Collect for Trinity 2
Romans 5: 1-8
Matthew 9: 35-10:4
Peter. Fisherman. Impetuous, always speaking his mind and acting on impulse. Rock on whom the church was founded.
James son of Zebedee. Another fisherman
John. Brother of James. Both known as the ‘Sons of Thunder’
Andrew. Peter’s brother. The first to be called by Jesus.
Philip. Probably Greek-speaking. Brings Nathaniel to Jesus.
Bartholomew??
Matthew. Tax collector – member of One of the most reviled professions in first-century Judaism. Matthew collected taxes for Rome from his fellow Jews in Capernaum.
Thomas – ‘Doubting’ Thomas? Or ‘Practical’ Thomas?
James son of Alphaeus??
Thaddeus also known as Jude the apostle.
Simon the Zealot. may have belonged to a Jewish sect known as the Zealots, who were bent on revolution and looking for a Messiah to violently overthrow Rome. Or he may have simply been zealous for the Mosaic Law. Or zealous for Jesus and his teachings.
Judas Iscariot. The betrayer. Many different opinions on his motives. In art, usually depicted wearing yellow clothing and with red hair
What a bunch. Fishermen. A tax collector. A terrorist. A sceptic. Couple of hotheads. Not sure they’re the ones I’d pick, if I were Jesus. Not even sure they’re entirely trustworthy. Surely it would be more effective to go for celebrities – people who are well known and who could act as ‘influencers’?
Well, actually, no. The Gospel isn’t a fashion accessory. It’s real, and it needs real people to proclaim it. Jesus doesn’t choose people for their looks – He is interested in picking the right ones to do the job and to initiate the word being spread abroad. He chose ‘ordinary’ (actually, no-one is ‘ordinary’ as far as Jesus is concerned) people who would be believed by their friends and neighbours – in turn they would spread the word to their own contacts, and so on in turn. To use a current term – going ‘viral’.
Someone once asked who would be the best person to talk about Jesus to a lorry driver. To which the answer is ‘another lorry driver’.
Who would be the best person to talk to your friends and family about Jesus?
You.
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Praying Together 23rd March 2025
God gives us the freedom to make that choice, and will always offer us another chance when we fail, as He did to the barren fig tree.
Praying Together 16 March 2025
Unlike the other tragic heroes, Jesus has no flaw or blemish other than those inflicted by others: the scars on His back, the thorn-blood on His forehead, the betrayal by His friend.
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God’s demand for perfection need not discourage you in the least in your present attempts to be good, or even in your present failures.
Praying Together 2nd March 2025
God of the nations, whose sovereign rule brings justice and peace, have mercy on our broken and divided world.
Praying Together 23 February 2025
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Praying Together 2nd February 2025
We are all called to be the Body of Christ in His entirety – and we are to take the example of all ‘Saints’ who have gone before, both male and female, as models of our required behaviour.
Praying Together 26th January 2025
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Praying Together 19th January 2025
Jesus has demonstrated His authority and power. He takes something ordinary, and it becomes extraordinary. He turns water to wine. He heals the past and offers a new future. He changes his followers from sinner to saint.