Sunday after Ascension DayActs 1: 6-14John 17: 1-11I remember a ruse where two or three people would stand atthe foot of a tall building and just look towards the top, at its roof or its architectural style. Of course, the style was not what was interesting us. It was just the act of staring upwards. Often, we would find that we had gathered a few others doing just the same. What they were looking for was not always obvious because nothing was ever spoken. People are naturally curious.The reading from the Acts of the Apostles reads a little like that in some ways. the Apostles had gathered together and Jesus appeared to them. Deep down they were still expectingJesus to restore Israel. When would this happen? The reply that Jesus had given them was that the time and place were things that were not their concern. But he did promise to send to them the Holy Spirit. By the power of the Holy Spirit they would go out into all of the nearby regions, countries, and indeed the whole world, and that they will be witnesses of Jesus.After this Jesus ascended into heaven, his ascent being veiled by a cloud. However, that is not the end of the story. Two men dressed in white robes addressed the Apostles. They were asked why they were staring up to heaven. Then they were told that Jesus will return the same way as you go into heaven. What a statement of reassurance. Not only to the Apostles but to all of humanity.Filled with this reassurance the Apostles returned to Jerusalem to the others, and to the mother of Jesus, his brothers, and others. They were gathered in prayer. Imagine the rejoicing at the news that was to be imparted to them.The sharing of the Good News has been passed on through the centuries. Today it continues. To read the scriptures in church, Sunday by Sunday, is a great privilege. To listen and hear the words that reassured the Apostles are being read out to us.In the gospel reading we learn of the prayer that Jesus made to his Father in heaven. Firstly he commended himself to the heavenly kingdom, then he prayed for his disciples. They were to witness the horrors of the Cross, but Jesus also wanted them to know the glory of the resurrection. It was a glory that would remove the shame of the Cross. A little like someone who had ventured forth to carry out a perilous mission. On their homecoming they shared the triumph of their deeds. The going out, the mission, and returning home was the equivalent of the Cross. The final triumph was the gateway to glory. That glory would not have been theirs if they had not passed through the triumphal gateway. For Jesus the Cross was his return to God.Let us go back to the promise of the Second Coming. The disciples wanted to know when this would happen. To speculate upon this is complete foolishness for not even Jesus knew when the Son of Man would come. God has a plan for humanity. We have to believe that all of history is not a conglomeration of events all happening by chance. There is a point towards which we are all moving. When we reach that place Jesus Christ will be our Judge and Lord of All. It is a place to which we have to make ourselves ready for that day when it comes.We nearly now have all of the witness we need to prepare ourselves for the journey to go out into the world and to proclaim that Jesus is Lord. We have seen the death of Jesus on the Cross and we have seen how he is risen from the dead. There is the time spent appearing to his disciples and following that he has now ascended into heaven before their eyes. To make our witness complete the promised gift of the Holy Spirit will finish our preparation. This gift was mentioned in the reading from Acts. We now have just a short wait before we read fully of this gift.Collect for the Sunday after Ascension DayO God the King of glory,you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christwith great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen usand exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
Third Sunday of EasterZephaniah 3.14-end Acts 2.14 Luke 24.13-35I start with a love story. It is a story of two people who are deeply in love. Unfortunately, circumstances arise where they have to be separated for a period of time. They make a pact, a promise, to each other. Every evening, provided that the sky is clear, they will go out and look at the Moon at an agreed time. Doing it together will bring them closer to each other even though many miles hold them apart. In sharing at looking at a familiar object distance is removed. Their love for each other is transmitted through another object.In the modern world of today there are many ways that we can use to keep in touch with each other. Distances are removed when we use the telephone or send an e-mail, or even a text message. But back in the days of Jesus there were no such luxuries. Then it would have been a case of the Moon, or some other object, being the transmitter of love. The concept of a place, object or person being a link would have been common practice.Today we have two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus. They were deep in conversation discussing the recent events that had happened in Jerusalem. They were joined by a stranger. The conversation continued and the stranger gave an explanation of the recent events. He spoke of why they had happened. Later, when they were about to part their ways, the stranger was persuaded to stay with them. Whilst blessing and eating bread realisation dawned upon the disciples. They recognised who this was that was speaking with them. The bond, which was for them the eye-opening moment, was the bread as Jesus blessed it.The disciples felt full of joy. They were uplifted. They realised how they felt as they were speaking on the road. Without delay they returned to Jerusalem to tell the eleven, and their companions, what had happened. How it was in the breaking of the bread that Jesus had made himself known to them.Today we can share in that same moment which the two disciples experienced. Part of the climax of our worship is when we break bread. It is at this time that, through our faith, we believe we shall be sharing in the Body of Christ, just the disciples did at that first Last Supper. Standing, or kneeling, we can gaze upon the broken bread, The Body of Christ. In a few moments his body will be placed in our hands as we share in the Passion of our Lord. Moments later we share in the wine, the Blood of Christ, poured out for us on the Cross. The bread is our link with the Risen Christ. Through that bread we are close to Jesus.But we have other ways in which the bond with Jesus is formed. It is very difficult these days to go anywhere without seeing a church. Many of them have a cross on the roof or spire. The cross, symbolising the Cross of crucifixion, is lifted high on the building that many may see it as they pass by. We are never far from a cross. The link binding us with Christ is easily accessible. The cross serves as a timely reminder that we are just a glance away from the Lord.Collect for the Third Sunday of EasterAlmighty Father,who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples with the sight of the risen Lord:give us such knowledge of his presence with us,that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen lifeand serve you continually in righteousness and truth;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
