Hallelujah, Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, Hallelujah!
Join us for our on-line Parish Communion at 4:00pm for the 4th Sunday of Easter – Sunday 3rd May. The service featuring our newly formed Virtual Parish Choir (who have recorded themselves individually at home) can be viewed at any time but Rev’d John will conduct the service at the vicarage at this time to make the worship spiritually live. The service words will appear on the video to enable you to join in easily.
Sunday 3rd May – Parish Communion delayed due to technical issues. We hope to have it available by 1pm – Rev John will conduct the service at 4pm. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Welcome to the May edition of the #Meltham Parish Magazine. We hope and pray that you are all keeping well. Speaking of which, this month, we’re launching a #melthamprays prayer campaign which you can join in both at home and on social media – (see page 15). Don’t forget VE day (pg 9) and find out how our Crossroads Centre and Foodbank has been getting on in these difficult times.
As ‘social distancing’ continues, we are still unable to get this edition distributed in hard copy so please feel free to share/forward this around to those who (under the current circumstances) may not receive this, obviously keeping to social distancing guidelines.
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
Luke 24:13-16a (NIV)
Why didn’t the two people in todays gospel reading recognise Jesus? Why is it that we often do not see Jesus walking alongside of us in our own lives until we look back?
Perhaps sometimes it could be that we aren’t really looking but it can’t be God’s inability to make himself known. In many ways it would be much easier, for both us and God, if he always made us know he was there and what he was doing. So, why not? Our God is almighty, but he is also loving and gentle. He is always there and always calling us, but he doesn’t force us, he doesn’t use his power to make us follow him. He allows us to choose to have faith in him so that our faith can be based on our love for him which is our response to his love for us. He is gentle and patient, he lets us ask questions and forgives our mistakes, and we can trust that he is always there whether we see him or not.
Reverend John (Vicar)
Following recent guidelines from the Church of England and the government.
All churches will be closed for public worship until further notice. This now includes private prayer and funerals. Funerals can still be held at the crematorium and at the grave side with a maximum of ten mourners.
All weddings are postponed until further notice.
Website
Our parish communion will be posted on our website www.melthamparish.co.uk this will be pre-recorded but Rev John will be repeating the service at 10:30am so that it may be considered spiritually live. Please join in if you are able.
Evening service 6:00pm Sunday 26th April
This service will be delivered live through Zoom.
Zoom is an easy to install and easy to use app that is free to download and can by used by any type of computer. Just google Zoom and you should find instructions. You will then need to check our website for the details to join the service.
Hallelujah, Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, Hallelujah!
Join us for our on-line Parish Communion at 10:30am for the 3rd Sunday of Easter – Sunday 26th April. This can be viewed at any time but Rev’d John will conduct the service at the vicarage at this time to make the worship spiritually live. The service words will appear on the video to enable you to join in easily.
On the evening of that first day of the week, when
the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish
leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
John 20:19 (NIV)
As we find the disciples in todays Gospel reading,
hiding behind a locked door. We should be reminded that our God does not
abandon us to fear or doubt. In his love for us he comes and meets us in our
need, his grace is always greater than our weakness.
As we live through
a time when we find our own Church doors locked and wish to meet together to
share the good news of Easter, we need to pray for patience. It was right for
the disciples to wait a while until on the day of Pentecost they were filled
with the Holy Spirit and empowered to share the good news in the way that God
had planned.
Our God can unlock any door and will do so in his
own perfect timing. We must pray that we will be ready to respond when he calls
us to do so, just as the disciples were.
Reverend John (Vicar)
Following
recent guidelines from the Church of England and the government.
All
churches will be closed for public worship until further notice.
This now includes private prayer and
funerals.
Funerals can still be held at the crematorium
and at the grave side with a maximum of ten mourners.
All weddings are postponed until further
notice.
Website
Our parish communion will be posted on our website www.melthamparish.co.uk this will be pre-recorded but Rev John will be repeating the service at 10:30am so that it may be considered spiritually live. Please join in if you are able.
Meltham Food Bank has become increasingly important to many people facing an uncertain future. A small group of people are responding to an increasing demand for food and access to our Mann’s Wharfe Wheels meals donated for those in need. 31 food parcels have been delivered this month. We are trying to live faithfully believing that God will supply our needs. Many people have donated money. Cash donations and money into our account are very welcome. Yesterday we had agreed we needed £150 to purchase what we needed. Three donations arrived unexpectedly this morning totalling £190. We thank God and you for your prayers and support.
Hallelujah, Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, Hallelujah!
Join us for our on-line Parish Communion at 10:30am for the 2nd Sunday of Easter. This can be viewed at any time but Rev’d John will conduct the service at the vicarage at this time to make the worship spiritually live. The service words will appear on the video to enable you to join in easily.
At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing
there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it
you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have
carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus
said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic,
“Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
John 20:13-16 (NIV)
Do you get it? do you really get Easter?
In our Gospel reading today there are a few examples
of people not really getting what’s going on. Peter and John are dashing about
trying to understand, trying to get it. But they go home, back to the others.
The reading says that they believe but it’s not entirely clear what it is that
they believe. Perhaps they do believe that Jesus is risen but do they really
get Easter yet.
The angel talking to Mary seems like quite a pained
conversation, I’m not at all sure that they were both on the same page at all.
Mary is mourning the death of Jesus and the angel is celebrating Jesus’s
victory over death and sin.
So, he asks “why
are you crying?”.
Then Jesus calls Mary by name and she got it, she
got Easter. Jesus calls us all by name, do you hear him calling your name
today?
Reverend John (Vicar)
Following
recent guidelines from the Church of England and the government.
All
churches will be closed for public worship until further notice.
This now includes private prayer and
funerals.
Funerals can still be held at the crematorium
and at the grave side with a maximum of ten mourners.
All
weddings are postponed until further notice.
Website
Our parish communion will be posted on our website www.melthamparish.co.uk this will be pre-recorded but Rev John will be repeating the service at 10:30am though you can join in at any time to suit.
