8th August 2025
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You Are Loved
Did you know that?
We know we are loved by our family and friends.
But do you know who really loves you?
We are eternally loved by our Heavenly Father!
But he wants us to share His love with others.
Are we doing that?
Are we going out there and showing others His love?
I know there are times when I am guilty of not doing it. I try my best to.
Are we giving our Saviour's love to others?
Are we inviting them to come to know Him?
Or are we too scared to? Are we scared of rejection or being rejected and ridiculed?
Jesus was. But did it stop him? No. Should it stop us? No.
We often fall short, thinking we are not worthy of God's love because of something we have said or done.
He stands waiting with outstretched arms ready to receive us.
He never turns anyone away. No matter how far away you feel you are from Him.
He is right next to you. Even if you have refused His Word in the past.
You can feel Him pulling you. I bet you can feel that sensation sometimes. I know of a few people who did. Close your eyes. Open your Heart. You are that one out of the ninety-nine sheep He has been looking for. He wants you to come home to Him.
Go on..... You know you want to. Run to his open arms.
I leave you with God's Love and Blessings.
Michelle
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25th July 2025
The Lord in our Veg - Comfort, Peace, Hope
At this time of year, I spend a lot of my spare time in my garden and greenhouse as I really love to grow veg. It makes my heart swell with love for the Lord every time I grow something…..that He gave us food to eat in the form of tiny seeds. We plant them in the earth and then they ‘magically’ grow into a 5ft maize plant and produce multiple corn cobs, or a 30ft vine that snakes along the ground and produces squash or giant pumpkins. It seems like a miracle to me every time I pick a delicious tomato, cucumber or courgette from among multitudes, from a plant that came from a single seed, that He has sent sun and rain to nurture into maturity.
How great that we have a Father, Creator, and Provider who came up with such an amazing idea to feed us?
Recently, I came across these nuggets of scientific information and found them fascinating (David Guzik Bible Commentary) -
1. Comets have vapour trails up to 10,000 miles long. If you could capture all that vapour and put it in a bottle, the amount of vapour present in the bottle would take up less than 1 cubic inch of space.
2. Saturn’s rings are 500,000 miles in circumference, but only about a foot thick.
3. If the sun were the size of a beachball and put on top of the Empire State Building, the nearest group of stars would be as far away as Australia is to the Empire State Building.
4. The earth travels around the sun about eight times the speed of a bullet fired from a gun.
5. There are more insects in one square mile of rural land than there are human beings on the entire earth.
6. A single human chromosome contains twenty billion bits of information. How much information is that? If written in ordinary books, in ordinary language, it would take about four thousand volumes.
Sorry if that kind of thing doesn’t float your boat, as a scientist (biologist) at heart, I find the facts behind every ordinary everyday ‘miracle' show me the Majesty of our Maker in His obvious glaring Glory!
That the Lord created and maintains the atmosphere - the air we breathe - at 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% other gases, despite what we have done to add more carbon dioxide to it over the last 200 years, is a complete miracle to me.
Did you know that recent deep-sea exploration has discovered a previously unknown natural mechanism whereby carbon dioxide is being locked inside volcanic rocks on the deep-sea floor and is actually helping the ocean to stay in balance?
The Lord even knew what we would do to the planet and, unbeknownst to us, provided a mechanism to possibly counteract some of our negative effects in this way.
How great is our God?
It is one of the questions that puzzles me the most that people can’t see God in everything around them all the time. Why, when they look at leaves, trees, clouds….veg…..and every human face, can they not see the Lord in it all?
I know that the Lord chooses to reveal Himself in His own time and way to us all, but when I see Him in every single thing, person, and natural phenomenon around us, every moment, every day…..I do marvel that others can’t; He is so obvious to me!
And in this way, He brings me comfort, peace, and hope in my ordinary everyday life when things are tough and all is not easy in my life. I know He surrounds me completely, and He is in all things everywhere, all at once. I am never alone! He is always with me.
Of course, don’t ask me how He does it, I have had to make peace as a scientist and a Christian that I can’t know HOW everything works, as my brain isn’t able to comprehend everything He does!
So when you are having a difficult moment in your day, just look up and around, and look for the Lord. He will be right there in everything you can see; His creative Hand, His endless energy, His nurturing, unlimited life-force. He created it, He provided it, He maintains and sustains it, all for love of us … for me and for you.
