The Benefice of Chebsey and Norton Bridge, Ellenhall, Ranton and Seighford with Creswell
THE ONLINE DOOR TO OUR VILLAGE CHURCHES
We are moving towards the end of the Christian calendar and next week is the final week of the Christian year .. we are not very good at coming to end of things are we?? There can be a deep sense of loss or sadness when things come to an end.
In our readings we have an insight into one of the great themes of Jesus mission and message which was not apparent from the start. Continue reading “A time for tearing down .. Mark 13 v 1-8”
We have gathered this morning to remember. To remember the power of love, of sacrifice, to recall memories of courage shown and peace pursued. We all know the power of remembering. And perhaps this is why in the modern world one of our greatest fears is loss of memories!!
Never mind the anxieties we face around political upheaval or environmental damage or of terrorism or as we recall today the horror of war between nations. Never mind these fears, in my experience these are at least matched if not surpassed by the fear of losing our memory. And with the increasing impact of illnesses such as dementia and alzheimer’s in our communities this fear looms large. On a morning like this when we embrace the power of memories it is perhaps important to face our fears and ask what the Christian faith might say about such matters. Should we fear the fact that our lives, and lives such as those lost in wars might be forgotten?? Continue reading “Remembrance Day 2018”
The introduction to the Season of All Saints to Advent begins with the following reminder … no Christian is solitary. Through Baptism we become members one of another in Christ, members of a company of Saints whose mutual belonging transcends death. Charles Wesley wrote .. ‘One family we dwell in Him; One Church above, beneath; Though now divided by the stream, the narrow stream of death.’ At All Saints and All Souls we celebrate the eternal company of the Church which draws us back into this eternal belonging we have in God.
(Psalm 112 and John 12 v 23-36)
At Harvest it is our duty to look to creation to help us understand something of the message our Creator sends to us for our lives. And I wanted to reflect for a moment or two this morning on the lesson of the Yellow Birch tree of North Eastern America which offers us an example of what both our Psalm and the Gospel reading might teach us about the salvation of God in difficult times and seasons of our lives. Because the Yellow Birch flourishes in disturbed, barren environments which I think is what the Christian is to expect in their life of faith according to the Psalmist and Jesus.
I was talking to a friend recently who was advocating the benefits of those meal boxes you can now have delivered to your house with all the ingredients for a particular meal inside and with the recipe and cooking instructions for that said meal. It sounds so convenient doesn’t it. Rather than have to think about what to cook for the evening meal you pull a box out of the fridge or the freezer and simply follow the instructions to provide a healthy and nutritious meal. All the good stuff and none of the hassle!
