2nd Sunday before Advent

Collect

Hebrews 10: 11 – 14, 19 – 25

3rd Sunday before Advent

Collect

Isaiah 2: 1 – 5 The Future House of God

Mark 1: 14 – 20

People sometimes ask me why, since our multinational and multilingual service making the hundred years since the 1918 Armistice, I no longer wear a poppy on Remembrance Sunday. Sadly I don’t recognise any reduction in war and violence after years of wearing one. While respecting the choice of those who still do, I feel that yes, it was right then that we reflected and looked back in gratitude. But perhaps it is time to look forward instead.

Actually, I do wear one, sort of. But rather like the cross on my forehead I was blessed with on my Baptism, it’s only visible through my actions.

I aspire to living my life a witness to my Saviour (admittedly and shamefully, I mostly fail…).  Nowadays, my act of Remembrance is in working for a future for children, grandchildren and generations of every race and nation to come, that they will live in a world of freedom from violence, hatred, injustice and prejudice. Whatever we wear or don’t wear, we must always, in giving thanks and honouring the sacrifice of those who give their lives for others, in turn offer ourselves as the body of Christ in the world, working for God’s Kingdom of peace and looking forward to that Kingdom, come. The safety and freedoms of the world’s children are our living poppies of remembrance

We remember

The Defence Forces

The Ambulance Service

An Garda Síochána

The Fire Service

The Coastguard

The RNLI and its volunteers

The Civil Defence and its volunteers

Nurses, doctors and all those who use their skills of healing both in this nation and across the world

And all those who have given their lives for others

For Johnny

Do not despair
For Johnny-head-in-air;
He sleeps as sound
As Johnny underground.

Fetch out no shroud
For Johnny-in-the-cloud;
And keep your tears
For him in after years.

Better by far
For Johnny-the-bright-star,
To keep your head,
And see his children fed.

John Pudney 1945

We pray the Lord’s prayer, and as the music plays, we may break bread together with the risen Christ and all His people – whoever and wherever in the world they are, we are one in Him who gave His life that we might live. He calls us to follow and to live our lives as His body, in the strength of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’

Go in peace, to love and praise the Lord and all His creation, giving thanks for the blessings of tomorrow – and the day after, then the day after that, and all your days. In the name of Christ. Amen

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4th Sunday before Advent

Collect

Hebrew 9: 11 – 14

Mark 12: 28 – 34

There are a number of sacrifices prescribed in the Old Testament; a burnt offering to express devotion or commitment to God. a grain offering in the form of a cake or baked bread, the peace offering, which consisted of any unblemished animal from the worshiper’s herd, a sin offering to atone for sin and cleanse from defilement and a trespass offering given as atonement for sins that required reimbursement to an offended party . Each of these sacrifices involved certain elements, either animal or sometimes fruit of the field, and had a specific purpose. They had to be made in accordance with strict rules laid down in the book of Leviticus – and these instructions were mostly fairly gruesome, involving (blameless) animals being slaughtered, with their blood being a fundamental part of the act.

Essentially, they allowed the donor to walk away from their past and start again – without themselves shedding blood. No doubt many were sincere, resolving to change their lives for the better – but I suspect that for others, this was a meaningless ritual which changed nothing.

Paul’s letter to the Church in Corinth makes it clear that these are but ‘a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.’ Jesus offers himself as a final, all-encompassing sacrifice. His innocent blood replaces the blood of the innocent animals. It is all we need, and we celebrate our freedom in our eucharistic celebration. But does it change us? – or do we merely perform the ritual as part of a tradition, without reflecting on its true meaning – that God the Creator of the Universe, loves us so much that He offers us the blood of His only Son that we might not perish, but have eternal life?

This week, there is so much needing our prayer that words are not enough. We need to take our issues of concern to a much deeper level. So, if you are able, find a quiet space and simply meditate on the words below, in the context of Christ’s atoning Sacrifice

Flooding in Spain and all countries suffering extreme climate disturbance

Escalating war and the pursuit of revenge throughout the Holy Land

Continuing conflict in Ukraine and Russia

Desperate people worldwide seeking refuge and safety for their families

The growth of political extremism

Domestic abuse and violence

That the Kingdom is only ever to be found in love of God and neighbour.

