Sermons

Service Easter 7 May 24 2020 (Yr A) Leighmoor UC Possible hymns TIS 137: For the beauty of the earth TIS 675: Lord, the light of your love is shining (Shine Jesus shine) TIS 152: Joyful, joyful we adore you TIS 147: To God be the glory TIS 699: A new commandment TIS142: Glory be to God the Father TIS 755: You shall go out with joy Prayers of Adoration and Confession Glory-filled God, We come before your radiance in prayer. Your glory brought into being all of creation, Your glory was announced on the night of Jesus’ birth, Your glory was evident in Christ’s resurrection, and ascension. To you be all glory. We thank you for another day. In a world that is far from safe-may we never take a day, or hour, for granted. Thank you for the gift-and glory-of life. We thank you for the music of birdsong, Of the tinkling of laughter as children steer past on bikes and skate boards. And yet, we know we have let you down, we have let others down, and we have let ourselves down. Forgive us. Grant us a spirit of courage, of hope, of compassion. Help us to become the people you created us to be. (silence) God is love. Through Christ our sins are forgiven. Thanks be to God. Take hold of this forgiveness and live our lives in the power of the Spirit. Amen. Bible Readings Acts 1: 6-14 Psalm 68: 1-10, 32-35 1 Peter 4: 12-14, 5: 6-11 John 17: 1-11 Sermon: Love’s radiance (John 17: 1-11) In the story, The Whisper Test, Mary Ann Bird writes: ‘I grew up knowing I was different, and I hated it.  I was born with a cleft palate, and when I started school, my classmates made it clear to me how I looked to others: a little girl with a misshapen lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth, and garbled speech. When schoolmates asked “What happened to your lip?” I’d tell them I’d fallen and cut it on a piece of glass.  Somehow it seemed more acceptable to have suffered an accident than to have been born different.  I was convinced that no one outside my family could love me.’ There was, however, a teacher in the second grade whom we all adored- Mrs Leonard.  She was short, round, happy- a sparkling lady. Annually we had a hearing test.  Mrs Leonard gave the test to everyone in the class, and finally it was my turn.  I knew from past years that as we stood against the door and covered one ear, the teacher sitting at her desk would whisper something, and we would have to repeat it back-like ‘The sky is blue’ or “Do you have new shoes?’ I waited there for those words that God must have put into her mouth, those seven words that changed my life.  Mrs Leonard said, in her whisper, “I wish you were my little girl.” -I wish you were my little girl. In John 17, Jesus said, “I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.  So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.” Earlier, in John 13, Jesus, speaking about glory, said: “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.” “…Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.”  God’s glory shines whenever we do loving things. -or God’s glory is revealed in acts of love. (repeat)  Glory and love are soul mates. Glory. We speak, indeed sing, of God’s glory, or ‘glory to God.’ But what is it? What does the word ’glory’ really mean? And what are we trying to get across when we give glory to God? According to the Oxford Dictionary to glorify-means to make glorious, invest with radiance, and with dignity. That’s part of what we ‘do’ We speak about something of God’s character and being. When we come to worship, to glorify God-to praise the Almighty, radiant God.  We honour God’s essential being. But what IS God’s glory? ‘Glory’ is one of those church words which many of us use over and over again without really understanding what we are saying. In both Old and New Testaments, there are many instances where the word ‘glory’ is used-in different ways. For example, in 1 Kings, Solomon builds a temple for God.  In vs 10: ‘And when the priests came out of the holy place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.’ -here it signifies the power, the presence, and the holiness of God. BUT in Jeremiah, Chapter 2 the meaning is quite different.  God pleads with Jeremiah to ask Israel to repent of her ways, to cease following false gods: ‘But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit.’ So-from the previous, positive image of power and majesty- to the negative-the people are without honour, without dignity, without character-they have strayed from their true, authentic calling as God’s people.  Who can forget the Christmas story?  In Luke  ‘Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them’ And later, the multitude of angels sang ‘Glory to God in the highest…’ Majesty, power, radiance-and praise, It is a word rich in meaning. In the Old Testament, there are two important elements in the understanding of God’s glory: It is a visible manifestation of God’s majesty –we can see it In acts of power While God is invisible, from time to time, God manifests Himself to people by a striking action-which is his glory. Sometimes through the realm of nature-as in a thunderstorm, Or  as an incident in history-in their

