30th May 2021 Trinity Sunday
All Saints Church, Childwall
READ: John 3. 1-17 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11 “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
REFLECT: The story of Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus is one of my favourites. Like him I first started asking faith questions under the cover of darkness. Like Nicodemus I would have preferred a world of certainties where things fit together in a neat and tidy and clearly understandable way. But that is not how faith works, for as we say in the Eucharistic prayer: ‘great is the mystery of faith.’ The Trinity is in some ways our greatest mystery, but it is also our greatest source of freedom and liberation. We need, as contemporary Christians, to make sure that the trinity is central to how we think, pray, and undertake various aspects of mission. We need like Nicodemus to allow ourselves to renewed, reborn even, by and in the Spirit. Being reborn, or renewed, by the Spirit sounds, at least initially, to be a somewhat strange concept, so let me ask you to reflect on a question posed by Jean Vanier ‘Isn’t this desire to be born again in many of us? Don’t we often want to start anew, to leave behind past hurts, habits and old ways that imprison us in the values of our society and prevent us from growing towards greater freedom.’ If we are open to the work of the Holy Spirit within us, we like Nicodemus, will grow and change for the better. If we are open to the work of the Holy Spirit, again like Nicodemus, and I guess like me, we begin to become the sort of people whose faith moves from the cover of darkness into the glorious light of day. If we are open to the work of the Holy Spirit in us, we begin to understand that God the Father really is the source of our very being and that we were literally loved into life, and that we will be loved into, through and beyond death. We will also grow in our appreciation of, and care for, the environment or created order. Nicodemus can, maybe should, be for us a role model for what it means to grow in faith towards an unshakeable trust in God as creator, redeemer and sustainer. This Trinity season my invitation, or encouragement, is that you allow yourself to be renewed, refreshed, or even reborn, through the anointing and blessing of the Holy Spirit, so that you keep ‘growing towards greater freedom,’ Amen.
(Taken from- https://www.winslowbenefice.org.uk/sermons/297-trinity-sunday-john-3-1-17)
RESPOND: Do you desire to be born again? What things prevent you from growing towards greater freedom. Inspired by Nicodemus, imagine yourself seeking out the Lord, in order to bring him your thoughts and questions. What would you ask? How would you respond if the Spirit moved you in an unexpected direction?
PRAY: Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth: Set up your kingdom in our midst. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God: Have mercy on me, a sinner. Holy Spirit, breath of the living God: Renew me and all the world. Amen.
Church Services
Our earlier service is now at 9.15am and our second service remainsat 11am.
Communion which will take place weekly but will alternate between the 9.15am and the 11am service. We will receive only bread in the form of wafers and it will be administered to you where you sit. The preacher at both services will be the same as will the rest of the service except for communion.
Sunday 30th May – Trinity Sunday – 9.15am Service with Holy Communion 11am – Service of the Word
Thursday 27th May – 10.45am BCP Communion Service
Sunday 6th June – 9.15am Service of the Word 11am – Service with Holy Communion
Social distancing measures will be in place and masks will still have to be worn.
Children’s work – Rock Club
If you would like to receive specific information about our Children’s and Youth work please email Gypsey, our Youth and children’s worker directly, who will add your email to her master list for youth and children. gypsey.allsaintschildwall@gmail.com Unfortunately, we are still currently not able to re-open our Crèche.
Online Church Services – We are continuing to record our Sunday morning service in church weekly. It will be uploaded to our website to be viewed each week soon after 11am. www.allsaintschildwall.org.uk
Zoom Sunday Coffee – Every Sunday at 10.45am – Meeting ID:842 767 1496 Password: 4allsaintshttps://us04web.zoom.us/j/8427671496?pwd=K2dMMnlvTHpwTkxDNEV6bDYwQXBDQT09
Morning Prayer– Monday and Friday at 8:00am – Common Worship Morning prayer service with words on screen.Optional Chat after the service. Meeting ID: 865 694 0214 Passcode: mprayer
Evening Prayer – Every Sunday evening at 6pm led by the Readers. The liturgy and the readings will be 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. Meeting ID: 789 873 7449 Passcode:Newsman
Pastoral visiting – If you would value a visit or know anyone who would please let Helen or me know, our phone numbers and emails are below.
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. – Aidan Holmes
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8802380315?pwd=cGxQTnQ0QVRjU1gyUnBrYnJMMzZldz09
Please note new joining ID. Meeting ID: 880 238 0315 Passcode: yt76bq
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 Nicoli Gray (Carole Turner’s daughter) and David Miller. Please pray for the bereaved family and friends of Eileen Miller, Kathleen Bristowand Margaret Dobbie.
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
Adeyinka Olushonde – Ordinand –adeyinka.allsaintschildwall@gmail.com
