Posts by Nick Jackson

Brief Encounters


Choral Evensong
Ezekiel 37.1-14, Luke 24.13-35
Revd. Matthew Peat

A friend of mine once wrote a series of plays based on memorable stories from the Bible. He called it ‘Brief Encounters.’ In these brief encounters he helped both actor and audience to see that these stories though centuries old, have an enduring quality to them.

These brief encounters came to mind because in these days of Easter, Jesus’ resurrection appearances are often brief encounters.They are mysterious and intriguing with an enduring quality that makes us stop and think time and again.

This evening is one example when Jesus meets some of the disciples through a brief encounter on the road to Emmaus. It’s a passage I know well, I chose it as the Gospel for when I began my ministry as a parish priest.

It spoke to me then and still does about how we might make Christ known.

How we should come along alongside people and listen, just as Jesus did.
How we should share our stories and talk to help make sense of this life, just as Jesus did.
Of how we meet Jesus the breaking of bread and of how ‘hearts’ are ‘burning within us’ when we meet Jesus along the way.

I could talk about any one of these this evening but instead I want to spend this time reflecting on some other words from the reading, ‘their eyes were kept from recognising him.’

I’ve always been puzzled by the mystery that surrounds the resurrection appearances. For in these brief encounters it’s clear that Jesus has changed.He is unrecognizable to people who knew him well. But then something happens, a word, an action and they know. Why though all this mystery?
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We Want Your Input

As part of redeveloping the Church Hall, we want to get input from the parish to help give us a better idea of what you consider important, and what you would be interested in seeing more of in the future.

Starting today, every household in the parish will be receiving a survey form through the post. You can fill in the paper copy and drop it off at the Church Hall or call and ask for it to be collected (details inside the survey), or you can take the survey online now in about 3 minutes.

Every response helps us build a better Hall for the future, and we value your input — it’s your Church Hall as well!

In Giving We Receive

The Whitkirk Weekly Pound
Just £1 Extra Per Week!

Parish At Risk Of Meeting Share Target!

St Mary's Church

Following two years of increased focus on regular giving St Mary’s Church, Whitkirk is now on the cusp of being able to meet its Parish Share obligations for the first time since the 1990s. Current giving commitments from the 153 households committed to the planned giving scheme will cover 86% of the current year’s Parish Share. The PCC Giving Team calculate the current shortfall could be bridged by each of those households increasing their giving by just £1 per week.

New Givers Really Welcome

The door is always open for anyone not currently part of the planned giving scheme to sign up and make a regular financial commitment to help St Mary’s deliver its key aim to be a place in the community where everyone finds a welcome and is nurtured in their journey with Christ. Planned giving helps St Mary’s to plan ahead with confidence safe in the knowledge that all activities are affordable. So if you’re not currently part of the scheme please do think and pray about this and if you want to learn more speak to Matthew or our Gift Aid Officer Shelagh Freer. Please be assured any contributions are managed with total confidentiality.

Parish Share? What’s That?

This is the amount St Mary’s and all other Parishes are asked to contribute to the Diocese each year to cover its running costs. Around 90% of the share received by the Diocese is used to pay for clergy; including stipends, pensions, housing, council tax, training etc. That leaves around 10% that is used for a combination of diocesan administration and contributions to the General Synod for National Church responsibilities. With such a significant amount used to cover clergy costs the simple fact is a reduction in Share income will inevitably result in fewer clergy.

What’s a Pound?

Obviously not quite what it was 10 years ago but to put into a bit of perspective the following cost around £1:

  • A Daily Newspaper (Afraid your Sunday one will likely set you back a bit more…)
  • Couple of pints of milk
  • Bottle of pop
  • Couple of packets of crisps

Just a pound a week will do it!

Doesn’t sound much does it? But if everyone currently signed up to the planned giving scheme was able to contribute £1 per week extra then St Mary’s is likely to be able to meet its Parish Share commitment.

