Sunday 22nd March 2020 All Saints Church Childwall
READ
The Birth of Moses – Exodus chapter 2
2 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. 5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. 7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” 8 “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”
REFLECT
Moses Mother (Jochebed) knows that her son will be murdered if he is found with her! She takes an enormous risk and hides him in the reeds in the river, trusting God with his future. She is motivated by her love for him and desperately wants him to live. Her love for Moses is so great that she is willing to be separated from him and accept that she may never see him again. Incredibly Moses is saved by Pharaoh’s daughter who has compassion for Moses when he is found. Moses is saved by the very family that is trying to kill off all the Hebrew boys. Jochebed is reunited with Moses and in fact nurses him as a baby, after his sister who had been keeping a watchful eye offers Pharaoh’s daughter help in getting a wet nurse for him. A mother’s love has saved her son!
RESPOND
Is it easy to let go of those that we really love?
Do you think we trust God enough in our daily lives?
When have you seen love in action that has inspired you?
PRAY
Father God, at this time of uncertainty we thank you that your love for us never changes. We thank you that you are the same yesterday, today and forever. Help us to demonstrate your love for others in our community at this time. Through our thoughts, our words, our actions and our prayers.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your disciples, ‘I am with you always’.Be with me today, as I offer myself to you. Hear my prayers for others and for myself, and keep me in your care.
Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. from St Patrick’s Breastplate
Gracious God, give skill, sympathy and resilience
to all who are caring for the sick, and your wisdom to those searching for a cure.
Strengthen them with your Spirit, that through their work many will be restored to health;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Rev. Andrew Colmer – Vicar of All Saints
Dear Friends,
As you will know by now all public worship is currently suspended ‘for a season’. Our usual Sunday services and Thursday communion will not be taking place. Our Church hall is now also closed.
The church building will however be open every Sunday morning from 9am – 12noon for personal prayer. Those people who come will need to space out and follow all current hygiene guidelines. These arrangements will be reviewed weekly and we will follow government guidelines.
As I write this letter, like many of you I am sure, I feel a deep sense of unbelief at what is happening in our world! The spread of the Coronavirus is increasing daily and the national news and landscape is changing beyond what we have ever seen in any of our lifetimes! Over the next few weeks and months as we are being asked to distance ourselves from one another, we are going to become increasingly isolated physically. However in our modern age we are still able to communicate with others in so many different and varied ways.
Please can I encourage you as an act of solidarity to pause every day at 12noon to pray for our nation and our community at this uncertain time. It is going to be the network of groups and friendships that we have that is going to help ensure that we stay strong and prayerful as we encourage each other, care for each other and pray for each other.
The first verse of the Bible that I ever knew and learnt was the one that my Godmother wrote in my Baptismal Bible from the book of Joshua. It has always meant a lot to me and helped me throughout life.
I commend it to you at this time:
Have I not commanded you? “Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua chapter 1 verse 9
With my prayers for you all at this time, Andrew (Vicar of All Saints Childwall)
All Saints Buddy Scheme
One of the real encouragements for me personally is the amount of younger people that have personally offered help and support for those in our community. As a church we have set up a Buddy scheme so that we can respond to needs as they arise. The aims of the scheme are to keep in touch with members of our church family and community who are isolated or vulnerable and to provide them with spiritual support and, if possible, practical support. If you are willing to be a ‘Buddy’please text Mary Harrison on 07817 471857 with your name and phone number and she will give you further details. If you are self-isolating and would value some help or support or know someone else who would locally please also text or email Mary Harrison at mary.harrison32@virginmedia.com with details.
“Candle in the Window” – 7pm this coming Sunday – From Bishop Paul You will know that the Archbishops are encouraging us all to light a candle and place it in our windows at 7pm on Sunday 22nd
“as a sign of solidarity and hope in the light of Christ that can never be extinguished”. This has caught the imagination of many people, including many who are not yet Christians, and I encourage you all to do it and to ensure that as many as possible from your community know to do it too. Please share the obvious guidelines about safety – we don’t want the net curtains of the nation to go up in smoke!
The BBC has announced it is launching a virtual church service on Sundays amid the coronavirus pandemic. The virtual church service will take place on Sunday mornings across local radio in England, initially led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The BBC will also aim to broadcast a weekly Sunday morning church service on BBC One, but this will be subject to outside broadcast capacity.
Please share all this information with other members of our church congregation and community.
All Saints Childwall Church – Andrew Colmer – Vicar – Tel: 07305 842257
