6th Sunday of Easter

St Barnabas Anglican Church, Warrington

“You will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”

17 May 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Grace and peace to you from God. 

Today is the 6th Sunday of Easter.

We are at Pandemic Level 2.

Readings:

Acts 7: 22-31 1 Peter 3:13-22

The Gospel lesson is John 14:15-21.

Acts 7: 22-31

²² So Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds. ²³ “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his relatives, the Israelites. ²⁴ When he saw one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. ²⁵ He supposed that his kinsfolk would understand that God through him was rescuing them, but they did not understand. ²⁶ The next day he came to some of them as they were quarrelling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong each other?’ ²⁷ But the man who was wronging his neighbour pushed Moses aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? ²⁸ Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ ²⁹ When he heard this, Moses fled and became a resident alien in the land of Midian. There he became the father of two sons. ³⁰ “Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. ³¹ When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look, there came the voice of the Lord:

1 Peter 3: 13-22

¹³ Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, ¹⁵ but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; ¹⁶ yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷ For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. ¹⁸ For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, ¹⁹ in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. ²¹ And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

John 14:15-21

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. ¹⁷ This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. ¹⁸ “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ¹⁹ In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹ They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

Faith and doubt: Knowing, loving, abiding.

It is perhaps fitting that we face these uncertain times during Eastertide. That period when we walk with the disciples from resurrection to ascension. It surprises, and sometimes alarms, me that atheists are so certain. It seems strange to me that someone should be convinced that the majority of people alive today are wrong. We are often in literature (or maybe just the books I read) presented with a kind of religious stereotype. Someone whose Faith is beyond all reason, all doubt and who may well do many of the things God has told us not to do because they are not, as living Christians usually are, struggling with understanding what we should do in life. In the real world I have encountered many whose beliefs make them hold ideas that I strongly disagree with; many Christians whose ideas are unacceptable to me. But I have never met a Christian without doubt. I walk on the beach in the morning and think “The world is so beautiful! God must have made this, it can’t have just happened.” But then other things just happen, like a virus which takes the weak and vulnerable, and I think “Why would a loving God make that?” The times when God has most closely touched my life contain both pain & blessing. Surely an all-powerful God could produce a world with the blessing and not find it necessary to include the bad stuff? After all our God is all powerful etc. etc. He’s not a kind of holy fire brigade or superhero rushing to save us from something he can’t really control. There is an old anecdote of someone who said that he had “skirted the desserts of doubt.” A more practical Christian responded that he would have been much better to go through them and come out at the other side.

Think of the disciples meeting the resurrected Christ: Aware of the power and joy of the risen Christ but at the same time facing a life where the earthly powers are against them and they must lock their doors against the world for fear of the threat it poses to them.

But we are not alone. When Jesus ascended to heaven he left us the Holy Spirit, which abides in those who know Jesus. An advocate that brokers our relationship with Jesus. As Jesus joins us with God.

I think we live in a world of uncertainty, and hence fear and loss, in order that we have the free choice to love God. It seems a big price to pay, but the gift of God’s love is immeasurable.

Amen. So be it.

Bishop Steve has announced that the Diocese will not be opening any churches for another fortnight. In the meantime, thanks to some prompt action from the Wardens I have submitted our proposal for St Barnabas and this has been accepted in principal by the Bishop and he gave his permission to hold a funeral on Friday 15th, although in fact this didn’t go ahead.

During Lockdown Basil and Rosalie have had the difficult experience of the death of Charles Rosenbrock who has lived near them for 38 years. They found Charles and Rosalie tried hard to resuscitate prior to the arrival of Police, Fire and Ambulance. Please remember Charles, his brother and sister, his niece Stephanie, his family and friends, and Basil and Rosalie in your prayers.

I am amazed at all the things I have not done during lockdown. I have been told this is because my brain is full of the certainties of these troubled times and doesn’t have capacity left much else. If you are like me and have things left undone, you may like to try the old confession I have included below. 

Blessings 

Jeremy Rev Dr JJ Nicoll, 0274 361 481

Priest-in-Charge, St Barnabas, Warrington,

NZ Collect 6 th Sunday of Easter.

God who speaks in silence;

help us wait in quietness.

When you seem absent,

grant us the faith that knows you are there,

bringing to fulfilment all you have started.

Through Jesus Christ our Liberator,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen

Confession

Almighty and most merciful Father,

we have wandered and strayed from your ways like lost sheep.

We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.

We have offended against your holy laws.

We have left undone those things

that we ought to have done;

and we have done those things

that we ought not to have done;

and there is no health in us.

But you, O Lord, have mercy upon us sinners.

Spare those who confess their faults.

Restore those who are penitent,

according to your promises declared to mankind

in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,

that we may live a disciplined, righteous and godly life,

to the glory of your holy name.

Amen.

The Easter Anthems.

1. Christ our Passover lamb has been ' sacrificed: therefore ' let us ' keep the ' feast,

2. not with the old leaven, the leaven of corruption · and wickedness: but with the unleavened ' bread · of sincerity · and ' truth.

3. Christ being raised from the dead will never ' die again: death no ' longer · has dominion ' over him.

4. The death he died, he died to sin ' once for ' all: but the life he ' lives, he ' lives to ' God.

5. So you also must consider yourselves ' dead to ' sin: and alive to ' God in ' Jesus ' Christ.

6. Christ has been ' raised · from the ' dead: the first fruits of ' those · who have ' fallen · a'sleep.

7. For as by a ' man came ' death: by a man has come also the resur'rection ' of the ' dead.

8. For as in ' Adam · all ' die: so also in Christ shall ' all be ' made a'live. 1 Corinthians 5: 7, 8; Romans 6: 9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22

Glory to the Father and ' to the ' Son:

and ' to the ' Holy ' Spirit;

as it was in the beginning · is' now:

and shall be for ' ever. ' Amen.

Acclaim the Risen Christ.

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He has given us new life and hope.

He has raised Jesus from the dead.

God has claimed us as his own.

He has brought us out of darkness.

He has made us light to the world.

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

The Dismissal Gospel

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’ Matthew (28:9,10)

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.