St James, Haslingden; St Peter, Laneside; St Thomas, Musbury

14th Sunday After Trinity 5th September 2010

Welcome to all who worship at any of the services. Please take this sheet home or pass it on to someone else.  All three churches have Sunday morning activities for young people, coffee/tea after the Eucharist, and fair trade goods on sale. Website: saintjpt.com

Clergy: Canon Roger Smith, 215533;

Fr Stephen Brown, 213838; Fr Ron Mulligan, 220749

Deacons: The Rev’d Judith Balkwell, 223652; The Rev’d David Allsop, 224663

Wardens, St James’ Linden Charnley 01254 233608, Neil Donohoe,

Kaye Ridings 216398, Carole Whitling 228573

Wardens, St Peter’s Joe Deegan 602460, Mary Binks 229285

 Wardens, St Thomas’ Maggi Harris 220378, Kay Brewer 221803

 Hall bookings: St Peter’s Joe Harding, 210564; St Thomas’ Mary Garlick, 220965

 Reflection

The beginning of this Sunday's gospel can sometimes turn people off. Jesus' call to complete renunciation of everything that gets in the way of discipleship seems too extreme. Could it be possible for my "father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters" to get in the way of my following Jesus? And do I really have to reject even my "own life"? Jesus is asking total commitment of us. He isn't looking for us to limit our commitment Sunday and avoiding evil. He expects us to live the Gospel and to announce the Good News to others, and to do this, knowing there will be a great cost.

For some of us, the great resistance might come from our families. However, I suspect the greatest resistance for most of us comes from two other places first: 1) our own hearts and 2) the cultural support group we all have around us. The first place where conversion happens is in our own hearts. Jesus is asking us to let him love us and to let him win over our hearts. We understand the challenge most when we know our own hearts well, when we understand the parts of our own hearts which resist the Gospel, the parts of each of us which need healing and conversion. This is where Jesus encourages us to prepare, to calculate if we have the resources to build what we need to build, to wage the battle we need to wage. Too often it is difficult for me to let go of ideas and strong feelings and habits I've had for many years. Jesus is inviting us to consider carefully what it will take to fully give him our hearts. Imagine someone addicted to cocaine who said she wanted to quit, but didn't get rid of her stash or break off ties with her user friends.

The second place we find a challenge for conversion to discipleship is in our friends and the circle of cultural support around us. Sometimes the society we live in, the values it espouses, are simply so contrary to the Gospel that it is difficult for us to see it. Is it possible that, in speaking to us today, Jesus might say his challenging words a bit differently?

"If anyone of you comes to me without hating your friends, associates,  and any part of the culture around you,
and even your own life - insofar as through these you are being shaped by any values contrary to the Gospel - you cannot be my disciple."

I think of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador who was assassinated, martyred, for challenging the political leaders and soldiers of his day to renounce the injustice and violence they had found a justification for, but which could not be justified in light of the Gospel. In each of our cultures, there are values which conflict with the message of Jesus. Often, the Church leaders clearly speak out in defence of the Gospel in a very direct and counter-cultural way. At times, our political biases, our financial status, our racial prejudices are challenged by the Gospel of Jesus and the teaching of the Church. Jesus is calling us to complete renunciation of whatever is counter to the Gospel.

We might say, "I can't possibly renounce all my possessions. That would be irresponsible. I have a family. I need a roof over my head. I contribute to society and to my church."

Jesus' challenge becomes a meaningful call to action if we hear how it might apply to us and we reflect upon it more deeply.

I'm asking you to grow in the freedom it takes to follow me with all your heart. Renounce whatever turns your heart against me and my Word. Disassociate yourself from habits, stances, positions, parties, identities which are foreign to the spirit of generosity, self-sacrifice and love for others the way I love you. It will involve carrying a cross, but for everything you surrender, I will repay with more than you can ask or imagine.

If we need more resources for this commitment, we can ask for the graces we need. Jesus will always give us the graces to do what he asks us to do and he will always give us the graces he wants to give us, if we are open to them.

 This week’s Calendar

Morning Prayer (about 20 minutes) is said publicly at St Peter’s, Monday-Friday at 9.0am

INFORMATION FOR THIS BULLETIN  Re. St Thomas’ to Kay Brewer, 11 Knowl Gap Avenue (tel. 221803), by Thursday morning. Everything else to Fr Stephen Brown (tel. 213838; e-mail highlow@talktalk.net) by FRIDAY. morning please.  If you use e-mail, please write “For the bulletin” as the subject. 

NEXT SUNDAY,12th September

St James’: 10.45am Sung Eucharist

St Peter’s: 8.15 am Eucharist

10am Parish Eucharist

St Thomas’; 9.15am Sung Eucharist;

6.00pm Evensong

Notices and events

St James

Please pray for…  Sick:

 Faith Whittaker Emily Fielder

 St Peter’s Hazel Ashworth, Jim Bavester, Carol Bramwell, Eileen Chow, Janet Brookes, Mike Freeman, Mavis Hargreaves, Jilly Horton, Joan Payne, John Shenton, Ken Simmonds, Sheila Street, Carol Sutcliffe, Edna Taylor, Jenny Taylor and family, Marion Thomson, Stephen Thomson,  Jim Travers, Susan Wadsley, Janet Whittaker St Thomas’ Glenys Cattenach, Pat Colville, Patricia Dodd, Derrick Elson, Chris Gariff, Anne Goldsworthy, Colin Hampshaw, Ron Leech, Catherine Papworth, Leonard Pilkington,Baby Sophie, Audrey Smith. St James’ Stuart Brown, Pat Dewhurst, Jean Nuttall, Frank Pilling, Barbara Wood

