Tag: Easter

Sixth Sunday of Easter

25th May 2025

Reflection with readings below

We live in a world that seems increasingly distant from the peace and harmony we associate with the idea of God’s kingdom. The world we live in is dominated by economic pressures, the pursuit of profit, aggressive demands for national security, the overriding influence of wealth and big business, the cult of the individual and the adoration of the dictator. The world we live in places limited value on nature – indeed nature is often pitched as the opposite of progress and wealth creation – and has little concern for the poor other than to tax them all the more because of their failure to boost the economy.

It is a world in which  we are reluctant to invest in the future unless we can do so on the cheap – or unless we’re building yet another flagship office complex.  It is a world in which we are reluctant to challenge greed, injustice, poverty and prejudice. It is a world in which we refuse to listen to the cry of the Earth, to recognise the damage we are wilfully inflicting on the environment in which we live and on which we rely for our survival.

Yet here we are in the season of Easter – the season of new beginnings, the inauguration of a new relationship between God and creation that is shaped by the power of the resurrection. 

Our first reading tells us Paul’s response to a vision where in response he takes the gospel to the people of Macedonia. This is a message that brings new life to those who are ready to receive it. This is a new way of life that is lived according to the values of the kingdom of God that Jesus has taught. Let’s imagine for a moment how different the world would be if everyone lived in that way, or (and this may be harder) if all of us in our church lived in that way. What if we, in the words of Lydia, might be  ‘judged to be faithful to the Lord’?

Both today’s Psalm and the reading from the Book of Revelation, tells us that God’s ways give rise to health and harmony: ‘Let your ways be known upon earth, your saving health among all nations’ and ‘the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit [whose] leaves … are for the healing of the nations.’ The implication is that if we live as physical beings in harmony with the physicality of creation, then we will experience this wellbeing. Such a lifestyles relies on us paying attention to the Earth – and when we do this will enable all the people to praise God. No more war and suffering, no more oppression nor prejudice – justice and love and mercy will overcome greed and selfishness and aggression.

And finally in our gospel reading, Jesus tells us to hear – to listen to – and keep his word, knowing that that word comes from God, and that it is the Holy Spirit that will teach us to understand that word. It is a word that will enable us to understand and address all the ways in which the way we live on Earth falls short of the ways of the Kingdom of God – the Easter Kingdom. We need, as Pope Francis wrote in Laudate Si, to listen to ‘the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor’.

It is with some relief that this week it seems as if our Government is finally responding to the cry of poor in Gaza. And that can be a further prompt to us to continue to pray for the people of Gaza,

to contribute financially to their need, and to write to our MPs to both thank them and press them for further action. 

May we all know Christ’s peace in our hearts and in the world around us.

Acts 16:9-15

During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptised, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us. 

Psalm 67

1 May God be merciful to us and bless us, *
show us the light of his countenance and come to us.

2 Let your ways be known upon earth, *
your saving health among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, *
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide all the nations upon earth.

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.

6 The earth has brought forth her increase; *
may God, our own God, give us his blessing.

7 May God give us his blessing, *
and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.

Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

In the spirit the angel carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day– and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

John 14:23-29

Jesus said to Judas (not Iscariot), “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

“I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, `I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.”

Third Sunday of Easter

4th May 2025

Reflection with readings below

What is our calling in the new age of the resurrection?

Jesus after that first Easter morning, is the same but not the same. His physical appearance is the same or perhaps not; his physical abilities are the same but also not the same. And his relationship with his disciples is the same but not the same.

Last week we heard of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Jesus. She recognised who he was when he spoke her name. Thomas recognised the risen Jesus when he was shown Jesus’s wounds. And where as Thomas was invited to touch Jesus and feel his reality, Mary was told ‘Don’t touch, don’t cling to me.’ And whilst Mary has a unique personal encounter with the risen Jesus, Simon Peter and the beloved disciple don’t get to meet the risen Jesus until several hours later and then in the company of the whole group of the disciples. 

In today’s gospel reading, the disciples – certainly those whose trade was fishing – have gone back to Galilee and back to their old jobs. Although as chance would have it, without much success! Close to dawn, they see Jesus on the shore – but as with Mary Magdalene – not  recognising who he is. Then, whether it is because of his voice or because of the super abundant catch they make, the beloved disciple realises who it is. And Peter is overwhelmed and, in his desire to once more be with Jesus, jumps overboard the faster to get to the shore and Jesus. 

