Sunday 19 May 2024
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THE DAY OF PENTECOST
"Through the Holy Spirit he has given us, God's love has flooded our hearts." (In Western Christianity, Pentecost was one of the days set aside for Baptism. It is thought that the term Whit Sunday derives from the custom of the newly-baptised wearing white clothing, and by the white vestments worn by the clergy). In Jewish culture, Pentecost was a great festival. The word means 'fiftieth,' as it fell on the fiftieth day after the Passover. Pentecost was an agricultural festival, and Jerusalem was packed with pilgrims from every part of the ancient world. As Professor William Barclay points out: "Never was there a more international crowd in Jerusalem than at the time of Pentecost." We can never say for certain precisely what happened on the Day of Pentecost. The scene, vividly described in Acts 2: 1-13, is laden with symbolic language and powerful images. The story suggests, however, that on the Day of Pentecost, the disciples, gathered together in one place, experienced the Spirit of God in a way they had never done before - and in such a profound way that onlookers thought they were drunk! Whatever happened that day, the experience was a life-changing one. Many would say that they have felt 'touched,' 'nudged' or 'inspired' by the Holy Spirit in their lives, in an unusual way and in a most unlikely place. It has been said that it is more likely during worship that the Spirit makes its presence known most strongly. Such was the experience of David Livingstone, who, feeling touched by the Spirit in a village church at Blantyre, resolved to take the Christian Gospel to the African continent. It might well be that the disciples had gathered together in Jerusalem for worship. Whatever the purpose of their coming together, the Spirit of God is a 'transforming' one. On the Day of Pentecost, the disciples experienced a power so strong that it transformed a band of fearful men into fearless messengers of the Gospel. Their lives were changed for ever, empowered by the Spirit of God, unseen as the wind, but not unknown in its effect. In our age, where the Christian faith has flourished in some parts of the world, but rapidly declined in others, and when the Christian Church itself often seems more culture-driven than Christ-centred, the power of the Spirit is needed more than ever to rekindle the faith in the hearts of Jesus's disciples today, and to transform them into effective instruments of the kingdom. Edwin Warren Hatch (1835-1889) was an English theologian and scholar, more popularly known as the writer of the hymn, Breathe on me, Breath of God. First published privately in 1878, it was published publicly in 1886, and the opening verse is a personal prayer that we may well make our own in the journey of life. Indeed, a former teacher of mine said many times that "every day should be a Pentecost, letting the Spirit of God breathe on us anew. Our daily prayer might therefore be the first verse of that hymn: "Breathe on me, Breath of God; fill me with life anew, that I may love the way you love, and do what you would do." Let it be our prayer that Pentecost will happen again, and keep on happening, thus transforming our lives, as it did the lives of Jesus's companions, and letting God breathe on us, in us, and through us, now and at all times. PRAYERS FOR PENTECOST Come, Holy Spirit, come, and fill the hearts of your faithful people, and kindle in us the fire of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O Holy Spirit of God, Spirit of truth, of light, of love, by whom Jesus is made known to us and through whom the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts: come upon us in the power of Pentecost, to renew in us such gifts and graces as will glorify God and equip us for ministry and witness in the Church and in the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. From: Frank Colquhoun, Contemporary Parish Prayers, London 1975, 66 THE BLESSING With unflagging zeal, aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain with us always. Amen. |
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Sunday 12 May 2024
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EASTER 7
SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION DAY THE LORD IS KING! "Christ has entered into heaven itself, to appear now before God on our behalf." The Ascension of Jesus Christ is celebrated on Ascension Day - the sixth Thursday after Easter Day. In the Bible, this is vividly described by St. Luke (Acts 1: 1-11), and it marks both the end of Easter and the 'resurrection appearances.' Indeed, the event we know as the Ascension signifies our Lord's departure from his disciples, and his 'ascending' into heaven to the glory of the Father. By virtue of the Ascension, Jesus is now understood to be seated at the right hand of God. This image is found in various places in the New Testament, particularly in the writings of St. Paul, and also in The Apostles' Creed, where it is said of Jesus that he "sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty." This is picture-language, thought to derive from the custom of eastern kings having their chief minister -"their right hand man" - standing or sitting to the right of them. Strictly speaking, the rules of modern etiquette would place the guest of honour at a formal dinner to the right side of the host. Jesus therefore has the first place, or the place of honour before God. The Ascension is a profound mystery, and something that words cannot adequately describe. Therefore, it is best illustrated in the Biblical text by picture-language or dramatic images. One of the lessons of the Ascension is that we now have a friend in heaven, who is our advocate and representative, and who, in God's presence, continues to pray with us and for us. Though Jesus is now "with honour and glory crowned," and occupies the highest place