We pray the Lord’s prayer, and as the music plays, we may break bread together with the risen Christ and all His people – whoever and wherever in the world they are, we are one in Him who gave His life that we might live. He calls us to follow and to live our lives as His body, in the strength of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’

Go in peace, to love and praise the Lord and all His creation, giving thanks for the blessings of tomorrow – and the day after, then the day after that, and all your days. In the name of Christ. Amen

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Collect

Merciful Lord, Grant to your faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hebrew 5: 1 – 10

Mark 10: 35 – 45

A litany for Peace in troubled times

God the Father, have mercy on us.

God the Son, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy and blessed Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

In these days of trouble, fear and sorrow, have mercy on us.

In our despair at the violence that seems to fill the world, have mercy on us.

In the pain of lost life and shattered hopes, have mercy on us.

In our grieving for those who have died, have mercy on us.

In our compassion for all who are bereaved, have mercy on us.

From the history of violence that corrupts every society and our own,
O Lord, deliver us.

From the greed and injustice that divide the world into rich and poor,
O Lord, deliver us.

From the urge for revenge that adds to the cycle of violence,
O Lord, deliver us.

From the fear that grows into hatred for people who are different,
O Lord, deliver us.

From being too quick to attribute blame and demand retribution,
O Lord, deliver us.

From believing ourselves safe through anything other than your grace,
O Lord, deliver us.

From dying suddenly and unprepared,
O Lord, deliver us.

For those who plan and carry out acts of violence,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For all who seek justice and ensure the rule of law,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For the victims of war and terrorism everywhere on earth,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For all who live in fear, and for refugees from violent regimes,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For courage to resist demonising and dehumanising others,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For wisdom in choosing the paths of peace,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For solidarity with the suffering of the dispossessed,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For generosity in sharing fairly the world’s resources,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For respect in conversation with people of other faiths, and none,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For honesty in knowing and confessing the sin in our own hearts,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For grace to change and be changed as you forgive us,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For rescue workers and medical teams treating those injured in conflict zones,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For aid agencies and workers, responding with practical care in dangerous places,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For the leaders of all the nations, looking for ways to work together beyond fear and suspicion,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For people of goodwill, responding generously to the needs of suffering communities,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For all who have friends and family involved in areas of conflict and disaster,
Lord, hear our prayer.

For communities that are terrified by missiles, snipers, vigilantes or death
Lord, hear our prayer.

For the vulnerable and defenceless in conflict zones, for the children, the elderly, the disabled, the sick:                                                                                            
Lord, hear our prayer.

For Christ to bring all the peoples of the world into one flock with one shepherd, we pray to you, O God.

For Christ to bring healing and comfort for those we love who are sick or in mourning, we pray to you, O God.

For Christ to lead us into the paths of peace, writing the law of love on our hearts, we pray to you, O God.

For Christ to bring us, with all who have died in faith, to a joyful resurrection, we pray to you, O God.

God of all peace, have mercy on our broken and divided world, and on your people who cry out to you for healing, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Trinity 20

Collect

James 5:13 – 20

Mark 10: 17 – 31

it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye…
it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle…
It’s easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle…
… than for the rich to get into God’s Kingdom

it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye…
it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle…
It’s easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle…
… than for the rich to get into God’s Kingdom

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Collect

LORD, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

James 5:13 – 20

Mark 9: 42 – 48

‘if anyone among you wanders from the truth’…

‘And what is truth?’, said Pilate, before walking away from it, quoted in John 18:38

‘To say of what is that it is, or of what is not that it is not, is true.’ That’s Aristotle.

‘Truth is what I say it is’ according to politicians and dictators through the ages

‘Er, search me’ said quite a lot of wise philosophers.

Do we have to define something to understand what it means in our daily lives? I would suggest that while a definition certainly often helps – but a definition isn’t always necessary. As an example, to survive. we have to breath something called ‘air’ – but we don’t have to know its chemical formula in order to do so. There is much more to life than hard facts, and in them, truth will exist in spirit.

What is important is that we perceive, accept and believe ‘truths’ in order to frame our decisions and actions. We base our lives on what we believe to be truth, and for us as Christians, Jesus’ word is all the truth we need to live in Him and act as His body on Earth. His truth is simple – it is Love. Love of God and Love of neighbour.

‘My word is truth’, said Jesus in John 17: 17. Pilate was afraid of the consequences of belief. Thankfully, we need not be.