Let it bring you comfort that He has already provided what you need (not necessarily want though) - if you don’t see it, then it’s on it’s way to you…..let it bring you peace that His Hand is in control of it all - you can relax and put your trust in Him…..and let it bring you hope that you don’t need to worry about what you can’t control because He is with you - He will carry you through it all in His wisdom, love and grace.
Have a great Summer, everyone.
Stay safe, have fun, and every time you pick up your veg - remember all that God did in providing for you!
Love and prayers,
Jane Cross
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11th July 2025
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Time for some re-creation
With the school holidays soon upon us, the Wimbledon finals and women’s Euros in full flow and the prospect of a continued long hot summer (along with the inevitable hose pipe ban!) this month we are enjoying an exceptional season of celebrations and special activities - not least this weekend, with the return of the Tadcaster Parade and, in Queens Gardens, the Summer Fields Festival.
It’s easy to forget that the word festival, from the Latin festa, originally denoted a special religious occasion – a feast day or holy day. Way back before the days of annual leave, except for part of Sundays the only breaks many workers had were on these ‘holy’ days – from where we get the word ‘holiday’. A day to have a break from work, for relaxation and (here’s another word with a hidden meaning) recreation. When we rest from our labours to enjoy life we are actually allowing our lives to be ‘re-created’, allowing equilibrium back into the work-life balance that can be so easily upset by today’s pressures.
This is not to say that work is bad in itself. The Bible’s story of creation in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 shows God creating human beings to take care of his world and to be its stewards, which certainly involved work (though we soon see things going wrong and work becoming more of a chore than a joy in chapter 3 onwards). But from the beginning God’s intention was that, along with the sense of purpose and satisfaction that comes from a good period of productive labour, we should regularly take a day of rest from work: a day for ‘re-creation’ when we take time to acknowledge Him as our source of life.
For Christians of course this includes gathering for communal worship, but Sundays are not just for church - they’re for resting in God’s presence for at least one day in seven. Not too much to expect, surely, especially as it’s ultimately for our own good, as well as that of wider society (I was interested to note on a recent trip to Germany that there, due to the practice of “Sonntagsruhe" or ‘Sunday rest’, virtually all major shops are completely closed on Sundays. Anyone remember those days in England? - was it really such a bad thing?)
Jesus said that he came to this earth so that those who follow him “may have life - and have it to the full” (John 10:10). It’s my prayer that during this festive and holiday period we can all take time to rest - appreciating the creativity of our community as a reflection of our creator God, thanking him for it, and enjoying life to the full.
Have a great summer!
Francis Scott
(retired Assistant Priest)
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27th June 2025
Turn your gaze on Jesus
One joyous weekend in May we had our two toddler grandchildren to stay while their parents went to weddings. Their legacy was an appalling cold and cough that landed me up in bed for a few days. The bonus was that I kept my body resting watching The Chosen. For those who have not yet discovered it The Chosen is a series seeing the life of Jesus through the lives of his disciples. It is captivating. Dallas Jenkins imaginatively explores the lives of the men and women who gathered around Jesus, picturing what led up to their calling to follow him, what the impact on their family was, and brings to life the extraordinary vignettes that the Bible so tantalisingly gives us. When Jesus healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever she immediately got up and made food for them all to eat. Two or three verses are expanded into the high point of an episode. I highly recommend it.
But most mesmerising of all is the portrayal of Jesus himself. Strong, kind, powerful, compassionate, we watch Jesus turning his attention to one individual after another, meeting their needs emotionally, physically, spiritually. The impact of miracles of healing is profound.
I have been caught up with how Jesus looks at people as they come to him in whatever plight afflicts them, holding their faces in his hands, inviting them to look at him, gazing in their eyes and they into his and in that moment imparting life, acceptance and healing. Each moment is life changing.
I also watched a video when in bed of Mark Virkler, the writer of Four Keys to Hearing God’s Voice in conversation with Rev. Don Paprockyj. They talk of the daily discipline of conversing with God, finding a verse of scripture and turning it into a dialogue. So I have been doing just that – working my way through the Psalms as I love to do, and what do I find – the same invitation to look into the face of Jesus and find there the peace and love and safety and healing that he portrayed on earth. The spirit of Jesus is alive in the scriptures waiting for us. It is about turning our gaze towards him and seeking his kingdom and all these things will be added to us. Matthew 6:33
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ …….. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
The presence of Jesus is just a thought, a prayer, a gaze away and the invitation is for us all to make it our daily delight to turn and look at him and find life in his eyes.
