May 4 – Easter 3
Acts 9:1-6, (7-20) Psalm 30 Revelation 5:11-14 John 21:1-19 (UnitingWorld Sunday)
The Gospel talks of casting nets, breakfast on a beach and a promise to feed his lambs, tend his sheep and the repeated waves of “Do you love me?”
How does the question resonate with you? Might fill your heart or hurt? And what does that look like to live out, for you and your community?
My time at the Wayside Chapel, reminded me again and again that love wins over hate when we choose love. It is what we said everyday, every meeting and in most spaces we were welcomed into. It is true because of how we met each other and lived our lives in that community. Since visiting Wayside, I have taken that voice with me and understood that it prevails and helps, holds me to account and cheers me on. But more importantly it works everywhere.
Today is also Uniting World Sunday. Is there a way for us to get involved in the mission and services of our communities and agencies that might be calling to or for us from this weeks message?
If Jesus was to ask us today “Do we love me?”, how will we respond? And how will we follow?
May 11 – Easter 4
Acts 9:36-43 Psalm 23 Revelation 7:9-17 John 10:22-30
Elisabeth Johnson says: “The voice of the Good Shepherd is a voice that liberates rather than oppresses. It does not say, “do this, and then maybe you will be good enough to be one of my sheep.” It says, “ you belong to me already. No one can snatch you out of my hand.”
Jesus is faced with questions of origin, of purpose and reason, are you possessed, or the Messiah, to be believed or cast out, and we know the outcome in the long term, but we follow this discourse today, post resurrection with eyes fresh from the tomb. We are still celebrating the possibility of hope and of freedom, of something new in our fourth week of Easter, and so we must ask, how might we live out in this liberation? What are we being liberated from? And if we are already God’s own, and beloved, what might we put all the energy that we spent trying to make it up, and better yet, for who might we put all our energy on. It would be easy to hear that you are not enough, or that group of people are in, and that group of people are out, but todays Gospel reading reminds us to think differently, the voice of the Good Shepherd is known and doesn’t oppress.
May 18 – Easter 5
Acts 11:1-18 Psalm 148 Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35
Love One another.
This is not the only time we talk of love post resurrection, which is not a shock. We have heard in our media of late a request, a yearning from a Bishop in another country to request grace and mercy to the people who are scared right now.
I can’t help but think how hard, regardless of your politics it would be to stand in front of power and plead on behalf of someone else. Love one another seems like such a world changing thing, and those moments are world changing, in one way or another. But this new commandment, goes above welcoming the stranger and engaging with your neighbour, celebrating the alien and engaging in the different. It says just as I have loved you.
How do we love like Christ?
The still small moments next to and with each other, the knowing nod at passers-by, the being present to the check-out people and so on and so forth, reveal to us the cracks between the kingdom and heaven are closer than we think, these moments usually unlock for us a revelation that everyone has a story, that they could be doing the best they can, and that we could, maybe just love them a little.
May 25 – Easter 6
Acts 16:9-15 Ps 67 Revelation 21:10, 22 John 14:23-29 or 22:5 John 5:1-9
Our last week we are reminded of the advocate, the Holy Spirit, and the peace that is left with us.
In living out the question from the Easter, how might we live out the resurrection? I am reminded of fear, all the way back at the transfiguration before we entered into lent, as Jesus says the words “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
I am certain that counter to the beliefs of a world that encourages an every person for themselves mentality, that there is a still, small, community of folk living out the big and faithful call of not being troubled.
It is because of this group of people that I know what it is to be fully me, fully embraced and fully called into community and into God, and there-in, part of my story to continue that line through my life and my work and indeed all that I can do.
Church, thank you for continuing these Words, Works and Wonders for another generation, and as we get ready for Pentecost and the ordinary time, lets till and make the harvest and hope as we get to it.
Rev. James Aaron is the Pulse Young Adult Ministry Facilitator
