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Praying for five. 1 Kings 18:41-45 Luke 18:1-8   The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby's initiative Thy Kingdom come has encouraged us all on a regular basis to pray for 5 people, who are not yet Christians, who we would like to see come to know Jesus as their lord and Saviour. As a church we have been encouraging you to adopt this scheme for some time now. The reason we have done this is because we believe it to be a key strategy for the growth of our church.   I was really encouraged by the number of people who took up the challenge. This morning, I want to ask the question how is it going? I've heard some encouraging stories of how God has clearly been at work answering those prayers. I genuinely believe that many people are open to hearing our stories of faith and searching for meaning and purpose for their lives. 1 Peter 3 reminds us that we should Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have . Notice Peter says we should be prepared, to think beforehand what we would say and to pray for opportunities to share our story. Simply telling our stories of what God has been doing in our lives can have a significant impact on those who are searching.   God is the evangelist, he is already at work in the lives of those we are praying for, and it's a privilege for us to play a small part in his work. This is something that we can all do not just those who have a degree in theology.   I've heard of many positive conversations that have taken place with those who are being praying for. It's always encouraging to hear what God is doing. Please make the most of the opportunity to share what God has been doing in answering your prayers over tea and coffee after our service. This will encourage others to continue praying for their 5.   But I'm also aware that it's not easy to pray consistently for someone, especially when nothing outwardly appears to be happening, or they remain stubbornly agnostic. It is important that we are honest with each other and if you're struggling, admit just how difficult you are finding it so that we can support and pray for each other. Often, we think we are the only ones who are finding it difficult, when the reality is that many of us are actually in the same boat.   You may have heard the remarkable story of the late ninetieth century American evangelist DL Moody, who for throughout the whole of his adult life, carried a list of 100 people in his pocket, who had no relationship with Jesus, that he consistently prayed for. Reportedly by the time of his death 96 of those people had come to faith and amazingly the other four came to faith at his funeral.   Moody’s 96% success rate is truly remarkable, by any standards. it is exceptional not normal. Jesus tells the story of the shepherd who had 100 sheep but lost one of them. He went in search of the lost shape leaving the others behind. When he finds his lost sheep, he is so happy. Jesus concluded by saying but there is more joy in heaven over one person who comes to faith. Everyone of us is important to him.   If we're honest with ourselves we soon get discouraged, or too busy and despite our good intentions we neglect to pray for those on our list. If I was to take a straw poll and ask how people were getting on, don't worry, I'm not going to do it, I suspect that many, perhaps even the majority of us are finding it difficult to pray daily for those on our list.   If you are feeling discouraged this morning about your failure, let me reassure you that the purpose of this talk is not, repeat NOT to make you feel guilty but to spare as all on to continue with this initiative. Your experience of finding it difficult to sustain this commitment is much more normal than Moody’s. It's natural that things get in the way and prevent us from fulfilling our desire. That does not make us failures it makes us normal.   There is a lot in the Bible about being persistent in prayer. I love the story of Elijah the great OT prophet. Immediately prior to our reading this morning Elijah had singlehandedly called down fire from God to burn up the sacrifice that he had prepared. In so doing he demonstrated the power of the living God to the evil King Ahab and the impotence of the 400 false prophets of baal.   Elijah then prophesied to King Ahab, go eat and drink for there is the sound of heavy rain, which was desperately needed to end the 3 1/2-year drought. It is worth bearing in mind that Elijah is talking to a desperate political leader, the leader of a starving people under whose leadership the economy had collapsed, people have suffered and blame, and criticism has surely come knocking on the palace door. His desperation would have been just a fragment of that of the rest of his people. The King is probably still eating fresh baked bread and stew taken from the royal store houses, while the rest of the people in the city had long ago run out of rations.   Note also what Elijah does next. He climbs the mountain and we're told he adopts a most unusual position. Why?  Elijah humbles himself in prayer to God. He doesn't presume that God will automatically answer his prayer just because he is a prophet. Humble prayer is always a prerequisite to God moving in power.   This morning, I want to make two other points from this story of Elijah. Firstly, pray for the lost is slow.   Elijah prayed 7 times before his servant saw the first signs of a cloud appearing in the distance.   While we know that God's heart is for everyone to come to know him as their friend and saviour, it’s important that we remember that God will not always answer our prayer straight away.  We need to be committed to this ministry for the long haul, no matter how long that takes. My friend Mark Stibbe prayed for his brother for 25 years before he came to faith.   Playing for the lost is unglamorous.  Calling down fire from heaven undoubtedly won Elijah public admiration. There must have been a stir in the crowd, his name would have been on every tongue. Praying for a downpour on the city, by contrast, was a secret labour, unseen and unglamorous. It's the secret labour of prayer not the public spectacle of fire that we're told to imitate.   In James 5 we read the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being just as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for 3 1/2 years. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. As Christians we can sometimes have an appetite for the spectacular, we want God to answer our prayers straight away. But that is not how God always works. While faithful prayer is not glamorous it is however powerful, and effective.   Such prayer requires us to be persistent and single minded, have an appetite for the unglamorous. To accept this invitation requires us to display a stubborn willingness to pray through the waiting, a supernatural labour of wilful agony for the promise of new life.   The parable that Jesus told in our New Testament reading this morning is a parable that reminds us that by nature God is a compassionate who delights to answer our prayers. He gives the woman justice not because of her persistence but because of his compassion. This should always be the motivation behind our prayers. We have just launched dances and vision for growing disciples on the new strap line for this vision is growing disciples with compassion courage and confidence. David Stevenson

1 Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.[ a ]
5 They are free from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity[ b ];
their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
with arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.[ c ]
11 They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?” 12 This is what the wicked are like—
always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. 13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted,
and every morning brings new punishments. 15 If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny. 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes;
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies. 21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you. 23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever. 27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds. Although the psalmist was well aware of the goodness of God towards his people (vs 1), his observation of what was happening in society all around him almost led him to lose his way and throw in the towel. The wicked seemed to be getting away with it, which led him to consider if it was a complete waste of time trying to live his life according to God’s laws. “They seem to live such a painless life; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They aren’t troubled like other people or plagued with problems like everyone else.” (vs 4-5 New Living translation) and he was angry that God did not appear to be doing anything to sort the situation out. It was only when he went to the sanctuary (God’s house) and he was reminded of the destiny of the wicked in the long term that he came to his senses and realised the foolishness of how he had been thinking. He was reminded as John Goldingay in his commentary Psalms for Everyone helpfully puts it of “the fact that faithless people are doing well now does not mean that they will do forever and the fact that innocent people are suffering does not mean that they will forever.” The psalmist realised that God was in heaven and was the source of his help (vs 25) and that although his health my fail and his spirit grow weak God remained the strength of his heart forever (vs 26). Hebrew 12 reminds us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.” (New Living Translation) When we consider all the Jesus went through before it came good for him it helps us maintain a proper perspective on our lives and all that we are going through and encourages us to believe that in the long run those who trust in the Lord will have the last laugh!