(You can watch "The Chosen" through the official "The Chosen" app, which is free to use and on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.)
God Bless
Priscilla Smith
13th June 2025
Returns
It is such a blessing to return to a place where you had a joy-filled season. I lived in Healaugh in 1996 for 10 months as a Nanny to the Smith family. During that time, I discovered a personal relationship with Jesus. As I left the area, for the first time in my life, I asked God a question and expected an answer… This was a huge shift in my own understanding of God! Where should I go next? God sent me to Hong Kong. I was able to return to Healaugh for the holiday clubs for a couple of summers. I then became a full-time volunteer for a charity in Hong Kong for 10 years, and after in missions for 4 years in Kazakhstan. My contact here was limited to prayer letters, a rare call, and a quick visit to introduce my husband.
I now live in Australia, I work for a youth mental health service, and run wellbeing groups in high schools. Last year, I started a search for a curriculum to teach students how to forgive. I was reminded during my prayer times that during Covid, I had heard Priscilla talk at a Zoom conference presenting Big Green Heart, a program for both school groups and individual sessions, all around forgiving. And Big Green Heart can be used with anyone, in any setting! I was excited! I reached out, and Priscilla was enthusiastic about the idea of a visit. My husband felt this was something God was in, so I took 3 months off work and we arrived in mid-May. The goal is for me to become a trainer for Big Green Heart and be able to take this back to Australia and train up others. So I have returned full circle to where I first met Jesus personally to use my relationship with Him to impact the students I work with in Australia. I feel very much like a disciple, spreading the skill of forgiving, and my prayer is that lives will be transformed in schools and further afield! A special thanks to church members who have let me practice BGH with them.
Debbie
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Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Will be done
The period between Jesus' Ascension, this year celebrated on 29th May 2025, and Pentecost, 8th June 2025, the coming of the Holy Spirit, is a significant time in Christian tradition. It's often referred to as Ascensiontide, a ten-day period of waiting and prayer for the descent of the Holy Spirit.
After Jesus’ resurrection, he spent time with the apostles and told them that God would send down the Holy Spirit to them just as he had promised. He sent the apostles out to tell people about him and the Word of God. He led them out to Bethany, outside of the city, and blessed them. Jesus was then taken up in a cloud into heaven. Two men then appeared clothed in white robes and asked why the apostles were watching the heavens. They said, “Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” (Acts1:11). The Ascension shows Jesus returning to his Father signifying the completion of his earthly mission.
Ascensiontide is the 10-day period between Ascension and Pentecost, during which the apostles gathered in Jerusalem and awaited the Holy Spirit. They prayed together as they did not know when God would send down the Holy Spirit to them.
At Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, empowering them to preach the gospel and beginning the Church's mission to the world.
Pentecost is often symbolized by tongues of fire, representing the Holy Spirit's transformative power.
Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Church, marking the official beginning of its mission and the start of its role in spreading the Christian message.
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. (Acts 2:1-4)
This period of Ascensiontide is a time of prayer. In 2016 a seedling of an idea in the Church of England entitled Thy Kingdom Come has now grown into a worldwide Christian movement of prayer and 2025 is its 10thanniversary. For further details please see www.thykingdomcome.global
As part of this prayer movement The Parish of Rural Ainsty will be putting a prayer tree in each church, and we invite all to come to our churches at any time in Ascensiontide to leave a prayer. The prayers will be gathered together and at each individual Church service on a Sunday in June they will be blessed as part of the intercession prayers.
Lindy Illingworth
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16th May 2025
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VE Day Commemorations
Moor Monkton
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This year, we marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day, a significant occasion that gave us a chance to come together and share our memories of that historic day in 1945. The bunting was flying and red, white and blue decorated both the Old Schoolroom and the Church.
The afternoon began with a cheerful gathering in the Old School Room for a traditional homemade Afternoon Tea, enjoyed by over 100 people. There was plenty of friendly chatter and a lovely atmosphere all round.
Three of our community members reflect on their experiences of VE Day, each with a unique perspective from their childhood.
