Judith Russenberger

Counting on … day 81

8th April 2024

Carbon Tax -1

“A carbon tax is a tax levied on the carbon emissions from producing goods and services. Carbon taxes are intended to make visible the hidden social costs of carbon emissions. They are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by essentially increasing the price of fossil fuels. This both decreases demand for goods and services that produce high emissions and incentivises making them less carbon-intensive.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_tax

Many definitions of a carbon tax say it is designed to address the social cost of carbon emissions which is interesting. There is certainly a social cost in terms of threats to the stability of social systems, but the carbon tax (surely?) should aim to tackled those threats -physical ones arising from adverse weather and rising sea levels, and economic ones rising from the adverse affects of climate change on growing crops, ensuring a healthy work force and protecting commercial buildings from damage.

The aim of a carbon tax should be to reduce and ultimately curtail the use of fossil fuels, whilst at the same time encouraging the development and use of alternative renewable energy. There will be a transition period as rapid changes cannot be made overnight.

For example, to make transport systems free of fossil fuels, needs the development and delivery of sufficient electric vehicles, associated charging points and a proportionate increase in renewable energy supplies. It might also need to develop a wider spread, more frequent and affordable public transport system as a means of making best use of the resources needed to make both vehicles and batteries. A carbon tax would be too blunt an instrument to achieve all these changes unless supported by legislation outlining the changes needed, and by grants and subsides to enable smaller and more vulnerable businesses and customers to make the transition.

Second Sunday of Easter

7th April 2024

Reflection – readings follow on below

This short passage from Acts seems almost too good to be true; more like a vision of what our communities could be. It describes a community where loving one’s neighbour as one self is a lived out expression. It is also a community empowered by the grace that comes from Jesus, and a community that is willing and able to proclaim to the wider populace.

It is the sort of community that is prefigured in the feeding of the 5000; in the healing of the sick regardless of who or where they are; in the washing of feet; in the trust of the disciples who set out on journeys without money or food or spare clothes relying instead on the generosity of others; in the sharing of the bread and wine; and in taking risks together. It is a community that can supply a or an upper room on demand. It is the sort of community that could, and should, be described as a resurrection community – a community shaped and empowered by the resurrection.

What then is the power of the resurrection? The passage from John’s letter is not that lucid, but I think it begins by saying that the word of life which is a metaphor for Jesus Christ, is in essence the means of entering eternal life with the God the Father. Through fellowship with Jesus we have union with all that is God. This is made possible because through Jesus our sins are forgiven so that we can once more live in the light – the truth – that is God. And perhaps even more importantly it is not just our individual sins are redeemed, but also our corporate sins, the sins of the world.

The power of the resurrection can perhaps then be understood as the fellowship with God and the redemption of sins, that enables us to live the good neighbourly life of the kingdom of God here on earth – a lifestyle such as glimpsed in Acts. If we are looking for evidence of the power of the resurrection at work, we need to look for such glimpses, where people – and indeed all living beings – live together in peace and harmony. Perhaps we see the commitment to such a future in aid workers and journalists who are willing to risk their lives to protect the people of Gaza. In the people who campaign against poverty, who provide practical solutions for people trying to make a living in the face of the climate crisis. In the lawyers who campaign against the misuse of power by large organisations. In the people who restore biodiversity. In the people who supply and those who run food banks.

Today’s gospel comes in two halves. In the first the risen Jesus comes to the disciples. They seem to be locked away, perhaps even hiding, in a house, full of fear. Jesus speaks to them, ‘Peace’.

The word in Greek is eiréné and means peace of mind and of the health and wellbeing of the individual. It comes from the root eirō meaning to join, tie together into a whole and can thus have the sense of the gift of wholeness. And Jesus then breathes on them the gift of the Holy Spirit, and gives them the agency with which to forgive sins. Thus he enacts for them what the resurrection means.

The second part of the gospel concerns Thomas who was not present and had not seen or touched the risen Jesus. So eight days later (ie on the first day of the new week) Jesus comes again and specifically addresses Thomas. Thomas now believes without reservation. He is drawn into that relationship, that fellowship with God, that is at the heart of the meaning of resurrection. But is this encounter just for Thomas’s benefit, or is it so that we too can hear Jesus’s words? – “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

There are many ways of being witnessed to the resurrection of Jesus other than seeing. The different gospels suggest that we can know the truth of the resurrection and the reality of Jesus’s presence through the words of scripture, through the sharing of bread, through the witness of others, through asking, and through the openness that allows us to hear Jesus’s reply.