Isaiah 50:7-10 Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.
Who will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths will eat them up. 10 Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the word of his servant?
Let the one who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on their God. Someone recently said to me, you have been through a very difficult time, with so much going on. This led me to reflect again on where my inner strength comes from. As I child I observed the way that mum and dad coped with losing two of their children to a muscle-wasting disease. Their quiet determined faith inspired me to follow their example. Also, knowing that God had chosen me makes me extremely thankful. The Bible never promises that following God will be easy. It is full of passages encouraging us to remain faithful even when the going is tough. Isaiah was well aware of times when things don’t go according to plan: times when God seems distant and remote and it feels as though he does not even hear our prayers, let alone answer them. He compares this to walking in darkness. (vs 10) (The prophet is not refereeing to the darkness of sin but the absence of God’s presence to guide us.) this is sometime referred to as the dark night of the soul. How should react at time like this? Because we know that God loves us and have experienced his faithfulness in the past then we should be determined to continue to press on, trusting God, even though the storms of life relentlessly batter us and there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel. we can be 100% confident that in the end God will once again prove faithful and will vindicate us. I love the way that Isaiah puts it in verse 7, he says that he sets his face like flint. In his second letter to the Corinthian Paul also helpfully reminds us that as Christians we are to walk by faith and not by sight.

Psalm 57 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed. 2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness. 4 I am in the midst of lions;
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth. 6 They spread a net for my feet—
I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves. 7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth. It is thought that David was in hiding in a cave, fleeing for his life, from king Saul when he wrote this psalm. In the midst of this crisis David was able to look back on his life and recall times in the past when God had helped him through difficult and challenging circumstances. This encouraged him to be strong and believe that God would hear his cry for help and once again come to his aid. His recollection of God’s faithfulness towards him spurred him on to sing a song of praise to God. It is so easy to forget all the blessings that God has showered upon us in the past, especially when we are going through difficult times, somehow our problems become all consuming. In his commentary on this psalm John Goldingay (former principle of St Johns college) writes, “Remembering the past is key to living in the present and having hope for the future. It does not make prayer unnecessary: it does make it possible.” He goes on to point out that this command to remember what God has done for us in the past is one of the most frequently repeated exhortations in the whole of the bible. Recently I have found a number of Matt Redman’s songs to be so helpful because they remind us to go on praising God even though life is far from easy. Lord forgive me for living my life As if you were not present. For trusting in my own strength And not yours. Teach me to trust you Especially when the journey Seems difficult and hard. Give me peace That cannot be disturbed By the fiercest storm. Give me the knowledge That no matter how many problems May strew the way ahead You who have the power to still the storm Can bring strength and stillness into my life. Amen

Joshua 1:1-9 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Moses, the great hero and leader of the people has just died, and Joshua has taken cup the mantle. The people face a very difficult and uncertain future. They are camped on the edge of the promised land. Directly in front of them lies the swollen waters of the River Jordan and ahead of them the challenge of finally entering and conquering the land that God had promised to give them. For Joshua too, this must have been a very anxious time. He knew that it was not going to be easy to follow in the footsteps of a great leader like Moses. How would the people respond? Would they be willing to follow him? He was well aware that the people had a track record of being difficult, stubborn and rebellious. No wonder then that God has to reassure Joshua and the people, not once but three times, encouraging them to be strong and courageous, and promising that he would be with them wherever he went. Joshua was up to the challenge. This had been the moment that he had been waiting for, for over forty years and he was not going to miss the chance. Although he was well aware, probably more than all of the people, of the difficult challenges ahead, his faith in God’s ability to help them overcome to odds and defeat the inhabitants of the land, even though on paper they were far stronger than they were, remained constant. Currently, we all face a very difficult and uncertain future. Just as God encouraged Joshua and the people to be strong and courageous so I believe he similarly would encourage us to be strong and courageous. Knowing that God is all-powerful means that we have nothing to be afraid of and we should be reassured by the wonderful promise that he will always be with us. David

Dear All, As I am sure you are aware the Government has now given the go ahead for churches to reopen for weddings and funerals as well as some services. The priority is to make this as safe as possible for everyone, so clear guidelines have been given. These are very comprehensive, so I will try and summarize the most relevant parts. Amongst other things, this means that we must continue to maintain the 2m social distance, wash our hands, or use hand sanitiser on entering and leaving the building. Singing is not allowed, neither we can use services books or bibles. We can have a service of Holy Communion, but the congregation are only allowed to receive the bread. The guidance around children’s work makes working with mixed age groups impossible. Members of the congregation are encouraged to leave as soon as the service has concluded, and refreshments cannot be served. In order to mitigate against the need for extensive cleaning between openings, where possible the church needs to remain closed for 72 hours between uses. Recognising that not everyone is ready or able to return to church Bishop Paul is encouraging us not to rush into anything but to take it slowly. He is hoping that over the summer churches will experiment and it is hoped that by September most churches will be able to reopen. No decision has yet been made as to when we will reopen to the public for worship. The PCC discussed the current guidelines last night and agreed the following:- 1. The churches will continue to be open for personal prayer every Wednesday. St James between 10am and 12 noon & ST Michaels between 2-4pm. (we are encouraged to take the names of everyone who attends and keep it for 21 days, so that if anyone tests positive in that period for covid 19 they can contacted and informed.) 2. We want to continue to stream the service as we have seen a large number of people (many more than the combined number of regular worshipers in both parishes) viewing the services online. 3. Initially, we will only have one service at 10.30am shared across both parishes of Morning Worship. (the restrictions around Holy Communion, in my opinion, make this impractical, as well as detracting from the intimate nature of the sacrament and I can’t justify theologically only the priest being able to receive the wine.) 4. In St James we have worked out that we can have up to 26 people and in St Michaels 30 people while still maintaining the 2m social distance. 5. Following the experiment for the St James day service we will look to the possibility of having another service outside at St Mary’s. 6. In the future it may be possible for all three churches to be open simultaneously and the service to be streamed live in all of them allowing contributions to be made by different people in each location, thereby maximising the number of people who can attend. I am aware that these proposals are far from perfect and that we are still a long way from being able to return to how we operated before the pandemic struck. The rules and restrictions are constantly being reviewed and updated so we need to continue to respond accordingly. I know that not everyone is able to access technology and may feel excluded as a result and are consequently eager to return to meeting together. On the other hand, I don’t want to exclude others, who for legitimate reasons do not feel ready, or able to return to meeting together yet. I sure we are all longing for the day when we can all meet together and lift our voices to praise the name of our awesome Lord together and might be frustrated at the slow progress, we appear to be making towards this. One of the songs that I have been playing a lot recently has been Songs in the Night by Matt Redman. The song affirms our belief that God is able to provide the miracle that we need but that until he does, we will faithfully wait here. While we wait patiently, for this horrific storm to pass, we need to continue to cry out to God in prayer for him to have mercy and to make a way through the current crisis for us. Yours in His Service David

