Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) "I come" Just As I Am I love the words of this old hymn that encourages us to come to God, to come ‘just as we are’. I have enjoyed coming just as I am to phone-in meetings, no rushing around to get ready in the morning! There’s been lots of funny photos doing the rounds, of people in their pj’s, or with unkempt hair, attending meetings online. Really Lord, you mean…….just as I am! I don’t know about you but ‘just as I am’ can change several times over the course of a day, in fact some days I’m not quite sure I could answer the question ‘how are you?’ There is a genuine invitation to ‘come’ to God exactly how we are, no role playing how we think we should be, no masks, no pretence, just come and be ‘real’. I know I can slip into ‘coming’ how I think God wants me to come, yet a stirring inside me often says, “You have prayed exactly what...

Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people. How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them. Psalm 111:1-2 (NLT) "Whole Heart" Praise God from whom all blessings flow Immediately we are told to praise the Lord with our ‘whole’ heart! Sometimes I can and sometimes there’s a corner that is struggling to do so. It’s such a challenge! Every part of the author of  Psalm 111 pulses with the energy of gratitude and worship. I love the intentionality here, ‘I will’ thank the Lord. In these strange times when days stretch out before us there is a part of me that can ‘drift through the hours of a day in a brain fog and I feel I’m not doing anything ‘intentionally’, as ‘automatic pilot’ kicks in when the days ‘look’ the same. The Psalmist is pointing out so clearly that we should be intentional in Praising God. Even if we cannot rejoice in our circumstances we can rejoice in the Lord! There is eve...

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 (NIV) "Echoes of mercy, whispers of love" Blessed Assurance A few weeks ago Blessed Assurance was one of our Sunday morning worship songs, the hymn writer was inspired by today’s verse. The phrase “echoes of mercy, whispers of love” really settled on me. For some reason, I was reminded of growing up in Yorkshire where ‘telling stories’ that changed and were added to over the years, played a very important part in family life. We would probably all agree that the testimony ‘slot’ can be such a powerful part of a service. Who doesn’t want to hear what God is doing in peoples lives right now! I am convinced after our ‘lockdown’ there will be an abundance of “echoes of mercy” or “whispers of love” stories to tell. There should be a very long queue to give testimony! Stop at the end of each day and think about the echoes of mercy and whispers of love that you have experienced today and give thanks. ...

Our God is a God who saves!     The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death. Psalm 68:20 (NLT) "Angels in bright raiments rolled the stone away" -  Thine Be The Glory I’m not sure who the angel will be that ‘rolls away’ the stone of our present confinement but it will be welcome!  I have every confidence it will be rolled away in God’s timing.  It’s awesome we worship a God who is not confined or restricted in any way! I do know there will be things ‘God has rolled away’ during my confinement, that at some point I will be thankful for.  There has been a lesson for me to learn around ‘waiting’, something I don’t tend to do easily, waiting in queues to shop has plagued me as I want to ‘hit’ the store running, a quick in and out and move on! Impatience sets in as it’s all so slow!  A real reminder that how we ‘wait' often reveals who we are. Pray now that you don ’ t lose all that the Lord has been saying to you as you have ...

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1 (NIV) I often fall into a trap when I pray. It’s the trap of praying as if prayer is only asking God for things. It is not. And I’m not the only one who pray like this… Today’s reading says to give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. So if He is always good and his love endures forever, shouldn’t we be thanking him always? That’s not to say we should never come to God with requests. As Paul writes in Philippians 4:6, we should bring our requests before God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving . It’s important, I think, because we have received far more than we have asked for. So if our prayers reflect this we’ll spend more time thanking him than asking him for stuff. Shouldn’t it? Here’s the thing: We can spend a whole hour just thanking and praising God, without asking him for anything or interceding for anyone, and it will not be an hour misspent or time wasted. Lor...

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much nore valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26 (NIV) A lot about our current circumstances are forcing us to be dependent on various things and people, like grocery deliveries, internet providers, etc. And it may makes us feel like we’ve lost a bit of control; like we’ve lost a bit of our freedom. So we, naturally, look forward to the time when we will be less dependent on others again. I’ve often felt the same about God. When faced with a challenge or difficult situation where I am powerless to make any difference, I happily turn to God. But I also await the time when I don’t have to depend on Him afterwards. I think that today’s reading reminds me that I am more dependent on God than I would care to admit. And that’s a good thing. So the question is: What would my life look like if I realise my utter dependence on God and live my life accordingly, ev...

