United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands

CIRMC Weekly

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Rooted and called by a New Name – ‘Transformed’

Wednesday Jan 12, 2022
 
It is unfortunate that sometimes we reduce people to a
challenge, a mistake, an experience, or a particular time of their
lives. It is as if they are only identifiable by whatever disability
they have or by the one negative story that we know about them.
So, we end up using incomplete, inaccurate, and hurtful labels
to describe them. Like “Blind Sally” or “jailbird Tom”, and so
on. The truth is, we are not fully known by one quality, one
action, or one thing that might even be true about us.
Regrettably, persons often believe that they are named by their
circumstances and over time ‘buy into’ whatever that name
represents. An example of this can be seen in the story of a
disabled woman whom Jesus healed while she was in the
synagogue on the Sabbath.

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Being Rooted: Called to Remember God’s Reassurance by Rev Euthman Wray

Wednesday Jan 05, 2022
 
Please read Isaiah 43: 1-7
A reading of the Deutero-Isaiah text of Isaiah 43, gives one a
sense of a nation in urgent need of consolation, assurance, and
hope. They have been in a tough place, in a state of ambivalence
or even hopelessness. The previous chapter (42) ended with the
prophet giving warnings of a condition that wasn’t favorable
nor appealing. While Israel, God’s chosen nation was … “His
servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight…”
(42: 1), by the end of that chapter, they were described as a
people plundered and looted; trapped in pits, or hidden away in
prisons (42: 22f); Hope was waning. Encouragement sadly
lacking.
The prophet, here in Chapter 43, in seeking to bring that sense
of reassurance, first highlights even further their perilous plight,
using the images of waters and rivers; fire and flame. Verse 2
reads: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over
you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze”. Waters, rivers, fire and
flame are harsh depictions of greatest difficulties and dangers
which are very imminent and threatening. Later in verses 5 &
6, he also describes God’s people as being scattered in the east,
west, north and south (43 vs. 5 &6).

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In Everything...with Thanksgiving by Rev Dr Yvette Noble-Bloomfield

Wednesday Dec 29, 2021
 
In a few days, the curtain will close on 2021 and
the dawn of the new year will begin. Although
the challenges during 2021 were many and
varied, because of God’s divine providence we
were resilient and persisted in accomplishing all
the undertakings. We can therefore enter 2022
with a deep sense of gratitude because of all that God allowed
us to achieve by God’s grace in 2021.
However, we need to take note of the fact that in our personal
lives, in the community and the Church, the start of a new year
is always an opportune time for reflection and recommitment.
Despite God’s faithfulness and our faith, some persons will
enter 2022 being particularly and completely worn out by the
gruelling nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with the
realities of the last four months in the Cayman Islands. With the
upsurge in the COVID-19 positive cases, the deaths that have
occurred, the new Omicron variant and the seeming never end
insight to the vicissitudes of the pandemic, some persons are
challenged to remain hopeful.

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Christmas Message -From the RDGS

Wednesday Dec 22, 2021
 
Warm Christmas Greetings,
As we enter into the Christmas Season, we are invited to reflect
on the words the Apostle Paul wrote to the
Colossians. Colossae was a thriving town in Asia
Minor and was famous for the quality of the wool
produced there. Although Paul may not have
visited Colossae, he earnestly wrote to them while he was in
prison in Rome.
This was occasioned because of the false doctrine being taught
by some persons regarding the incarnation of Christ,
particularly that God was too holy to make contact with human
flesh and remain undefiled. Further, it was being taught in the
Church in Colossae that salvation would only be for those who
completely observed the Mosaic law. Of particular interest to
us is the pericope in Colossians 3:12-17 in which Paul enjoined
the Colossian Christians to live according to God’s expectation.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one
another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive
as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love,
which binds them all together in perfect unity.

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Advent 3- The Sunday of Love

Wednesday Dec 15, 2021
 
During the first three Sundays, -and weeks- of Advent,
Christians around the world focused on the themes of Hope,
Peace, and Joy as essential aspects of our faith. Now, that we
have arrived at the final week of this season, we complete our
spiritual journey and preparation for Christmas by focusing on
Love.
The miracle of Christmas is the wonderful love of God which
was poured out into this world and into every heart that is ready
to receive Jesus. He is the love of God in human form, the Love
Incarnate, the embodiment of God’s love.
The love of God, Jesus, breathes life into the deepest part of our
broken and wayward hearts. It changes and transforms us into
a new being, a new creation.
How comforting and empowering to know, to embrace, and be
embraced by this amazing love. Amid our loneliness,
confusion, pain, grief, hopelessness, and disillusionment He
comes and in Him, we find acceptance, understanding, healing,
hope, peace, and joy. Jesus is, indeed, the greatest gift of all!
The priceless gift, the gift that is freely given, the gift that is so
much needed

