Dear All
Today we welcome Harry back to accompany us as we continue to celebrate the season of Epiphany.
Harry played a very moving piece by a Russian composer at the end of the service as we sat silently offering prayers for the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Please note there will be a service of Sung Evensong on Sunday 5th February at 5pm at All Saints led by the choir from St Michael’s in Helensburgh. All are invited to attend. Singers to join the choir are also welcomed. Tea will be served before the service and drinks afterwards.
This Week
Tuesday – 10am Prayer Group in the Garden Room
Wednesday – 11am – Niall Ross’s Funeral – All Saints
Thursday 10am Said Eucharist followed by coffee in Friendship House
Readings for next Sunday – 4th Sunday of Epiphany – 1 Kings 17:8-16 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 John 2:1-11
Upcoming Services
Sunday 5th February – 10am Sung Eucharist for Candlemas
5pm Sung Evensong – All Saints – Everyone welcome. Singers to join the choir also welcome, please assemble at 3.30pm for rehearsal prior to the service.
Today’s Readings Matt 4:12-23 1 Cor1:10-18 Isaiah 9:1-4
One of the great 19th century American evangelist D L Moody once visited a great friend in Chicago. This friend was not a regular church goer. They were chatting away together as usual when Moody stressed the importance of the church. His host objected, as many do, that he could be just as good a Christian without the church. Saying nothing Moody stood up and walked over to the fireplace. He picked up the tongs and took a blazing coal from the fire. Then he simply stood there, holding the tongs and watching the coal. His companion also watched. In silence the two of them saw the coal smoulder and go out… I see,” said the man.
Today’s NT lessons are all about the church although they do give rather different takes on it. Firstly, Matthew’s account shows Jesus gathering the very first members of the Christian church – his twelve disciples around him. There is a real buzz, a sense of spontaneity and solidarity as without hesitations Peter, Andrew, James and John leave what they are doing to follow in faith. And we wonder what it would be like to be called by Jesus and be one of the first disciples?
Some of them had been disciples of John the Baptist, others were fisherman at work on the lake, some had regular jobs – like Levi the tax collector, others were political activists – like Simon the Zealot. And into their lives, from nowhere comes Jesus. They seem to be drawn to him. It’s as if they can’t help themselves. There’s something about him that causes them to drop what they’re doing and follow him. The descriptions almost give us a sense of urgency, of impulsiveness, a sense of excitement and expectation. Let’s go now – we can ask questions later…. Unlike how we would be today, most likely spending hours and possibly years analysing our thoughts and sense of vocation.
Last week we talked about the calling of Peter in John’s gospel. Today we have our first sighting of Peter in Matthew’s. The apostle who would go on to be one of the most captivating characters of the bible. Looking at Peter, we might ask ourselves, why does he capture our imaginations so?
Well for a start he is eminently fallible. We know his story well unlike some of the apostles who we know very little about Peter – the mouthiest of the twelve, he often pipes up with the foolish question only to receive a put down from Jesus. And then just when the Lord needs him most, at the Passion, Peter experiences a disastrous total crisis of faith when he is too ashamed and frightened to admit to knowing Christ and denies him three times.
Yet many people believe that it was towards this imperfect, this very human man that Jesus felt the most affection, it was Peter whom Jesus call the rock upon which he would build his church. Peter, he instructed to tend his sheep.
“Simon son of John, do you love me?” Jesus asks three times “you know that I love you.” Peter replies. Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:17
In contrast with the high energy new-born church in Matthew’s gospel when we turn to Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we see how quickly the rot can set in. The divisions in the church at Corinth were mainly personality clashes and divided loyalties towards different teachers. As the church’s former chief antagonist nobody knew better than Paul what a fragile structure it was. So, it must have been exasperating to hear of infighting and squabbling.
Over the years and centuries there have continued to be many divisions in our churches, sometimes these have been small at other times more significant. In some ways it’s been inevitable although we talk of the church as a body of people, It is also a collection of individuals, individuals who all have opinions with different ideas and traditions.
Individually we bring our personal joys and triumphs to church, we also bring our sorrows and concerns. It is in church we lay our souls before God as we confess our sins. But we gather as a body of people, to stand firm upon the rock of Peter, to support and encourage each other as we share the eucharist and experience a deepening spiritual engagement singing and praying together in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Today’s reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah tells us that the people, plural, who walked in darkness have seen a great light. We might walk in darkness, sometimes, or lose the spark. But together we may glimpse God’s great light.