For Sunday the 19th August - 11.00am

My apologies for the lateness of my post this week. The last couple of days have been filled with visiting, celebrating the 20th birthday of St Paul's Ladies' Guild, and a new bible study series on the Lord's Prayer. So the Blog has been neglected until now!

This Sunday (19th August) we will be hearing a very confronting reading from St Luke's gospel (12:49-56) were Jesus declares that He has not come to bring peace, but division. The question is, how are we to understand these words of the Lord?

Jesus did not come to pretend everything was OK. He came to confront our sin, to pay the price for it in His death, and then to overcome it on our behalf in His resurrection. But this first of all requires that our sin be recognised and confronted. This does indeed cause division because many people don't want to believe they are sinners. We must all struggle against this desire to justify ourselves. The alternative is far better - recognising our sin and need for forgiveness, the Lord invites us to rest in the free gift of forgiveness and salvation offered in His name.

Divine service will begin at 11.00am.

The readings are:
Jeremiah 23:23-29 The word of the living God is active
Hebrews 11:29 - 12:2 The great cloud of witnesses
Luke 12:49-56 Jesus the cause of division

God's peace,
Pastor Matt