’ – wars and rumours of wars, suffering and persecution, the birth pangs of the end. The first Christians expected ‘the end’ to come soon, perhaps in their lifetimes.  It did not come as expected.  But throughout the ages Christians have been tempted to see wars and catastrophes as somehow fulfilling biblical prophecies about ‘the end.’

We can certainly understand that in the year 70, Christians, the majority of whom were Jews, must have seen the destruction of the Temple as the end of everything they knew.  But, of course, it was not the end, certainly not the end of the world, but rather a new beginning.  The appearance of the Gospels from this time was surely a message that God was still with his people, and in the coming of Jesus Christ, his teaching and healing works, his death and resurrection, there was a new hope for humanity to be found in embracing a radically different pathway through this life, and with it the promise of eternity.  If Mark, and this chapter in particular, appears to be a doomsday message it is surely influenced by the fearful time in which it is written.  Mark is the first Gospel.  The complete Gospel narrative of hope and renewal was still being written.  The new Temple, consisting not of stones and bricks but of the Christian people themselves, was still at the foundation stage.  This new Temple is still being built today.

A prayer for this Sunday:

Lord, God of hope, you have saved us in the past.  You have given us your Son Jesus Christ to guide us in the present and our future lies in your hands.  As the fruit of our worship today, help us to seek this future as a challenge to be creative and to build up a new world by the power of Jesus Christ, who will complete your work in us and who lives with you and with us for ever. Amen

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 Reading & Prayer 10th November 2021

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die.  But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.  Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.  But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Romans 5:6-11

Lord God, giver of life, You made the ultimate sacrifice in sending Your Son, Jesus, to the world, knowing that He would give His life for us.  We thank You for all who have risked or given their lives for others.  We pray for those who are scarred by war, emotionally or physically and for those who are waiting anxiously for loved ones to return.  We pray for comfort for those who mourn, healing for the wounded and

peace and reconciliation in war-torn places.    Amen 

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 Reading & Prayer 8th November 2021

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 

John 14:1-3,16-20,27-28

Compassionate Father, we thank You for your peace, a peace which transcends all understanding.  We praise You for the gift of the Holy Spirit who is our helper, our companion and our comforter.  We pray that when our hearts are troubled, Your peace will come and flood our hearts and we would put our trust in You and rest in Your love. Amen

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 Readings & Prayer 5th November 2021

As on All Saints’ Day, which we celebrated last Sunday, we are reminded again this Sunday and throughout this final month of the Church year that no Christian is, or can be, solitary.  Through baptism we become members one of another in Christ, members of a company of saints whose mutual belonging transcends human and personal differences, distinctions, and even death.  Our transformation into Christ is a work of God’s grace.  There is nothing for us to do beyond what Christ has already done for us.  This is a time to be thankful for the sheer grace that can shape a human life, our lives included, as we reflect on the example of the saints whose holiness and Christlikeness grew out of the ordinary circumstances and the sometimes extraordinary crises involved in being human on planet Earth.  Our role as Christians is to follow them by participating with our hearts and lives in the work of Jesus Christ. 

Jonah 3: 1 – 5 & 10

The book of Jonah is unique among the prophetic books in that it is in the form of a story rather than a collection of prophetic sayings. The person and the story are fictitious; but the message to the first readers reflects a real-life issue.  It is about the state of the nation’s relationship with God in the fourth century BC.  The Israelites, having been restored to their homeland after the years of exile were becoming rather comfortable and sure of themselves, unforgiving, exclusive, anti-foreigner, insisting that only they could be saved. But in fact, they were running away from the ways and will of God. Jonah is presented as a symbol of this people.  The Ninevites symbolise all gentiles who were more than ready to respond to the call of the God of Israel and repent of their transgressions. The serious message is that Jonah (Israel) had not grasped God’s inclusive love and tender mercy.  Although not in the scope of our passage today, Jonah becomes indignant when the Ninevites have a change of heart and are given a second chance, just as he was when he disobeyed God.  In our criticisms of others are we willing to offer the forgiveness that has been shown to us? If not, perhaps we should cease praying the Lord’s Prayer!

