St Mary's Wistaston

Happy Easter!! Jesus is Risen!!

I have just completed my annual task of trying (and failing miserably) to understand the game that is American Football by watching the first two quarters of Super Bowl XLIV. The game saw the New Orleans Saints score a surprise victory over the Indianapolis Colts to secure their first Super Bowl title.

Perhaps my lack of understanding is prejudiced by my love of Football, real Football, proper Football, as played with a round ball, in parks and stadia around the country every weekend. Perhaps it is because the Americans insist on calling Football soccer when the rest of the world calls it Football! Perhaps I don’t fully enter into the spectacle that is American Football, that is the Super Bowl, because of these feelings? Or perhaps I just struggle with the rules!!

Sometimes our experiences can lead us to have a negative attitude towards something or someone. Quite often the reasons for this can be lost in time, quite often we can’t put our finger on why (like me with American Football!), we just find it difficult to be positive towards a person or a situation.

This can happen in our journey with God. A survey taken a few years ago of why people had stopped attending church found that, in the main, it was not that people had fallen out with God, rather they had fallen out with other people and so had stopped attending. At the heart of the Gospel Jesus says, “Trust in God, trust also in me” John 14.1. No matter what our experiences may be, no matter how little we understand, God is there for us with an unconditional positive regard for each of us. Perhaps now is the time to start/renew/strengthen your relationship with God?

  Lent is just around the corner once again!!  This year Ash Wednesday is on the 17th February. It only just seems as though we have taken the Christmas decorations down!!
However, it’s good to still have that “Christmas” thought in our minds as we enter into Lent as Christmas and Easter are inextricably linked - not only by the person of Jesus, but also by Jesus the Saviour.  At Easter we see the fulfilment of the Christmas story; we see the reason for Jesus entering into the world.

It occurs to me that such an important event should be prepared for and Lent is the ideal opportunity for us to do that.  I would like to challenge you to take something new on for Lent - don’t just give up something, take something new on!!  Why not join one of our Lent Groups (details at www.stmaryswistaston.org.uk), read a Christian book (suggestion: The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren (ISBN: 0310210747) which is split into 40 easy readings for during Lent - cost £8 or cheaper – available to order from The Way Bookshop, Crewe), or maybe read a book of the Bible through Lent.

During our worship through Lent at St Mary’s we will have the focus of the Lent Cross. This is the Christmas tree that we had in church cut down to make a cross – once again reaffirming that link between Christmas and Easter. During each Sunday in Lent a “symbol” will be placed on the Lent Cross to which will help us to think about our journey with God through Lent.

So please do consider taking something on this Lent and have a great period of preparation for the Easter celebrations!!

With every blessing,

Mike

Christmas Services (that are different to our normal services) – at St Mary’s unless stated

19th December (Saturday)

6.30pm - Carols on the Green

20th December (Sunday)

9am - St Luke’s Carol Service

6.30pm - Nine Lessons and Carols – a traditional service of readings and carols

24th December (Christmas Eve)

6.30pm - Crib Service including the Sunday School Nativity Play

11.30pm - Midnight Holy Communion

25th December (Christmas Day)

9am - Holy Communion (St Luke’s)

10.40am Holy Communion for Christmas for all the family


31st December (Wednesday)

11.30pm Watch Night Service

We are in the season of Harvest! Our main Harvest services are on the 4th October. But that does not mean that this is the only day we should think about God’s goodness to us – of course not, but sometimes we need reminders...

As Christians, we can, from time to time, forget all that God has done for us.  Pressures of life, recession, stress, illness and many other things can cloud our view of God and just what he has done for each of us.  I don’t say this to belittle any of the pressures we may feel, after all they are real and tangible to each of us, I say it rather that we may see that underlying all our lives is the goodness of God.

The first disciples had quite a rough time of it after Jesus left them; persecution, violence, ridicule and death were part of life for those who were known as Christians. Of course for some Christians in Muslim lands this is still true today.  Nonetheless, the disciples continued to praise and serve God and it is because of their actions we have the message of the Gospel here and in many other parts of this world today.

A great letter in the Bible that emphasises this is 1 Peter. It begins with such praise and worship to God who has given us a ‘living hope’; this in the face of such persecution and suffering!!  Peter knew just how good God was (and is!) and could face suffering because of this.  Why not read the first 6 verses of 1 Peter and see for yourself!  It is the very foundation stone of our faith that we have a God who is good and wants to pour upon us his blessings.  Let’s try not to lose sight of that within the pressures of everyday life.