Easter DayJeremiah 31:1-6 Acts 10:34-43 Matthew 28:1-10Gill was recently given an old book of sheet music containing songs from the 40’s. It reminded me of when I had to produce the sounds for the ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ when the drama group in one of my previous parishes was presenting it. Songs similar like ‘We’ll meet again’ went through my mind as it did for the play but also as Gill looked through the music she had been given.Vera Lynn was a great forces favourite and this was one of her most well known and loved songs. It reminded members of the armed forces, who had been separated from home for long lengths of time, of when they would be reunited with their loved ones. The song also has a place today.Easter Day, as we rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our hearts are full of happiness and our tummies with Easter Eggs. But there is more to Easter than a few eggs. Traditionally we look about us seeing new lambs in the fields, with hardly a thought for the shepherds who spend many sleepless nights helping with the sheep and lambing. We see about us new growth with the spring bulbs shooting forth bringing colour to the hedgerows, to the gardens, and to the roadside. All around there is new life springing up. And in between this newness there is what we are used to seeing, the old faithful’s. Rather like going to an old familiar place for the first time in many years and saying, “Oh, I remember that, or that’s not changed”.Jesus raising from the dead has shown to us all that death is not an end, full stop. But a change. In his heavenly kingdom we shall live again together with the angels and archangels, the saints and all who have gone on before.Easter, when we read of the Resurrection, when we share in the excitement of the two Marys who, when visiting the tomb of Jesus, learnt that he has been raised from the dead, we can appreciate the fear they were overcome by, and we can share in the great joy that filled them, as they ran to tell the disciples of Jesus of the news. Yet, on the way to give this news they met Jesus, took hold of his feet, and they worshipped him, before being sent on their way.The words of the Vera Lynn song very much appertain to today. Maybe not quite as Vera had intended. But, as they did all those years ago bringing comfort to people serving their country far away from home, so the same sentiment can bring comfort to those feeling the loss of bereavement today. For, yes, we will meet again in the heavenly kingdom, for Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and shown us the way.Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!Gill and I wish you a very Happy Easter.
Sunday next before LentExodus 24.12-end 2 Peter 1.16-end Matthew 17.1-9It is the middle of the night. You are in a tent braving the elements. The wind is blowing a hooley outside. It is a dark, moonless sky with no stars visible. You need to pay a visit and are unfamiliar with your immediate surroundings. Not to be caught out you came prepared with a torch. Reaching out you make a grab for the torch and switch it on. All is now bathed in light.In Biblical times things would have been very much different. There was no such thing as a convenient torch to pick up and switch on. If it was dark, then dark it remained. Today the concept of day and night is so different from those times. Light was something treasured. It held a special place. The story of the Transfiguration is a story of light. Something special was happening and is being related to light.We begin with Peter, one of the first of the disciples called by Jesus to follow him. In his epistle he describes the Transfiguration where Jesus received honour and glory from God his Father. This glory is an enlightening. Peter goes on to compare this prophetic message to a lamp shining in a dark place. The lamp dispels the darkness and reveals all that is thereabout. The glory that was received by Jesus from God enlightens us as to who he is.We are told to take note of this message as it is given to us, and to hold it dear to us. Again, Peter likens it to the rising of the morning star. The day dawns dispelling the darkness of the night. Many of us have experienced the delight, the joy, of the rising sun marking the end of a night. It may be the end of a troubled night where sleep has been difficult, or it may be the end of a night shift where, ironically, you seek the solace of a bed to rest and recuperate.Regardless of how we see light, this light is the message being given to us by the Majestic Glory. It was through this Majestic Glory that we read of how Jesus was Transfigured. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. The whole scene was one of great light. Then a bright cloud overshadowed the proceedings with a voice proclaiming Jesus as ‘My Son’, the beloved.This pronouncement filled the disciples with fear, and they fell to the ground overcome with fear by what they were seeing. When Jesus came to them and touched them the fear changed to awe. We can only imagine what it must have been like to be there as this was happening. A heavenly voice making the proclamation and the dazzling whiteness of light must have been a powerful scene.It is a scene that we can take with us in our heart. The disciples looked at Jesus and saw how his face shone with the glory. They could rejoice at the sight and feel the warmth of his presence. To them it would have brought great comfort.Today, we can look at a picture or a painting depicting Jesus at various points in his ministry. Just looking at him can stir up a sense of warmth. Especially so if we are in a church. It is as if we can feel his very presence there. There is a warmth that surrounds us. If we are not in the best of spirits we can be sensitive to the air that is about us. Then, just looking up at some of the stained glass we can gaze upon the face of Jesus as depicted by the artist. It is then that we can bathe in the greater glory, that glory, that light that shines from the face of Jesus.Jesus is the light of the world. We are given a candle at our baptism, a lit candle probably given to a Godparent if we are too young. The candle is given with the words, “Receive this light”. The light of the candle represents the light of Christ. If we look at that light the glow from the flame lightens up our face. We bathe in the glow of Christ.On Easter Day, at the first Mass or Communion, frequently celebrated as the sun is about to rise, candles are lit, one by one, from the Paschal Candle. Slowly the church is transformed from being in darkness to a soft glow from the candles as each one is representing the light of Christ. Then, after a few moments, and providing there is a clear sky, the first rays from the sun stream into the church and the whole is filled with the new light of day and the church resplendent in the new colours dispelling the drab Lenten observance. Again, we rejoice in the light. Christ is all around us.Collect for the Sunday next before LentAlmighty Father,whose Son was revealed in majestybefore he suffered death upon the cross:give us grace to perceive his glory,that we may be strengthened to suffer with himand be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