Easter 6 Leighmoor UC 17.4.20 Possible Hymns: Be still, for the presence of the Lord TIS 121: God himself is present, let us now adore him. TIS 161: Tell out my soul TIS 233: I will sing the wondrous story TIS 245: We have a gospel to proclaim TIS 276: There’s a light upon the mountain [we have to be careful re copyright, so I am not listing possible youtube links.  Just type in the title, and if there is one on youtube, it should pop up.] Bible  Readings Acts 17: 22-31 Psalm 66: 8-20 1 Peter 3: 13-22 John 14: 15-21 Prayers of Praise and Confession Creator God, we your human creatures bow our heads and hearts before you, We acknowledge our utter dependence upon you for every breath. We praise you for the unique revelation of your love, sending Jesus the Christ into the world, Good news for a needy humanity. We worship you, O God, and we ask that you make us midwives, carrying your Word into the world, and laying it gently into the hearts and souls of those around us. And yet, we confess that we who bear your name, ‘Christian’, often fail to proclaim your presence and power in our own lives. We confess that we have many idols of wood and stone. We focus much upon what we build, and use much of our energy for the amassing of property, possessions, and successes, happy to talk about finances, scorecards, and fashion-but often leaving unspoken, words of witness to your goodness, kindness and mercy. Forgive us. We complain about what we feel life has not delivered to us, rather than attending to that which we can give to life. Forgive us and restore us, we pray. (in a time of silence, we remember other things for which we seek forgiveness). God is love. Through Christ our sins are forgiven. (thanks be to God). Take hold of this forgiveness And live your life in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Sermon May 17, 2020 Tell the story Acts 17: 22-31 According to an ancient story, there were four men walking through the woods.  Suddenly, they came across a high wall.  Intrigued, they built a ladder to see what was on the other side.  When the first man climbed to the top, he cried in delight, and jumped down.  The same thing happened with both the second and the third men.  When the fourth man reached the top, he smiled at what he saw: lush, green gardens with fruit trees of every kind, streams, teeming with fish, and animals, wild and tamed, in abundance.  Like the others, he was tempted to jump down.  But then he thought of his family, friends and neighbours, and went back to share with them the good news, that he had discovered. -he went back to share with them the good news he had discovered. Acts 17: ‘The Paul stood…and said- ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way…’ Sharing your faith. Do you find it hard to talk about your faith outside the church family? When was the last time you attempted to share your faith with someone else?  Let’s be honest. It’s tough to talk about these matters outside the church, and, even, sometimes within the church. We don’t want to come on too strong with others, we don’t want to be regarded as some kind of religious fanatic. -after all-this is the Uniting Church! William Buckley said that you may be able to mention religion at a dinner party once, but if you bring up the subject twice in one evening you will not be invited back. Besides, as we sometimes say- ‘I’d rather see a sermon than hear one’ or ‘actions speak louder than words.’ The best way to tell people about Jesus may be the lives we lead, rather than the words we speak ‘Be careful how you live your life…you may be the only Bible someone reads.’ BUT -our faith is a faith with words. -our faith is a faith with words. Certainly, actions are important. But there are times when we must use words, when we must speak. And how do we do this-in a world that is often very negative and misinformed about religion? How do we speak? How do we share our faith? Today’s Scripture, from the Book of Acts, may be of some help. -it may help us in our own struggles to talk about our faith. Paul goes to Athens, to the pinnacle of Greek culture, and there he tells people about Jesus. Up to this point in Luke’s Acts of the Apostles, we have seen the power of the gospel to reach rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. But here comes another challenge-that of sophisticated intellectuals. Paul is in Athens, the heart of the very best of pagan culture, the town of Plato. Frankly-Paul is unimpressed. Paul sees Athens as little more than wasteland ‘full of idols.’(v.16) He argues with Jews, Epicureans and Stoics-with philosophers, pagans-who looked down at Paul: v.18: ‘Also some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him.  Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Now-Paul is a preacher who is eager to argue with anyone, in whatever world he finds himself. Here is the only speech in the book of Acts made to Gentiles by the missionary to the Gentiles (who seems to prefer debating with the Jews). Paul had said that was his mission-to go to the Gentiles, to the non-Jews, to share the good news-back in Acts 13. Today’s reading records an episode in the life of Paul. He is a masterful preacher-even in the face of opposition. He talks to them about the Christian faith. And, like a good debater, what does he do first? He flatters his audience! ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way.’ Is this a compliment or a criticism? Throughout Acts, Gentiles

Easter 5, May 10th, 2020  Hymn suggestions TIS 703: As the deer pants for the water TIS 474: Here in this place TIS 647: Comfort, comfort, all my people TIS 599: Take my life and let it be TIS 254: O changeless Christ, for ever new TIS 581: Happy the home that welcomes you, Lord Jesus TIS 590: What a friend we have in Jesus  TIS 628: In faith and hope and love TIS 739:  Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten Call to Worship Gracious, Creative God, We give you thanks that we are awake, living today which is a fresh new day, never been here before, and never will be again! May we be nourished, inspired, equipped…and comforted, today and always Amen.   