United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands

CIRMC Weekly

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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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Every Life Matters to God by Ms. Camile Watt - Youth Minister

Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
 
Please read St. Luke 15:1-7
How does God show compassion for everyone?
John 3: 16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his
one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish
but have eternal life.” The New Living Translation says
everyone who believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.
As the representative of the Godhead, Jesus displayed God’s
love and affection to children when He said, “suffer the little
children to come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 19:14) He displayed this same love and compassion
towards the sick, the needy, the hungry, those that thirst, and
those suffering from sin. He showed compassion to those
tormented by evil spirits and those plagued with leprosy and
scorned by others. He ministered to thieves such as Zacchaeus
and to prostitutes like Mary Magdalene.

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Reformation Sunday - Reflection by Rev Dr Yvette Noble- Bloomfield

Wednesday Oct 27, 2021
 
Please read Mark 12: 28-34

On this Reformation Sunday, we recall the journey of the
Protestant and Reformed Faith since 1517 when Martin Luther
nailed the 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg,
Germany. The genesis of the Reformation arose from the
discontent Luther and others had with the form and nature of
the Church to which they belonged.
The Reformers opposed the hierarchical nature of the Church
and the state, the abuse of money and power, the rampant
injustice, and the lack of the true meaning of God’s grace at
work in the lives of individuals, the church, and the world.
Luther was not alone in his quest for truth and righteousness
and the Reformation movement included reformers such as
John Calvin, Heinrich Bullinger, Theodore Beza, John Knox,
and Huldrych Zwingli. These reformers wanted to ensure that
the Church did not embrace tenets that were contrary to
scripture, and they wanted to make sure that God remained at
the core of the faith.

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The Call to Evangelism - Preservation by Mr Herman Wilson

Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
 
When we are converted to the Christian faith, we are brought
from spiritual darkness to embrace spiritual light. We have been
born again and have been sealed with the Holy Spirit for the
Day of Redemption. We become a new creation in Christ Jesus
and citizens of the Kingdom of God. Christ Jesus has become
for us wisdom from God; that is, our righteousness, holiness,
and redemption. (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:30).
The things of the Spirit of God are no longer foolishness to us.
They become understandable, and more so as we gradually
mature in the Christian faith. (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14

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Sharing the Good News by Rev Godfrey Meghoo

Wednesday Oct 13, 2021
 
Please read John 1:35
Have you noticed that if you keep up with the news daily that
most of the news is bad news? There is much reporting on virus
outbreaks worldwide, volcanic damage, forest fires,
assassinations, war and crime, death of loved ones, abandoned
children, and refugees seeking a better life. Sometimes, you are
tired of hearing bad news. Newspaper publishers might tell you
that good news does not sell. We all long to hear good news -
news about peace between nations, good news about your
children’s success in studying, and good news about longlasting and happy marriages. The constant stream of bad news
tends to demoralize but good news will lift the spirit.

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United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands