As it was Polling Day, we decamped to Kath’s house for our meeting.  Quite a few members were missing this week due to appointments and illness but we had a super time and it is always a joy to welcome Phil Cook to speak to us.

Phil brought a message entitled, Jesus the Shepherd. His reading was from John 10 v 1-15 which Maria read inadvertently from the AMPC version (The Amplified Bible Classic Edition).  This proved to be inspired as it certainly amplified the meaning and made us all sit up and take note of a different turn of phrase.

The three points to remember are:

Jesus is the Good, Beautiful Shepherd. (John 10 v 11)

Jesus identifies himself as the shepherd of the Old Testament in Psalm 23. He is the only one who is good, winsome, lovely, kind on every level with no blemish or flaw.  He came with authority to give himself freely as a voluntary sacrifice, fulfilling God’s perfect plan of salvation to take the punishment that should have been ours. Death was not His fate – it was His deed! He is the good, beautiful Shepherd.

Jesus is the Great Shepherd. (Hebrews 13 v 20)

The Old Testament Scriptures point to Jesus and were fulfilled in Jesus. Everything in Christ is better – it is always better! God made peace through His precious Son when He raised Him to life.  He is living and able to save and what’s more, He is always praying for us (Hebrews 7 v 25).

Jesus is the Chief Shepherd. (1 Peter 5 v 4)

Hard as it may seem, our faith needs to be tried and tested but be faithful and you will receive a crown of glory.  We shall be like Him and we shall see Him as He is! He will lead us as the Chief Shepherd to living fountains of water.  He is truly the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Just like sheep follow the shepherd and he cares for them, so follow Jesus and let Him care for you and lead you in His paths of righteousness.

We welcomed back old friends Keith & Laurel Barnes who have been visiting us for over thirty years!

Laurel read Psalm 139 – a much-loved and beautiful Psalm of David.

Keith reminded us that we all have a past where there will have been significant occasions – some good and some bad, some happy memories, some sad ones and some we would like to forget! But, they are all part of who we are and which help to make us more ‘real’ as people. We are not perfect!

In Psalm 139, David reflects on his life.  He knew that God was familiar with ALL his ways and that he had at times sinned greatly, yet he experienced God’s love and forgiveness. He says in verse 1 – You have  searched me and You know me – even before David was born, God knew him and had ordained all of his days.

Keith challenged us by asking how we respond to this Psalm? God loves us whatever our condition. He understand us, He knows us, He wants to bless us!

Why not pray – Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts; see if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!

We can never say that we have arrived so keep close to Him and allow Him to determine your steps.

What a joy it was to welcome back Lynda Hulcoop! And what an interesting afternoon as Lynda told us her life story relating it to the fact that God weaves His patterns into our lives. Lynda referred to the poem, Life is but a Weaving which has been attributed to Corrie ten Boom:

Lynda testified to her experience of God’s goodness and faithfulness saying that God does not leave anything to chance.  He is the Master planner.  He knows every individual life, their particular pattern which He ordained and their purpose. Nothing that happens to us is ever wasted – God weaves everything together. Isn’t it a good job that we don’t know God’s plans for us? We surely wouldn’t be able to cope! We just need to trust Him step by step, day by day!

Lynda shared the three verses that have meant so much to her over the years:

Proverbs 3 v 5-6 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will direct your paths.

Jeremiah 29 v 11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Matthew 6 v 33 – “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.”

What verses do you hold dear?

Lynda concluded by encouraging us that we may not be able to change the world but we can make the most of every opportunity that comes our way to tell our story – to share with the individual – one at a time!

Gareth leads our prayer time this month and his thoughts are based around Colossians 3 v 12-17.

We welcomed John Casse back to Thursday Fellowship and were delighted that he was able to play the piano in Lis’s absence. Thank you so much John!

John’s talk was in two parts.

Part One: John read the poem Three men, three crosses, one hill – author unknown

Interestingly this was the same poem that Sue read last week and one that she brought to our Good Friday service. It is a poem that has impacted many people since that first reading!

Three men, three crosses, one hill.
One man cursed, one man prayed, one man promised.
One died condemned, one died forgiven, one died innocent.
One died in sin, one died to sin, one died for sin.
One was held by death, one was released by death, one conquered death.
One lost life, one gained life. one was life.
Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice and Praise God we have eternal life!

All three were in one place at the same time but with different outcomes.  Where do we stand? What is the relevance for each of us?

Part two:

John then told us the story of Tobias and Ollie Ham.  Who you might say? Well their son, Mordecai Ham, a travelling evangelist from the age of 9 was used by God to bring Billy Graham to faith! How wonderful that those godly parents planted God’s Word in the hearts of their children – and look at the impact of both Mordecai’s and Billy Graham’s ministries.

