Week 2 / Blog 2

Whitchurch Online Church; broadcast centre.

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1st Online Holy Communion

Hello again friends. I thought that I would begin today by showing you where I go to minister online. It is it set up here for this morning's Holy communion. If you missed it, you can view the recording on YouTube. 

https://youtu.be/z4k4slT6I9c

This morning's readings led us to think, more deeply, about the priesthood of Christ. 
The message, in just a few lines is this:​

• In Old Testament times, the people of Israel needed to offer regular sacrifices to atone for their sins. But because of the seriousness of sin, humankind could not approach the presence of God. Therefore, God gave us the Levitical priesthood. The priest had to purify himself and wear the priestly robes. Then he could enter the Holy of Holies and offer sacrifice on behalf of the people.
• When Jesus was born and died on the cross, he died for us. He acted as both High Priest and sacrifice. Because Jesus was utterly without sin, he was the perfect and ultimate sacrifice. His sacrifice was so successful that each and every one of us, who receives Jesus and believes, have been given the right to become adopted children of God.
  We can approach God with the familial name of "abba". The best translation of this would be "daddy".

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What I did not say earlier was this. 
Today as we reflect on Corona Virus and the current lockdown, there is fear lurking just below the surface. This is understandable. There is real danger out there. We might pause to have compassion on those of our neighbours who do not have faith in Jesus Christ. Their world has just self-detonated.

But for the disciple of Jesus, we live in a different world. We have at least one foot in the Kingdom of God. We have the privilege of calling God "daddy". Like the child who is frightened of the dark, we know that daddy is there to comfort us.

Let me sign off by sharing a thought from Terry Waite.
Who was held hostage by ruthless Islamic militants.

Terry Waite, 1763 days as a hostage in appalling conditions.
He just told us all to stop complaining! 👏👏👏
Change your mindset he said, you're not STUCK at home,
you're SAFE at home ❤️ #TerryWaite
His advice:

• Keep your own dignity - get out of your PJs!
• Form a structure for the day
• Be grateful for what you have - shelter, home, possessions
• Read and be creative

God Bless
​Stay Safe