28/08/2026
Sunday 30th September, The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity
9.00 am Holy Communion (said)
10.00 am Holy Communion (sung)
https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/15869/page/76853/view/
Take up your cross and follow me.”
This is the meaning of the Greek characters top left of the image. We have not one but many crosses. This is an example of a polystavrion which means ‘many crosses’. This one, like many, is not quite an optical illusion. The weight of each cross is borne solely on the shoulder of the carrier, but it seems as if the weight of each cross is shared, and in some way distributed across the whole. Perhaps we can take this as a visual metaphor for ‘self-denial’ within a community where we are very much not alone, even though it may appear so when we are weighed down by our own cares and concerns. Self-denial does not mean an abandonment of identity. It means a denial of the ‘selfish’ me, me, me parts of ‘self.’ Also, it can be tricky for essentially ‘nice’ people to know where to draw the line between their sense of duty to others, expected by others or not, and the need for a duty of care to themselves. It’s OK to say no if the cost to you is too high. Remember, God’s most important gift to you is you! It doesn’t mean being unkind to others, it does mean that you must award yourself permission to be kind to yourself. What follows will be a projection of that self, exhibited in words—maybe— and deeds, for sure. Jesus discerned need in others carefully, also mindful of his identity and destiny, as the Son of Man and Son of God, but He was never at any one’s beck and call.
Fr A