before God, he has not forgotten or abandoned us. As Professor William Barclay puts it: "He is still mighty and powerful to help, and in his exalted royalty, he has not forgotten his own." He is no longer bound by the limits of time and space, and may touch our lives at any time and in any place. On this Sunday after Ascension Day, let this be a comfort and a blessing. For though we pass through many dark valleys, we have a precious friend in God's presence, who, as our great high priest, continues to uphold his people and to plead their cause. "While in heaven he is also with us; and we while on earth are also with him." (Anonymous) A PRAYER FOR ASCENSIONTIDE Gracious God, you raised your Son our Saviour Christ to heaven's highest place, that he might reign supreme over all things: we confess that we have failed to live as we ought, under Christ's most just and gentle rule; that we have broken his commandments, disobeyed his word, rejected his truth, ignored his voice, and chosen to follow our own path, rather than the way of life revealed to us in Jesus Christ. For the sake of your dear Son, eternal God, forgive us, renew us and restore us; and may our lives as well as our lips acknowledge Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords, to the glory of your name. Amen. THE BLESSING May Christ the King make us faithful and strong to do his will, and bring us to reign with him in glory. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain with us always. Amen. |
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Thursday 9 May 2024
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ASCENSION DAY
In the Christian Year, this is Ascension Day, described as "the celebration of Christ ascending into heaven after His death, burial and resurrection," and falling on the Thursday forty days after Easter. This is an important doctrine in the Christian faith, and, in particular, it means that Jesus has left the limits of time and space and passed into the Father's presence, where he now occupies the place of honour. As Tim Keller puts it, Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God as "the executive director of history" - our advocate and representative before the throne of the universe. This is well-illustrated in the window opposite, which is in our chantry chapel, and shows the ascended Christ as sovereign over all things in the created order, continuing to pray with us and for us. However we view this in modern times, the death, resurrection, and the ascension of Jesus remain in Christian thought the most important events, and a foundation of the Christian faith. "Christ has entered heaven itself, to appear now before God on our behalf." Almighty God, your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things. Grant that your Church on earth may be filled with his presence and that he may remain with us always, to the end of the world; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. From: Common Order (Church of Scotland), Edinburgh 1994, 673 |
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Sunday 5 May 2024
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EASTER 6
TO BE CHOSEN There are things in life we do not choose, but are chosen for us. We may have an occupation we never intended to have, but we were chosen or 'headhunted' for it. A singer or instrumentalist may not have performed in London's Royal Albert Hall by choice, but were carefully chosen or selected for this special occasion. This is the message of St. John's Gospel (15: 9-17), where Jesus makes it clear that his disciples have not chosen him. He has chosen them. Similarly, we did not choose God. It was God who, in his mercy and grace, chose us. From this passage, we discover that we are chosen for many reasons, and we will consider three of them: We are chosen for joy. No matter how hard the Christian life, and no matter how much it involves 'blood, toil, tears and sweat' (Churchill), the Christian way ought to be a joyful one. A dull and depressing Christian is a contradiction in terms. Christians are meant to be people of joy who undertake God's business cheerfully. A former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Donald Coggan, stresses this in his little book, The Heart of the Christian Faith, stating that Christianity is a faith that throbs with joy at its core. God in Christ has redeemed us and renewed humanity - something that should make us joyful, radiant people - cheerful ambassadors for what we believe. We are chosen to love. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are sent out into the world to be advertisements for our faith. This means that we are called to love one another, always seeking one another's good through acts of kindness and compassion. Sometimes we live as if we are called to compete, to quarrel and to cause as much havoc as possible. The Christian lives by one rule - the rule of love. By doing so, we reflect the very nature of God himself. We are chosen to love our neighbours, which, at its most extreme, means laying down our life for them. Jesus fulfilled the great commandment he gave to us. We are chosen to be friends. We are chosen to be friends - friends of God, and friends of Jesus Christ. Jesus says that his disciples are no longer slaves or servants but friends: God's friends, Christ's friends. This means that we have a close, intimate contact with God never before thought possible. No longer do we need to gaze at God from a distance, or catch a glimpse of him, as we might do a monarch passing by on some state occasion. Through Jesus Christ we are God's friends and Christ's friends, so that neither is a stranger to us. As we come to The Sixth Sunday of Easter, we may remind ourselves that we are people, chosen and precious in God's sight, and called to do God's work cheerfully, to love another earnestly, and to be a faithful friend of Jesus Christ, who is no longer a stranger, but our