Prayer Holy, Creator God, on this autumn day, with the golden leaves falling and the crisp morning air invigorating our bodies, we come in the name of the risen Christ to worship you. We have every reason not to let our hearts be troubled, not to be afraid of anything in life or death. For we are your people, loved by you. During these days when we have been confined indoors, help us to be mindful of all your blessings to us. You are the God of seasons: of autumn with its blue skies, rich red and orange hues, Of winter, a time of rest, of chill, of rain. Of spring with new life: buds, blossom, perfume -such an overflowing abundance of bloom and greenery And of summer, with its heat and dust. You are the God of our own seasons: baby, toddler, child, teenager, adult, senior citizen…all within these bodies of ours. You are wonderful! Yet, sometimes we neglect to say ‘Thank you’ Sometimes we become so overwhelmed by world events, and worry, so that we forget to put our trust in you. Forgive us. Sometimes we become so caught up in the ‘what ifs’ that we neglect to look at the many blessings we have received-recently, and throughout all our lives. Forgive us. Sometimes we neglect the ministry of prayer, which is a gift to us, a way we can talk with and to you-without needing an internet connection, or wi-fi, or cable-just  to be. Forgive us, and in a time of silence we remember other things for which we seek forgiveness. God is love. Through Christ our sins are forgiven. Thanks be to God. Take hold of this forgiveness, and live your live in the power of the Holy Spirit, as forgiven people. Amen. Bible Readings: Acts 7: 55-60 Psalm 31: 1-5,15-16 1 Peter 2: 2-10 John 14: 1-14  Sermon: John 14: 1-14 Grand Designs What house did you dream about living in, when you were a child? In my fantasy, mine had turrets, and was very much castle like in design-but not in size.  It was small with turrets.  I loved the idea of a circular tower, sitting up there, a bit like Rapunzel. Now-I don’t fancy a circular room-too hard to get furniture to fit (except at exorbitant prices) and I don’t relish all the stairs in a tower (and not sure if a circular stair lift would work!) I don’t live in a castle, or a house with turrets  and that is fine-because it is my home, and HOME is where the heart is! Grand Designs. Ever watched the show?  My husband quite enjoys it (the UK version), but frankly, it annoys me and I usually walk away before the program is half over. I also mutter throughout-which is probably a bit annoying for David. If you haven’t seen the show, the premise is about a house being designed that is extra special.  I quite like the ones that are built to be ecofriendly, but some… Well, last week’s, as an example.  A couple sold their perfectly good house to make the 100 year old concrete water tower at the bottom of their garden into a home! I understand the need and desire to preserve something of history-but- a concrete water tower?-for an enormous amount of time and money? So…you can hear me, can’t you.  Mutter, mutter, mutter. “How much?  Why? What luxury when there are so many people who are homeless…” etc etc. Grand Designs.  Could be the title for today’s sermon. I will preface my sermon by stating that there are two dominant themes in today’s portion of Scripture.   One is to look at Jesus’ words of comfort: ‘In my Father’s house…’ Or ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’ If I looked at both, you would need to schedule in a lunch break!  I have chosen to address the first one, ‘In my Father’s house…’ which, in a sense, follows on from last week. Last week one of the readings was Psalm 23.  In my sermon for Leighmoor Uniting Church, I spoke of it being ‘an old friend.’ -a source of comfort. Today we meet another source of comfort, a much loved portion of Scripture, used at many funeral services, and during the journey of dying: John 14. These are words spoken by Jesus, to his disciples after the Last Supper-words they needed to hear, to help them through the harrowing days ahead. These are words WE hear when we are upset ‘do not let your hearts be troubled.’ Words we hear when we start to doubt: ‘believe in God, believe also in me’ Words we hear when we need comforting whilst WE grieve…and when we fear death: ‘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?’ Dwelling places: in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Mansions: in the King James Version (KJV) Rooms: in the Revised Standard Version (RSV) and in the New International Version (NIV) Grand Designs Words We hear when we are scared, fearful of dying: ‘And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and

Easter 4  Psalm 23: Shepherd Sunday Hymn Suggestions 703: As the deer pants for the water https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBppKZ0eJlQ or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5pZkLWZv-E (the first one is sung by Robin Mark, the second has gorgeous photography!) 107: Sing praise and thanksgiving, let all creatures living 10: The Lord’s my shepherd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN4tPkX0MG0  (Stuart Townend) or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1HGlNcpdV4 (more traditional) 145: The king of love my shepherd is 233: I will sing the wondrous story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDPCFbAysBc 588: In heavenly love abiding 624: Christ be my leader by night as by day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H79Z2EVGS98  (in this one there are masks against covid 19 virus!) Bible Readings: Acts 2: 42-47 Psalm 23 1 Peter 2: 19-25 John 10: 1-10 Prayer You come to us as Shepherd. Give us protection. You come to us as Shepherd. Give us our daily food. You come to us as Shepherd. Give us a safe place to rest. You come to us as Shepherd. Shepherd, we are glad to be your sheep! Amen Sermon: Psalm 23 The book ‘I Heard the Owl Call My Name’ is about a young Anglican vicar, sent by his bishop to minister to the Native American Indians of the parish of Kingcome, on the wild coast of British Columbia, Canada.  He is unaware the he has, at best, three years to live.  