St James, Haslingden; St Peter, Laneside; St Thomas, Musbury

14th Sunday After Trinity 5th September 2010

Welcome to all who worship at any of the services. Please take this sheet home or pass it on to someone else.  All three churches have Sunday morning activities for young people, coffee/tea after the Eucharist, and fair trade goods on sale. Website: saintjpt.com

Clergy: Canon Roger Smith, 215533;

Fr Stephen Brown, 213838; Fr Ron Mulligan, 220749

Deacons: The Rev’d Judith Balkwell, 223652; The Rev’d David Allsop, 224663

Wardens, St James’ Linden Charnley 01254 233608, Neil Donohoe,

Kaye Ridings 216398, Carole Whitling 228573

Wardens, St Peter’s Joe Deegan 602460, Mary Binks 229285

 Wardens, St Thomas’ Maggi Harris 220378, Kay Brewer 221803

 Hall bookings: St Peter’s Joe Harding, 210564; St Thomas’ Mary Garlick, 220965

 Reflection

The beginning of this Sunday's gospel can sometimes turn people off. Jesus' call to complete renunciation of everything that gets in the way of discipleship seems too extreme. Could it be possible for my "father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters" to get in the way of my following Jesus? And do I really have to reject even my "own life"? Jesus is asking total commitment of us. He isn't looking for us to limit our commitment Sunday and avoiding evil. He expects us to live the Gospel and to announce the Good News to others, and to do this, knowing there will be a great cost.

For some of us, the great resistance might come from our families. However, I suspect the greatest resistance for most of us comes from two other places first: 1) our own hearts and 2) the cultural support group we all have around us. The first place where conversion happens is in our own hearts. Jesus is asking us to let him love us and to let him win over our hearts. We understand the challenge most when we know our own hearts well, when we understand the parts of our own hearts which resist the Gospel, the parts of each of us which need healing and conversion. This is where Jesus encourages us to prepare, to calculate if we have the resources to build what we need to build, to wage the battle we need to wage. Too often it is difficult for me to let go of ideas and strong feelings and habits I've had for many years. Jesus is inviting us to consider carefully what it will take to fully give him our hearts. Imagine someone addicted to cocaine who said she wanted to quit, but didn't get rid of her stash or break off ties with her user friends.

The second place we find a challenge for conversion to discipleship is in our friends and the circle of cultural support around us. Sometimes the society we live in, the values it espouses, are simply so contrary to the Gospel that it is difficult for us to see it. Is it possible that, in speaking to us today, Jesus might say his challenging words a bit differently?

"If anyone of you comes to me without hating your friends, associates,  and any part of the culture around you,
and even your own life - insofar as through these you are being shaped by any values contrary to the Gospel - you cannot be my disciple."

I think of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador who was assassinated, martyred, for challenging the political leaders and soldiers of his day to renounce the injustice and violence they had found a justification for, but which could not be justified in light of the Gospel. In each of our cultures, there are values which conflict with the message of Jesus. Often, the Church leaders clearly speak out in defence of the Gospel in a very direct and counter-cultural way. At times, our political biases, our financial status, our racial prejudices are challenged by the Gospel of Jesus and the teaching of the Church. Jesus is calling us to complete renunciation of whatever is counter to the Gospel.

We might say, "I can't possibly renounce all my possessions. That would be irresponsible. I have a family. I need a roof over my head. I contribute to society and to my church."

Jesus' challenge becomes a meaningful call to action if we hear how it might apply to us and we reflect upon it more deeply.

I'm asking you to grow in the freedom it takes to follow me with all your heart. Renounce whatever turns your heart against me and my Word. Disassociate yourself from habits, stances, positions, parties, identities which are foreign to the spirit of generosity, self-sacrifice and love for others the way I love you. It will involve carrying a cross, but for everything you surrender, I will repay with more than you can ask or imagine.

If we need more resources for this commitment, we can ask for the graces we need. Jesus will always give us the graces to do what he asks us to do and he will always give us the graces he wants to give us, if we are open to them.

 This week’s Calendar

Morning Prayer (about 20 minutes) is said publicly at St Peter’s, Monday-Friday at 9.0am

INFORMATION FOR THIS BULLETIN  Re. St Thomas’ to Kay Brewer, 11 Knowl Gap Avenue (tel. 221803), by Thursday morning. Everything else to Fr Stephen Brown (tel. 213838; e-mail highlow@talktalk.net) by FRIDAY. morning please.  If you use e-mail, please write “For the bulletin” as the subject. 

NEXT SUNDAY,12th September

St James’: 10.45am Sung Eucharist

St Peter’s: 8.15 am Eucharist

10am Parish Eucharist

St Thomas’; 9.15am Sung Eucharist;

6.00pm Evensong

Notices and events

St James

Please pray for…  Sick:

 Faith Whittaker Emily Fielder

 St Peter’s Hazel Ashworth, Jim Bavester, Carol Bramwell, Eileen Chow, Janet Brookes, Mike Freeman, Mavis Hargreaves, Jilly Horton, Joan Payne, John Shenton, Ken Simmonds, Sheila Street, Carol Sutcliffe, Edna Taylor, Jenny Taylor and family, Marion Thomson, Stephen Thomson,  Jim Travers, Susan Wadsley, Janet Whittaker St Thomas’ Glenys Cattenach, Pat Colville, Patricia Dodd, Derrick Elson, Chris Gariff, Anne Goldsworthy, Colin Hampshaw, Ron Leech, Catherine Papworth, Leonard Pilkington,Baby Sophie, Audrey Smith. St James’ Stuart Brown, Pat Dewhurst, Jean Nuttall, Frank Pilling, Barbara Wood