Posts from November 2020

Posts from November 2020

WEEKLY PASTORAL ADDRESS 29/11/20

Dear Congregation,  In coming into the church building we should be conscious that we are coming into a place of prayer – as God in Isa 56:7a assures those whom He saves, and which Jesus takes up in Matt 21:13 “Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,And make them joyful in My house of prayer.”  We do not come into church as an audience gathering for an event as…

WEEKLY PASTORAL ADDRESS 22/11/20

Dear Congregation, As we enter the church, we come with anticipation that is marked by joy but also by the seriousness of the occasion. We quietly greet one another, thankful for the encouragement of seeing other believers and the renewal of fellowship experiences that the public gathering of God’s people on the Lord’s day brings. But then we settle in to further prepare…

WEEKLY PASTORAL ADDRESS 15/11/20

Dear Congregation, Once again we find ourselves travelling along the road to public gathering for worship as the people of God, with up to 16 people able to join those who have been managing the livestream broadcast services. The DHHS has set in place procedures that must be followed in terms of social distancing, wearing of masks, and registration as per the PCV approved…

WEEKLY PASTORAL ADDRESS 8/11/20

Dear Congregation, Much of what the Reformation was about, and which distinguish historic Protestantism from other expressions of the Christian faith is defined in five short statements which we have been considering: sola scriptura, sola fide, solus Christus, sola gratia, and now fifthly, soli Deo gloria –  ‘the glory of God alone.’  This one sums up the point…

WEEKLY PASTORAL ADDRESS 31/10/20

Dear Congregation, Today is Reformation Day – the 31st October or ‘All Saints Eve’ as it was known, the day that Martin Luther woke the world from its darkness by holding up the light of Christ in the Gospel – in which he was joined by many others rejoicing in and making known the wonders of God’s grace in Jesus Christ which had all but been lost and…