The Day of Pentecost

May 19                        NOTES FOR REFLECTION                         The Day of Pentecost

Texts:  Genesis 11:1-9; Acts 2:1-21; John 15:26-27, & 16:4b-15

[Note that the reading from the Book of Acts is "compulsory", but, in effect, there is a choice between the reading from Genesis and a brief one from Romans 8.  I have gone with Genesis, but there is a risk that the choice of that reading can suggest that all Pentecost is about is a sort of reversal of the linguistic equivalent of the Adamic curse.  If only it were that simple!]

Theme:  Obviously something to do with the Holy Spirit, but beyond that it's a matter for personal taste, perhaps.  This is one of the great joyful feasts so I think I would go with "That's the Spirit", and I might even allow myself to add an exclamation mark.  For a more sober congregation something traditional like "The Outpouring of the Spirit".  [It's just occurred to me that it might be worth exploring the idea of the "Out-sourcing", of the Holy Spirit.  Just a thought – and may well be unhelpful.

Introduction.  St Luke is THE apostle of the Holy Spirit: Pentecost without his story is inconceivable.  For all the excitement and drama of this narrative, the basic truth remains simple: our faith is born out of experience followed by reflection guided by the Scriptures.  Thus we can divide this reading very obviously into two parts: verses 1-13 tell us what happened, and verses 14 to the end provide the "theological explanation", rooted in Scripture.  As stated above there is a common idea that Pentecost reverses the "curse of confusion" inflicted by God on the builders of the Tower of Babel.  That's not quite right, of course; at Pentecost the diversity of language continues, but the language barrier is overcome through the gift of the Holy Spirit which enables the apostles (the Church) to speak the language(s) of the non-Church people.  (Now there's a thought – more about that in a moment.) In our gospel reading the focus is on the work of the Holy Spirit, which is essentially cast in terms of continuing Jesus' teaching ministry.

Background.  In Luke 12:51 Jesus shocked his hearers (and his modern-day followers) by saying: Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth?  No, I tell you, but rather division!  As any survivors of the last charismatic renewal can testify, much the same could be said about the coming of the Holy Spirit!  And I'm not sure that we have all managed to move on since then.  Has the Holy Spirit brought peace, harmony and unity to a church near you?

The linguistic issue is just one part of that particular challenge.  Whenever I hear someone in the Church extolling the virtue of linguistic diversity I have great difficulty in resisting the temptation to scream, "What about Genesis 11:1-9?"  The clear purport of that story is that, in the beginning, humanity had "one language and the same words"; but God was so outraged by our hubris that he decided, in language very similar to that used in the creation narrative, to "go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another's speech".  In short, he cursed us with linguistic diversity.  Now, of course, we can argue that this story is an etiological myth intended to "explain" why there are so many languages in the world; but that is very different from pretending that linguistic diversity is a particular blessing from God.

What, if anything, does Luke's account of the coming of the Spirit add to this particular issue?  A careful reading suggests that it supports neither extreme: what it does seem to encourage is the translation of the Scriptures into the different languages of the world, regardless of how those languages came into existence.  It is a pragmatic solution to the actual circumstances of the time.  The gospel is for everybody, so it needs to be expressed in words each and every person can understand.  (WE need to speak the language of the people!)  And that's what happened among the crowds present on that first Day of Pentecost.

Changing the subject from one difficulty to another, what are we to make of the fact that Luke is very much the Apostle of Pentecost?  Matthew and Mark know nothing of it; and John has his own, very simple, "private", and understated version in 20:22.  If the apostles had already "received the Holy Spirit" on Easter Evening, why would the Lord tell them to wait until they had received power from above?  No, I don't know either.  Perhaps the most helpful approach I have come across is to suggest that these two approaches are types of "conversion" experiences, what we might call the introverted and extroverted approaches.  For some of us the process is gradual and unspectacular, for others it is a sudden, unexpected and overwhelming experience.  The important truth is that the Holy Spirit "comes" to those who believe in Christ; how he comes is less important.

A third divisive issue concerns the "role" of the Holy Spirit.  On the one hand the more charismatic Christians lay great stress on specific actions, "miracles", or for followers of John Wimber, "signs and wonders", of which there are many examples throughout the Book of Acts.  But if we look at the Holy Spirit's job description in today's gospel passage (and similar passages in this gospel) we will find very little hint of such ministry.  First, John's account suggests that the Holy Spirit works with the body of believers, far more than with individuals; and secondly, as stated above, the main ministry of the Holy Spirit seems to be a continuation of the Lord's teaching ministry – it is essentially revelatory (rather than demonstrative), leading us deeper and deeper into the divine truth revealed in and through Jesus Christ.

I have struggled with all these issues throughout the years of my ministry.  That is one of the many reasons why I am so thankful for the insights of Teilhard de Chardin in his little masterpiece, The Divine Milieu.  For Teilhard the starting-point is always the Incarnation, and his understanding of that is very much wider than the strict meaning of the word itself.  Jesus didn't just enter into our flesh through his birth to Mary; he entered into all created matter through his baptism; and the work of the Holy Spirit is to "extend" or give effect to that Incarnation everywhere.  This is far too big a topic to go into here, but, for me, it is helpful to think of this in sacramental terms.  In baptism, the water remains tap water until we invoke the Holy Spirit.  In the Eucharist the elements remain bread and wine until we invoke the Holy Spirit.  And in ordination, the Bishop's hands remain just that until we invoke the Holy Spirit.  But in each case, when we do invoke the Holy Spirit, all is changed: all becomes "incarnated" by God.  If that were not so those sacred rituals would remain empty gestures, of no more significance than any other human habits.

In baptism we pray: Through your Holy Spirit, fulfil once more your promises in this water of rebirth, set apart in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the Great Thanksgiving we pray: Send your Holy Spirit that these gifts of bread and wine which we receive may be to us the body and blood of Christ, and that we, filled with the spirit's grace and power, may be renewed for the service of your kingdom.