As Jesus gives them breakfast, sharing the bread and fish with them, all the disciples know for true, that this is the risen Jesus. Then Jesus asks Peter three times ‘Do you love me?’. And because Peter does, Jesus gives him a task that will take a life time to complete – to feed, to care, to ‘shepherd’ all those who are or will become Jesus’s followers. Peter and his fellow companions are not going to return to their previous fishing careers. These disciples who had journeyed with Jesus back and forth between Galilee and Jerusalem, who had witnessed the signs Jesus had performed, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, lubricating a wedding; who had listened to Jesus debate with the scribes and Pharisees and win the argument; who had seen Jesus befriend the outcast and the despised – these disciples were now being called take on this mantle that had been Jesus’s and to share the gospel far and wide.  This is their new calling in the new age of the resurrection. 

Our first reading from the Book of Acts, tells of the conversion experience of Saul (also known as Paul).   As dedicated but short-sighted Pharisee, Saul does what he thinks is right and with his trademark vigour, sets out to persecute any who have become followers of Jesus – followers of from Saul’s viewpoint, of a dead and gone renegade. But on the road to Damascus, Saul has a resurrection encounter with Jesus which transforms his vocation. Now, within the resurrection age into which he has, so as to speak, been born from above/ again, Saul (or Paul) becomes one of the most ardent missioners taking the gospel to many people and all the time deepening his relationship with the risen Jesus and expanding on the theological understanding of the church.

So for us in the 21st century when some people are still persecuted for holding onto the wrong faith, where some people are still despised and abused, when there is still hunger and suffering, when there is still greed and the abuse of power, when the natural world is being destroyed by the hour, what is our calling as people of the resurrection age? What is our relationship with the risen Jesus? 

Do we feed and tend the sheep? Do we share the gospel? Do we continue to explore and develop our relationships with Jesus and our theological understanding of our mission? 

Yes! And in particular I would suggest that one thing the world especially needs to hear is truth – the truth about the climate and ecological crisis; the truth about the widening gap between rich and poor; the truth about the injustices that many people face across the world; the truth about the failure of war as a means of establishing peace. And that that the message of truth should be backed up by actions. 

For example, the level of biodiversity in the UK makes us one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, yet a rich biodiversity is essential for pollinating crops, for keeping the soil fertile, for limiting the effects of flooding, for cleaning the air. Improving and maintaining biodiversity is a key part of Jesus’s  call that we should ‘feed my sheep’. Yet is this a truth widely spoken about or heard?

We should talk about the importance of nature, of biodiversity, of its importance for human flourishing. Both with friends and family, with local authorities and businesses, with government and corporations. 

And then there are many ways we can then act in response. By promoting wildlife in our gardens, church yards, etc. By eating a richer plant based diet. By supporting groups such as the RSPB, the Wild Life Trusts, the National Trust. By campaigning, pressing the government to properly fund the agricultural sector so that farmers can care for the land sustainably and to support rewilding. Indeed the UK government has signed an international treaty pledging to rewild 30% of the land and sea for for the benefit of nature by 2030. By campaigning for the Church of England to give a lead by rewilding 30% of the land in its care – including that held as an investment. And what better investment than securing a rich biodiverse environment!

Acts 9:1- 20

Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptised, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

Psalm 30

1 I will exalt you, O Lord,
because you have lifted me up *
and have not let my enemies triumph over me.

2 O  Lord my God, I cried out to you, *
and you restored me to health.

3 You brought me up, O  Lord, from the dead; *
you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.

4 Sing to the  Lord, you servants of his; *
give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.

5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, *
his favour for a lifetime.

6 Weeping may spend the night, *
but joy comes in the morning.

7 While I felt secure, I said,
“I shall never be disturbed. *
You,  Lord, with your favour, made me as strong as the mountains.”

8 Then you hid your face, *
and I was filled with fear.

9 I cried to you, O  Lord; *
I pleaded with the Lord, saying,

10 “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? *
will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?

11 Hear, O  Lord, and have mercy upon me; *
O  Lord, be my helper.”

12 You have turned my wailing into dancing; *
you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.

13 Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; *
O  Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever.

Revelation 5:11-14

I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honour and glory and blessing!”

