Holy Trinity Church Huddersfield,
Sunday 11 October 2020

A week back, and probably there will be no days away from home for some time, The most notable thing for me is that I had a crying four year old to look after. She did not want Granddad to pick her up from school, and cried for mummy for 30 minutes, despite being cuddled. Then a sudden switch to being happy and laughing. When mummy and daddy did come home, she was initially delighted to see mummy, then wanted to go in the car with daddy. Mummy and daddy, my daughter and son-in-law, are a nurse and a teacher, we are in a bubble with them for childcare purposes. Kids today, just as bad as we were.

In virtual church today… Well this is what the morning email said, This week Sofia will be looking at the Kingdom of God!  In our online service we’ll also be hearing about how and why we should support Fairtrade as part of our Kingdom living.

Retired vicar John leading. Beginning with words from Psalm 18,
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
God is rock, fortress and sheild.

Musical Worship Minister Val had a short spot speaking about worship—there was no kids spot this week—where she said that the Bible encourages us to dance before God and suggested we should try it. As a disabled person who was up in the night to take painkillers I declined to do this.

Tina, who had already led the intersessions spoke about Fairtrade. Fairtrade goods contain a social premium, so they will cost a little more but this goes to help the community in things like building schools.

On to the sermon: Sofia said that most of the inequality in the world is caused by our greed.

The reading was Mark 1:14-34 (please read this, it gives the context to what is said). The kingdom of God has come here. God has come to to reclaim his creation. Jesus is trying to wake us up out of a dreamlike existence to say the time is here, it has come. Jesus talked about the kingdom of God constantly: God has been planning from the beginning to defeat the enemy and win the world back, Jesus says this kingdom has come and we are now in his kingdom. Jesus shows by setting a man with a demon free and by healing Peter’s mother-in-law.The kingdom has broken in to this world. It is still accessible here.

But the world is so messed up, I’m messed up. But the kingdom is here. On D-day World War 2 was effectively won, but the fighting still went on until VE day about a year later. This is the tension we are living in.

Jesus will come again and everybody will be mended. We need to act like Jesus is the one person that matters more to us than anything else. To believe is to trust we must trust in him.

We can live this out by speaking up for the poor and oppressed, the kingdom is here now. Be prepared to ask God where he will lead us. There is only one way to follow Jesus and that is wholeheartedly.