Enid was twelve the day the war ended—VE Day—and oh, what a day it was! The kind that sticks in your memory like sunshine on a spring morning. School was closed (much to everyone’s delight), and all twenty of the children from the little village school piled into the Old School Room for a proper celebration.
Back then, there were only two classes—everyone mixed in together, big and small alike. But on that day, lessons were forgotten. The WI ladies flitted about with teapots and plates, putting on the best tea party they could muster.
Being a farming village, they hadn’t done too badly during the war when it came to food. No luxury, but always enough. The farmer brought fresh milk and eggs, and there were sandwiches, and the most beautiful sponge cake, baked by Grandma—just soft, sweet sponge with a bit of jam in the middle.
Enid wore a skirt made from little flags—quite the thing! She wasn’t one for the running around or sports games, but she happily joined in with a lively game of pass the parcel. That old flag skirt turned up just recently at the back of her wardrobe, and with it came a rush of memories: the laughter, the cake, the togetherness, and the joy of peace.
Gill, just six years old, had a quieter experience. It was just her and her mum at home on VE Day. Her dad was still in Japan with the army, so for them, the war didn’t quite feel over. They’d moved several times during the Blitz, always trying to stay ahead of the bombs. Eventually, they settled in a quiet, rural spot west of Glasgow. Fewer neighbours, fewer sirens… just space, fresh air, and a little more peace.
That morning, her mum called her downstairs to listen to the wireless. She doesn’t remember the words exactly, but she knew something important had happened—the war in Europe was over. There were no street parties, no bunting. But something had changed. The air felt lighter. People could breathe again.
For Gill, true peace didn’t come until her dad returned the following year. But even as a little girl, she understood: something good had happened. And maybe, at last, things would be alright.
Ernest was ten and living in Colton on a farm when VE Day came. Life hadn’t changed much for them during the war—the animals still needed feeding, the crops still needed planting. War or not, the work went on.
The news came through the teachers at school: the war in Europe was over. He didn’t quite grasp the scale of it, but he did understand they were getting two days off school—and that alone was worth celebrating.
There were no grand parties in Colton. Times were hard and money was tight. But Ernest remembers one thing clearly: the blackouts ended that day. No more blackout curtains. No more stumbling around in the dark or waiting for the all-clear. That small change brought with it a sense of freedom. The world had shifted, even if they didn’t quite know how much.
Three different memories. One unforgettable day.
Our VE Day celebrations gave us a chance to reflect on the different ways people experienced that monumental moment in history. Whether in a village hall with sponge cake, a quiet Scottish cottage, or a working farm, the 8th of May 1945 marked the beginning of hope. Though the details vary, the feeling was the same: relief, joy, and the first hint that peace was finally possible.
Later, we gathered in All Saints Church for a quiet and thoughtful Service of Remembrance. It was a time to honour those who gave so much, and to pray for peace in our world today.
At 6:30 pm, as the service ended, the bell at All Saints rang out as part of the national tribute. Young and old had a go at ringing the bell, more laughter, chatter and fellowship. This was a special way to be part of something bigger.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined in, helped, or donated.
Funds raised have been shared equally between All Saints Church and The Richard Kay Charity,
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4th May 2025
God of Creation
And as You speak
A hundred billion galaxies are born
In the vapour of Your breath the planets form
If the stars were made to worship so will I
I can see Your heart in everything You’ve made
Every burning star
A signal fire of grace
If creation sings Your praises so will I
From So will I by Hillsong (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfVd5x9W1Xc)
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It’s very easy in the busyness of our everyday lives to forget that humankind represents a very small cog in a very big wheel. It’s also easy to forget the vastness of space when we’re late for work or an important appointment. So would it help if we could travel at the speed of light, the fastest thing in the universe? It depends on where you want to go. Light moves at nearly 300,000 km (186,411 miles) per second. If you had a spaceship travelling at that speed, you could go around the earth seven and a half times in jut one second. You could reach the moon in 1.3 seconds and get to Mars (a mere 55 million kilometres away) in only three minutes. If you decided to go and visit the sun (which incidentally is white not yellow) it would take you eight minutes.
