2 March 2008

Welcome to St Alban’s Anglican Church 

Today's Scripture (HC) : 1 Samuel 16: 1-13     Ephesians 5: 8-14     S. John 9

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

This Week: Tues - Fri: Midday Prayers 12.30 p.m.   Next Sunday is the beginning of Passiontide.

4^th Sunday in Lent - Mothering Sunday

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

FAITH IN FOCUS: SEEING THE LIGHT

God tells Samuel something very significant in today’s first reading. Samuel thinks he’s found the man to be king but God puts him right and says, "No, I have rejected him. For God does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances but the Lord looks at the heart."

Time and time again we find that God’s choice is the last one we would ever make. That’s because God goes beyond the obvious and views things in an entirely different light. It just shows how utterly different God is. Our narrowness of vision is constantly found wanting in the light of God’s judgements.

Lent is a time for broadening our vision, for trying to see things as God sees them. We see the same things that everyone else sees but we view them differently because we have seen the light. And the light is Christ.

How does Christ light up my life? Do I feel any different from my friends who are not believers in Jesus? Do I use my eyes of faith to see the presence of God in the events that unfurl before me in my life, in my family and work, and in my world?

Sometimes we can take our Christian faith for granted. We can let it grow jaded and our sensitivity can be dulled. The people who stood around the blind man saw all the same things as he did. But his encounter with Jesus made him more appreciative of what was around him. He saw them in the light of Christ and he couldn’t believe his eyes.

This Lent is a reminder that we see life with eyes of faith. We can rejoice in our vision of a world in which God is always present and active. But if we find that our faith is predictable and unsurprising, if we find that it’s become humdrum, then perhaps it’s time we took a Christian eye test!

WORD OF GOD

What have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?

(John 9:17)

WORD FOR TODAY

How much does your faith in Christ bite? Do you have anything to say about him? Does your life proclaim the fact that he has turned your existence upside down? Like the man born blind in the gospel today do you see things in a new way as a result of Jesus?

THE VERY LIMIT of human blindness is to glory in being blind. (St Augustine)

LAETARE (March 2nd)

The fourth Sunday of Lent is known as "Laetare Sunday" because of the old Latin entrance song for Mass that invited people to "rejoice". Some churches changed from the purple or violet colour to a rosy-pink colour for the vestments and fittings on this day. ...

... Elsewhere this Sunday was known as "Refreshment Sunday" since the rejoicing led to a relaxation of the fasting rules and people baked cakes with fruit in them. In some places this cake was called "Simnel Cake".

An even older custom associated with today is "Mothering Sunday" (not to be confused with Mothers’ Day which is a later American-initiated event). It was customary for people to return to their "Mother Church" on this day, the church where they had either been baptised in or grew up in. People who did this were said to be going "a-mothering". With the passing of time servants and domestics were allowed this day off to return and visit their families.

So there’s plenty going on today!

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS:

Mon: Exodus 2:11-22, Hebrews 9:1-14, John 9: 18-end

Tues: Exodus 2:23 - 3:20, Heb 9:15-end, John 10:1-10

Wed: Exodus 4:1-23, Heb 10:1-18, John 10:11-21

Thur: Exodus 4:27 - 6:1, Heb 10:19-25, John 10: 22-end

Fri: Exod 6:2-13, Heb 10:26-end, John 11: 1-16

Sat: Exod 7:8-end, Hebrews 11:1-16, John 11: 17-27

NEXT SUNDAY (5^th IN LENT): Ezekiel 37:1-14, Romans 8:6-11, S. John 11:1-45