A short service and reflection for Pentecost, 31st May 2020.

You may wish to light a candle at the start of this time of worship.

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Collect

Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, ignite in us your holy fire;
strengthen your children with the gift of faith,
revive your Church with the breath of love,
and renew the face of the earth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God’s Word - Acts, chapter 2, verses 1 to 21 :-

The day of Pentecost had come, and the disciples were all together in one place. Suddenly there came from the sky what sounded like a strong, driving wind, a noise which filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them flames like tongues of fire distributed among them and coming to rest on each one. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them power of utterance.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem devout Jews drawn from every nation under heaven. At this sound a crowd of them gathered, and were bewildered because each one heard his own language spoken; they were amazed and in astonishment exclaimed, ‘Surely these people who are speaking are all Galileans! How is it that each of us can hear them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites; inhabitants of Mesopotamia, of Judaea and Cappadocia, of Pontus and Asia, of Phrygia and Pamphylia, of Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes; Cretans and Arabs - all of us hear them telling in our own tongues the great things God has done.’ They were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What can this mean?’ Others said contemptuously, ‘They have been drinking!’


But Peter stood up with the eleven, and in a loud voice addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow-Jews, and all who live in Jerusalem, listen and take note of what I say.  These people are not drunk, as you suppose; it is only nine in the morning!
No, this is what the prophet Joel spoke of:  “In the last days, says God, I will pour out my Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy; your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.  Yes, on my servants and my handmaids I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.  I will show portents in the sky above, and signs on the earth below - blood and fire and a pall of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before that great, resplendent day, the day of the Lord, shall come. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord on that day shall be saved.”

Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.

A Reflection on the Reading

When “sharing the peace” first began to happen at services of Holy Communion, we eagerly espoused this in my home church, because we were quite modern and go-ahead, or so we thought, anyway. We did it, though, in an awfully nice and safely Anglican sort of way. The Vicar would stand at the chancel step, and the two churchwardens would come forward, receive the peace solemnly, and then just as solemnly pass it on by shaking hands with the end person on each pew, who would then pass it along the pew. It was a little bit like taking the collection in reverse. Even so, it was too much for Vera, who never came on a Sunday again, but only to the midweek service where dangerous things like passing the peace didn’t happen.

I may well speak about the Peace some other time; suffice for now to say that the way we did it then at St Peter’s does for me neatly encapsulate the way we often deal with the Holy Spirit, who is of course the most troublesome and hard-to-handle person of the Trinity (apart, that is, from the other two). Luke’s account of the gifting of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is profoundly chaotic for the most part. The disciples had been praying for this promised gift, but it still knocked them off their feet. Luke speaks of wind and fire, uncontrollable, dangerous things. The disciples are sent spinning out onto the city streets, no longer exactly in control of their own selves, so full of joy that it overflowed from them, so full of joy that the more sceptical of the passers-by decided they must be drunk. That probably happened a lot at Pentecost, which was the harvest festival of the grape harvest. But the disciples had been filled not with the wine of the grape, but with the New Wine of the Holy Spirit.

We’re not very keen on chaos for the most part, and we like our religion orderly and manageable. So we surround the Holy Spirit with doctrines and liturgies, so as to keep him (or her, as “spirit” is feminine in Hebrew) safely in a box. And, though there are of course Pentecostal Christians who do a lot of hand-clapping and arm-waving and smiling, and indeed there is the charismatic movement within our own church and the other mainstream churches, which is a bit the same way inclined, for the most part we seem to manage to keep the Holy Spirit where he or she belongs, as a fairly brief footnote to God, in the lower third of the Creed.

But today forces us to think again. The Church was born Pentecostal. Charismatic simply means “gifted”, and church history begins with the gifts of the Spirit, showered liberally on the disciples of Jesus as they prayed. Nor is the Holy Spirit somehow different from (and more troublesome than) the Father and the Son: the Spirit is the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of Jesus, the sheer life changing love of God so profoundly present not only around but within the disciples that day that they could no longer help themselves, they had to get out there and tell the world what God had done for them, what God would be doing for everyone.

