A short service and reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 - Acts, chapter 8, verses 26 to the end :-

               The angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Start out and go south to the road that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is the desert road.) He set out and was on his way when he caught sight of an Ethiopian. This man was a eunuch, a high official of the Kandake, or queen, of Ethiopia, in charge of all her treasure; he had been to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage and was now returning home, sitting in his carriage and reading aloud from the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go and meet the carriage.’ When Philip ran up he heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He said, ‘How can I without someone to guide me?’ and invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.             

               The passage he was reading was this: ‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter; like a lamb that is dumb before the shearer, he does not open his mouth. He has been humiliated and has no redress. Who will be able to speak of his posterity? For he is cut off from the world of the living.’ 

               ‘Please tell me’, said the eunuch to Philip, ‘who it is that the prophet is speaking about here: himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began and, starting from this passage, he told him the good news of Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water. ‘Look,’ said the eunuch, ‘here is water: what is to prevent my being baptized?’ and he ordered the carriage to stop. Then they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up from the water the Spirit snatched Philip away; the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip appeared at Azotus, and toured the country, preaching in all the towns till he reached Caesarea.

 

John, chapter 15, verses 1 to 8 :-

               Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  Any branch of mine that is barren he cuts away; and any fruiting branch he prunes clean, to make it more fruitful still. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Dwell in me, as I in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, but only if it remains united with the vine; no more can you bear fruit, unless you remain united with me. 

               ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. Anyone who dwells in me, as I dwell in him, bears much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not dwell in me is thrown away like a withered branch. The withered branches are gathered up, thrown on the fire, and burnt. 

               ‘If you dwell in me, and my words dwell in you, ask whatever you want, and you shall have it. This is how my Father is glorified: you are to bear fruit in plenty and so be my disciples.’

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

 

A Reflection on the Reading

Our first reading, from chapter 8 of Acts, reminds us that the Christian faith actually reached black Africa before it crossed the Mediterranean into Europe. And it also directs our thoughts to three important things about mission: firstly, that it I prompted by the Holy Spirit; secondly, that it’s about making the most of whatever opportunities come our way; and thirdly, that it’s about meeting people where they are.

Philip in the story was Philip the Deacon, one of the seven chosen by the apostles to assist their ministry, rather than Philip who was one of the Twelve disciples. This Philip seems to have had a special skill and ability as a missioner. But here we find him taking the desert road because that’s where he feels led by the Spirit to be; going up to the carriage again at the prompting of the Spirit, and responding to the opportunity presented by this Ethiopian official puzzling over the scriptures.

Opportunities like that may not come our way very often, though I do recall once doing an impromptu Bible study in a pub, prompted by someone who’d been reading something and not understanding it. Though on that occasion, it did not lead to a baptism. But meeting people where they are is really important. We who belong to the church are “The Church”, so far as people see it. “Church” is judged by what they see in us. That’s particularly true of vicars, I suppose, but it is true of all of us.

And the wider our doors can be, the better, therefore. But it won’t be enough to do things in church and expect people to join us - and sometimes even to assume they have a duty to join us, so that it’s their fault and not ours if they don’t. Philip shows us that often the important thing is that we join them. Not to preach at them. Not to convert them, that’s God’s job, not ours - but nonetheless to share what we have with them.

Mission always begins with listening. It did here; Philip heard what the Ethiopian was reading, and everything that then happened followed on from that.  Mission does not require us to artificially bring Jesus into every conversation: it happens when we are friendly, helpful, attentive, when we care. And when we have the confidence ourselves in the faith (and in our church) to be able to speak of it when the opportunity naturally arises.

And if it doesn’t? That’s all right. You’ve tilled the ground, and maybe someone else will have the chance to sow the seed. And maybe someone else again will have the chance to reap the crop, which in the story from Acts is I guess the bit where the Ethiopian gets baptized. In that story, it all happens all at once. But usually things take a bit longer. Be a friend; that’s always a good start.

But mission isn’t an option we can maybe choose to do and maybe pass up on. Some people may have a special skill, like Philip; but it’s everyone’s task in some measure. Jesus says, ‘Anyone who dwells in me bears much fruit.’ His Church is called on to be a fruitful place, and that fruitfulness is mission - mission expressed in doing as much as in speaking. To remind you again of the message of Francis of Assisi to his followers: ‘Preach at all times, and where necessary, use words.’

