On Sunday September the 7th all the congregations at St Mark’s Anglican Church Pennant Hills will start a new teaching series on the New Testament Letter called ‘1 Peter’. This is a letter written by Peter, who was one of Jesus’ first disciples and one of Jesus’ closest friends. Peter was also one of those who betrayed his friend and rabbi by pretending that he didn’t know Jesus after he was arrested in Jerusalem – the arrest that ultimately led to his execution by crucifixion.
I sometimes wonder what role the painful memory of his own betrayal of his friend and master played in Peter’s decision to write this letter that we will be studying together over the next few weeks. Because in it he urges Christians who are getting harrassed and discriminated against because of their faith to remain faithful to Jesus their risen king no matter what. The man who knows what it is to deny Christ does not want them to do what he did all those years ago. He wants them to be bold for Christ even when it costs them. I’m pretty sure that he wants that for us to.
This is an ancient letter which speaks powerfully into our 21st century world. I am looking forward to thinking about it a bit more at church in the coming weeks, and if you’d like to join us you’d be more than welcome.
Craig
St Mark’s Pastor