Welcome to St. Nick’s on Sunday 31st August
Dear Friends,
As the summer draws to a close and the evenings begin to cool, we find ourselves entering a season of transition. Nature is quietly shifting around us: leaves hint at change, schools prepare to reopen, and our routines adjust. It is in such moments of change that the Scriptures often speak most powerfully, calling us to pause, to listen, and to realign our lives with the way of Christ.
This Sunday’s readings bring us a strong yet gentle reminder of humility, hospitality, and God’s call to live in love. From Sirach 10, we are warned of the danger of pride: “The beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord.” Pride blinds us to our need of God, while humility opens our hearts to His wisdom. In Hebrews 13, we hear the call to “let mutual love continue” and the striking reminder that by welcoming the stranger, some “have entertained angels without knowing it.” And in Luke 14, Jesus notices how guests at a banquet scramble for the best seats, and instead teaches us to take the lowest place and to welcome those who cannot repay us.
At its heart, this is a vision of a radically different kind of community one where we do not jostle for status or recognition, but where we see each other through the eyes of God. The Kingdom of God turns worldly values upside down. The first are last, the humble are lifted, and strangers are received as family. What would it look like for St. Nicholas Kingsway to be known above all as a place of humility and welcome? Where those on the margins of society found not only a seat at the table but a place of honour in our hearts?
The key takeaway for us this week is simple but not easy: our discipleship must be marked by humility and radical hospitality. This does not mean false modesty or allowing ourselves to be trampled upon. It means choosing to see Christ in the other, even when it costs us our comfort, even when it disrupts our routines, even when it challenges our pride.
Interestingly, recent research in the UK has shown that volunteering and acts of community service rise sharply in places where a culture of hospitality is encouraged. During last year’s “Warm Welcome” campaign, churches and community centres saw not just an increase in attendance but a real change in people’s lives. In other words, when we practise hospitality, it doesn’t just bless others it transforms whole communities.
As we step into this new season, may we be a church that resists the pull of pride and status. May we be a people who set a longer table rather than build a higher wall. And may every act of welcome whether offering a cup of tea, greeting someone at the door, or inviting a neighbour into our home become a window into the hospitality of Christ Himself.
With every blessing for the week ahead,
Revd Dr Augustine Tanner-Ihm
Lead Minister, St. Nicholas Kingsway
Wednesday midweek Holy Communion 10.30 am
Our Wednesday services continue every week at 10.30am with a short, said service of Holy Communion. Followed by refreshments and a chat!
#Everyonewelcome #Refreshments
Sunday 31st August
On Sunday 31st August, Trinity 11, we will welcome our lead minister Rev Augustine to preside and preach at the Eucharistic Service starting at 10.30am. Music will be provided by our MD Ollie Mills, with readings and prayers from St.Nick’s team
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Nestled in the heart of the communities of East Didsbury and Burnage, St Nicholas Church stands as a beacon of faith, hope, and love. Under the devoted leadership of our Lead Minister, Revd Dr Augustine Tanner-Ihm, OMS, we are a vibrant, inclusive, and intergenerational Christian community committed to living out the bold faith of Jesus Christ.