Statement of faith

We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love. We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high. We believe in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Prayers - Pray that the Church everywhere may be fruitful in its mission and its service, and may be a place of  welcome and friendship .Pray for the churches of the Holy Land, and for the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. Pray for this diocese, for Bishop Richard, and for the churches and communities of the Ludlow deanery.

Pray for the peace of the world, and for co-operation between nations. On Dawn Chorus Day, give thanks for the beauty of birdsong, and pray we may act to protect the natural environment, and to soften the impact of human life and development on our fragile planet.

Pray for all in need today: for all who grieve, for the worried and anxious, for those who struggle with isolation or loneliness, and for all who are ill, for their care and treatment and recovery, and for those who give that care. On World Asthma Day, pray for all who suffer from this disease. Pray too for the work of the Red Cross here and around the world.

As restrictions begin to ease, pray we may do this safely, and with care and consideration. May we continue to look out for one another and to keep safe ourselves.

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 Fourth Sunday after Easter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alleluia! Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Collect (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.

Readings - Acts, chapter 4, verses 5 to 12 :-

Next day the Jewish rulers, elders, and scribes met in Jerusalem. There were present Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. They brought the apostles before the court and began to interrogate them. ‘By what power’, they asked, ‘or by what name have such men as you done this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, if it is about help given to a sick man that we are being questioned today, and the means by which he was cured, this is our answer to all of you and to all the people of Israel: it was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, and whom God raised from the dead; through him this man stands here before you fit and well. This Jesus is the stone, rejected by you the builders, which has become the corner-stone. There is no salvation through anyone else; in all the world no other name has been granted to mankind by which we can be saved.’

John, chapter 10, verses 11 to 18

Jesus said, ‘I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired man, when he sees the wolf coming, abandons the sheep and runs away, because he is not the shepherd and the sheep are not his. Then the wolf harries the flock and scatters the sheep. The man runs away because he is a hired man and cares nothing for the sheep.

‘I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. But there are other sheep of mine, not belonging to this fold; I must lead them as well, and they too will listen to my voice. There will then be one flock, one shepherd. The Father loves me because I lay down my life, to receive it back again. No one takes it away from me; I am laying it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to receive it back again; this charge I have received from my Father.’

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

A Reflection on the Reading

Our first reading today, from the Acts of the Apostles, begins with the words “Next day”. Next day after what, you might be wanting to ask. The next day after the events in last week’s reading, is the answer - Peter and John have healed a crippled beggar at the gateway to the temple, and event which has caused quite a stir. And now the religious authorities have called them in to answer for their actions.

And in response, Peter tells the high priests much the same thing as he told the crowd that gathered in last week’s reading, that what they have done they’ve done in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the same man that they had sent to be crucified. But God has raised him from the dead, says Peter, and if you want proof of that, look at this man who is standing before you fit and well.  And then Peter borrows an image from Old Testament scripture when he describes Jesus as the rejected stone which has now become the corner stone, the stone on which everything else is built.

Another powerful image from scripture is that of the good shepherd, and this is an image which Jesus often used when speaking of himself. This Fourth Sunday of Easter is often called Good Shepherd Sunday, and we use as our Gospel one of those places where Jesus explicitly calls himself “The Good Shepherd”. “The Lord is my shepherd” writes David in the 23rd Psalm. “I myself will tend the flock,” says God  through the prophetic words of Ezekiel. In calling himself the Good Shepherd, Jesus is claiming as his own the power and authority of God.

The prophets spoke of the false shepherds, those who, having been entrusted with the care and leadership  of the people, instead exploit them, neglect them, and expose them to danger. And in today’s Gospel Jesus speaks of the hired man who, when the going gets tough, looks only after himself - he runs off and abandons the sheep to whatever dangers are confronting them.

And here we are reminded of something absolutely central to the Gospels, and to the faith we share: that what makes Jesus so special, what makes him unique, is that we the sheep are more precious to this Good Shepherd even than his own life. For any shepherd, danger and risk were part of the deal. Good shepherds looked after their sheep on those dangerous hillsides; and they saw them as more than just a commodity to be used and exploited.  Elsewhere, Jesus refers to himself as “the door of the sheepfold.” The image there is of the shepherd lying through the night across the entrance to the fold where the sheep are penned - so any wolf, lion or robber would have to contend with him first.

