This next week promises to be a busy one, so here’s a reminder of what’s happening at GPCC over the next few days.

Sunday 25th November

Our services are at 10.30 a.m. (Communion service) and 6 p.m. (evening service with Sunday School). After the evening service, we’ll need help clearing the stage, ready for the ‘Job & Jingle’ show tomorrow.

Monday 26th November

‘Churches Together’ will be hosting 4FrontTheatre who are coming to Goldthorpe with their Christmas pantivity, ‘Job & Jingle’. We’ll be in Goldthorpe Primary School in the morning and in the afternoon pupils from Sacred Heart Primary School will be visiting us to see the show. In the evening, there will be another performance at 6.30 p.m. We are sold out for this event, so please only come if you have reserved your free tickets. We are so excited to be invovled with this Christmas show which helps us to prepare for the Christmas reason and consider what it’s all about!

Thursday 29th November

Another opportunity to pray together at 7.30 p.m. There is so much to pray for in our local community and it’s good to draw together to pray. If you can set aside an hour, do come along on Thursday evening to pray with us.

Friday 30th November

We have our Parent & Toddler group in the morning (9.30 -11.00 a.m.) and will be hosting the ‘Little Movers’ session in the afternoon (1.30-2.30 p.m.), run by the local Family Centre. This is a music and movement session for children aged 18 months to 4 years, so please come along to that if you can. 50p for the Parent & Toddler groupl; £1.50 for the ‘Little Movers’ session.

Saturday 1st December

On Saturday 1st December we’ll have our coffee morning as usual in the morning (10 a.m. – 12 p.m.) and in the evening at 6 p.m. we’ll be holding a baptismal service for James. Do come along (with cakes and mince pies!) to celebrate the new life that James has received since becoming a Christian! A baptismal service is a fantastic witness, so invite your friends and family to join us!

There’s so much more happening in December, but that’s another story!

Ps 148:14 answers the age-old question ‘Who are we?’ So often, this question of identity nags at us individually and collectively; we need a sense of identity to find purpose and meaning in life. Eph 1:11 in the Message version says, ‘It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.’ This psalm of praise has similar answers for God’s people.

Firstly, it reminds us that God has done something for ‘His people’. In sending His only Son, Jesus, to be the atoning sacrifice for sin, He has actually made those who were far off and not His people into His people (see 1 Pet 2:9-10, Eph 2:11-22, Hos 1:8-11) Those who call on the name of the Lord are not only saved, they are also born again and adopted into His family as children of God. (John 1:12, Rom 8:15)

Amazingly, God’s people are also described as ‘His faithful servants’ and ‘Israel’, again showing us that God’s sovereignty and choice grant us access to a new relationship with Him. There is a wondrous balance in the descriptions given to God’s people. That relationship is described at times in very intimate terms (as a child, as the bride of Christ, as a friend), but we are also reminded that we are servants who have been bought at a price. (1 Cor 6:19-20). This is not a negative description, for we are described also in this psalm as being ‘close to His heart’ (see also Is 40:11). God has done so much for us in rescuing us from the kingdom of darkness and bringing us into the kingdom of light. The only right response to the new identity given to us by God (see 2 Cor 5:17) is worship and service.

In Psalm 148:14, we find reference to God raising up for His people a horn, an image which to modern eyes probably conveys very little. In the Bible, however, the ‘horn’ features frequently in different guises, all of which point us to Jesus Christ (‘the horn of salvation’ raised up for us, according to Zechariah in Luke 1:69).

Obviously, in its most literal interpretation, a horn is a protrusion on certain animals such as bulls (Deut 33:17). The horn can be used by the animal in attack, defence and to secure dominance (think of the rhino’s ‘bodger on the bonce’, for example, to quote Flanders and Swann), and as such the word became synonymous metaphorically with strength, power and domination. (1 Sam 2:10, Ps 75:10) Kings were often described as having ‘horns’ (see Dan 7:7, 24) and when God’s power is displayed to defeat enemies, this is described as a ‘horn’ being cut off (see Jer 48:25).

Other uses of the word ‘horn’ in the Old Testament include the use of horns as trumpets (most notably in the fall of Jericho – see Josh 6:4-5) and as receptacles for holding the anointing oil (1 Sam 16:1,3; 1 Kings 1:39). Other Old Testament usages of the word refer to the protrusion at each corner of the altar (Exodus 27:2). In worship, the horns of the altar were dabbed with blood to purify them and make atonement for sin (Leviticus 8:15; Lev 4:6) and these were sometimes clung on to by those accused of crimes (see 1 Kings 1:50, 1 Kings 2:28).

