Services this weekend (2nd–3rd March)
NEW VENUE
This weekend, and until further notice, our services will be held at.
3rd URC Scout HQ
Kings Rd
Chandlers Ford
SO53 2EY
The Scout hall is behind and to the left of the URC Church. Parking in front of the URC Church or on the street.
Dear Friends
Why are you part of our community? What brings you to our Church? Perhaps it is because you are curious, you have heard something about us and want to find out more. Perhaps it is because you have started to get to know others and it is an opportunity to meet them and spend time together. Perhaps you enjoy Orthodox theology and are enamoured by its depth and profundity. Perhaps it is for the food, or the singing, or the sermons. Perhaps it is because ours appears to be an esoteric Church, a mystical Church. Perhaps because we are perceived to be counter-cultural. Perhaps it is something else.
What is your reason to come to our community?
For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
First Corinthians 1:22–25
but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
And this is crazy: we preach a crucified God! Yet the Apostle Paul longed so strongly to be with Christ, to preach Christ, to bring others to Christ, that he went on to say.
For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
First Corinthians 9:16
And so to be part of the Church is to identify so strongly with the risen Christ that we want to be united to him and bring others with us out of our love for them. This means that to be a member of the Church—before all other reasons—is to desire to come to an ever greater knowledge of God, union with him.
In our community we phrase it like this,
preaching the saving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and inviting all to come to greater knowledge of the Father through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is the reason for our Church. Everything we do must be to preach the resurrection and invite all to come into an ever greater knowledge of God.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, whatever reason we have for being close to our community, let us discover Christ at the centre and in first place. Each activity of the Church, each action of the Church, each movement of the Church, is not for its own benefit but to bring us to Christ. And having encountered Christ let us be joined to him, joined to his death, joined to his resurrection, joined to eternal Life.
Come and see!
We serve a meal following the Liturgy on Sundays. All are welcome.
Do you, or someone you know, want to join our mailing list and receive our weekly email? Then let me know.
Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
I, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, was set in the Paradise of Delight yet I chose to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. And having been cast out of Eden I turn back and see that which I have lost and I weep. And here, at the bottom of the Mountain of God, I see two pathways for my return: on the one hand the path of boldness and self-righteousness while on the other the path of humility and righteousness.
The former is tempting. Each step brings with it a justification of the work I have done: I may show off my achievements, demonstrate my mental abilities, declare to all my piety and virtue. This is the way of pagan gods—“I am rich and will give to you riches,” and is shared by many in our world. Politicians will declare their abilities above their opposition, companies will proclaim their products as the best, salesmen will broadcast any statistic supporting their wares.
And yet, God calls himself, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,” three nomads who have little significance on the world stage; God identifies himself as “the God of the Hebrews,” slaves in Egypt under the domination of Ra, Osiris and Horus. And in these Last Days, he,
“made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:7–8)
…
Read last Sunday’s Sermon, The God of Humility.
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 1st March
Discussion on the Gospel of Matthew, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 2nd March
Great Vespers, 6.30 pm
At 3rd URC Scout HQ, Chandlers Ford
Sunday 3rd March
Matins & Divine Liturgy, 9 am
At 3rd URC Scout HQ, Chandlers Ford
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 3rd URC Scout HQ, Kings Rd, Chandlers Ford SO53 2EY. The Scout hall is behind and to the left of the URC Church. 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]