Sunday 12th May 2024
You are welcome to worship in person this Sunday at 10.15am. Josaiah will be leading the service and Rev. Steve Aynsley will be bring the message and conduct Holy Communion.
Hand sanitizer and masks are available if you would like to use them.
We are also live streaming of our services. The service can be seen each Sunday morning commencing at 10.15am. Here is the link to our YouTube channel to access the live streaming:
Bible readings – Psalm 1 and John 17: 6-19
Theme – “It’s nice to be prayed for”.
Jesus prays for his disciples – and by extension, us – after washing their feet and sharing the last supper with them. His prayer is directed to God but as we overhear this holy conversation, we gain an insight into the dangers Jesus foresees for all his followers. Particularly, Jesus is concerned for his disciples on 3 fronts:
- Jesus is concerned that the world is a hostile place for his followers. The world does not necessarily present a physical danger (though it might). It is more that the values and systems of the world are so at odds with Christian faith and ideals, it is difficult for us to maintain a strong and pure faith. And yet, God’s love for the world motivated him to send his Son… so we need to reflect deeply on our relationship with ‘the world’.
- Because of that hostility, we may be tempted to give up, like Judas, and follow a different path. But Jesus prays for our protection and we find our identity and purpose in being sent as Jesus was sent by the Father .
- In the next section, Jesus is concerned for disunity among his followers, and prays that the unity that exists between him and God, would be the unity his followers model with each other.
Like much of John’s gospel, the language is dense and often repetitive, but his prayer reveals Jesus’ special love and passion for how his disciples live their lives and express their faith.
Steven Aynsley
Our Mission is to
Connect with people in Jesus;
Build each other up in faith; and to
Become Like Jesus.