13th February 2022 All Saints Church, Childwall
READ: 1 Cor 15:12-20
12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been
raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
REFLECT: The Resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith, without it, as Paul says here we are without hope. In our creeds we confess that we believe that Jesus was raised on the third day but how many of us in our hearts are like Thomas:
“unless I see his hands and side where the nails and the spear went, I will not believe”? (John 20:25)
Interestingly, at the end of Matthew’s Gospel when Jesus met the disciples in Galilee after his resurrection we read “they worshipped him – but some doubted” (Matt 28:17) and they had seen him!
Doubt is not sin, it is the point many thoughtful Christians arrive at and have to wrestle with when considering their faith. The young Christians in Corinth were also wrestling with the implications of the resurrection on their culture, which led them to question the reality of Resurrection.
Paul in this long chapter answers their questions. In verses 1-11 he emphasises how the Gospel events are rooted in history. Later in the chapter he speaks of the nature of the resurrection bodies and how Jesus’ resurrection displays the victory of God over sin, death and the devil.
In verses 12-20 he shows how if we believe there is no resurrection then Jesus also hasn’t been raised and all the promises he gave died with him on the cross, and all the hope that the Gospel offers remains buried with him in the tomb. We are helpless, hopeless, still guilty, and wasting our time with our devotion.
But Paul finishes this section with the confident declaration “But Christ has been risen from the dead, the firstfruits of those who sleep” Paul is convinced and the Bible is clear that the tomb was empty on that first Easter morning because Jesus had risen from the dead. As the angel said to the women “why are you looking for the living among the dead?”
For us, this is a matter of faith based on eye witness evidence. Jesus said to Thomas when he appeared to him a week after Thomas’ doubting “you believe because you have seen, blessed are those who believe without seeing me” Believing this fills us with a certain hope, that the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Day, while unique at this time, is also a promise to us that on the glorious day of his return in glory we too will be raised and will be like him.
RESPOND: Why not look further into this by reading one of the following:
PRAY: Heavenly Father strengthen my belief in you, take away my doubts and help me to overcome my
unbelief. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Who moved the stone by Frank Morrison, The case for Easter by Lee Strobel, Surprised by hope by Tom Wright. All available via Eden books or Amazon or good Christian bookshops.
Garry Critchley
Reader at All Saints Childwall
Covid restrictions – Please will you continue to wear a mask in church for all services
Please remember to wrap as we have to have good ventilation in the church building. Thank you, Andrew.
Church services
Sunday 13th February 9.15am – Holy Communion 11am – Parade Service. 6pm – Evening Worship (in the Church Hall)
Thursday 17th February – 10.45am- BCP Holy Communion
Sunday 20th February – 9.15am – Service of the Word 11am – Holy Communion 6pm – Evening Worship (in the Church hall)
Funeral of Brian Morris – Wednesday 23rd February at 3pm in Church
Morning Prayer – Monday and Friday at 8:00am – Common Worship Morning prayer service with words on screen. Optional Chat after the service. Meeting ID: 948 786 2454 Passcode: 4allsaints
.
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
Zoom Sunday Coffee – Every Sunday at 10.45am – Meeting ID: 842 767 1496
Password: 4allsaints
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8427671496?pwd=K2dMMnlvTHpwTkxDNEV6bDYwQXBDQT09
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
If you would like to book a Baptism or a Wedding or speak to a member of the clergy, please come to Vestry Hour which is held in the church every Tuesday, no appointment is necessary. Please use the wooden door to the left of the tower. You do not need to knock; just come in, take a seat and you will be seen privately in turn.
Fairtrade Fortnight 21st February – 6th March
The focus for this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight is climate change & the increasing problems this poses for farmers and workers within the Fairtrade community. The Fairtrade organisation is helping farmers become more resilient to climate change whilst giving consumers, retailers & traders the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint. When shopping look out for the Fairtrade logo on bananas, tea, coffee, flowers, chocolate items & cotton goods knowing that you will be financially supporting farmers, their families & communities in some of the poorest countries in the world today.
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. Their names will stay on the sheet for 4 weeks. Please pray for all those who are unwell at this time particularly praying for Adeyinka Olushonde and Charlotte Fitzsimon. We also pray for the bereaved family and friends of Tony Ellison, Brian Morris & Graham McCulloch.
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
