News from the Pews

Hello my brothers and sisters in Christ. Christmas is here again!

In the coming months, in the Church liturgical year, we celebrate All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Remembrance Sunday, the beginning of Advent but most especially Christ the King.

We enter the month of November with ‘All Saints Day.’ We remember all those Saints of God who have been recognised by the Church as especially holy. People who have deep relationship with God and have indeed carried the cross with Christ in his mission in the world. They are an encouragement for us to follow in their footsteps and inspiration to us.

This is followed by ‘All Soul’s Day.’ This is the time when we solemnly remember those souls, whom we have known personally. Their names are spoken aloud in our Churches. We remember them with love, perhaps with longing, or even grief. We give thanks to God for their life, for many ways they have touched and shaped our lives, and encouragement given to us in our Christian journey.

On Sunday 12 November we celebrate Remembrance Day. We remember our armed forces, especially those who have given their lives in so many conflicts across the ages. We remember the cost of war and we pray for peace. For some of us the remembrances will be deeply personal if we have lost family members in the war. We honour those who have died in war but we also long for an end to war. We look for the day when people, ‘shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.’ (Isaiah 2. 4)

We long for peace in our hearts. During this time, we have the opportunity to make a conscious decision to let go of some of our sorrows and grief and all those hurtful memories that stop us from moving on.

God of all times and places, who embraces the past, present and all that is yet to be; in the memories and stories of our lives, to hold us close in sorrows and when tears flow, to rejoice with us in happiness and when laughter fills the air and to be with us in all of our remembering. Amen.

The celebration of ‘Christ the King’ towards the end of November takes us to Advent when the Church celebrates the saving work of Christ. The season of expectation and preparation, as the Church prepares to celebrate the coming of Christ in his incarnation and also looks ahead to his final Advent as judge at the end of time.

A time when we experience the spirit of Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This wonderful mystery of God’s dwelling among us in the fullness of humanity as Emmanuel, historically foretold by the Old Testament Prophets and born of Mary. Jesus, the light for people who walk in darkness, a light that shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it. Jesus Christ bringing good tidings, peace, joy to the world and goodwill to all.

Jesus brought comfort and joy to his faithful followers in Israel, as he proclaimed that the Kingdom of God was at hand, and that he, as the Messiah, fulfilled the Law of the Prophets, and taught a new message. To love one another as he loved us. For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son into our World, our Emmanuel. God with us.

That Message is still being preached today, it is timeless and underpins all our hope and belief in the comfort and joy that we can bring to others, as well as to ourselves, if we trust in Jesus. Psalm 4 invites us to trust in God to guide us through difficult times, as we lie on our beds, in the expectation and knowledge that God will not desert us and we can look forward to the comfort and joy with which He will reward us for our trust in him.

On behalf of our PCC, may I wish you and your families, peace, goodwill and joy this Christmas and a prosperous and rewarding New Year 2024.

Rev Olasupo Ogunyinka.

LECTIONARY READINGS FOR SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

On behalf of all PCC members, I wish you a…

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And a happy, rewarding and prosperous New Year 2024. God’s Blessing and Grace always.