7th Sunday of Easter

St Barnabas Anglican Church, Warrington

“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist

him, steadfast in your faith.

24 May 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Grace and peace to you from God.

Today is the 7th Sunday of Easter.

We are at Pandemic Level 2.

Readings:

Acts 1: 6-14 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

The Gospel lesson is John 17:1-11.

Acts 1: 6-14

⁶ So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ⁹ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹ They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” ¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³ When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴ All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. ⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. ⁸ Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. ¹⁰ And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹ To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.

John 17:1-11 17 

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, ² since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ⁴ I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. ⁵ So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. ⁶“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷ Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; ⁸ for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. ⁹ I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. ¹⁰ All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. ¹¹ And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

The Kingdom and Its Witnesses.

Eastertide is passing as we cautiously reach out of our bubbles. Thursday was Ascension and next Sunday will be Pentecost. We read of the resurrected Christ trying to get the Apostles organised for the time to come. During Eastertide we read from Acts every week. The Acts of the Apostles is a misleading title since we only hear about one of the Apostles (Peter) was doing or saying. We hear a lot about Paul in later part but Paul is never called an Apostle in Acts.

Throughout his ministry Jesus struggled with His followers. The centre of his message was the kingdom of God; but he meant one thing by the kingdom and those who listened to him meant another.

The Jews were always vividly conscious of being God's chosen people. They that would be shown by political success, and world domination. Humanly speaking that could never be. Palestine was a little country not more than 120 miles long by 40 miles wide. It had its days of independence but it had become subject in turn to the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans. So the Jews began to look forward to a day when God would break directly into human history and establish that world sovereignty of which they dreamed. They conceived of the kingdom in political terms.

How did Jesus conceive of it? Let us look at the Lord's Prayer. In it there are two petitions side by side. "your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven." It is characteristic of Hebrew writing, to say things in two parallel forms, the second of which repeats or amplifies the first. That is what these two petitions do. The second tells us what God’s kingdom means. So, we see that by the kingdom Jesus meant a society upon earth where God's will would be as perfectly done as it is in heaven. Because of that it would be a kingdom founded on love and not on power. To attain to that men needed the Holy Spirit. Luke has talked before about waiting for the coming of the Spirit. We are not to think that the Spirit came into existence then for the first time. God is eternally Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but there came a special time when humans experienced to the full that power which had always been present.

The power of the Spirit was going to make them Christ's witnesses. The witnesses were to operate throughout the world: first in Jerusalem, then throughout Judaea; then Samaria, the semiJewish state, would be a kind of bridge leading out into the heathen world; and finally this witness was to go out to the ends of the earth.

Let us note certain things about this Christian witness.

First, a witness is someone who says “I know this is true.” In a court of law you cannot give in evidence something you heard from someone else; it must be your own personal experience. A witness does not say, "I think so"; they say "I know."

Second, the real witness is not of words but of deeds. At school we heard of David Livingston the explorer and how the American reported Stanley found him in the depths of Africa with that famous greeting “Dr Livingston, I presume?” After Stanley had spent some time with him, he said, "If I had been with him any longer I would have been compelled to be a Christian and he never spoke to me about it at all." The witness of the man's life was irresistible.

Third, in Greek the word for witness and the word for martyr is the same. A witness had to be ready to become a martyr. To be a witness means to declare the truth you know, no matter the cost.

Amen. So be it.

I used to think I was indecisive, but now I’m not sure. I can’t decide on a sentence so I have given you two. I could argue that there is balance as one is outward looking and one inward. The first is the theologically greater, being a sort of Christian mission statement. But then, I just like the drama of roaring lions. Perhaps together they will remind us that without the risen Christ, without the strength we get from the spirit within, we are not strong enough to witness Christ to the world.

According to Ashley Bloomfield, the Director General of Health, on Monday the Cabinet will consider whether to raise the size limit on gatherings to more than 10 people. After that Bishop Steven will have to decide if the churches in his see will open. Pray for these people, that with wisdom they will decide well.

As we await the decision please pray for our sisters and brothers in Georgia and Texas, especially the Catoosa Baptist Tabernacle in Ringgold, Ga., which resumed in-person services and later decided to suspend them after several families became infected despite the church’s socialdistancing and cleaning precautions. Also, in Houston the Holy Ghost Parish reopened but now has cancelled services indefinitely after one of its priests died and five other members tested positive for the virus.

Dr Bloomfield has praised the churches for our conduct during the Covid crisis, although it would seem that the Destiny church is having a bit of a crisis of its own. If a person without Faith said going to church was like going to the cinema I would be saddened to think about what they were missing without knowing. When brother Tamaki says it, I can only guess he doesn’t go the cinema. If you are praying for Dr Bloomfield, spare a word also for Dr Amy Acton, his opposite number in Ohio. You might think Dr Acton is living the American dream. Having grown up in extreme poverty she has, by hard work, reached a senior position in the public service. For many, she is a hero whose positive action has saved lives, and whose calm, clear and compassionate style is a national model for how leaders should be communicating. For others, Acton is a target. Protesters have descended on her home with guns and one republican representative has denounced her as a “medical dictator.” By contrast, Ohio’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, has stood by his top medical adviser. Acton, DeWine has said in response to attacks from members of his own party, is “a good, compassionate and honourable person” who has “worked nonstop to save lives and protect her fellow citizens.”

Captain Tom from the UK, walking through his 100 birthday to raise funds for the NHS charities, first got promoted to Hon. Colonel, and has now been knighted for his services. It is astounding that someone, apparently with their life and work behind them, in fact can still become a significant influence in public affairs.

Blessings

Jeremy

Rev Dr JJ Nicoll, 0274 361 481

Priest-in-Charge, St Barnabas, Warrington, NZ

Collect 7th Sunday of Easter.

Holy God,

you have not left us alone

but promised your abiding protection.

In all we face,

grant us such a knowledge of your presence,

and abiding care,

that nothing can destroy our trust.

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.

Prayer.

We praise you and we bless you, our risen Lord Jesus, King of glory,

for in your birth you were proclaimed the Prince of Peace,

and in your resurrection you breathe into your people

peace beyond this world’s understanding.

Be present, Lord, this day

with those whose lives are disfigured by conflict

and those whose hearts know no peace.

Be present to those who bear the burdens of Covid-19

Burdens of fear, of illness, of separation and loss.

To you, Lord Jesus,

true bringer of the peace of heaven,

be honour and glory, now and for ever.

All Amen.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus:

Dying you destroyed our death,

rising you restored our life:

Lord Jesus, come in glory.

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 John.

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 to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

John (20:21-23)

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.