In ordination we pray:  Like the first disciples waiting for your coming, empowering Spirit, we watch and pray...Holy Spirit of God, meet us in this moment as you met the apostles of old.  Be with us, Holy Spirit...bring faith and hope, we pray...Come Holy Spirit,...be present in you power....God of grace, through your Holy spirit, gentle as a dove, living, burning as fire, empower your servant, N, for the office and work of a priest.

And here's a wonderful Pentecost prayer from Celebrating Common Prayer/Night Prayer":

Be present, Spirit of God, within us, your dwelling place and home, that this place may be one where all darkness is penetrated by your light, all troubles calmed by your peace, all evil redeemed by your love, all pain transformed in your suffering and all dying glorified in the risen life or our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

That's a wonderful summary of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, surely!

Genesis.  Before we moderns get too dismissive of the first eleven chapters of the Book of Genesis we should keep one eye and one ear open to the discoveries of modern science.  Much of this is helpfully summarised by Nicholas Wade in his book, Before the Dawn.  Of particular interest in the context of this reading is the increasing consensus among linguistic scholars that our earliest talking ancestors did indeed have only one language. There is also much here about the tension, seen in many passages throughout the Scriptures, between gathering (good) and scattering (bad); and perhaps between permanent settlements (bricks and mortar) and a more nomadic lifestyle.

Taking It Personally.

• How do you react to the statement that linguistic diversity is shown in this passage to be a curse and not a blessing?
• What is the essential nature of the "offence" of which the people are guilty?  Do you agree that it is something about trying to make a name for ourselves, or trying to find our own way to heaven?  Something about human hubris?  Are you guilty of that?
• What might this story have to tell us about our own commitment to "bricks and mortar"?  Would you be willing to let your local church building go without a fight?
• What might this story have to tell us about settling down and becoming comfortable spiritually?  Are you open to spreading your spiritual wings?

 

Acts.  It may be helpful to compare this story with the story of Easter morning.  One great difference for us is found in the response of the Apostles.  Clearly, the resurrection took them by surprise, so that they were the bewildered ones wondering what on earth was going on.  Here they seem to have caught on right away, and Peter (who has already emerged as the leading spokesperson, by the way) is ready with his explanation.  The other point, perhaps, to focus on is the reference in verse 5 to the identity of the crowd: they were "Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem".  In other words, we shouldn't get too carried away with the idea of the Spirit breaking down the barrier between Jews and Gentiles right away.  At this point in the narrative this is about the gospel within the Jewish community.

 

Taking It Personally.

 

• How do you honestly feel about the Holy Spirit?
• Would you like the Holy Spirit to come in power to your local church in this sort of way?
• What do you think of the "Sacramental" view of the Holy Spirit's ministry?  Is that helpful or not?
• How might you use the "prayer of invocation" model in your daily life to remind yourself constantly of the presence of God?
• Ponder prayerfully the Pentecost night prayer given above.

 

John.  As we near the end of these "Farewell Discourses" this passage sounds like the speech of an outgoing leader preparing the ground for his successor.  In effect, Jesus seems to be saying I am going away; my successor will be the Holy Spirit; follow him as you followed me; learn from him as you have learnt from me.

 

Taking It Personally.

 

• What do you want the Holy Spirit to do for you, with you, or in you today?
• Pray for the Reverend Jo Fielding as she is ordained to the priesthood on Sunday.

7th Sunday of Easter

May 12                        NOTES FOR REFLECTION                         Seventh Sunday of Easter

Texts:  Acts 16:16-34; Revelation 22:14-21; John 17:20-26

[Note:  Today is the Sunday after Ascension Day, and in some churches the readings for Ascension Day may be used: Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53.  These notes do not cover those readings.  Note also, that the Second Lesson for today as listed above is not strictly accurate.  The Lectionary gives Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, and 20-21; adding to the tension of the people charged with reading any lesson from the Book of Revelation in public seems too great a price to pay for being spared the unsettling thoughts expressed in verses 15, and 18-19.  Besides, isn't such censorious tampering the very thing that verses 18 and 19 expressly prohibit?]

Theme:  There is something about the Second Lesson and the Gospel that suggest a respectful and sombre choice: "Jesus our Intercessor", perhaps, "Come, Lord Jesus."  However, our First Lesson seems to demand something a little more adventurous: on balance I would go for "Back-to Front and Upside Down."  In fact, that's a fair summary of the outcome of Easter, isn't it?

Introduction.  St Luke is on top form in his story today.  We have in one story a summary of the whole Easter event, as a fitting close to this Easter story.  Everything is turned on its head, as the prisoners become free and the jailer becomes a slave of Christ.  Our Second Lesson is also an appropriate finale for the Easter Season, ending with an offer of grace to all to come to him, and a promise by him to come to us.  And from the heart of St John's mystical understanding of the new relationship with God offered through Christ we have Christ's prayer for us and all who come to faith through the Apostles' teaching.

Background.  In many ways we end the Easter Season very much where we began it, in darkness, hostility, brutality, false accusations, and condemnation; but, oh how differently we now see the outcome!  One of the purposes of having this long Easter Season, rather than an Easter Day, is getting away from the idea that Easter is only about what happened to Jesus of Nazareth.  Over the last few weeks we have been shown example after example of the consequences to other people of what happened to Jesus of Nazareth on Easter Day.  One of the earliest sermons I can remember hearing was about the "ripples of Easter" spreading further and further through the waters of our lives.  Unfortunately, the preacher decided to add to the dramatic image by asking, "And what do we say caused those ripples in the first place?"  You may be surprised as I was then to learn that they were caused by "Satan himself picking up the stone from the door of the tomb and casting it into the baptismal font of life."  Over 30 years later I still think there was some good theology in there somewhere but I still have trouble with the image of Satan as a sort of red-clad shot putter!