And out of that chaotic event came order, for folk on the streets all heard that message in their own language. How should we interpret this strange and unusual event? For me, I see it terms of challenge. We shouldn’t impose limits on who is to hear and receive God’s word. No-one is barred, all are invited in. And what began that day in Jerusalem among Jews - yes, from different places, but all of them Jews - would leapfrog that boundary wall too. God intends and desires the language of his love to be heard and received and understood by people everywhere.  People have always wanted to own their own god or gods - but the Holy Spirit came to people who were ready to be owned by God; that’s what their praying had been about. They were placing themselves into God’s hands, to be used by him.

And if what that led to seemed a bit chaotic, chaos isn’t always bad. For example, our countryside has been getting too tidy of late, and when there’s too much tidiness, things die. It’s years since I last heard a yellowhammer; they used to be along all the scruffy hedgerows when I was a child. Pentecost reminds us that true religion, religion that will change the world, can never be us keeping God safely tucked into a corner of our tidy life, and must always be us engaging with, offering ourselves to, the God who is hugely, uncontrollably alive, like wind and fire.

A Statement of Faith

We believe in the living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For Jesus said, ‘Those who are thirsty, come to me and drink. If you believe in me, streams of living water shall flow from within you.’ He spoke of the Spirit his disciples would later receive, the Spirit to be given, once he had been glorified.            from John 7.37-9

Prayers  -  

Begin this time of prayer by simply being silent before God, confessing our sins before him, and seeking the healing and renewing power of his Spirit.

Pray for the world, for peace where there is conflict, for healing where people are hurting, for relief and comfort where people are afraid. Pray that leaders of the nations may govern with wisdom, discernment and integrity. Pray for a spirit of co-operation as scientists and epidemiologists continue to work to battle the continuing threat of Covid 19.

Pray for the Anglican Province of Melanesia, and in our own Diocese for Richard our Bishop and for the churches of the Ross and Archenfield Deanery. And pray for the Church in its mission and service in all the world, and for a joyful, obedient and purposeful openness to the Holy Spirit among all of us.

Pray for all who are worried, grieving or in need today: for those struggling with isolation and loneliness, and separation from loved ones. Pray for all who are ill, including all who are infected by Covid 19,  for their care and treatment and recovery. Continue to pray for the safety of all front line workers, in hospitals and care homes, in transport, and in essential and emergency services of all kinds.

Pray for our own families and friends, and for the life of our communities. Pray for our schools as they plan for the possibility of children returning. Pray we may continue to act with care, looking out for one another and keeping safe.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

Blessing

May the Spirit, who hovered over the waters when the world was created, breathe into us the life he gives.  Amen.
May the Spirit, who overshadowed blessed Mary when the eternal Son came among us, make us joyful in the Lord’s service.  Amen.
May the Spirit, who set the Church on fire upon the Day of Pentecost, bring the world alive with the love of the risen Christ. Amen.
And may almighty God bless us, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always. Amen.

A short service and reflection for Easter 7, Sunday 24th May 2020

You may wish to light a candle at the start of this time of worship.

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Theme Prayer
Risen, ascended Lord, as we rejoice at your triumph,
fill your Church on earth with power and compassion,
that all who are estranged by sin may find forgiveness and know your peace,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Confession
Through Jesus our risen and ascended High Priest, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence, ready to confess our sins. Let us keep a moment of silence, and ask God to hear us and heal us.

Father, creator, you welcome your people into eternal glory. Lord, have mercy:
(Lord, have mercy.)
Jesus our Saviour, you plead for us at the Father’s side. Christ, have mercy:
(Christ, have mercy.)
Holy Spirit, you are promised to us, to fill us with love and to open the eyes of faith. Lord, have mercy:
(Lord, have mercy.)

May almighty God cleanse us from all our sin, and make us ready to receive his Spirit and to take his message of love into all the world.  Amen.

God’s Word - John’s Gospel, chapter 17, verses 1 to 11 :-

Jesus looked up to heaven and said: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you. For you have made him sovereign over all mankind, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. This is eternal life: to know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

‘I have glorified you on earth by finishing the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world began.

