Daily Scripture:Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’3 Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ 4 ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ 5 Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:1-8)Daily ReflectionTo be born again, how can this possibly happen? Nicodemus was puzzled, and so are we. What does Jesus mean? To become part of the new way of being that Jesus came to initiate we must experience, not only a physical Baptism, as in being dunked in water, but also an inward transformation. ‘The wind blows wherever it pleases’, says Jesus. Have you ever witnessed a little whirlwind, how it suddenly lifts the leaves and scatters them, tumbles them about like by an invisible hand? People who are driven by God’s Spirit are like that, says Jesus. You can hear them coming, you can see the positive effect of their energy on everything around them, but you cannot capture what is happening, and you do not know where they will go next. That’s the sort of people we can become, with Jesus’ help.Revd Ylva
6.15am Sunrise Service at St Nicholas led by Lyn Hayes & Revd David Commander8am Holy Communion at St Nicholas led by Lyn Hayes & Revd David Commander10am Holy Communion at St George's led by Revd David Commander & Revd Ylva Blid-Mackenzie
Daily ScripturePilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him.' (Luke 23.13-14)Daily ReflectionRoman officials like Pilate had the power and the duty to exercise summary justice when accusers brought an alleged criminal before them. This power was open, of course, to abuse, but it was generally practised responsibly. Pilate, a man well capable of harsh and provocative decisions, was not in sympathy with the baying mob of Judaeans who were ganging up on Jesus and gave his reasoned verdict – not guilty. Pilate was intimidated to override his conscience. The power of group think, the prejudice of invested interests can lead to terrible injustice. David Harmsworth
