Lislimnaghan Parish Church

06/09/2026

6th September 2026 - The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

Holy Communion One (page 180
The Collect of Trinity 14
The Epistle - Acts 19 v 1-20
The Gospel - Mark 7 v 24-37

Have you ever encountered the Holy Spirit? Do you know who He is? Can you share with people the truths you know about Him? Can you tell others where He lives or what He does or what He is like? If you can’t, then do not feel too bad, for there are a great number of very sincere Christians who cannot answer the question “Who is the Holy Spirit?”
Paul, writing in the opening verses of Acts 19, tells us that some conscientious Christians he met in Ephesus did not even know that the Holy Spirit existed. These people were believers, they were followers of Jesus, yet they were not complete believers for while they had received the message of John the Baptist and had been baptised by him, they were totally unaware of the Holy Spirit. The great difference between the preaching of John and that of his first cousin Jesus is that John’s teaching was a pronouncement of judgement, whereas the preaching of Jesus was the declaration of good news for all the world and the assurance of God’s love for everyone without exception.
Yet John’s preaching was an essential stage, because in any Christian experience, two distinct yet related steps must be taken. First of all one has to realize our inability to live as we should and the reason for this is that we are all fallen creatures. As we try to improve ourselves we often fail to make any real progress because we try to do it in our own strength. Secondly we need to recognize that sin can be removed but that only Christ has the power to do so. We need to seek His help, to trust Him, and to lean on Him for He is still in the business of changing lives. As we take this step of faith, we discover the joyful fact that it is only by the work of the Holy Spirit can we ever live as we should.
The first century believers at Ephesus were aware of their need for a better life, but they were not aware of the power of the Holy Spirit to enable them to do so. Their experience demonstrates the truth that without the Holy Spirit we cannot please God. Without the Holy Spirit working in our lives we will have an incomplete Christianity. Even after seeing our sins and the need to repent, we cannot change without the aid of the Holy Spirit for He is the one who makes us more like Christ. It is vitally important that like the believers at Ephesus we find the answer to the question “Who is the Holy Spirit?”
We need to be very clear about the fact that Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit is a person. In John 16 v 13 Jesus states, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come”. The Holy Spirit is neither an impersonal force or some sort of influencer, rather He possesses a full personality. A person has been defined as one who when speaking says “I”; when spoken to is called “you”; and when spoken of is called either “him” or “her”. Throughout the Bible personal pronouns are always used when referring to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit possesses the qualities of a person and He acts like a person at all times. He speaks, intercedes, teaches, guides, commands, and can even be insulted and lied to. The Bible always pictures the Holy Spirit as a person and never ever as an impersonal force, and subsequently as a person He can relate fully to us - He understands, He feels for us, and He is our divine Friend and Helper who will never forget us nor forsake us no matter what happens.
The Holy Spirit is actually God and subsequently possesses divine attributes. He is omnipresent, in other words He is present in all places at all times, and He is eternal for He was present when the world was created and will be present here until the very end of time. He is the third person of the Trinity and is equal with God the Father and God the Son. In the Great Commission in Matthew 28 v 19 we are instructed to go, teach, and baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is essentially God’s agent here on earth. In John 14 v 16-17 Jesus promised that He would pray to the Heavenly Father, and that the Father would send the Holy Spirit, who would dwell with us forever. The power of God may be thought of in three ways in relation to the Trinity. It is founded by the father, revealed through the Son, and activated by the Holy Spirit. From the very beginning of time until now, the Holy Spirit has been God’s active agent for whatever work God has to do. The Holy Spirit helped to create the world, Jesus was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. Luke 2 v 40 records that the Holy Spirit was active in the development of Christ as He “grew and became strong” and “was filled with wisdom,” for “the grace of God was on him”. You will recall that during the baptism of Jesus by John in the River Jordan the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove, and we know that the Spirit was present with Jesus during His forty day temptation experience in the wilderness prior to the start of His three year ministry. Luke’s account informs us that the Spirit was upon Jesus throughout that preaching and healing ministry which culminated in His death at Calvary, but that was far from the end of the story for Paul tells us in Romans 8 v 11 that it was the Spirit who “raised Christ from the dead”.
It is important for us to remember also that the Holy Spirit was the one who revealed certain truths to individuals, which they in turn recorded as Holy Scripture, and as we read the Bible it is the same Holy Spirit who opens our eyes and our mind to see and understand all the wonderful truths and promises contained within God’s Word; it is thanks to Him that we have been given “the spirit of wisdom and revelation” (Ephesians 1 v 17). The Holy Spirit is at work in the life of every believer continually making him or her more like Jesus, but He is also busy at work in the Church right across the entire world. We know that it was the Holy Spirit who initially empowered the church and you can read all about that in Acts chapter 1. Then in the opening verses of the next chapter we discover that He was actively involved in the expansion of that emerging church, and in 1 Corinthians 12 v 4-11 He is seen as equipping the church to carry on Christ’s work in the world by imparting many and varied spiritual gifts upon believers. Without the help of the Holy Spirit the church simply would not exist.
So what have we learned about the Holy Spirit? First and foremost He is a person - and thus one who cares for you. Secondly He is deity, the third person in the Trinity - and subsequently one who can help you. And finally He is God’s agent here on earth - active since the time of creation and He is very much instrumental in bringing people to faith for it is He who convicts us of sin and causes us to seek God’s mercy and forgiveness, and then it is He who empowers us for service as we seek to follow Jesus and make a difference in the world.
Listen to what the Holy Spirit says as He extends the very last invitation of the Bible. ‘The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let Him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.’ (Rev. 22 v 17)

