Tapton Church Blog

Leader : Ray Briddon

The theme for today was “Messiah”

Reading :  Psalm 19   Mark 8 21-

We were treated to a guitar solo from Ray “Let your love be my guide”

In Mark 8  v22   Jesus asks the disciples “Who do people say that I am ?  and “Who do you say I am ?”    they replied the people were divided  some say John the Baptist, some Elijah and others  one of the prophets.      Peter had no hesitation in saying “You are the Messiah”  The Son of God.

The Messiah was known as “The Anointed one”  Kings were anointed (and still are) with Holy Oil      Priests sere anointed with Oil   The Messiah is also a priest  Prophet were anointed with oil  The Messiah is a prophet.

Again Ray sang to us    “The Anointed one”

Do we agree that Jesus is The Messiah – does he tick all the boxes ??      Yes,  of course – He fits every mention of The Messiah in the  Bible

If we believe he is The Messiah then we need to :  be saved,  be forgiven,  have salvation, surrender to His will.   Can we do this ???

HARVEST FESTIVAL

Whats in the bag ??   We were shown a bag containing various items of food and asked what dish we could prepare from them.  Food banks provide people with bag of items of food  out of which they have to feed their family for a week.  We brought bags of items  for Ben’s Place where they provide a meal for the homeless.   Today is our Harvest Festival and we give thanks for all we have received and for those people who are helping others in need.

Continuing with the theme of Ruth .. Naomi  and her husband and two sons left Bethlehem when there was a famine and moved to Moab  where the two boys married Moabite women.   Unfortunatley after 10 years the men in the family died and Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem  –  her two daughters in law said they would go with her but Orpah changed her mind   only Ruth remained.   They arrived back in time for the harvesting and Ruth went to  glean in the fields.  It turned out the fields were the property of Boaz and he fell in love with Ruth and they married.

Nationalization or privatization ??      in Leviticus 19 it says “don’t reap to the edge of the field and dont pick up grapes that have fallen – leave them for the needy”  today our window ledges were =decorated to illustrate various Sheffield well known products  Hendersons, Steel, Bassets, Our Cow Molly and the Sheffield Honey Co.  Some private some national  but all providing good products  and we brought items for Ben’s place.  We gave thanks for all good gifts around us  for the harvest of different things.

Led by Rev Suzanne Nockels

Readings Psalm 102  & Ruth 1:2-21

Suzanne covered the life of Ruth & Naomi as vulnerable economic migrants.

In particular the mood of Naomi (meaning ‘sweet’) but she wanted to be called Mara (meaning ‘bitterness’).  Did God cause the change?

Suzanne asked what we would feel if we experienced just a little of what they had gone through?  God is great and you can make God what he is to you. Engage with an expansive God or just allow God to walk alongside us.

Women crossing borders today are still vulnerable. Refugees see Ruth ‘selling out’ and side with the figure of Naomi.

Walking together allows us to love them but how far will that love take us together, how determined are we? We are not Jesus who came alongside so many people, but are we good Ruths? Walking with others can be difficult.

The only person who can walk all the way is Jesus.

Learn more as Suzanne considers the book of Ruth over the coming weeks.