Today a better image might be taken from cosmology, as our scientists tell us that from the so-called Big Bang that started our universe going, the whole thing is still expanding and the energy from that initial burst is still traceable.  For us, perhaps, we can think of the Resurrection as a vast explosion of Divine Life, Light and Love re-creating all things and ever expanding to fill the whole of creation.  And notice that term "re-creating" – not "replacing".  The New Creation is not a new and improved version intended to replace the earlier model: it is the old model transformed by the infusion of God's Spirit, the consequence of the Incarnation and taking effect though the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here's another "re-" word to ponder: in the Easter Season we reflect upon and celebrate the re-union of God and his creation.  This comes through particularly well, I think, in our Second Lesson, where the Book of Revelation takes us right back to the Garden of Eden with its reference to the Tree of Life.  Everything that was torn asunder by humanity's hubris and disobedience – the disunity that came about in that way – is finally healed – that which was dis-united has been re-united.  Easter is the Great Festival of Divine Reunion.  (Come to think of it, that might be an even better theme for today!)

Against that 'Big Picture' stuff, let's look now at this marvellous miniature from the great artist, St Luke.  So much of it sounds familiar, so many of the details ring all sorts of bells in our memories; and yet everything seems reversed, somehow, as if we are looking at it in a mirror, or at the negative rather than the photo.  We start with a slave-girl with a spirit of divination, and we are immediately reminded of some of the 'possession' stories in the gospels.  Sure enough, the spirit recognises the truth in Paul in the same way that the spirits used to see it in Jesus.  But then things start to change.  First, Paul acts, not out of compassion for the suffering girl, but out of exasperation: he's had enough.  He's more like the Judge who gives in to the persistent pleading of the widow or the householder who gets up at midnight to deal with his neighbour: all Paul wants is an end to her wittering; but his less than gracious motive makes no difference.  The exorcism is successful.  Second, far from anyone pleading for help for the suffering child, her "owner" is furious because she has now lost her market value.  Human trafficking is particularly unpleasant, and here we have a gross example of it, defeated by the spreading power of Easter, better known as the Holy Spirit.

The counter-attack is swift and brutal, and surely echoes the events of Maundy Thursday evening/Good Friday morning.  False arrest, perjured proceedings, brutal treatment, even the same sort of playing on prejudice and ethnicity.  These Jews are trouble-makers – they are advocating un-Roman behaviour.  It appears to work in the same old worldly way: the bullies win the first round.

But then comes an earthquake.  (Check Matthew's account of the earthquake-causing angel moving the stone from the tomb, an apparent after-shock from the one that coincided with the moment of Jesus' death: Matthew 28:2, following 27:51-52.)  We associate earthquakes with death and destruction: in the Easter story they bring liberation and new life.  All – even the most powerful forces of nature – are caught up in the explosive power of Easter.

Those who were prisoners – whose fate lay in the corrupt hands of others – suddenly find themselves with the upper hand: they are now the ones with choices, with power over the others; and this complete reversal is played out with great dramatic skill by Luke.  The jailer, the pawn of the corrupt officials, becomes a servant of the King of Kings, saved first from self-harm, and then from all harm.  And then the liturgist in me can't resist drawing attention to a rather interesting 'order of service' in what follows.

The jailer comes to Paul seeking spiritual counsel: what must he do to be saved (verse 30)?  Paul proclaims the gospel message and the teaching follows (verses 31-2).  In response, the jailer washes their wounds – does what he can to make amends for the wrong he has done to them (verse 33a).  Then the jailer and his household are baptised.  Table fellowship follows before a closing burst of worship.  Do you see what I mean?  There's a Eucharistic liturgy in there somewhere, I'm sure.

Acts.  I must resist the temptation to start again on this wonderful passage, but there are some other details that are worth noting.  First, we should recall the physical pain that Paul and Silas were in throughout most of this episode.  They had been stripped and given a severe beating.  Yet they were 'praying and singing hymns to God'!  Secondly, all is dark until the jailer calls for lights to see what has happened.  Light brought into darkness reveals the miracle of forgiveness and love for enemies.  And thirdly, if some smart Alec asks you to explain the confused detail in verses 32-34 – when do they go from the prison to the house and then into the house – you're on your own, I can't reconcile the details either.

Taking It Personally.

·        This is another of those passages that cry out to be prayed imaginatively.  Follow through the twists and turns of the narrative slowly and meditatively.  Pay particular attention to the motives of the people involved, and to your feelings towards those people.

·        What do you think of Paul's motive for exorcising the girl?  Can you recall an occasion when you acted in anger but the outcome was amazingly good?

·        How likely are you to sing hymns to God while in pain or distress?

·        As we come to the end of the Easter Season for this year, what are your thoughts?  Express them to God in prayer.

 

Revelation.  The final words of the whole of our Scriptures surely have a special power and majesty of their own.  They wonderfully summarise the whole message of Scripture, which at its heart is always concerned with the true identity of Jesus.  Paul famously said that if Christ had not been raised from the dead our faith is in vain: 1 Corinthians 15:14.  That's a great summary of the Easter message, too, but I suggest that it is only one aspect of the even more fundamental truth: if Jesus was not God Incarnate then, indeed, our faith is in vain.  None of it makes sense if Jesus is not God.  Hence, as we come to the last book of the Bible we find that once again that issue of identity is at centre stage.  What is verse 13 if it is not code for "I am God"?  At the same time his human ancestry roots him in our humanity: verse 17.  And as noted above we have two "comings" at the end of this great treasure-trove of Scriptures: we are invited to come to the One who promises to come to us.  In a nutshell, our story can now be summed up as The Greatest Re-union of All Time and All Space.  Alleluia!

Taking It Personally.

