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

Sermon – Springs of Hope  Bringing a message of hope in 3 parts: An unexpected hope, a living hope, and partnered in hope (not "A New Hope" :-) !) Poppies as a sign of hope   Niger and the issues with poverty and leprosy  How education is changing lives  Donations helping transform communities  £6 provides a child with a place at school for a year Donations via https://www...

Talk for all ages: Introduction to the Leprosy Mission  Difficulties with leprosy  Leprosy a bacterial disease affecting hands and feet Introduction to Bible readings Reading 1 : Isaiah 43:14-21 Reading 2: John 10: 1-10 r

The story of the paralysed man was the first that came to mind to speak  about  The "para" part has become common in conversation in our family in the  past 18 months since our daughter Nina was diagnosed with MS and  subsequently gained a place in the GB para-snowboard squad.  Nina is the opposite to the paralysed man in the story.   He had been  sitting by the...

Opening Prayers and the Lord’s Prayer  It's nice to be back after COVID, seeing everyone getting back into more normal activities   Reading: 1 Kings 17 vv7-14 Reading: John 5 vv 1-15 Reading Luke 5  vv17-36

I hope you have been enjoying this 4 day weekend  Escaping the pettiness of politics, #partygate mentioned in the comedy  links at the party  A bit of fun, pomp and ceremony, and some history  Celebrating this stateswoman in our midst  Her contribution to this nation was recognised and thanks given for it  Was the Queen watching from home as so many of us have done ov...

Introduction: the Queen’s Jubilee – ‘held in prayer’  One of those mornings, I couldn't find my flag to wave  We come this amazing weekend for our nation to remember the work of our  Queen over those 70 years  What a life of service How many of you have seen the Queen in person  Over 1/3 of the population feel they have had a connection with Her  Majesty  Padding...

Reading: Luke 24. 44 – 53  Talk:  ‘Mountain top and city streets’  This Sunday is fascinating - is it Easter or something else ? It's called different things depending on which lectionary you use Jesus has died and risen but the holy spirit has not yet arrived.  10  days of waiting.  Is Jesus still with them or has he gone?  Luke describes the ascension in the mo...

I hope you have all heard of Love Wycombe by now  Part of the life of churches in Wycombe for over a decade now  This year by the Guildhall on 12th June  As we pray for the Wycombe area, work for its good and prepare to celebrate God’s love for all, let’s ask two questions:      What three things do you like about your community?     What...

How we go on holiday - planning and investigation  Paul and Timothy had traveled through many places, the only thing stopping them was the work of the Holy Spirit  Called to help a man whilst in Troas leading to a journey that ended up in Phillipi  No real maps, not a carefree journey.   They had been warned off certain places  Taking risks as missionaries  For people...

Traveling  Learning about Paul and his missionary travels  Igor Pedin the Ukrainian man walking 160 miles from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia with his dog zhu-zhu  The coronation coach from 1760  A painting of St Paul by El Greco  How did people travel in Paul's time?  No maps, poor roads, feet only Bible Readings from the NIVUK version  Psalm 67  Acts 16 vs 6-15

Reading: Revelation 21.1-6, 22.1-3 NIVUK   Short Talk – God’s renewing of our world  What do you think of that reading?  A fantastic book by John with amazing poetry and fantastic visual  For the Israelites, the sea was something filled with disorder and chaos In John's imagination we see a river bringing life and causing deserts to bloom  Thinking of Janet with her seed a...

Introducing Janet Zirugo and Christian Aid Week  Supporting people who have real names and real stories, affected by huge global issues like climate change   Christian Aid promotion

Reading - Psalm 1 (Good News version)   Short talk: ‘Well-watered trees’  If only life were as simple as the Psalm suggests  We know there are great contrasts between good and evil  We are a bit of a mixture, sometimes selfish, sometimes calm and  compassionate  Psalms often paint things in stark contrast and we have to be careful  not to be too arrogant  We...

Reading: Acts 9. 36 - 43 NIVUK    Address: The reputation of sheep for not being the brightest in the world  Christians getting annoyed when compared to sheep  Sheep seeking security of the flock and following the shepherd  Knowing their shepherd  Needing a leader, someone to guide them  We are like that, needing Jesus  Jesus provides the security of an eter...

Reading: John 10. 22 – 30 NIVUK Talk for all ages  Having to read a lot of CQC reports about various care homes  You can see where people have done things better or worse than you  Under the heading of care it often states that the residents are  appropriately dressed - strange at first sight but actually is a good  indication of care.  Pulled up one time for a reside...

Reading: Acts 9. 1 – 6 NIVUK    Short Address Christ is alive, no longer bound to years in Palestine  Today we have heard how the risen Jesus touched the lives of Peter and  the other fisherman.  Touched the life of Paul as he went with murderous threats to Damascus  and changed his life  Stories of transformation from failure - "they are fishermen, surely  ...

Introduction to our theme – called to love Last week  I was on a supervision course online thinking how we care for  each other and supervise ministers and Christian leaders in the future  One thing was a daily check-in - how are each of us doing.  This time we described how we were by being a kitchen implement.   Introduction to the reading   Reading: John 21.1-19 NI...

Reading 2 – Acts 5:27-32    Sermon: -  I wish I was more like Thomas!  In all of our services before and immediately after Easter, there are a  number of people who get a bad press for their actions.  Most of the disciples and particularly Thomas get this.    It's clear that none of the disciples came through this period with  flying colours.   Jud...

Reading 1 - John 20:19-31    All age talk - What’s in a nickname?.  We often don't know what our nicknames are unless they are polite  Our reading today from John's gospel makes it clear that Thomas has at least one nickname - Thomas the Doubter  Thomas did a lot of courageous and resilient things but is left with the abiding impression of the doubter  Not all doubts...

Reading: Acts 10.34 – 43 (The Message) Short Address: ‘Women, Wondering, Words, Way, Witness’   Each of the gospels bring their own angle on the story of Jesus,  especially true as the story approaches Easter  John with the upper room, Matthew with an earthquake, Mark's abrupt  account, Luke's story of the great meeting on the Emmaus road  Who are the ones who hear the goo...

3rd reading Matthew 12.46-50 NIVUK 4th Reading: John 19.26-27 26  When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing near by, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’  27  and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Short Talk: ‘God’s new family’ Jesus welcomes all who follow him to be part of God's family. People...

Call to worship with Easter Acclamation Introduction: ‘the great Easter Harvest’  So the long journey of Lent is over  Overshadowed for us this year by the terrible war in Ukraine  A wooden sculpture with a cross carved out backlit by sunshine and casting a shadow  A picture of the open tomb  A picture of a sunflower seed Growing sunflowers  Linked to to Ukrainian sun...

Reading Luke 19: 28-42 read by Linda Curley Palm Sunday is one of the few stories recorded in all 4 gospels  All 4 writers had their own agenda and were addressing different  audiences  As with Christmas, we tend to combine all of the stories together  Luke says nothing about palms of the crowd shouting hosannah, he only  records people using cloaks to cover the donkey and...

Talk for all ages – from the point of view of the donkey  Imagine being a donkey in a village a couple of miles from Jerusalem  Still very young  Learning from your mother how to carry people and other burdens  Being asked for specifically  Setting off for Jerusalem  Feeling the excitement   Hearing the crowds  All the noise and confusion  A special pas...

Short Address: ‘Jesus – the anointed one’  The journey of Lent this year has been overshadowed by the horrific  invasion of Ukraine  The world feels a darker and more fragile place  So we turn to the story of Jesus that can speak powerfully into our  situation today  He lived in an occupied nation where a brutal regime imposed its power  by force, crucifying thou...