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 (NIV) It seems unreasonable to expect people to be joyful at this challenging time. How can we be joyful while stuck at home, under financial pressure, unwell or even grieving? Surely this is no time to be joyful… And yet, Paul writes this to the church in Rome among various other things that does not make sense. It points to the eternal hope we have in Jesus Christ. The kind of hope that the world does not understand, but longs for. The kind of joy that many people look for in circumstances, but is actually rooted in the knowledge of Christ and fired up by the Spirit. The kind of joy that looks beyond the here-and-now with hope at its core. Joy that does not deny heartache and grief, but transcends them. I’ll admit that I’m not always joyful. I get low real fast. But what helps is when I’m reminded that my current circumstances are not the end of my story. A new day is coming. New mercies will come aga...

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) Words often get in the way of proper communication, I’ve found. Spelling mistakes, auto-correct, grammatical errors, misheard words… There is always a level of ambiguity in whatever we say or write, because the listener or reader can interpret our words in their own unique way. But when we speak to God, there is no ambiguity. He knows our hearts and minds far better than we do ourselves. So in one sense it doesn’t matter that, on occasion, we don’t have the words to communicate what we’re feeling or going through, what we want or desire, because God already knows. Bad grammar in prayer will never get in the way of proper communication with God, because of th...

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) I miss a lot of things at the moment. I miss my mum in South Africa. I miss the South African autumns. I miss being on a farm/vineyard where the kids can play outside without bothering neighbours. I miss my friends. I miss having a good night's sleep. So as I was lying awake in the early hours of this morning, I went through the list of things I missed before God. I think He welcomed it without judgment. I thought the list would be endless, but I ran out of things I missed after a couple of minutes. Then I turned to gratitude, thanking God for the things I have, the things I've experienced, the people I know and love. The list went on and on. So it reminded me that I have much more to be grateful for than I thought or felt at the time. This echoes with what Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Give thanks in all...

"So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight - why the bush does not burn up." Exodus 3:4 (NIV) These are extraordinary times. So much of what we're going through right now is completely new or unfamiliar to us. We're experiencing so many unexpected things; things that are unknown to us. A lot like Moses seeing a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-6). Unexpected. Even uncomfortable (having to take off his shoes). But that place was a holy place. It was holy, not because of the strangeness of a burning bush or the unfamiliar voice Moses heard, but because God was there. So know this: God is here, with you, right now. Wherever you are reading this, know that this is a holy place because God is here. Recognise it as such and respond accordingly. You can even take off your shoes (if you're even wearing shoes while at home...). May all of us have the curiosity to notice God in the oddness of our current circumstances. May all of us have the courage ...

‘Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped us”.’ Samuel 1:12 (NLT) There’s a saying that goes: “The best indicator of the future is the past”. Well, right now it might feel that there hasn’t been anything much in the past to reference that compares with the current situation that we are living through. But when things feel uncertain, and I am afraid of what the present and the future might hold, it helps me to think back to the ‘Ebenezer stones’ that mark my journey of faith. The times when God has answered prayers. The times when situations have suddenly changed. And the times when I have felt the kindness of Jesus. By looking back at how God has been at work in our past, we can be encouraged that he will be just as much at work in our present and in our future. Let’s take time to thank and give praise to God for what he has done and what he is going to do in our lives. Prayer: Oh, Heavenly Fa...

“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” Psalm 116 1-2 (NLT) During this period of ‘social distancing’, I have been so grateful for the wonders of technology. My daily WhatsApp, text and e-mail conversations with friends and family, together with our online church services, HTR.Choyr.com and daily encouragements have helped me to feel connected. All the effort, skill and technological expertise that has gone into developing these means of speaking to each other show just how important communication is to the human condition. So, if it’s this vital to us, then how important is it to our Heavenly Father? After all, the Bible tells us that we are created in his image! We have a God who is sovereign above all, yet he leans down to hear us, because he loves us and we are precious to him. Isn’t that so encouraging? Let’s spend time in conversation with him today. Prayer: Heavenly Fathe...

"How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?” Joshua 18:3 (NLT) This quote from Joshua is taken from the time when the Israelites were on the verge of settling in the promised land – a land for which they had spent a whole generation searching. And yet, despite all the effort of getting to this point, many were undecided on how to proceed and seemed hesitant to claim and inhabit their inheritance from God.  I recently read a book that contained a quote from an author called Annie Dillard; “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives” .  I’m always thinking that I’m going to change and improve myself. Usually, it’s by spending more time in prayer or more time reading the Bible. And trying to be kinder, more generous … the list goes on and on. And the start date for these transformations is always the same – tomorrow! So, you can see why this quote really made me sit up and t...