Please take some time in the week to think and pray about the life and work of St Mary’s and how your financial contribution can help us to do God’s work right here in Whitkirk.

 

Hope Filled Child


Sermon Year C – The Presentation of Christ in the Temple
Hebrews 2.14-end, Luke 2.22-40
Revd. Matthew Peat

Many of you are Grandparents. In that role you take a keen interest in the lives of your Grandchildren. Some of you see them more than others, almost and maybe even every day, some of you less so, separated by geography and so on.

Grandparents in many ways have the best bits of parenting. They usually don’t work so can turn up as and when required, with little else to worry about except to concentrate on their charges.

That concentration can of course be demanding “Grandma can you do this or that” or “Grandad I don’t like those” or perhaps trying to respond to the most disturbing question ever asked “why?”

And yet though they can be exhausting Grandparents are invariably delighted by their Grandchildren.

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Brief Encounters – Moments of Revelation


Sermon Year C – The Baptism of Christ
Luke 3.15-17, 21-22
Revd. Matthew Peat

We know so little of Jesus’ early years. What we do know comes to us in a series of brief encounters or moments of revelation in which something significant happens.

This morning as we recall his baptism, he is of course an adult and it does mark the beginning of his public ministry, when he steps out of life as a carpenter onto the mainstage.

He stepped onto a stage where ‘the people were filled with expectation’.

Something was happening.

John had stirred people up. They ask, is this John the Messiah?

John ‘answered all of them’ by saying he is not, that another is coming.

This other man is baptised along with others, and the Gospel tells us he is praying and at that moment his true identity is revealed, a voice comes from heaven and says

‘you are my son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

It is a moment of revelation.

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Opening our Treasure Chests


Sermon Year C - Feast of the Epiphany
Matthew 2.1-12
Revd. Matthew Peat

The wise men from the East, who have followed the star arrive at the crib. God first reveals his love in a stable before animals and shepherds and then come the wise men.

In contrast to the animals and shepherds, from the stable and the fields, the wise men represent the power and prestige of the world. They remind us that though this baby was born amidst mess and muddle, he’s for all people, rich and poor, those with little and those with lots.

Christmas 2015 is fading from our memory. The decorations have come down and the carol CD’s are put away for next year.

In the last couple of weeks we’ve reflected on the birth of Christ and what it continues to mean for us today.

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Strange That — It’s All About Love


Sermon Year B – Christmas Day
Titus 2.11-14, Luke
Revd. Matthew Peat

Some strange things happen at this time of year. It’s as if we suspend, at least for a bit, the sad stuff about ourselves and the world, enjoy our imagination more and put on our festive face and share a bit of Christmas magic, Ho Ho Ho!

So for example, we talk of Santa Claus coming down chimneys, we maybe even left him something last night to sustain him for his onward journey.

Maybe we watch a good Christmas movie, ‘Miracle on 34th Street’, ‘It’s a wonderful life’ or some other with a happy ending of course.

We may even a bit more charitable to those with whom the rest of the year we find a bit of a trial.

The strangest event of all that which we come here and to celebrate this morning, the birth of Jesus.

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The Risky Yes of Faith


Sermon Year B – Advent 4
Hebrews 10.5-10 Luke 1.39-55
Revd. Matthew Peat

‘Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’

I wanted to begin with these verses which precede those we have heard today. We have of course nearly completed our Advent jigsaw puzzle. We have these last few weeks pondered some of the themes of the season. This morning we turn our thoughts to Mary, to Jesus’ mother without whom the puzzle cannot be finished.

Mary is often depicted as serene, beautiful and sad in so many statues, icons and pictures. She looks tidy and neat. Many of these don’t quite ring true for me. They’re just too perfect and also she often looks too old. She was after all a young girl, 16 or 17, perhaps a little older or even younger.

And like most 16 year olds probably had hopes and dreams for her life. She knew this carpenter Joseph and could imagine a life with him. But then the Angel Gabriel appears and invites her to see that the life to which she is being called is going to be different.

Continue reading “The Risky Yes of Faith”