29th May 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Along with others who use Explore Bible reading notes, I’ve been having daily ‘quiet times’ in Song of Songs. The Song works at a number of levels, one of which is our relationship with the Lord.
It’s a beautiful thought that “My beloved is mine and I am his” (Song 2:16). Jesus Christ is “your beloved”: he belongs to you and you belong to him. And that’s for ever. He belongs to you because he has given himself to you. You belong to him because he has purchased you with his blood. And he wants to be with you, and for you to be with him.
Sunday 31st May
Our 10am Sunday service will be available as usual on the church website. It should be available from Saturday evening.
This Sunday we begin a new sermon series in Mark 7-8 as we see what it was like to meet Jesus in different situations. This week: ‘What happens when Jesus meets religious tradition’ (Mark 7:1-23).
Family Bible Time will resume on Sunday 7th June after a break for half-term.
Following the service there will be the usual opportunity to meet together at 11.30am using Zoom, to catch up and pray together.
Photos & Videos
It would be lovely to see what you’ve been up to. It’s a way of staying in touch when we can’t meet together. So please send us your photos and videos (20 seconds max.) so they can be shown in the Sunday service. Please remember that they will then stay on the website, and check what you have in the background! This week, please send them to Ben Wells via email (ben.wells@sssw.org.uk) or WhatsApp.
Daily Prayer
This week there will be the opportunity to pray together for 20 minutes: 12.30pm Monday to Friday, with a short Bible reflection and then open prayer.
And Finally…
We’re going to be learning a new song this Sunday: “Christ our hope in life and death” (you can listen to it in advance here). It’s partly inspired by the opening question of the Heidelberg Catechism, “What is our only comfort in life and in death?” And the answer begins, “That I am not my own, but belong – body and soul, in life and in death – to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ…” So this is our hope, that “My beloved is mine, and I am his.”
Yours warmly, in Christ,
Chris Hobbs (Senior Minister)