St Swithins Barston

Easter Services

Keep checking this church web page for up to date information,
hopefully they will be:-

1st April Maundy Thursday service 7:30pm live streamed from the vicarage
2nd April Good Friday

10am Intergenerational Good Friday service from the diocese
3pm Meditation at the cross Join Bishop David and others across the
dioceses
7pm A reflection for Good Friday Join Bishop David and others across
the dioceses.

Further details on nearer the time wuill be available on this site and diocesan web page:-

4th April Easter Day

6:30am sunrise joint service with Barston Hampton and Bickenhill
Churches at the George Fentham hall car park (followed by bacon
butty if allowed)
10am or 11 am service live streamed from vicarage or Hampton church
Church web page www.barstonchurch.co.uk
Diocesan web page www.cofebirmingham.com

LENT REFLECTION from the Vicar

And we move on into Lent a period of reflection and fasting...and with lock down we have an enforced fasting of so many things including sharing everyday life with family and friends.

Jesus was on his own, by himself in, a sort of lockdown, in the wilderness for 40 days.

Jesus was tempted to break this lock down.

There was the temptation testing his obedience, whether he did things God’s ways, or his own ways...after 40 days of fasting Jesus was tired, hungry and vulnerable and we are in lock down are tired, hungry and vulnerable, tempted in exactly the same way...we all find obedience hard to follow at times.Temptation comes to us at our most vulnerable moments, in our joys and in our pains, especially during this pandemic.

The first temptation was to turn stones into bread. Jesus’ ministry was not about meeting His own needs first, but by being nourished by God’s word. ‘We do not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Deuteronomy 8:3). Then having been nourished by God’s word nourishing others. Like Jesus, we are called to make God our priority and to be fed and nourished by him completely. Then we can share this with others.

The second temptation was to put God to the test. Jumping off the Temple pinnacle would have been a dramatic way for Jesus to gain popularity, but this is not God’s way! ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ (Deuteronomy 6:16). We too need to learn this lesson! Look at me is what this temptation is all about, serve me!!

The third temptation was to worship Satan. Finally, the devil took Jesus to a mountain to offer Him worldly power. In contrast, His calling as Messiah was marked by suffering and honouring God. ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’ (Deuteronomy 6:13).

For us this may not be exactly the same as very few of us are offered worldly power... but the temptation is to seek to be top dog and to be served by others as a sign of our importance and prestige, however we all have the power to serve others as Jesus did. It is in serving others that we truly worship and serve God. As we follow Jesus in his ‘Lent lockdown’ he stands with us in ours. Remember, after Lent comes the joys of Easter.

Rev. Stuart Dimes

(This article also appears in full in the Hampton Chronicle)

The Church building (and those of our sister Churches of Hampton-in-Arden and Bickenhill) are not open for Services at this time for COVID19 Safety reasons, but Sunday Services and some weekday activities continue ONLINE, including an informal Zoom on a Monday evening.

Please see the calendar for scheduled events and make contact for further information.