This Lent, we’re invited to step into the wilderness with Jesus and see how he faced real temptation and came through victorious. From the very first human sin in the garden to the challenges Jesus endured, we’ll explore the doubts, desires, and pressures that test all of us. More importantly, we’ll see how Jesus resisted by trusting God’s Word and how we can do the same in our lives today.

As we continue through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us some hard sayings.  How do we understand what he says about anger and murder, lust and adultery?  Peter offers an approach to guide our response in obedience and realism.

How do you respond to Jesus calling us to be salt of the earth and light of the world?  How do we address injustice and human need?  These are the topics raised in our readings today.

We talked about school together, gave thanks for a special teacher. We thought about the teaching of our special teacher, Jesus, and which of the Beatitudes we might focus on personally.  There was a blessing of students and of teachers.  Finally, the children got the ring in the new school year on the chapel bell according to their year number.

Epiphany - the celebration of the revelation of Christ continues with his calling people to repent and calling disciples to follow him.

Anne invites us to reflect on where our minds and hearts are truly focused. Through the lens of hospital visits and everyday concerns, it reminds us that while life often feels uncertain and beyond our control, we can trust that God is at work for our good. Drawing on Isaiah’s Servant Songs and John the Baptist’s witness, it points to Jesus as the faithful Servant, the Light for all nations, and the Lamb of God who brings salvation and hope.

As we hear about Jesus being commissioned for his role we can be confident that with Jesus, we must expect the unexpected and know that as we follow in faith, we too will hear the same voice of the Father guiding us and directing us in his way.

As Christmas draws to a close, we enter Epiphany - the church season celebrating the revelation of Christ.  The sermon focuses on revelation to us including us into the church and glorifying God.

The events around Jesus' birth are full of instructions given to Joseph by dreams.  Joseph is told in a dream that Mary is carrying a child by a miraculous intervention, the wise men are told not to report back to Herod in a dream.  In a dream, Joseph is told to flee to Egypt with the child and Mary.  And again, when it is time to come home, he is instructed through a dream.  Might we hear God through dreams today?

Christmas Day - our celebration of the birth of Christ.  We focus on the beginning of the Gospel of John and the wonder of who the baby born in Bethlehem actually was...

As we approach Christmas, Peter looked at the genealogy of Jesus and drew our attention to four women mentioned there who are surprising to find in a first century genealogy.  

A quiet Advent service:  The Great Antiphons were seven prayers used in the seven days leading up to Christmas for at least 1500 years.  They are the basis for the hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."  In our meditative service, we examine the scriptures on which they are based, we hear the Latin chant and after two minutes silence, we sing the verse of the hymn.

In the Advent season, looking at the coming of Christ into public ministry, we find John the Baptist in prison and doubting whether Jesus is actually the Messiah.  He did the right thing - he asked the Lord about it!  

In the last of the series on the Beatitudes, we looked at the Persecuted.  We heard the stories of three people persecuted for their righteousness: St Perpetua, Corrie Ten Boom and a contemporary North Korean man who had to flee from his homeland.  We also started a daily prayer programme, praying for Christians in the 25 most difficult countries for Christians to live in.

Today is Advent Sunday - the start of the new church year, the start of the lead up to Christmas, the time to focus on the first and second arrivals of Christ.  Today, our focus is particularly on the second coming.  Jesus, said we cannot know the timing, but we can live so we are always ready.

The Sunday before Advent is traditionally known as Stir-up Sunday from the words of the prayer set for the day, "Stir up your people ..."  It is taken as a reminder to prepare the Christmas pudding.  Wendy took a creative look at this tradtion considering the pudding ingredients and what they might symbolise in our common life together, ably helped by two of the young people mixing the ingredients before us.

Come back during Lent, for a taste of the resulting pudding!

Today, we continue with a report on the Kondoa trip from Helen and Julia.  The team dealt with spiritual and physical challenges, but through it all God's faithfulness was sure.

This week Ian and Andrew shared first part of our Kenya and Tanzania Mission update. On 5th October, a mission team from St Stephens travelled to Kenya and Tanzania for teaching and outreach with the Anglican dioceses of Mombasa and Kondoa. The trip, part of an ongoing partnership with the young and growing Kondoa Diocese, involved long travel, cross-cultural encounters, and powerful ministry experiences. The team led seminars on being filled with the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, healing, and overcoming ties to witchcraft, seeing lives transformed through prayer and renewal. The mission highlighted the vitality of the African church, the deep hunger for the gospel, and the shared joy of partnership in God’s work across nations. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, when Julia and Helen will share their experiences from this remarkable journey.

Today, we welcomed back our mission team from Kondoa and heard brief impressions of the trip.  Tony preached on the Word of God being near to us and ever speaking.

​The service focused on the theme “Blessed are the Peacemakers” from Matthew 5:9, continuing the journey through the Beatitudes. The congregation read each Beatitude and explored the meaning of peacemaking through a video about Joseph and his brothers, which highlighted forgiveness and reconciliation. Don shared a personal story of reconciling with a friend, while Wendy presented a short review of Pursuing Peace in God’s Zone, a book on New Zealand’s Christian peace movements. The service concluded with prayers for countries in conflict, as attendees wrote names on flags and selected peace scriptures to take home on paper doves.

Today, Captain Peter preached from 2 Timothy, highlighting Paul’s teaching on the importance of Scripture and living faithfully according to God’s Word. He reminded us that people often believe based on what they see, so the way we live as followers of Christ and as a church community truly matters. Our lives are to reflect the truth we proclaim, showing the transforming power of God’s Word in action.

Today, the worship music was led by Michael, Matthew and Ella, and Revd. Trevor McCracken preached on “A Love That Would Not Let Me Go” from John 17:20–23. Trevor shared his personal testimony of how God’s steadfast love has guided and protected him through life and ministry. He reminded us that God’s love never lets us go and calls each of us to share that love with others—a message that connects beautifully with those taking part in the Ripple Effect Evangelism Course.

Anne led the service, praying for Ian, Helen, Julia and Andrew, the Mission Team to Kenya and Tanzania. The Rev. Don Battley preached on “the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come,” drawing from passages in Job, Philippians, and John. He reminded us that through Jesus we are promised transformed, immortal bodies and victory over death, urging us to live ready for the resurrection and God’s future.

In this service, the Youth Band led worship and Wendy spoke on the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Scripture makes clear God’s deep concern for the poor and calls us to consider how we respond to need. This parable reminds us of God’s justice and compassion, showing through Lazarus, named and honoured by Jesus, that we are called to open our eyes to those at our gates and respond with empathy, love and action.

Today, Peter looks at the three passages set and highlights three dangers raised by them: 

• The danger of our pride;
• The danger of not hearing and respecting those we disagree with;
• The danger of being led astray by weath.