companion on the way. In life, there are times when we choose - there are also times when we are chosen. As we approach the end of Eastertide, let that be a salutary lesson for us. Gracious God, as we come to each new day, with its opportunities of pleasing you, remind us of how you have chosen us, and of how we must be people of joy, people who love, and people committed to be your friends; through him who has given us access into your living presence, your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THE WEEK Gracious God, the source of all life and love, we ask your blessing on our world, our nation, our community, and especially on ourselves, with so many anxious and fearful of the future, and where so many innocent souls still suffer.... Enfold us and surround us with your presence; and may your saving power be at work among us and among your people everywhere; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. THE BLESSING The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, make us perfect in every good work to do his will; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain with us always. Amen. |
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Sunday 28 April 2024
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EASTER 5
ABIDING IN CHRIST With the marvels of modern technology, keeping in touch with other people these days should, in theory at least, be much easier than it was in previous generations. We can now send and receive signals from space, and even from other planets - completely unthinkable to our forebears. During the pandemic, when face-to-face meetings were not possible, new means of communication flourished, especially the use of Zoom or video links, both for professional and personal purposes. In St. John's Gospel (15: 1-8 ) much is said about 'abiding in Christ.' This sounds like some profound mystical experience, open only to the privileged few, when in fact it refers to something that anyone can do, if they set their hearts and minds to it. At its simplest, 'abiding in Christ' means keeping in touch with the risen Lord and Saviour, whom the Biblical passage calls 'the true vine.' Just as branches are unable to bear ripe fruit if they become detached from the vine, the source of their energy and vitality, so Christian disciples are unable to 'bear fruit' if they become detached from Jesus Christ. When the joy of Easter begins to fade, it is easy to wrap up Jesus once again in the pages of the Bible, and think of him as a figure of history. To do so is to misunderstand the meaning of the resurrection. The resurrection affirms that Jesus Christ is not someone who belongs to the past, but is a living, powerful force in the present. Christians are called to keep in contact with him -t he way, the truth and the life - so that they live or 'abide' in Christ, and he in them. This might mean a brief prayer in the morning, before the busyness of the day begins. It might mean a period of silence, on a hillside or at the seashore, in which to listen for the still, small voice in the calm around us. It could simply mean the quiet reading of a psalm or hymn, or other act of devotion, before the day unfolds. Indeed, it has been said that "before we do our daily duties, we ought to do our daily devotions." If we take this seriously, what we do in a day becomes an offering of love, as well as of duty. Are we keeping in touch with Jesus Christ? Are we in close contact with him, and in a way that will allow us to know him and to obey him better? Are we making ourselves accessible to him? Or have we let communication lapse, and (as we often do with friends) reduced contact with the Lord and Saviour of the universe? As we come to The Fifth Sunday of Easter, we may remind ourselves of the need to 'abide in Christ,' so that Christ abides in us; and that by keeping in contact with him, we may bring glory to God, and reveal a Christ-like character to everyone around us. Only when we keep in contact with Christ, the true vine, can we be effective and obedient disciples. Let us resolve to do this each day, and experience his love which is new every morning. As one modern spiritual writer has noted: "We can go into the throne room of Jesus Christ at any time. The door is always open." Most gracious God, as we recall how your Son, our Saviour Christ, is the true vine, help us by your Spirit to keep in contact with him, so that we may abide in him, and he in us, now and all the days of our life; in whose name we pray. Amen. PRAYERS FOR THIS WEEK Almighty God, Father of all mercies, by whose command the order of time runs its course, and one season follows another: As we continue to celebrate Eastertide, may Christ's risen presence come to this world, a world sore wounded by the lack of love, to heal its brokenness, to purge it of hate and division, and to restore its dignity and natural beauty.... As we continue to celebrate Eastertide, may Christ's risen presence come to your Church, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may honour our Saviour with their lives, as well as with their lips.... As we continue to celebrate Eastertide, may Christ's risen presence come to our country, that his life may be the inspiration of our leaders, and that he may encourage us in all our civic duties, in accordance with his gracious will.... As we continue to celebrate Eastertide, may Christ's risen presence come to those who are sick, to those who suffer pain or loneliness or grief of heart, and to those whom we name quietly in our hearts; that his love may embrace them, his power sustain them, and his peace possess them, now and always.... As we continue to celebrate Eastertide, we remember, and give thanks, O God, for those gone before us in the faith, who now see Christ face to face.... May his risen presence bring us, with your people of every age, to the joy of your heavenly presence; where, with you, Father, and the Holy Spirit, he is alive and reigns, in time and in all eternity. Amen. THE BLESSING The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, make us perfect in every good work to do his will; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain with us always. Amen. |