‘I have made your name known to the men whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your command. Now they know that all you gave me has come from you; for I have taught them what I learned from you, and they have received it: they know with certainty that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

‘I pray for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, because they belong to you. All that is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine; and through them is my glory revealed. I am no longer in the world; they are still in the world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you have given me, that they may be one, as we are one.’

Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.

A Reflection on the Reading

The event known as the Ascension is described only by Luke. On Ascension Day, last Thursday, we heard how the disciples saw their Lord taken away from them into the clouds. Luke uses that story to close his Gospel, and then to open his second book, the Acts of the Apostles. We might find ourselves thinking that it’s just a sort of stylistic device; but this is very clear from all the Gospels and from other witnesses too, the letters of Paul for example, that for a while after Easter Day Jesus was physically present with his disciples, but then he wasn’t. And he had said to Mary Magdalene in the garden on that first Easter morning that he would at some point ascend to the Father. The message she took to the disciples spoke of “My Father and your Father” - a promise that through the death and resurrection they - and we too - had been brought into a new relationship with God.

So, however the Ascension itself happened, the important thing is that it did, and it’s also important that we take to heart what the disciples did next. They prayed. Prayer should be something that underpins every aspect of Christian life, that flows through everything we do. Too often it’s a nod to God at the beginning or the end of the day, or at the start of a church meeting, or it’s maybe the emergency button to be pressed when something goes wrong. I used to work in a coal mining parish, and I remember an old miner telling me, “When you hear a pit prop crack, you won’t find any atheists down there!” Well, it occurs to me that this present period of enforced shutdown does give us an opportunity to pray purposefully, or maybe to plan prayerfully.

That’s what the disciples did in the period between Ascension and Pentecost. That’s what Jesus told them to do - well, he told them to wait to receive the gift of the Spirit, but I’ve no doubt he meant them to wait prayerfully, and it’s clear that that’s what they did. In Acts chapter 1 we read that all the disciples were “with one accord constantly at prayer.”

Some years ago the present Archbishop of Canterbury called for the ten days between Ascension and Pentecost to be a period of prayer, prayer with mission in mind, prayer to realign ourselves with what God is calling out from us, and what he is desiring for his world. That call for ten days of prayer spread around the world and was taken up by every Christian denomination, under the banner of “Thy Kingdom Come”. Today we’re almost halfway through these ten days, and if you haven’t already been using the prayer prompts I’ve been sending round, please do join in for the rest of this week, in prayer that joins us together, and seeks the presence and the power of God.

For some years now I’ve been editing the Prayer Diary for our diocese - not because I’m brilliant at praying, because I’m not - but because I do believe prayer is important, as a discipline, as something that can help establish a sense of common purpose in mission and service, and because we need to be placing ourselves before God regularly and faithfully, and seeking his presence in our lives. Jesus himself prayed constantly, and our Gospel reading shows us the closeness of his own relationship with the Father, and that those who pray “belong to God”.

Notice I haven’t said anything about asking for stuff! Of course, we do do that when we pray, and we should, but ultimately prayer is about finding out what God wants from us, rather than asking him to bless our own proposals or fulfil our own desires. Prayer is not my campaign speech to God, or my shopping list, and much of the best prayer hardly involves words at all, just that we be still before God - waiting on him, listening for his word, open to his presence. That, I think, is what the disciples were about as they waited there in the Holy City. And that’s what “Thy Kingdom Come” is about too: that we wait in prayer to discover what God is wanting to do with us, and for us, and through us.

Statement of faith

Let us proclaim the mystery of our faith: 

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, who was revealed in the flesh, attested by the Spirit, seen by the apostles, proclaimed to the nations, believed in throughout the world, and taken up to glory.  Amen.

Prayers

At this time when all the world is vulnerable, and many are afraid, pray for those who are most at risk, and especially for the poor, the homeless, and the many in our world who live as refugees. Pray that aid to the poorest in our world will be sufficient to enable them to counter the threat of Covid 19. Pray that all world leaders may have the vision and courage they need, and that the search for a vaccine and effective treatments will meet with success.

