22 March 2009

 Welcome to  St Alban's Anglican Church       

Today's Scripture   : Numbers 21: 4-9                                               Ephesians 2:1-10                      S. John 3: 14-21 

Today: 8.35 a.m. BCP Matins;  9.00 a.m. Church Sch/Script Study; 9.30 a.m. Holy Communion; EP 6 p.m.

This Week: Tues, Thurs – Fri 12.30 p.m. Midday Prayers; Wed (Annunciation) 12.30 p.m. Holy Communion

 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: GOD ON OUR SIDE

On television you can sometimes see people in the crowd at sports events holding up a placard that simply says “John 3:16”. They are Christians who want to get you to find out what the text says in John’s gospel: “God loved the world so much that he sent his only Son so that anyone who believes in him may not be lost but have eternal life”.

You can see why they hold up that particular reference. In a sense it sums up the whole purpose of the incarnation. It captures the heart of the gospel message in one verse. And yet it comes as something of a surprise to many people. In popular culture God is portrayed as a severe character, as someone who is just dying for us to put a foot wrong so that he can send down lightning bolts, earthquakes and floods and condemn the whole lot of us.

However, as this text from today’s gospel reminds us, God sent his Son not because he detested the world but because he loves it so much. And the purpose of the Son’s coming to earth was not to wreak destruction but to ensure salvation.

God became one of us. A fellow human being is also our God: Jesus the Christ. And strange though it seems, God is on our side and is rich in love. When we choose to ignore what’s good for us we come face to face with God. But what’s God’s preferred remedy? Is it punishment and death? No. It’s mercy and grace.

People who try to discredit religion say that it thrives on fear, that it only makes its followers psychologically dependent on a greater being that holds the threat of annihilation over them. Maybe they should read this text. God sent his Son because he loves us and doesn’t want us to miss out on the fullness of life.

So as we continue our journey through Lent we move towards the Easter manifestation of God’s true glory, of his victory over all that threatens to hold us down and drag us back. While we ready ourselves for the great feast we can rejoice in the fact that God is on our side and we can thank him just for being our God and for bothering to have us as his sons and daughters, the ones he loved so much that he sent his only Son to.