So he sent horses and chariots and a great army that arrived at night to surround the city.
When Elisha’s servant arose early and went out, the army was there, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, ‘O master, what shall we do?’
So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are greater in number than those who are with them.’
Then Elisha prayed, and said, ‘Lord, open the eyes of the servant and let him see.’ And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he was now able to see, and he beheld the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
— Fourth Kingdoms (Second Kings) 6:14–17

We are, like Gehazi, blind to the spiritual realm around us where hosts of angels surround us on all sides. The context of this text seems to imply that the Prophet’s prayer was to reveal to Gehazi what he himself already saw: our prayer, therefore, is to make us remember this reality, that even though we do not see we are open to seeing this.

But, more than to open the spiritual eyes, prayer is about a good relationship with God. For those seeking authenticity and truth this is the ultimate goal of life. And in our world there are many, outside the boundaries of the Church, who seek fulfilment, who seek what is reliable, who seek—though they might not realise it—God.

Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
— Luke 11:1

To be a Christian is to be prayerful, to be a Christian community we must pray. And when we allow that prayer to fill us, maybe in a small way at first, we allow grace to come in and we are transformed by the Holy Spirit.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, pray. And if you’ve not done it in a while, pray anyway. And if it feels unnatural, or half-hearted, or hypocritical, pray anyway.

And if you do not know how to pray, or have forgotten how to pray: stand, make the Sign of the Cross, and say “Lord have mercy. Amen.” It can be simple and short.

Let us, little by little, encourage each other in prayer and make our community, our Church, a place of prayer, a school of prayer, a place where our neighbours and friends can encounter prayer that we may become closer to God, closer to reality, closer to Truth.

Come and see!

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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 cares and responsibilities to which I must attend, I must earn money, complete chores, perform tasks. And in our modern world these things seem to be getting worse and we have no time for what makes us human beings. For as far back as we can tell our race has eaten together, sang and danced together, and gazed up at the sky together, particularly at night, in wonder and awe. Life in our society is trying to rob us of these joys, to make us stare only downwards: towards screens, towards the earth, towards death.

Yet the world, to make this deception work, has to hide death from us: death has become private and unseen. We send those whom we love away into hospitals and hospices—even to euthanasia “clinics”—to die separated from any sense of community. Once dead, we entrust bodies to undertakers, hide them in coffins, so that none have to look upon their own mortality. We burn their flesh, grind their bones, and remove any lasting sense of personhood and dignity.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal Life.”

As we prepare for the Feast of the Cross, the Church calls us—even in this modern world of screens and tasks—to look up. We all need to remember our humanity, remember our identity, reject the world and look up. And looking up we see the Cross, we confront death head on. Our modern world, although distracted from death, believes in its finality yet for us “through the Cross hath joy come into all the world.” We face death, we look upon death, as a defeated adversary because the Lord has defeated it, and though we have been bitten by the serpents of the world, we look up to the Cross and we live.
…

Read this Sermon, Look up.
Archive of Past Sermons.

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Services this week

Friday 13th September
Discussion on the Gospel of Matthew, 8 pm.
Online only

Saturday 14th September
Great Vespers, 6.30 pm.
At 3rd URC Scout Hall, Chandlers Ford

Sunday 15th September
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.

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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]