The bishop, knowing of the illness, sends him to this parish, so that Mark, in the short time available to him, may learn how to live DEEPLY, how to experience life in all its splendour, in all its pain.  As a man of faith Mark knows the meaning of life -he KNOWS it, in his head, but within this Indian community, his new parish, he learns to EXPERIENCE it, to FEEL it, within the depths of his being. “It has always been easier here, where only the fundamentals count, to learn what every man must learn in this world.” said the Bishop. “And that is?” “Enough of the meaning of life to be ready to die”, said the Bishop. Enough of the meaning of life to be ready to die.’ The fourth Sunday of Easter is known as ‘Shepherd Sunday.’ Today we greet our old, treasured, much-loved friend, Psalm 23. It is a psalm which comforts, reassures us. It is a psalm which expresses great confidence in the ability of God to protect, to guide, to feed, and to lead. We experience God as shepherd. We trust our Shepherd-hard image perhaps for suburban dwellers! Scholars do not know if David wrote this psalm but in a sense that doesn’t matter.  We have this psalm as part of our religious heritage, and even if David did not write it, we associate him with sheep.   David, a son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, spent his early life as a shepherd in the Bethlehem area. He is chosen to be the next king.  When he wishes to be sent out to battle Goliath, and Saul protests that he is ‘just a boy’ David replies: ‘The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion, and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of the Philistine.’ He trusts God-and has guts!  This verse also alerts us to the real dangers of being a shepherd in those days.  To be a good shepherd meant to put your life in jeopardy. There were always dangers. You had to protect yourself and protect and guard the lives of your sheep. This was not a quiet stress free occupation-we are not talking about the images we may associate with the book or film of Heidi, or travel brochures promoting Switzerland and the peace and quiet of the Swiss Alps. Shepherds would carry a rod or club-to defend himself against wild beasts or robbers.  He would carry a staff, which is like a crook.  This was used to catch and pull back straying sheep.  Bishops carry a crozier or crook, to remind them of their calling to shepherd their flock, to guide, to lead, to comfort them. The shepherd would also carry a sling.  When a shepherd needed to call back a straying sheep, he would sling a stone.  They were so skilled in this that it was possible for them to land a stone or pebble right in front of the sheep’s nose, warning it back.  There were no sheep dogs in Israel! But the sling shot was also useful when needing to defend the sheep from attack. David a good shepherd, a brave shepherd, a shepherd who trusted God.  Even if he did not write Psalm 23, we associate the life and dedication of a shepherd with David.  Such perseverance and hard work helped equip him for the duties of king.  Many of the qualities were the same: trust, hard work, thinking of others, courage, guiding, protecting. It is a psalm many of us link back to our childhood. I remember my Sunday School had a picture of Jesus as the good shepherd, and this psalm was written beneath it.  I do not remember ever NOT knowing it.   It is often the first portion of Scripture memorized. As I said earlier, for, me, Psalm 23 is an old friend.  I am sure many of you would be able to say this also. It is a psalm for children: it expresses a child-like trust in God’s ability to protect us, like a shepherd. So it is a psalm that may have been at, or near, the beginning of life. God has the qualities needed to be a good shepherd. Sheep are usually docile-the shepherd is not. The shepherd is actively guiding, seeking, leading, protecting. ‘He makes me lie down in green pastures.’ The shepherd finds the right spot for the sheep to rest, to be restored. We are led by God, we are restored by God. Our religious heritage shows us how God acts as shepherd.  During the Exodus-the wilderness wanderings. Psalm 100 :3: ‘Know that the Lord is God.  It is he that made

Easter 3, April 26, 2020.  Leighmoor UC. I am aware that if we had been meeting for worship this Sunday, the service would have included material for Anzac Day.  I have written a prayer, and I have also inserted one after the Sermon, which is from a resource written by Uniting Church chaplains serving in the Australian Defence Forces. Hymn Suggestions: 161: Tell out my soul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6ji4y9Q-K0&list=PL5DD548A5057D8327&index=3&t=0s 395: Alleluia, Christ is risen! 254: O changeless Christ, for ever new 514: Be known to us in breaking bread https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aOwYeG_jyU 595: O Jesus, I have promised 613: Lord of all hopefulness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8mti7VL3gg&list=RDb8mti7VL3gg&start_radio=1&t=0 47: Our God, our help in ages past [Anzac Day] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsHIwXTjAOU Bible Readings: Acts 2: 14a, 36-41 Psalm 116: 1-4, 12-19 1 Peter 1: 17-23 Luke 24: 13-35 Prayer O wonderful God, you who created the earth and the sky, you delight us too by your nearness. You astonish us through the ordinary ways you make yourself known to us. May our hearts be filled with gratitude-for you, our Creator, who fashioned this planet and the rest of the solar system, and who created each one of us. You place us on the road…to faith…to mission…meeting grace, goodness, and compassion, along the way. We remember today those who were and still are, involved in the bloodbaths of war. We pray for all affected by war…for war widows, for people who grew up minus a father, and for those who did not recognise the one who returned. Even though we are in lock down-our hearts are not. We continue to pray for our armed service men and women who are serving, and pray that one day, there will be no war, and all will live in peace, We pray this prayer in the name of our Prince of Peace, Amen Sermon The Journey to the Heart [Luke 24: 13-35] In the 1960’s, there was a very moving book-and later, a film, released -a story of three friends – 2 dogs and a cat, making their way through 400 kms of Canadian wilderness, to get back to their master. The Incredible Journey. I must have been about 6 years old when I saw the film-a Saturday matinee-and I cried, and cried and cried! -the story of the animals, making their way home. The Incredible Story. There has since been a remake: Homeward Bound,(1993) Another Incredible Story: ‘Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about 7 miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.  