Trinity High Wycombe and Cores End United Reformed Churches - Sermons 1 year ago. #AllAreWelcome

Introduction: more stories about growing   Update on chilli plant growing  Stories about growing, things that are very small having a huge impact - just like the coronavirus     The mustard seed Matthew 13:31-32 (NIVUK)   The kingdom of God is like the mustard seed   The parable of the yeast Matthew 13:33 (NIVUK)   The kingdom of heaven is like yeast  ...

Reading - Romans 8 v12-25  Talk - The Spirit at work today  So we are here, back in the church after all of these weeks  Back in this building after what seems so long since the 15th March.   It was a pretty flat act of worship as many were already social distancing and not many people were present  The reading we heard on 15th March was the story of the Samaritan woman at...

The world is a bit of a mixed bag - rubbish and good things, triumph and disaster, joys and heartaches  If we think back over the recent months, there have been a lot of things that have been horrible but even during lockdown, some good things  Jesus tells us a story about wheat and thistles - good and evil, God will sort it out in his own time   Reading - Matthew 13 v24-30  Me...

Have you gotten out into the open this week?  Escaped the lockdown to get somewhere more exciting rather than just the shops  To see family, friends or the hairdresser?  It has been great to hear the voices of the children from the nursery school.  Some Churches are opening again and Trinity and Cores End hope to do so soon  Gathering for worship will be different for a lo...

Over the summer months the church lectionary encourages us to look at Paul’s letter to the Romans, a letter in which Paul describes his understanding of the Christian faith to a church he is yet to visit.  We are going to take time with Paul, one of the great followers of Jesus who came to know him after the resurrection  Paul met Jesus dramatically on the road to Damascus   Jesus a...

Have you grown anything over the months of lockdown?  Whatever our situation, we can all grow something  Growing is part of life, growing plants, growing as people  Planting chilli seeds and growing them How are the seeds we planted back in February going?  Over the summer we will hear some of the parables of Jesus, starting with the parable of the sower.  Reading - Matthe...

A talk by Andy Lester of A Rocha talks about the environment, bikes, and wagtails in a carwash followed by a challenge from Terry Hinks to ask what will we do differently?

Mike Shrubsole, homo sapiens, green apostle for Wessex Synod and convener of the URC Environment Group speaks about Foxgloves and Mouth-brooding Frogs

Introduction to the readings.   Looking at nature with awe and wonder  Recognising behind the wonder of creation is a loving God  Job's losses and his friends trying to comfort him.  Job bringing his complaint to God and realising that God has been with him and can help him through the hard time  Reading: Job 38. 1 – 7, 12, 16 , 34 – 41, Job 39. 19, 26- 27

John Harbour - Kings Church - introduction to A message of hope  People searching for hope  We as a church carrying the message of hope to the world  Bible reading - Luke 5, 12-15, Jesus heals a man with leprosy  John Harbour - Kings Church - response to the bible passage.  Jesus reaching out to touch the leper  What stands out to you from that story?  A miraculo...

Talk by David Bailey The whole of Chapter 10 in Matthew's gospel includes Jesus' instructions to his disciples on their great commission to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven  When this was written around 85A.D. , the early Christian communities were suffering so much persecution that some were losing their faith so it is not surprising that Matthew records how Jesus tells his fo...

This episode works better if you watch it at https://youtu.be/vL0UTv9S3fc - the visual element and potential of soaking Rebecca as she pierces a bag of water suspended over her head with pencils needs to be seen to be believed. When I first read that you could do that with a bag, I thought how is that even possible How do you put pencils through a bag filled with water and not end up with a big me...

This episode touches on events in America and the UK relating to Donald Trump, BLM, racism,  COVID-19 in late May/early June 2020  "Jesus looks out on the crowd and sees desperate need – he sees confusion and anxiety, he sees a lack of meaning and purpose, he sees people struggling with disease and poverty and the prejudice of others.  He sees humanity torn and bruised – and his hea...

The phone rings and someone asks "can you help me?".   It all depends on what they are asking for.   Feeling poorly, a house on fire, an empty plate, a computer that has crashed?    It's important to ask for help when we need it  The great work the food banks are doing  Can you help?  We CAN help each other.

It was recently announced that Elon Musk and Grimes have named their child X Æ A-12 - a joke on the world with a more normal name to follow?   Sometimes children are saddled with what seem like terrible names.  My uncle Jack was fine with his first name but not when combined with his surname - Russell  Terry was popular in the 60s and 70s, maybe I should go with my second name, much...

Today is Trinity Sunday where we grapple with the question of who God is  Some churches take that as the name of their community and the building Trinity URC High Wycombe traces its roots back to 1662 in Crendon Lane  A great name to carry Trinity looks onto the Rye, a wonderful green space containing Pann Mill, the river Wye and many activities, saved from development by local citizens,...

Pentecost is often missed  10 weeks after lockdown, we have travelled from Mothering Sunday, Holy Week, Easter and Ascension Day to arrive here at Pentecost and the birth of the Church  Difficulty with Pentecost and the blockbuster description of events Experience of God has been dramatic at times but often not like that described in Acts  Luke sees this not as a moment of ecstatic...

Celebrating a great birthday, that of the Church almost 2000 years ago  On a birthday we often have a cake to celebrate Lighting a candle to remember the story from Acts where the spirit descends like tongues of fire  A breath to blow out the candle to remind of the breath of Christ, Jesus breathing on the disciples who received the Holy Spirit  The power of a mighty wind blowing th...

Are you working through any box sets at the moment?  Downton Abbey, the complete plays of William Shakespeare, Agatha Christie?  Maybe you need a longer lockdown to finish them?  One of the great series in the bible is from Luke, one of only two amazing books by Luke.  Imagine if he had been able to carry on the series documenting the amazing work Jesus was doing.  How wou...

Have you managed to finish the projects you set aside during lockdown?  There is always more to do, it's good to tick them off  Life is work in progress for all of us  Jesus - the Son of God - did he finish his work? Was it completed on the cross and following his triumph over death?  We are now in the between times Want to see more?  Join us in worship on our YouTube chan...

You are loved How many rainbows have you seen this week? Look at any street and you will see any number on the street thanking the NHS God making peace with his world in Genesis Cores End Church cross now has a rainbow with the words - "You are loved" The great command of Jesus - "Show that you are my disciples by loving others as I have loved you" Facing all of the challenges, Jesus still speaks...

Reading 1 Peter 3.13-22  followed by a short talk by Derek Holland (from Cores End) 1st verse of the reading - "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?" Standing up to a corrupt regime? Resolve - do not be frightened, have confidence in Christ Sometimes strength doesn't come from physical or even mental might A world not wanting to hear the message of love and forgiveness Want t...

Introduction: ‘not left deserted!’ Have you learnt any new skills recently? Louise and her potatoes, Rosie and her masks Learning new skills can be challenging Taking flight on our own We are now at the point of the story of Jesus where he says "over to you" Want to see more?  Join us in worship on our YouTube channel every Sunday - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOGU0Xl7GgEXwutvo2kRLPg Or...

Part 1 - Choices: Life is full of choices At the moment we seem to have fewer choices than usual, lockdown has made the choices of what we do a little smaller.  Choosing one thing normally means rejecting the other, we can't be in two places at once Reading: 1 Peter 2. 9,10 Part 2 - Neighbours: It has been good to see neighbours helping each other, running errands and clapping for the NHS Chr...

3 short talks: Continuing our Easter journey with one word. A reflection on the reading from Peter. Dealing with persecution and abuse. The Good Shepherd, Countryfile, One Man and His Dog