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,

“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever!”

And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

John 21:1-19

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Second Sunday of Easter

27th April 2025

Reflection with readings below

Luke in his writing in the Book of Acts is emphasising the importance of teaching – of telling and living the good news about Jesus Christ. To do so is to fulfil God’s wishes. The writer of John’s Gospel similarly concludes that all that has been written and told about Jesus, is there 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.”

As we celebrate Easter, we celebrate that our faith is about life, that it is life giving!  Easter celebrates life in its fullness, life that continues to reinvigorate this world, and life as the eternal hope that even after death we will yet have life. Sometimes it is only in the small things that we see signs of life – the green leaves on the tree, the buds bursting into flower, the song of a bird, the buzz of a bee – and at other times we are able perceive the bigger picture where we also see life – and at the moment that might be in acknowledging the vast outpouring of love for Pope Francis and the recognition of all he has done to raise awareness of the immense challenges of the social and climate crises that we face  – and recognising that we as individuals and communities are called by God to protect and fulfil the life of creation.

In today’s psalm the psalmist writes ‘The same stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone’. Later in Acts when Peter and John are brought before the Council, they will use that same phrase. And in the Gospels Jesus, having told the parable of the grasping tenants of the vineyard, uses the same phrase to describe himself. 

Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith; he is the cornerstone of new life. When we despair, when we feel that nothing changes, when the evils of the world and the tyranny of the system seems limitless, then we need to root ourselves in the certainty that Jesus underpins everything. From before time, Jesus has always been. In the darkest moments, the light that is Jesus is not overcome. In the seemingly endless trials of pain and suffering, Jesus is ever present. Even in death, Jesus is present. And if we are to work with Jesus to ensure a better world, we will by necessity have to root our actions and our prayers on the certainty of that cornerstone.

How we root ourselves in Jesus, how we find in him our cornerstone, will vary from person to person. For some it will be in devotional ritual and mindful ceremony. For others it will be in silence and contemplation. For yet others it will be active service. For some it will be in solitary adoration and for others community and fellowship. And for yet others it will be through immersion in the natural world. Or more likely a mix of these. 

Just in reading the accounts of that first day and first week of the first Easter in John’s gospel, we see how differently Jesus’s followers reacted. Mary Magdalene sees the empty tomb and remains convinced it is proof that someone has removed Jesus’s body. Peter and the other disciple see the same empty tomb and believe Jesus has gone from their lives – maybe Elijah-like straight to heaven. When Mary then meets the risen Jesus she wants to cling to him such is her love. But the other disciples, receiving her news, remain filled with fear. Only when they see and hear Jesus for themselves do they loose some of that fear. And Thomas likewise finds it hard to believe simply on the basis of their testimony. For Mary, Jesus says don’t touch; for Thomas, Jesus says touch! 

So, if at times our own belief seems limited, let us have patience that in time what we need will be revealed. Equally let us be able to find reassurance that belief is as often held by a community as by individuals – and hence our creeds begin, ‘We believe…’ And above all let us remember that Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith – whatever the state of our faith, Jesus’s faith in us – his support for us – is greater yet!

Acts 5:27-32

When the temple police had brought the apostles, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Psalm 118:14-29

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.

25 Hosannah, Lord, hosannah! *
Lord, send us now success.

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *
we bless you from the house of the Lord.

27 God is the Lord; he has shined upon us; *
form a procession with branches up to the horns of the altar.

28 “You are my God, and I will thank you; *
you are my God, and I will exalt you.”

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

Revelation 1:4-8

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

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.

Easter Thoughts 

20th April 2025

If each day we are called to walk just that day’s journey with the cross (see Good Friday’s reflection*), then Easter Day is the day we remember and celebrate that we do not walk alone. That Jesus is with us , that Jesus has been there before us, has been where it is dark and constricted, has felt abandoned, has fought with demons, and has come through victorious. And as we are told in the Gospels, Jesus goes on ahead before us.

My mother is currently recovering from the after effects of delirium, and at times she has difficulty rationalising her thoughts, and at others difficulty in preventing her mind from overthinking problems. One thing in particular that she struggles with is time. Nothing around her seems to change. She wakes up in the same bedroom, the same books and cards on the window sill, the same clothes hanging on the hook – even the same orange she hasn’t yet eaten. Is this a new day or is it still the same day when she went to sleep? How can she tell whether time has passed if nothing has changed? 

