4th July 2021 Trinity 5
All Saints Church, Childwall
READ: Mark 6:1/13 – “Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honour except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. 8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.”
REFLECT: Jesus has been ‘on tour’. He has been teaching, healing, performing miracles and calling a band of disciples to follow him and now he has come home! You might expect that He would have received a ‘ticker tape’ welcome as a returning hero, but that is not the case. Instead He is welcomed with amazement, suspicion, scepticism and cynicism all of which may be summarised as, ‘Who does he think he is, coming here and talking to us like this. We have known him since he was a snotty nosed kid! We know his family! We know all about the scandal when he was born!’ So, instead of reading about a ‘ticker tape welcome’ with a brass band, we read that most of them shockingly ‘took offence at Him’ [v3].
The second part of the reading is something of a contrast as Jesus moves on elsewhere and appoints the 12 disciples to go, in pairs, from village to village announcing the Good News of the Kingdom of God, in word and deed. They are to take next to nothing with them; they are to trust God to provide for their day to day wellbeing through those to whom they were sent. If they were welcomed they were to stay. If they were rejected they were to move on as Jesus Himself had done. I imagine this was a scary challenge but, as they stepped out in faith, they found that whilst some/many did reject the message, others responded and they saw God do some mighty things through them.
This passage is a real challenge to us modern day disciples to play our part in Jesus’ ‘Great Commission’ to preach the Gospel ‘in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria and on to the ends of the earth’ [or in our case, Childwall, Liverpool, England and beyond] knowing that, whilst many may not respond positively, some will and that God might accomplish some mighty acts in us and through us.
RESPOND: Are you surprised by the reaction Jesus received when He returned home? Have you ever been mocked or rejected for speaking about your faith? If so, remember, so were Jesus and His first disciples! How do you feel about Jesus sending His disciples out in this way – how would you have felt if you had been one of them? Are you willing to step out in faith today and speak to family, friends, neighbours and colleagues about Jesus and to pray with and for them?
PRAY: Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified: hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people, that in our vocations and ministries
we may serve you in holiness and truth to the glory of your name;through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Rev Bill Forster (Associate Minster at All Saints, Childwall)
Church Services
Sunday 4th July – 9.15am – Service of the Word 11am Service with Holy Communion
Thursday 8th July – 10.45am BCP Holy Communion
Sunday 11th July – 9.15am Service with Holy Communion 11am – Service of the Word
4pm – Jazz in the Churchyard with the Savoy Jazz Men – Please see flyer.
Friday 16th July – 1pm Funeral service at All Saints for Joyce Gray
Children and Youth over the summer holidays – Save the dates!
25th July – Connect Youth Event 6-8pm
31st July – Family Fun Day at All Saints Church – Save the date! More details to follow
9th – 11th August – Youth Serve – Year 6 (from Sept ’21) – Year 13. Join us for a few days of fun, serving, team work and worship. Starting with breakfast at 9am and finishing before lunch with 2 evening socials. More details to follow.
For anyone interested in helping with youth or children’s work please get in touch with Gypsey.
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. 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:Newsman1
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), David Miller, Shirley Powell, Patricia Horne and Hazel Watson.
We pray for the bereaved family and friends of Joyce Gray.
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
