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Collect

Living and gracious God,
through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
you have brought us out to a spacious place
where we are called to live as those redeemed. Empower us by your spirit to keep your commandments, that we may show forth your love
with gentle word and reverent deed
to all your people. Amen.

Readings

Acts 17:22-31

Psalm 66:7-18

1 Peter 3:13-22

John 14:15-21

Lately I have been reading about Celtic Christian Spirituality, a rich tradition which arose in the first millennium as a fusion between Christianity (think St Patrick of Ireland fame) and a creation centred belief in the countries that spoke various versions of Celtic languages (think Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall, Brittany, and the Isle of man).

We need to re-think the image of God as a super-being high in the sky and try to relate to God as Holy Mystery, and as even more that we can ask or imagine. Our human languages cannot begin to define such a mystery.

Over time, Celtic Christian Spirituality developed a distinct view of God, God’s purpose, creation and the place of humankind in creation—views that are part of the history of the church, but isolated geographically from Western theology.

For example, the Celtic tradition rejects Augustine’s 4th century notion of original sin which declared that babies who died without baptism would not enter heaven.. and that God became human in Jesus so that he would die to atone for, pay for, the sins of humanity (past, present, and future).

The Celts believe that God became human in Jesus to show us what being truly human would look like.

There is much more depth to the Celtic tradition particularly rooted in creation and humankind as part of nature. The world is of God, and the world is of Christ and God is both the origin and destination.

And these ideas tie closely to our reading today from Acts chapter 17 which quotes Paul saying: ‘In God we live and move and have our being…for we are God’s offspring’. To put this another way is to say that God lives in us as we live in God.

I think if we embrace the idea of God within, that each part of creation bears a divine spark, there can be significant implications for our spiritual life and the life of all creation.

However, the traditional Christian image of God is as a being ‘above us’ as in God above, man below. This historical image permeates our worship, song, and prayers and has done so for some 2,000 years. The concept of a three-tiered universe (such as is present in much of the Old Testament) is there in the ancient creeds we often recite. It is there in the hierarchical structures of order and authority in the church. It is there in the architectural design of churches new and old.

I think we are poorer for not having embraced a deeper image of the Holy based on that thought that we live and move and have our being in God because God lives in us and all of creation.

For example, a common translation of an important part of Genesis says that man will have dominion over the earth. This would infer that humanity is separate from nature rather than part of nature as affirmed by modern science; that humanity is lord over all creatures, and the water, earth and sky. For over 300 years, good folks of the churches in England and Europe justified slavery and prospered based on the premiss that the people of Africa were sub-human, animals, not equal in any way to those who would enslave them. A better translation of Genesis would call humankind to be the stewards/caretakers of all of God’s creation.

This re-thinking of the image of God was left to the mystics who were often cast aside by the church. Here, I think of Julian of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, and Meister Eckhart as well as people of this day such as Matthew Fox, Thomas Merton, and Marcus Borg.

We need to re-think the image of God as a super-being high in the sky and try to relate to God as Holy Mystery, and as even more that we can ask or imagine. Our human languages cannot begin to define such a mystery.

Collect

Risen Christ,
you prepare a place for us,
in the home of the Mother-and-Father of us all.
Draw us more deeply into yourself,
through scripture read,
water splashed,
bread broken,
wine poured,
so that when our hearts are troubled,
we will know you more completely
as the way, the truth, and the life. Amen.

Readings

Acts 7:55-60

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 1

Peter 2:2-10

John 14:1-14

Quite often when we hear stories from Jesus they are confusing. Sometimes I wonder if he had a bit of a weird sense of humour when he tells stories and answers questions with other questions. This doesn’t always reassure us that we have completely understood what he has been saying.

Just imagine what we can do, believing in Jesus, taking time to listen to his voice before reacting and following The Way.

In our first few words in our Gospel story for the week we have Jesus saying “Do not let your hearts be troubled”: We have to back up a bit to what was happening before this part in the Gospel. He had just told his disciples that he would be crucified; that one would betray him; and one would deny him. Just put yourself in the disciples’ sandals and you might understand why they might be troubled. So here we have Jesus reassuring them that it will be okay. It would probably have given them a bit of a relief that he was going to explain and reassure them a bit.

