18 June 2023
10:00 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
A warm overcast day with some sunlight. The church was a cool refuge for matins this morning.
Fr Chris preached on the gospel. "I don't know whether I am comingor going." This can be applied to being a Christian. The gospel of Matthew was written for an early Christian-Jewish group and reflects much of the Old Testament. God's people are sheep with no shephd - they are let doen by the Jewish religeous leaders. Plenty of people are ready to hear God's words but there are not enough people to do this. Jesus prayed before appointing his apostles (from the Greek meaning "one who is sent"). They are all named. However not all the disciples are named and not all the disciples are apostles.
There were twelve chosen men.
There were twelve distinct tribes each descended from the twelve sons of Jacob.
This represents the renewal of the twelve tribes of Israel. John in Revelations sees a new Jerusalem with twelve foundations.
Jesus' prayer is answered almost immediately. He sends out his apostles like sheep into the wolves. Be careful what you ask God for, the way he answers our prayers may not be what we wanted. Jesus offers safety and rest, like the loving embace of a parent. He then tells us to go. He tells his apostles to go more than her tells them to come, but always with the protection of the Holy Spirit.
The choir sang the Jubilate in B flat by C V Stanford and A Prayer for St Richard of Chichester by L J White - more information on the music blog.
More beautiful arrangements by oour flower arrangers.
What our Sunday School achieve on their notice board in church.
Genesis 18:1-15
A reading from the book of Genesis.
The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre,
as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day.
He looked up and saw three men standing near him.
When he saw them,
he ran from the tent entrance to meet them,
and bowed down to the ground.
He said, ‘My lord, if I find favour with you,
do not pass by your servant.
Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet,
and rest yourselves under the tree.
Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves,
and after that you may pass on—
since you have come to your servant.’
So they said, ‘Do as you have said.’
And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said,
‘Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour,
knead it, and make cakes.’
Abraham ran to the herd,
and took a calf, tender and good,
and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it.
Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared,
and set it before them;
and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
They said to Abraham,
‘Where is your wife Sarah?’
And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’
Then one said,
‘I will surely return to you in due season,
and your wife Sarah shall have a son.’
And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old,
advanced in age;
it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
So Sarah laughed to herself, saying,
‘After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?’
The Lord said to Abraham,
‘Why did Sarah laugh, and say,
“Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?”
Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?
At the set time I will return to you, in due season,
and Sarah shall have a son.’
But Sarah denied, saying,
‘I did not laugh’; for she was afraid.
He said, ‘Oh yes, you did laugh.’
Romans 5:1-8 (8am only)
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
Since we are justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand;
and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
And not only that,
but we also boast in our sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us,
because God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For while we were still weak,
at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—
though perhaps for a good person
someone might actually dare to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
Matthew 9:35-10:8
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom,
and curing every disease and every sickness.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them,
because they were harassed and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few;
therefore ask the Lord of the harvest
to send out labourers into his harvest.’
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits,
to cast them out,
and to cure every disease and every sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles:
first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew;
Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector;
James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot,
the one who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:
‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles,
and enter no town of the Samaritans,
but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, proclaim the good news,
“The kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.
You received without payment;
give without payment.