May we all be open to receive the power of the resurrection so that we can make the life of the kingdom of God real and present.

Acts 4:32-35

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Psalm 133

1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live together in unity!

2 It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the beard,

3 Upon the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the collar of his robe.

4 It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills of Zion.

5 For there the Lord has ordained the blessing: *
life for evermore.

1 John 1:1-2:2

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life– this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us– we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Counting on … day 80

5th April 2024

Green Steel

Steel manufacturing produces more CO2 than any other heavy industry, comprising around 8% of total global emissions.

Traditionally steel is made in a blast furnace where the iron ore is he@ted at high temperatures together with coal. As the coal burns it produces carbon monoxide which bonds with and removes oxygen in the iron ore so purifying it to produce metallic iron. The carbon monoxide binding with oxygen becomes carbon dioxide and is one of the main sources of carbon emissions. Other sources of emissions will vary depending how the furnace is heated etc.

The industry is developing various ways of producing steel without – or with reduced – carbon dioxide emissions – known as green steel.

Replacing coal with hydrogen: Green steel can be produced by using hydrogen to remove the oxygen from the the ore – producing water (H2O). Ideally this would be green hydrogen – ie hydrogen produced using renewable energy. This method of producing steel requires heating the furnace to a higher temperature.

Reusing existing steel: steel can easily be recycled in arc furnaces powered by electricity – which ideally would be electricity from renewable energy sources with no carbon dioxide emissions.

Around 30% of the world’s steel is made from recycled steel. However steel cannot be recycled endlessly without loss of quality. Each time it is recycled the proportion of unwanted elements such as copper, nickel and tin increases. On the other hand steel has long in-use life which means that the amount of steel made available for recycling does not at present keep up with the growing demand for more steel. Our modern economies are big users of steel!

(For more detail see https://theconversation.com/green-steel-is-hailed-as-the-next-big-thing-in-australian-industry-heres-what-the-hype-is-all-about-160282)

Which ever form of green steel is produced, the availability of large amounts of renewable energy is going to be critical.

As important will be the way the transition is managed as furnaces are large and highly expensive pieces of kit – ie needing substantial investment – and can take years to install which in some instances has led to workers being laid off – as is proposed at the Tata steel works in Port Talbot. (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/mar/25/tata-port-talbot-job-losses-labour-subsidy?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other).

Other important issues to address are how steel is used – with product design ensuring a long life, whether other materials could be used – timber for example in building construction, and how effectively scrap steel is collected and recycled.

Further reading – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64538296

Counting on … day 79

4th April 2024

Bioenergy can also be obtained from trees – the timber is burnt to either as direct form of heat from a stove of fire, or in a power station to drive steam turbines that generate electricity. Burning timber is the most common form of bioenergy used in the UK. Whilst it can be claimed that only waste timber is used – cuts and shavings from timber plants – the reality is that power stations such as Drax import timber which already starts to add to its carbon footprint. International rules imported timber is zero carbon as the emissions are counted in the country where the trees are harvested. In fact these emissions are often not recorded at all. And whilst the timber arrives here as preformed pellets, the timber intact comes from whole trees from mono culture plantations or from virgin forests.

In reality burning timber as a bioenergy is not a zero carbon option. The carbon stored in the timber is going to be released at some point in the future but if that tree is left to grow, and in its own good time, die, that carbon is locked in longer. Even better as the tree decays in its natural environment it will take years to decay during which time it will provide a habitat for a great variety of different plants and creatures. Further a large part of the carbon will be absorbed into the soil, again storing it away. If on the other hand the tree, having been felled, is used to make doors, floor boards, paper, furniture etc so the carbon is locked away for many more years to come.

For further reading – https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-we-do/influence-government-and-business/nature-protection-and-restoration/bioenergy

Is burning wood for energy worse for the climate than coal?