While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them…’(Luke 24: 13-15) The Incredible Journey. -two disciples on the road to Emmaus that first Easter evening. -they are walking from Jerusalem after an unsettling weekend. -they carefully review the events of the past days. Cleopas and his unnamed companion (because often unnamed people in the Bible are women, some scholars suggest that the unnamed one is a female disciple), but it doesn’t matter -They were members of the larger circle of the disciples of Jesus-and they were very depressed. The promising adventures of these last years in which they had invested themselves, failed to show them the redemption of Israel: ‘But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.’(vs 21) Their incredible young leader, in whom they had such hope, was arrested, sentenced to death, and crucified. To be sure that morning there were stories circulating that the tomb of Jesus was empty, that He was alive! But such reports were not acceptable. Meanwhile, an unrecognized Traveller appeared and joined with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. The stranger asked about their conversation. These depressed ones express surprise that the Stranger was unaware of the harassment, and death of the prophet of Nazareth. Then they shared their own bewilderment at the fact that on the third day when there should have been some glorious fulfilment, their hopes were only further crushed.  Even though the women had told them of an empty tomb and the vision of angels, they discounted this report. So what does the Risen Christ, seen as a ‘stranger ’do? HE TELLS THEM OFF! ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!’ Let’s consider for a moment, what their encounter with the risen Christ tells us about their faith: The disciples show many of the traits we all show- In our faith-there is the initial enthusiasm, them disillusionment after the honeymoon period, then a rekindled fervour (later they said ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road…’) They worked through their disappointment in their sharing with Jesus. To have someone come and join in, as Jesus did, reminds us what a key element sharing faith is-even when we have doubts. Let’s keep these points at the front of our minds as we hear the rest of the story. What happens? They come near to the village, it’s almost evening, they urge him to stay with them. Why? The Biblical precepts of hospitality: it was very important to display hospitality and to extend that to strangers-as Abraham entertained angels, so too, may we…(maybe we have to wait until the end of lock down-or recognize those in our household as angels!) Also-they may have been eager to learn more from their travelling companion. THIS is the turning point for them. This is where they are changed from doubting and despairing disciples, into excited witnesses for their Lord. Their action-their invitation changes him from a stranger to a companion. Recognition of the risen Christ comes with the act of breaking bread and the sharing of a meal. The word ‘companion’ means ‘one who eats bread with another.’ We have all had those meals, haven’t we…perhaps with someone we don’t know very well-maybe even just met-and by the end of the meal, the time together, they have become

Easter 2, Year A, April 19th, 2020 Hymn suggestions: Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZugvUQ4m90U 398: Come down, O love divine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLQu6_Tjk9M 355: Man more than man 263: May daughters and my sons hear tell- 392: At the dawning of salvation 407: Breathe on me, breath of God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5keJHZdWYM 649: These things did Thomas count as real 691: Faith will not grow from words alone, Bible Readings: Acts 2: 14a, 22-32 Psalm 16 1 Peter 1: 3-9 John 20: 19-31 Prayer Loving, Easter God, We must stay behind shut doors, but our doors are always open to you, our Divine guest. There are no barriers for you…unless we erect them. Come into our hearts…come into our homes. May you be the key that unlocks the strength we crave, the soothing words we need to hear, to dissolve our fears. Amen Sermon: Break out or lock down? [John 20:19-31] When lock down becomes break out. When low mood becomes enthusiasm ‘Then she said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it in my side.  Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “MY Lord and my God.” In 1909, Paul Engle wrote these words: ‘You say you buried God (weeping you say it) And split the flesh to its essential parts. But you have left us bodies bright with flame, And buried God no deeper than our hearts.’ The Sunday after Easter Sunday. We are still in the Easter season, which concludes with the celebration of Pentecost, near the end of May. So…Easter…yet today is known in the church as ‘Low Sunday.’ -the Sunday after the outburst of Easter joy. Similar to the first Sunday after Christmas Day.  