Services
In our gospel this morning, John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15, Jesus promises his disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the spirit of truth which will teach us and guide us. But, more than this, the spirit is sent to renew the world. In Acts 2:1-21, the Spirit moves through the house just as it moved across the waters of chaos in the beginning and fills the disciples just as it was breathed into humanity in the creation story. Pentecost is a new beginning, a re-creation in which God choses us to be the ones in whom the spirit acts and gives us the task of carrying the Spirit of God out across the world. Peter recalls the words of the prophet Joel, promising the gift of renewal and life to all without distinction, regardless of class, gender, race, religion. In today’s service, as we each take a flame from the Easter candle, we remember that God offers this gift of light, love and life to every one of us, without exception, in order that we too may offer it to others, without exception.
“The Feast of the Ascension was on Thursday (40 days after the Resurrection). If we lived in continental Europe we would have had the day off work to celebrate but as we didn’t we are marking it today. The Ascension is not recorded in 3 of the 4 gospels but Luke gives us two versions: with one (the one we hear this morning, Luke 24:44-53) Luke brings his gospel to an end and with the other he opens the book of the Acts of the Apostles. The Ascension is a moment for the followers of Jesus to look back at his ministry, death and resurrection and begin to make sense of all they have learnt and experienced as Jesus “opens their minds to understand”. In order that, when they receive “power from on high” they will be able to continue Christ’s work in the world. The Ascension is the bridge between Christ’s ministry in Jesus of Nazareth and Christ’s ministry in the church on earth, in you and me. It leaves a Jesus shaped hole in the world into which we are sent to bring good news, healing, justice, forgiveness reconciliation and well-being. We worry, of course, that we are not up to the task and we are not. But in this short passage we are told that we will be given all that we need for this ministry: we will be given one another; we will be given the strength and wisdom of God’s spirit; and, perhaps most importantly, we will be given repentance and the forgiveness of sins because we will get it wrong until we get it right. In the account given in Acts we are also given some helpful angelic messengers who ask us “why are you standing still looking up into heaven?” In other words, the world has need of you, go on, get on with it!
At the end of Acts chapter 15 Paul decides to visit his fellow Christians in places he knew but he is prevented from doing so. Instead, in Acts 16:9-15, he is sent somewhere new. He believes that he is going to the men in Macedonia but it is the women who respond to his preaching. The work of God leads him to unexpected people in unexpected places, the outcomes are equally uncertain, some positive some not so and he will not always be able to see his efforts bearing fruit.
This morning, in John 5:1-9, Jesus’ efforts also have mixed results when he heals a paralysed man in Bethsaida. The man offers no thanks and shows not signs of faith. He will go on to blame Jesus when he is reprimanded by the religious authorities. The man’s paralysis is more than physical. His situation has left him apathetic and despairing. When asked if he wants to be made well, he blames others for his condition. He took no responsibility before he could walk and he continues to take none once healed. We too are often paralysed. We are not confident that our actions can make a difference. Perhaps we are afraid that we may be rejected or that our efforts will fail, that embracing healing and wholeness will also involve embracing change and uncertainty. But, despite our reticence, our recklessly generous God continues to ask us “do you want to made well?”
“Today we will hold our Annual Parochial Council Meeting within our morning worship. The business part of this meeting is short: we elect those who will serve as our Church Wardens and on our Parish Church Council for the coming year. The APCM gives us the opportunity to give thanks for all who have served our community in the past year; to declare our support for those who will serve us going forward; and to ask for God’s blessing on their work. In place of the sermon we will have a speed summary of what we have been up to in the last year. As we look back at 2024 and look forward to the year ahead we have a chance to reflect on how best we can become the beloved community Christ calls us to. In John 13:31-35 Christ gives us a new commandment, a commandment which does not so much replace the old commandments but reveals their heart: love of God and love of neighbour. Christ asks us to love as he loves: to love without limit, to love without exception, to love freely and completely. This is the community to which we are called, a community which lives out Christ’s love in the service of others. Thank you for being part of this beloved community.