Psalm 62: 5 – 12

This psalm is a prayer of confidence in God’s protection.  The theme of rock, stronghold, fortress as symbols of God’s protection is no doubt prompted by the prevalence of such features in the lands of the Bible.

Hebrews 9: 24 – 28

This anonymous letter’s emphasis on ritual suggests that it was addressed principally to Jewish priestly converts to Christianity who still missed the splendour of the Temple worship and its sacrifices, ineffectual though they were. The priests of the Jerusalem Temple believed that the Temple itself was a model of heaven.  A model is not the real thing, so the rituals of the Temple could only ever be a rehearsal or preparation for the final sacrifice that was supposed to do away with all sin. The writer of Hebrews is saying that Jesus is that sacrifice and that he has entered the real heaven, not the model or miniature human version.  What he has achieved is the real thing, the removal of sin once and for all and of any separation the readers believed existed between God and themselves.  For us who are far removed from the experience and motives of Temple ritual and sacrifices, we should know that the life, death and resurrection of Christ should have removed any notion among us that there is anything we can do in this life to draw God closer to us.  It is always for us to draw closer to God.  For God has always loved us and all humanity completely and unconditionally.  Our worship and offering of ourselves to God can only be a response of thanksgiving for such love and grace.  It is no surprise that Thanksgiving (Eucharist) is the name of our principal act of worship. 

Mark 1: 14 – 20

Jesus begins his ministry by calling his first disciples. He calls them to radical change, change of life and lifestyle, a separation from their past life but using their learned skills in a new way – from catching fish to catching people.  However, it is notable that Jesus chose his disciples, rather than their choosing him, so he accepts the responsibility of looking after them.  He calls two pairs of brothers, which would enable mutual support.  Later in the Gospel he sends the disciples out in pairs.  There is a suggestion here that following Christ is not and cannot be undertaken alone.  Christianity is always a community faith where we give and receive the support of our fellow Christians.  What is required is the personal radical change and conversion that the first disciples experienced.  How has being a Christian changed your life? How do your convictions, priorities and world view differ from the non-Christians you know?

A prayer for this final month of the Church year:

Almighty and eternal God, you have kindled the flame of love in the hearts of the saints:  grant to us the same faith and power of love, that, as we rejoice in their triumphs, we may be sustained by their example and fellowship; 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 

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 Reading & Prayer 4th November 2021

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.

Psalm 96:11-13

Heavenly Father, source of life, we give thanks for your bountiful planet. Great plains, verdant forests, deserts of rock, sand and ice, mountain ranges, rivers and oceans: ecosystems to meet the needs of all your creatures. Forgive us for forsaking your calling to be custodians: When we drill for oil, gas and minerals, despoiling the earth, poisoning the waters and fouling the air with climate changing gases; When we fell ancient trees, over-exploit the oceans and techno-farm food, destroying soils, traditional food systems and indigenous communities; When we desecrate your world with trash where nothing in nature is intended to go to waste; When we live lavish lifestyles and turn our other cheek to poverty, injustice, war, famine and unbearable human suffering. When world leaders and multi-national corporations put profit before the wellbeing of people, communities and a flourishing planet. We pray for our leaders who gather together at COP26. Bless them with compassion, wisdom, and hope, that they may work together to take action against the climate crisis. Amen

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 Reading & Prayer 1st November 2021

You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.  And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.  For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.  For they themselves report concerning

us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 Thes 1:5a-10

God of all the earth, we thank You today for all those people who have gone before us and prepared the way for us to know and love You.  We praise You that You have given us wonderful examples of godly men and women in the Bible, from whom we can learn so much, and we thank You for the people that we know and have known who have led us to You. We pray that we too would set good examples as Your disciples to those who look to us for guidance.  Amen 

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