If we use these words for us, here in this time, gives us the idea or assurance that we have control over our lives and how we respond to our burdens, having Jesus within us.

Our next line is “Believe in God, believe in me also.” This makes sense, easy enough. Not that we can’t get lost in our beliefs but the sentence is clear enough.

The next two lines are clear as well and reassuring (especially for us who know how Jesus’ life ends and continues within us). “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you”. So Thanks to Jesus, our ‘room’ will be ready for us when we get there.

Then it gets a bit trickier, when Jesus says you know the way to the place where I am going. Bravo to Thomas for being brave enough to say that they didn’t know where he was going and how could they know the way. Jesus response is to say that he is the way and the truth and the life. No ones comes to the Father except through me. If you were listening last week, you might be thinking back to the words Jesus said that he was the gate. We all have to go through Jesus, through the gate, because only there will you find God.

Jesus talks about being the way… He is way to an abundant life. His way (through life) is the only way we should be following.

About truth…He is the true God, truly a man and taught the way of God in truth.

I am life…. In Jesus we always have life even though we have died.

I once again applaud Philip for saying that if Jesus would just show him and the others, the Father, they would be satisfied. Jesus then goes onto explain that God is in him.

How many of us feel God in us? I have quite often told someone that the sermon they gave or a letter that they wrote to me, was extremely powerful and that the words meant so much, to get a response like ‘I just listened to what God told me, it actually came from him’.

I never realized that Jesus said something very similar, “The words I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in my does his work.” I never really connected this line to us as well.

Jesus is within us, always, but how many times have we not listened. Like we heard last week, we know his voice or we should know his voice. It is one of peace and love, not hatred or meanness. I know, that in some cases I speak too quickly and definitely don’t listen to that voice. Verse 12 which states ‘Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these’.

Just imagine what we can do, believing in Jesus, taking time to listen to his voice before reacting and following The Way.

Glory to God whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.
Thanks Be To God!

Collect

Holy Shepherd,
you know your sheep by name
and lead us to safety through the valleys of death. Guide us by your voice,
that we may walk in certainty and security
to the joyous feast prepared in your house,
where we celebrate with you forever. Amen.

Readings

Acts 2:42-47

Psalm 23

1 Peter 2:19-25

John 10:1-10

Throughout John’s gospel Jesus makes many “I am” statements. John writes this way to help his readers understand Jesus on a deeper basis then as a prophet, healer and teacher, in these statements John is directly connecting Jesus with Yahweh, the name that God is called by all people of Israel. In the book of Exodus, God (Yahweh) has a conversation with Moses from a burning bush. God commands Moses to lead God’s people from slavery to freedom and life in the Promised land. Moses asks God what name he should use when telling the Israelites what God has commanded them and God replies, ‘I am who i am.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I am has sent me to you.” ’ God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you”: This is my name for ever, and this my title for all generations.‘ (Exodus 3:14-15). John’s I am statements that Jesus makes throughout his gospel are meant to link Jesus directly to Yahweh the God they have always known and worshipped.

Right at the start John wants his readers to understand that Jesus IS God and the I AM statements which follow throughout his gospel not only iterate that message but also help us to understand what that means in our understanding of Jesus and of God.

The ‘I am’ statements go a bit further than that though as they also help the reader understand God (Yahweh) now through their relationship with and the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth. In today’s reading Jesus says ‘I am’ the gate. Specifically, the gate to the sheepfold and we are the sheep. Jesus is the path that we follow in order to enter into the rest, peace and refreshment that are offered in Psalm 23 that the Good Shepherd brings us to. Jesus is the one who has created a gateway through sin and death. Sin and death are no longer a closed door, an end to hope, to life, to rebirth and second chances as Jesus has become the gate which allows us passage through.

John begins his gospel with the statement, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ Right at the start John wants his readers to understand that Jesus is God and the I am statements which follow throughout his gospel not only iterate that message but also help us to understand what that means in our understanding of Jesus and of God. Jesus comes to bring about the plan of salvation which was set in place from the creation of the world, the plan to ensure that the darkness and death is not the final outcome of our lives but rather we walk through the gate which is Jesus into pleasant places of peace and rest. Amen.