|
|
Clergy Column
NO SIMPLE ANSWER
In the first part of Sunday's Gospel reading, Luke 13.1-9, Jesus is
confronted by a group looking for easy answers to a horrific event in
which some Galileans had been killed by Pontius Pilate while worshipping
in Jerusalem. This unsettling state-sanctioned murder had led this group
to carry the gory details to Jesus. As usual, Jesus turned this
encounter on its head.
The group wanted a simple answer, but Jesus would have none of this.
He turns the conversation into a call for repentance as the only ground
for hope and standing in the face of God’s judgment. He presses the
issue more deeply. Were the people who died worse sinners than others?
Absolutely not. This claim is unsettling and begs the questions: How
should we then understand this tragic incident and how should we order
our own lives? Jesus interprets the event as a warning, repent or you
will perish just as they did. Jesus suggests that the ugliness of
life should propel us to God.
He is not talking about a one-time act of penitence. Jesus is calling
on his hearers to adopt a lifestyle of repentance. There is a profound
difference between a one-time repentance and an ongoing response of
repentance to God. Rather than offering a cheap and popular answer,
Jesus uses the question about a tragic event as a teaching moment to
call his people to a deeper relationship with God by committing to a
lifestyle of continual realignment of their lives with God.
Bill – Vicar of St Peter’s
Lent Talks
Jo Ellington has organised a series of evening talks at St Peter's in
the run up to holy week. Details of the talks organised so far
are shown below:
- Wed 3rd March 8-9pm. "Spirituality" by Alison
Hassle Alison Hassle will talk on Spirituality. She is a spiritual
director but also trains spiritual directors in the Oxford Diocese.
- Wed 10th March 8-9pm. "Worship" by Revd
Moira Astin Revd Moira Astin will talk on worship and Lent. Moira is
the vicar of Woodley, she is a great speaker and is very involved in
teaching for the Diocese on worship, doctrine and theology. She goes
to advise at the General Synod but she is very down to earth!!
- Thur 18th March 8pm - 'Growing the Kingdom’
by Jo Saunders
- Wed 24th March 7.30pm - Talk and Compline at
Burnham Abbey with Sister Mary ‘Burnham Abbey & the Burnham
Community’
The format will be 20 mins of talking, 20 mins of questions and
20mins of compline. We will have a max of 20 places available as we will
be up in the choir stalls so it will be a nice cosy event. Hopefully not
too cosy though, I do hope you will be able to come along and support
the speakers who are speaking free of charge.
Bible reading for Wednesday 10th March, 2010
'Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?' Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, 'Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . .' He said to the paralytic, 'I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.' He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, 'We have never seen anything like this!' | Mark 2:7-12 NIV®
Services
Sunday
| Time |
Service Type |
Description |
| 08:00 |
Holy Communion |
A quiet, said service, using traditional language. |
| 10:00 |
Holy Communion |
Our main Sunday service with
choir and organ. Young Church (ages 0 - 12) and Tower Teens
(ages 13 - 18+), run at the same time, and our young people join
the adults during the Communion. It is followed by drinks and
biscuits in Cornerstone. |
| 10:00 |
All Age Worship |
A lively, informal service on the 2nd Sunday of
each month. Music is led by Keynotes, our music group. It
is followed by drinks and home-made cakes in Cornerstone. |
Weekday services
| Day & Time |
Service Type |
Description |
Tuesday
09:00 |
Morning
Prayer |
A Traditional morning Prayer
service |
Thursday
07:30 |
Holy Communion |
A simple said service, followed by a light breakfast
in Cornerstone. |
This site was last updated on
05 March 2010
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International
Bible Society.
|
Food Request - The London Run are in need of tinned
meat to make sandwiches with i.e. corn beef, ham or luncheon meat.
Please place your food donations in the yellow box by the south porch
door. Thank you
Quiz Night - 6th March in Cornerstone more
information to follow.
Jumble Sale - 13th March 10-11am in Cornerstone.
Admission 20p
Bring and share lunch -28th March (Palm Sunday)
after morning service. Totally free – just bring some food to share.
Celebration breakfast - 23rd May (Pentecost) 9
a.m. – celebrate the Churches birthday with a cooked breakfast with a
touch of sparkle.
Arts & Flower Festival. We are planning a
celebration dinner at Dorney Lake, Eton College Rowing Centre on
Thursday 1st July. Leaflets are at the back of the church - a deposit of
£10 will book your place soon as they are limited. - Bill.
Dates for your Diary
Art s & Flower Festival in St Peter’s 26th June -2nd July 2010
please keep these dates free.
Fete - 18th September more information to follow.
|