That is sometimes how I feel about Easter. Every year we celebrate Easter, celebrating that Jesus has risen from the dead, that through the resurrection we are raised to new life, that this is the beginning of the new age – Easter is the eighth day. But does anything change? Is life suddenly better now Easter Day has dawned? Are people suddenly kinder and more loving, living the new resurrection life? 

Did anything change that first Easter morning? Did the Roman soldiers and tax gathers, suddenly up-sticks  and depart? Did the temple authorities suddenly down tools and invite everyone into the temple to worship God without hindrance? Did people suddenly look and see their neighbour’s poverty and share all they had? 

And yet something did change, gradually, step by step. People began to experience Jesus’s presence in new ways. People did form new communities where they made welcome those who would have previously been rejected. People did take Jesus’s gospel and preach the good news far and wide. And throughout history we have seen people – people who have been inspired by Jesus – do amazing things: working for justice, working for peace, working to overcome poverty, working to protect the earth, sacrificing their own lives for others.

When the Israelites ate the first Passover meal, hurriedly escaped from the narrow place that was slavery under the oppressive power of the pharaoh, and reached the relative safety of the far shore of the Red Sea, they sang and danced and praised God. And they were instructed to mark that event every year, eating a special meal and remembering the events of that night. That celebrating and remembering has continued year in year out – through good times and bad – as a way of marking time even when it seems that nothing is changing, and reminding themselves that God is and will always be with them.

When we work through Lent, when we  re-enact the events of Holy Week, when we celebrate Easter, we are in part remembering the Passover – the power and wisdom of God that enables people to escape the constrictions of narrow places and to find freedom – but we are most particularly remembering that Jesus – who is also God – has walked this way before us. That Jesus – who is also God – knows what it is to be human, to have limited amounts of energy and strength. That Jesus – who is also God – has experienced that one thing we fear most – death – and has the personal experience to assure is that it is not the end. That Jesus – because he is also God, promises to be with us always and everywhere. 

And even if it doesn’t feel as if anything has changed since last year, we celebrate Easter as a way of marking time and that God is still and will always be with us. And if we look and take note, we will see that there are always signs of new life around us. The world that the creator God has given us is a gift that keeps on giving. 

This year I despaired that the vine that had given us so much fruit over the years, had died; the crinkled branches with peeling bark remained bare, no sign of life despite the wealth of spring flowers in the rest of the garden. I resigned myself to the task of buying a new plant. Then just this week I noticed the first small green shoots bursting through the old bark! 

Christ is risen!” – “He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

* https://greentau.org/2025/04/18/good-friday-thoughts/

Second Sunday in Lent

16th March 2025

Reflection with readings below

Abram is worried about his future – or perhaps not so much his future as the future of his lifeline. It seems as if there will be no blood relatives, no direct offspring who will carry on his line, to be the continuation of the house of Abram – no ongoing heritage. But God reassures him. Not only will he have a direct descendant, but of the generations that will come after and call Abram their forebear, they will be more numerous than the stars in the sky. It is perhaps not a big leap to suggest that this allusion indicates that all the peoples of the earth may be seen as Abram’s children. Jesus himself suggests that even stones and rocks can become children of Abraham if God so wills (Matthew 3:9) and later Jesus will say that even if the people are silenced the stones themselves will shout out. (Luke 19:40)  Anyone and everyone can be God’s. 

The curious event where the burning torch passes between the cut halves of the animals that Abram has sacrificed, is the physical sign of the covenant that is being established by God with Abram and his descendants. Maybe just as after the flood, where God reassures Noah that the world will not be destroyed again in such a manner, so here God is reassuring Abram – and us too – that all generations can and will be God’s people.

Paul in his letter explains our relationship with God as being citizens of heaven, which contrasts with the Gospel which presents Jerusalem as being the identifying locus of God’s people. Paul’s is a post Easter understanding whereas the Gospel reflects a pre Easter view.  Then Jerusalem and its temple was the focus of the people’s faith and their identity, the place to which they went physically  – if able and if not then spiritually – for the great feasts. This was where God’s presence was ultimately located, where God was worshipped, and from where salvation would come. The messiah – when he came – would declare his identity here. When the resurrection happened (for those who believed – ie not the Sadducees) it was from Jerusalem that the first of the dead would rise. 

