{"id":3461,"date":"2019-11-17T20:42:27","date_gmt":"2019-11-17T20:42:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/?page_id=3461"},"modified":"2019-11-17T20:42:27","modified_gmt":"2019-11-17T20:42:27","slug":"sermon-17th-november-2019-morning","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/information\/sermons\/sermon-17th-november-2019-morning\/","title":{"rendered":"Sermon – 17th November 2019 – morning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sermons index<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2nd Sunday before Advent \u2013 morning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Sunday 17th November 2019 <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

2 before Advent \u2013 morning
\nMalachi 4. 1-2a
\nLuke 21. 5-19<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"Maureen<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\nHow many of you find the News\nalmost too difficult to view at present?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nIt\u2019s awful, isn\u2019t it? As\nif we had not all had enough of Brexit, now we have the Election with\nPoliticians all promising us more and more \u2013 (without a clear idea\nof how to pay for it) and all this bad weather! And in other parts of\nthe world it doesn\u2019t seem much better does it? It would be easy to\nbelieve that the end of the world is not far away \u2013 and with\nclimate change we seem to be making it come all the sooner!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nWell, none of us knows \u2013\nthank Goodness! \u2013 when the end of the world is truly coming, and\nthat is probably just as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nSometimes we turn to our Bible\nreadings for a bit of comfort and reassurance, but we can\u2019t even do\nthat much today! Both of them also seem to be speaking about the end\ntimes…. it is all a bit scary!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nEven \u2013 or maybe especially,-\nJesus, who is speaking about the things that will happen when that\ntime comes \u2013 wars and sickness all around. But Jesus tells his\nfollowers that they don\u2019t need to be afraid; when and if the world\ndoes come to an end, the followers of God will be saved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThat is what we are reminding\nourselves of when we come to baptise little Verity in a while. That\nwhatever problems or challenges she may meet in life as she grows up,\nshe can be reminded that she is a child of God (as well as of Mark\nand Laurie!). And as such, she need never be truly afraid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThese readings make me think\nof the rain and storms we have had recently \u2013 even in Pattingham!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nImagine what it must feel like\nif you were out in that sort of weather on a boat on the ocean. A\nmighty wind blowing a huge storm in and the winds tearing at your\nsails and threatening to blow your boat over! The waves getting\nbigger and bigger and the rain pouring until you cannot tell where\nthe water ends and the sky begins. Waves like high mountains all\naround you. Your little boat will be thrown around; one moment up in\nthe air on the crest of a wave, the next, dropping right down to the\nbottom of the wave. Maybe even thunder and lightning above your\nhead…. It would be a terrible storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nIf you were caught out in a\nstorm like that, where could you go to be safe? How could you get\naway from the storm?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nWell if, instead of being in a\nboat, you were in a submarine, you could dive down deep into the\nocean. And if you could do that, you might find that it was suddenly\nfairly calm and still down there. Even if a wild storm is raging on\nthe surface, you can be calm and quiet below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAll of us meet with storms and\nrough waters in life \u2013 because it is never easy for anyone!\nSometimes bad things happen or we get hurt, or ill, or we feel very,\nvery sad. All of us have cried and been hurt before, and we probably\nwill again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nBut our mighty God is like a\ndeep part of the ocean. He is always right there beneath us and all\naround us. He is deep and calm and steady and he doesn\u2019t change.\nWhen we hit rough waters in our lives, we can dive down into God\u2019s\nprotection and comfort. We can pray and remember that God is holding\nus quietly and safely. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAnd to remind us of that, he\ninvites us to his table to come and share the wine and bread of his\nlove and his life \u2013 a life and a love that he puts into each and\nevery one of us here today. A life and a love that he shares with\nVerity as she comes to join his special family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deep and mighty God, thank you for being the calm beneath our storms. Help us to remember to turn to you for help and comfort when life gets rough. In Jesus\u2019 name we pray. Amen<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2nd Sunday before Advent \u2013 morning Sunday 17th November 2019 2 before Advent \u2013 morning Malachi 4. 1-2a Luke 21. 5-19 Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs How many of you find the News almost too difficult to view at present? It\u2019s awful, isn\u2019t it? As if we had not all had enough of Brexit, now we … <\/p>\n

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