11 January 2009

Welcome to St Alban’s Anglican Church

Today's Scripture (HC) : Genesis 1:1-5 Acts 19:1-7 S. Mark 1:4-11

Today: 8.35 a.m. BCP Matins; 9.00 a.m. Church School/Scripture Study; 9.30a.m. Holy Communion; 6.00 p.m. Evening Prayer. This will be the Sunday schedule until further notice.

Midday Prayers in church are suspended for the next two weeks

Epiphany 1: The Baptism of Christ

O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people which call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

FAITH IN FOCUS: BAPTISM RING?

If a woman or a man wears a ring on their finger it’s often a sign that they are married. It may be a way of reminding themselves and others that they’ve committed themselves to another person totally and forever. But just wearing the ring doesn’t make them married; nor does it automatically make them faithful. It’s a sign or symbol of their commitment. If they’re to be faithful to each other then they have to live out their commitment day in day out.

The same is true of baptism. Baptism is a sacramental sign that we have been given salvation in Christ. But just being baptised is not the beginning and end of our being saved. The sign of our baptism needs to be genuine. We need to live out our baptism rather than simply acting as though it was something that was over and done with one Sunday in church long ago.

There’s a difference between a wedding and a marriage. You can get a wedding planner to help you make your big day go well but you can’t get a marriage planner. That’s because a wedding only lasts a day but a marriage lasts a lifetime and needs affirming day after day.

Perhaps we could say that a "Christening" takes a day but a baptism takes a lifetime. Christians need to work out their baptism the way a married couple need to work out their marriage.

When a person is baptised by being immersed in or affused by water, what we are witnessing is essentially a type of funeral. We are saying that this man or woman (or child) is going down into the tomb with Christ and rising again to new life. The old person that they used to be is now dead and buried, and they are taking on a new life in Christ.

 

So when we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord we are reminded that every day brings a fresh opportunity for us to work on our own baptism: to offer God of our best (to be priests), to speak out about the truths of God’s kingdom (to be prophets) and to rule justly the creation that God has granted to us (to be kings). For all of us who are baptised, today’s feast is an occasion for thanksgiving and memorial.

 

FRIENDLY MONK (January 12th)

St Aelred, the son of a Hexham priest, was born in Northumbria in 1110 and ended his days as a monk of Rievaulx, north Yorkshire, in 1167. He is probably best known for the book he wrote entitled "Spiritual Friendship". In some ways controversial, Aelred fought against the idea that a monk should not enjoy friendship with particular individuals, although this was the thought of the time. In his day Aelred had to argue that God created men and women for friendship and that to live without friendship was to live like a beast and not a caring human being. He pointed to the importance of Lazarus, Martha and Mary in Jesus’ own life and he pointed out that the spiritual basis of friendship allows a person to come closer to God as well as bringing all the benefits and consolations that closeness to another entails.

WORD OF GOD

God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. (Gen 1: 3-4)

 

MOST WESTERNERS take baptism for granted, but for many in the world the act requires immense courage. In countries like Nepal it once meant imprisonment. For Soviet or Chinese or Eastern bloc believers, it was like signing their own death warrant. (Chuck Colson)

 

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS

Mon: Amos 1, 1 Cor 1:1-17, Matt 21:1-17

Tues: Amos 2, 1 Cor 1:18-end, Matthew 21:18-32

Wed: Amos 3, 1 Cor 2, Matt 21:33-end

Thurs: Amos 4, 1 Cor 3, Matt 22:1-14

Fri : Amos 5:1-17, 1 Cor 4, Matt 22:15-33

Sat: Amos5:18-end, 1 Cor 5, Matt 22:34-end

NEXT SUNDAY: 1 Samuel 3: 1-20, Revelation 5:1-10, S. John 1: 43-end