Click here for Astrid's video messageMatthew 28:16-20 Isaiah 40:12-17; 27-endTrinity SundayI wonder what you think would be the best metaphor for the Holy Trinity: a Jaffa cake or a football? Of course, you may think of something completely different, but some years ago, I was present at a dispute between two colleagues, about what makes the best metaphor for the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three in one. One said that a Jaffa cake would be the best metaphor, while the other insisted that a football was the best picture of what the Trinity looked like. I have always liked the idea of H2O, which, depending on the temperature, can be in the form of steam, water, or ice. Of course, a metaphor is only a lopsided picture of what we’re trying to describe; you can only take it so far. And describing the indescribable, giving a picture of a material object to describe the divine will never be accurate. But, today being Trinity Sunday, we do look at the God whom we know and worship as one, who is yet three persons, while acknowledging also that our human understanding may be limited at grasping fully the scope of the divine.The reading from Isaiah 40 already shows the incomparability of the Lord as creator deity. Nobody has been able to measure, direct, consult or teach God in the matter of creation, and all that we are or think we have achieved, is of no consequence compared to him. At the same time, though, he is evident in all of creation; the universe declares him, simply by existing as it has been shaped.The reading from Matthew 28, sometimes called ‘the great commission’, records the words of Jesus just before he ascended into heaven, and, although it’s only a short passage – just 5 verses – it is rich with meaning. Each verse on its own could be a topic for intensive studying, but I shan’t do that now. The one thing I would like to draw out today is ‘relationship’.The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is not just dry theology and word-twisting. It’s all about relationship, and our Christian calling is also about relationship. The three persons of the Trinity are joined together in loving relationship, and we are made in God’s image, so it would go from there that we should not remain as individuals who are completely isolated. If we refuse to speak to anyone else, for example, we are missing out on living our vocation of being God’s people to the full, failing our potential. God made us to live together with other human beings, as families, fellowships and communities. Even those who are living on their own, in a one person household, have a calling to be in communication with others. How else are people encouraged and listened to? Who knows, your communication with someone else on a given day may be the only ‘human’ contact they are having. ‘A threefold cord is not quickly broken’, says the book of Ecclesiastes. One strand of wool may break fairly easily when pulled; but three strands is much harder. Also as believers we are stronger together than each on our own.Ahh, I can hear you say, but what about the present situation with Covid-19? The pandemic has closed the church buildings, so how about meeting and fellowship in community? Well, that has been a challenge, as we’re all well aware. But then we are called to be creative: separated in space, but close in community is still possible when we are looking for ways to communicate and share. A football and a Jaffa cake each consist of different components, but only together do they work as intended. Which do you prefer? And how do you tell others? Amen.
Click here for Astrid's video messagePentecostJohn 7:37-39 Acts 2:1-21When were you ever a balloon? (There are yellow balloons with faces in the background) Pentecost or Whit Sunday 2020: we are celebrating the Church’s birthday in lockdown. It’s ironic if you think about it: that first Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out onto a group of people gathering in one place, now we are celebrating as a dispersed Church, each in our own homes. Separated in space, yet close in community, how does that work in terms of church as gathering, as being together and sharing and celebrating God’s gifts? There are a few words that trigger something in my mind: WHIT Sunday – DISPERSED – SPIRIT – they all offer a sparkling facet to what it means to be the Body of Christ. Going back, then, to that day when all who gathered together were filled with the Holy Spirit. After the sound of a strong wind and the appearance of tongues as of fire resting on each person, the first manifestation was their speaking in other languages, as the SPIRIT enabled them. This was certainly extraordinary and it drew a crowd. And because the crowd was made up of people from all parts of the world and who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Weeks, the spring barley harvest, they were bewildered: first of all at hearing their own native languages spoken, but secondly, hearing some wonderful news! It was both the message AND the way in which it was proclaimed, that was so significant. It means that the message of Christ is a personal one, and yet it is for everybody. Yes, some were sneering, and accused the disciples of being drunk. But as Peter then addressed the crowd, they weren’t drunk that early in the morning, but rather a prophecy was being fulfilled; that God would speak to his people. And who are his people? All who hear and listen