St John’s Newsome
St Paul’s Armitage Bridge
Holy Trinity South Crosland
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Thought and prayer for the day . Saturday 28 March 2020
There is a lot of kindness around at the moment. Because we have to be at least 2 metres apart, our instinct that it is rude to ignore people means that we smile at total strangers, wave a friendly hand, greet them “you OK?, stay safe …”. Kindness seems to be everywhere. The mass clapping of NHS staff at 8pm sprung from a kind and generous response to our health workers, who themselves have been going way beyond the call of duty.
I am accustomed to being one of the helpers rather than one of the helped. I very much enjoy my volunteering and feel it is a privilege to be able to do so. Now it is not possible. But staying in touch with people is remarkably easy, thanks to IT. We are in one of the vulnerable categories, so staying at home and garden with a daily dog walk each is the new routine. And only shopping when necessary.
It is humbling to be dependent on so many people. Being not doing isn’t an antidote to 24-7 overactivity any longer - it is how we stay safe and stop spreading coronavirus. And humility is a key Christian virtue.
From the Hebrew scriptures, the prophet Micah Chapter 6 verse 8 :
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Here is a little quote from a passage that Franciscans read once a month:
Humility confesses that we have nothing that we have not received and admits the fact of our insufficiency and our dependence on God. It is the basis of all Christian virtues….. It is the first condition of a joyful life within any community.
and a prayer for today:
O God, you resist the proud and give grace to the humble.
Help us not to think proudly but to serve you with the humility which pleases you;
grant that, (like your servant Francis), we may walk in the footsteps of your Son,
Jesus Christ, and through him receive the gift of your grace. Amen
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COVID-19
The Church continues to be alive and active, but our buildings must close
We are seeing a huge increase in the number of people falling sick with COVID-19. We must distance ourselves from one another and prevent the spread of infection in order to save lives.
Therefore, as well as public worship being suspended, this and all church buildings in the Church of England are now closed.
Our worship of God and our care for each other continue but cannot be done in this building.
Our website contains details of how to join others online for prayer, worship, study, and community life.
See: theemmanuelteam.org.uk
The vicar of this church can be
contacted in an emergency by telephoning 962184
or emailing julie.anderson@leeds.anglican.org
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength . . . Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”
To protect the vulnerable amongst us, please do not leave your home except for essential trips.
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