·        At the end of this Easter Season, who do you say Jesus is?  Has your faith been strengthened, weakened or unaffected over the period of this Season?

·        Reflect on verse 13.  Does this image help you or leave you cold?  What about the images in verses 16b?

·        Write a short paragraph summing up your image of Jesus.  Imagine you are being interviewed, and the interviewer says, "So in a few words, who or what is Jesus for you?"

·        Repeat several times, slowly and meditatively, verse 21.

John.  On the night before he died Jesus prayed this great prayer.  It is fair to assume, given that context, that he addressed the most important things in his heart and mind.  He prayed first for himself, that he may once again share in his Father's glory.  Then he prayed for his disciples, that they may be protected.  Lastly, he prayed for all those who will come to faith through the apostles' teaching, which, of course, includes you and me.  And what does he ask for us?  For re-union, with God and with one another.  That's why unity is so important within the Church, far more than diversity, and far more than winning arguments on any subject over which we disagree.  Unity is Christ's dying wish for us: how can we claim to love Christ and not seek to promote and preserve unity within his Church?  Last week we were reminded that our love for one another will be the hallmark of the Church, the sign to outsiders that we are his disciples.  This week we are reminded that it is our unity with God in Christ that will prove our case.  There is no conflict here.  The outer unity featured last week arises from this inner unity of which John now writes.

Taking It Personally.

·        Make this prayer (the whole chapter 17) your own.

·        What can you do to promote unity within your local church?

·        End with prayers of thanksgiving for the love that is in you.

·        Prepare yourself for Pentecost.  What might that involve for you?

Sixth Sunday of Easter

May 5                          NOTES FOR REFLECTION                         Sixth Sunday of Easter

Texts: Acts 16:9-15; Revelation 21:10, and 21:22-22-5; John 5:1-9

Theme:  The question Jesus puts to the sick man at the pool is so important that it might itself serve as the theme for today: "Do You Want to be Healed?"  A more original choice might be something like "One at a Time and All Together", which would capture the mood of this time of the Easter Season, where we have the Big Picture constantly before us made up of individual threads.

Introduction.  St Paul and his entourage are having a frustrating time in their travels (see below), but arrive in Troas.  There during the night he sees in a vision a Macedonian begging him to go to Macedonia to help the people there.  He goes there and meets, not a Macedonian man but a group of women, one of whom is Lydia, who becomes a convert when the Holy Spirit opens her heart to Paul's message.  Meanwhile, St John the Divine is once more in the Spirit as he sees in more detail the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven.  If there is a link with the gospel passage today, the key may be the pool with supposedly healing powers.  True healing comes, not from a mineral spa, but from the Son of God incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth.

Background.  The first thing I want to draw attention to today is the fact that we are now this side (after) the famous Council of Jerusalem: read chapter 15 if you've forgotten the story.  Then keep going into chapter 16 and you will see the painful truth about the human beings who peopled the infant church, our spiritual ancestors whose genes we have so obviously inherited!  The Council held a full and frank discussion and (remarkably) reached consensus: Gentile converts did not have to become good Jews in order to become good Christians.  All those in favour say "Aye", all those against say "No", carried unanimously, or so we are led to believe.

The Holy Spirit has guided the whole lot of them into unity.  The minutes are drafted, the summary of their decision is prepared for dispatch, and these giants of the faith disperse to carry the good news to the various faith communities.  But not so fast.  Go back for a moment to 15:25 and notice the glowing reference to "our beloved Barnabas and Paul".  Now fast forward to 15:39, where we find "our beloved Barnabas and Paul" at each other's throats: The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company.  [No reference to the role of the Holy Spirit here, be it noted.]

Worse is to follow.  Paul arrives in Lystra where he meets a disciple called Timothy.  He is so impressed with the young man that he wants to take him with him, but there is a problem.  Timothy's father was a Greek (Gentile) so Timothy was not circumcised.  [You see where this is going?]  Post the Council of Jerusalem that should not have been a problem, should it? But Paul, the great advocate for equality between Jewish and Gentile converts, took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.  [The traditional explanation is that Timothy's mother was Jewish, she should not have married a Gentile, and she should have brought the child up as Jewish.  So to avoid offending Jewish sensitivities Timothy had to be turned, somewhat belatedly, into a real Jew by circumcision.  Well, St Paul might have been a recovering Pharisee by this time, but it seems the recovery wasn't going too well. Perhaps he should have published his letter to the Galatians anonymously!] And to rub it in the next verse (16:4) reminds us of what they were supposed to be doing in their travels: As they went from town to town, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.  So the next time it occurs to any of us that the solemn decisions of General Synod are best honoured in the breach, may St Paul himself be our champion!

The story continues.  St Paul's travels become more frustrating.  First, the Holy Spirit forbids him to speak the word in Asia (16:6); and then the Spirit of Jesus prevents him from entering Bithynia (16:7).  After all that, they arrive in Troas, where Paul had his vision of the man from Macedonia.  Even then there is a hint of further difficulties – St Luke says: When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.  The journey was not a short and simple one, as St Luke makes clear in verse 11.

So what are we to make of all this?  First, that St Paul was a real person, with real human strengths and weaknesses living in a challenging world, and trying to proclaim a brand new message to people who thought they knew better.  Secondly, the story of the ups and downs of travel is clearly designed to emphasise that all they were trying to do was guided by the Holy Spirit.  Next time your flight is cancelled, diverted or delayed perhaps you will reflect on the role of the Holy Spirit in your travel plans?  Or perhaps not.  But here is a true story from my time in a previous parish.