In the verse before our second reading started, John chapter 10 verse 10, Jesus says, “I have come that they might have life, life in all its fullness.”  So it seems to me that one simple test of whether I’m on the right track as a minister is to ask myself from time to time whether what I’m doing is helping people to have “life in all its fullness.” Am I adding value, is what I preach adding value, to the lives of those I preach to, work with, serve? For I’m called to follow and to imitate the one who calls himself the Good Shepherd, and who reminds us that  the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Because being a faithful sheep is one thing. Fair enough, let’s be good sheep, following the shepherd, not straying off. But, looking at sheep as I often do when out walking in these parts, mostly they don’t seem to be doing very much. So Jesus as shepherd, us as sheep, could be a recipe for a quietist Church that’s very nice and peaceful and obedient, but isn’t really doing an awful lot.

The fact is though, that Jesus calls us not only to be faithful sheep, but also faithful shepherds - all of us, not just vicars, which is why Peter writes that we are “a kingdom of priests”. The medieval writer Thomas a Kempis called this “the imitation of Christ” - doing our best to be like Jesus in the practical and prayerful living of our lives. That will include looking out for one another, having a special care for those who are weak and vulnerable, having as Jesus did the mind of a servant, and challenging what damages others or exploits them. And it includes regularly seeking the presence of Christ in our lives, through prayer and study and reading the scriptures. For our Good Shepherd is also our chief corner stone - and on him alone we build.

Statement of Faith

We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love. We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high. We believe in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayers  -  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 ministry development and training, and for Fiona Gibson, collated today as the new Archdeacon of Ludlow.

Pray for peace, understanding and cooperation among nations in the big issues of the day - Covid, climate change, the gulf between rich and poor, the rise of extremist groups. Also, on world Malaria Day, pray too for the control of this deadly disease, impacting especially on the young.

Pray for all in need today, and for all in hospital or other places of care. Pray for their healing, and for the safety and support of those who care for them. Pray also for all who are affected by workplace accidents and industrial diseases.

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. Pray for all involved in the election campaigns for local government and in the devolved nations.

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 Third Sunday of Easter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alleluia! Christ is risen.                    

He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

     Confession

Let us show our love for our risen Lord by confessing our sins in penitence and faith, and offering ourselves anew in his service.

God of mercy, we acknowledge our sin before you, the wrong we have thought and said and done, and the good things we have failed to do. Forgive and cleanse us, that we may offer ourselves afresh in the service of our risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

May almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save us, grant us his pardon and peace, now and for ever. Amen.

    Theme Prayer (Collect for the Day)

Risen Christ, you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope: strengthen us to proclaim your risen life and fill us with your peace, to the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

    God’s Word - Acts, chapter 3, verses 12 to 19 :

Peter saw the people coming and met them with these words: ‘Men of Israel, why be surprised at what has happened? Why stare at us as if we had made this man walk by some power or godliness of our own? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has given the highest honour to his servant Jesus, whom you handed over for trial and disowned in Pilate’s court - disowned the holy and righteous one when Pilate had decided to release him. You asked for the reprieve of a murderer, and killed the Prince of life. But God raised him from the dead; of that we are witnesses. The name of Jesus, by awakening faith, has given strength to this man whom you see and know, and this faith has made him completely well as you can all see.

‘Now, my friends, I know quite well that you acted in ignorance, as did your rulers; but this is how 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, and then the Lord may grant you a time of recovery.’

    Luke, chapter 24, verses 36 to 48 :-

As the disciples were talking about all that had happened, there was Jesus, standing among them. Startled and terrified, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so perturbed? Why do doubts arise in your minds? Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see; no ghost has flesh and bones as you can see that I have.’ They were still incredulous, still astounded, for it seemed too good to be true. So he asked them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They offered him a piece of fish they had cooked, which he took and ate before their eyes.