Ultimately, Ps 148, Ps 18:2 and Luke 1:69 reminds us that God’s strength and power are total and are seen in the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. “The salvation Jesus offers is strong, triumphant, and powerful. Just like the horns on the altar offered refuge and atonement, Jesus offers clemency and cleansing through His death on the cross. However strong our spiritual foe, the horn of our salvation is stronger still.”[1] We can be confident in God’s ultimate power and dominion; we can rest in the horn of His strength.

[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/horn-of-salvation.html

The second half of Psalm 148 calls for praise ‘from the earth’, listing sea creatures, all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds, mountains, hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, along with kings, princes, rulers, young men and women, old men and children (Ps 148:7-12) – a selective list that is clearly intended to be all-inclusive!

Again, both animate and inanimate objects are included in the list: there literally is nothing on earth which is not commanded to praise God. Michael Wilcock says, “The picture’s grandeur, its comprehensiveness, is highlighted by the repeated all – all angels, all stars, all depths, all hills, all cattle, all nations. Even all rulers! Everything and everyone, from the angels of God to the most powerful and godless of men, are to recognise the supremacy of Israel’s Lord – the one who has made himself known to those alone, ‘the people close to his heart.’” (Commentary on Psalms 73-150, P 281)

Reasons are again given for this command. First and foremost, we are called to praise God ‘for His name alone is exalted.’ (Ps 148:13) His splendour and majesty deserve praise. We praise God primarily for who He is, for His character and nature which are so utterly holy, loving and merciful. Secondly, however, we are called to praise God for what He has done for His people: ‘He has raised up a horn’ (Ps 148:14). God’s strength and power are shown in so many different ways, not least in providing for us ‘a horn of salvation’ (Luke 1:69) in Jesus Christ. Our God is near to us (see Deut 4:7, Phil 4:5), caring for us each moment of each day. There are so many reasons to praise Him!

Psalm 148 is another psalm of exuberant praise, calling all creation to praise the Lord. The first half of the psalm looks at heavenly praise: ‘Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above.’ (Ps 148:1) Angels, heavenly hosts, sun, moon, stars, highest heavens and waters above the heavens are all urged to praise the Lord. (Ps 148:2-4), with reasons for praising by these creatures and creations given (Ps 148:5-6).

It can be hard for us sometimes to think of heavenly praise, for it is beyond our natural understanding. Scripture makes it plain that God created all things (see Gen 1, Ps 33:6,9) and angelic praise is described in many parts of the Bible (e.g. Is 6:1-3, Rev 5:11-12). In the Old Testament, ‘heavens’ is used in different ways: Michael Wilcock says this psalm talks of the heavens in all sense of the word: ‘where the angels sing; where the stars shine; where the rain clouds fly.’ Ps 19:1 has already taught us that the heavens declare the glory of God (see also Ps 98:7-8, Is 55:12) and it is interesting to ponder how creation can ‘praise the Lord’, given that we associate this so often with verbal praise. Horne says, “Though they have neither speech nor language, and want the tongue of men, yet by their splendour and magnificence, their motions and their influences, all regulated and exerted according to the ordinance of their Maker, do, in a very intelligible and striking manner, declare the glory of God.” However we interpret the ‘highest heavens’ (some believe this is a reference to planets and galaxies), this psalm leaves us in no doubt that all of creation is made by God (‘at His command they were created’ Ps 148:5) and are sustained by Him (‘he issued a decree that will never pass away’ Ps 148:6) Creation praises God by calling attention to all He has made, simply by ‘being’ what He meant it to be. That has huge implications for us too. Creation’s worship is both visible and constant, another reminder of what God wants our worship to be like. Worship, ultimately, involves surrender to God’s ways and focuses attention on Him. Many may exalt the created realm, marvelling at the wonders of astronomy and nature, but creation itself is called to honour God and praise Him.

The Advent Sheep Trail is about to start in Goldthorpe, Bolton-on-Dearne and Thurnscoe.

The idea of this is that 10 knitted sheep per village are given to different shops and public buildings and people have to find the names of the sheep in those buildings. Leaflets are being given out to local primary schools and are available in the shops themselves. When you’ve found the 10 names and filled in the leaflet, you can bring this (with your name and contact details) to the ‘Churches Together’ Christmas Sheep Service on Saturday 15th December between 2 and 4 p.m. at the Salvation Army in Goldthorpe. We’ll put all the entries into a box and draw out a winner for each village… with the lucky winner getting a Christmas hamper (and maybe a sheep too!)

Today, the first lot of sheep ventured out into Goldthorpe. They can be found in the following places:

1. Goldthorpe Library
2. Terry’s DIY
3. Staniforth’s Bakery
4. Coopland’s
5. Hollygrove
6. BARC
7. MarcoPaolo’s
8. Young ‘Uns
9. Sarah’s Pantry
10. Post Office

Here’s what the leaflet looks like…

Sheep and leaflets will be distributed in Thurnscoe and Bolton-on-Dearne later this week or early next week.