Psalm 139 1  You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2  You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3  You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4  Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5  You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain. 7  Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8  If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9  If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10  even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11  If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12  even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you. 13  For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15  My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16  Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17  How precious to me are your thoughts,[ a ] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18  Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you. Since the horrific killing of the black American George Floyd, by a white police officer in May this year there has been a huge public outcry, resulting in the black life matter campaign, demanding an end to racial discrimination. The campaign has gained the support of many sportsmen and woman, many of whom have been the victim of verbal abuse.  While of course black lives do matter, as Christians we have something much more prophetic and profound to say to our society, all life matters . Our value to God does not depend on the colour of our skin, our race, or gender. From the moment of conception until the moment we die our life matters to God. That is why, we should be appalled that since the introduction of the legalisation to legalise abortion in this country eight million babies have died. It is also why we should resist the rise of anti-Semitism, which resulted in six million Jews dying in world war two and why we are right to object to the growing pressure to legalise Euthanasia. As psalm 139 beautifully reminds us, we are all created in the image of God and consequently we are all precious and special to him and he desires the very best for us. David

Paul Appears before Festus Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem,  where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul. They asked Festus as a favour to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way).  But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon.  So he said, “Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations.”  About eight or ten days later Festus returned to Caesarea, and on the following day he took his seat in court and ordered that Paul be brought in. When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn’t prove. Paul denied the charges. “I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government,” he said. Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?” But Paul replied, “No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty of harming the Jews.  If I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!” Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!” A few days later King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice,[ a ] to pay their respects to Festus. During their stay of several days, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. “There is a prisoner here,” he told him, “whose case was left for me by Felix. When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against him and asked me to condemn him. I pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial. They must be given an opportunity to confront their accusers and defend themselves.  “When his accusers came here for the trial, I didn’t delay. I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in.  But the accusations made against him weren’t any of the crimes I expected. Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive. I was at a loss to know how to investigate these things, so I asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem. But Paul appealed to have his case decided by the emperor. So I ordered that he be held in custody until I could arrange to send him to Caesar.” “I’d like to hear the man myself,” Agrippa said. And Festus replied, “You will—tomorrow!” In Romans chapter 8 verse 28 Paul makes an emphatic and sweeping statement. He writes, all things work together for good for those who love the Lord. Sometimes when we are going through a time of crisis it can be incredibly difficult to comprehend how this might be possible. Often it is only as we look back that we see how God has been at work. I’m convinced that this must have been the case for Paul as he experienced the circumstances that we read about in Acts 25. He must have been incredibly frustrated that, for well over two years, he was stuck in prison, apparently unable to fulfil his ministry. However, as we look back now, we can see that without doubt that God was at work. In the short term he got to speak to king Agrippa. In the medium term, he got sent to Rome, this fulfilled a word that God has spoken directly to him, that he would testify for him there. And in the long term, we know that Paul wrote a lot of his letters from prison. These letters were a no doubt a blessing to the churches which received them, and 2000 years latter are still a source of encouragement to us today, especially for those who have also had to face false imprisonment, accusations and criticism. I suspect that Paul would have been astonished in the midst of all these difficulties to know how much good was going to come from them. Already in the current pandemic we are seeing that good is coming from it. Many Christians are spending much more time in prayer and there has been a huge surge in those looking towards the church for help and answers. How will this situation pan out in the medium and long term? Only time will tell. In this life, we may never know, how God uses our faithfulness in the face of the challenges we all face. All we are called to do is trust that God will fulfil his word, for his glory.

The Dangers of the Last Days You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! Paul’s Charge to Timothy But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work 2 Timothy 3 New Living Translation (NLT) I don’t know about you but as I read this passage from Paul’s letter to Timothy, it sounds to be an apt description of our times. Seeing all that is going on in the world today can be quite disturbing. But as Christians, we should not lose our nerve. We are clearly warned in the bible that these things will happen. It does not mean that something has gone wrong, or that God has lost control. As we approach the last day’s we can expect the situation in the world to get worse. Paul’s instruction to Timothy was very clear, that despite everything that was going on in the world around him, he was to keep his nerve and to continue to remain faithful to the things that he had been taught. For us too, the bible is the only true source of guidance showing us the way that we should live if we want to please God. Sadly, living God’s way is no longer considered to be politically correct and it will make us unpopular. If people are to come to accept the truth, then we must love them unconditionally rather than judge them. Just as the father did when he welcomed his prodigal son when he returned home. (but more of this on Sunday) David

I have heard all about you, Lord.
I am filled with awe by your amazing works.
In this time of our deep need,
help us again as you did in years gone by.
And in your anger,
remember your mercy. New living bible God, I’ve heard what our ancestors say about you,
and I’m stopped in my tracks, down on my knees.
Do among us what you did among them.
Work among us as you worked among them.
And as you bring judgment, as you surely must,
remember mercy. Habakkuk 3:2 The Message. Over the last few months we have heard a lot about how difficult the current pandemic is proving to be. The implications are without doubt far-reaching and will be long-lasting. Everything has been shaken. Even things that we have taken for granted, like our freedom to do what want and go where we want, when we want to do it, has been taken away. Who would have thought four months ago that so many of us would be desperate for a haircut! But I believe that these are also exciting times and that this is also a season of amazing opportunities for the advancement of God’s kingdom. I don’t believe that God has been caught out by the arrival of the pandemic and that he is at work behind it all. Paul writes in Romans that God works all things together for our good. I’m not alone in sensing that God is doing something significant. During the crisis there has been a huge surge of interest in spiritual matters. Our Facebook services have been getting a lot more views than our average combined Sunday attendance would suggest. Di has been surprised that some of her colleges, even those who in the past have been hostile towards her faith, have been not only watching the services but finding them helpful. Many others are reporting similar things. I don’t think that’s we should be surprised by any of this. In recent years we have seen a significant wave of prayer rise to the Father, crying out for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, from all across the world. We have seen the rise of the 24/7 prayer movement, the Thy Kingdom Come initiative, as well as what is happening at Ffalyd-y-Brenin. Throughout history, prayer has always been the precursor of revival. All this encourages me to go on praying, with increasing expectation, as all those years ago Habakkuk did, at a time when the nation had turned its back on God, we have heard of the great things that you have done in the past, do it again Lord in our time. Show your power, O Lord Demonstrate the justice of your kingdom Prove your mighty word Vindicate your name Before a watching world Awesome are your deeds, O Lord Renew them for this hour Show your power, O Lord Among the people now Show your power, O Lord Cause your church to rise and take action Let all fear be gone Powers of the age to come Are breaking through We your people are ready to serve To arise and to obey Show your power, O Lord And set the people free Graham Kendrick 1988 Make Way Music,