We feels a little flat. Some of the excitement has gone-in a way we have reached our goal -our Lenten journey has ended from darkness to the light of the empty tomb, seen at dawn. Now we are back-on the other side of the mountain-back in the valley. We have finished our Hot Cross buns We have consumed our chocolate quota for the year We have grieved and moved through to rejoicing. And now -we are left coping with the Easter victory, in our ordinary lives. Our Bible reading depicts a confused, dispirited group huddled behind locked doors on Easter morning. Yes, the women had said “We have seen the Lord” -but they were not believed. That’s typical isn’t it-women are sometimes blamed, or labelled as being too emotional, even hysterical, in times of grief. It is worth noting that in Jesus’ time (and this is still the case in some countries in the world today), women’s testimony did not count as reliable, or even legal witness. In western society, in our main-line churches, we could say we have known nothing but crucifixion, or death – slow decay -empty churches -decline in numbers -ageing congregations -absence of children and youth.  Think back to Sunday School numbers when you were young.  Sunday School picnics were wonderful occasions.  Church socials/events were often the places where young people met, fell in love…another wedding in the church. But now? Decline. Even Easter, the most important event in the Christian calendar, which makes it on to the secular calendar but:  if you only listened to secular society you’d think it was a 4 day holiday invented by confectionary manufacturers to honour something to do with bunnies! Sometimes we, the church, feel small, powerless, without the numbers. -seen as irrelevant in society. Even some politicians say that. The church may feel that it is dying -numbers are down-how can we become excited about the resurrection, when we see decay in our midst? Shouldn’t our numbers be larger as people of the resurrection? In the reading from John, it’s Sunday evening, 2 days after Jesus was crucified.  Ten disciples are hiding in an upper room.  Judas has taken his life, Thomas is somewhere else. That morning they had been told by the women that Jesus’ tomb was empty. They are scared. Would they be blamed for the theft of the body-an act that warranted capital punishment by the Romans? Huddled together, frightened. Then suddenly Jesus stood among them and greeted them with “Peace be with you.” He showed them the holes in his hands and side. And he gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit-a very different account from the one from Acts.  Here Jesus is depicted as breathing the Holy Spirit into the disciples in the same way that God breathed life and Spirit into the first human beings. Nothing more than a breath…but it blew open a securely locked door. The huddled, fearful disciples-behind locked, bolted doors -were broken into -breathed on -given the gift of the Spirit. Remember Aslan, the Christ figure, in C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?  After Aslan has risen from the dead, Aslan brings the stone statues of the creatures of Narnia back to life by breathing on them.  He bounds up to a stone lion: ‘I expect you’ve seen someone put a lighted match to a bit of newspaper which is propped up in a grate against an unlit fire. And for a second nothing seems to have happened; and then you notice a tiny streak of flame creeping along the edge of the newspaper. It was like that now. For a second after Aslan had breathed upon him the stone lion looked just the same. Then a tiny streak of gold began to run along his white marble back—then it spread—then the color seemed to lick all over him as the flame licks all over a bit of paper—then, while his hindquarters were still obviously stone, the lion shook his mane and all the heavy, stone folds rippled into living hair. Then he opened a great red mouth, warm and living, and gave a prodigious yawn. And now his hind legs had come to life. He lifted one of

Happy Easter! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here, but has risen.”(Luke 24:5) ‘Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”(John 20: 28-29) Lost and Found As we approached Jerusalem the crowd stood at the gate and cried in tear-choked voice”: “We are lost in his death.” Upon the hill the angels sang: “We are found in his rising.” (Ann Weems) Easter Just when I though there would be no more light in the Jerusalem sky, the Bright and Morning Star appeared and the darkness has not overcome it. (Ann Weems) My haiku for this morning: ‘Angels fill the hole with resurrection splendour. Paradoxical!’ We are Easter people!  Sing your alleluias!  Make a joyful noise!  Dance, pray, smile, laugh. Easter blessings and love, Barbara   Easter Sunday, 2020.  Rev Barbara Allen [hymn suggestions: people can access some of these on-line, or read them in their hymn books.  These suggestions are from Together in Song (TIS): 365: Christ the Lord is risen today 720: Halle, halle, halle, hallelujah! 392: At the dawning of salvation 362: Jesus Christ is risen today 382: Now the green blade rises from the buried grain 242: I danced in the morning 228: Crown him with many crowns 380: Yours be the glory, risen, conquering Son 390: Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord. Call to Worship With Mary, let us approach the tomb. With Mary, let our surprise and grief-be turned to joy. With Mary, we hear Christ call our names. Let us give thanks to our risen Lord who has triumphed over death. