The Church Universal

Here in Britain our Bank Holiday is upon us and in America Labour Day will soon follow. For many it’s our reminder that summer is drawing to a close. And for each of us there certainly will be many enduring memories; gatherings of friends and family, open air concerts, the Proms, sporting events, even demonstrations and marches; or possibly crowds of people on beaches enjoying themselves.

The Bible has some notable crowd scenes and it's interesting to see what the biblical authors make of them. In this reading from Acts, (Acts 2:4-8) people have gathered from all over the world for the Jewish religious holiday of Pentecost. What they witness is the birth of the Christian church.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem devout Jews drawn from every nation under Heaven. At this sound, a crowd of them gathered and were bewildered because each one heard his own language spoken. They were amazed and in astonishment exclaimed: ‘Surely these people who are speaking are all Galileans. How is it that each of us can hear them in his own native language?’

Peter stood up with the eleven and in a loud voice addressed the crowd: 'This is what the prophet Joel spoke of: In the last days says God, I will pour out my spirit on all mankind. And your sons and daughters shall prophesy; your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord on that day shall be saved.’

For the author Luke, one of the really important things about the church is that it is indeed universal and not just some local organisation. Luke describes the birth of Jesus as taking place when all the world was gathered to be taxed; And now his picture of the church is like a United Nations meeting with simultaneous translation: a place to celebrate what we all hold, and look forward to with common purpose.

Whatever church you may attend, whatever 'flavour' you may claim as your own, remember - we are all His children.

Lord of all our days, help us to appreciate the diversity of people and languages in our society and to see that as something to celebrate. May we and all Your people honour what unites us and share a common hope for the future of Your world. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen

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Who Are We Forgetting?

The growing dissension within the world-wide Anglican Communion has prompted a plethora of commanding and emotive statements from numerous luminaries, clergy, and members of the public. It is a tribute to our democratic freedoms that we possess the ability to make our positions of faith and beliefs public.

But there is equally a large number of people who do not possess the mechanisms to participate in these public forums. Among them are the elderly who have faithfully served God and their church all of their lives.

In the twilight of their years they have no interest or desire to become embroiled in ministerial politics, or supposed advancements in spiritual enlightenment. Instead, they are seeking to find comfort in the bosom of their faith, as they prepare themselves for that brief moment of darkness, which awakens to new a new dawn.

As the ‘enlightened’ battle it out with one another, the innocent become forgotten, they’re left confused, hurt, and often bitter. And most certainly deserted by their family – the very foundation upon which our churches were built – Christ’s family.

When Jesus chose the twelve disciples to be His close companions, during the three years of His public ministry, who would have thought that in His hour of need one turned out to be a traitor, one denied that he ever knew Him and the others deserted Him and ran away. In Pilate's judgement hall He stood isolated and alone and when they led Him away to crucify Him, He was left to carry His cross with not a single companion in sight.

It’s easy to understand something of what Jesus was going through. Betrayal, denial, and desertion are bitter experiences and can often leave a permanent imprint on our hearts and minds.

The cross was like a shadow across Jesus' life from the very beginning and grew darker and more threatening as time passed.

No wonder Jesus said, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'

Whatever we do, whatever position we take, we must not forget our elders, who deserve and need the respect and comfort from their family church. Failing to do so is to ignore the rubrics of our faith.

Lord Jesus, You humbled Yourself in taking the form of a servant and in obedience died on the cross for our salvation. Let us not forget Your humble servants who have served You all their lives. Give us the mind to follow You, as Your Son has taught us, in adherence to Your word, and not for our own convenience. Amen

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