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 New Living translation Paul’s words are very easy to read but much harder to put into practice. As I was preparing for the service (Sunday 14th June) I was reminded of the tragic story of Joseph Scriven. He was born in Ireland in 1819. After receiving his university degree from Trinity College in London, he quickly established himself as a teacher, fell in love, and made plans to settle in his hometown. Then tragedy struck. The day before his scheduled wedding, his fiancé drowned as a result of a freak horse-riding accident. Overcome with grief, Scriven left Ireland to start a new life in Canada. He established a home in Rice Lake, where he met and fell in love with Eliza Rice. Just weeks before she was to become Joseph Scriven’s bride, she suddenly grew sick. In a matter of weeks, Eliza died. A shattered Scriven turned to the only thing that had anchored him during his life — his faith. Through prayer and Bible study he found not just solace, but a mission. The twenty-five-year-old Scriven took a vow of poverty, sold all of his earthly possessions, and vowed to give his life to the physically handicapped and financially destitute. Ten years later Scriven received word that his mother had become very ill. The man who had taken a vow of poverty did not have the funds to go home to help care for her. Heartsick, and feeling a need to reach out to her, he wrote the story of his life in three short verses. His poem soon became a beautiful hymn that is still a favourite of many people today. It is a reminder to us all of the power of prayer to help us find strength and comfort when we are going through difficult times, that hymn is “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Perhaps one of the reasons why it has remained so popular is that it was clearly written as a result personal experience: of the pain of life in a broken and fallen world that so many of us can associate with. What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer! Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there. Suggested Hymns for the 12 noon prayer times Tuesday what a friend we have in Jesus Wednesday Sovereign over us Aron Keys Thursday Blessed be your name Friday Way maker Saturday cornerstone Monday one thing remains

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message translation) Many years ago I read a book by Clive Calver which suggested that churches should stop all their incessant busy-ness. It even proposed that it would be good every once in a while to stop all their meetings except the prayer meeting. The point being was that some times we get so busy that we stop listening to God whilst doing what we think we should be doing. We then often complain that other people aren’t helping. I think that the title of the book was “With a church like this who needs Satan?” He loves to cause us to grumble and get distracted. We had our first lockdown PCC this week via Zoom. We spent some time sharing about how we were finding lockdown. It was very apparent that whilst some had rather enjoyed the tranquillity and having time to look at parts of the Bible that they have never read before others were finding the current situation very difficult. A new report studying the result of the lockdown on churches and their online presence has been written. Our experience echoes that seen across the country that people are looking and watching and it is easier to drop in to an online church. The report Every Welcome to the Future tells us that lockdown has given the church a unique opportunity to re-think and re-grow our congregations but acknowledges that it isn’t good for everybody; we need to do both in the future. When we stopped everything I don’t think that any of us expected it to be for so long and there is still much uncertainty about what we will be able to do in the future or when we will be able to do it. We still don’t know what the future holds but we should use this opportunity to prayerfully reflect on what God might be calling us to in our community. The PCC are extremely grateful to everyone who is doing their best to look after others. To those of you who are making sending cards and making phone calls and caring for one another. The buildings may be open for private prayer sometime soon. If this does happen we hope that we can use it as an opportunity to ask younger able-bodied volunteers from the community at lower risk from the virus to help What we do know is that it will still be sometime before we can return to anything like the old normal for corporate worship though. Recently Bishop Paul led our LLM studies in thinking about relationships. We were reminded that we are designed to be in relationship with God and with one another, it is not surprising that many are finding it difficult that we cannot meet together. In the end, though the only relationship that really sustains us is our relationship with God and nothing helps us more than finding a place to be quiet with Him. You don’t have to say anything just be quiet. Some find simple liturgy like “Lord have mercy” helps. The psalms of lament teach us that it is quite Ok to pour out your sorrows and frustration to God. The recent Thy Kingdom Come campaign reminded us that we have a pattern we can use for prayer in The Lords Prayer John Sentamu has just retired as the Archbishop of York as he celebrated his 71st birthday. In later years he has done several solo walking pilgrimages praying as he went along. He said that he had found that the Lords prayer was sufficient and that KISS was a good reminder-Keep It Simple Stupid! Pete Greig in the first session of the prayer course encourages us to Keep it simple, keep it real, keep it up! Rachel

1 Samuel 17 David did not just have to defeat the giant Goliath, he also had to overcome considerable opposition from his own brother and even the king before he was able to go out and fight Goliath. David’s older brother was jealous of David’s confident faith in God and maybe even a bit guilty that he did not share the same faith that David had. So he tried to warn him off by telling him to go back to the menial task of looking after the sheep. But David would have none of it and simply turned away and refused to listen to Eliab. Next, Saul tried to dissuade David by pointing out his inexperience: what makes you think you can defeat Goliath, you’re only a boy. God was able to use David to defeat Goliath not because of his ability but because of his availability. While everyone else was overawed by the threat that Goliath posed, standing 9ft tall, David took the opposite point of view. He looked not on the size of the problem but on the greatness of God. Saul and the entire nation thought: He is so big there is nothing that I can possibly do, but on the other hand David thought, he is so big how can I possibly miss! While we might not be facing a literal giant, right now our world is facing the giant challenge of the coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19). A ‘giant’ is a big, seemingly insurmountable problem or issue. It would be easy for us to listen to all the doom and gloom stories that are currently circulating, that the virus will always be around, that we might never be able to develop a vaccine, resulting in us losing hope. Or, we can choose to focus on God, who throughout history has always found a way to overcome apparently insurmountable problems. That’s why the song Way Maker has become one of my favourites and why I keep playing it (Tom’s version is fantastic) because It helps me to focus on all that God has done in the past and encourages me to continue to believe in what he will do for us. Suggested songs for the 12 noon prayer times: - Tuesday Hungry I come to you. Wednesday Spirit break out Thursday This is the air I breath Friday Spirit of the living God come fall afresh (Riddle) Saturday. O breath of God come Monday Way Maker

Psalm 63. You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you. Once again in the ten days between Ascension Day and Pentecost the Archbishop of Canterbury is calling on all Christians to earnestly seek God for the coming of his kingdom and a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in order that many will experience for themselves in a new way God’s power and glory. Over the last five years, this prayer initiative has caught people’s imagination so that Christians in over a hundred and fifty nations now participate. Last year 1400 people from across the city of Nottingham joined together in a memorable evening at Trent Vineyard, while more locally we held a well-attended united evening service at Newthorpe Baptist church. Sadly, this year we will not be able to meet together but in the current crisis, the need for God to intervene is more important than ever. This year I was planning on joining others in the Market Square for a time of worship and prayer for our city, which was scheduled to take place this Friday evening. The event was being planned by Nottingham City prayer and was called Bow down. (I mentioned it during the service on Sunday). Thanks to modern technology the event will still be taking place in homes all across the county. You can register to be part of this at bowdown.online. Can I encourage as many of us as possible to be part of this. It starts at 9pm and will last for approximately 15 minutes and will end with everyone lighting a candle. As we cry out to God in expectation and faith, that He will find a way to deliver us from this pandemic I was reminded of a quote from one of my heroes of faith Smith Wigglesworth, “Great faith is a product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.” Suggested songs for the 12noon prayer times Tuesday: Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise Wednesday: Oceans deep Ascension Day: Crown him with many crowns Friday: We bow down Saturday: Blessed assurance Monday: Good, Good Father

