The holy communion service held on Sunday, Third Sunday before Lent, was celebrated by the Rev Andrew Stevenson, who in his sermon said that today our gospel reading continues with the Sermon on the Mount and we hear Jesus setting out a vision of what a community that lives by God’s standards might look like.

We could call it a manifesto or perhaps more appropriate for our times, an articulation of what the so called “Big Society” might actually look like.

Last week, we were called to be salt and light and today we learn what salt and light in the context of everyday life looks like. In essence it is about selflessness rather than selfishness. When we look at all of societies so called ills, we can generally trace many back to the me, me, me approach, “I’m all right, Jack”.....!

The call of the Christian is to a life of selflessness, not an easy path, nor without pitfalls. But the life of a community that lives by God’s values is measured not by what we get out of it, rather by what we put in. That is what Jesus was saying in his sermon and it is distilled in the most famous part of all, what we know as the Beatitudes, and it is what we need now more than ever.

The Old Testament lesson taken from Deuteronomy chapter 30 v 15–20, was read by Robert Hitchens and the New Testament lesson taken from 1 Corinthians chapter 3 v 1-9 was read by Mariquita Hichens. The gospel reading was from Matthew chapter 5 v 21–37 and read by Mr Stevenson. Irene Gardiner wrote and read the intercessions and the organist was Joan Treloar. Mary and James Stevenson led the singing.