Passcode: 9cUGo6

Radio 4. 8.10am. Sunday Worship

BBC 1 TV 1.15 pm. Songs of Praise.

Parish Update

Having received guidance from both the circuit and diocese advising closure during the current lockdown, members of the JCC have agreed that we will not (for the time being) meet for worship in church but will continue services on Zoom.

B30 Foodbank – WEEK- ENDING January 9^th 2021

There are food bank collections at the majority of local supermarkets- please use the following information to help you select your donations.

Last WeekWe received donations of 1535k and gave out 2347kg, 1198kg to 92 clients and 1150k to other food banks or similar

Urgent
Tea - small packets, 40’s and 80’S, Sugar (500g bags), Gender neutral deodorant, Disposable razors, Single wrapped/boxes adult toothbrushes

Low in stock

Tinned meat (ham, corned beef, pork slices, pulled pork), Tinned fruit in juice, Instant custard , (not powder),UHT while milk (blue), Potato smash, Instant hot chocolate( tinned or carton - not cocoa powder) Instant coffee, Jam, honey, peanut butter, Long life fruit juice, Tinned spaghetti

Tinned rice pudding, Pasta sauces, Squash, Rice , UHT semi skimmed milk (green), Shampoo

Shower gel, Soap bars, Toothpaste Sturdy bags for life, Crisps,

Well stocked and do not need

Christmas chocolates, Baked beans, Pasta shapes, Dry spaghetti, Cereal, Porridge,

Tinned macaroni cheese. Tinned meat products (sausages in beans, spaghetti bolonaise, meat balls, etc) Tinned Veg. Tinned/packet soup, Tinned potatoes , Treats/snack bars, Bottled water

Pet food, Baby food or milk, Dairy free milk, Noodle pots/sachets, Biscuits , Washing up liquid

Male and female specific toiletries, Toilet rolls, Sanitary products, Cooking ingredients , Plastic Carrier bags,

Cannot distribute Anything with even a small trace of alcohol in

Party On – a reflection on John 2:1-11

Rick Morley

A feast. Rich food. Well-aged wines. Sounds pretty good, right? In the Revelation to John, towards the end when the victory of God is nearly fulfilled we find a similar theme: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the lamb. Jesus, the Lamb of God, after evil and death are finally defeated, throws a feast. And the invitees are blessed. A good party is a sign of the Kingdom of God—it’s a foretaste of the Reign of God. There’s a horrible mistake been made when “religion” and “church” are words synonymous with “boring,” and “lifeless.” Yes, of course there are things to be serious about, and there need to be moments of great solemnity in our common spiritual life. But, the Kingdom of God is like a party. A feast. With fine food and well-aged wines. That’s the very opposite of boring and lifeless. This is why Jesus does what he does at the wedding feast at Cana. The party was going. The food and the wine had been carefully planned and executed…and the wine had run out. The hosts had either not thought that part through very well, or their guests were particularly thirsty that day.

“Boring-Jesus,” “lifeless-Jesus” would have said, “Great. Now that the wine is gone, the party is over. We can all leave, go home, and get down to serious business. I didn’t want to me here anyway.”

But, no. That’s not the Jesus that we have. Jesus is asked by his mother to do something about it, he does.

He turns water into wine. 120 to 180 gallons of it. (Wow!) And, when the steward takes a sip, he finds out that Jesus hasn’t made Boone’s Farm. (Extra-credit if you know the reference…) He made the good stuff. Well-aged wine, like the feast of God in Isaiah.

This is the first of the signs in the Gospel of John, and this sign not only points to Jesus as someone who can do miraculous things, but it points to Jesus as the Messiah who has come to fulfill the promises of old. The One who has come to bring on the feasting.Until it’s not someone else’s wedding he’s supplying the drink for, but his own. So, get that dour look off your face and start spreading the Good News: The Church isn’t boring. The Kingdom of God is near.