"Do you love me?” John 21:17 (NLT) I find it very difficult to get over things that I have done that were wrong, or that have upset people. I often play the scenes back in my imagination and inwardly cringe (sometimes outwardly too!) at the things that I did. So, I can’t imagine how Peter must have felt when he denied knowing Jesus, not just once, but three times! Especially as he had promised Jesus that he would never do this. But how did Jesus respond? Anger? Hurt? No. Amazingly, and wonderfully, he gave Peter the chance to undo his wrongdoing by affirming his love for Jesus three times. The third time that Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, he uses the word translated into Greek, phileo, meaning affection and friendship. Jesus wants us to be his friends.  Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you that you know what we need before we even ask you. Thank you that we can come to you with all our physical and spiritual needs.  Amen. Penny Cox

"When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread” John 21:9(NLT) I don’t know about you, but when I’m confused or stressed, I often revert to doing something familiar. It comforts me, and makes me feel secure. Perhaps that is why the disciples decide to go fishing at this time. Maybe they were feeling stressed and want the comfort of familiarity. Or maybe they were hungry, or needed the money. Or simply didn’t know what to do with themselves without Jesus’ physical presence. Whatever the reason, despite their best efforts, the fishing trip was unsuccessful until Jesus appeared on the shore, and intervened with a miracle that saw the disciples’ nets filled to capacity. The part of this account that I find so encouraging is that Jesus not only turned up to help the disciples when they had failed to catch any fish, but that he also made breakfast for them. Jesus shows us that he knew exactly what his friends needed; they needed his reas...

"Jesus himself came up and walked along with them" Luke 24 :15 (NLT) What a different perspective we now have of the cross compared with the two believers seen walking away from Jerusalem following the crucifixion of Jesus. They are described, understandably, as having ‘downcast’ faces, as they struggled to make sense of all that they had seen and heard. We too may be struggling to make sense of what is happening in the world at this time. But our faces need not be downcast, our God is the Lifter of Chins, and just as Jesus drew near to those believers, he now draws near to us through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Prayer: Father, thank you that you never ask us to walk our life alone, that you are always present in our lives through the Holy Spirit. Help us to remember this, and to call on the Spirit to guide and support us when things are tough.  Amen. Penny Cox

Join us at 10am for our Easter Sunday Worship at Home! Livestream from 10am Click here for this Sunday's service sheet Click here for this Sunday's Children's activity sheet Reading Luke 24:1-12 Reflection Dan Wells Prayers During the service we will be praying especially for the persecuted church Worship Playlist Click here to listen on YouTube

“The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise again.”’” (Matthew 27:62, 63, NIV) Easter Saturday is a strange day. Either side are the world-changing events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. In the middle, it would seem, nothing happens. The world waits, holding its breath to see what will happen next. The gospels record very little about the first Easter Saturday. Matthew alone tells how the religious leaders went to Pilate to ask him to guard the tomb. They request the soldiers to stand watch, who will later be terrified by the events of the resurrection on Easter Sunday. Their reasoning is clear: Jesus said he would rise again, and they didn’t want any rumours of such an event to get out. ‘That deceiver’ they call Jesus, thinking that Jesus’ disciples might plan a scheme to pretend Jesus had risen. The religi...

“Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”  (John 19:30) Crucifixion was a profoundly painful experience. It is deeply unsettling to think about the suffering that Jesus went through for us on Good Friday. The Romans used crucifixion only for the most shameful criminals because it was so barbaric. The pain was excruciating (literally, because the word comes from crucifixion) and it was usual for those suffering to be unable to speak. That makes Jesus’ words from the cross all the more powerful and important. Jesus speaks few words during his crucifixion but each of them are packed with significance. None more so than his final words as recorded by John: “It is finished.” You might expect a dying man to say “I am finished.” But not Jesus. “It is finished” shows that the work that Jesus came to do has been completed. His mission has been fulfilled. His salvation is won and his rescue is complete. There can be do doubt about whethe...

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”  (John 13:34, NIV) The Thursday before Easter is called ‘Maundy Thursday’ from the Latin word mandatum , which means ‘commandment’. On that Thursday evening Jesus met for a passover supper with his closest disciples. Knowing that his crucifixion was drawing near, Jesus spent time teaching them what it meant to follow him. He sums it up in this statement: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Is this really a new command from Jesus? The Old Testament Law tells us “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Surely what Jesus is saying to his disciples is nothing more than the law had encouraged already? Yes… and no. What Jesus says next makes the command new, or at the least operating on a new a deeper level: “As I have loved you, you must love one another.” We have a new measure of what it means to love othe...

“Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him.” (Matthew 26:3, 4, NIV) The Wednesday of Holy Week is sometimes called ‘Spy Wednesday’ because it is the point in the narrative when the chief priests and leaders plot to kill Jesus. They spy on him and hatch a plan behind closed doors, because they are afraid of what the people might do if they find out. It’s a day full of planning and intrigue and underhand dealings. Because of all the plotting and planning it’s rather easy to view the religious leaders as pantomime villains, wearing black capes and twirling sinister moustaches. Of course they weren’t. In fact, they would have been seen as the most upstanding, respectable, trustworthy people around. They were the establishment, the leaders, the people in charge, and they had set their agenda against Jesus. Of course, none of this is a surpr...