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen Prayer O God, to you belong all praise and glory. Easter is a glorious season, a time to remember your power-and your love. The stone was rolled away, and our fears of death were rolled away as well. You brought life out of death, and have promised that to us also. God of wonder, that the tomb should be empty on that Easter morning is as unbelievable to us as it was to Mary; that one should die and be raised again for all, is beyond our comprehension. Yet though our minds be stretched beyond their limit, by the gift of faith we do believe. We praise the risen Jesus, alive and present in our midst. Because Jesus stooped to comfort the least of your people, those on the margin, the overlooked, we too have hope that you can lift our spirits, when we despair. When we face troubled times, you comfort us, strengthen us, and love us.  Fill us with hope as we behold Christ’s resurrection. The miracle of Easter shows us that nothing is impossible for you-and that nothing in life or in death can separate us from your love. Alleluia! Amen. Bible Reading: John 20: 1-18 Sermon There is a picture of the empty tomb, with the stone rolled to the side.  The caption reads: Missing, presumed dead. -missing, presumed dead. ‘Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.’ Easter: the mood of the Easter Season is a rollercoaster of emotions: from grief and loss, to waiting-and patience-and finally it is Easter Sunday, the most important day in the church calendar.  Christmas is essential-we need the Son of God to be born among us-we need the death on Good Friday-but Easter Sunday is the most important-because if there was no resurrection-no empty tomb-then the baby Jesus remains just a baby, and Good Friday just a day of death. We as Christians know that if there was no resurrection, we have nothing to stand on. We worship a risen Lord. This year, we cannot attend a church gathering, but the ‘alleluias’ still abound in our hearts. We are still the church. He has risen!  Alleluia! And yet, like the Christmas story, it is all too easy to rush through the Easter story. After sombre Good Friday-we hurry through Easter Saturday-eager to get to the good part. BUT stop! Listen! We know the quote ‘take time to smell the flower’ Slow down-or you’ll miss some jewels of the Easter story. In John’s account, we hear that Mary came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. The gospel accounts of the First Easter are, to a degree, so familiar that we tend to merge them together. John does not say why Mary went to the tomb-but it was not in order to anoint the body (as in Mark and Luke).  In John’s account, the preparation of the body -to mask the odours, and to show respect and devotion of family and friends-had already taken place-carried out by Nicodemus.  Mary goes to the tomb- in order to grieve -away from others -to weep in private. She comes to the tomb while it is still dark. John is the only gospel to state that it was dark. Matt and Luke say that it was dawn. Mark-that the ‘sun had risen.’ John may be using the word ‘dark’ to convey to us that Mary has not grasped what has happened. -she ‘saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb’ -all that the empty tomb means to Mary at this stage is that the body of Jesus has been stolen. -she hasn’t grasped the deeper significance. ‘She saw.’ Seeing is believing But not yet. How well do we see? Ever driven home-and you can’t remember how you got home?  You were so intent on what was going on in your mind, that you weren’t aware of what you were doing, or seeing? How many of you have ever been on a familiar, maybe your daily, walk-and not noticed something that

Hello Jesus’ followers, As we enter into the solemn mood on this the holiest of our holy days, we kneel at the feet of the cross, crying for our loved one who has died.  We were not his followers then, but we are his followers now. A few weeks ago, I wrote about haiku, Japanese poetry enshrined within 17 syllables. My morning dog walks are slow…Harry is middle aged, blind, and has been off colour the past few days.  The walk allows me to wake up properly, pray, and sometimes, through the silence, bits of haiku start to form.  Today, this Good Friday one came into being: Mary on her cross. Heart shredded by grief’s talons. “My son, my son, why…” Blessings as you mourn, and wait through Holy Saturday. Sometimes we are not good at waiting, impatient in this society of 2 minute noodles, drive-through food etc, though these weeks in lock down may have made us a little more patient.  When we slow down, when we wait…well, we see things we haven’t noticed before, we become mindful. In the darkness, remember…you are loved. In Jesus’ darkest time, he remembered and cared for others, right to the end: ‘When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. ‘(John 19: 26-27) Barbara Good Friday Service: Leighmoor Uniting Church, 2020. If you have a cross, of any kind, I invite you to have it in front of you, or wear it, during this service at home, and to have as a focus for the rest of the day. I would have used other symbols for the Good Friday service, having them as the ‘voices’, but instead I have chosen to put together a service that is easier to follow on your own, or with a small family group. Introduction On this Good Friday we hear the Bible Readings, and are invited to enter the story, through some of the key characters. When we hear their stories we may ask ourselves: Am I like Peter?  Do I deny Jesus? Do I grieve like Mary?  Each of the stories (some of them adapted from Whole People of God material) is linked with Bible readings, if you want to look them up. I was going to include them as well, but it would be many more pages!  I have included prayers, parts of hymns, and a poem.  You may enter into all of it, or part of it.  You may even choose to focus on a hymn, or a reading, instead.  