Pray that the Church everywhere will be constant in prayer and ready to do the will of God in these testing times. On Anglican Communion Sunday pray for Archbishop Justin and for staff in the Anglican Communion Office, and in our own diocese for all who work in Communications. On the day that would normally commemorate John and Charles Wesley, pray for the Methodist Church locally and throughout the world.

Pray for those in need today: for all who grieve, for the worried and anxious, and for those who are struggling with isolation and loneliness. Pray for all who are ill, including all who are infected by Covid 19,  for their care and treatment and recovery. Pray for the safety of all front line workers, and especially for all who work in hospitals and care homes.

Pray for families and friends, and for the life of our communities. Pray for our schools as they plan for the possibility of children returning. May we continue to act with care, looking out for one another and keeping safe.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

Prayer for today and Blessing

May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and minds. Amen.

May Christ our King pour upon us his gifts, and bring us to reign with him in glory. And may almighty God bless us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever.   Amen.

A short service and reflection for the 6th Sunday of Easter (17th May 2020)

You may wish to light a candle at the start of this time of worship.

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Theme Prayer 
Remember, Lord, your mercy and loving-kindness towards us. Bless this good earth, and make it fruitful. Bless our labour, and give us all things needed for our daily lives. Bless the homes of our parishes and all who live within them. Bless our life together and our care for our neighbour. Hear us, good Lord. Amen.

Confession
As God’s wayward children, forgetful of his love, who has made all things, we turn back to confess our sins and to seek his love afresh.

Father, you enfold us with wings of love, as a bird protects her young. Forgive our own failure to love. Lord, have mercy:
(Lord, have mercy.)
Jesus, you gather us around you, that we may learn your ways. Forgive us when we fail to listen and to follow. Christ, have mercy: (Christ, have mercy.)
Holy Spirit, you feed us with the seed of your holy word. Forgive us when we fail to nurture that seed into growth. Lord, have mercy: (Lord, have mercy.)

May almighty God cleanse us from sin, and make us worthy of the kingdom of his glory.  Amen.

God’s Word - John’s Gospel, chapter 14, verses 15 to 21 :-

Jesus said to the disciples, ‘If you love me you will obey my commands; and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another to be your advocate, who will be with you for ever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because the world neither sees nor knows him; but you know him, because he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you bereft; I am coming back to you.

‘In a little while the world will see me no longer, but you will see me; because I live, you too will live. When that day comes you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me and I in you. Anyone who has received my commands and obeys them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father; and I will love him and disclose myself to him.’

Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.

A Reflection on the Reading

Today is often called Rogation Sunday, and we probably would have had a Forest Church service today somewhere where we could look out over the land, and give thanks for creation and for all that gives life, and pray for the growing crops and those who work the soil. Rogation means prayer - in my dictionary “a solemn supplication”, so serious prayer. Traditionally the last three days before Ascension Day (which is this coming Thursday) were kept as Rogation Days, special days of prayer. And that became linked with farming and our use of the land because, well, this is the time when crops are growing - but also because, even before Christian times, prayers would be said out in the fields at this time of year, for the health of the growing corn, and for a good harvest.

There are lots of places in the Church year when we think of God’s creation, and I’m glad there are. For we are part of that creation, and it’s when we get above ourselves and forgetful of God that things go wrong. The quieter world of the last months or two has seen some healing, the result of the lightening of our often over heavy footprint on the planet. The smog of Indian cities has cleared, and people can once again see the Himalayas. Birdsong is clearer in our gardens, and several people have reported to me that they’ve heard the cuckoo for the first time in years. My brother in Blackpool tells me that the seagulls and pigeons have deserted his hotel for the beach, though that’s probably because there aren’t as many left over chips and kebabs along the pavements.

