Christ Church Selly Park

Bobbie Frere | Acts 9:1-19a

As [Saul] neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’

As Bobbie explains, a Damascus Road conversion has become a figure of everyday speech: a complete and sudden turnaround in beliefs and attitudes. Yet Saul - from here on known by his Greek name, Paul - was already passionate about serving God. A genuine encounter with Jesus, whether sudden or gradual, should truly be a life-changing experience.

The recording begins with the reading from Alan Haynes.

Sam Haynes | Acts 8:26-40 | Isaiah 56:1-8

The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

For this is what the Lord says:
‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose what pleases me
    and hold fast to my covenant -
to them I will give within my temple and its walls
    a memorial and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
    that will endure for ever.’

On  a desert road, riding in a chariot, an Ethiopian eunuch - a senior court official - is struggling to understand a passage of Scripture. Suddenly, Philip appears alongside him and offers to explain it to him - and in doing so, introduces him to the gospel. As Sam Haynes explains, this man was an outsider according to the Jewish customs of the day, but there is no barrier to him being welcomed in by Jesus and becoming part of the family of faith.

The recording begins with the reading from John Davies.

An edited video recording of the service can be viewed on YouTube.

Explore Team | Acts 8:4-25 

Now for some time a man named Simon had practised sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria... and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, ‘This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.’ They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptised. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

Impressed by the power exercised by the apostles, Simon offers them money to have that power for himself. Wrong, Simon - but why? Through a dramatised reading and a short talk the Explore team explain that some things can't be bought or sold, only given away.

An edited video recording of the Sunday service - which also includes music - can be viewed on YouTube.

Susan Haynes | Acts 6:1-8:3 (extracts)

Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called) - Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia - who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

This week's story begins with a dispute about distribution of food; it ends with an outbreak of persecution and the spreading of the gospel as the believers are scattered. In between, Stephen, appointed to what many might see as a lesser role within the church, becomes a powerful witness and the first Christian to die for his faith. As Susan Haynes explains, everything we do for God - however humble the task might seem - needs to be done in the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can be fully available for him to use.

The recording begins with the reading from Susan Mole.

An edited video recording of the service can be viewed on YouTube.

It is with great sadness that I share the following news.

The text is available on the church website here.

A prayer for our church family this week.

Music by Denys Kyshchuk from Pixabay

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Music by Denys Kyshchuk from Pixabay

Hospitality starts with receiving from God, who calls us to invite others to share all he gives us in Jesus.

Music by Denys Kyshchuk from Pixabay

What a great question I was asked at the weekend!  How would you respond?  Here are some of my thoughts and things to consider so we can all be prepared to give a response for the hope that we have.

Music by Denys Kyshchuk from Pixabay