Hillside Parishes Magazine

While sorting out suitable liturgy to replace the alternatives we have used latterly from the revisions on offer, I was reminded of some familiar words while I explained them to the confirmands:

"As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, ..........."

These words and the concept behind them can only but answer that oft-quoted phrase that we clergy hear: "You do not have to go to Church to be a Christian". In fact it illustrates just what such folk are missing and failing to do. Yes, you can pray anywhere you like and you do not have to go to church to pray. But do we give God that "Quality time" - to quote those ghastly words coined by family welfare workers that so increase our feelings of guilt and inadequacy?

We do need to take time out during the week to give our whole self to God and let him have our undivided attention so we can hear him. A snatched 5 minutes on the sofa is not enough. We need to present ourselves, our souls and our bodies as a suitable living sacrifice. We can best do that by going to church for an hour. In doing so, we have to drop everything else. Sunday lunch can wait - in this day and age, use a time clock, or, with a little preparation beforehand, still be ready (that’s in my talk to the W.I. in the autumn, but you can wait for it!). You escape other distractions like the telephone, or indifferent morning T.V., or mindless waffle on the radio. You are before God and you’ve given your whole self to wait upon him.

Certainly we can also give of ourselves and our time, instead of cash to charity; we can afford time to pray for people, or to enquire after them by calling or by phone. We have family responsibilities and commitments. We may have undertaken some form of recreation. All are the better for waiting upon God and no substitute for giving him the time and putting ourselves before him. "Come into his presence with a song, enter his courts with praise", the psalmist says. To serve him is imperative and to merely serve others in his name, whether through charitable works or whatever, is to deny God the full monty - to use a modern phrase!

If this is what God wants of us, and what we need, what an undemanding sacrifice! The fact that we can also sing and express ourselves is better still. Even better than that is the prospect of a reliable liturgy in which we can lose ourselves, and also some exciting hymns and other stimulation within the service.

The sacrifice demanded of us is nothing in comparison with the sacrifice made by God in Jesus Christ his Son. The experience of our sacrifice is rewarded by experiencing something of resurrection in our lives. Sacrifice leads to new life. If it’s not demanding much of us, merely a good habit and a bit of self-discipline, the reward is greater still.

Yes, the Church is there when people need it, and somehow or other, in an age of decreasing numbers of clergy, a priest is there too to help you to catch up on your needs. We are there to serve. To ensure the necessary priestly cover that society needs, then use the priestly services. An active parish is a solvent parish. The action of going to church can help!

Don’t miss out!

TH