EASTER SUNDAY

Jesus Christ is Risen
He is risen indeed
Halleluiah

a prayer

Now the picture is complete,
now the story is fully told.
The jigsaw is finished:
the trinity of grace -
the cradle, the cross, the rising –
dovetail together.
The cradle of the birthing:
our God come amongst us,
in flesh to share the life we lead.
The cross of sacrifice:
our God loving us to death.
The rising of hope:
our God embracing us to eternity.
Our new day rises in resurrection light,
the long wilderness walk of Lent behind,
the darkness of the Cross ended.

We now approach the loving God,
with renewed joy in our song,
and strengthened hope in our hearts.

We worship, in the name and for the sake
of our living Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen [from “Seasons and Celebrations”]

a verse or two

“When I survey the wondrous Cross,
On which the Prince of glory died.
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride."

Spiritual Walk and Musings: “The Cross means to me....”

I have had the privilege over the past few weeks of asking different St. David’s folk what the cross means to them. It has been an honour to be given glimpses into the depth of spirituality in our church. In asking I was not searching out people with a particular theology. The asking was random. This Easter Sunday a few folk are going to share their thoughts—may it help you to continue the journey of the-way-of-the-Cross.

One thing I have learnt is that we need each other to explore matters theological. Ministers and Pastors can’t do it on their own. Scholars in seminaries can’t do it on their own – we need each other to explore God. I find when reading books about the Meaning of the Cross that there are many meanings, many nuances, as to the work of the cross. We are church family and Christ’s work on the Cross affects us all, in similar and in different ways.

May you always be in flux as to the meaning of the cross, always learning new things, and pondering old things as you walk in the-way-of-the-cross.

To Pray and Ponder: That Sweet Surprise

“This promise is for you, for your children,and for all who are far away. It isfor everyone the Lord our God calls to himself”
Acts: 2:39

“Holy Father, thank you for the sweet surprise of Easter Morning. We are thankful that when you arose from your death, you didn’t go immediately to heaven, but instead you went and visited people. This visit of love reminds us that it was for people that you died. We praise your name for the sweet surprise. Amen.” [a prayer by Max Lucado]

an easter poem

Moist with one drop of thy blood, my dry soul
Shall (though she now be in extreme degree
Too stony hard, and yet too fleshly,) be
Freed by that drop, from being starved, hard, or foul,
And life, by this death abled, shall control
Death, whom thy death slew; nor shall to me
Fear of first or last death, bring misery,
If in thy little book my name thou enrol,
Flesh in that long sleep is not putrefied,
But made that thee, of which, and for which ’twas;
Nor can by other means be glorified.
May then sins sleep, and deaths soon from me pass,
That waked from both, I again risen may
Salute the last, everlasting day.
JOHN DONNE (1572-1631)

God Bless to you allJon

Palm Sunday

a verse or two
“ ¹² The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³ So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord--the King of Israel!" John 12:12-13.

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Lenten thoughts — Holy Week.

We are moving into the last week of Lent, Holy Week. Like last year I encourage you to spend time thinking and reading through the passion of Jesus.

Think of his un-egocentric nature, his love-for-the-other when his own death was so near. Remember his words “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”. Even when mocked, betrayed and abandoned, Jesus forgave. 

And then there was perhaps the darkest time in his whole life—his inner and deeply spiritual anguish at being separated from the Father. Muse on Jesus’ resoluteness to journey to Jerusalem, obeying his Father — the Father. A life laid down for you and me.

To Pray and Ponder: Prayerfully read the original story

“The original accounts of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus were written in the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – in the first century AD. For such ancient books, the story they tell is remarkably clear and compelling, and filled with human detail. Below are readings for each day of Holy Week, following the events which led up to the crucifixion, and beyond.” [[from www.rejesus.co.uk]]

PALM SUNDAY: INTO JERUSALEM: Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey: Matthew 21: 1-11
MONDAY: IN THE TEMPLE: Jesus throws out the temple merchants: Mark 11:15-19
TUESDAY: IN THE TEMPLE: Trick questions for Jesus: Matthew 22:23-40
WEDNESDAY: IN BETHANY: A woman anoints Jesus: Mark 14:1-11
THURSDAY: THE NIGHT OF THE BETRAYAL: The last supper: Matthew 26:20-30; Betrayal and arrest: Luke 22:39-53; Before the high priest: Mark 14:53-65; Peter denies knowing Jesus: Mark 14:66-72
GOOD FRIDAY: TO GOLGOTHA: Judas hangs himself: Matthew 27:1-5; Pilate condemns Jesus: Mark 15:1-15; Jesus is crucified: Luke 23:26-43; Jesus dies and is buried: Mark 15:33-47
SATURDAY: AT THE TOMB: The tomb is guarded: Matthew 27:62-66
EASTER SUNDAY: ENCOUNTERS: An angel at the tomb: Mark 16:1-8; Mary meets Jesus: John 20:10-18; Thomas demands proof: John 20:24-29; Jesus meets the disciples: Luke 24:36-49

God Bless to you all
Jon

success

Somone left the following on my desk...

"SUCCESS is the ability to go from one failureto another, with no loss of enthusiasm"
                                         Winston Churchil

failure

a verse or two

“ ⁵ Christ did not glorify himself…⁸ he learned obedience through what he suffered; ⁹ and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all…” Hebrews 5: 5, 8–9.

Spiritual Walk and Musings: Lenten thoughts — its OK to fail.

I have been thinking about the issue of failure. During last Sunday’s theme on ‘the temptation of Christ’, I mentioned that from the world’s perspective Jesus Christ failed. He died when if he had stayed alive he could have healed more, preached more, travelled more……..but he died.

I also mentioned how the Grand Inquisitor of Dostoevsky’s novel ‘The Brothers Karamazov” accused Jesus of failure saying “Jesus should have followed Satan's advice and performed the miracles on demand in order to increase his fame among the people. He should have welcomed the offer of authority and power.” 

Yet the Christ we follow, he chose not to be pushy. Not to coerce, not to bully. He was happy to be held up when going somewhere, he had that ability to be late and not worry about it. Success was not a priority.

On the issue of failure and success, it was thoughtfully mentioned to me after the service last week how in the U.S., the issue of success is massive. It’s as if being ‘successful’ is the most important thing one can do. So much so that if a person decides to be a failure in life ( for example becoming a hippie), they have to succeed at it, they have to be successful at being a hippie. They have to be successful at failing! That’s weird!

A question: what does the ’been made perfect’ in the Bible verse above mean?

To Pray and Ponder: Its OK to fail

So my prayer and blessing for us all is this: 

‘May you be able to fail at being a failure. 
May you fail at being successful.
May you be able to rest with that knowledge, 
being at peace, knowing our worth is in Him 
who died for us that we may live’.

God Bless to you all

Jon
St David's Church, Richmond, Nelson, New Zealand