​I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the Lord.
 
Psalm 104:33-34
 
Have you stopped singing? For a lot of us the answer to the question is probably yes. Maybe the only time you sing during the week is when you sing with others at church, and we can’t currently do that. Do pray that situation will change!
 
Our unknown Psalmist invites us to sing. Look carefully again at the instruction: I (that’s you, an individual) will sing (the Hebrew indicates using musical instruments and voices!) to the Lord (directed specifically to Him!) all my life (to the last breath)
 
And then the Psalmist repeats the phrase in typical Hebraic writing fashion: I will sing praise to my God as long as I live
 
So, have you stopped singing to the Lord? Maybe you should start! Or start again! Whether that is singing at home if you are watching the livestream, singing in the car, singing in the shower, singing in quiet times. Sing about His love, sing about the cross, sing about the hope of the New Creation. Sing to, and about Jesus. Remember, your singing is for Lord, something pleasing to Him (verse 34). He delights in your praise, He likes the sound of your voice even if you don’t!
 
Praise the Lord, my soul. Praise the Lord.
 
P.s. if you want to sing in church, then you can always join a music team! Speak to me for more details!
​Matt

Please click on the link below:
https://mcusercontent.com/86116d136cabe9e59290da9bd/files/bbbe67a9-7b93-4835-813f-7e137a1e0cf2/E_Newsletter_October.02.pdf

I now come to the end of my placement with you, and give thanks and praise to God, with joy, for all I have learnt. Life-long learning about the gospel is the core of our growth as disciples, and we should discern the needs for that growth in one another whenever we can. The prayer, the tasks, the discussion and debate that I have experienced has always been underpinned by the hospitality and encouragement that is part of loving our neighbour. I give thanks for this partnership in the gospel.  I have been strengthened in my faith from my contact with you.
Let’s seek opportunities to discern the needs in others (and ourselves!) for growth in discipleship everyday. These opportunities might be in our families, in friends, in strangers. Let’s pray with joy, discuss and debate!

How do we talk about the Lord Jesus?
 
I had a quick browse on Amazon – this Christmas (yup it’s coming!) you could buy your loved one:
A “Jesus is my homeboy” T-shirt?!
An “All I need is a little bit of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus” mug?
A “Jesus is my airbag” car bumper sticker?!
Or “Jesus is my bestie” on a necklace…
 
Wow. What a world we live in!

How does that compare to the Apostle Paul and how he talks about the Lord?
 
In his letters, Paul writes ‘Jesus’ 198 times. That’s a lot!
But what I find fascinating is how out of those 198 times only 15 times is it just Jesus.
 
The other 183 times Paul says the Lord Jesus or Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus or he puts it altogether The Lord Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
Paul has this holy reverence for Christ Jesus, this awe and respect that flows out in how he talks about the Lord Jesus. That’s why Paul calls Jesus Lord, that’s why it’s Jesus Christ with that more awe-inspiring title.

And yes, we can have a close and beautiful, personal relationship with the Living Lord Jesus, and yes, He is our Brother and our Friend but:
He is still the Lord of All Creation.
He is still the Saviour of the World.
He is still the Second person of the Trinity.
 
Does the way I talk about Him and to Him reflect that?
Looking at my own heart, has that awe and reverence slipped out of my relationship with our Lord and Saviour?

There are still lots of spaces left to attend the APCM meeting in the church building.  We would like as many people as possible in the building rather than watching it on zoom.
Tickets for this will not close until 3pm on Sunday so it isn't too late to book.
You can book on Churchsuite, the website or by clicking on the link APCM booking page

This Saturday, 3rd October, is Bookshop Day.  Books Alive would love you to celebrate it by coming into the shop to buy the best book ever, which is of course the Bible!  They will be reducing all Bibles in stock by 10% and some will have even bigger reductions, up to 50%.