15 June 2008

Welcome to St Alban’s Anglican Church 

Today's Scripture (HC) : Exodus 19:2-8a    Romans 5:1-8    S. Matthew 9:35 - 10:23

Today's Liturgy: 8.35 a.m. BCP Matins;  9.00a.m. Scripture Study Prep;  9.30a.m. Holy Communion ;  EP 6.00p.m.

Tues - Fri 12.30 p.m. Midday Prayer.

4^th After Trinity

O God, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal: Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake our Lord.

 

FAITH IN FOCUS: SENSE OF VOCATION

Vocation is a strange word. We tend to use it restrictively. We speak about people like doctors and priests as having a vocation, but we would never normally speak about a vocation to be a postman, a cleaner a bus driver or an engineer.

Yet it’s not the type of job that a person does which makes it a vocation; it’s what lies behind the way the job’s done. For a vocation is a job with a calling. If you feel you have been called to do it, then being a lollipop man or woman will become your vocation and it will also affect the way you tackle your job.

Of course, if you have a sense of vocation then you first need to have a sense of ôsomeoneö who does the calling. You can’t be called by no one or nothing. Maybe an atheist surgeon would say that she feels called by society, but a Christian monk would be clear that he was called by God.

If the harvest is rich and the labourers are few then it wouldn’t make sense for God to stop calling people to sow and reap in the harvest of the kingdom of God. But we find it quite hard to think of our role in the world in terms of vocation.

Whatever role you have in life, whether it’s being a rocket scientist, a shop assistant, a carer or a retired rat-catcher, do you feel that God has had any hand in what you are doing? Do you feel that you decided on your career all by yourself? Or has God in some way called you to do what you are doing? Do you think that after choosing your career you were able to see the hand of God in your daily life so that you serve God by the way you serve others in your job? Most fundamentally, do you have a real relationship with God that means God would be part of any plans you make for your present and future?

Whether we have a sense of God being part of our daily routine or not, God never stops calling us. The vocation to be a Christian means that Christ becomes the driving force of our lives, and whatever role we have in life, be it pope, parent or plumber, is the way God calls us to serve others and become more like him.

DAY BY DAY (June 16th)

St Richard of Chichester is sometimes called the bishop of "stickability". He was ordained Bishop of Chichester in 1245, but due to a disagreement between the king, Henry III, and the pope, he was exiled from his diocese until finally being accepted once more as bishop. He suffered great hardships during this period, and this is reflected in his famous prayer that asks for the grace to persevere day by day.

Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which you have given us, for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us. Most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother, may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.

WORD OF GOD

The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. (Matthew 9:37)

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS:

Mon: Judg 13: 1-24, Luke 17: 20-end, Rom 14: 13-end

Tues: Judg 14, Luke 18:1-14, Rom 15: 1-13

Wed: Judg 15:1 - 16:3, Luke 18:15-30, Rom 15:14-21

Thurs: Judg 16: 4-end, Luke 18:31-end, Rom 15:22-end

Fri : Judg 17, Luke 19:1-10, Rom 16:1-16

Sat : Judg 18:1-20, 27-end, Luke 19: 11-27, Rom 16:17-end

NEXT SUNDAY : Jeremiah 20:7-13, Romans 6:1b-11, S. Matthew 10:24-39