My hope is in you alone

Holy Trinity Church, Huddersfield, Sunday 10th May 2020

We are still in semi-lockdown in the UK, church is still virtual, we’re getting used to the fact that virtual meetings online are real.  There are a couple of things I’ll miss about these virtual meetings when church returns. One is the ability to pause the vicar mid sermon if I get distracted, then rewind nim before allowing him to continue. (I have also the ability to mute the vicar, but have not used it, not yet). The other is attending church in pyjamas.

The best plans of mice and men… add online services to tat list. Our YouTube service had the wrong reading. The email about the correct reading arrived ar about the same time as we finished the service.

Stand

We were introduced to the theme of the next few services firstly by Bev, who was leading the service, then by vicar Mike in the sermon. “My hope is in you alone” is the last line in Faithful One by Brian Doerksen, which we sang. Here’s my notes and memories of the sermon …

Seven weeks ago we were told to stay at home, things have taken a downward turn, according to some people I have spoken to, people are feeling down.

Others are meeting with God in new ways. Others missing being with others and worshipping God together. I am too

The psalmist said, “I waited patiently for the Lord and he lifted me out of the miry pit and enabled me to stand.” Stand has all kinds of connotations — being firm, in a military way stand means continuing to hold on to taken ground. It is so easy to be blown away or even walk away from Jesus. How do we stand?

The passage was from 1 Peter. Peter was given the position of shepherd by Jesus and here is acting as a shepherd herding God’s flock. Peter makes three main points:

1. We have a God who cares. Cast all your anxiety onto God, for he cares for you. says the passage. You don’t have to bear all your anxiety, for he cares for you. We can bundle up the cares and put them on Gods back.
2. There’s an enemy to resist, First, the world’s culture and injustice are things we must fight against these things, Second, the flesh: It opposes the new thing that the Spirit brings. Third, the devil is not a cute figure but depicted by Peter as a roaring lion. Some Christians are obsessive about the devil, blaming the lack of a parking space at Tesco on him.the devil. Others disregard him as a fable: C. S. Lewis said this is a dangerous position. The devil is still active but defeated, Peter said, resist the devil and stand firm. We have a God who is good and faithful
3. An eternal hope. God has promised us his eternal glory. God has called us for a time like this. There is a much longer term view. Be hungry for God seek to stand od the solidity of the rock that is Jesus.