Hazelwell Weekly Contact 12th January 2025
9 Jan 2025 • Weekly Notices
Hazelwell Parade and All Age Worship
Led by Revd. Matt Churchouse
(Baptism of Christ)
Please pray for
Remember in your prayers all who have suffered as a result of wild fires in Los Angeles
All victims and survivors of sexual abuse.
Give thanks for our JCC and the decisions they will make in the forthcoming year.
Reg Whitworth Funeral Arrangements
The funeral of Reg Whitworth will take place onTuesday 14th January, 11 am at Hanbury Church.
Parish Update
You are invited to join us at the Hazelwell pub on Sunday 26th January from 12.30 for a parish get-together. It would be helpful to let the pub know numbers so if you plan to come please e-mail Matt.
Forward Notice
The church APCM will be held on March 23rd
Reflection for Baptism of Christ –from the Parish of Capel and Ockley
In this opening chapter of Mark’s gospel, he doesn’t give us stories about Mary and Joseph and the birth in Bethlehem. Instead, he tells us about the preparation for Jesus’ arrival by introducing us immediately to John the Baptist with his message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins - the time to make a new beginning. All the time though, John points to Jesus, the one whom he is preparing the way for.
John was a prophet, but Jesus is the Saviour. And here he is! Who is this Jesus we might ask if we hadn’t read the other gospels? What is his background? What has he been doing up till now? How much we might wonder was Jesus aware of what was about to happen to him? For this story is not just at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, it is also about the end of all that has come before. As a new chapter begins for Jesus, so another chapter closes. We sense this as the gospel continues - for the next passage, which is not part of today’s reading, is the story of the temptations in the desert where Jesus struggles with the true nature of his calling.
At the moment of Jesus’ baptism something quite extraordinary happens as the Spirit descends like a dove and a voice is heard. As he comes up from the water, he sees the heavens torn apart. The Greek words are more explicit and translates this phrase as ‘in the process of being torn apart’. This same verb is used later in this gospel when Jesus dies and the curtain in the Temple is torn apart. This is language which is telling us that this moment of Jesus’ baptism is a massive cosmic event. It changes heaven and earth. The division between the two is gone. God is come down from heaven in the form of Christ. This voice from heaven gives Jesus assurance of who he is and how the Father sees him. He tells Jesus “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased”.
Baptism is all about new beginnings whether we were baptised as an infant or an adult or perhaps you have not ever been baptised but are thinking about making a new beginning with God? Baptism and or confirmation may be the next step for you as you begin your journey. However or wherever we wish to make a new beginning with God - God meets us where we are, accepts us as we are and reminds us that wherever we may go, whatever we may do or have done to us, God loves us, accepts us and holds onto us.