It would be good if we came out of all this having learned a few lessons, and maybe discovered a new balance. A recent survey discovered that only 9% of people in the UK want us to go back to “how things were before”. A prayer in the Rogation Sunday resources in a book I have of “Seasonal Worship in the Countryside” reminds me that as “sons and daughters of God” we are also “brothers and sisters of birds and beasts”. And, for me, taking that thought seriously, and lightening therefore our own tread on the surface of the earth, has to be part of what I mean by seeking a new sense of balance.

Where do we get this new balance from? What are the guidelines? Jesus said to his friends, “If you love me you will obey my commands.” And he goes on to tell them that he will send them the Spirit, the Spirit of truth who will not only dwell with them but will actually be in them, enabling their vision and inspiring their action. So being balanced in our living as God’s people honouring his creation begins when we allow his creative power, in the person of the Holy Spirit, to rule in our hearts.

In Genesis chapter 1, right at the front of our Bibles, we find a story of creation in which God speaks, and things come into being. I recall the writer of one book I read back in student days saying that the word God spoke was, “I love you” - and I’ve always found that idea of God loving his creation into existence hugely helpful. In St John’s Gospel Jesus is described as “the Word of God”. “Love is his word, love is his way”, we sing in a modern Communion hymn. To be like Jesus, to be guided by the Holy Spirit, means to make love the heart of all we are and do.

A poster I put on my Facebook page the other day read, “And they will know you are my disciples by your - rules (crossed out), theology (crossed out), then righteousness, power, rhetoric, purity (all crossed out), even clubs (crossed out). Leaving at the bottom of the list - love.” That’s John chapter 13 verse 35. “If there is love among you, then everyone will know you are my disciples.”

The other side of that is also true. If love is not the heart of our life - and if we don’t have that prayerful connection with the one who calls us into love, and shows us just what the love of God is really like - then we won’t be recognised as God’s people, or at least  not in any way that attracts and persuades. If love does not motivate the practical business of living together on this little planet, then things go out of balance, and what should be green and growing and beautiful is at risk of becoming an arid wasteland.  Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near - on this Rogation Sunday especially, that his love may guide both hand and heart, establishing in us a new and Christ-like balance.

Statement of faith

We believe in God above us, the maker and sustainer of all life. We believe in God beside us, Jesus the Word made flesh. He came to teach and to lead, but also to serve, and at last to die forsaken even by his friends. Laid in a tomb, he burst its bonds on the third day, and ascended into heaven to be everywhere present. We believe in God within us, the Holy Spirit setting hearts on fire and the life-giving breath of the Church. We believe in one God, who is over us, and beside us, and within us, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Prayers

Pray for all our use of the earth’s resources, and that we seek to live in a balanced way together, sharing what the earth produces, and valuing and protecting the other living things with which we share this planet. Continue to pray that those searching for ways to overcome the Coronavirus will meet with success, and that those nations whose resources are limited may be given the support and assistance they need.

Pray that the life of churches everywhere may be based in a Christ-like love which finds its spring in a prayerful resting in him and openness to his Spirit. We pray today for the Anglican Church in Korea, and for our own Deanery of Pontesbury. We pray there may have been a good response to this year’s Christian Aid Week appeal, and on National Children’s Day we pray for all our work with children and families.

Pray for those in need today: for all who grieve, for the worried and anxious, and for those who are struggling with isolation and loneliness. Pray for all who are ill, including all who are infected by Covid 19,  for their care and treatment and recovery. Pray for the safety of all front line workers, and especially for all who work in hospitals and care homes.

Pray for the farmers of our communities, and for all who work the land. Pray for our churches and for our families and friends. May we continue to act with care, looking out for one another and keeping safe.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

Prayer for today and Blessing

May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and minds. Amen.

May God our Father, by whose glory Christ was raised from the dead, strengthen us to walk with him in his risen life. And may almighty God bless us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever.   Amen.

A short service and reflection for the 5th Sunday of Easter (10th May 2020)

You may wish to light a candle at the start of this time of worship.

Alleluia! Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Theme Prayer 

Eternal God, your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life:

grant us to walk in his way, to rejoice in his truth, and to share his risen life;

for he is alive and reigns, now and for ever.  Amen.