B was a very zealous, reasonably new convert who became convinced that God was calling him and his family to missionary work in Fiji.  Everything seemed to fall into place, but at the last moment the visa that was supposed to have been a mere formality was refused.  It seems that the Fijian Government had decided that it was having enough trouble with local Christians without importing more from New Zealand.  But how could this be, if all this was God's will?   Then less than two weeks later I received through the post a request for a family to go to Vanuatu as soon as possible to provide assistance in certain specified areas of teaching.  The job descriptions exactly fitted the skills of B and his wife.  Within a very short time they were on their way to Vanuatu.  At their farewell service we had a reading from Acts 16:6-10.  It seemed so right, somehow.

A final thought about the possibility of the link between today's readings being water.  In our first lesson the women's prayer group meets beside a river, though nothing is made of any special significance in that.  In our second lesson much is made of the river of the water of life, the source of which is the Throne of God, and whose waters are as pure as crystal.  In our gospel reading we have the Pool of Bethesda (or Beth-zatha, depending on your preferred translation).  For a people of the desert, constantly alert to the need for a clean water supply, the association of water with life, healing and cleansing is understandable.  In our first reading it seems only incidental; in our second it is central, assured and eternal; in our gospel it offers false hope, at least when contrasted with the waters that spring up to eternal life in Christ.

Acts.  To sum up, it is the Holy Spirit who has guided St Paul to Macedonia, and it is the Holy Spirit who opens Lydia's heart "to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul".  In the big things and the little things, in positive things and negative things, the presence of God can be seen by those who look through the eyes of faith.  If we were to read on in this chapter we would find Paul involved in exorcism, being flogged and imprisoned, surviving a major earthquake, converting his jailer, and being freed, all in the space of a few hours!

Taking It Personally.

• Read the whole of chapter 16 slowly.  Make a list of the ways in which the author suggests that the Spirit is orchestrating events.  Which of those instances strike you as credible, and which as incredible?
• Review your last week.  Draw a line down the middle of a sheet of paper, so that there are 2 columns.  In the left-hand column list the things that went well during that week, both the things you did, and the things that happened to you.  In the right-hand column, list the things that did not go well, both the things you did or tried to do, and the things that happened to you.  In which of those items in each column did you discern the action of the Holy Spirit?  Are you more likely to discern the action of the Holy Spirit in those things that went well or in those things that went badly?
• Before reading or listening to Scripture this week, pray a short "Lydia prayer": O Lord, open my heart that I might read/listen to your Word eagerly.  Amen.

 

Revelation.  The completion or consummation of all things is now shown to St John the Divine in this image of the New Jerusalem "coming down out of heaven from God".  Much of the imagery comes from Old Testament sources, Genesis and Ezekiel being particularly in view here.  There is in a sense a "wish list" here: everything that is most frightening has gone; everything that is most wonderful is here in its plenitude.  Perhaps most surprising is the absence of the temple, long considered the dwelling place of the Lord.  But now all places are holy – God is everywhere – and priests and other intermediaries are no longer required.  The faithful are in the very presence of God: we shall see him face to face.  All created light is missing, too, because the uncreated light of the glory of God illuminates all things and all people (the Transfiguration was a first glimpse of this).  The city gates will never be shut because there are no longer enemies to fear.  Nothing unclean or defiled will be brought into the city.  Instead, people of all nations (converts to Christ) will bring gifts and talents into the city. Night (with all its terrors) will be no more.  And so on and so on.  The river of life, and the tree of life, fruitful and life-giving, are both there because the relationship between God and his people is completely restored.

 

Taking It Personally.

 

·         Another wonderful passage for slow, meditative reading, followed by prayers of praise and thanksgiving.

·         Once again, hold this vision in your mind as you consider the irritations and setbacks of your daily life.  Does your perspective change?

·         What would you bring with you into the Holy City as an offering to God?

·         Pray for the healing of the nations.  Reflect on the autumnal falling of the leaves, giving nourishment to the soil for the next cycle of growth.  Perhaps gather one or two leaves as representative of particular countries and pray for the healing of those nations.

·         In what particular ways does our own nation need healing?  Pray accordingly.

 

John.  This guy has tended to get a hard time from commentators and preachers, who usually paint him as wallowing in self-pity; but perhaps it's time to give him a break!  First of all, notice that he is described as "ill" (v.5) and as "sick" (v.7), so why are we hard on him?  He's been suffering for 38 years!  How would you feel?  But the question the Lord asked him is one of those classics:  "Do you want to be healed?"  I think it's probably that question that leads us into our judgmental ways.  We assume the honest answer is "no", and we have all come across people like that somewhere along the way, haven't we?  Yet, this guy is in a predicament.  If timing is everything – first in gets healed, for others, better luck next time – and if his condition is such that he has impaired mobility, what appears to us to be moaning, may be a simple statement of fact: without anyone to help him, his chances of being first in to the pool at the right moment are nil.  And, of course, when Jesus commanded him to stand up (code for resurrection) he responded immediately.  So give him a clap!

 

Taking It Personally.

 

• Do you want to be made well?    It what regard?  Be as specific as possible.  Pray accordingly.
• Is there someone you know who has no one to help him/her to be raised up to new life?  Can you help?
• Pray this passage with your imagination.  Put yourself pool-side.  Watch the action.  Get involved.  What learning is there for you here?

Fifth Sunday of Easter

April 28                       NOTES FOR REFLECTION                         Fifth Sunday of Easter

Texts:  Acts 11:1-18; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35

Theme:  The safe option is something like "A New Commandment"; but on reflection I rather like "There is no Other".  Think about that for a moment; and if the penny doesn't drop, read our first lesson and try again.  (And, no, it's not a reference to Jesus.)

Introduction.  One of the many delights of the Easter Season is the wonderful readings we get, week by week, from the Book of Acts; and today we have one of the most important.  In fact, we could argue that it's one of the most important passages in the New Testament.  Is the Gospel for everyone as they are, or only for everyone who is Jewish or is willing to adopt Jewish practice and custom (that is, be like us)?  That's the question as it arose here; but more fundamentally, it's about universalism versus exclusivity.  How different would our history have been if Peter (and those who agreed with him) had not carried the day?  In effect, we have a dry run for the more famous Council at Jerusalem meeting in chapter 15.  In our second lesson we have another wonderful glimpse of the future as God has planned it for us – no hint of any divisions, ethnic or otherwise, here.  And our brief gospel passage tells us how to get there (the glorious union of all with the All) from here (the inglorious divided world of us and them).  It is only possible through love.