“When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”  (Mark 12:34, NIV) On the Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus spent a great deal of time in the temple, teaching his disciples and debating with those around him. In particular, different groups of religious leaders come to question Jesus and try and catch him out. They ask him about tricky topics such as paying taxes to the Romans, how marriage will work in the resurrection, and generally question Jesus’ authority to teach. Not only does Jesus demonstrate powerful wisdom as he answers their traps, but he also shows the infinite patience of God in dealing with them. One of the final questions is about the greatest commandment from the law. Jesus famously replies that the greatest commandment is to love God with all we are and all we have, and that following close behind is the command to love our neighbour as ourself. The teacher who asked the question acknowledges Jesus’...

“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51, ESV) Today marks the start of Holy Week as we follow Jesus’ journey towards the events of Easter. Over these coming days we will walk with Jesus through the various points of the week, to Maundy Thursday, to the cross of Good Friday and the empty grave of Easter Sunday. But as we begin, it’s helpful for us to remember that Jesus’ journey did not start on the Monday of Holy Week. Far from it. In fact, Luke reminds us of this even before the halfway point of his gospel. After the transfiguration, where Jesus is displayed in his wonderful glory, Jesus starts to talk to his disciples about his ultimate destination. Luke records that “when the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” Jesus is looking beyond Easter to his ascension and the giving of the Holy Spirit. But Jesus knew that the path to Pentecost lies through the cross and resurrect...

It's time for Worship at Home! Join us at 10am. Sunday 5 April: Palm Sunday  Service Sheet Click here for this Sunday's service sheet Children's Activity Sheet Click here for this Sunday's Children's activity sheet Livestream Click here for the live video Reading Luke 19:28-40 Reflection Sue Jackson Prayers Pray for wisdom and protection for the LVA staff as they navigate a new way of working and make their PSHE lessons available to schools and students in the coming months Pray for Riverbank as they provide supplies for vulnerable families through the food and hygiene banks and for finances at a difficult time Pray for Kick as their coaches act as key workers delivering education for the children of other key workers, and for financial sustainability in the current climate Worship Playlist Click here to listen on YouTube

"When I consider your heavens,      the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,      which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them,      human beings that you care for them?" Psalm 8:3-4 (NIV) What interest can the great God of the universe who made the heavens and earth, the moon and the stars possibly have in my life?   Honestly the finer details are boring! Yet He is interested. He cares about the smallest details. The truth is you and I matter to Him.  So much so that our scripture reminds us that He is ‘mindful’ of us.  He thinks about us. He is attentive where we are concerned! Sometimes, in the overall scheme of things it seems like we really don't matter.   It can seems to us that our contributions are small, and the difference we may make in someone else's life, or the world in general, is pretty insignificant. God loves all of His cr...

"The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood." John 1:14 (The Message) What a great translation!  It reminds us that church is so much more than a building , the church is the Gospel lived out in community! All the small acts of kindness, encouraging word s,  smile s , listening well, even chats from a distance to say good morning,  ha ve more effect than you will ever know. In order to love others, we must first know that we are loved!  Loved by God  in a way that causes us to wake up every morning and say, "Thank you God, I'm your child and you love me." The current restrictions don’t prevent us from ‘being’ Jesus where we are.  We have all been provided with a Gospel opportunity. It may be on our doorstep, over the phone to a friend, in a letter, or through a chat over the garden fence. Holy Trinity is a church with an open door and we have come out of the church  building and into the community.  The ch...

" Jesus said, “ There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.   As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man ’ s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried,   and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. The rich man shouted, ‘ Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames. ’ But Abraham said to him, ‘ Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish." Luke 16:19-25 (NLT) God’s word instructs ...

"They will be my people and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose:to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants." Jeremiah 32:38, 39 (NLT) My Grandmother had a saying: “Living can be a hard business.” It certainly is right now for many of us. Life can bring us down low, rob us of confidence, patience and perspective. God hides amazing ‘spirit fillers’  around us that are new every morning; in His creation, in His word, in prayer, in an acts of service. The restorative power of music is one of my ‘spirit fillers'.  Music ‘restores the soul’ in a way our hearts connect with and respond to. Music has the power to elevate, speak, soothe, teach, touch, unify, energise, heal and fill us with joy. Today make music, listen to music and give voice to the praise and worship of our praise worthy God! As we lift our worship, we too will be filled and lifted , that’s the promise of praise. ...