The holy communion service held on Sunday the third Sunday after Trinity, was celebrated by the Rev Harry Jackson (whose birthday it was) who said in his sermon that we all need our teachers; moreover, we need those who can tell us not only about the things of this world but of that other world, the Kingdom of God. There have been great Christian teachers in the past but the greatest and best was Jesus Christ. He taught us mainly in parables; stories from everyday life, whose meaning and application we must work out for ourselves.

We have just heard one such parable, taken from the Gospel reading Luke chapter 7 v 36 to chapter 8 v 3, albeit an acted one. Jesus is invited to a meal by a Pharisee. A woman enters the room and immediately bathes Jesus’ feet with tears, kisses them and anoints them. This provokes objections from Simon, the host, who in response to Jesus’ short parable, admits that it is the one who has been forgiven much who will love much. Jesus then points to the example of the woman who, because of her great love and in response to his outreach and refusal to condemn, has had her sins forgiven.

Sins constitute a great barrier, separating us not only from God, but from one another in the community of faith. Our sins were first forgiven in our baptism when we became members of the Christian family, but we need continual repentance and forgiveness. We are given the opportunity for this at every eucharist. It is something we need to consider very carefully if we wish to maintain our proper place within the family of God.

The Old Testament lesson taken from 2, Samuel chapter 11 v 26 and 27, chapter 12 v 10 and 13–15 was read by Rob Grave and the New Testament reading, taken from Galatians chapter 2 v 15–21, was read by Mary Grave. The intercessions were composed and read by Irene Gardiner. Sid Bryant was organist.