Dear Friends,
In light of the fact that we can’t, for the time being, now meet together, the leadership team here at Christ Church would like to offer you a short, weekly, ‘through the letter box’, Worship Service, which we pray will be a source of comfort, strength & encouragement to you as we journey together through these difficult days. Days which God, in His infinite love & mercy will, most surely, bring an end to.
With love in Christ,
John, Nancy, Kathryn & Michelle.
Through the letter box, Worship Service, Sunday 29 March
Meditation: My Hope is in the Lord (Song by Robin Mark)
“My hope is in the Lord,
Who has renewed my strength,
When everything seems senseless,
My hope is still in Him
Who has made heaven & earth,
And things seen & unseen.
Whatever shade of passing day
My hope is still in Him.
My hope is in You Lord,
My hope is in You Lord,
My hope is in You Lord,
My hope is in You Lord.
For I know that my eyes shall see you…….”
Sermon on the Mat: Jesus Calms the Storm (Mark 4:35-41)
The disciples woke Jesus up & said to Him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” v38.
At a time when the whole world appears to be drowning in a sea of fear & uncertainty because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the one thing we must never call into question or ever be in any doubt about, is that God, the Maker of all things, visible & invisible, cares! Cares to the extent that, far from distancing Himself from our place of hardship & suffering, He promises to be right there in the thick of it with us, not only able & willing to keep us but also, in His way & in His time, to carry us safely through to the other side.
Where was Jesus when this terrifying storm, seemingly out of nowhere, suddenly appeared?! A storm so violent, that even hardened fishermen like Peter, James & John, accustomed to dealing with all manner of weather conditions, including the occasional problematic squall, were scared witless because of it. Where was Jesus? Standing on the shoreline of Galilee, waving them a cheery goodbye as they attempted to make their panic stricken way across the lake to the land of the Gadarenes. Oblivious & indifferent to the dangers they were facing? No! Far from it. The instant the storm began, where, in the end, could Jesus be found? Right there, at the heart of the storm. Not apart from His disciples, but in the boat, with them! As He always is, whenever, wherever & however we find ourselves at the mercy of circumstances, which lie far beyond our strength & ability to control or influence for the better. As one Christian writer helpfully puts it –
‘When you feel like you’re drowning in life, don’t worry – your Lifeguard walks on water.’
Take note that with Jesus in the boat of our lives there is never any possibility of us ever coming unstuck in the middle of the lake. Not if He has any say in the matter. Which He always does! He who guides us into deep waters not to expose our inadequacies but rather to prove the ‘all sufficiency’ of His grace & power to deliver us from ‘all’ our fears! Regardless of how great & how daunting those fears, real or imagined, might be!
As the psalmist states –
‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him from them all!’ 34:19.
Prayer
May the God of all grace & power garrison our hearts & minds, during these troubling days, as we put our faith, confidence & trust in Him. The One who is well able & ever willing to deliver us from all our fears. Amen.
Prayer pointer
Please pray for the safety & protection all NHS & Social Care Workers as they continue to provide the help & support that is needed during this time of national crisis & indeed global crisis.