“To God’s elect, exiles scattered … who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood” 1 Peter 1:1-2 (NIV)
Starting this Sunday, we will be spending a few weeks looking at Peter’s first letter. It was written to Christians who had been scattered to the edges of the Roman empire. They must have felt threatened, isolated, and insignificant. Fortunately for them, and for us, significance in God’s kingdom is measured differently. As we look at 1 Peter together, I hope that we will see the future glory that awaits God’s people, even if there is suffering now
Sunday Service
I hope that you’ll be able to join our service at 10:30am on Sunday morning, as we start to look at the book of 1 Peter.
As in previous weeks, we’ll be using Facebook (brief instructions at the bottom of this email). Do feel free to share the links to our services with friends and relatives; everyone is very welcome to join us, no matter where they are in the world.
By about 11:30 on Sunday, the audio should be available to listen to by calling 01707 927907. As well as the ‘dial-in’ service, audio recordings are also available through SoundCloud .
1 Peter
If you’re able, please pray and read the week’s passage of 1 Peter in advance. This week, we will be looking at 1 Peter 1:1-12. As you read it, have these questions in your mind:
- How does the passage make you feel?
- What stands out to you?
- What surprised you?
- What do you want to find out more about?
Feel free to email me any questions that come up for you. If you send them to me by Friday evening, they can help shape Sunday’s service. The current plan for each Sunday is:
- 10 May 1 Peter 1:1-12
- 17 May 1 Peter 1:13-21
- 24 May 1 Peter 1:22-2:10
- 31 May 1 Peter 2:11-25
- 7 June 1 Peter 3:1-12
- 14 June 1 Peter 3:13-4:11
- 21 June 1 Peter 4:12-19
- 28 June 1 Peter 5:1-14
I still have a few of the 1 Peter books available (these are copies of 1 Peter with extra space to write your own thoughts and prayers); if you would like one, please let me know.
Church Family Fellowship
After the Sunday service, we’ll have coffee together via Zoom (details on the website); if you’d like to be part of the meeting, please email me.
Praying at Noon
I know some have already been doing this. Please can I encourage you, when possible, to stop at noon and spend a few minutes praying - we may be physically separate, but we can still pray together; we’ll email out possible areas for prayer each week. If you would like to make any suggestions, please email prayers@norcuff.com.
Updated Guidance
This week, the House of Bishops outlined three broad stages of lifting the restrictions on public worship in church buildings:
- An initial immediate phase allowing very limited access to church buildings for activities such as streaming of services or private prayer by clergy in their own parishes, so long as the necessary hygiene and social distancing precautions are taken
- Subsequently access for some rites and ceremonies when allowed by law, observing appropriate physical distancing and hygiene precautions
- Worship services with limited congregations meeting, when Government restrictions are eased to allow this
Following guidance from the Bishop of St Albans, we are now in the first stage, and the churchwardens and I are assessing what difference that might make to our services.
How to join us live
The website has the information on how to join our live services and virtual coffee.