Biomass Basics

Carbon capture and storage CCS for the ongoing burning of fossil fuels to generate energy – https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/26/tone-deaf-fossil-gas-growth-in-europe-is-speeding-climate-crisis-say-activists?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … day 78

3rd April 2024

Biofuels are fuels derived from biomass such as plant material, food waste, algae, or animal waste. There are two forms of biofuel –

“Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermentation, mostly from carbohydrates produced in sugar or starch crops such as maize, sugarcane, or sweet sorghum. Cellulosic biomass, derived from non-food sources, such as trees and grasses, is also being developed as a feedstock for ethanol production. Ethanol can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form (E100), but it is usually used as a gasoline additive to increase octane ratings and improve vehicle emissions.

And “Biodiesel is produced from oils or fats using transesterification. It can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form (B100), but it is usually used as a diesel additive to reduce levels of particulates, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons from diesel-powered vehicles.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofuel)

Brazil is the largest producer of bioethanol and the EU is the largest producer of biodiesel.

Both forms of biofuel differ from fossil fuels in that they are produced from organic materials being grown now as opposed to using organic materials that were decomposing millions of years ago.

Both produce greenhouse gas emissions but less than do fossil fuels. Biofuels may be made using only waste materials, but often are made from crops that have been specifically grown for this purpose. This may have the affect of diverting land that would otherwise be used for growing food, or may involve deforestation to create new crop lands.

Drax power station which burns timber as a biofuel to generate electricity uses wood pellets. Although wood pellets can be made from waste wood, most of the pellets that are burnt at Drax are made from whole trees that were once growing in virgin forests in South Carolina and British Columbia. These are then imported to the UK. For more information- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68381160

Counting on … day 77

2nd April 2024

Land management is key in reducing damaging emissions and improving biodiversity. This is acknowledged by the Government but not always pursued.

“Globally, around a quarter of GHGs come from land management activities, including deforestation and agriculture. However, terrestrial and marine ecosystems take up carbon dioxide equivalent to over half of the emissions caused by people. The challenge is to reduce anthropogenic emissions and increase uptake by ecosystems, storing carbon in soils, sediments and vegetation….

“In the UK our land, coast and seas have been managed for millennia to provide food and other resources for people. Some patterns of management were sustainable over the centuries, supporting biodiversity and storing carbon as well as providing for the needs of people. However, there has also been habitat destruction and degradation, leading to declining biodiversity and substantial emissions of carbon to the atmosphere.

“Repairing this damage to stop emissions and capture more carbon is an essential element of achieving net zero, alongside deep cuts in emissions from other sectors such as energy and transport. The Climate Change Committee estimates that 20% of agricultural land will need to be released before 2050 to deliver actions that reduce emissions and sequester carbon. Such a shift in land use change will require us to prioritise opportunities that also deliver wider co-benefits for climate change adaptation, biodiversity, water management, air quality and soil health.”

Natural England publishes major new report on carbon storage and sequestration by habitat

Prayer walk for Earth Day

Today is Earth Day!
22nd April is Earth Day. I shall be leading a prayer walk to mark this, setting out from St James’s Church Piccadilly at noon. We shall be using these prayers – if you plan to come, you might print of a set using this link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ISH4g3rZoU1Ya6AqrT5f4nXPHB3hbQ9M/view?usp=drivesdk

– but feel free to use them even if you are not coming in person.

If you want to print a placard to bring follow this link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1igXP5i7pAFtrzkz17q0jJ5DkMI3spd02/view?usp=drivesdk

Route – https://www.plotaroute.com/route/2563016

Start at St James’s Church

The Church

Christians and the church have a God-given role in caring for and working with the environment.

Genesis 2:5 “The Lord God took and put the human in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.”

This mandate is included in the Church of England’s five marks of mission – the fifth mark: “To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth”.

Pope Francis has written extensively about the importance of care for creation in his encyclicals Laudate Si and Laudate Deum.

As Christians there are times when we have failed to live up to this calling and need to repent. And there are times when we have been able to celebrate the wonders of creation, acknowledging that we are brothers and sisters sharing in common with all parts of the created world.

Prayer of Pope Francis from Laudate Si:

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognise that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.

1 Vine Street

The Plastic Industry

We are outside the UK offices of LyondellBasell. This company is the largest licensor of polyethylene and polypropylene technologies. It also produces ethylene, propylene, polyolefins, and oxyfuels, in large refineries and chemical plants in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Texas, India and China.