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Sunday 21 April 2024
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EASTER 4
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD The Fourth Sunday of Easter is commonly called Good Shepherd Sunday. The image of God as a shepherd is deeply embedded in Scripture. In the Old Testament, this is most clearly expressed in Psalm 23: "The Lord is my Shepherd" - which has been described as the world's most familiar and favourite Psalm. According to the late Professor G.A.F. Knight, "It is the favourite of Jew, Eastern Orthodox, Western Protestant, and wistful agnostic alike." God is pictured as the true Shepherd of his people, who leads them safely through the green pastures, and beside the still waters of this life, and finally into his eternal presence. The image of God as a shepherd is a comfort to us. One of the problems of modern living is fear and insecurity. In former times, society was much more settled and stable, but with the massive social, economic and cultural changes of the last two centuries, and in more recent times, there has come about a general feeling of insecurity. In their book called Scared to Death, Christopher Booker and Richard North argue that we live in an age of scares: health scares, money scares, food scares, climate scares, and so on. From a very tender age (childhood) fear is instilled into us, leading in later life to feelings of insecurity. Further to this is the fact that nothing seems safe nowadays. We don't necessarily have the same job for life. Businesses, once household names, have disappeared. Economies go up and down in cycles and are often unpredictable. War and conflict remain a fact of life, while churches, schools, banks, post offices, factories, shops and other familiar facilities have closed, causing further insecurity and unease. In these uncertain times, the image of God as a shepherd is a comfort to us. It points to a God who is our ever-vigilant guardian and guide, a God who will go to outstanding lengths to protect his people. It pictures a God who will lead us through the light and shade of life, and finally bring us to his eternal presence. We are never out of God's sight or beyond his loving care. The shepherd may be disappearing from the Scottish countryside. But the image of God as a shepherd should be a source of strength and inspiration. In a fast-changing world, with its fears and feelings of insecurity, it portrays a heavenly Father who is eternally watchful, vigilant and protective of his people. When we feel afraid and insecure, let us rejoice that "The Lord is my Shepherd" - and find in him the lasting peace and safety that only his sheep know. "This image is so strong, so powerful, that it gives us confidence in a crisis and enables us to rise above the storm clouds of everyday life." (Anonymous) A PRAYER FOR TODAY Almighty and most merciful Father, we confess that we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have broken your holy laws. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and done those things which we ought not to have done. Pardon and deliver us from our sins. Confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and bring us at last to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THIS WEEK O God, our Shepherd and Saviour, you first gave life to the world and in Jesus Christ your Son have brought us new life in him. May this Eastertide be for us a time of thanksgiving, a season of celebration and an inspiration to live each day in the strength of the risen Christ; in whose name we pray. Amen. THE BLESSING The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, make us perfect in every good work to do his will; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain with us always. Amen. |
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Sunday 14 April 2024
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EASTER 3
STRANGER ON THE SHORE First released in 1961, Stranger on the Shore by Acker Bilk, a haunting, clarinet-led melody by the 'master of the clarinet,' was the UK's best selling single in 1962. The melody evokes in the mind the picture of a magnificent sunset, with someone standing alone on a beach, gazing up at the sheer beauty of it, and awestruck by the glorious colours lighting up the sky. In St. John's Gospel (21: 1-14), we have a story about "a stranger on the shore." After the death and resurrection of Jesus, some of his disciples returned to their previous occupation as fishermen. One night, while out fishing on a boat on the Sea of Tiberias, the trip was a complete failure: they caught nothing. When morning came, however, "a stranger on the shore" told them to cast their net to the right-hand side (starboard) of their vessel, and they would be assured of a large catch. Though it appears that two of the disciples may have recognised the stranger at this stage, the disciples did as he had told them, and the outcome far exceeded their expectations. The net was full of fish of all shapes and sizes, and they couldn't haul it in. Simon Peter had to drag the loaded net from the boat to the shore, no doubt a slow and exhausting process. The "stranger on the shore" turned out to be Jesus. When they came ashore, the disciples saw a charcoal fire, with fish laid on it, and some bread. While they were having breakfast, they made their great discovery - "they knew it was the Lord." No longer was the stranger a mysterious figure. He was the risen Lord in person. One of the points that John is making is that Jesus often comes to us, disguised as a stranger. His presence isn't always immediately obvious, but just as the risen Christ appeared