03/09/2026

Church Barbecue on 18 September at 7.30pm in aid of Church Building Fund

Admission by ticket only

To purchase tickets please contact
Glenda 07799711727
Canon Derek Quinn or pm the Church page

30/08/2026

Anyone looking numbers contact Rector or any select vestry member or
Pay pal payments can be made to
[email protected]

Would like to draw on Lislimnaghan Bbq night 18th September 2026.
Mumbers left are 55, 57,58,,63, 64,67,70,72, 74,75, 78,80,82, 86,87, 89,91,92, 94,95,96,97,98,99

12/07/2026

On Thursday 28th May, Cappagh and Lislimnaghan Mothers" Union held their annual outing to Kilcootry Barn, Fintona.
On arrival the owner, Anne Johnston had a friendly welcome and chat with everyone. This was followed by a delicious afternoon tea. The ladies were then given a detailed tour of the beautiful surroundings in glorious sunshine.
As our afternoon drew to a close Anne treated us to more mouth watering treats. Everyone had a most enjoyable outing.

12/07/2026

12th July 2026 - The Sixth Sunday after Trinity

Morning Prayer One (Page 84)
Psalm 63 (page 660)
Old Testament Reading - Isaiah 55 v 10-13
Jubilate (page 92)
New Testament Reading - Romans 8 v 1-11
The Collect (page 285)

For my text this morning I want to use the opening verse of Psalm 63 which says, “O God, you are my God, eagerly I seek you; my soul is athirst for you”. As we read the Book of Psalms we quickly discover that the Psalmist was a man of faith who recognized the importance of prayer and who delighted in spending quality time in communion with God. Prayer is as important to the believer as the air that we breathe, and through prayer we can talk to God about anything at any time and anywhere, knowing that our Heavenly Father hears us and that He will answer our requests according to His will because no prayer ever goes unheard or unheeded. Prayer is powerful, prayer changes things, and prayer always precedes blessings.
As you know the church is facing many challenges today with ever falling numbers of regular worshippers and an alarming lack of vocations to the ordained ministry so I want us to think about how we should pray for power in the church.
The obvious starting point is that we need to pray directly like all the people of faith in the Bible did. Nehemiah the prophet just talked to God, as did Habakkuk and numerous other people of faith throughout both the Old and New Testaments. These people prayed with expectation, believing that God would surely act. We need to follow their example. We need to remember that if we need power in our lives, we need only ask God for it. If we need help in our family, we must ask Him! And if we want to see things improve in the church then let the church simply ask the Lord for His power. James 4 v 2 says, “You do not have, because you do not ask God”. And Jesus said in John 16 v 24, “Ask and you will receive”.
We need to pray submissively - that is with a will fully yielded to the Lord. James 4 v 6-7 gives the key to God’s grace - humbling ourselves before Him. David, the King of Israel and author of many of the Psalms humbled himself in prayer, and he writes in Psalm 51 v17 that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise”. To experience blessing we first need to deal with the pride in our lives.
We need to pray earnestly. James 5 v 16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” The word fervent means to have an intense, deeply held wish or desire, so we need to be earnest and intentional in our praying if we really want to see our prayers being answered.
God gives spiritual power when His church reaches the point of desperation in prayer. One Christian writer said “We will never have revival until God has brought the church of Jesus Christ to a point of desperation. As long as Christian people can trust in religious organisations, material wealth, popular preaching, and promotional drives, there will never be revival.” I reckon we are pretty desperate right now if only we would admit it.
We need to learn to pray boldly. John 5 v 14-15 tells us that “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.” Bold praying is faith praying, and it is faith praying because it is according to God’s will. Jesus, in Mark 11 v 24 says, “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”.
The First Century church recognised the importance of prayer. Acts 1 v 14 tells us that “They all joined together constantly in prayer.” God honours unity in prayer, and Jesus tells us that “If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven”. We need to learn to pray unitedly for division and dissension inevitably block revival.
Prayer is essentially spiritual warfare. Satan is continually fighting and attacking the church so we need to wear the Spiritual armour that the Holy Spirit provides if we are to pull down spiritual strongholds. And of course we are to pray continually. Paul instructed his readers on how to pray; “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6 v 18), and in 1 Thessalonians 5 v 17 he admonishes us to “pray without ceasing”. Jesus, similarly taught that “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint”.
Finally, we are to pray thankfully. The spirit of the church is to be one of thankfulness. Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4 v 6-7). The story is told of how a man visited Wales in 1904 to learn the secret of the Welsh revival. Evan Roberts, one of the leaders of the revival, stood up to speak and said, “There is no secret. ‘Ask and ye shall receive.’”
That is the answer. Revival comes to God’s church when His people take prayer seriously, and believe that God can and will answer prayer. The church is His, the battle is His, and He has not given up on the Church. If revival could happen in Wales over a century ago I believe that it can happen here in our land in our day if only we would commit ourselves to praying for it to come and to come soon.

