Sunday 17th January 2021 All Saints Church, Childwall
READ John 1 v43-end Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” 50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
REFLECT: When was the last time someone turned to you and said “follow me”? For lots of us I suspect it is when we have asked for help or assistance in a shop or supermarket because we can’t find an item. Staff in supermarkets are trained to take customers to the exact location of the item they are looking for. This can be really helpful in large stores. Particularly when you don’t know where to start your search for a specific ingredient that you need for your latest recipe.
Life can be like looking for a specific item in a store that you can’t find. Maybe you are looking for happiness or security or fulfilment or good health in life. Or maybe you are looking for purpose or trying to cope with what you are currently facing.
Our reading today contains the call of some of the first disciples. Jesus approaches Philip and says to him “follow me”. Philip doesn’t hesitate or give excuses or get distracted by what he is doing or respond by saying “I will follow you later. Philip is so convinced by who Jesus is that he goes and finds another man Nathanael who also becomes a disciple and follows Jesus. His initial response is different though, he questions whether anything good can come from Nazareth. Philip does not give up at this point, but simply says to him “come and see”.
Often we need to see with our own eyes to believe that something is true. Remember Thomas who said “unless I see the scars on Jesus’ hands and feet I will not believe”
What is it that we see in others that draws us to God? For me personally it has always been other people who have a strong faith and a passion to follow Jesus. When we do respond and follow Jesus and commit our lives to him all the desires and needs that we have for happiness and purpose that I mentioned earlier in my experience are fulfilled by following Christ.
RESPOND: What do other people see in your life when it comes to faith? Do they see and experience commitment and passion to God which draws them to him as well? When was the last time you responded like Philip and told someone else about Christ? You may be faced with questions and doubts if you do but you will also have an opportunity to say to them “come and see”! Can I encourage you to pray regularly for one other person who doesn’t know Christ yet and for opportunities to share with them.
PRAY: Almighty God, by whose grace alone we are accepted and called to your service: strengthen us by your Holy Spirit and make us worthy of our calling; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Rev. Andrew Colmer (Vicar of All Saints Church, Childwall)
Dear Friends,
Services in church
All services in church are currently suspended until further notice. This decision was made after the government’s request to ‘stay at home’.
Church Services Online – Every week we will record our Sunday morning service in church then make it available online for you to join in with. It will be uploaded to our website and ready to be viewed each week soon after 10.30am. www.allsaintschildwall.org.uk
Rock Club Online!– Our youth & children’s worker Gypsey has developed online activities for Pebbles, Rock Club & Boulders.Available on our website: https://www.allsaintschildwall.org.uk/online-rock-club/
If you would like to be kept informed and receive specific emails detailing our Youth & Children’s Worship please can you let us know by emailing gypsey.allsaintschildwall@gmail.com
Evening Prayer every Sunday at 6pm – Every Sunday evening the Readers will be hosting a weekly service of Evening Prayer on Zoom at 6pm. Using the Zoom facility, the Readers will host Evening Prayer each Sunday at 6.00pm. The liturgy and the readings will all appear on the screen and there will be a short reflection on the New Testament passage which has been set for the day. Please join us. Garry Critchley
Meeting ID: 789 873 7449 Passcode: Newsman1
For further details please contact me at garry.critchley@gmail.com 0151 722 9643
All Saints Buddy Scheme
If you are self-isolating and would value some help, support or a regular chat or know someone else who would locally please text or email Mary Harrison at mary.harrison32@virginmedia.comwith details.
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. We currently have enough people willing to be buddies in fact a number of them are waiting to have people to buddy with.
Weekly News – If you are aware of anyone who is not receiving all the weekly news that we are sending out please ask them to send me their email address so I can add them to our master email list.
FREE money for All Saints Church when you shop online
easyfundraising.org.uk is the UK’s leading charity online shopping website. It helps good causes raise money when people shop online. The online retailers will donate a percentage of your purchase to All Saints Church without you incurring any extra cost. It just takes a minute to register and then each time you shop online simply login to easyfundraising and click on the link to your chosen retailer.
To register just follow the simple steps below Go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk1. Click on ‘Find a cause’ and type in All Saints Church-Childwall.2. Fill out the quick form to register your details. 3. Find the retailer you want to shop with.
4.Click on Go Shopping to visit the retailer’s site. 5. Shop as you normally would.
6.Remember, save easyfundraising.org.uk as a favourite and next time you want to shop online simply log into your account, find your retailer and click Go Shopping.
7.The retailer’s donation will be show in your account within 30 days.
Thousands of retailers are signed up to donate to our cause when you shop online, e.g. Amazon, Tesco, Asda, Toys R Us, Debenhams, Argos, John Lewis, npower, BT, Dixons, Aviva, Thomas Cook, Virgin Media, Virgin Trains, Sky and many more ……..
| If you shop online regularly imagine how much money we could raiseat no extra cost to you! Please tell your friends and family. |
Weekly Prayer requests – If you would like other members of our church family to pray for you or a family member, please send me their names for this sheet, please ask permission from the person. Please pray for all those who are unwell at this time particularly praying for Bill Maitland and Nicoli Gray (Carole Turner’s daughter)
Pastoral visiting – Current Government guidelines mean that we cannot visit people and go inside their homes. Any face to face visiting will have to happen from the front gate. If you would value a chat or know anyone who would appreciate a visit please let Helen or me know, our phone numbers and email addresses are at the bottom of this sheet, Thank You.
WEEKLY PRAYER MEETING – Weekly prayer meeting Thursday 6.30pm on Zoom. Why not join a group of us at All Saints that pray regularly. It lasts 40 minutes, you can pray, sit and listen or just contemplate.
Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79853782379?pwd=NEloclhRVEJST3RFeUdUVEowSWJRUT09
Meeting ID: 798 5378 2379 Password: 7VUQh6 Aidan Holmes
Zoom Sunday coffee – Every Sunday 11.15am for 40 mins – remember to bring your own coffee!
Zoom Coffee – every Sunday at 11.15am Meeting ID: 842 767 1496 Password: 4allsaints
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8427671496?pwd=K2dMMnlvTHpwTkxDNEV6bDYwQXBDQT09
With our prayers for you all at this time
Andrew Colmer – Vicar – Tel: 07305 842257 – vicar.allsaintschildwall@gmail.com
Helen Deegan – Curate – Tel: 07984 933467 – curate.allsaintschildwall@gmail.com
Gypsey Tait – Youth & Children’s Worker – Tel: 07961 793435 –gypsey.allsaintschildwall@gmail.com
Bill Forster – Associate Minister – william.forster1@btinternet.com