to his disciples as "the stranger on the shore," so he may well come among us today as the stranger in the street, the stranger in the hospital, the stranger on the bus or train, and even the stranger in the Church. The truth is: Jesus often comes to us, disguised as a stranger, and without us realising it. In our lives, we meet many people whom we regard as "strangers." They may cross our path in some way, but we may never see them again. In so doing, we may have encountered the spirit of Jesus without realising it. We may have been in the company of Jesus, totally oblivious to the fact that the "stranger" in our midst was the risen Lord and Saviour. In his Gospel, John would have us believe that Jesus often comes to us, disguised as a stranger, just as he appeared to his disciples a third time as "the stranger on the shore." As such, we may treat "the stranger in our midst" with a much greater respect than we might otherwise give to them! O Lord our God, as your dear Son, our Saviour Christ, came to his disciples at Tiberias, disguised as a stranger on the seashore, so teach us to see his face in every stranger we meet; and to absorb their Christ-like virtues into our hearts and into our lives; for his name's sake. Amen. A PRAYER FOR EASTERTIDE Lord our God, as we celebrate with joy the resurrection of Jesus our Saviour, help us to make the Easter faith a deeper reality in our lives; that we may know something more of the peace he bequeathed to his disciples, and lay hold of the victory he won for us over sin and death, rejoicing in the hope of the life immortal which is ours in him, our Redeemer and our Lord. Amen. From: Frank Colquhoun, Contemporary Parish Prayers, London 1975, 56 A PRAYER FOR TODAY Lord, set your blessing on us as we begin this day together. Confirm us in the truth by which we rightly live; confront us with the truth from which we wrongly turn. We ask not for what we want but for what you know we need, as we offer this day and ourselves for you and to you; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. From: Common Order (Church of Scotland), Edinburgh 1994, 519 THE BLESSING The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, make us perfect in every good work to do his will; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain with us always. Amen. |
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Sunday 7 April 2024
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EASTER 2
THOMAS THE TWIN HONEST ENQUIRER? If Judas Iscariot will always be remembered as the disciple who betrayed Jesus, Thomas the Twin will always be branded the one who refused to believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead, until Jesus's wounds had been revealed to him. His story is a well-known one. Later on that day on which Jesus had been raised, Thomas wasn't with the disciples when they gathered behind locked doors, fearing that the Jewish authorities would now come after them with a vengeance. A week later, Thomas was with the disciples when they met again, and when Jesus came and stood among them, giving them his blessing: "Peace be with you!" At this point, Jesus invited Thomas to touch his wounds and see the marks of the crucifixion for himself. We are uncertain as to whether Thomas did exactly as Jesus had directed, but what we do know is that Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" - words of uninhibited adoration, acknowledging the figure before him as the Jesus he had known. It may be said in Thomas's defence that he had one outstanding virtue. He absolutely refused to say that he understood something when clearly he did not. There is "an uncompromising honesty" about him, in that Thomas would never suppress his doubts to please the majority, pretending that they did not exist. He was not a person to accept a story at face value, least of all the sensational claim that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead. In this respect, we can admire his integrity. We live in an age where information bombards us on a daily basis. We are fed so much data on so many subjects that it is difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. We could easily absorb everything we see, read and hear, without giving any thought to its plausibility, by suspending sound judgment and accepting the whole at face value. How much of our daily diet of data and other information is true? How much of it is propaganda, or a subtle spinning of the truth for particular purposes, to persuade us that things are other than they are? It has been said that Thomas represents "the awkward squad" among the disciples, with his questioning and hesitation to accept what he did not fully understand - the Resurrection being something he felt too good to be true. In an age of mass information and misinformation, we ought to see Thomas as one who encourages us to question what has not been thought out, and to reach our conclusions only after rigorous scrutiny. Through such scrutiny, doubts are often transformed into certainties. Thomas has been named "an honest enquirer," in preference to "a doubting disciple." Would we agree? Or is he one of "the awkward squad," who make life difficult today by their constant questioning? A PRAYER IN MOMENTS OF DOUBT Risen Master, help us, like your apostle Thomas, to be honest enough to admit our doubts and not to affect a faith we do not possess; and enable us, like him, so to experience your living presence and power that our doubts may be dissolved and we may inherit the blessing promised to those who have not seen you and yet trust in you, our Lord and our God. Amen. From: Frank Colquhoun, Contemporary Parish Prayers, London 1975, 83 THE BLESSING The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, make us perfect in every good work to do his will; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain with us always. Amen. |
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