The Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Barlaston

What's Going On? The Churches Stained Glass Window Above The Altar Stained Glass Panel "St John the Baptist"	A Message from Jane A word from the Vicar As I was preparing to write my parish magazine letter for this month I was really struck by something that I heard on the Pray as You Go' website. The speaker was reflecting on the story of the man with the withered hand. The story is at the beginning of Mark chapter 3 if you would like to look it up in your Bible. (There are other versions in Matthew chapter 12 and Luke chapter 14.) It is the Sabbath and Jesus' critics are watching him carefully to check whether or not he is going to break the law and "work" on the Sabbath by responding to the man's need. The gospel writer records that Jesus 'was grieved at their hardness of heart'. I found myself wondering in what ways I cause Jesus grief by my hardness of heart. And in what ways we grieve him by our hardness of heart as a church. Over and over again Jesus lives out God's love by responding to people from a heart of compassion and generosity, a 'soft' heart. He is clear that rules and regulations come second to the primary call to love. As we enter the season of Lent this year let us renew our commitment to be servants of this same Jesus. Let us remember that any 'disciplines' that we take up during Lent, any rules that we set for ourselves, are there to help us develop prayerfully our love and compassion, our open-hearted generosity They are not there just for their own sake, whether it be committing ourselves to a more regular time of prayer or Bible reading - or giving up chocolate! I encourage you to ask Jesus to walk with you through Lent and Holy Week, from Ash Wednesday on the 22nd of February to Easter Day on the 8th April. Ask him to soften your heart and to forgive the times that you have grieved him by hardening it. Sadly it can almost seem an insult to call someone 'soft-hearted' in our day. Let's not be ashamed to gladden Jesus's heart this Lent as we delight in being more soft-hearted for his sake! With love and prayer Jane Tillier Follow this link to the "Pray As You Go" website http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/
This Menu Box Lists all the pages available on the Church website in alphabetical order.All these pages are available from the dropdown menus at the top of the page Song by Sarah Mclachlan "Angel"

What's Going On?

The Churches Stained Glass Window Above The Altar

stained glass panel

Stained Glass Panel

"St John the Baptist"

A Message from Jane

A word from the Vicar

As I was preparing to write my parish magazine letter for this month I was really struck by something that I heard on the Pray as You Go' website. The speaker was reflecting on the story of the man with the withered hand. The story is at the beginning of Mark chapter 3 if you would like to look it up in your Bible. (There are other versions in Matthew chapter 12 and Luke chapter 14.) It is the Sabbath and Jesus' critics are watching him carefully to check whether or not he is going to break the law and "work" on the Sabbath by responding to the man's need. The gospel writer records that Jesus 'was grieved at their hardness of heart'. I found myself wondering in what ways I cause Jesus grief by my hardness of heart. And in what ways we grieve him by our hardness of heart as a church.

Over and over again Jesus lives out God's love by responding to people from a heart of compassion and generosity, a 'soft' heart. He is clear that rules and regulations come second to the primary call to love. As we enter the season of Lent this year let us renew our commitment to be servants of this same Jesus. Let us remember that any 'disciplines' that we take up during Lent, any rules that we set for ourselves, are there to help us develop prayerfully our love and compassion, our open-hearted generosity They are not there just for their own sake, whether it be committing ourselves to a more regular time of prayer or Bible reading - or giving up chocolate!

I encourage you to ask Jesus to walk with you through Lent and Holy Week, from Ash Wednesday on the 22nd of February to Easter Day on the 8th April. Ask him to soften your heart and to forgive the times that you have grieved him by hardening it. Sadly it can almost seem an insult to call someone 'soft-hearted' in our day. Let's not be ashamed to gladden Jesus's heart this Lent as we delight in being more soft-hearted for his sake!

With love and prayer

Jane Tillier

Follow this link to the "Pray As You Go" website

http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/

This Menu Box Lists all the pages available on the Church website in alphabetical order.All these pages are available from the dropdown menus at the top of the page

Song by Sarah Mclachlan "Angel"