From psalm 59 Deliver me from my enemies, O God;
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.
2 Deliver me from evildoers
and save me from those who are after my blood. David was in a clearly under attack which resulted in him crying out to God for help and protection knowing that God was his only hope. You are my strength, I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,
10 my God on whom I can rely. Having poured out his heart to the Lord he gets to a place at the end of the psalm where his focus is no longer on his problems (although they remain as real as ever) but where he can confidently worship God and praised him for his help knowing that God will ultimately vindicate him. But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble. 17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely. At the moment there seems to be no end in sight to the coronavirus crisis and it can feel overwhelming. Since the beginning of the pandemic we have been crying out to God for mercy and deliverance, which is by far the best thing that we can possibly do. While we might not have as yet seen an answer to our prayer for an end to this awful virus, we can be assured that God has heard our cry for help. Although we might not always feel like praising God, in my experience, when I lift my eyes from the problems and make that sacrifice of praise, I have always found my faith and trust in God has been strengthened as I have been reminded of the greatness of God. That’s why I chose the song way maker as part of the service yesterday. As I sing that song it reminds me of what God has done in the past, against all the odds making a way through the Red sea and gives me hope to believe that he can do it again for us today. (If you have not already listened to Tom Walters beautiful version of this song you can still access it via the Brinsley with Underwood Parish facebook or youtube pages.) Suggested songs for the 12 noon prayer times Tuesday Great is the Lord Wednesday Way maker Thursday Oceans deep Friday Blessed assurance Saturday Good, good father Monday sovereign over us David

From Psalm 55 If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
at the house of God,
as we walked about
among the worshipers…….. 16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening, morning and noon
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,
who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God……… 22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.

As has been said, ‘Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but it gets you nowhere.’ No one goes through life without facing problems, battles and causes for worry. As well as the many blessings he enjoyed David also faced many difficulties in his life. Not only did he spend fourteen years on the run from King Saul at one point even his own son turned against him. In this psalm David speaks of one of the most painful battles of his life. His ‘close friend’ with whom he had ‘shared’ his ‘secrets’ has turned against him and joined the many who oppose him. David, of course, found this more difficult than if an enemy were insulting him as we all would. As in any battle, we have a ‘choice’ about how we respond. Being the godly man that he was, David chose to turn to the Lord and cry out to him ‘evening, morning and noon’. This is by far the best strategy to employ whatever difficulties we are encountering. This is exactly what David did and as a result he experienced God’s peace. He wrote, ‘he has redeemed my life in peace from the battle that was against me’. From David’s own experience he is able to give this advice: ‘Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you’ As you face the worries, battles and disappointments of life, don’t allow them to overwhelm you. This is an important reminder to us at the moment, when the future looks so uncertain and when everything is being shaken. Like David, we need continue to turn to the Lord, cast your burdens on him and then say, ‘as for me, I trust in you. Suggested songs for the 12 noon prayer times Tuesday: Faithful one so unchanging Wednesday: Through all the changing scenes of life. Thursday: Jesus hope of the nations Friday: Nothing shall separate us from the love of God Saturday: All I once held dear Monday: Give thanks to the Lord our God and king David

Make the most of every opportunity in these evil Days. Ephesians 5:16 (NLT) I am sure that there are many things about not currently being able to meet together that we are all missing: our fellowship with one another is such an important part of our meeting together, not just but especially for those who live alone, singing praise to God for his goodness and love for me is something that I really miss. (while I do listen and sing along to worship songs everyday it’s not the same as doing it together in the church, God’s house, where so many have gathered in worship over many years.) And of course we miss the sharing together in the Christian family meal, the Holy Communion. I, along many of you, am praying that it won’t be to long before the current restrictions are lifted and we can once again all be able to meet together. On a personal note, while I am pleased to be able to offer a short service via the Facebook site each week, I do find it hard, not least because I cannot see those who are listening, so I am not able to judge whether what I am saying is hitting the right note. So thank you for your feedback. Having said all of that good is coming out of this situation. God is very clearly at work. Many people are suggesting that something significant is happening that as a result of the coronavirus the mood in the nation towards the church is changing from one of antagonism or agnosticism. Those who up until now have not given a second thought to God have been confronted with new realties , that life is fragile and that we are not masters of our own destiny. There is a new openness which many of us have longed and prayed for in our nation. It now ok to talk about prayer- politicians and celebrities alike have spoken more about prayer in the last few weeks than they have done in a life time. Already stories are emerging of people who have come to faith during this time. Like lots of churches we are now in contact, via social media, with lots of people we weren’t before this crisis began. And perhaps there are lessons for us to learn for the future about how we reach a new generation that spend so much time accessing everything via the internet. This gives us all some amazing opportunities to share our faith and to touch lives with the good news of God’s love. So I want to encourage us all, every day as part of our regular prayer to ask God to show us someone he would like us to reach out to that day and then to look out for the gentle prompting of the spirit, unexpectedly bringing someone to mind. And then be willing to contact that person via phone or some form of social media. It is so easy at the moment. All you have got to say is, just thought I’d call you to see how you are. And having listened to their answer be willing to offer to pray for them. I’m sure if you are prepared to do this on a regular basis you would be surprised at the way that God can use you. (For more details of how to share your faith in this way see Michael Harvey’s video below on how to keep a locked down church on mission.) Suggested songs for this week’s 12noon prayer times. Tuesday Endless Hallelujah Wednesday Praise is rising Thursday it is well with my soul (Redman) Friday these are the days of Elijah Saturday unbroken praise Monday The lord’s my shepherd (Townsend) David

Pete Greig in his book Dirty Glory helpfully suggests four reasons why many people find intercession in the face of disasters difficult, which I hope we might find helpful and learn from as we struggle to cry out to God in the face of the current pandemic. 1. A limited world view. A failure to discern the spiritual reality behind the unfolding tragedy. He says, “We find ourselves believing more in ambulances than angels, in the power of politicians more than the power of prayer.“ In Ephesians 6 Paul is very clear. He says our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 2. A low self-esteem. A failure to recognise that now we belong to him God has given us real spiritual authority. God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms. 3. Doubts about prayer. Can prayer really change situations? In James we read, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Jesus makes the amazing promise to do whatever we ask in his name so that the Father may be glorified. 4. Practical questions about how to pray. Greig says, “Many people believe that they ought to pray at such times, they want to pray, but they do not know how to wrap words around so much chaos and loss.” Knowing what to pray at times of crisis can be very difficult. He goes on to suggest three basic areas to focus on in prayer in the face of such a crisis. 1. People Affected. We ask God to comfort those who suddenly find their lives torn apart by grief, loss, fear and trauma. 2. Those ministering in Jesus name to the victims . We ask God to give wisdom, courage and empathy to those seeking to bring Christ’s presence and hope in the midst to trauma and pain. 3. Peacemakers and authorities . We ask God to give clarity and wisdom to governments and agencies blessing and supporting their efforts to bring justice, reconciliation and aid. So as God’s people let’s stand strong, and lift up the shield of faith against the dark forces of evil trying to destroy us. Let’s continue to cry out to our Loving Heavenly Father, day and night, for mercy and deliverance. Let’s continue to believe that he is still able to work miracles and that nothing is impossible for him and that in the mighty name of Jesus he will confound everyone’s expectations and quickly permanently defeat this pandemic bringing glory to his name. Suggested songs for this weeks 12 noon prayer times Tuesday strength will rise as we wait upon the lord. Wednesday Guide me o thou great redeemer Thursday Way maker Friday father hear the prayer we offer Saturday Jesus hope of the nations Monday father I place into your hands David