and accept Jesus Christ. The disciples, the first to know the redemption that God worked through Jesus, were never meant to keep this life-giving information to themselves. But they were not equipped at first to spread it – they had to be taught how to do it. They were to be witnesses to Christ’s love, as he himself had instructed them. WHIT Sunday, if you hear it like that, would be the day on which people were enabled to become witnesses for Christ, because they had their WITS sharpened by the Holy Spirit. I like plays on words anyway, but I also find it helpful to remember what it’s all about. And that takes me to DISPERSED. Because just as people from different nations and backgrounds had gathered for the Jewish festival, so they would now go out, taking their newly-found faith in God with them. Their dispersion would be like sowing seeds; they would scatter the seeds of faith and the Holy Spirit would make them grow. Not just in Jerusalem, but all over the world, and that is where, ultimately, the Church was going to be.The Church was never meant to be a secluded group of people in one building – it was always to be ‘out’, in homes and in workplaces, in hospitals and in places of leisure and sport. We gather in church services and study the Bible to be further equipped for life in God’s love; not only for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of others. That’s what the Church is called to do and what we are celebrating today, on her birthday. ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’, says Jesus. Believers become channels of life to others, through Jesus’ SPIRIT given at Pentecost.So, finally, a question: when is a balloon not a balloon? Answer: when the wind has gone out. A balloon is only properly a balloon when it’s filled with air. Otherwise it’s just a piece of latex, and, in the case of balloons with faces, like the ones that are around me today, those faces would not have the right shape without the breath of air that’s in them now. Please forgive the analogy when I compare people to balloons: without the Spirit they won’t be fully who they are called to be. Being filled with the Spirit is what puts a smile on God’s face. And he is the Giver. Enjoy your gift today. Happy birthday!
Click here for Astrid's video messageSunday after Ascension DayJohn 17:1-11 Acts 1:6-14What would you like to know, right now? What’s the question that’s uppermost in your mind, or even on your lips, as you consider life at present? And where do you hope to find the answer? Whom do you even ask?We’re probably familiar with the assumption that whenever a question is asked in church, the answer always has to be ‘Jesus’. Like the vicar, asking the children, ‘What is brown, has a bushy tail and eats nuts?’ Children: ‘Jesus?’ … But, surprisingly, the vicar had a squirrel in mind… O well, context is everything, for good or bad.In our own context, we are reminded every day of our limitations: for going out, for seeing others – basically, not – until the foreseeable future. And that is a contradiction in terms: ‘foreseeable’ and ‘future’ don’t go together very well at present.So what is there for us to find in today’s message of God’s word? We go back to before the crucifixion:In what is also called the ‘high priestly prayer’, in John 17, Jesus prays for himself and for his disciples, at a turning point in history. The prayer doesn’t come out of the blue; it’s in context of the Last Supper and has echoes of the Lord’s Prayer:FatherGlorifyand protect against the evil oneAre all reflected in the way Jesus has taught us to pray.The ‘hallowed’ or ‘glorified’ be your name is something he has done in the ultimate way: in his obedience to the will of the Father, for the salvation of his people. He is to finish the work that the Father has given him to do and it’s a crucial moment in time. I can imagine the angels in heaven holding their breath, while the devil is prowling around outside in the dark, waiting to pounce. And the tables are to be turned in a way that nobody could foresee.We’re coming to the end of the Last Supper here, and none of the disciples will have an inkling of what’s to happen next; except, maybe, Judas Iscariot, who had already left the scene by then, to betray Jesus. Who knows? What if Judas had stayed and heard Jesus pray as he did this prayer? Would he have changed his mind? No. It all happened in accordance with the Scriptures; with all that had been prophesied. God is in control. He was then and he is now. Perhaps the question is not whether and how we ask what we would like to know. Perhaps the question is rather whether we hear what God is saying. Jesus has prayed and is still praying on our behalf. And as his first prayers for us have been answered, so any others will be answered too. You may find it hard to believe, but Jesus, who also promised the Holy Spirit – whose presence was revealed at Pentecost – really has not left us as orphans. The Advocate, the other name for Holy Spirit, is still working on our behalf. That means, sometimes, that one door closes and another door opens. That we are sometimes protected from evil and sometimes given strength to cope with something bad. All to the glory of God. We have a choice, in these days of waiting – to be like stroppy children and kick against the boundaries and sulk, or try to listen while waiting for God’s word to be revealed. Which will you choose? How are you hearing God’s word today? Amen.
