25 January 2009

Welcome to St Alban’s Anglican Church

Today's Scripture (HC) : Jeremiah 1:4-10    Acts 9:1-22    S. Matthew 19:27-end

Today: 8.35 a.m. BCP Matins;   9.00 a.m. Church School/Scripture Study;   9.30a.m. Holy Communion;

Midday Prayers Tues - Fri 12.30 p.m.

The Conversion of S. Paul

O God, who through the preaching of the blessed Apostle Saint Paul, hast caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world; Grant, we beseech thee, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may shew forth our thankfulness unto thee for the same, by following the holy doctrine which he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

FAITH IN FOCUS: REPENTANCE

The very first words of Jesus recorded by St Mark are "The time has come and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent and believe the Good News."

Jesus’ whole life would turn out to be an invitation to enter God’s kingdom through repentance. And the Good News was precisely that: we have a God who does not want to lose us but wants us to be happy with him now and forever.

Our first problem is usually in believing that God really means what he says. We live in a society that encourages litigation. We are urged on to get our rightful due, to press for what we are entitled to and to live in a compensation world. Yet God laughs in the face of this. Who could claim the all-time record payout when it comes to compensation? God, of course! Yet God’s time is not spent getting his own back but looking of ways to forgive.

But God’s forgiveness is not automatic; it demands repentance. Repentance originally meant regret. But it’s not enough to regret our sins; we need also to take action to ensure that they don’t happen again.

In the Old Testament, repentance included a physical action. The Hebrew word "shuv" means to turn. Repentance for the Jewish people was like doing a U-turn and deciding to go in a different direction. In the New Testament, the Greek word used is "metanoia" which means having a change of mind and deciding that we have to start looking with a fresh outlook on the way we behave. Later the Romans would use the Latin word "conversio" from which we get our word conversion. But conversion wasn’t just a religious word. It meant to turn around, to transform and to return.

Whatever way we choose to think about repentance, it is at the heart of the Christian gospel and it forms the basis of Christ’s preaching. Repentance means changing our mind about the way we behave, submitting to God and having our lives turned around. If, like Saul, or like the people of Nineveh in the days of Jonah, we want to experience God’s forgiveness then we need to repent. For repentance is the hallmark of being a Christian. It’s something that never ends.

 

WORD OF GOD

He heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? ... I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." (Acts 9:5-6)

WORD FOR TODAY

In a society where people are encouraged to get compensation for every slight wrong that befalls them, it comes as a refreshing contrast to realise that our God’s only desire is to forgive those who are truly repentant of their sins. And in return, do we look for compensation from those who have offended us or do we follow the lead that has been shown us by our God?

GOD OF LIFE

Lord, we know that your thoughts are not our thoughts and your way of looking at things goes infinitely beyond ours. But we also believe that you are here with us: with us against death, with us for life.

In Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, you have joined yourself to us in an indestructible alliance, and it’s your wish that his resurrection should be the beginning of our own resurrection. And what you have promised, death cannot obliterate.

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS

Mon: Hosea 2:18 - 3:end, 1 Cor 9:15-end, Matt 26:1-16

Tues: Hosea 4: 1-16, 1 Cor 10:1-13, Matthew 26:17-35

Wed: Hosea 5:1-7, 1 Cor 10:14 - 11:1, Matt 26:36-46

Thurs: Hosea 5:8 - 6:6, 1 Cor 11: 2-16, Matt 26:47-56

Fri : Hosea 6:7 - 7:2, 1 Cor 11: 17-end, Matt 26:57-end

Sat: Hosea 8, 1 Cor 12: 1-11, Matt 27:1-10

NEXT SUNDAY Deuteronomy 18: 15-20, Revelation 12:1-5a or S. Mark 1: 21-28