Background.  That message could hardly be more timely.  I'm writing these notes on the eve of Anzac Day when we remember the consequences of seeing others as them, not us, enemies, not friends.  The news is full of the terrorist attacks in Boston, and the foiled plot to blow up the train between Toronto and New York; and it ought to be full, too, of the ongoing atrocities committed daily in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere.  The funeral of Margaret Thatcher called to mind the ongoing conflict over the Falklands/Malvinas, and her displeasure when the then Archbishop of Canterbury had the effrontery (or do I mean the spiritual wisdom?) to pray for the Argentine dead as well as the British?

The Reverend John Franklin, Chaplain to Bishop Kelvin, has written a very thoughtful piece in this week's Diocesan News Update.  He asks us to reflect on what exactly we are remembering on Anzac Day, and whom are we remembering?  The TV One news tonight left us in no doubt: "not our war dead", but "our heroes".  We are to remember that everyone who ever fought in any war, conscripts as well as volunteers, is a hero – provided, of course, he or she fought on OUR SIDE.  John mentioned that he has both German and British ancestry.  What is he do – half-remember?  Remember only one side of his family?

These musings have, in part, been shaped by a three-part series Trish and I have been watching on DVD recently: it is by historian Hugh Montefiore, and tells the story of Jerusalem: the Holy City.  If ever there was a cautionary tale about what happens when people forget the fundamental truth that we are all children of the one God – and, indeed, descendants in faith of the one Patriarch – this must be it.  The history of Jerusalem is also the history of failure – failure of the adherents of the three great Faiths that claim to recognise Jerusalem as THE Holy City to act in a way that would give any credence to that claim.  Perhaps one of the things that we, as Christians, should remember is that most if not all wars are essentially civil wars, because there are Christians on all sides.  Or should we go further, and say that all wars are family affairs because we have brothers and sisters on all sides?  And if it is felt that Anzac Day is not the right occasion to remember such things, when is the right occasion?  Waitangi Day?  Or, perhaps, for Anglicans Te Pouhere Sunday when, by dictate of General Synod, we "celebrate our tripartite Church", while praying for the unity of all believers?

Dismounting from my steed before it carries me into ever greater thickets, I want to say something about our reading from Acts 11.  The issue was a major one, and people on "both sides" felt passionately about it.  But what strikes me is the manner in which it was resolved.   Not by defensiveness on Peter's part, or a determination to save face.   Not by violent argument; not by petitions, points of order, or procedural games.  Not (be it noted by devotees of Maurice Williamson) by ridiculing those of an opposing view: Matthew 5:22 comes to mind here.  And not, please note, NOT by a democratic vote.  It was resolved by acknowledging the Sovereignty of God.  Verses 17 and 18 ought to be emblazoned on every wall of every room in which any synod or other august ecclesiastical body is meeting to consider any important issue.

"If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?"  When they heard this they were silenced.  And they praised God, saying, "Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life."

Let's narrow the focus for a moment and concentrate on the vexed question of 'clean' and 'unclean' food.  Jesus had himself taught Peter and the other disciples that all foods were essentially 'clean': Mark 7:19.  But it seems from Peter's vision (reported in Acts 10) that Peter had not taken the teaching on board.  In fact, so outrageous to him was the very idea that his vision had to be repeated 3 times before he got the message.  But once he got it – and, in particular, once he realised that it was God's message and it was in conflict with his own view - he abandoned his own view and "defended" the truth declared in his vision with his customary gusto.

Today's passage starts with classic "us/them" language.  The circumcised believers demanded of Peter, "why did you (by implication, one of us, a fellow circumcised believer) go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?"  In verse 17 the same language is used – at the human level there is still "us and them": but at the divine level no such distinction is recognised – God treats everyone the same, he gives them all the same gift.

The Church gets it right – the Church advances – whatever the issue – when, together, we seek God's will in respect of the issue.  If it is true that in baptism we all receive the gift of the same Spirit, then all distinctions between us can only exist through human error, and are contrary to the will of God.  If Peter can get it at the third attempt, surely we can, too!

There is another very important lesson to learn from this story.  The Church learns through actual experience of the Divine faithfully reported to others.  Peter had a particular direct experience of the Divine.   He reflected on it, got his head around it, acted on it, and faithfully reported it to others.  He also checked it out with 'Scripture': verse 16.  They were right to ask for his explanation, and they were right to accept it.  How often has anything like that approach been adopted in synod?  In my experience over 25 years, not once

Acts.  I've already said almost all I wanted to say about this reading; but I should also draw attention to verse 12: The Spirit told me to go with them, and not to make any distinction between them and us.  I think that may be what the Americans call 'a slam dunk'!  And did you notice in verse 18 "they were silenced", rather than "silent"?  They had been acted upon – they were no longer the actors.  Faced with the actions of God, what can we say?  Or, as Peter would say, who are we to hinder him?

 Taking It Personally.

• Reflect on your own identity.  What is its primary source  – your gender, your ethnicity or your faith?
• In an argument, which of these are you most likely to use – logic, ridicule or love?
• Can you recall an occasion when, in dispute with another person, you have suggested to that other person that you pause for prayer together?
• What or whom did you particularly remember on Anzac Day?  Why?
• Have you ever had your mind changed on a particular issue by God showing you that his will in respect of that issue differs from your own?
• Put yourself in Peter's position in this story.  Would you have been convinced to change your mind as he was?  How would you go about explaining your position to the others?

