From P. J.: Scripture helps us defend our faith. The apostle Peter instructs believers to be ready with an answer for our hope and faith in Jesus. Scripture also helps form our character. Paul makes it clear that the Word of God is alive, active, and pierces our souls. And since God’s Word is so powerful, we should commit some passages to heart so God can work in and through us.
February 16th – Revelation 4:11. You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.
A service to celebrate the life of Joan Green will be held here at KMC at midday on Wednesday 25th February.
The funeral of Elizabeth Hendy will take place on Friday 20th February at 10am in the small chapel at Westerleigh Crematorium.
The Kingswood Foodbank is in need of tins of meat, fish, toms, potatoes, soup and fruit, men’s shampoo, crisps, drinking chocolate, jam, rice pudding and toothpaste. Thank you very much.
Warm Space week starts on Monday (16th) and runs all week. From 10am to midday each day, games, jigsaws and refreshments (and heating on).
An episode of Songs of Praise is being recorded at The New Room on Sunday 1st March. Doors open at midday and recording starts at 1pm and will last until 5:30. Hymns that will be sung include ‘And can it be’, ‘Love Divine, All Love Excelling’, ‘Ye Servants of God’ and ‘O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing’. There will be a 30 min break for free refreshments at some stage.
A Quiet Day will be held at Wesley Cottage on Monday (16th), 10:30 to 2:15. All are welcome for all or part of the day.
Tuesday (17th) is Shrove Tuesday and, obviously, the next day is Ash Wednesday. In days gone by, meat and dairy were not allowed during Lent, but people could eat fish, bread and vegetables. Some people looked for ways to get around these strict rules. They said that beaver tails could be eaten because these animals lived near and in rivers. Birds that lived on water, like ducks, were called ‘barnacle geese’ as it was believed that they hatched from barnacles – so some people said that these could be counted as fish too!
Tuesday is also the start of Ramadan.
Church Council meets on Saturday 21st February.
Lectionary 15th to 21st February. Exodus 24.12-18; Psalm 99; 2 Peter 1.16-21; Matthew 17.1-9. I was there. Peter gives his eyewitness account of Jesus being transformed by the light of God’s glory. Writing about it later to the early Christians, he has had time to savour and to review his overwhelming experience and remains convinced that Jesus will return to rise as the morning star in our hearts. The scene of transfiguration is the focus of our readings today: something being changed before our eyes. Moses encounters God on Mount Sinai and the people of God are changed by the Ten Commandments. Jesus is transfigured himself in the accounts by Peter and Matthew as a revelation of God, and Jesus as the Son of God. Think about the life-changing impact of these events.
A Circuit Service will be held on 31 May. An opportunity for churches all over Bristol to worship together.
The purpose of Kingswood Methodist Church is to respond to God's Love in Christ and to live out that love in God's world.