We read the story of Saul’s conversion in Acts 9 and how Ananias despite having doubts and fears because of all the terrible things he had heard about him, was used by God to minister to Saul and bring physical and spiritual healing.  Ananias was faithful to God’s call. There was no sense of pride, he approached Saul as a brother and was used mightily to fulfil God’s purposes.

Does this apply to us, John asked?  It does! Are we ready and willing to listen and then respond to God’s call?  We may not see the end result but the important thing is to be obedient and faithful.  Jesus brings life and He uses each one of us with all of our different giftings and abilities. So let’s be ready to serve Him.  We are not a nobody – we are somebody!

We so enjoyed the visit from Maeve who brought a lovely word from Hebrews 11 v 1-3, 39-40.

It is a well known passage of course focusing on those saints of old who were commended for their faith, yet none of them received what was promised as that is to come!

Maeve told us that clutching hold of promises can be hard especially when things go way beyond our experiences. She shared the story of the disciples waiting patiently for the Spirit of Truth who would come to help them after Jesus was taken up to heaven. Their whole world had been turned upside down after Jesus died. How confused, frightened and disappointed they must have been!  Yet Jesus comes to them in their safe space in that upper room and promises them that it will happen –  the Spirit of Truth will come. (He came ten days later at Pentecost). If God promises it then it will happen but sometimes it can take time and we have to wait patiently and have confidence in what we hope for.

Maeve encouraged us to look for rainbow moments in our lives. Sometimes in all of the clutter and chaos they can get lost! Let’s have faith, confidence and hope in what we don’t yet see believing in the One who promised because He is faithful.

We were reminded that we are Kingdom people – citizens of heaven in the here and now.  God lives in us and we can see Him in each other.  Let’s let the Sprit of Truth leak out of us so that this world can be changed by the beauty of God.

Good Friday?  A solemn day but also a day when we are able to celebrate just how much God loved us.

We were able to do this as we gathered together to share breakfast and then reflected on what Jesus’s death meant to each one of us before we partook of the bread and fruit of the vine with glad hearts.

For a flavour of this imitate time together, here is a short clip of the thoughts that Gareth shared:

Sue read a very touching poem which included the words (reflecting on the three people crucified on that first Good Friday) – One lost life, One gained life and One was life!

Gareth asked us to think how this day affects how we live our lives!

“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1 v 8-9 (NIV).

So on this Good Friday, let’s rejoice for what Jesus has done for each one of us.  Let’s surrender our lives afresh to serve Him and let’s love each other as Jesus commanded us!

Happy Easter!

What a beautiful and meaningful Communion service we had today!

For a flavour of our time together, here is the order of service:

Welcome and News
Reading – Philippians 2 v 5-11
Song 120 – The Servant King
Prayer
Poem – It began with darkness – Gideon Heugh
Song 780 –  How deep the Father’s love
Reading – Isaiah 53 v 1-6
Song 1111 – What kind of love is this?
Reading – Isaiah 53 v 7-12
Song 596 – When I survey the wondrous cross
Communion
Song 544 – There is a Redeemer
Poem – The Sacrifice – Hilary Malpass
Closing Prayer and Vesper

Kath led our Communion time and got us to think about the miracles Jesus performed during his three year ministry. We came up with 17 but there are of course lots more!

Kath said that the disciples did not know that this was going to be the Last Supper and that Jesus would suffer an agonising death and rise again. Jesus was preparing them for what was about to happen and He poignantly showed them the full extent of His love by acting as a servant and washing the disciples feet. He also gave them a new commandment – to love one another.

We were seated at tables and one person served the others on their table with bread and the fruit of the vine pronouncing – His body, broken for you.  His blood, poured out for you!

It was a different act of remembrance but one that was well received by the 18 members present and set us up very nicely for our Easter services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Once again, a good few of us walked from the top of Warren Hill down to the school with Solomon the donkey before our Sunday service.  It was good to welcome back our former pastor and his wife, Malcolm and Dawn Haines. 

We welcomed Rosemary Kemp back to our meeting who led us so beautifully in a visual presentation about Passover.

Passover originates from the book of Exodus when God instructed Moses and Aaron and the Israelite people living in Egypt to mark their houses with the blood of a lamb so that the Lord would “pass over” their house and spare their firstborn son. It is a time for reflection, gratitude, and celebration of freedom! 🕊️🍷🍞

God did not intend the Passover as a one-time event, but an annual feast where the Israelites would remember how God had saved them and brought them from darkness to light and from slavery to freedom.

In a very moving afternoon, we were able to partake of the emblems and to learn just what it means to Jewish families and ultimately the link with our communion service, the Last Supper and of course Easter.

Rosemary led us in two songs: Light of the world (you stepped down into darkness, opened my eyes, let me see!) and There is a redeemer (Jesus, God’s own son, precious Lamb of God, Messiah).

A truly memorable afternoon!

Next week – Maundy Thursday Communion Service at 2pm.