 

Revelation.  Another bonus of this Easter Season is a reminder that, in amongst the scary and downright weird stuff in this book, there are some wonderfully refreshing passages to restore our sagging spirits and remind us that we are getting somewhere!  Perhaps we should take a moment to re-read last week's passage (7:9-17), with its wonderful vision of that vast multitude of worshippers, from every nation on earth, united in heart and voice, Jew and Gentile, Israeli and Palestinian, Maori and Pakeha, Irish from north and south of a border not visible from the Throne of Grace.  And this week, the final scene, as God reveals what he has been ceaselessly working towards from the beginning, Jerusalem the Holy City made new, and the rest of the world with it.  Isn't that what we are called to work and pray for – isn't that our common destiny?  What are we to remember on this first Sunday after Anzac Day?  Surely, this promise: Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more.  So let us fill our glasses "from the spring of the water of life" and drink to that!

 

Taking It Personally.

 

• Plunge into this passage, bathe in it, let it seep deep into your soul – and be refreshed.
• Pour yourself a glass of water.  Pray over it something like this: "O God, send your Holy Spirit that this water may be for me drawn from the spring of the water of life."  Then drink it slowly and prayerfully and thankfully.
• Pray each day this week that you may have eyes to see God dwelling among us.

 

John.  This passage follows one of the most chilling verses in the whole of Scripture: So, after receiving the piece of bread, Judas immediately went out. And it was night.  In that Jesus sees the glory of God!  And he sees something else: the only remedy, the only antidote to betrayal is love.  Whatever else we may think about Judas' motivation, we can surely rule out love – the love that St Paul wrote about so powerfully in his famous "ode".  We hear the New Commandment so often – and we sing a rather trite song about it – but do we understand the nature and character of that love?  Here is the kernel of it again:

 

Love is patient: love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends.

 

That's the love we are commanded to have for one another in this short, simple New Commandment.  Lord, I love; help my lack of love!

 

Taking It Personally.

 

• Judas went out with bread in his mouth or hand.  Next time you receive the bread and go out, reflect on that.  Pray that nothing you may do will be a betrayal of Christ.
• Reflect on the past week and on your actions, words, thoughts and omissions.  How well have you kept the New Commandment?
• Keep the New Commandment in the forefront of your mind each day this week.  Pray for the grace to keep it ever more faithfully.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

April 21                       NOTES FOR REFLECTION             Fourth Sunday of Easter

Texts: Acts 9:36-43; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:22-30

Theme:  The safe option is something to do with "The Good Shepherd".  A more thoughtful pick might be "The Work Goes On", or "The Father, the Son and the Servant": something to encapsulate the basic idea of the work of the Father becoming the work of the Son, which in turn has become the work of the Son's disciples.  [To be theologically correct, I suppose, I should say that the work of the Father is now carried on by the Spirit through the Son's disciples, but the point is clear enough.]

Introduction.  We have now moved beyond the resurrection appearances themselves, and the emphasis is on the continuity of the divine action through the believers (collectively, the infant church).  Just as the gospels often show Jesus "re-enacting" specific actions of God, so now we see the apostles performing many of the same "miraculous signs" in Jesus' name.  We have one of the clearest examples of that in our reading from the Book of Acts, as Peter restores Tabitha to life.  Clearly the account follows quite closely the account of Jesus restoring Jairus' daughter to life in Mark 5:35-43: see also the restoration of the widow of Nain's son in Luke 7:11-17, and, of course, the "calling out" of Lazarus.  The deep underlying theology of all this is found, in very brief form, in our gospel reading, as Jesus refers to "the works I do in my Father's name"; and goes on to infuriate his questioners by asserting "The Father and I are one."  And all this is lit up, as it were, by the glorious vision of the future that lies ahead and calls us ever onward, set out in our reading from the Book of Revelation.

Background.  One of the perennial dangers we face in preaching or hearing preached short extracts from the Scriptures week by week is that of losing sight of the fact that we are concerned with only one story – the story of God as revealed to us in and through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.  Our tendency is to deal in the separate bits – last week, the reinstatement of Peter and the conversion of Saul, this week the miraculous restoration of Tabitha, and so on.  Here are a couple of useless bits of information stored away in my mind that may illustrate the point I am trying to make this week.

The first concerns rope.  Centuries ago when I was studying criminal law, my lecturer brought into the room a length of thick rope, of the kind used to tie up large ships when they dock.  He asked us to pass it round among ourselves, and each of us was to try to unravel a bit, a task that proved very difficult.  That was his introduction to the practical side of the law relating to circumstantial evidence.  If the crown relies (as it often has to) on circumstantial evidence, the task of the defence counsel is to try to unpick it, and show how weak the individual strands are.  If the rope holds firm, the jury may conclude that it is strong enough to hang the accused!

A more pleasant example comes from a school trip to Hampton Court where, among the many treasures, we were shown a huge tapestry.  With a great (and no doubt well-practised) flourish, our guide produced a single thread of wool and said, "And this is what this whole magnificent tapestry is made of, hundreds of thousands of individual threads."  In this Easter Season we gaze upon one part of the great tapestry that God is weaving, and we need constantly to hold in our minds that each individual thread is part of the whole wonderful creative work.

So we may return briefly to Easter evening and that first dramatic appearance of the Risen Christ among his disciples.  Because of Luke' more dramatic schema, incorporated in our liturgical year, we tend to think of the coming of the Holy Spirit as "delayed" until the Feast of Pentecost.  But look again at this record in John of that encounter between the Risen Christ and his disciples and we find two elements of supreme importance for our understanding of today's readings, and of the whole story: Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, so I send you.'  When he had said this, he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'

There is so much in these brief words!  Life came into human form when God breathed into the material body of Adam.  To pinch Paul's language for a moment, as with the old creation so with the new.  Then we remember that Jesus received the Holy Spirit at his baptism; and only then did he begin his ministry to others – only then did he start fulfilling the mission for which the Father had sent him, to do the Father's work.  And here we find that same combination for Peter and the others: receipt of the Holy Spirit and of a mission to others.