Confession

By the wounds of Jesus wounds we are healed. We come to the Lord our God knowing our need of his grace, to make confession of our sins.

Father, you entrust the world to our care: forgive our thoughtlessness and neglect. Lord, have mercy: (Lord, have mercy.)

Jesus, you entrust our neighbours to our care: forgive our thoughtlessness and neglect. Christ, have mercy: (Christ, have mercy.)

Holy Spirit, you entrust your gifts to our care: forgive our thoughtlessness and neglect. Lord, have mercy: (Lord, have mercy.)

God is good. On all whose lives are open to change from guilt to grace, and from darkness to light, he pronounces his pardon and grants his peace. Thanks be to God.  Amen.

God’s Word - John’s Gospel, chapter 14, verses 1 to 14 :-

Jesus said, ‘Set your troubled hearts at rest. Trust in God always; trust also in me. There are many dwelling-places in my Father’s house; if it were not so I should have told you; for I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I shall come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also; and you know the way I am taking.’  Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus replied, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except by me.

‘If you knew me you would know my Father too. From now on you do know him; you have seen him.’ Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father; we ask no more.’ Jesus answered, ‘Have I been all this time with you, Philip, and still you do not know me? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. Then how can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? I am not myself the source of the words I speak to you: it is the Father who dwells in me doing his own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else accept the evidence of the deeds themselves. In very truth I tell you, whoever has faith in me will do what I am doing; indeed he will do greater things still because I am going to the Father. Anything you ask in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name I will do it.’

Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.

A Reflection on the Reading

There are some big promises in today’s reading, and none bigger than those last few words. “If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” Anything? So how come we are still surrounded by this virus, when people all over the place, people of faith, are praying that it might go away or be defeated. How come so many other ills in the world still persist, in spite of our prayers, in spite of our hopes and dreams, in spite of our faith?

St John shows us Jesus speaking these words on his last night with them, out in the Garden of Gethsemane, literally just minutes before they are surrounded by armed guards who seize their Master and take him away. On the next day, as they see him crucified, or hear about it from the women who were there, all their dreams are shattered, and the faith Jesus has encouraged them to have is sorely tested.

These fifty days between Easter and Pentecost reflect the time it took for those disciples to realise the truth of what had happened that day. Initially they could only see it in terms of disaster and failure. Now we can say, “Lord, by your wounds we are healed.” Now we can see that on the cross Jesus freely accepted the weight of all our sin, but it took time and patient teaching for them to grasp that. The way of Jesus is not the way of the world. It is the way of the cross. We are not living in zoo cages, but in a world of freedom which inevitably includes the freedom for bad things to happen, even to good people. Small children may stamp their feet and cry out, “It’s not fair!” That’s a lesson we need to learn. Real life isn’t fair. But the very fact that we realise that shows we have a spark of God’s goodness within us.

The way of Jesus is to enter the unfairness and painfulness of the world and to share it, and in the spirit of a servant and a friend, to seek to transform it, to change things for the better - not by waving a magic wand, but with sleeves rolled up and sweated brow. And at the last, with the mark of the nails in hands and feet and the mark of the spear in his side, those marks still there as he appears to his disciples on the evening of Easter Day.

So we are not promised an easy ride, for Jesus says, “If you come with me, you must share in my cross.” And, if we are truly to ask in his name when we pray, we should not be praying for anything we’re not also ready to work for and to give for. For to pray in the name of Christ isn’t to use that name as a sort of magic formula that will make everything happen as we want it, but to commit ourselves to his way and to his work, and to seek his direction in all we do.

Pain remains a problem for all who live by faith. But in his book “The Problem of Pain” C.S. Lewis noted how pain inspires heroism. Just at the moment, in these hard times, thank God we are surrounded by heroes. Many of them are motivated by their own faith in God, many others are not, but all share what religious faith should really have at its heart - a desire to heal, to comfort, to make things better, to build a better world.

