Takeley Chapel

Meetings at the Chapel

Posted on Dec 22, 2024 by M Emlyn Humphries

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Welcome

Posted on Apr 10, 2017 by M Emlyn Humphries

Please join us to find a place of prayer and rest in a busy week. From intimacy in prayer God is able to do many things.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives
May you never give up praying.
When you pray, may you keep alert and be thankful.
Pray that together we may make the message of the mystery of Christ as clear as possible.
Amen
(Based on Colossians 3 and 4)

Readings for Sunday: Vanderbilt Divinity Library

Meeting Resources Join our Classroom

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We appear foolish

Posted on Jan 25, 2026 by M Emlyn Humphries

Audio Link

Follow me says Jesus- how their hearts must have been warmed to immediately follow the call.

To leave boats, to leave parents.

Follow me – the kingdom of heaven is at hand and it is good news.

Follow me – Jesus proclaims the coming of his kingdom of light – out of Galilee – his new home.

Come let us fish for people!

The LORD is my light and salvation, declares the psalmist, “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”

Peter, Andrew, brothers James and John follow, and might they know, in their hearts the sense of the Psalm,

The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear, The LORD is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?

Jesus’ home is now in Capernaum, a refugee from persecution. John has been arrested and Jesus takes up his mantle and proclaims, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. Elisha is greater than Elijah. The followers share his life, they walk in Jesus’ shadow, seeking the rule of heaven, the way of Jesus, turning from darkness to light. This is good news

Isaiah declares that those who walk in darkness see a great light.

The darkness of the gentiles is pierced with light. There is victory in the cross, victory as in the time of Gideon when against all odds there was victory in Midian.

We too are a small band. A family. Brothers and sisters.

Paul reminds us to include and not other.

John preached repentance; Jesus took up his cause – emptying himself.

Pride in our ways, our traditions, empties Christ of power.

Look at us, truly we appear foolish. Why bother?

No!

What we have is the power of the cross – good news;

Beautiful news;

The truth.

See the Nations are healed, the people are cured.

And so we follow Jesus and sing:

One thing I ask of the LORD,

this I seek;

to live in the house of the lord

all the days of my life,

to behold the beauty of the LORD

and to inquire in his temple.

And so we gather, little children, beloved of God, appearing foolish

To share the light,

to share our being,

to love one another,

to break bread.

To behold beauty as we share our hearts, troubled though they might be: in anguish.

And we wait, we tarry to serve the LORD.

To serve in loving one another;

to serve in sharing the good news.

This is healing, this is goodness, righteousness and true.

Come let us follow Jesu.

Grace and peace to you all.

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What are you looking for?

Posted on Jan 18, 2026 by M Emlyn Humphries

John, declares, testifies and exclaims as to who Jesus is and two of John’s disciples follow Jesus. This is what Jesus asks them, What are you looking for? Their answer is to call him Teacher or Master and ask where he is staying. They have heard from John that he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit and the Chosen One. John has come to this revelation by hearing and seeing a sign and is clearly astonished, saying, I myself did not know him. Jesus’ answer to his new followers’ question is, Come and see.

The psalm tells us of the LORD, Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear… and the psalmist continues, …in the scroll of the book it is written of me. And declares, I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is written within my heart… I have not hidden your saving help within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and salvation… This is John’s testimony. John says, I came baptising with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel… I my self have seen and testified that this is the Chosen One.

Come and see, Jesus says. Isaiah prophesies, Thus says the LORD, the redeemer of Israel and His Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, “Kings shall see and standup; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” The tables are turned on the rulers of this world by Jesus. I believe the Principalities and Powers gaze in fear at the Chosen One revealed over those three days at Bethsaida beyond the Jordan . The prophet has seen that the promised one is to be, a light to the nations.

Teacher, where are you staying? The two followers ask. Come and see, says Jesus. They spend the day with Jesus, and there was morning, then there was evening, four o’clock in the afternoon, and they knew a moment of change, We have found the Messiah. They had found the anointed one, the Christ.

And what of us, what are we looking for? Paul reminds us that we have been enriched in him and that we are not lacking in any gift, and that, God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Maybe, having spent this time with him, this is our four o’clock in the afternoon time. Grace and peace to you all.