19th December 2021 All Saints Church Childwall

_Read:

Luke 1:39/45 – 39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!”

Reflect:

Let’s recall the events leading up to today’s reading. Zechariah, a priest serving at the Temple, and Mary, a young girl, living out ‘in the sticks’, both have an encounter with an angel with a message! Message 1: Zechariah’s is told that his childless, ageing wife, Elizabeth, will conceive a child who will be great in God’s sight!
Message 2: Elizabeth’s cousin, a young girl named Mary, is told that she will conceive a child, in supernatural fashion and he will be great and be called ‘the Son of the Most High’. She is also told that Elizabeth her cousin is pregnant!
Both these promises seem completely ‘off the wall’ and unbelievable, but Mary is willing to play whatever part God calls her to play in His plans. In today’s reading we find Mary rushing off to visit Elizabeth. Why? I reckon it was to find out if what the angel had said about Elizabeth was true, because if it was maybe what the angel had said about her was also true!
Mary discovers not only that Elizabeth is pregnant, but that Elizabeth affirms Mary’s own pregnancy and confirms that Mary’s child would be even greater than her own child. Elizabeth’s response is one of joy, not the condemnation Mary might have expected as a pregnant, unmarried teenager of her day! Neither is Elizabeth jealous of the fact that Mary’s boy would outstrip her own in God’s purposes.
But despite this seeming confirmation that the angel had been speaking the truth, the only way Mary could be sure was to wait for the signs of pregnancy to develop within herself, to see if her child was a boy and to nurture him to adulthood and to see what happened next! At this point, Mary could not have known about the wonderful teaching or the healings or the miracles or the Cross or the resurrection which would all follow, but none of them could have happened without her initial and fearful, ‘Yes!’ to God’s call. Just like Mary, we don’t necessarily know where our, ‘Yes!’ to God will lead. All we can do is trust that God will work His purposes out in and through us, and respond to His call at each step. I know that has been true in my own experience. Saying ‘Yes’ can be a scary thing with unknown consequences and God never compels us to accept His call/challenge, but who knows how God might wish to use you and I in the coming years and whom He might bless, because we were prepared to say, ‘Yes!’
Back to Elizabeth who we rarely hear of in sermons. It seems to me that she is a great example of how to respond to what God may be doing in the lives of other people. Who knows who God might want to use in the coming years and who might never have the confidence to say, ‘Yes!’ or to persevere in their faith journey unless we, like Elizabeth, help them to recognise God’s call and encourage them in it?

Respond:

Have you ever felt or are you currently feeling, God calling you to respond to Him in some way? What did you or are you doing about that? Do you need to speak to someone about it?
How do you respond/react when someone appears to be more gifted/talented/blessed than you? Are you jealous and disparaging or are you gracious and encouraging?

Pray:

Heavenly Father, who chose both Elizabeth and Mary to play their unique parts in Your purposes for the redemption of the world, fill us your servants with your grace, that in all things we may both know and embrace your holy will for us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Bill Forster (Associate Minister at All Saints)

Covid restrictions – wearing masks in church for all services is a legal requirement again. Everyone over the age of 11 years old will now need to wear a mask in church. Please remember to wrap up well as we will have to ensure there is continued adequate ventilation in the church building. Thank you, Andrew.
Please be aware that with rapidly increasing Covid infections we may have to change some of the planned Christmas services or cancel some at short notice.
Christmas Services at All Saints Childwall

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
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
Zoom Sunday Coffee – Every Sunday at 10.45am – Meeting ID: 842 767 1496 Password: 4allsaints https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8427671496?pwd=K2dMMnlvTHpwTkxDNEV6bDYwQXBDQT09
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 joining ID. Meeting ID: 880 238 0315 Passcode: yt76bq
VESTRY HOUR – every Tuesday in Church from 7pm – 8pm
Vestry hour will start again on Tuesday 4th January 2022.

BOOKWORMS – All Saints Bookworms reading group is organising an online Christmas Quiz. It is intended to be a fun activity which can be done with friends and family over the Christmas period, loosely based on books, poems, plays and songs. It will be sent out just before Christmas and results published in the New Year. There will be a number of prizes awarded but you’ve got be in it to win it! If anyone who doesn’t come to Bookworms meetings would like to have a go please let me know and I’ll send you have a copy, either online or a paper copy delivered to your door! The next bookworms meeting will be on Monday 7th February. The book we are discussing is: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towle.
Helen Ford. Tel: 0151 428 9153. Mobile: 07950718759. email: h.h.ford@btinternet.com
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. The list is starting again this week and names will stay on for 4 weeks. Please pray for all those who are unwell at this time particularly praying for Adeyinka Olushonde. We also pray for the bereaved family and friends of Avril Mason.
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 Bill Forster – Associate Minister – william.forster1@btinternet.com Adeyinka Olushonde – Ordinand – adeyinka.allsaintschildwall@gmail.com

Christmas Services

Sunday 19th December – 9.15am – Service of the word 11am – Service of Holy Communion 6.30pm – Carols by Starlight in the Church Hall car park lasting for 30 mins.
There will be some social distanced chairs available.
Thursday 23rd December – 10.45am- BCP Holy Communion (tea & coffee will not be served now)
Christmas Eve – Friday 24th December 4pm – Crib Service (this service will now be outside, so please wrap up warm) 11pm – Midnight Communion
Christmas Day – Saturday 25th December 9am – BCP Communion Service 10.30am – Christmas Day service (this service will be without communion now)
Sunday 26th December 10.30am – Holy Communion
Sunday 2nd January – 9.15am – Service of the word 11am – Holy Communion