17/06/2026

31/05/2026

31st May 2026 - Trinity Sunday

Morning Prayer Two (page 101)
Psalm 8 (page 600)
Old Testament Reading - Isaiah 40 v 27-31
Great and Wonderful (page 129)
New Testament Reading - Matthew 28 v 16-20
The Collect of Trinity Sunday (page 281)

Today is Trinity Sunday and it serves as a reminder that the God we worship is made up of three distinct persons in one substance - an eternal community of love. To put it simply, each person of the Trinity has a distinct but unified role in the salvation of humanity so let us take a brief look at each one in turn. God the Father is the Creator and source of all life; Jesus, God the Son, is the Saviour who redeems humanity; and God the Holy Spirit, is the Comforter and guide who sustains believers.
In addition to today being Trinity Sunday it is also our Sunday School Prize-giving so today is a really good opportunity for us to thank our Sunday School teachers and to reflect on the things we have learned about God from them. So what did they teach us?
First and foremost we learned that God made the world and everything in it and that it was absolutely perfect until sin entered it thanks to the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
We learned about Noah’s ark and the Great Flood; about Abraham, the Father of the Jewish nation: of Joseph and his coat of many colours; of Moses who led the people out of slavery in Egypt towards the Promised land; of the boy Samuel who heard God’s voice in the night and who was to become the prophet who anointed Saul as the first King of Israel; of David, the shepherd boy who killed the giant Goliath, and was destined to replace Saul as King; of His son Solomon who built the Temple: and the story continues throughout the Old Testament - exciting stories of Prophets, Priests, and Kings who had a special part to play in God’s redemption plan. The Bible tells us clearly of God’s amazing love for His special people, His patience with them despite their rebellion, and His plan to send a Saviour into the world.
When it comes to the New Testament we find all the Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled in the person of Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, who was born to a young virgin called Mary in a lowly stable in Bethlehem, grew up in Joseph’s carpentry shop in Galilee, before beginning His teaching and preaching ministry at the age of thirty. Jesus knew that He could not do everything on His own so He called twelve disciples to help Him build the Kingdom of God. For a period of three years Jesus, usually accompanied by His disciples, went around doing good, healing the sick, and preaching about God’s unconditional love for everyone. Jesus loved people so much that He was even willing to go to the cross at Calvary and to suffer and to die so that they, the guilty ones, might be forgiven.
In today’s reading from Matthew 28 we hear Jesus telling His disciples to go and do with others what He has done with them. In other words, the disciples are being told that they have learned so well that they are now ready to teach like Jesus did, and that is a pretty amazing thing that Jesus is telling His disciples. He is telling them that they are able to teach others the very things He taught them. Sometimes we think that what Jesus did during His time on earth was unique and that no one else could do the things that He did. But Jesus did not think that way and we discover from our reading of the Acts of the Apostles and the various other New Testament letters that His disciples, guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit continued the work which He had begun, and it continues right across the world to this day. Every believer in Jesus ought to be a worker in God’s great harvest field.
We can learn a great deal about Jesus in Sunday School and Church, and we can learn lots of things about God from Jesus - in fact on one occasion, recorded in John 14 v 9 Jesus tells His disciple Philip that “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father”, and in John 10 v 30 Jesus says “I and the Father are One”. l
On this Trinity Sunday we thank God for His amazing love and for all those who have helped us to grow in our faith and understanding, and may we who have learned from them become the teachers of others as Jesus expects us to be.

29/05/2026

We are raising funds for emergency repair work needed for Lislimnaghan Church.
Choose a number 1-100 £10 per number which will be drawn once all numbers sold.
Please see Canon Quinn or a vestry member to take part

1st prize £100
2nd prize £50
3rd prize £25