Is Jesus the messiah? The Pharisees in this passage see Jesus perhaps as a rabbi, someone of sufficient importance that they don’t want to see him killed by Herod. But Jesus tells them something different. He describes what he is doing as in terms of vanquishing and on the third completing – consummating – his work mission. He is declaring that at the very least he is a prophet, someone doing the will of God.  The psalm he quotes from, Psalm 118, is one of the messianic psalms that looks forward to the coming of the messiah. Yet it is also a psalm that acknowledges that God’s chosen one even will have to overcome – by God’s help – rejection and opposition. 

Jesus is going to to Jerusalem to complete his work to establish the new – and as we now understand – universal covenant between God and all people. 

Genesis 15:1-12,17-18

The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Then he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.”

Psalm 27

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I fear? *
the Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom then shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh, *
it was they, my foes and my adversaries, who
stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army should encamp against me, *
yet my heart shall not be afraid;

4 And though war should rise up against me, *
yet will I put my trust in him.

5 One thing have I asked of the Lord;
one thing I seek; *
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;

6 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord *
and to seek him in his temple.

7 For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe
in his shelter; *
he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling
and set me high upon a rock.

8 Even now he lifts up my head *
above my enemies round about me.

9 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation
with sounds of great gladness; *
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

10 Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; *
have mercy on me and answer me.

11 You speak in my heart and say, “Seek my face.” *
Your face, Lord, will I seek.

12 Hide not your face from me, *
nor turn away your servant in displeasure.

13 You have been my helper;
cast me not away; *
do not forsake me, O God of my salvation.

14 Though my father and my mother forsake me, *
the Lord will sustain me.

15 Show me your way, O Lord; *
lead me on a level path, because of my enemies.

16 Deliver me not into the hand of my adversaries, *
for false witnesses have risen up against me,
and also those who speak malice.

17 What if I had not believed
that I should see the goodness of the Lord *
in the land of the living!

18 O tarry and await the Lord’s pleasure;
be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; *
wait patiently for the Lord.

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

Luke 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'”

Sunday between Ascension and Pentecost

12th May 2024

Reflection with readings below

At this stage of the Easter season it can feel as if some of the steam has gone from the lectionary. The readings lack exhilaration! The drama of the resurrection stories seems to have drifted into the past. Can we yet capture the frizzon of Easter – the surprise and amazement and energy? Or is this a Sunday to pause between the mystery and joy of Easter and the power and energy of Pentecost? 

In the episode from Acts, Matthias is chosen to be the named twelfth apostle to take on the ministry of the era of the resurrection. Last week I suggested we might see this ministry as being achieving victory over ‘worldliness’, the bringing in of the kingdom of God on earth. So whilst Matthias was a named apostle tasked with this mission, I think we are all chosen and tasked with this ministry. The writer of the letter of John tells that we have the testimony of God in our hearts. And the writer of John’s gospel tells us that we have been sanctified by God to act according to the truth of God as revealed to us by Jesus.

How does this help us respond to the world? To the war and violence, the prejudice and persecution, sickness and the underfunded health system, poverty and the unequal distribution of resources, greed and apathy and the destruction of the natural environment, short-termism and the failure of leadership? AND to the beauty of creation, of acts of kindness and generosity, of miracles of healing, of moments of joy and humour, and the love shown to us by people and creatures alike?

Firstly we know that the things of harmfulness are not in accordance with God’s kingdom, God’s law or rule. The Magnificat; the manifesto given by Jesus, using the words of Isaiah, in the synagogue; Jesus’s declaration of the two most important commandments – to love God wholeheartedly and to love our neighbour as ourself: all these tell us this. AND we know that the things of joy are witnesses to the presence of God’s kingdom. Many of the psalms give us words that magnify this joy.

Second we have been told by Jesus to take our concerns to God in prayer. Such prayer helps us express and understand, or at least cope with, our own feelings. And I believe it does release a power that can effect change. Prayer can also witness to others the concerns we feel and so increase the capacity for change. I also believe that sharing with God the things that make us joyful, strengthens our faith and the scope of others to see the presence of God’s kingdom on earth.