If you wanted to go to Jupiter, that would take about 33 minutes. But what if you decided to cross the diameter of our galaxy, the Milky Way? That would take longer, a lot longer – a whopping 200,000 years in fact! If you wanted to visit our neighbouring galaxy, Andromeda, it would take you an astonishing 2.5 million years to get there! For these kinds of destinations, the speed of light suddenly does not seem that fast. Moreover, if you wanted to visit the end of the universe, you would never even get there because the universe is expanding at such incredible speed. In the small piece of the universe that we can see from Earth, there are about two trillion (two thousand billion) galaxies, some bigger and some smaller than the Milky Way (which itself has 400 billion stars). One of the largest galaxies ever found in the universe is the IC 110 galaxy, with a diameter of six million light years and an estimated 100 trillion stars.
“It is impossible to visualise the scale of the universe, it’s so vast,” says physicist Brian Cox. “If you take a 5p coin and hold it 75 feet away, the space in the sky it would obscure is estimated to hold about 10,000 galaxies.”
And yet the Bible says that God knows the number of the stars, He calls them by name. In the same way, He knows everything there is about you, including the number of hairs on your head. As you go about your lives over the next few days, remember that the god of the infinite universe knows everything about you. His omniscience means you will never be forgotten or forsaken by Him.
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.” (Psalm 8:3-6)
God Bless
Alastair Lawson-Tancred
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Pity the poor church and its Vicars
Most of us assume our church will always be available and will provide the type of service that brings us closer to God, when we choose to attend. This is not always easy as in my case, although I am a member of 2 parishes, I tend to attend church about once a month and my preferred style of worship is low church without liturgy. However, I do like good hymns well sung and am very partial to a formal evensong which I frequently listen to on Radio 3. On the other hand, good friends within the parish prefer services using the 1662 liturgy or Book of common prayer sometimes with hymns and sometimes without. And then we have the organ versus guitar debate.
Coping with differing styles of worship must be hard enough for our vicars (if we have one) but then they have the running of the churches which historically was done by the PCC but frequently the PCC is not fully staffed so those involved are pulled hard in multiple directions. I was the treasurer for many years but do not wish to step up again to this role. Why? Is it fear of being last man standing?
When we were working, if faced with an organisation that was struggling to run itself and had a falling market, words like cuts, closure and rationalisation would be used, and we would often nod in agreement. However, it feels a step too far when using this language to talk about our village church. If our village church closed, we would have to travel to worship as we do to buy our groceries, access healthcare or visit the cinema or theatre. If we all go to one central church we will have full congregations, more volunteers to run the church and a larger pool of active participants. But what would happen to our village communities if having lost their shops and pubs they now lose their churches?
It is all very complicated and very difficult for the church and its members to come to a decision. But do not lose heart. Christianity has faced plenty of challenges over the last 2000years not least on the first good Friday when Jesus’ followers thought all was lost with his death on the cross unaware of the joy of his resurrection that follows three days later.
In times of challenge, I like to focus of Jesus’ key commandments “Love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbour as yourself”. I also like to add “What would Jesus do here?”
David Hartley |
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4th April 2025
Growing in Love
As we get ready for our Growing in Love Holiday Club, I’ve been thinking about how this theme fits so beautifully with Lent. Lent is a time to slow down, reflect, and think about how we’re living out our faith. It’s about making space for God’s love to take root and grow in us—through prayer, reflection, and sometimes even small sacrifices. As we open our hearts to Him, His love shapes us and flows into our actions and relationships.
Love is at the very heart of our faith. The Bible tells us, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). God’s love isn’t something we have to earn—it’s a free gift, poured out for us. And because of His love, we are able to love others with kindness and grace.
Another verse encourages us, “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14). That’s a big challenge! It means making love the foundation of everything we do—even when it’s hard. Love isn’t just for the easy, joyful moments; it’s about choosing kindness, patience, and forgiveness, even when we don’t feel like it.
At Holiday Club, we’ll be thinking about how love grows in us, just like a tiny seed that needs care and attention. Love takes time and effort to flourish. Just as a gardener nurtures plants, we need to nurture love in our hearts and in the way we treat others.
The Bible says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love is what brings us together, gives our lives meaning, and has the power to change the world around us.
Lent is also a time of hope. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are offered new life. He said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Even in our toughest moments, His love gives us the strength to keep going and to share that love with others.