Plastics have played an important role in improving life for many – clean water, medical aid, waterproofs – but now plays an even bigger role in polluting the earth: microplastics have now been found in on Mount Everest, in fish that live in deep ocean trenches, frozen in the Arctic ice and in human blood. Its resistance to decay means plastics will hang around in the environment causing pollution for centuries to come.

But who is to blame? Who should be held responsible for rectifying the problem? The manufacturers? The companies who use plastic for their products and packaging? The consumers who buy the products?

Prayer

God, the creator of heaven and earth,

You have given us the gift of inventiveness.

We created plastics with good intentions

but failed to recognise the harm and damage they cause.

Give us the will and the determination to make good the damage we have caused,

To recycle and remove plastics from the environment.

Inspire us to create better, safer alternatives.

We pray for the successful introduction of the Global Plastics Treaty.

Gracious God, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Regent Street

Consumerism

Regent Street has been a prime shopping street since 1825 and attracts many shoppers from all parts of the UK and across the world. Retail turnover in the West End totalled £8 billion in 2022 and is expected to top £10 billion by 2025.

But consumerism drives the consumption of the world’s limited resources at the expense of the poor and at the expense of the environment. The more we shop the greater our carbon footprint and often the greater our contribution to landfill. The richest one percent of the world’s population are responsible for more than twice as much carbon pollution as the 3.1 billion people who made up the poorest half. The top 1% have carbon footprints that exceed 50 tonnes per person when the average is 4.7 tonnes.

As consumers we may be willing or unwilling victims of the power of advertising. We can get sucked into a system that encourages us to buy more and more and not worry about the impact on the environment. Our current rate of consumption is now such that we need 1.7 earths to sustain our lifestyle.

Prayer

God, creator of heaven and earth,

You have given us a world full of resources

with which to fulfil our needs,

yet we are avaricious and always demand more.

We ignore the damage we are causing the earth

with our greed,

and we ignore the poverty we inflict on our fellow brethren

through taking way more than our fair share,

and we ignore the harm we cause to ourselves

as we constantly seek to outdo our neighbour.

Gracious God, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

1 Eagle Place

The Arms Industry

Here we are outside the UK headquarters of Leonardo which designs, develops and manufactures weapons, armaments and helicopters – both commercial and military. It contributes £1.9 billion to the UK’s GDP, and 45% of its sales are made to customers within the UK.

Global spending on arms rose by 9% to a record $2.2tn during 2023. Often referred to as defence equipment, the growth in arms has not brought an end to war and conflict in the world. Wars do not reconcile the injustices that lead to conflict, nor do they build peace.

Instead armed conflict kills and maims people, destroys homes, infrastructure and communities. It pollutes the soil, the air, and water systems, destroys crops, and wrecks ecosystems.

Prayer from the Community of Nails

Litany of Reconciliation

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class,

Father forgive.

The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own,

Father, forgive.

The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth,

Father, forgive.

Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others,

Father, forgive.

Our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee,

Father, forgive.

The lust which dishonours the bodies of men, women and children,

Father, forgive.

The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God,

Father, forgive.

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Amen.

1 St James Square

The Fossil Fuel Industry

BP is the eighth largest oil company globally, base on revenue but faces conflict with shareholders because it has – more than other fossil fuel companies – also invested in green energy such as solar, wind and biofuels, against the time when demand for oil falls. Such ventures are expensive and do not as yet, bring in the same returns as the highly profitable returns on oil and gas. Nevertheless BP’s annual profits more than doubled to £23bn in 2022 after a sharp increase in gas prices linked to the Ukraine war. Even so, with a new CEO, BP is drawing back on green energy and expanding once its fossil fuel ventures.

Fossil fuel companies bear a heavy responsibility for the escalating climate crisis and the damage it is causing to all earth systems. Fossil fuels are – and have been for been for the last 100 plus years, the main source of CO2 emissions. In 2023 this industry produced 35 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide raising the concentration in the earth atmosphere to a high of 420 ppm (NB this is still rising). Their failure to curb output and to instead transition at speed and with fairness to renewable energy is surely criminal. Their role in hiding the truth about carbon emissions and their misuse of their power to persuade governments not to act against the expansion of their industry, is surely criminal.

Creator God,

source of power and might,

you gave us the sun and the wind,

the tides and seasons:

we have ample means to generate energy

without damaging the earth.