Third, we have been told by Jesus that words are not enough but must be followed through by actions – remember the parable of the two sons, the parable of the sheep and goats, etc – and by his own examples, Jesus has shown us that we should do all we can to right wrongs, to bring healing to situations, and to respond to people in need with compassion and empathy. And we should do all we can to cherish the beauty of the world, and things of joy. Jesus repeatedly used the natural,world to teach his followers, turned brief encounters into lasting friendships, and made meals into parties.

Fourth, we have the examples of Peter and Paul in the Book of Acts, of John the Baptist, and of Jesus himself, of speaking truth to power – whether that is to religious leaders or business leaders or to financiers or to those in government. 

Thinking practically, two examples: first, the fighting and the suffering in Gaza. We can pray. We can include Gaza in our church intercessions. We can join groups/ services that have a part focus on Gaza – and we may find that through these we gain in understanding of the issues. Keeping abreast of the news will also help us make our prayers more meaningful. We can make sure we are aware of all the different issues involved, the different people on all sides, and how they are being affected.

We can give practical support – at this distance through donations to charities operating in the area. 

We can boycott businesses that are supporting the apartheid regime in Israel and follow that up with letters to the companies. 

We can sign petitions calling for justice.

We can write to our MPs, and the Secretary of State for foreign policy, asking for a cease fire, asking for increased humanitarian aid, asking for an end of arms sales to the region. We can ask for matters to be referred to the International Court of Human Rights.

Second, No Mow May. It may seem like a small thing but this annual invitation to let our lawns grow unrestrained gives us the chance to see and rejoice in flowers and seed heads, insects and birds, that we would otherwise miss – and thus the incentive to pray. It encourages to see understand better the interconnectedness of God’s world and our part in it – and thus to be more caring, to be more concerned to live in harmony with the ways of God’s kingdom. And it gives us the opportunity to talk with others about such things, to share the joys and the opportunities of God’s kingdom. I am already surprised by how many people I have overheard talking about No Mow May this year!

If we can do these things in response to both the grief and the joy we see in the world, then we can make a difference, we can carry out that ministry that is bringing in the kingdom of God. And maybe we will be able to find moments when we feel the frisson on the risen Jesus or the overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit or the deep calm of God?

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, “Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus– for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry. So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us– one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.” So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

Psalm 1

1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful!

2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord, *
and they meditate on his law day and night.

3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *
everything they do shall prosper.

4 It is not so with the wicked; *
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *
nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, *
but the way of the wicked is doomed.

1 John 5:9-13

If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

John 17:6-19

Jesus prayed for his disciples, “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

Fifth Sunday of Easter

28th April 2024

Reflection with readings below.

From today’s psalm: “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.” When all on earth recognise God – when all on earth understand the wisdom of living according to God’s will, according to the ways of God’s kingdom – then there will be peace for all, then salvation of the whole earth will be complete.

Earlier this week I took part in a Passover Seder. The words used had been produced by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. It spoke of our universal need to be rescued from a narrow place, a place of constriction: ‘Mitzyrayim’ – which is also the word used to mean Egypt – and of a desire for all to be free,  finishing with the words, ‘Next year in freedom!’ There was a strong emphasis on inclusivity, on this being a meal for any and all to share. One of the items included on the Seder plate was an orange representing the the fruitful contributions  made by women, queer and trans people. 

The story from Acts also tells of the importance of inclusivity. The Ethiopian – who may have been a Jew or a Gentile but we don’t know – would not have been allowed to go beyond the outer public court in the Temple. His status as a eunuch would have prohibited it even if he were Jewish. However much he desired to worship God, he would always have kept behind this barrier. But when Philip unpacks for him what Jesus the messiah has achieved, through his death and resurrection, in terms of a new relationship with God, he asks to be baptised, to become one in this new union. Tellingly, the Eunuch says to Philip, ‘What is to prevent me – what bars me –  from being baptised?’

This new chapter in the relationship between God and humanity that has been established by Jesus is one of inclusivity: it is about salavation for all. 

Jesus, when asked what one must do to be saved, said that there were two key commandments – that we should love God with all our being, and that we should love our neighbour as ourself. Love is the way of salvation, the way of God’s kingdom. The writer of John’s letter explores all the possibilities by which we can understand and be part of God’s love. To love is to love God. To love is to be like God. To love is to love one’s sisters and brothers – if we cannot love them all, then we cannot love God. God’s love is based on inclusivity. 