The good news is, we don’t have to grow in love all by ourselves—it’s the Holy Spirit working in us. “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit gives us the love and strength we need, even when it feels difficult.
At Holiday Club, we’ll discover how love can shape our lives in unexpected ways. We’ll explore how small acts of kindness and simply being there for one another can make a big difference. As 1 John 4:7 reminds us, “Let us love one another, for love comes from God.”
So, this Lent, let’s open our hearts to God’s love and let it grow in us. As we gather for Holiday Club, let’s remember that His love is always with us, always growing, and always inviting us to grow in love, too.
Blessings,
Wendy Wilson
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21st March 2025
Temptation is Training
In our family we love Christmas and, in particular, all of the chocolates and chocolaty cakes and treats that are so abundant at that time. We often blessed with enough that we end up working our way through them for the next few months. This isn’t necessarily good for us and so it is with a bit of relief that we arrive at Lent, because every year we all give up chocolate. This can be a challenge as we are surrounded by chocolate, particularly given that the supermarkets now seem to stock Easter Eggs from January! However, we often feel that this time of temptation is like training us to say “No!” and this is a good thing, even though it can be hard, and not especially nice.
In the bible, God gives us some really good help in all areas of human life. The New Testament book of James, chapter 1, helps us with temptation:
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)
I’m not sure that I always feel the joy in temptation, but I do understand the sentiment. The growth we experience through surviving temptation does bring us joy and helps us in the end.
Later in James 1 we are also told about an even bigger reward for overcoming temptation:
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)
Of course, temptation comes in many forms, which the world tailors to each of us individually. Not everyone is motivated by Chocolate (hard to believe, eh!) but instead, they might be tempted into gossiping or eating too much, from keeping our God given resources to ourselves rather than sharing, and the temptation to please ourselves rather than do the same for others. It is in these times that we need to remember our training and call on the help that our ever present and faithful God is waiting to give us:
12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (1 Corinthians 12-13)
Our wonderful and loving Father never leaves us without a way out and even gives us His strength to help us achieve it. So, there is no need to worry about whether we will be able to get through times of testing or temptation because God is always with us. And we are all the same in this, we are all in it together no matter what our circumstances are because we all fall short:
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. (Romans 3:23-24)
So as we progress through this fasting season heading towards our celebration of Easter and our salvation in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, let’s embrace facing the temptations of this world, seeing it a bit like a boot camp for our future benefit, and always remember that we are never alone, we never have to achieve any of it in our own strength because we have a Father who is always waiting to help.
With Prayers for us all this Lent, Mike Cross
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7th March 2025
Christ Crowned With Thorns
Painted by: Fra Angelico
Every day an email drops into my inbox with a meditation based around a painting. This arrived on Ash Wednesday. I was arrested by the pain and suffering in the face of Jesus. As he looks directly into my eyes there is so much trouble, consternation, desperation held there. I am drawn into what he is holding in his body, I can almost feel the physical and emotional tension as he faces the trial and the enormity of what was about to happen to him. His cheeks are flushed against the paleness of his face. There is no smile on his lips, but a vulnerability of fear and anticipation and responsibility. The furrows on his brow, dreading, focussing, steeling himself with determination in the face of what he was called to do.
He set his face towards Jerusalem. Luke 9:51
It wasn’t easy. It cost him; his life, his blood.
The starkness of the unrelenting red in his eyes, his lips, drawing us to the cross behind him, the drops of blood trickling untended down his face. It wasn’t easy for him.
There was a battle raging, over light and darkness, over life and death, over freedom, over us and it cost him his life. He faced all the powers of evil, control, jealousy, pride, destruction in one concentrated passage of time. He had to do it. There was no option.
Someone had to face the devil and all his works and vanquish him to bring us freedom from the binding power of sin and evil.
And he did it. He didn’t shy away. But it cost him, his life.
He gave his life, that we might live.
As I ponder the picture I see his curly hair, almost resembling snakes, encircling him.
The torment was real, mental as well as physical; spiritual torment.
Such resolution, in the face of such rejection.
Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.
And so he broke through to spiritual freedom, inviting us all to follow him.
What love, what grace, what a gift.
Like Father Patrick van der Vorst from Christian Art ( info@christian.art if you want to subscribe), I have printed off the picture and am going to meditate on it daily during Lent. Perhaps you will join me.
