“But thanks be to God, he gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 15:57)
What counts as victory? Is it your team winning the FA cup or Premiership? Achieving that promotion or job you have always longed for? Winning the hand in marriage of the person you love? Overcoming a life-threatening illness? Or perhaps if you were Ukrainian finally forcing Russian forces to leave your country?
In many cases, victory requires someone or something to be defeated: an opposing football team, other candidates for the job, a life-threatening illness or the Russians. Sometimes those that need to be defeated are mere competitors, but other times they are enemies who are out to destroy us.
This week, we celebrate St. George’s day. In the legend, St. George rescues a maiden in distress from a fearsome dragon who is certainly an enemy out to devour her. His victory over the dragon achieves the maiden and her village’s salvation. His victory becomes their victory.
Paul ends his long chapter reflecting on the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) by emphasising the victory Jesus has won. It is not a victory over a competitor, but over the ultimate enemy of all humankind: death.
Many people claim that religion is not for them. They conceive of the Christian faith as a take it or leave it pastime, only relevant to those who enjoy spiritual activity. But, whether due to illness, an invading army or a dragon, death is the inevitable fate of us all – our greatest enemy. If Jesus has indeed defeated death, then belonging to him so as to share in his greatest and most important of all victories is surely a worthy goal. Everyone should want this victory.
Paul Worledge
This Week’s Sunday Service – 11am – St. George’s Church
St. George and Victory
This Sunday is a joint service at St. George’s church. It will be an All Age service with interactive activities and talks for young and old. There will not be a service at St. Luke’s and unfortunately, we are not able to livestream this service.
After the joint service if you want to take part on the parade, please meet outside the main church door, where you will be directed by stewards down to the top of the pedestrianised part of the High Street. The parade will then set off from there by 12:30pm and will go to the bottom of Harbour Street, then back up the High Street. There will then be lunch available in St. George’s church hall at about 1:30pm.
Photos of Church Life from the last twenty years
This Pentecost Sunday (19th May), we are planning to celebrate Paul being vicar at St. Luke’s for twenty years. If anyone has any photos of church life from over the last twenty years to share, then please send them to Paul or James or use this online form.
Planning for Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Kingdom Come is an initiative encouraging churches to extra prayer between Ascension Day and Pentecost (9th -19th May, this year). We would love to mark this with different prayer activities. It would be great to gather a small group to make this happen. Contact Claire to show interest.
The Event, Youth meeting at St. Luke’s, Sunday 12th May
On Sunday 12th May St. Luke’s will be hosting The Event. This is an evening where young people from across Thanet gather to have fun, eat, hear a message from God’s word and worship together.
It would be really good to have a team that would be able to help me with cooking, set-up, registration and being a loving presence. It will be a long day with church and APCM at St. Luke’s, but it is a great way to serve our community. If you are able to help – please let Claire know.
Update from Greg and Sylvia Venables
At the end of 2020 Greg finally handed over responsibility as Diocesan Bishop of Argentina and Primate of S. America and we moved to Paraguay where all three of our children live. Greg’s present role is to give pastoral oversight to all the clergy and to oversee the training of leaders, He was in the Chaco all last week where he ordained 8 new clergy, licensed 12 lay preachers and confirmed 400 people. The confirmation service lasted from 9.30 in the morning until 4.30 in the afternoon. He preached six times as the 400 candidates had to be divided into 6 groups He also serves as Chair of the board of St Andrew’s College and serves as Rector there. Sylvia is as busy as ever leading services in the English speaking chapel and teaching Bible study groups. Health wise, Sylvia is receiving helpful treatment for arthritis and arthrosis and Greg’s Parkinson’s is under control. We are always grateful for the support and help from St Luke’s. With our love as always.
Greg and Sylvia
Firestarter Event, Friday 2nd May, 7-9pm, St. Philip’s Cliftonville, CT9 3JJ
This event is seeking to unite churches across Thanet in mission for God. There are events for church leaders during the day and an evening event to which everyone is welcome. It will take place at St. Philip’s, Cliftonville, CT9 3JJ.
You can find out more and say you are planning to come using this Facebook Event page.
Links to Share:
Marriage as Martyrdom
In this post a theology lecturer describes one of her seminars. What really provokes the students? The idea that marriage requires sacrifice. Read more (6 minutes)
Church of England Video on going Net Zero
The Church of England is committed to going Net Zero by 2030. But how might this be achieved. This video highlights some of the work already being done. Watch Video
Finally, let’s live our lives trusting and following the one who has won the victory over death.
Yours in Christ
Paul Worledge
(Vicar, St. Luke’s Ramsgate)
Weekly Calendar
Sunday 28th April
Joint Service (St. George’s Church), 1 Cor. 15:50-58, 11:00am-12:00pm
Monday 29th
Daily Prayer (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Study Group (Margate Road) – 7:15-9:30pm
Tuesday 30th
Daily Prayer (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Christ Church Toddlers @ St Luke’s (St. Luke’s Church Hall) – 9:30-11:30am
Study Group (Lyndhurst Road) – 2:30-4:00pm
Wednesday 1st May
Study Group (Langdale Avenue) – 10-12 noon
Depression & Anxiety Self-Help Group (Perry Room) – 6:00-7:30pm
Study Group (South Eastern Road) – 7:30-9:30pm
Thursday 2nd
Daily Prayer (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am
Cafe4All (St. Luke’s Church), Coffee and Chat for all – 10:00-11:30am.
Friday 3rd
Play and Praise (St. Luke’s Church Hall) – 10:00-11:30am
Gather, Women’s Drop-In (St. Luke’s Church) – 12:30-2:30pm
Creative Group Singing Practice (St Luke’s Church) – 4:30-6:00pm
Saturday 4th
Churches Together Prayer Breakfast (St. Laurence Church) – 9:00-10:00am
Sunday 5th
Family Service (St. Luke’s Church), Acts 10:44-48, 11:00am-12:00pm
Online Forms
Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:
- Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
- Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
- Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.
St. Luke’s Website
- What’s On – a page which lets you know what is happening this week and gives information about upcoming events.
- Notices – You can read the latest notices on this page.
- Sermons – Read a transcript of a recent sermon or watch the YouTube version recorded at St. Luke’s. You can also listen to the sermon through the podcast website castbox.
Safeguarding Training
If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities are strongly encouraging you to take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years.
If you have not completed the training in the last three years, then the module can be completed online and takes about ninety minutes. You can access the training by following this link. You will need to first register, to access the training. Once the training is completed, you will be sent a certificate. Please forward that certificate to James (office@stlukesramsgate.org), so that we can keep records of who has done the training.
St. Luke's Church Ramsgate 