Word in the Hand

Gospel Luke 12:49-53  Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already! There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over! ‘Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’ There is a phrase, or state of mind, that circles faith communities these days known as Cafe Christians. Not an opportunity for like minded folk to meet up over a coffee, although there are a few of those around. A Cafe Christian shops around from the various belief structures, limitations, rituals and traditions. They may be mostly 'this' or 'that' but reserve their right to choos...

Sunday Gospel John 14:23-29  Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our home with him. Those who do not love me do not keep my words. And my word is not my own: it is the word of the one who sent me. I have said these things to you while still with you; but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you. Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return. If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe.’ John reminds us again of what a great vision...

Gospel John 20:19-23  Feast of Pentecost In the evening of the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. ‘As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.’ After saying this he breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’ The feast of Pentecost is most clearly recognised by the  reading from Acts - the 'Gospel' of the Holy Spirit -  it almost feels that that reading would have been enough;  more than enough given the drama of the  Holy Spirit's entrance.  By itself, it could be imagined that this is a whole new shift in God's pla...

Gospel      John 3:16-18 Jesus said to Nicodemus: ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved. No one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son.’ One of the things I love most about Jesus is that he is just as tongue-tied as the rest of us about explaining mystery. Well, maybe somewhat better than some of us,  but the 50 parables of the Gospels are no more than metaphors and imagery as Jesus tries, over and over again,  to refine the statements - God is like....the Kingdom is like....Heaven is like... But most of all, the most indescribable of all, the Holy Trinity that is our God. St Anselm writes that 'faith seeks understan...

May the God of peace make you perfect and holy; and may you all be kept safe and blameless,  spirit, soul and body, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

O Lord, teach me your paths, and I will come to your truth. Make my heart simple and guileless, so that it honours your name.

Trials and Temptations Consider it pure joy, whenever life gets difficult, because you know that the trying of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance is always work in progress towards a time when you may be mature and complete, so that you may flourish.   It is, what Winnie the Pooh would call, a blustery day. A wide sky with bright clouds racing to the horizon; some darker cousins challenging, armwrestling the sun; 'if I win it will rain'. And they try; but they don't. It seems a good day for a walk in the churchyard, sheltered by the high sandstone wall and yew hedge; but it isn't. The cloud racing zephyrs are also chasing each other through the mature oaks, sycamores and chestnuts; roaring like thunder and sending down a torrent of leaves, twigs and immature acorns and nuts. The trees seem to shudder to their very roots, the weight of all the summer growth making them heavy like sheep waiting for the shearer. The paths full of unripened fruits, twig...

Opening Prayer Here I am Lord, Listening Speak to me within my heart and soul. I am listening. Acts 2:14 ‘Then Peter stood up’ Reflection The crowd thought we had been drinking - it was an easy mistake to make- in fact it wouldn’t have been totally out of the question. It was festival after all. We had been cooped up in hiding for so long a drink would have been welcome; and we did have a reputation for drinking and enjoying ourselves even when the Lord was with us. And Peter was always in the thick of that. And that’s it really – that’s what gives it away – Peter was thick. Not stupid, just one of those practical men who talks with his hands – wants to do stuff not talk about it - puts his foot in it when he does. Fishermen don’t do too much talking, don’t go to Temple, don’t know scripture - don’t like crowds or people much. And Peter was still like that, never liked the Lord being surrounded by the crowds, couldn’t cope with miracles and had barely forgiven himself for what had hap...

Opening Prayer Here I am Lord, Listening Speak to me within my heart and soul. I am listening. Acts 2:4 filled with the Holy Spirit Reflection Fifty days later and the disciples who are left are huddled together in room. Doors and windows barred against dangers real and imagined. But there is nowhere left to go. Everyone here is an outcast; from family; community; Temple. All those who imagined themselves saved; who saw a vision of a new future; and now cannot bear the thought of another day. The Lord had promised to send another; but in truth, they only wanted him. Outside the Spirit paces the air, Breath of God, of Life. Why were their hearts and minds so closed when the promise of the Lord’s last kiss was waiting? It is simple, they are children; afraid of the unknown; afraid for their lives; afraid of the might of the world; but they cannot be afraid no longer. The Spirit roars - she has had enough of waiting – the children have work to do. Nature’s force surrounds the house howli...

Gospel John 3:1-8 There was one of the Pharisees called Nicodemus, a leading Jew, who came to Jesus by night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who comes from God; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him.’ Jesus answered: ‘I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said, ‘How can a grown man be born? Can he go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?’ Jesus replied: ‘I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God: what is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above. The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’ And here is a Before the Resurrection, Resurrection story. The Lord telling us what happens w...