Priscilla Smith
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21st February 2025
Keeping Our Eyes on God
In our busy and often overwhelming lives, it is easy to lose sight of the most important thing: God. Distractions, worries, and the hustle of daily tasks can cloud our hearts and minds. Yet, throughout Scripture, we are called to keep our eyes firmly fixed on God.
In the book of Hebrews, we are urged to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). When we focus on Him, we are reminded that He is our source of strength, peace, and purpose. When we walk through challenges, keeping our gaze on God helps us navigate life's storms with grace and confidence.
Think of Peter, walking on water towards Jesus. As long as he kept his eyes on the Lord, he was able to walk above the waves. But as soon as he became distracted by the wind and the waves, he began to sink. (Matthew 14:22-33). This story teaches us that when we lose focus on Jesus, we too can feel overwhelmed and lost. Yet, just as Jesus reached out to save Peter, He is always there to lift us up when we falter.
Keeping our eyes on God is not about perfection, for me it is a constant work in progress. It is about a daily, intentional choice to turn our hearts toward Him. Whether through prayer, Scripture, or simply pausing in our day to remember His presence, these small moments help us remain connected to the divine.
In our church family, we are reminded that we are not alone in this journey. We are united in our shared faith, and together we encourage one another to keep our eyes on the Lord. In the Eucharist, we encounter Christ in a tangible way, strengthening our gaze on Him. In the sacraments, we receive His grace to sustain us as we walk the path He has laid before us.
Let us, as a community, commit to keeping our eyes on God. In doing so, we will find peace amidst the chaos, purpose in our actions, and joy in the journey.
May God bless each of us as we fix our gaze on Him, trusting in His eternal love and guidance.
Annie Maguire
7th February 2025
Revelation 22:1-2
He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Reflections.
When you go for a walk in the woods, fields, park or streets you see trees everywhere. At this time of year you can see straight through the entangled branches. Some are gnarled and old with thick trunks, some young and slender. Some are tall, some are small. Some have lots of spidery twigs meshed together and some have huge branches that sway freely apart in the wind. They are paradoxically all very alike and yet all very different - which makes them all the more interesting!
If God has created these trees with so much detail, beauty and diversity, how much more does He care about the design of us, His children?
I have been learning to trust God so much more recently and rely on His strength as I navigate the storms of life. When you look at the beauty of each tree you can be reminded how we are all so different yet all so alike in our need for a loving and forgiving God. Like the trees in winter, God can see through us and like the trees in summer we are replenished and satisfied through Him. He knows how we are feeling, what we are hiding, how we are coping with what life throws at us. He wants to help us to grow to our full potential by trusting in him.
Trees in the Bible hold a special place with their profound symbolism. Some of the most powerful images in Christianity come from trees. Think about how the seed has to die and be buried so that it can rise again to life; not just any kind of life but life that gives abundant fruits and new seeds. You die that others may live. This is the life of Christ. It is the ultimate image of self-sacrifice and love for others, and in Jesus’ words, there is no greater love than someone laying down his life for his friends.
Trees provide food, cover, medicine, and building materials and are fascinating to look at. Unsurprisingly, the Bible depicts God as a tree or that humans, especially believers, are like trees bearing good fruit. It’s God’s providence in one symbol that we are to imitate.
This is such an important and deep part of our relationship with God and Jesus. Trust his timing, his word, listen to him and trust his voice. He has a plan, little do we know what it is, but we must try and trust God. Just as he provides each tree with water, with beautiful leaves at the right time of year, so he provides for us. In our emotional, physical and spiritual needs. Emmanuel, God is with us.
God might be teaching us to step out of our comfort zone and be bold for Him. He might be teaching us to be brave in sorrow or pain. He might be asking us to give to others when times are tough or address another aspect in life…… but each time we must lean on Him and ‘Trust’ God. He has designed us and knows every hair on our head and every part of our bodies in the same way that he knows every branch and every twig of a tree. He knows how our heart is feeling and how strong we can be. So be brave and trust God each day. He is our loving father, and like those trees who seemingly talk to each other in the wind, our roots, through the church, are connected. As God sustains the trees, so he feeds us.
Remember that we can cope with the storms of life through the sacrifice made by the man who died on a tree.
Psalm 1:3
He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.
God Bless
Ginny Lawson-Tancred
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