13th April 2020; David writes from the rectory ......
For many years 2 Chronicles 7 verse 14 has been a verse that God has often spoken to me through. I’m sure that many of you will also be familiar with this amazing promise. “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land.” Without doubt this is a verse that speaks directly into the situation that we currently find ourselves in. But I have to admit that until last week when Pete Greig the founder of the 24-7 prayer movement referred to it in his book dirty glory, I had never noticed the preceding verse 13 ever before. “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land, or send a plague…. “ It struck me that two of the most important words in this verse are also two of the smallest words which could resulting in us missing the significance of them altogether. The first word is when . When not if things go wrong. While we may no longer experience plagues of locust devouring the land but the modern day equivalent would be a banking collapse or a recession. God does not promise to eliminate crisis from the lives of his people. In fact crises are opportunities for us to shine as beacons of light and faith. Secondly God says that when such troubles come he will hear us if, not when we turn to him for help. Sadly it is not inevitable, nor automatic that we will respond to the problems of life with humility and prayer. Sadly history shows only too clearly that human instinct in the face of any crisis is independence not intercession. We are self-help addicts: God tends to be our last resort. At this crucial time in our history the government is doing all it can by providing temporary nightingale hospitals and extra equipment and staff to run them and by supporting business which are not able to operate. The public by and large are doing their bit by staying at home. While these things are important we as Christian’s must also do what we can do, and continue to PRAY, not as a last resort but as a top priority that God will have mercy upon us deliver us from this evil virus and heal our land. Psalm 20 In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem.
May he remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings. May he grant your heart’s desires
and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers. Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
Those nations will fall down and collapse,
but we will rise up and stand firm. Suggested songs for the 12 noon prayer times Tuesday Happy Day Tim Hughes Wednesday Jesus Christ is risen today Thursday Man of sorrows Friday the reckless love of God Saturday great is thy faithfulness Monday blessed be your name photo of prayers in the western wall in Jerusalem October 2019

Life is filled with close calls. We experience them every day, though some of them are larger than others. Almost getting the boss’ name wrong at that big work meeting, or thinking you’ve flunked that last big-marker question at exam time. Taking the wrong turning at a road junction and having to re-work your journey to make it to your destination in time, or simply almost catching your toe in your house and just missing that sharp sense of pain. We’re in the midst of a global close call right now. In the space of a few weeks we have gone from business as usual to confinement in our own homes and a re-shaping of our work and family life. Some of you may have had big events cancelled, that you were working towards for so long. Some of you may be unable to see family and friends you are worried about and miss dearly. And we’re all worried about just how far this crisis is going to take us. Even our church buildings are forced to stand empty and silent, at a time when ordinarily we would be memorialising what is in many ways the Church’s most monumental close call: the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our age’s Easter worship benefits from hindsight: we know what’s coming on Sunday even when we lament what had to happen on Friday. We don’t have the shock of seeing a human figure we had followed for years wilfully allowing Himself to be degraded, tortured and nailed to a wooden cross to die. We don’t have the anger of seeing years of world-changing ministry seemingly wasted as its forerunner is killed, the uncertainty and fear of not knowing what comes next. That’s how the disciples experienced the Easter story, and these feelings of shock, anger, uncertainty and fear often fill the close calls we experience today, those bigger ones anyway. Right now, many of us are still in shock at how our society has changed in so short a space of time. Some feel anger at what has been done, or not done, and all of us are feeling fear of what comes next. We might express our feelings in different ways. Many will try to keep the faith, like the three Marys who remained with Jesus as He died and was buried (Luke 23:55), or like John who invited Jesus’ mother to His home after Jesus’ death (John 19-26-27). For many this is easier said than done, and might only cautiously watch on from a distance in the midst of uncertainty, like Peter who then even denied being a follower of Jesus three times when challenged (Luke 22:59-62). It seems, then, that how we feel on the Friday so often makes it hard for us to even contemplate what’s coming on the Sunday. In the midst of crisis, we can close off in fear, not being able to see a way out or feel able to wait for the light on the other end. It wasn’t until the Sunday itself that Peter regained his senses, saw that Jesus dying on the Friday was far from the end and was reconciled to Jesus (John 21:9). Regardless of how people reacted to Jesus’ death, the outstretched love of Christ was re-affirmed to all on His resurrection, and everyone rejoiced as their original faith in the promises of Christ were seen to be fulfilled. That love remains outstretched to us all. Right now, we’re still in the middle of our own close call, but however we react or otherwise feel now, history has shown us that there is always an end. Not least the story we are called to celebrate this weekend, even if from our own homes. Right now, we’re on the Friday. Watching, waiting, wondering. Perhaps even denying. Let’s keep watching together. Sunday’s on its way.

Mark 14:32-42. Gethsemane 32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’ 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 ‘Abba ,[ f ] Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’ 37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Simon,’ he said to Peter, ‘are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ 39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. 41 Returning the third time, he said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!’ Jesus had always been the one in control, the one who was never flustered by anything. He always seemed to have the answers to the most perplexing questions and the power to deal with any and every situation. Yes, of course they had seen him sad before, not least when he stood in front of the tomb of his friend Lazarus. But in the three years that they had been with him the disciples had never witnessed anything like this before. It was as though Jesus was in some sort of walking nightmare. Here we get a privileged insight into Jesus fighting the private spiritual battle that he must win if he is to fulfil the very purpose of his coming to earth. The scene is so intimate and frightening that we feel almost embarrassed to be on lookers. It was as though he could see the cup, not the cup that he had given them to drink during the Passover meal that they had shared together not an hour or so ago, but the cup of God’s wrath, the cup that the prophets had spoken of. And he desperately, desperately, did not want to drink it. As always the gospel writers make no attempt to cover over the cracks, but recount the actual events as they happened. Here they show that Jesus was no super hero, willing to boldly go where no one had gone before. Here we see the humanity of Jesus to the fore, resulting in him as we might say today, having a meltdown. Once again we see that Jesus address his father with the intimate term abba, reflecting the closeness of their relationship. Jesus was of course well aware that nothing is impossible for his father, God. Yet as He looked into the darkness in shear desperation he begged his father, not once but three times, to find a different way. And the answer was no. As if that were not enough for Jesus to bear, when he returns to his disciples he finds them asleep. In his hour of greatest need, his closet friends let him down badly: they are not able to simply be there for him, to watch and pray with him. As Jesus prepared to face the most harrowing challenge of his entire life, he had to do so all alone. Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Jesus lives now to intercede for us. At this critical moment in the history of the world and our nation, may we his modern day disciples, be found not sleeping but by his side, crying out in faith and hope, to our loving heavenly Father, who is still able to do anything, for deliverance and mercy. There in the garden of tears My heavy load he chose to bear His heart with sorrow was torn Yet not my will be yours he said (From Graham Kendrick’s From heaven you came)