Change the hearts and minds

of those trapped in the outdated fossil fuel world,

to recognise the harm that has been caused

and to embrace the change that is possible.

Give them courage to take the lead,

to place the common good above profits.

Gracious God,

In your mercy hear our prayer.

6 St James’ Square

The Mining and Extractive Industries.

Rio Tinto is the second biggest mining and minerals corporation with projects in all parts of the world, producing iron ore, aluminium, copper, diamonds, lithium, and industrial minerals such as borates, titanium dioxide and salt. Its ethical and environmental standards have frequently been called into question at sites in Canada, Western Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Guinea, provoking objections from governments, environmentalists and academics.

Mining and other extractive industries denude the earth of valuable resources that cannot be replaced – we can only hope that these resources are being retained and recycled for generations to come. In 2019 3.2 billion tonnes of minerals and ore were mined, of which 94% were iron ore. Australia has the largest reserves of iron ore – 58 billion tonnes.

Methods of production often cause widespread damage to both the environment and to wellbeing of their workers and of nearby communities – as companies seek to maximise profits. The failure of companies to repair the damage they have caused, only adds to the misery they cause.

But we too as consumers must be aware of our own complicity. We have become to used to consuming things without questioning where or how they were produced, or how the raw materials were extracted, nor how – if at all – the product can be recycled at the end of its life.

Creator God,

you have given us a world full

of raw materials

with which we can make and grow

the things we need.

Too easily we are overcome

by apparent abundance,

that we do not safeguard

people and places, habitats and landscapes.

Release from the grips of profit seeking and greed.

Teach us the ways of sufficiency and conservation,

that we may live simply so that all may simply live.

Gracious God,

In your mercy hear our prayer.

181 Piccadilly

The Food Industry

Fortnum and Mason was established as a grocery store in 1707. Although it has since expanded into a department store, its food hall is still its most renowned feature, with a reputation for supplying high end speciality items. In 2010 it was targeted by the animal right group PETA UK for its sale of foie gras – the production of which involves considerable animal cruelty. In 2020, Fortnum and Mason replace foie gras with foie royals which is said to be more ethical.

The farming of land and animals, the production of food and its dietary quality, the distribution and availability of food are all crucial to the way in which the earth is cared for and its populations fed. In the name of profits, it is sadly all to easy for large corporations to ignore or overlook the damage their industry is causing the world. Deforestation, mono cultures and soil depletion are all endangering the ability of the earth to provide food for future generations.

We too as consumers have a responsibility to consider the impact of what we eat. If we are both to reduce carbon emissions to a safe level and ensure that enough food is produced to feed everyone, we need to reduce our consumption of meat and dairy produce. Livestock farming takes up nearly 80% of global agricultural land, yet produces less than 20% of the world’s supply of calories, and accounts for about 14% of global emissions.

Creator God,

who made both animals and humans

to tend and nourish the earth,

we repent for the times

we have mistreated our creaturely brethren,

for the times we have despoiled the soil,

and for the times we have not shared

the earth’s bountiful harvest fairly.

Help us once again to re-establish

honourable relationships with all creatures,

to nurture the soil with understanding

and to ensure that all receive their daily bread.

Gracious God,

In your mercy hear our prayer.

Return to St James’s Piccadilly

Our final prayer comes from an ancient holy person called Brendanus Scotus

Come Lord Christ, king of the earth,

lead us as we walk with you

that the earth may be healed.

Come, Holy Spirit hovering over the water

and guide us as we sail to you,

that the waters may flow with life.

Come, you angels of the fire and light

and show us how to dance with you,

that in the light may be born

the flame of love.

Come, you breath of the air,

and inspire us with the breath of you,

that the air may reverberate with

the sound of the word.

Come, Lady Mary and the saints of heaven

and help us to pray with you,

that the earth may be redeemed through

the love of Christ. Amen.

Easter Day

31st March 2024

Reflection, with readings below

Why were the women going to the tomb that Sunday morning? To express their love for Jesus and their grief for his death? The gospel tells us that they were taking spices to anoint his body and yet as they approach they are still puzzling how they will move the stone so that they can get to his body. They are setting out on a task which they don’t think they can complete! Maybe they are of the thinking that it is better to at least try than to give up straight away. Maybe they have an optimist approach that says something might turn up. Maybe they have a faith that says, go and God will provide.

