Herewith a version of this morning's sermon. A cracking service... thanks be to God!

By now you will know that our teaching weekend ‘L!VE iT’ is a matter of weeks away. You will have prayed for it and heard hopefully much talk about it and it’s importance for us this Autumn.

For a moment though, cast you minds back. Many of you here this morning will know or remember that back in 2006 Holy Trinity held an exciting week-long event called 'Fan the Flame' which renewed the faith of many people here today.

For those of who were part of Fan the Flame, I think you will agree that the week was immensely important for us as a church. Through it we examined the basics of christian faith - forgiveness, healing, reconciliation, the cross, resurrection and so on. Many people here rediscovered the uniqueness and enormity of the love of God for them.

It is this enormous love of God that Paul writes of in his letter to the Romans that we have heard some of this morning. It is a love that reaches out to each of us in and through Jesus Christ, and offers us nothing less than an eternal relationship with Him - the way that he always intended. Throughout his letter, Paul argues that all humanity is guilty and accountable to God for sin and that it is only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we can have that relationship restored.

The L!VE iT weekend is an intensive opportunity to remind ourselves of what lies at the heart of Paul’s letter. Over that weekend we will be learning together about our central act of worship - the Eucharist. Those planning this weekend felt that this was a vital theme for us as a church. For in sharing in the eucharist, through breaking bread together and drinking wine, we give thanks to God for, and in a way re-enact, God’s offer of that restored relationship of love.

Any relationship that we may be part of requires work. I say that to every dewy eyed wedding couple I see. Love, I tell them, is not a spontaneous emotion. You cannot just randomnly fall in love or fall out of love. To be in a love relationship means that you make deliberate decisions to do and say loving things to each other. When the Bible speaks of love, it does so as an action. Something that God does to us, and we are to do to each other.

Similarly our relationship with God requires work. We don’t just randomnly fall in love with God. He showed us love first through Jesus. We have each responded to that love in some way. If, though, we do not continue to work at our relationship with him our it will go stale. Paul, as Jesus elsewhere, is quite clear, love acted upon and lived out to God and neighbour fulfills all that God asks of us.

It can become all too easy to take anyone in any relationship that we might be part of for granted. The consequences of that should be obvious in say a marriage or even a close friendship. The same is true of our relationship with God. It should be so much more than worship on a Sunday. It should be a relationship that defines us, drives us, challenges and changes us. And yet, over time, many of us might admit that coming to church becomes nothing more than a habit from time to time. Something that we just do, rather than, as Jesus promised us in the Gospel reading this morning, where 2 or 3 gather expecting to meet with Him, there he will indeed be.

Paul says to us - WAKE UP! If our relationship with God is nothing more than habitually coming to church - WAKE UP! If we are knowingly meeting with God on Sunday and yet slipping easily back into what Paul calls the works of darkness - WAKE UP! Instead let us renew our relationship with God and each other and - to use Paul’s phrase - put on the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, lets work hard at our relationship with him through prayer, service to others, study of the scriptures and receiving the eucharist - that our relationship with God becomes so intimately close to us its like wearing a shirt or a blouse.

L!VE iT is an opportunity another opportunity for us to grow together in friendship and grow in faith; to become both individually and together, more the people God longs for us to be.
The church council, the planning group and I commend the weekend to you, and especially to your prayers. But friends do let this opportunity pass you by. Do not miss out on an extremely exciting opportunity to deepen and renew our relationship with God. Amen.

Hi,

Here is a copy of an email I sent today. I would value some feedback from any of you who read this, so do let me know!

A simple question, if we were to launch a new service, when would be best for you and would you come? Choose from below:

A Sunday 7pm informal, more adult, quality teaching and a chance to respond, prayer for healing etc
B Saturday or Sunday (monthly) with informal tea. At Leverstock Green School perhaps. 4pm?
C Weekday version of option B
D Sundays monthly - 11.30 am - family service. More informal. Not Eucharist

Watched Secret Millionaire again tonight. I love the fact that, yes the money that is given changes the people and organisations that are in receipt of it, but the people who change the most are the secret millianaires!

If you do not shed even a little tear watching it - you really have no soul! Well done channel 4!

Back from hols and it's fair to say that so far I am rested and relaxed!

I cannot believe that it's September already! L!ve iT is only a matter of days away now and there is still alot to do. That said I am very excited at what God will do through this weekend.

If you haven't committed to coming and joining us over the weekend of 26-28th September then please do. Full details are available at http://www.new.facebook.com/event.php?eid=20156069227&ref=ts make sure you scroll right down.

For now please do pray for this exciting opportunity using the following prayer:

God our Father,
you have invited us to share the meal
which Jesus gave to the Church:
Transform us by your Holy Spirit,
through bread and wine,
so that we may we be fed by his presence,
and become a family in his love. Amen.

There is a lot going on this Autumn with a course called START beginning on 11th September at Leverstock Green School all about life and faith. The preparation for children 7+ to receive communion before confirmation begins on 20th September at 3pm at St Benedicts church. We also begin our house groups again next week - we're looking at material called 'Worship Changes Lives' which looks really good and the impact on our life together could be amazing - God willing! If you haven't signefd up to come then you best do so quickly - as the groups begin on Tuesday at 2pm, Wednesday (2 groups) at 8pm, and a new group meeting on Thursdays at 8pm.

I am feeling excited also following the skills audit - if you haven't returned your form - please do so quickly. Many people have replied and have graciously offered to serve God in many ways in and outside His church. Thank you very much to all of you who have.

So, the Autumn is a time when the church celebrates Harvest, and thanks God for the goodness of the earth - it's also a time for us at Holy Trinity when we can look to God tending, nurturing and growing our faith and friendship together.

Don't miss out - come and grow with us!