Psalm 137 New Living Translation (NLT 1 Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept
as we thought of Jerusalem.
2 We put away our harps,
hanging them on the branches of poplar trees.
3 For our captors demanded a song from us.
Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn:
“Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!”
4 But how can we sing the songs of the Lord
while in a pagan land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget how to play the harp.
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I fail to remember you,
if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy. 7 O Lord, remember what the Edomites did
on the day the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem.
“Destroy it!” they yelled.
“Level it to the ground!”
8 O Babylon, you will be destroyed.
Happy is the one who pays you back
for what you have done to us. Despite being God’s chosen people the Jews spent long periods of time in the wilderness, or in exile in Babylon. Many of the psalms are cries of lament, in which the psalmist powerfully expresses their anger towards God, for the situation that they find themselves in and even vocalise the question why God has abandoned them. Down the years many people have found these psalms have helped them to vocalise their own predicament to God. The song, By the Rivers of Babylon, which became one of the bestselling singles of all time in the UK, was originally as Rastafarian song that provided singers in the Caribbean the opportunity to express their own protest and lament about colonialism as well as their longing for freedom. Many of us today have forgotten the benefits of lament and we can find these psalms to be rather disturbing and even offensive, especially when they cry out to God for revenge and ask him to totally obliterate their enemies. If there is one thing that we can learn from the psalms it is that we should not be afraid to express our true feelings towards God, even when we are worried, bitter, resentful, or even when we cannot sense his presence with us at all. In the current pandemic, when we find it difficult to find the right words to pray, we should not be afraid to simply cry out to God for deliverance and mercy. It is ok to let him know exactly how we feel. Often, having expressed their feelings towards God, the psalmists end with a real sense of renewed hope and faith that God has heard their prayers, that he will answer them and that ultimately he will deliver them from hands of their enemies. The cross: we shall take it. The bread: we shall break it The pain: we shall bear it The Joy we shall share it The gospel we shall live it. The Love: we shall give. The light: we shall cherish it. The darkness: God shall perish it Amen Suggested hymns/songs for this week’s prayer times Tuesday Psalm 51 Kendrick’s Wednesday Amazing grace Thursday Meekness & Majesty Friday Jesus Christ I think upon your sacrifice & when I survey Saturday From Heaven you came Sunday Thine be the glory & He has risen Monday O praise the name of the Lord my God (Anastais) David

Luke 10:38-42 New Living Translation (NLT) Jesus Visits Martha and Mary 38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” 41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Those of you like me who are activists can feel very frustrated with those who are energised by quietness and reflection because to us they appear to be lazy. Not only that, you’re left feeling annoyed by Jesus response to Martha! But Jesus was very clear, Mary had chosen what was best and he wasn’t going to stop her. The Westminster catechism reminds us that our primary purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. So I am a having to learn again that we are primarily human beings , not human doings and resist the temptation, however compelling to get up and do something – anything (even tidy the garage!) and simply wait instead in the presence of the Lord. Reading the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus it soon becomes very clear that his ministry flowed out of his intimate relationship with his Father. For example, He spent the whole night in prayer before choosing his disciples. Now we have no excuse not to spend more time in prayer and worship developing our relationship with God. One of the benefits that just might come out of this is that we might be able to hear God speak to us more clearly and see him blessing others more powerfully through us. Personally I find R.A. Torrey comments very challenging, “We are too busy to pray, so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity but accomplish little; many services but few conversions.” The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby made prayer one of his three top priorities prior to his enthronement. He said, “Without prayer there will be no renewal of the church, and without a renewal of the church there is very little hope for the world”. In recent times Bishop Paul has frequently quoted a conversation he had with a churchwarden who said to him, “Prayer not despair is how Christians should respond in times like these”. This quote has never been more apt. Many of us feel powerless sat at home trying to do our bit and comply with the current restrictions and desire to do something. The most powerful and effective thing that we possibly can do is to pray. But then perhaps many of us are left wondering just how do we pray in the current crisis? (I’ll say more on that in my next article). But before we get too hard on ourselves let’s not forget that even the disciples had to ask Jesus to teach them to pray. So then that’s perhaps not a bad place to start. To be in your presence
To sit at your feet
When your love surrounds me
And makes me complete This is my desire, o Lord
This is my desire
This is my desire, o Lord
This is my desire To rest in your presence
Not rushing away
To cherish each moment
Here I would stay This is my desire, o Lord
This is my desire
This is my desire, o Lord
This is my desire David

1 Thessalonians 5 New Living Translation (NLT) Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labour pains begin. And there will be no escape. 4 But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 7 Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armour of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 9 For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. Whenever there is a world crisis, like we are experiencing at the minute, it is inevitable that some people immediately reach for their bibles and turn to the prophecies concerning the end of the world and the second coming of Jesus. They search every detail in order to try to work out exactly where we are at this moment in time in an attempt to pinpoint exactly when these prophecies will be fulfilled. This inevitably plays on the fears of many people. Paul is adamant that we should not be drawn into this type of speculation. He perceived it to be a total waste of time. While of course, he would agree that we are living in the end times, (but then that is nothing new, we have been living in the last days since the Lord returned to heaven) he was very clear, just as Jesus himself was, that none knows the day or the hour when the Lord will return. That is the privilege of the Father alone. Paul says that there is only one thing that we actually need to do and that is to live each and every day in a state of readiness, so that if this just happens to be the day when Christ returns we will not be caught out. If we are always prepared for the Lord’s return then it is impossible for us to miss out, whether that takes place next week, next year, or, in another 100 years’ time. Without doubt these are days of great opportunity. Many people who have been simply getting on living their lives without thinking about spiritual matters at all have been forced to stop and question. So we should also be ready to share something of the hope that we have, pointing them to Jesus the one who can deal with all our fears and give us genuine hope for the future. This weeks suggested hymns for our 12 noon prayer times: Tuesday our God is greater Wednesday in Christ alone Thursday Sovereign over us Friday Christ is made the sure foundation Saturday What a beautiful name Palm Sunday Ride on ride on in majesty Monday 10,000 reasons

