Second Sunday before Lent
Collect
Almighty God, you have created the heavens and the earth and made us in your own image: Teach us to discern your hand in all your works and your likeness in all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme over all things, now and for ever.
Colossians 1: 15-20
John 1: 1-14
We probably know the Gospel passage well – it forms the finale of most of the traditional carol services, and is the foundation of our understanding of incarnation – God’s only Son is born as a human child with human earthly parents while also being the one who will bring light to a dark world.
We say that familiarity breeds contempt – and I don’t think we are too guilty of ‘contempt’ – but we are, I do think, in danger of missing the earth-shattering significance of the event in the midst of all the other wonderful Christmas stories. Paul tries to make sure we don’t.
‘in him all things in heaven and on earth were created’
ALL things, animal, vegetable, mineral. Me, you, him, her; earth, sky , sea; mountains and valleys, dogs, cats, elephants, apples, brussels sprouts. And even in the light of the immensity of all these, the most important, amazing truth is that right from the beginning, from the very, very, very beginning, He knew your face and loved you enough to be born to die for you so that you might live in light.
Imagine someone risked their life to save you from being killed, even though you had hurt them deeply in the past – you would go to great lengths to thank them and try to make amends. Yet we have to ask ourselves, do you go to those same lengths to thank the Lord Jesus? Or do we often take Him for granted? He asks for no reward, save that of loving His creation, His Father and our neighbours (all of them) as He loves – do we even do that?
Previous Posts
Praying Together 12th March 2023
The story of the woman at the well has been described as one of the most significant to our understanding of the Gospel message.
Praying Together 5th March 2023
This day is all that is good and fair.
It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations to waste a moment on yesterdays.
Praying Together 19th February 2023
If suffering did not exist, we could never know joy. If there was no ‘evil’, we wouldn’t be able to recognise ‘good’.
Praying Together February 12th 2023
Faith means little when God’s plan is the same as our plan. Faith is everything when it isn’t. When we don’t understand, when the things of the world tempt – and often overcome – us. When disaster happens.
Praying Together February 5th 2023
Goddess or Saint? The stories are interwoven, in many cases feeding off each other. But whatever the reality, Brigid’s care for the poor is the common theme – living a life of love and service, for all creation.
Praying Together 29th January 2023
We don’t have to wait for eternity – we can be the body of Christ right here, right now. And then we can begin to take our part in the healing of the Nations.
Praying together 22nd January 2023
The annual Week of Christian Unity seeks to respond to the prayer of Jesus the night before He died, as recorded in John 17,– ‘that they may become completely one’.
Praying Together 15th January 2023
No matter who we are, however sincere our commitment, sooner or later – probably sooner – we’ll blow it. Fortunately, that’s not the end of our Christian life.
Praying Together 8th January 2023
Essentially, our Plough Service is a way in which we can say ‘Please’ – just as on Harvest Sunday, we say ‘Thank you’.
Praying Together 1st January 2023
What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?
Praying Together 25th December 2022
It only takes one candle to be lit and the darkness loses its power to frighten. That is our mission.
Praying Together 18th December 2022
In a hundred years, and for hundreds of years after that, the Nativity story will still be told, as it has been for the last two thousand.