A joyous moment (1 February)

Arriving at the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, or Candlemas, feels like the last link with the Christmas season. We have kept our nativity scene in place until this celebration. At Candlemas we focus on Mary and Joseph, who take the baby Jesus to the temple, and their encounter with Anna and Simeon. What a joyous story this is, when the baby is immediately recognised as the Messiah, to the amazement of his parents. The story is found in Luke, Chapter 2. My sermon this week focuses on the importance of ritual in our spiritual journey. This is a wonderful opportunity to think about how we can graft our personal story into the story of God’s purpose for the world. Yes, you and I have a role to play. It may seem small, but our every action holds a deeper significance, as did the journey of Mary and Joseph as they took their newborn son to the temple to do for him what was their obligation under the law of Leviticus.

Wishing you grace and peace,
Linda