In John’s gospel Jesus chooses the image of a vine to describe what it is to be part of God’s kingdom. He chooses a plant that grows and adapts, that can regrow and evolve, that multiplies and bears fruit. He doesn’t choose – for example – a military unit or army, nor an industrial production line, nor a country with well guarded borders. He doesn’t even choose a fishing net! There is something organic about God’s kingdom, about it being fruitful and about its need for ongoing care and nurture. It is an image of inclusivity and interconnectedness, in which we and God are joined in a union that grows out of Jesus’s self-offering. We can see that just as sap  flows through a plant bringing life, so love flows through the vine bringing life to God’s kingdom. Just as plants have to allow the sap to flow through their cells, so we have to allow love to flow through us. And as the writer of John’s letter explains, that love cannot exist if it does not involve loving our sisters and brothers. That is the challenge we face. We need to love all our sisters and brothers, human and creaturely, those like us and those who are different. That love comes from God if we allow God to abide in us and we in God. 

Acts 8:26-40

An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.

In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptised?” He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptised him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Psalm 22:24-30

24 My praise is of him in the great assembly; *
I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.

25 The poor shall eat and be satisfied,
and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: *
“May your heart live for ever!”

26 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, *
and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.

27 For kingship belongs to the Lord; *
he rules over the nations.

28 To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; *
all who go down to the dust fall before him.

29 My soul shall live for him;
my descendants shall serve him; *
they shall be known as the Lord’s for ever.

30 They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn *
the saving deeds that he has done.

1 John 4:7-21

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

John 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples, ”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

Third Sunday of Easter

21st April 2024

Reflection with readings below.

Easter comes to us as the season of eggs (real and chocolate), of fluffy chicks and frolicking lambs, of spring flowers and blossom and all such signs of new life. (I often wonder how it would feel to celebrate Easter when it is a time of autumn leaves, nuts and berries).  And of course new life is what we understand by the resurrection. Yet it seems as if that initial froth and joy of Easter Day is quickly subsumed by the down to earth realities of daily life. 

Two of today’s readings contain sheep and shepherds. And a sheep’s life can seem very humdrum too. Eat and sleep, sleep and eat. Maybe a change of scenery if you are moved to fresh pastures. Yet Psalm 23 reminds us, the shepherd is the sheep’s constant companion, ensuring daily needs are met (even those that seem mundane). A companion who is there when things are not going well, when life is scary and threatening – and when life is going well – for those times of feasting and celebration. 

And isn’t that what we want from God? A daily reassuring presence however mundane our routine, a tower of strength when times are tough, and a cloud of happiness when there’s something to celebrate?

John’s gospel reminds us of the intimacy with which we are known. We are not just part of a crowd, nor a number in the system. And we are invited to reciprocate, to respond to Jesus as someone who knows that they are precious and loved. We may have to attune our ears to hear Jesus, to refocus our eyes to see, to readjust our way of thinking – just as Mary Magdalene had to in the garden that first Easter morning. 

Easter does change things. The story of the resurrection brings new life, new energy, a new sense of purpose. The stories from Acts over the past few Sundays show us how the resurrection changed the way the disciples lived, how they formed a new community with a new relationship with money and resources, new ways of showing their love for each other, new ways of reaching out to those around them – especially those who were sick and in need of healing – but also towards those in authority who had misunderstood God’s word. They demonstrated a new energy, a new power that spoke of  God. 

We know from the stories that sheep can go astray, that they do get lost. And that each time the lost sheep needs to be brought back into its rightful relationship with the shepherd. We too often get lost – lost in the despondency of thinking that nothing changes, that life is merely a humdrum repetition of pointless activities. 

And that is why we need to celebrate Easter each year and go through that process of remembering and re-embracing the resurrection story. The letter of John reminds us that ‘God is greater than our hearts’ – God’s love is more than we can comprehend. This is the love that Jesus demonstrates for us, shares with us and commands us to share. This is the love that makes us alive! This love is power!  Life is not just the same old, same old. Life is not merely humdrum. It is vibrant and expanding. Easter reminds us of that. Easter refreshes us, revitalises us, renews us – for we are part of the resurrection story, we are joined in union with Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps we sometimes need to make the effort to hear and feel and re-embrace the Easter story – perhaps that is why we have Sundays!