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Advent 3- The Sunday of Joy

Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
 
The Season of Advent reminds us of the importance of spiritual
preparedness, of the readying of our hearts and minds for the
life-transforming presence of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
On the 1st Sunday in Advent, we lit the candle of Hope in our
churches as a reminder that as followers of Jesus Christ, we are
the people of hope.
On the 2nd Sunday in Advent, we lit the candle of Peace as a
reminder that we are the people of a special kind of peace, one
that transcends all understanding.
The 3rd candle today reminds us that we are also the people of
joy. Joy is fundamentally different from happiness. Happiness
is a temporary feeling dependent on favorable circumstances
and events that seldom last and can change quickly.
Joy, on the contrary, is a choice, a decision of our inner being,
the recognition and appreciation of God’s presence in our lives,
the treasuring of our relationship with God. In addition to this,
it is also the recognition of God’s many favors to us, the
celebration of God’s goodness and love, forgiveness and mercy,
God’s gifts, promises, and countless blessings.
In our fallen world, almost everything is about chasing the
promise of happiness in some way or another and many lives
are ruined directly or indirectly in its relentless pursuit. Let us
remember not to fall into the same trap.

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Advent 2 - Peace

Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
 
The Season of Advent reminds us of the importance of spiritual
preparedness, of the readying of our hearts and minds for the
life transforming presence of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
On the 1st Sunday in Advent we lit the candle of Hope in our
churches as a reminder that as followers of Jesus Christ we are
the people of hope.
On the 2nd Sunday in Advent we light the candle of Peace.
Jesus’ birth was announced by a great company of angels
saying “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace
to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)
But knowing all too well our sinful nature we may wonder if
peace is possible at all. Wars, fights, conflicts, anxieties and
stresses of all kinds mar our human existence on every possible
level and there seems to be no respite from their destructive
force.
Today we are reminded that there is peace that transcends all
understanding and that it is available to all of us through faith
in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:7). It is the kind of peace that the
world cannot give, a peace that is more than simply the absence
of conflict, worry and stress. It is God’s peace that brings a
sense of contentment and gratitude; a sense of clarity and
purpose; a sense of responsibility and mission even in the worst
of circumstances.

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The Season of Advent

Wednesday Nov 24, 2021
 
The beginning of the Advent season signals the coming of
Christmas and so our preparations begin. There are gifts to buy,
cards to send, menus to plan for, people to see. The four
Sundays – and weeks - of Advent remind us of the importance
of the spiritual aspect of this preparation, the readying of our
hearts and minds, not only for the celebration of Jesus’ birth (1st
coming) but also for His future return in glory (2nd coming)
when He will set up His kingdom, judge His enemies, and
reward the faithful, both living and dead.
Advent is full of symbolism and meaning, which is also
reflected by the themes of the four Sundays/weeks.

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Jesus is Coming Back, Share the Good News While You Can! by Mr Michael Bowerman

Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
 
I have a boyhood memory of returning home one afternoon and
not being able to find either of my parents. Now, I had been
brought up in a Christian home, and one of the things I had
learned was that one day, without warning, Jesus was going to
come back and all Christians would be “raptured” – caught up
with Jesus in the sky and taken to heaven, leaving the rest
behind. I thought that was what had happened; my parents had
been raptured and I hadn’t because I hadn’t received Jesus as
my Saviour and Lord. It seriously frightened me to think such a
thing might have happened and I hadn’t been ready, and this
was one of the factors that convinced me a little later, when I
was about 12, to accept Him as my Saviour and Lord.

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Jesus The Once and For All Sacrifice by Mr Herbert Crawford

Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
 
Please read Hebrews 10:1-13
Our church has been focusing on A Culture of Evangelism
especially in these difficult and trying times with the Covid-19
pandemic raging everywhere and where many are forced to stay
home which is impacting the life and witness of the Church.
Last week Sunday, we reflected on the Reformation started by
Martin Luther in 1517 when he challenged the Roman Catholic
Church with his 95 theses. This Reformation started a new wave
of evangelism as people all over the world came to a better
understanding of what the Word of God demanded from us as
Christians.
As we, believers try to engender a culture of evangelism, we
must remember that lost people matter to God and therefore we
need to be more intentional in our efforts to reach out to the lost
and those who are groping in the dark. Our lifestyle and mindset
must be one that demonstrates the love of God which was
expressed for humanity through the death of His Son Jesus
Christ who paid the once and for all sacrifice for sin and today
He is seated at the right hand of God making intercession for
us.
This good news of the love of God in Christ must be shared by
all of us who name the name of Jesus and especially now when
so many people are afraid and petrified of the present climate
in which we are living.

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United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands