resurrection – The Green Tau

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/

Sixth Sunday of Easter

5th May 2024

Reflection – readings follow on below

Psalm 98 extols the victory of God that will extend to the ends of the earth, and which will be celebrated with joy by not just the people but by all creation – plants and animals, and hills and rivers. It is prophetic, encouraging us to look forward and to work towards that future age of glory. And in the fullness of time that victory will be won: God’s kingdom will reign supreme over the whole earth.

If Christ’s resurrection shows his victory over death, then surely the challenge and the hope now is for Christ’s victory over the world! Here I am using the world to describe that rule, that way of life, in which humans are destructive of the environment, are destructive of the wellbeing of their brethren, are greedy and selfish, and who repel all that is good and loving and of God. To achieve victory over the world will be to establish God’s kingdom, God’s rule firmly and for ever on the earth. This victory will produce peace and wellbeing, justice and compassion for all. It will remove war fare and aggression, persecution and oppression. It will end exploitation and build up the common good.

This endeavour – the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth – is one that is ongoing, that is ceaselessly being pursued by Christ through the power of the Holy Sprit. It is an endeavour which Christ shares with us, inviting us to be alongside him. As the gospel of John reminds us, Jesus has appointed us to go forth and bear fruit. We are to establish – plant – God’s commandments and love throughout all the earth. These commands will achieve victory if we adhere to them and share them, ‘for whatever is born of God conquers the world’.

This is not to say that the task will be easy. We see in the gospel stories how Jesus’s disciples – even when they were living alongside him – found his example hard to follow. But we are commanded, and must strive, to love our siblings for that is how we love God. So often however – our ego, our self confidence, our self assurance, gets in the way. We doubt that others will behave in like manner towards us leaving us exposed to suffering and loss and ridicule. We fear giving too much love – and too much of what we own – to our siblings for fear they will not reciprocate.

Is that why we come to church, we we form communities, so that we can support and encourage and reassure each other of the importance and the power of loving our siblings? Maybe we need to remind ourselves and renew our acceptance, of the gift of the Holy Spirit? Jesus does not leave us alone to undertake this endeavour of establishing God’s kingdom on earth. He is with us all the way -just sometimes we look away or ignore him.

Be bold, be full of love.

Acts 10:44-48

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptising these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” So he ordered them to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

Psalm 98

1 Sing to the Lord a new song, *
for he has done marvellous things.

2 With his right hand and his holy arm *
has he won for himself the victory.

3 The Lord has made known his victory; *
his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.

4 He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *
and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

5 Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; *
lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.

6 Sing to the Lord with the harp, *
with the harp and the voice of song.

7 With trumpets and the sound of the horn *
shout with joy before the King, the Lord.

8 Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *
the lands and those who dwell therein.

9 Let the rivers clap their hands, *
and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,
when he comes to judge the earth.

10 In righteousness shall he judge the world *
and the peoples with equity.

1 John 5:1-6

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.

John 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

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

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.”