On Friday last we were reminded of the heroes who fought to save our land and our world from tyranny in the war that ended seventy-five years ago. Every day we are reminded of the heroes in our hospitals and elsewhere. There’s nothing special about them, they don’t have super-human powers. Heroes are ordinary people inspired to do extraordinary things. People who care, and who at the right and needful time stood up to be counted. And “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it” is a prayer to inspire and kindle the heroism latent in each one of us.

Statement of faith

We believe in the God who binds up the broken hearted, who proclaims freedom to those held captive, who calls for justice for those treated unfairly, and who lifts up those who are cast down and overburdened. We have seen his love in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in his dying and rising again. He calls us to follow the way of the cross, and promises the gifting power of the Spirit to all who commit themselves to his service. May the one God who is Father and Son and Holy Spirit touch our hearts this day, and inspire us to love and obedience. May his name be praised for ever in his Church active on earth, and in the songs of saints and angels. Amen.

 

Prayers

Give thanks for the freedom preserved in the dark times of the Second World War 75 years ago, and pray we may value our freedom today and work for the freedom of all, and for an end to injustice and unfairness. Pray for all who are working to find effective cures and treatments for Covid 19. Pray for all world leaders, that they may have vision, understanding and discernment.

Pray that the Church everywhere may be inspired to follow the way of the cross, and to be like Jesus in the welcome, acceptance, healing and support we offer . Pray especially today for the Anglican Church in Kenya, for the many international links our own Diocese has, and for the work and witness of Christian Aid, as Christian Aid Week begins.

Pray for those in need today: for all who grieve, for the worried and anxious, and for those who are struggling with isolation and loneliness. Pray for all who are ill, including all who are infected by Covid 19. Pray  for their care and treatment and recovery, and for all who are “on the front line”, as medical staff, carers and in other ways, that they may be safe at work and home,  and be given the support and protection they need.

As we look towards the easing of lockdown restrictions, pray for our own communities and for families and friends, and that we may continue to act with care, looking out for one another and keeping safe.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

Prayer for today and Blessing

May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and minds. Amen.

May God our Father, by whose glory Christ was raised from the dead, strengthen us to walk with him in his risen life. And may almighty God bless us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever.   Amen.

A short service and reflection for the 4th Sunday of Easter (3rd May 2020)

You may wish to light a candle at the start of this time of worship.

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Theme Prayer (today is sometimes called “Good Shepherd Sunday”)
Risen Christ, faithful Shepherd of your Father's sheep:
teach us to hear your voice and to follow your command,
that all your people may be gathered into one flock,
to the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

Confession
Jesus the Good Shepherd calls us back to himself. Let us reflect on our need of his guiding hand and healing touch, and confess our sins to God.

Forgive us, Lord, when we stray from your way. Lord, have mercy.
(Lord, have mercy.)
Forgive us, Lord, when we fail to respond to your call. Christ, have mercy.
(Christ, have mercy.)
Help us to follow in faith, and to support and guide each other. Lord, have mercy.
(Lord, have mercy.)

May almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to seek and save the lost, bring us his pardon and peace, now and always. Amen.

God’s Word - John’s Gospel, chapter 10, verses 1 to 10 :-

Jesus said, ‘In very truth I tell you, the man who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is nothing but a thief and a robber. He who enters by the door is the shepherd in charge of the sheep.  The door-keeper admits him, and the sheep hear his voice; he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. When he has brought them all out, he goes ahead of them and the sheep follow, because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.’

This was a parable that Jesus told them, but they did not understand what he meant by it. So Jesus spoke again: ‘In very truth I tell you, I am the door of the sheepfold. The sheep paid no heed to any who came before me, for they were all thieves and robbers. I am the door; anyone who comes into the fold through me will be safe. He will go in and out and find pasture. ‘A thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and may have it in all its fullness.

Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.

A Reflection on the Reading

People often moan about the “Nanny State” and the way it intrudes on our freedom of choice, and presumes we’re not capable of making our own well informed decisions about how to live together safely and enjoy the world without harming others. But just at the moment, with the “Nanny State” operating at full blast, the vast majority of us are very happy to have what really are quite severe restrictions imposed on us, because we recognise how necessary they are; and those who try to dodge them and go their own way - heading for Snowdon or the beach, for example - are widely censured.

