Monthly Archives: May 2017

Glory!

In John 17:1-11, Jesus begins a prayer that will continue through the chapter.  Some find it odd that he, Son of God, should pray – but we understand the three persons of the Trinity to be in close, indeed perfect, communication.

He knows the time of glory – the time of sacrifice – has come, and prays that his disciples may receive eternal life.  Too often we have limited that to some after death experience, but it is meant to be a new quality of life, beginning now and continuing beyond death.  We shall have to discover what it means, as the first disciples did.  It is not the effortless and trouble free existence we might imagine, but does indeed bring a new quality of love (purpose, hope, service, – we could find many words) to what may still be a difficult situation or hard slog.

Jesus is clear that his followers are those God gave him.  For us, it is a mystery how God both gives us freedom of response and yet knows who will be his people.  Yet this group have discovered that Jesus spoke God’s words, and value them accordingly.  He prays for them, rather than for humanity, that they may be protected and united.  Protection we find it easy to understand – there are many threats.  Unity takes more thought.  Why is it so important?  Perhaps it helps to look at the history of Church division, the often personal (or personality) differences which have handicapped fellowship and service.

It is good to have a tradition, to belong to a group of fellow believers.  It helps us find a starting point, a way of doing things.  But let’s resolve to be Christians first, and above all other loyalties and badges.  United with all who follow Jesus and long for his life to be fully realised in them, we shall grow in love and service beyond narrow boundaries.

Celebrate the Farewell -?

We celebrate Ascension Day (reading Luke 24:44-53, and Acts 1:1-11), the day Jesus left earth after his ministry – put like that, it seems odd. Imagine someone saying “You can’t have thought much of him if you celebrate his going!” It’s not like that, but why? What are we celebrating?

Part of the celebration is about the story of Jesus. We remember his birth (everybody has to celebrate Christmas, whether they like it or not!), and then we go on to remember through Epiphany how he came to be known and recognised. To begin with he was popular – healing and telling stories, but he didn’t offer the easy route some wanted, and he annoyed important people. We come to his Passion, Death, and yes, Resurrection (Easter is the most important celebration, but somehow more optional in the social calendar). That’s not quite the end, for there are the appearances, the forgiveness of the failed friends. Ascension Day wraps it up tidily.

It gives us a chance to think about who we are. We come from many places – for Christians come from every part of the world, and many different cultures and languages. They include all sorts of personalities, all ages, professions and life experiences. They were given that nickname, probably not in flattery, in Antioch – “Christians”, Jesus people. That is what we share, what draws and holds us together. Perhaps we should be encouraged that even in Acts 1:6 they still haven’t got it right, expecting the Kingdom in their terms.

But wait a minute. If Luke ends his gospel with Jesus being carried up to heaven, he tells the story again at the beginning of his second volume, Acts. What’s that about?

It is partly to say “He’s coming back, – be ready to give an account of yourselves”, which is what the angels say

But it’s also to say, because Jesus completed his ministry successfully – life, death, and resurrection – he is no longer stuck in one place. I imagine some of you will have visited the Holy Land, to see where Jesus walked, talked, died. Despite all the problems there, it remains popular – but so does Parry’s “Jerusalem” “And did those feet in ancient time, walk upon England’s (Wales’?) mountains green, and was the Holy Lamb of God in … pleasant pastures seen?”

If Jesus had continued to appear around Palestine, how could we say “The Lord is here, his Spirit is with US”?

If his appearances had tailed off, that would have been a sad end. But being seen to return gloriously to heaven closes one chapter, and opens a new book. We look for the coming of the Spirit. We rejoice in the victory of our Lord.

Jesus has gone from earth to heaven;

  • Jesus has gone from one place, to be with us all
  • Jesus leads his Church, through the Holy Spirit, in every part of the world
  • Including – wherever you are reading this

Alleluia!

Obey?

(A dialogue sketch on 1 Peter 3:13-22, a reading this Sunday, is available here )

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15 and again “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me;” John 14:21 – both included in this week’s reading of John 14:15-21.  It would seem that obedience is commanded, and indeed that the effective presence of the Holy spirit in a believer is in some way conditional on such obedience. In a past world, that would have seemed pretty straightforward.

But our culture has moved away from obedience, and is unclear whether to see it as a virtue. Perhaps for some it came from the Nuremberg war-crime trials, which established that obedience to superior orders is no defence – we must only do what we judge to be right, even if it means rejecting the orders of others. For others, the civil rights and protest movements will have reduced respect for authority, and psychological studies like the 1961 Milgram experiment (which showed normal volunteers capable of inflicting, as they thought, painful and even fatal electric shocks on people when encouraged to do so by an authority figure) will have strengthened objections.

So, does obedience still have a place in faith? I think so, though I want to take these objections seriously. What Jesus says is not “Do as I tell you”. In fact, what he tells us is not mainly simple instructions like “Pray for 10 minutes twice a day”, but much more complex things like “Love God and love your neighbour” (eg Mark 12:30-31). So these verses do not say “obey” but “keep my commandments” – keep, look after, be mindful of.

