May 29th 2011

In this Easter Season, as we look forward to Christ’s ascension, three points stand out; the question, the command, the promise. Last week, we thought about the question. First of all that just as the early disciples had questions at this time, so we should ask questions and seek answers. We ponder and examine the ultimate question which was asked by Jesus himself. “Do you love me”? And now in response to Jesus command “Go” we consider what this means for us. Where are we to go? To whom are we to go? What do we take to them?

In the first three Gospels and Acts, Jesus tells us to go to all nations. Does that mean us too? My mother always felt she had a call to be missionary in China. She applied several times but was always turned down on medical grounds. God directed her to other fields where she had a rich Ministry. Let us pray constantly and trust him to show us his will. That applies not to our just to our life’s careers but to the days and moments of our life. Often we find he has taken over without our even asking. It is easy to make mistakes but let us always remember where God is, love is and where love is, God is.

There have been some great missionary movements in this history of the Church starting with Paul and the early Apostles. There have been sad misadventures, the outstanding one being the Crusades. In modern times, the great missionary movement started at the end of the 1700’s and produced such people as John and Charles Wesley, Carey, Livingstone, Goforth, McClure, Bompas and Stringer to mention a few who come immediately to mind.

In the present era, the world has been made smaller by modern transportation. No longer do our missionaries have to go away for five years or more at a time although some still do.

People such as our own John and Pauline Warnica, Elizabeth and Keith Morley, Vi Walkington and our youth groups with other members of our congregation have been able to fly to Central America for a few weeks to share their skills, the gospel and their love to that part of the world. At home, in our own Parish of Trinity, we have so many opportunities for service. Look through the last pictorial directory. Let us give thanks for all the opportunities we have in our everyday life to witness for him by word or even the smallest deed. Thanks
be to God as we look forward to thinking about his promise.

Some Youth Members of
the Guatemala Mission

Church that was rebuilt by
Panama Mission Team

May 22nd 2011

Last week we touched on the church year in which we followed the life of Jesus Christ here on earth. This is the 5th Sunday after Easter and we are in that period of 40 days between the Resurrection of Jesus and his Ascension. For the growing group of followers, which we may think of as the budding church, it must have been a confusing time. They had been crushed by his death on the Cross, overjoyed by the wonder of his resurrection, looking forward prayerfully with hope and wonder to the future. Into this unsettled community, would come those uplifting and enlightening moments when the risen Lord came among them, talked with them, ate with them and blessed them. Each time he left, they must have been filled with expectancy for the next visit and questions they would ask. I suggest that this too, could be a questioning time for us.

I went on my quest of the scriptures and found at the end of St. John’s Gospel that it is Jesus himself who asks the questions and not of the whole group but of one person – “Simon, do you love me”? It was one question to one person but it was repeated three times. That hurt Simon Peter but it also came with a request of trust. “Feed my lambs”, “Tend my sheep”, “Feed my sheep”. He asks each one of us the same question “Do you love me”? That is the question we must ask ourselves. If the answer “yes” , to us is entrusted the task of reaching out with love to others.

May 15th 2011

Spring is at last in the air. The trees are showing a faint lacy green and will soon be leaf.  I have seen daffodils, hyacinths and tulips. We greet each season as it comes with different preparation and emotion. Gone are the days when I greet winter with joy. The church too has its year with different seasons. Those seasons are built around the earthly life of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Thus we may follow his life during the year in worship, study and activity. Our Church year begins with the season of Advent. We are looking with expectation to his birth, but the important message of Advent is that we are looking forward to his coming again. In Epiphany through the coming of the wise men, we rejoice that Christ came also to the Gentiles. During the season of Epiphany we think of the church’s mission to the whole world. Turn to page 121 in our red BCP. There you will find the collect to be used during the weekdays of the Epiphany season. It contains the phrase “deliver the nations of the world from superstition and unbelief and gather them all into thy holy church.”

The season of Epiphany ends with Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. In this season we are remembering the forty days and nights that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness surrendering himself to God and resisting the temptation of the devil. We too, in Lent, try to set ourselves tasks and privations that we may grow in the spirit and be ready to greet him with loud alleluias on Palm Sunday We stand at the foot the cross on Good Friday and enter the bewildering joy of Easter.

During this time, following his Resurrection, the disciples waited expecting something to happen. There were restless, bewildered but eager. They felt the urge to do something. They were buoyed up by Jesus’ sudden appearances among them when they learned from him.