Even without a viral pandemic, living together safely requires all of us to surrender some of our freedom to do what we want, so that others too may have a measure of freedom and choice. Some of that is imposed on us, by the law of the land, and some is just about being a good neighbour. But freedom of choice isn’t something equally shared, and maybe the experience of covid-19 might encourage some rebalancing, in terms of who is really important to a safe and stable society, and how we reward them. We’re discovering that nurses, care workers, and even shelf-stackers and dustmen, may in fact have more to offer when the chips are down than football stars or media celebrities. Oh, I’m not so naive as to expect a brave new world once the virus is gone - but I do hope we learn some of the lessons this time is teaching us.

“All we like sheep have gone astray” we sang a couple of months back, as a choir I sing with prepared for a concert that would have included items from Handel’s “Messiah” had it happened. The people Jesus was speaking to in today’s reading knew all about sheep, and they knew that one thing sheep do very well is go astray. A shepherd on the hills of Palestine needed his wits about him, if he was to look after his flock and keep them safe.

The job of a shepherd involved risk and sacrifice, if it was taken seriously and done properly. A good shepherd cared for his sheep, and saw them as more than a commodity to be used and exploited. Jesus called himself “the door of the sheepfold”, and those who heard him would have known how a shepherd, having penned the sheep for the night, would himself lie across the entrance, so that any wolf, lion or robber would have to contend with him first.

At the end of our reading, Jesus says, “I am come that they might have life, life in all its fullness.”  A simple test of whether we’re on the right track, following our shepherd’s call as we should, is to ask: “Is what I do and decide adding life and light to those around me?” If not, maybe I’m doing the reverse - and to enhance my own freedom at the expense of others is the complete opposite of what I see in Jesus the Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep.

Jesus calls us not only to be faithful sheep, but also faithful shepherds: to look out for one another, with a special care for those who are weak and vulnerable. He calls us to a servant ministry. I’ve heard some criticism of the lockdown as prioritising the needs of the elderly and vulnerable over those of the active, wealth-producing workforce. Well, I happen to believe that that in itself is the measure of a caring society, each member of which has value. And anyway, as Captain - now Colonel - Tom Moore has shown us, everyone has their place, and their part to play, their contribution to make.

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd;  ♦
therefore can I lack nothing.
2    He makes me lie down in green pastures  ♦
and leads me beside still waters.
3    He shall refresh my soul  ♦
and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4    Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will 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 shall be full.
6    Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,  ♦
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,  ♦
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.

Prayers

Pray for our own nation and the world’s nations, as the battle against covid-19 continues. Pray too for countries battling other ills, such as climate change, civil conflict, and diseases such as HIV and malaria. Pray for world leaders, and for a coordinated response to the extraordinary challenge facing us all.

Pray that the Church everywhere may be inspired by the example of service and sacrifice we see in Jesus the Good Shepherd. Pray especially today for the Anglican Church in Japan, and within our own Diocese for the Deanery  of Ludlow. Pray for our own Deanery, and especially for those parishes presently without a Rector; continue to pray for all who work in hospital chaplaincy.

Pray for those in need today: for all who grieve, for the worried and anxious, and for those who are struggling with isolation and loneliness. Pray for all who are ill, and particularly for those infected by the virus, for their care and treatment and recovery. Pray for health workers and carers, and for all who are “on the front line”. Pray for their safety, and that they may be valued for what they do and give not only now but also after this crisis is over.

Pray for our own communities and for our families and friends. May we be faithful not only as sheep but also as shepherds, looking out for one another and offering care. Give thanks for all who actively helping others during this time as volunteers, both in and beyond our local communities. Pray for our keeping of the VE Day anniversary on Friday.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

Prayer for today and Blessing

May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and minds. Amen.

May God our Father, by whose glory Christ was raised from the dead, strengthen us to walk with him in his risen life. And may almighty God bless us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever.   Amen.