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 New Living Translation (NLT) A Time for Everything 3 For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace. Many of us for some time have been complaining about the pace of modern life, now we have an enforced sabbatical! (I have often thought that God has a sense of humour!) I know many of us were feeling weary from the relentless pressure of maintaining our family life, work and church life, not to mention having some time for ourselves to do things that we enjoy. So I don’t think that we should feel guilty stopping and resting. J John pointed out in psalm 23 that verse 2 says, He makes me lie down in green pastures. (This however is not an excuse to simply waste our time.) The pattern of “Sabbath” rest is part of God’s creation mandate that we have ignored for far too long. So let’s make the most of this God given opportunity to reassess our priorities and to recharge our spiritual batteries. Here are a few ideas. 1. I’m sure that many of us have got Christian books that we have had for years and never got around to reading them. Now is the chance to do so. 2. One of the things that I’ve realised is that while I do pray every day the one aspect of prayer that has got squeezed out of my life is listening to God. So I am deliberately making time each day to be still and asking God to speak to me. 3. Some time ago Di reminded me that I’ve lost contact (other than at Christmas) with many of my friends. Now is a good opportunity to reconnect with them. While we might not be able to meet up with them in person at the moment we can send them encouraging emails. (We are so blessed to have the internet which means that we are better able than ever before to continue to keep in contact with people even while our movements are limited). Being told we cannot do something actually makes us appreciate the things that we enjoy much more. We have taken our freedom very much for granted. I’m already beginning to appreciate much better and feel solidarity with what our brothers and sisters across the world, who are imprisoned for their faith, are going through on a daily basis. This has made me all the more determined to continue to pray for them on a daily basis. To him who is able to keep us from falling and present us without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only wise God our Saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory majesty dominion and authority, before all time now and forever. Amen Suggested songs for the 12 noon prayer times:- Wednesday blessed assurance Thursday one thing remains Friday Guide me o thou great Redeemer Saturday It is well with my soul Sunday (aim to listen to the service which we hope to do from the Rectory more details later in the week) Monday at the name of Jesus.

I lift my eyes up to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 It is very easy in the current situation when there is so much doubt and uncertainty to allow the situation to drag us down with worry and fear. As Christians we are encouraged to lift our eyes off the problems of the world and to focus them instead on the Lord, the almighty , the maker of heaven and earth. Nothing is impossible for Him; He is far more powerful than any virus.
Although we might not be able to meet together at the moment for worship the most important thing that we can do is to pray. I’m sure the majority of you do this regularly every day but in addition to our regular pattern, I thought it would be good if as many of us as possible could stop wherever we are for 15 minutes at 12 noon each day. I hope that we might draw some strength and maintain a sense of fellowship from knowing that other members of the church family will be praying at the same time. (See suggested guideline below) The Archbishop of Canterbury along with other church leaders has called for a national day of prayer on Sunday and that we all light a candle and place it in a window at 7pm. Please do use this day to cry out to God for forgiveness for our pride and mercy that he will soon deliver us from this crisis. There are some resources to help you do this if you would like them on the Church Of England Website.
A few other things. The Archbishops have encouraged us to try to keep the church open whenever it is safe to do so for personal prayer. We will try and have the churches open when we can. If you are passing do pop in. I will be working from home so please feel free to call me at any time and keep me posted with any specific requests for prayer. If you need any practical help with shopping etc. then please do not hesitate to contact me, I am more than happy to help or try to find someone who can. Please remember to keep an eye on the latest news from the Church of England via the website and I will also be posting things from time to time. If there are other Church members, who have not been receiving the notice sheet via email, it would be good to add them to the list, so that we can keep in contact with as many of us possible. I’m looking at the possibility of sending messages via Facebook so watch this space. If you were attending the blessing course Bob has sent a link out so that we can continue with this at home. If you did not receive this email from Bob then please let me know. Suggested pattern for daily prayer . Read a psalm (starting Psalm 1 on Thursday 19th March). Listen to a worship song on the internet or cd. Tomorrow my suggestion is will your anchor hold in the storms of life. Pray for the Government to make wise decisions at this difficult time Pray for those in the NHS who are in the front line of the battle against this awful disease. If you have a church address list pray for 2 people from that list. Finish by praying The Lord’s Prayer. May the Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face to shine upon you
And be gracious to you.
The Lord lift up his face towards you and give you his peace.

Rev. David Stevenson

Matthew 8:23-27 New Living Translation (NLT) Jesus Calms the Storm 23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting , “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. 27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” This incident has always been one of my favourites from the gospels. Two things have struck me powerfully again as I have reflected on it in the light of the current crisis: 1. I’m sure when the storm started to brew up the disciples did not panic. They were experienced sailors, they knew the lake like the back of their hand and they would have been confident that with their experience and skills they would have been able to successfully ride the storm out. For them to panic it must have been very bad ! 2. The last thing that I could do personally in the middle of a storm at sea is sleep! There have been a couple of occasions when I have been caught up in such a storm. Even though it is over twenty years ago I can vividly remember a particularly rough crossing from Lanzarote to Fuerteventura. We were all sat on the floor sliding from side to side, as the waves buffeted the boat. It seemed hours before we eventually reached our destination. I’ve never in my life been so glad to set foot on dry land! Yet there was Jesus at the back of the boat fast asleep, totally oblivious to what was happening. That was until the disciples realized that they had absolutely no hope of saving themselves and fearing for the worst, woke him up. Jesus simply stood up and told the wind to shut up! (the best translation of the original Greek). The disciples were amazed by Jesus power and Jesus chided them for their lack of faith. The current pandemic is the severest “storm” that the world has encountered for many years, certainly in my life time, probably since the Second World War. Like the disciples we are currently trying to get ourselves out of the mess. Governments have reacted in the best way that they can, and of course we should be grateful for the all that our scientists and medics are doing to try and help us overcome it but it still feels at the moment as though the storm is overwhelming us. We should certainly not imagine that it is ok for God removed from the pain and suffering of this world, looking down on us from the isolated safety of heaven. If this story teaches us one thing it is that God is with us even in the midst of the storms and as long as we have God with us we can know that we are safe in his keeping and that ultimately nothing can harm us. More than that, we can know his peace in our lives enabling us to remain calm despite all that is going on around us. I am reminded of the old chorus we used to sing: Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in his wonderful face And the things of earth will go strangely dim in the light of his Glory and grace. In practice for me that means:- 1. Watching less news on the TV as there is very little hope in the news at the moment 2. Making sure that I start and end the day in prayer and playing worship songs helps me to keep my eyes on Jesus and not to focus on the problems. May God keep you in all your days. May Christ shield you in all your ways. May the Spirit bring you healing and peace. May God the Holy Trinity drive all darkness from you And pour upon you blessing and light. Amen Thank you for all the kind comments about the Facetimed service yesterday. If you have not yet managed to see it yet, it has now been posted on youtube. It has been suggested that future services include prayers written by a member of the congregation, if you would like to write some short prayers please let me know I’ll be sending our more suggested hymns for the 12 noon prayer times tomorrow. Let’s not forget to pray for all those who are striving to ensure that we all have enough to eat.