You do a good thing each time you join with God’s people in worship. By your presence here, you are showing your belief that our loving creator God is worthy of our praise, thanks, and – that most precious commodity – time! May I say that you are right: God is worthy of all the honour we can give him, and more. So “let us not give up meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25).
Traditionally, during the season of Lent, we read out the Ten Commandments in full, as a reminder to us of God’s moral will, to which all Christians should strive. These commandments are more than just a good way to run society. They put God at the centre, and no-one can keep the commandments without having a living relationship with God (as you see especially from the first three). The final commandment is about our mental life: “do not covet”, which simply means “do not desire what is not your own”. It is arguably the most difficult of the Ten, but how healthy our mental life would be if we could keep it!
Psalm 19, which is our psalm today, praises the Law of God (of which the Commandments are the centrepiece). It reminds us that God’s rules are true, pure, life-giving, right, precious and instructive. God’s law is a treasure, an amazing gift to us. “The law is holy, righteous and good” (Romans 7:12).
Having said that, the law could never actually make us alive, because we could not keep it. It is only through the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit that comes through Christ that we can be made alive. Praise God that Jesus is even better than God’s very good law!
In brief:
- Our next Lent Prayer Meeting for those who do not know Jesus is this Friday, 12th March, 8.30 am in the Church. Finishes at 9.00 am.
- We’re also getting together for prayer next Sunday for our new all-ages informal congregation, this time at 5.00 pm.
- In the coming week, we are carpeting the children’s chapel. Check it out next Sunday!
- We’re letterbox dropping the parish for Easter again. The flyers will be here next week. Please plan to take a bundle.
- Finally, our Annual Vestry Meeting is in two weeks, Sunday 21st March 11.30 am. I hope you can make it.