Gathering Growing Going
Kids are an important part of our church family. We love having them amongst us and see in them an opportunity to grow and mature them in Christ
There are a wide range of ministries which cater for kids such as playgroup (Wednesday mornings) and holiday kids clubs in the April and October school holidays.
What is something that you have had to wait for? Was it worth the wait? Today we meet Simeon and Anna who were both waiting for God to fulfill his promises to Israel. Their time of waiting ended in the most unlikely way when they met a one-month-old child who was brought to the temple by his parents. But when we see who this child really is, we see that all of God's promises to save his people will be fulfilled. Luke wants us to know exactly who Jesus is so we can be assured that when he returns it will definitely be worth the wait.
Psalm 117 may only be 2 verses long, but it holds a lot of meaning. This Psalm was sung every year at the Passover celebrations and reminded the people of Israel that the God who rescued them from Egypt was not just their God but the God of all people and that All people should be invited to praise God for his love and faithfulness. The challenge now for us is, how can we ensure all people see God’s love and faithfulness to us in Jesus? This short psalm pushes to remind us that we need to be reaching out to our friends and family with the message of Jesus so that they can join us in praising God for his endless love and faithfulness.
What good is there in knowing God? Psalm 103 deals with that question—and it encourages the reader to praise the LORD because of ‘all his benefits’. And the benefits are summed up in his name—Psalm 103:8 is a direct quote of Exodus 34:6, where the LORD reveals his name fully to Moses. At the heart of the LORD’s name is his faithful love and compassion. His faithful love (his hesed) is his commitment to make his relationship with those who fear him work to the best of its capacity. His compassion is treating his enemy as they do not deserve, with grace and generosity and kindness. So, what benefit is there in being one of God’s people? Well, it is to know him, by his name and his deeds, which give us what we do not deserve! Moreover, this benefit is a spur to two actions: praise (as one writer said, why whinge when you can worship?), and proclamation (how good is it for others to know the LORD?).
We have the word of God here with a very clear historical backdrop: the events of 2 Samuel 11-12. And, as we read that account of avoidance of responsibility, of adultery and corruption and murder, we cannot help asking ourselves, ‘How can a man like that have the good life?’ And then we consider ourselves—either with a ‘big’ sin that dominates our lives, or besetting sin that runs our lives, or even just the realization that we are ‘normal sinners’. And we ask the same question: ‘How can a sinner like me have the good life?’ It was a question God’s people asked as they returned from Exile. It is a question we ask continually. Psalm 51 answers it: the sinner can have the good life by throwing themselves upon the character of God with a contrite and broken heart. The Bible calls such an action ‘repentance’: to return to God with the appropriate brokenness.
Last week, in Psalm 1, we joined with God’s people in seeing where the good life lay, what the good life is! This week, in Psalm 2, we have the second part of the introduction to the book of Psalms – ‘Where is our God?’ The twin pillars of God’s people were God’s word and God’s rule (God’s king). With God’s word (his ‘torah’) the soil of the good life, Psalm 2 reminds God’s people that their God remains in control: his king is enthroned, and they have nothing to fear. And just as Jesus IS Psalm 1, so too he IS Psalm 2: Jesus is the king that God promised – for his people and this world. Their hope is answered in him. Our fear is dealt with by his rule. We can join in singing Psalm 2.