This is the point where we have now arrived in our church year. What should our response be? How we can celebrate this season before the Ascension? May I suggest that it be the time of asking questions. Search out the Bible and prayer book especially the Collects. Question others and above all come into his presence with prayer.  God bless us all!

May 8th 2011- Royal Wedding

Westminster Abbey

As you read this, the Royal Wedding will be starting to fade into memory. However, as I write, it is still very recent and alive in my mind and I think there are a number of illustrations which will shed light on our understanding as we grow in faith.

The New Testament gives us a picture of the very early church as a group of people who needed to be together in joy and in sorrow. (Acts 1: 13-14 and Acts 2 V. 1) Crowds of people came together for the Royal Wedding – most hoping for a glimpse of the couple. Many had no hope of that but experienced the joy of being part of the celebration by getting together in their communities and homes. By coming together as Christians, we more fully experience Jesus Christ in our lives. Of course, there are times when we need as the hymn says. “Come to the garden alone” with him. We will more frequently find him as we join in the company of brothers and sisters in Christ.

There are many who profess contempt for so called organized or institutionalized churches. It is the human part of the churches or denominations which is most often misunderstood or misdirected. We need to come together and reach out to each other in the love of Christ so that seekers find him in us.

Among God’s gifts to us is the wonder of sight and sound. As we entered the abbey (by means of TV) we were uplifted by the beauty of the place and the sound of the music. Did we worship him and thank him for these gifts? They are given to us that we may come closer to him in worship. Of course the bride was beautiful beyond expectations. Did we and do we continue to pray for her and her husband? The one bridesmaid was not just a lovely young woman, beautifully dressed but she was also an example of service, quietly going about her duties, straightening the bride’s train, relieving her of her bouquet and above all gently leading the small attendants by hand giving them guidance and confidence.

The homily, given by the Bishop of London contained a message which was given at a former Royal Wedding, that of Prince William’s parents. The Bishop said, “Every bride and groom is a king and queen for a day.” They need on that day to show concern for the comfort and well being of their family and guests. A number of times, I have trembled for the future of a bride on hearing her say, “This is my day, I can have what I want.” A true ruler is one who lives to serve, not to be served. Let us go through life as true Royals, observing the needs of others and living to help them. Let us pray constantly for those around us, those far away, those we love and those who are hard to love. Let us go forward in the face of our risen Lord

May 1st 2011

Stone rolled away from the tomb.
(Trinity Sunday  School Easter Garden)

The wonder of the Easter season is over.  During Lent we have grown in his spirit.  We have sung our alleluias as we waved palms on Palm Sunday and remembered his entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. We have been with him in the upper room, witnessed his institution of the Eucharist and his example of humility as he washed his disciples’ feet.   In our minds, we have walked though the Kedron Valley to his agony and betrayal in the Garden of Gesthemane.  We have watched with his mother Mary and others as we witnessed his agony on the cross.  On his resurrection morn, we shared the joy of those who were actually there.  So what happens now?  There is a wonderful six weeks ahead of us, until we celebrate his ascension.

Do you ever as you read the Gospels, wonder how Jesus disciples could be so dense?  How could they after being with him day after day witnessing his miracles, hearing his great teaching for about three years, not understand?  They still expected him to save Israel from the earthly conquerors the Romans. They pressed for personal honours.  After two thousand years, do we really understand?  No, of course, we do not.   That does not mean that we are failures. It means that we are still growing.  What nourishment do we need in order to continue growing?

We know that during this period, Jesus appeared repeatedly to his followers. Some of these appearances are recorded in the four Gospels and Acts.  Can you imagine what it was like to be one of Jesus followers during this time?  Did they think these meetings would go on forever?  Were they anxious or uplifted?  Did they have a special question they wanted to ask him at the next encounter? Have you a question you want to ask. I hope you have and I suggest you write it down. Obviously, the next move is to search for the answer.  Pray, read, and talk to other people.  They may help you.  You may help them.  Come alive in him. That is what happened to those frightened bewildered disciples. They came alive.  If Jesus had not been the real Messiah, if the whole of his life have been false, they would have faded away.  Instead, they grew in numbers; they spread beyond their own geographic boundaries;  they reached down the ages to you and me.  They were alive in Christ as we too can be alive in him.