Christmas at Twelve Apostles’ Church
Saturday 23rd December
6.30 pm Vespers
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Sunday 24th December
9 am Matins & Liturgy
6.30 pm Vespers
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Monday 25th December
9 am Matins & Liturgy
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All welcome! Come and see!
Dear Friends
From antiquity, humanity has been seeking to defy death. From tales of the Fountain of Youth to alchemists seeking the Elixir of Life, we have sought a combination of technology and magic that could keep us in a fixed state of health and life.
And even in our modern world, which believes it has left behind magic in fairy tales and science rules supreme, still much of our consumeristic society is preoccupied with youth, beauty and power; Hebe and Juventas are almost forgotten yet their offerings still prized, no longer are Aphrodite and Venus invoked but the reality which they represent still flourishes, Aries and Mars even today may rejoice at the destruction wrought on the Earth.
But all fails, life—however long—leads to death, our dreams of eternal youth and immortality remain only fantasies.
Christianity, too, promises eternal life and on that level it seems the same as pagan religion and consumerism. But for us we have the way of the Cross. We are not obesessed by youth, scandalised by suffering nor do we try to dismiss dying, rather we see the way to eternal life through the Cross.
And our world is shocked. How can life come from service, life come from suffering, life come from dying?
For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
First Corinthians 1:18
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, our world does not understand our Faith. It thinks the Church is there for religious help—a spiritual pharmacy, somewhere to get spiritual drugs for those who think they need it. And our society, by and large, does not think it needs it.
And yet we have a message for them, a word for them, the Gospel for them. We proclaim not that the Church is there to give comfort and strength to those who would like it, we proclaim that Death has been defeated on behalf of all and for all, that we have been invited to eternal life. Not just more of life in this world—with its sicknesses, wars and injustices—but all things made anew.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.
Revelation 21:4
Let us then, my dear brothers and sisters, take up our crosses alongside Christ. Our world will not understand us, our world will ridicule us, our world will be scandalised by us. And yet the Cross is the only path to eternal life—something for which all human history has been looking. Let us, therefore, be worthy of the name Christians and follow Christ to eternal life.
Come and see!
We serve a meal following the Liturgy on Sundays. All are welcome.
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Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
I have heard the Gospel of the Kingdom, my dear brothers and sisters, and I have come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He has defeated his enemies—death, sin and idolatry—and invites as many as would believe to join in his victory. I am freed, death no longer holds sway over me, and I may live a life of joy, thanksgiving and generosity.
And a stranger walks into Church. And this stranger is unlike me. She has not heard the Gospel and her soul is bent so she cannot look up: the Satan has forced her to look ever downwards, towards the earth, towards the grave, towards death. The fear of death has crippled her soul and she is at a loss what to do. And I see my opportunity, “This,” I tell her, “is what you must do, this is what you must say, this is what you must think. These are the rules of Orthodox Christianity: come and follow them.”
The Lord, meanwhile, has another approach. I treat her as someone to whom I may demonstrate my superior knowledge and that I have heard the Gospel first, the Lord treats her with love and compassion. The Lord comes forward and says to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” And I am shocked and scandalised. And even as her soul straightens itself and stands tall for the first time in a long time, I question the actions of my God and Saviour, “She does not know the Gospel,” I rail at him, “she does not know what she must do, what she must say, what she must think.” Because I have turned the Gospel into rules, the Kingdom into another form of slavery, God into a tyrant.
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Read last Sunday’s Sermon, With love and compassion.
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 15th December
Discussion on the Epistle to the Hebrews, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 16th December
Great Vespers, 6.30 pm
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Sunday 17th December
Matins & Divine Liturgy, 9 am
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Online session is via Google Meet: please get in contact for the details.
Please join us: all are welcome, come and see.
Attending Church
We meet at St Francis’ Hall, Nightingale Avenue, Eastleigh, SO50 9JA. Come and See.
Can I help you?
I am here for you, you need only ask. Is there a way I can support your life of faith? Get in touch.
Can you help the parish?
Yes, absolutely. Offer yourselves to the Lord: pray! Make available to him all your talents and ask him how he would like you to use them — listen for his reply.
Your prayers!
With love in Christ
Fr Alexander
[email protected]