Click here for Astrid's video messageLuke 24:44-end Acts 1:1-11Ascension DayThere seems to be a phenomenon in today’s film industry that’s almost become the norm. Where once we’d have stories that had a clear beginning and ending, there’s now more often than not sequels and even prequels. ‘Once upon a time’ and ‘for ever after’, now has a ‘before it all began’ and ‘what happened next after for ever’. Confused? Then you’re in good company; we all are.Although I already knew what the words ‘sequel’ and ‘prequel’ meant in their context, I wondered whether there would be a root word, that ‘sequel’ in particular was derived from. I found it very easily in the online dictionary: ‘sequela’. And I was not even surprised to read that it was a medical term, for: an abnormal condition resulting from a previous disease. Hmm. Now that’s interesting in these difficult times what with Covid-19… And I intend to leave that for now.But the whole sequel and prequel idea for today’s movies etcetera, actually turns out to be somewhat ‘borrowed’. Because it’s just what we have in the readings for Ascension Day, and they date a considerable time back.In the church we tend to read the Gospel readings last – any other reading usually comes first, whether it’s from the Old or New Testament. And the reading from Acts 1, of course, comes after the Gospel in the chronological term. Actually, there is a bit of an overlap. You could almost insert some of the Acts reading into the Gospel reading, in order to get the complete picture.What I would like to focus on for today is what Jesus says in Luke 24:‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you – that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’Jesus had to take the disciples back in order to take them forward. The prequel had to be introduced in order to allow the sequel. Does that make sense? I hope so.Because it wasn’t an easy time for the disciples. First, their high hopes were dashed by Jesus’ death on the cross. Then they were raised again by Jesus’ rising from the dead. But he wasn’t going to stay; and yet he was going to send someone else to help them. Their confusion was quite legitimate, I think. How could they appreciate the future if they didn’t even understand the present? Well, Jesus took them into the past, in order to help them look ahead with confidence.We haven’t got the exact words of Jesus, when he explained the words of Moses and the prophets and the psalms about himself, but we have got those words themselves in the Bible. And that’s a good place to start.I heard some words the other day, by a Dr David Jeremiah. He said that although he has a prophet’s name, he is not a prophet and he can’t tell what God is doing during this time of sheltering during the pandemic. But he can tell what God has done in the past: And what he said next was a whistle stop tour through the Bible, about what God had done:God sheltered Noah and his family in the ark for one year, and brought them out into a new world. God sheltered Jacob in the home of his uncle for 20 years until he emersed with wealth and a new identity. He sheltered Joseph from the age of 17 to 30, and his slavery became a school of learning for greatness. He sheltered Moses for 40 years in the desert; he sheltered Naomi in Moab until she and her daughter-in-law returned to Bethlehem and one of the greatest love stories. There was Jonah in the whale for 3 days and 3 nights; David for 15 years after his anointing. Daniel was sheltered for 70 years and he wrote the outline of what God was going to do in the future of Israel. There was Esther in the palace of a Persian king, through which the Jews were saved from genocide. Paul was in prison and wrote letters of encouragement; John was in exile on the island of Patmos and gave us Revelation.Lastly and most importantly, Jesus was sheltered in a tomb and he rose again on the third day, to offer us life and a future.No, says, Dr Jeremiah, I don’t know all the details of what God is going to do, but I know what he has done and that’s why I put my trust in him.Ascension Day 2020. What is it saying? It’s telling us to keep looking to God, to trust him, and to praise him, as the disciples did when they had seen Jesus being taken up into heaven. For his sequel to our story is embedded in his love and it will not fail. Amen.Sequel: a literary work, movie, etc., that is complete in itself but continues the narrative of a preceding work.Prequel: a literary, dramatic, or filmic work that prefigures a later work, as by portraying the same characters at a younger age.