This isn’t the mindless obedience of the bayonet charge, doing because you’re told to. Quite the opposite, it is an invitation to value and practise things you know to be good.  This is clearer when we see that the condition is “If you love me, .” If we are familiar with the facts of Jesus’ life and teaching, and enthusiastic enough about them, are attracted to them strongly enough, find them to have greater significance and importance than others – then we are going to value them and put them into practise.

So, is there a place for obedience in faith? Yes. Don’t I just mean we do what we think is right? No.  We look at the life, works and teaching of Jesus, and find that important beyond other things. We value and apply his teaching, and in doing that we learn that we never do so perfectly, because of our own weakness, sin, and failure. We also discover – perhaps in other people – that sin affects our judgement. I can be rational, but rational about my own weaknesses – that is much harder.

So, as I think about what is right and what I should do, I apply the teaching of Jesus, the New Testament and the Bible to my situation and culture – AND in those things I find difficult or tempting, I add extra weight to what they say, distrusting (but not discarding) my thoughts when they disagree. In other words, I find it necessary to obey more over things which tempt me, or which have caused me to fail in the past.

Direction

It helps to know where you are going – whether on a walk, or a career or retirement plan. Stephen as he dies ( Acts 7:55-60 ) has a vision of Jesus in heaven, and knows that he is going to join him (which infuriates his opponents and seals his fate).

In John 14:1-14, Jesus speaks of going to prepare a place for his followers, but Thomas seems confused – and I imagine he is not the only one.  Do you ever think of a door in heaven with your name on it? Think about it for a moment. Your place, ready and waiting. What do you think about that, what do you want to do as a result?

Thomas hasn’t yet understood what is going to happen to Jesus – why he must die and rise from the dead. Jesus will not push him faster than he can absorb it, but makes clear that he is central to everything, and Thomas needs to keep following.  (We know that he does, and gets there in the end – see John 20:24-29 ).

Phillip is is danger of going off at a tangent. He would like to see God. Perhaps he has some idea of being like Moses on Mt Sinai, glimpsing God passing by.  But Jesus is more important than Phillip has realised – Jesus shows God to us. Father and Son (and Spirit) work so closely together that to know one is to know the other.  Not only do you have your room in heaven, you work for God!

“those who believe in me will do what I do – yes, they will do even greater things” John 14:12. We are invited to see where we are going – how Jesus, at the centre of everything, not only gives us a place in heaven, but also involves us in his work on earth. We are told to ask. What are we meant to be doing, what is most important, what comes first?

Alongside that, What is God’s purpose for me, individually, – or for you? How does that fit in with the aim for my congregation and wider Church?  Perhaps we should be asking for particular gifts to use there in His service, or for openings to use the ones we know we already have. Perhaps we need the courage to offer them, or the energy to do it!

It helps to know where you are going – and heaven can’t be bad, and you won’t get lost by accident. Stephen knows where he’s going, but Thomas and Phillip are finding out – perhaps like us. Let’s make sure that we keep Jesus at the centre of everything, and work on realising his aims for us as individuals, and our church as his working group.

Whose Shepherd?

There is a lot about the Good Shepherd in the tenth chapter of John’s gospel, which provides the gospel reading for the 4th Sunday of Easter (in all 3 years of the lectionary).  It also reflects Psalm 23, which worries me, because so many people happily quote, “The Lord is my Shepherd”.

Is he?  It is a factual question.  Reading John 10 will help to give a factual answer.  The chapter begins with reference to “thieves and bandits”, and a look back to chapter 9 makes clear that Jesus is labelling those who assumed a right to be leaders of religion – and to criticise him for a remarkable healing on the Sabbath day.  Clearly there is a choice of leaders to follow!

Then Jesus talks about the relationship between sheep and shepherd.  While flocks might be kept together overnight, the shepherd would be able to pick out his sheep, and they would know “their” shepherd from others.  The implication is that Christians relate to the Good Shepherd, distinguishing him from others and being known by him.  This is where “The Lord is my Shepherd” becomes a true or false statement.

Apparently this is not understood (verse 6).  We might take comfort that other people get things wrong and fail to understand!  (Preachers are relieved to know that even Jesus didn’t always get his point over first time).  Even better, he explains again.

The sheepfold is needed – at night it provides safety and rest.  We might see a comparison with the Church, or Christian fellowship.  Under Jesus’ direction, we need to go in to be protected from “thieves and bandits” – to be taught, and find rest and healing.  But the sheep cannot stay in the sheepfold.  By day they need to go out – with the Shepherd – to be taken to food and water.  Christians need to get into the world, to work, to serve the wider community, to “practise” their faith, and be a blessing to others.  There has to be movement in and out, with the Shepherd the key figure.

So I find challenge in these passages, and not just reassurance – let alone sentimentality.  How do you take it?  Can you be taken seriously saying, “The Lord IS my Shepherd”?