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Mid-point of our journey

Dear All Saints and St Mary’s

 

This Sunday’s Café Church brings us to the mid-point of our journey through Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. It is also the summit of the mountain we are climbing as we see the grand vista that hope in Christ gives. In chapter 8 of his letter, Paul summarises this hope using three images, which look at the past, present and future. 

 

Looking the to the past, Paul reminds us that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8.1). The forgiveness that Christ brings allows us to step away from our past failings and put hope in the future. If God does not condemn us, then we do not need to condemn ourselves. This frees us to turn to Christ and follow in his way. It also allows us to return to that way whenever we wander from it. This is what is sometimes called “justification”.

 

Looking to the present, Jesus has shown us that we have a new relationship with God. The Almighty Creator of all that is wants us to live as his children. This leads to a new relationship with God and with one another. We are family with God as our father. We share in his work in caring for one another and for his creation. To illustrate this, Paul uses the image of “adoption”.

 

Looking to the future, there is something bigger and better on the way. What we have now is only the first stage of God’s redeeming work. We wait in hope for what God will do next. We do not know what this will look like or when it will be. Paul reminds us that "we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8.25). This future we hope for is sometimes called “glorification”.

 

This is the hope that Paul sets before us in Romans 8.1–30: justification, adoption and glorification. We will look more at this on Sunday at all Saints at 10:30. This will help us to “always be ready to make our defence to anyone who demands from us an accounting for the hope that is in us”. (1 Peter 3:15)

 

In addition, there is Holy Communion at All Saints at 08:00 and at St Mary’s at 10:00.

 

This gives the Following services for Sunday 25th May:

08:00

All Saints

Holy Communion (Said)

10:00

St Mary's

Holy Communion

10:30

All Saints

Cafe Church

 We have our usual midweek services with Celtic Morning Prayer at 09:00 on Wednesday at All Saints and Holy Communion at 10:00 at St Mary’s on Thursday.

 

Next Sunday follows our normal first Sunday pattern with Creative Church at St Mary’s at 10:00 and Holy Communion at All Saints at 10:30. In the evening will be Evensong at St Mary’s.

 

This gives the following services for the coming week:

Weds 28th May

09:00

All Saints

Celtic Morning Prayer

Thurs 29th May

10:00

St Mary's

Holy Communion

Sunday 1st June

10:00

St Mary's

Creative Church


10:30

All Saints

Holy Communion


18:30

St Mary's

Evenson

 

So, as we look to affirm the hope we have in Christ, let us pray in the words of this Sunday’s collect:

 

God our redeemer,

you have delivered us from the power of darkness

and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:

grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life,

so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal joy;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

Amen.

 

Yours in Christ

 

              Mark

 

Mark Simms

Licensed Lay Minister

Benefice of All Saints and St Mary Fishponds



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