Stainglass window
Christmas 2011
3rd Dec Advent Party
12th Dec @ 2pm
Carol Service at Oak tree Court
16th Dec @ 2.30pm
Carol Service at Stratford Court
17th Dec @11am
Carol Singing outside Co-Op
18th Dec Nativity and Christingle Service and Carol Service
24th Dec @ 11pm (Service starts at 11.30pm
United Service at URC Etwall Rd
25th Dec @10am
Christmas Day Service
"The Kingdom of God"
Dear Friends,
What did Jesus talk about with his disciples in those forty days between Easter and his Ascension to heaven? Wouldn't it be nice to know? Well, according to the opening of the Book of the Acts, he spoke about "the Kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). No change there, then. For that was the main burden of his message over the previous three years as well. How much of his teaching, and how many of the parables begin with "The Kingdom of God is like.........?"
So his disciples ask him a question: "Lord, are you at this time going to restore your Kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6): His heart must have sunk. Did they still not understand? John Calvin once wrote, "There are many errors in the question as there are words". Still today, people misundestand the nature of God's kingdom
1) THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS SPIRITUAL NOT POLITICAL
Jesus' frst disciples were still thinking in terms of a political kingdom like Israel. - or in today's countries, like the kingdom of Nepal, or even the United Kingdom. But the Kingdom of God is not like that. It's not a country you can pinpoint on a map. Rather, the kingdom of God is the rule of God set up in the lives of his people by his Holy Spirit. It is spread by witnesses, not soldiers, through a message of peace, not a declaration of war, by the work of the Spirit, not by force of arms or revolutionary violence. And when throughout history, Christians have continued to make this mistake, only disaster has resulted.
But that does not mean that the Kingdom of God does not have political implications. In fact, it has profound political implications. Although we can not (and must not) identify the Kingdom of God with any one political ideology or political party, it challenges every politician and every political decision. For whatever, decisions are made taht are in conflict with God's will and ways, then Christians must stand up for the right. That applies ion our own country, and in other countries across the world. This year's Christian Aid service (to be held in this Church on May 13th at 4.00pm- make sure you're there) will focus on the country and people of El Salvador, and their struggle to make the prayer Jesus taught us real "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"
2) THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS INTERNATIONAL NOT NATIONAL
The first disciples of Jesus still cherished narrow, nationalistic hopes regarding Israel. In response, Jesus sought to broaden their horizons to think of "the ends of the earth". They were to be his witnesses across the whole world.
The Kingdom of God tolerates no discrimination of any sort. God rules over an international Kingdom, in which race, nation, class and sex are no barriers. The vision in the last book of the New Testament is of a people "from every nation, tribe, people and language" (Revelation 7:9)
All too often we are too parochial, only thinking about our own concerns, and not lifting our eyes to the whole world. Christian Aid week (May 13th to 20th) gives an opportunity to do just that.
3) THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS GRADUAL, NOT IMMEDIATE
The first disciples thought that Easter was the climax, the end of God's work. Now all that remained was for God to bring in his Kingdom on earth. But in fact (to quote Churchill in another context), Easter was not the end, it was not even the beginning of the end; it was just the end of the beginning.
Now, Jesus tells them, they are to go out into the whole world, as his witnesses, filled with the power of his Holy Spirit, which will come on them in just a few days on the Day of Pentecost. Gradually ripples will spread out from Jerusalem, through Judea and Samaria, to every ends of the earth.
On Sunday May 27th, we celebrate Pentecost once more, the giving of the Spirit, to provide the strength and power we need to live as Jesus calls us to live. And then on the following Sunday afternoon, June 3rd at 3.00pm, we join with our fellow disciples of Jesus for an open-air witness on Newey Sports Ground. It was a tremendous occasion last year, with about 200 people present. Dont miss it this yeay.
We've a story to tell to the nations that shall turn their hearts to right:
A story of truth and goodness, a story of peace and light
For the darkness shall turn to dawning, and the dawning to noonday bright
And God's great Kingdom shall come on earth, the Kingdom of love and light.
Your friend and pastor,
Jonathan Calvert