And he said to them, ‘This is what I meant by saying, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms was bound to be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. ‘So you see’, he said, ‘that scripture foretells the sufferings of the Messiah and his rising from the dead on the third day, and declares that in his name repentance bringing the forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to all nations beginning from Jerusalem. You are to be witnesses to it all. I am sending on you the gift promised by my Father; wait here in this city until you are armed with power from above.’

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

    A Reflection on the Reading (a shortened version of the reflection on Youtube)

Repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.  So says Peter to the crowd in our first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles. A crippled beggar at the temple gate had asked the apostles Peter and John for money, but they had none to give him. Instead, Peter heals him: “In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, I say to you, get up and walk.”  This man has been begging in the same place for years, so people are amazed to see him healed and walking, coming into the temple with Peter and John, and praising God.

So a crowd gathers round, and Peter takes his chance to preach to them. We haven’t healed this man through our own power, he tells them - he has been healed through Jesus whom you had put to death. God has raised him from the dead, and we are witnesses to this. In sending him to be killed you acted in ignorance - and in any case what happened was what was always supposed to happen. God’s plan has been fulfilled, and the Messiah suffered and died just as the prophets of old said he would. But, for you now: repent, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.

We started this service by asking God to forgive our sins, and most of our services begin with a prayer of confession. But, talking the other day with a very jolly and somewhat irreverent friend, he greeted me with a cheery “Heard any good confessions lately?”  I replied that I’d be glad to hear his, to which he responded: “Chance’d be a fine thing. I’ve been locked down for a year. What chance have I had to sin?”

What chance indeed? There’s a serious point in there, though. I may talk to people about Christ having lifted from us the burden of our sin, but that doesn’t have much impact on someone who isn’t really aware of any burden of sin. “I’m glad the church is there for me when I need it,” said someone to me the other day; “It’s just that I don’t seem to need it all that much.” I think she spoke for quite a lot of people who are themselves in a fairly comfortable place, and are doing their best to be nice and kind, and certainly don’t do anything really bad.

I can understand that point of view, but for me life without faith and without church is life incomplete. And while I also do my best to be nice and kind, and don’t do anything horribly bad, I am still aware of the burden of sin in my own life, my own self, in three ways - firstly that I know I’m not the best version of myself that I could be and want to be and I suppose should be, secondly that I do do things that hurt other people, or maybe my neglect hurts them, and thirdly I’m aware there are times when I let people down who have a right to be able to rely on me - and if I’m letting my neighbour down I’m letting God down as well.

I think that modern secular society, if it thinks of sin at all, thinks of it in terms of some pretty specific things people do that are wrong, many of which are illegal (murder, rape, gbh, housebreaking etc), while the rest should be and probably will be in time (trolling, for example, or verbal abuse). Whereas in fact “sin” is really about missing the mark we should aiming at, falling short of the target - and it’s as much about the good stuff we don’t do as the bad stuff we do.

And because heaven is only for perfect people, the slightest featherweight of sin is enough to keep us locked out. Except that God loves me - and you, and a load of other folk, many of whom you might think don’t deserve his love. And you’d be right there, because in fact none of us does. The cross and the empty tomb, and the man who appears to his disciples and shows them his scarred and broken hands and feet, to prove that despite their confusion and alarm he is no ghost - here is where that undeserved love is revealed and displayed, and proved for what it is: God’s promise that his love wins out over all the bad stuff, and that death no longer has the last word.

    Statement of Faith -

We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love. We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high. We believe in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayers - Pray for the peace of the world, and for all who are denied justice, freedom or the opportunity to learn. In World Immunisation Week, pray for the work of making vaccines available against many controllable diseases, and of course of making Covid vaccines widely available. Pray for our Queen and the Royal Family in their loss.

Pray that the Church everywhere may be marked by a strong and active and welcoming faith. Pray for Christians in Ireland, and for the Church of Ireland within the Anglican Communion. Pray for our own Diocese, for Bishop Richard, and for the churches and communities of the Leominster Deanery.

Pray for all who are ill, in danger or in need today, and for their care, support and encouragement. Pray for the health and safety of all who work in the healing professions. Pray for all who live with MS, and for research into this disabling disease. Pray also for all who live with severe allergies.

Pray for our own communities and for our families and friends. May our faith bear fruit in witness, service and sharing. Give thanks for all who continue to be active helping others as volunteers, locally and nationally.

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 & 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.