Dear Friends
We come to Faith in Christ, Faithfulness to Christ, and we fit this into our lives. “Now we have something to recharge us, to vivify us, to rejuvenate us,” we say to ourselves. And we carry on our lives with this new addition. “I will fit Christianity around my life, around my family, around my work, around my responsibilities.”
The Lord said,
He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Matthew 10:37
And this does not only talk about families, it can equally be applied to anything in our lives which we place before God since, in the very next verse the Lord gives the critical characteristic of a Christian.
And he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.
verse 38
Because to follow Christ is not to wander after him aimlessly, it is to reorder our lives around him and his Church, to take up our crosses—the cross of service, the cross of giving, the cross of loving—and journey together up the mountain towards Heaven. And if we stumble, we support each other,
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
Galatians 6:1–5
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
For each one shall bear his own load.
And so as a community we journey together.
Let us, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, not place God at the periphery of our lives but at the centre, let us support one another and help one another, that by our Faithfulness we may carry our crosses with joy and, thereby, fulfil the law of Christ.
Come and see!
We are blessed to live in the generation where many flowers of the sacred Garden of the Mother of God, Mount Athos in northern Greece, have been revealed to us, have bloomed and their sweet scent fills the air of the entire world. Not least among them are St Silouan (commemorated 24th September) and St Sophrony (11th July), the former’s biographer.
St Silouan was an uneducated poor man to whom the Lord granted a vision of himself, St Sophrony had the great wisdom to be able to recognise the gift of St Silouan to the world and make him known to us all.
(Troparion of St Sophrony: Tone 3)
Thou hast shewn thyself a light among divines, full of grace and truth, and art become a prophet of our times, for thou hast beheld Christ the Word and made known to us the ways of salvation. Wherefore, O Father Sophrony, ever pray unto the Saviour of all that he may grant our souls great mercy.
(Another Troparion: Tone 4)
As the beloved son of thy holy Elder Silouan hast thou shewn thyself, O Sophrony, bearer of the mind of Christ, for by the wisdom of thy words, hast thou shined forth in the world and through thy godly life thou dost guide us to the Light of God, O Holy Father.
Having learned from his elder on the Holy Mountain, unlike St Silouan he was to live his life in the West and by God’s providence, St Sophrony settled in England, in Tolleshunt Knights in Essex. And now more perfectly united again together before the Throne of God, these two great saints intercede for us before the Lord for us.
Pray to them to bring us all to true knowledge of God and bless God who has granted them to us for a witness to us and guides towards the Kingdom of God.
Holy Father Silouan, pray to God for us!
Holy Father Sophrony, pray to God for us!
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.
In our infancy in our faithfulness to Jesus Christ, dear brothers and sisters, we were held under guardianship—a custodian watched over us that we grow up in safety—”that we might be justified,”—which is to say, put in order—“by faith.” The guardian has brought us up that we are formed by faithfulness, taught through faithfulness that we learn faithfulness. But while under the guardian, the Apostle tells us this morning, we are children and “no better than slaves, though we are the owners of all the estate.”
And as we reach our adulthood in the Faith, the Lord says to you and he says to me, “Follow me.” “You have received,” he calls out to me, “preparation in the Faith. You have witnessed my death and Resurrection, you have received the Holy Spirit, you have seen the witness of the Apostles and all the Saints, now Follow me.”
And unlike Peter and Andrew, James and John, I protest, “I like having a guardian to take responsibility for me,” and the Lord replies, “Follow me.” “I need more time to learn while in a safe harbour,” and the Lord replies, “Follow me.” “I have not the skills and abilities which you need,” and the Lord replies, “Follow me.”
…
Read this Sermon, No longer under guardianship.
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 12th July
Discussion on the Gospel of Matthew, 8 pm.
Online only
Saturday 13th July
Great Vespers, 6.30 pm.
At 3rd URC Scout Hall, Chandlers Ford
Sunday 14th July
Matins and Divine Liturgy, 9 am.
At 3rd URC Scout Hall, 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]