Celebrating All Saints Day (1st November)

1 Timothy 6: 11-16: Timothy is encouraged to hold on to the faith in face of opposition. Paul stresses to Timothy that the main quality in witnessing to the love of the Lord is endurance.
 
Living Saints Telling Their Stories
All Saints is recognition of the common bond of Christians, both living and dead, and of the common bond of the church here on earth and the church triumphant in heaven.
All of us who are a part of a family of faith can rightly be called saints, because we are those who have continued to be part of, and care for, this family of faith.
​
The recording of the sermon can be watched here: https://youtu.be/vJmEYBOUw4o.

Lament, repent, hope, respond
Readings: Joel 1:1-7; 11-20 and Joel 2:1-3; 18; 23-32
 
Today we reflect on readings from the Book of Joel.
Little is know about the prophet Joel, and it is not clear just when he lived. But it seems likely that the book comes from the fifth or fourth century B.C. during the time of the Persian Empire. Joel describes a terrible invasion of locusts and a devastating drought in Palestine. In these events he sees a sign of the coming Day of the Lord, a time when the Lord will punish those who oppose his righteous will. The prophet conveys the Lord’s call to the people to repent, and his promise of restoration and blessing for his people. Noteworthy is the promise that God will send his spirit upon all people, men and women, young and old alike.
 
Watch the recording of the sermon here: https://youtu.be/n-1zl4IfmDQ

Persistent Prayer

Readings: 
Genesis 32.22-31
Luke 18.1-8 

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains--
    where does my help come from?
 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip--
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you--
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm--
    he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

Watch the recorded sermon here:

Luke 17:11-19: Out in Samaria, out beyond the boundaries of Israel, Jesus meets ten lepers - all outcasts from society. He heals them and is amazed by the gratitude of one.
 
Sometimes when we are afraid, or hurt we hide hoping we can’t be found. Today we hear of ten men who other people were afraid of – but Jesus wasn’t, and his actions changed their lives.
​
Watch the recording of this week’s sermon here: https://youtu.be/tuXXEs4dpH0

We sat down and wept!

Readings:
Lamentations 1:1-6:  Lamentations is a book commonly known for sorrow and its ‘lamenting’ of the destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah is thought to be the author of the book, expressing his sadness at all that has happened.
Luke 17: 5-10: This is Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed, and an admonition to do what we ought.
 
How honest can we be with God? How much are we able to expose our inner thoughts and feelings to God and to those around us? I suspect that most of us tend to be rather reserved and say, “God wouldn’t want to know what I really think! God has more to do than listen to my grumbling. There are people worse off than me!”
 
Guilt harms us and inhibits our faith in God.
Forgiveness is the gift which increases our faith. Forgiveness is given to open the way of life in all its fullness.
It is mine. Whatever has happened in the past is in the past. I lay it down and leave it there, living now and in the future as a forgiven, beloved child of God.  Thanks be to God. Amen
 
The recording of this week’s sermon can be watched here: https://youtu.be/Jr0ocGUi7YA​

​Somehow, we have to learn to trust the power of the God who is with us rather than trusting our own power. The writer of Lamentations expressed his trust in God this way, “This I call to mind and therefore I have hope…”(3:21)
​
In times of suffering we call to mind what endures and is everlasting – the basis of our ultimate hope. Can we, with the writer of Lamentations, sing, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (3:22-23)