I wonder what obstacles we imagine that we think will stop us doing what Jesus would want? Are they truly impossible obstacles? Are they sufficiently obstructive to warrant not having a go anyway? Maybe we need to ask God for a little more faith, a bit more confidence?

In John’s gospel narrative, Jesus tells his disciples

“Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.”

Seeds are at vulnerable things. Some never germinate – perhaps they don’t fall into the right soil; perhaps they lack a supportive environment. Did Jesus deliberately choose something small and insignificant to tell this parable? Is he reminding us that even if we think our lives are small and insignificant, they are actually the means of great potential – if we use them aright. Is Jesus reminding us that in life we have to take risks – even the risk of forgoing life as we know it – that we have to take a step of faith into the unknown, that we have to be confident that God will be with us all the way – through the trials as well as the good times? Is that not the challenge of Easter Day? That today we are being invited to step in to a new life, into a world where things will need to be done differently, that we are being invited to follow Jesus into new territories, to meet new situations, to form new relationships?

An article in the Guardian this weekend told the story of Vivienne Sansour, who since 2016 has been collecting seeds from farms, gardens and wild patches in the West Bank to form the Palestinian Heirloom Seed Library. The seeds represent both the traditional farming and food practices of the Palestinian people, and their intimate relationship with the local environment. As their access to land is being curtailed by the Israeli authorities and settlers, so this Library becomes more and more important. These seeds could re-establish Palestinian culture in a future when peace and justice have been re-established. Equally these seeds could provide food solutions for other cultures in the wider region as farming has necessarily to adapt to the accelerating climate crisis.

A Palestinian proverb “They planted so we may eat, we plant so they may eat” outlines the importance of each generation thinking not only of themselves. The proverb explains the motivation behind the charity Trees for Live which provides Palestinians with olive tree saplings, as well as other seedlings such as almonds, figs, grapes, apricots and pomegranate. These projects may seem to surrounded by obstacles – not least the threat that these plants will be uprooted and destroyed by Israeli forces – but persisting shows a confidence in a fruitful future – a hope that there will be a resurrection for all the people and communities of this region.

This Easter maybe we are being called to to support or take on projects that express a faith in a better, peaceable future.

Isaiah 25:6-9

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.

And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.

Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.

It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *
his mercy endures for ever.

2 Let Israel now proclaim, *
“His mercy endures for ever.”

14 The Lord is my strength and my song, *
and he has become my salvation.

15 There is a sound of exultation and victory *
in the tents of the righteous:

16 “The right hand of the Lord has triumphed! *
the right hand of the Lord is exalted!
the right hand of the Lord has triumphed!”

17 I shall not die, but live, *
and declare the works of the Lord.

18 The Lord has punished me sorely, *
but he did not hand me over to death.

19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the Lord.

20 “This is the gate of the Lord; *
he who is righteous may enter.”

21 I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
and have become my salvation.

22 The same stone which the builders rejected *
has become the chief cornerstone.

23 This is the Lord’s doing, *
and it is marvellous in our eyes.

24 On this day the Lord has acted; *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you–unless you have come to believe in vain.

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them–though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

Mark 16:1-8

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Good Friday

29th March 2024

“He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly” Luke 1:52

A reading from Mark 8: 3, 34 -36 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

Lord Jesus, you resisted prejudice and discrimination;

you stood up for the poor and the marginalised.

Strengthen our hands and hearts to do likewise.

Lord Jesus, you opposed the abuse and misuse of power,

disrupting trade practices and worship.

Strengthen our hands and hearts to do likewise.

Lord Jesus, you gave us the example of nonviolent opposition,

confronting your opponents with truth and steadfast calm.

Strengthen our hands and hearts to do likewise.

Lord Jesus, you transfigured the character of authority,

giving us the example of service and self sacrifice.

Strengthen our hands and hearts to do likewise.

Lord Jesus, you remodelled kingship,

giving is the example of humility and vulnerability.

Strengthen our hands and hearts to do likewise.

Lord Jesus, you gave us a new covenant,

a new relationship with God and with each other –

based on love and companionship.

Strengthen our hands and hearts to do likewise.

Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” John 12: 31-32