Welcome
We are the Church of England parish of St Mary’s Shaw cum Donnington – just to the north and east of Newbury.
Our purpose and focus is Knowing Jesus, Sharing God’s Love, Caring for People.
You can read more about it here.
We meet every Sunday at 10am, as well as at other times during the week.
Everyone is welcome to join us.
Word for the Week
- Good News for Tax Collectors
I wonder what would happen if all HMRC’s officers suddenly got up from their desks and left. Would the public finances fall into disarray? Would we no longer have to pay tax?! I think not. HMRC would import officers from elsewhere and everything (especially paying tax) would continue.
I imagine the Roman Tax authorities took a similar approach when Matthew (called Levi in Mark and Luke) and Zacchaeus (Luke 19) decided to give up their revenue generating career to follow Jesus.
But these events are not about tax. They are about sinners. The Gospels often use ‘Tax Collector’ as synecdoche – tax collectors were sinners, so we can refer to sinners as tax collectors. It is poetic rather than strictly correct, but it means the events are as relevant to us as they were to Matthew.
What happens when a sinner meets Jesus? The answer is the sinner’s choice: carry on, or follow. Carry on as a sinner; or follow Jesus, knowing that He is the only way to escape the wages of sin.
My choice. Your choice. To hold on and carry on to destruction, or to let go and follow on the road that leads to life (Mat 7:14).
Raymond.