Which gets us to our story from the Book of Acts.  As mentioned above there are striking similarities between the details of this story and those in Mark's account of the restoration of Jairus' daughter (which, we are told, Peter witnessed).  The weeping mourners; the exclusion of the crowds; the command to the corpse to "get up"; the lending of a hand to get up; and so on.  God gives life to Adam; Jesus gives life to the little girl; Peter gives life to the much-loved woman.  In each case, the same divine power, the power that raised Jesus himself from death to life, is in play here.

And, of course, we can see where all this is heading, can't we; especially if, in accordance with long-established tradition, we renewed our baptismal vows at the Easter Vigil service recently.  Have we not received the same life-giving power we call the Holy Spirit?  Have we not been sent on the same mission as Peter and all other disciples of Christ?  And did not Jesus himself say: Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father?

Back to my law lecturer and a slightly different use of his image of the rope.  Where for us does the rope of faith unravel?  Do we believe that God is the source of all life?  If so, do we believe that Christ had the power to restore people from death to life? If so, do we believe that Peter had this power, as shown in today's story?  And if so, do we believe that we, the baptised and commissioned followers of Jesus Christ, have that same power today?

 

Acts.  There are a number of other details in this story of interest.  First of all, Tabitha gets a bit of a write-up; she is not some nameless person in a story about someone else.  We are even told her Greek name, Dorcas, which suggests that she was well-known, at least in the Christian community.  She was known for her good works and acts of charity.  The lovely little detail in verse 39 attests to her skills (and generosity) as a dressmaker.  Is there a hint here that she deserved better than illness and premature death – that perhaps her death was particularly unsettling to the faith community?  Then we get some practical details about the proper preparation of the body for burial (hint of Jesus' burial?)  "Disciples" are present, but they feel the need to send for Peter.  Nothing is said about the reason for that: their request is for his urgent presence, but does not indicate what they expect of him when he does arrive.   It's tempting to assume that he is thought to have greater "healing" powers than those who send for him; but it may simply be that they need his help in responding pastorally to the people upset by Tabitha's death.  Possibly his immediate response is intentionally contrasted with Jesus' famous delayed response to a similar request when Lazarus was dying.  The story ends with an almost theatrical revelation of the restored Tabitha to the audience of saints and widows; and then a practical piece of information of no obvious importance: Peter stayed on for a while in Joppa at the house of Simon the tanner.  This seems to be a rather uncharacteristically clumsy segue by Luke to the next story about Cornelius the centurion.

Taking It Personally.

·         What do you make of this story?  Do you find it any harder to believe than those involving Jesus himself?  Do the details in verse 39 have a ring of truth about them?

·         If you were asked to pray for the restoration of someone who has just died, what would you do or say?

·         What is the most life-giving thing you have said or done in the past week?  What is the most life-giving thing anyone else has said or done to you or for you in the past week?

Revelation.  I have never quite warmed to the expression "the Church Militant", and I don't usually find "the Church Triumphant" much easier.  But it is difficult to think of any other expression that might do justice to today's portion of the extraordinary vision that St John the Divine experienced.  Perhaps it loses some of its wonder for us, with the benefit of 2,000 years of hindsight, as we look at a Church of around 2 billion members in so many countries, complete with an Argentine Pope!  But at the end of the first century, when John was in captivity on the Isle of Patmos, with the number of Christians in the low thousands, and facing persecution and martyrdom regularly, such a vision must have been astounding.  And wonderfully reassuring and comforting!  Even martyrdom cannot take away what God has in store for believers.  The white robes are THE symbol for those who have been baptised; and here they are, alongside the heavenly creatures, encircling the very throne of God and the Lamb.  Of course, pedants might quibble at the Lamb being also the shepherd of the flock, but the logic of the material world gives way to a different logic is the spiritual realm (as it does in our nightly dreams).

Taking It Personally.

·         Here's a stretch – trying using the prayer of imagination with this passage!  (I haven't yet tried it myself so I can't say whether it will work or not, but I intend to give it a go.)  Place yourself in the story with the other white-robed ones.  Listen to the singing and chanting – perhaps even join in (you might want to ensure that you are alone in the house first).

·         Now think about your usual experience of worship in your local church.  What can you do to bring the worship of heaven down to earth in that place?

·         Continue the exercise of placing those things that are presently troubling you in the context of this passage, and be reassured.  Temporal problems come to an end – eventually.

John.  And now we crash back to earth with a particularly unlovely passage from this gospel.  It is winter.  Jesus is in the temple.  [This raises an immediate problem for us, because the other gospels seem to suggest that Jesus only comes to the temple once, and that in Holy Week.  John has a different view on that.]  Jesus is once again met by his critics who demand a straight answer: is he or is he not the Messiah?  As ever, Jesus does not give a yes/no answer.  In fact, his answer is strangely similar to the one he gave to the imprisoned John when emissaries came to Jesus asking virtually the same question.  Jesus draws attention to his "works", which, he suggests, supplies the answer to their question.  But their significance is hidden from those who do not belong to Jesus' flock.  The reference back to this pastoral image (so central to the first part of this chapter) strikes me as rather clumsy, as does the sudden assertion that "The Father and I are one."  It may be that some less than subtle editing has gone on with the text here, to plant the seed that will grow into fullness in chapters 16 and 17.

Taking It Personally.

·         The evidence of Jesus' true identity (Messiah/Son of God/ God Incarnate) is the works he performs in his Father's name.  The evidence that Peter has the power of the Holy Spirit is the works he performs in Jesus' name?  What is the evidence that you have received the Holy Spirit?

·         Shape your prayers accordingly.