We may nevertheless feel at times that we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, that the world is still a place of aggression and war, persecution and oppression. But we are not walking alone. And there are people of faith who will stand up and protest, who work to feed the hungry and heal the sick, who challenge wrong doing and will not be silenced. 

This week hundreds of people have stood silently outside every single crown court, protesting the importance that our juries make their decision according to their conscience. 

Over the last few months thousands of people have marched through the streets of London calling for a resolution of crisis in Gaza. 

Over the last few years thousands have made donations to food banks to fill the gap where government support has fallen short. Thousands have spoken up over the injustices faced by the poor and the vulnerable. Thousands have campaigned about the need to address the climate crisis that unrestrained human activity is accelerating. 

Easter is so much more than chocolate eggs and fluffy chicks. It is about the ongoing renewal of life that is bringing in the rule of God here on earth as in heaven, that is spreading far and wide the loving power of God demonstrated through the life and resurrection of Jesus.

Acts 4:5-12

The rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is

`the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.’

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.

3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.

4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.

6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

1 John 3:16-24

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us– and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

John 10:11-18

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

Third  Sunday of Easter

14th April 2024

Reflection – readings follow on below.

The Psalmist expresses my frequent cry: ‘Oh that we might see better times!’ I look at the damage caused by climate change, the damage caused to the environment by greed and over-consumption, the poverty that arises from injustice, the suffering of war and armed conflict – and I despair. 

To which I think Peter would reply, ‘Why do you wonder? Faith that is through Jesus, the Holy and Righteous One, the Author of Life – to whom you are a witness – is the means of healing what is broken!’ 

If we are not following the teachings of Jesus, or if we are not following the will of God in tending and caring for all life – whether consciously through Christian fellowship or intuitively through natural wisdom – then what do we expect?

Nevertheless I do see that the process of healing – of salvation – is a slow process one because  so often we reject what Jesus – God’s chosen one, the Christ – teaches us. That we should love God and in so doing honour God’s creation, and that we should love our neighbour as ourself without reservation. Which makes it all the more important that we do witness to what is going right in the world – those actions which match Jesus’s teaching, which are the Good News – and witness to what is going wrong through ignorance and sin.

Here I want to give three examples.

We can witness to the example of Jesus feeding the 5000 and to the valiant efforts being made to feed thousands in Gaza by groups such as the UN World Food Programme and World Central Kitchen. And we can witness to the actions of the State of Israel in impeding the delivery of such aid.

We can witness to the many examples of Jesus healing people in mind and body, and in restoring people to their communities – such as Legion – and to the work of groups such as the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, and Médecins Sans Frontières in bringing healing to many caught up in war zones. And we can witness to the actions of the suppliers of armaments and armed groups that instigate and perpetuate armed conflict. 

We can witness to the many examples of Jesus challenging those with wealth and skills to use them for the common good, and  to the work of organisations such as Oxfam, Practical Action and Just Money in creating situations where wealth and skills are used to raise up the poor and to bring down the mighty. And we can witness to the actions of corporations such as Barclays and Shell and Amazon in perpetuating policies that disadvantage the poor and vulnerable. 

Just as in the gospel, so today, the risen Jesus says to us ‘Peace be with you’. 

The word in Greek translated as peace is eirḗnē which draws from the verb eirō with the meanings be joined, tie together, make  whole. The peace that Jesus offers us is that which joins us together, as a community, as a team. Together we can support each other and create a whole that is greater than its parts – that which St Paul describes as the body of Christ. As we celebrate Easter and the resurrection,  let us draw on that peace that can – even if slowly –  create the better times we and the whole world wants.

Acts 3:12-19

Peter addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.”

Psalm 4

1 Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; *
you set me free when I am hard-pressed;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2 “You mortals, how long will you dishonour my glory; *
how long will you worship dumb idols
and run after false gods?”

3 Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful; *
when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.

4 Tremble, then, and do not sin; *
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.

5 Offer the appointed sacrifices *
and put your trust in the Lord.

6 Many are saying, “Oh, that we might see better times!” *
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord.

7 You have put gladness in my heart, *
more than when grain and wine and oil increase.

8 I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *
for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

1 John 3:1-7

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Luke 24:36b-48

Jesus himself stood among the disciples and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

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.