St.Nick’s newsletter for Sunday 3rd November
Dear Friends,
Our gospel reading for this Sunday is from John 11:32-44, a powerful passage that recounts the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. We hear of the grief expressed by Mary, the sister of Lazarus. The passage highlights the human experience of grief and the longing for divine intervention in times of loss.
We read that Jesus is deeply moved by the sorrow of Mary and the others mourning Lazarus. In verse 35, we find the shortest verse in the bible, “Jesus wept”, demonstrating Jesus’ empathy and his shared sorrow with humanity.
This passage is a profound reminder of Jesus’ compassion, his power over death, and the hope he brings to those who believe in him. It encourages us to trust in his timing and his ability to bring life and restoration even in the most hopeless situations.
It is hard not to envy Jesus and his power to bring his friend back to life. How we have longed to be able to do the same for someone we love. But Jesus tells Mary that he is doing this so that she and all the watching crowds ” would see the glory of God”. Jesus knows that he will soon face death, and that his ordinary human relationships will change forever. Lazarus is alive again to show the power of God and that there is no end to the love of God. Not even death itself , can separate us from the overwhelming life of God.
Our love for each other is a small and imperfect symbol of God’s love for creation. We can trust God absolutely with those we love.
We will remember with love those we have lost this Sunday during our service, we will light candles and pray together. We hope you will join us for this special service.
Alison Mills
ALM and Churchwarden
Celebrating and welcoming Trixie
On Sunday, October 27th, we had the joy of welcoming Trixie, and her family, and friends to church for her baptism. It was wonderful to see so many people and to have the church bustling on a Sunday morning.
A heartfelt thank you to Rev. Dr. K. Augustine Tanner-Ihm for presiding, Ollie Mills for the beautiful music, Val for the lovely flowers, Jane for serving at the altar, Margaret for reading the gospel, Grace for leading the intercessions, Jill for handling the collection, and Margaret and Tony for providing refreshments.
We wish Trixie, her parents, and Godparents every blessing as they celebrate this special occasion. We look forward to seeing them all again soon!
Sunday 3rd November
We will be delighted to welcome our lead minister, Rev Dr. K. Augustine Tanner-Ihm, who will preach and preside at an all age service of holy communion. Our musical director, Ollie Mills, will provide the music. Refreshments will be served after the service.
During our All Saints and Glad Remembrance service, we will honour the memory of our beloved family and friends who are no longer with us. The names of those we wish to remember will be read aloud during the service.
If you would like to include someone in this remembrance, please email their name to alison@st-nicholas-church.org.uk or call 07932071977. Thank you.
Nestled in the heart of the communities of East Didsbury and Burnage, St Nicholas Church stands as a beacon of faith, hope, and love. Under the devoted leadership of our Lead Minister, Revd Dr Augustine Tanner-Ihm, OMS, we are a vibrant, inclusive, and intergenerational Christian community committed to living out the bold faith of Jesus Christ.
