Weekly Newsletter 22nd February
Dear friends,
Reading the Gospel of Matthew again this week I was struck by just how many interactions Jesus has with all kinds of people from the ‘crème de la crème’, to the very worst in society. One very stark observation I had was this:
When Jesus hung out with sinners; they changed. Not Him.
When we meet with the Lord, his holiness, his mercy and his truth hold a mirror up to our own lives and we are changed. We repent, or we worship, or mourn the very worse elements of ourselves so much that we want to see change and difference in our lives. His holiness reveals our need for him to save us from our wrongdoing and bring us back into relationship with him. Jesus never changes and we cannot change him. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent - a season which is supposed to effect this kind of inward change in us. Tonight we will be holding a reflective Holy Communion service at St. Clement’s Ashampstead, where we will offer the imposition of ashes (ashes on foreheads) as we enter the Lenten season and acknowledge both our wrongdoings and our need for Christ.
Everybody is really welcome to join us for this service which is now at 7pm (previously advertised as 6pm, apologies).
As always, if there is anything we can be praying about specifically for you and your loved ones at the moment please don’t hesitate to let me know.
Love,
Grant
There is still time to sign up to join one of our Lent Groups this year.
(Tuesday Afternoons in Aldworth or Wednesday Evenings in Basildon).