Prayer From the depth of his agony, Jesus cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” In this question he identified himself with all who suffer pain, rejection, and death. We are invited to experience God’s presence, even in our darkest hours. This is the darkest of all Christian days, yet we worship God. In our grief, we seek God’s caring presence. Amen. Hymn 339: O sacred head sore wounded. O sacred head sore wounded, with grief and shame weighed down; O kingly head surrounded with thorns your only crown; death’s shadows rise before you, the glow of life decays; yet hosts of heaven adore you and tremble as they gaze. What language shall I borrow to praise you, heavenly friend, for this your dying sorrow, your mercy without end? Such agony and dying! Such love to sinners free! O Christ, all grace supplying, turn now your face on me. In this your bitter Passion, good Shepherd, think of me, look on me with compassion, unworthy though I be: beneath your cross abiding forever would I rest, in your dead love confiding, and with your presence blessed. (-Paul Gerhardt) Reflections Judas Iscariot tells his story: (Luke 22:39-51) Was I there?  Yes, I, Judas Iscariot was there all right.  I don’t suppose you’ll ever understand why I acted as I did.  But if you had known Jesus as I knew him, perhaps you wouldn’t be quite so harsh in your condemnation. Why, he had everything going for him!  He could make the crowds hang on his words.  There were hundreds-no thousands-who would have done anything he asked them to do.  He was the perfect leader for our people.  And then he threw it all away.  It would have been child’s play for him to get the whole nation behind him and throw those detested Romans clear out of the country.  I was sure that’s what he was leading up to, with all his fine talk about a kingdom.  And then he blew it.  “My kingdom is not of this world”-indeed! I tell you I’ve never been more disappointed in my life.  Someone who lets people down like that ought to be betrayed.  And yet…O God…I wish I could forget those eyes that seemed to see right into me.  I wish he had just stopped loving me for one bitter moment.  Perhaps it would be easier for me now. Peter tells his story: Luke 22: 54-62 How could I have done it?  “I’m your man, Jesus.  You can count on me!  Maybe not on anybody else, but you can count on good old Peter the Rock” That’s what I said to him, not 24 hours ago.  And I meant every word of it.  I was so sure that nothing could ever make me let him down.  And then look what I did- told those men and that serving girl, three times in arrow, that I never even knew him! Never knew him!  I knew him as I’ve never known anyone in my life.  To think that I was the one who realised on the mountain top that here was no mere mortal, but God living with us.  I was the one who blurted it out: “Jesus, you’re the Christ, the son of the living

Hello Faith Pals, I thought I would send you some thoughts for tomorrow, being Maundy Thursday.  Tomorrow morning I will email you the Good Friday service and the Easter Sunday service.  I just wanted to get this to you so you had it for tomorrow. For the hymn: ‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord?’ one version has these verses added for Holy Week: 1. Were you there when he gave them bread and wine? 2. Were you there when he knelt and prayed to God? 3. Were you there when his friends betrayed and fled? 4. Were you there when they scorned and mocked our Lord? 4. Were you there when they led him to the cross? We would be having a service tomorrow evening, wouldn’t we? (not sure whether this is a tradition at Leighmoor UC). Washing of feet, or Tenebrae? It doesn’t matter.  What might be helpful is tomorrow, sometime during the day,  when you have your shower/bath, or put on your shoes and socks, you consider your feet, and remember that Jesus washed his disciples feet. When you have your meals on Thursday, if bread is used, remember the last meal Jesus eat with his disciples, and put yourself in the picture.  Where are you sitting?  What are you doing?  What does it mean to follow the one who called himself ‘The Bread of Life’? ‘Kneels at the feet of his friends, silently washes their feet: master who acts as a slave to them. Yesu, Yesu, fill us with your love, show us how to serve, the neighbours we have from you. Loving puts us on our knees, silently washing their feet, this is the way we should live with you. Yesu, Yesu, fill us with your love, show us how to serve, the neighbours we have from you. As we ponder Jesus’ last night with his close friends, his disciples, we remember it was a night when he washed his disciples’ feet, as an example of humility. A night also when he broke the bread and poured the wine, as a means by which his disciples could remember the meaning and significance of his death. It was also a night when discipleship failed; when Judas betrayed his Master, and Peter denied his Lord. And those who had followed him abandoned him and ran away. Here is a beautiful prayer about Peter’s denial, and what it means for us-from the pen of the wonderful Ken Gire: Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for Peter.  He was a great man.  He loved you so much.  He left everything to follow you.  In your name he healed the sick, cast out demons, and preached the kingdom.  For three and half faithful years he stood beside you.  And when the soldiers came to take you away, he stood up for you,  When the others deserted you, he followed all the way to the temple courtyard. I confess I would never have made it that far. Help me not to pass judgement on him, Lord.  Rather, may his great and fervent love for you pass judgement on me. Help me to see that I deny you in so many areas of my life, in so many ways and at so many different times. When I am too busy to pray, I deny that you are the centre of my life. When I neglect your Word, I deny that you are competent to guide me. When I worry, I deny that you are Lord of my circumstances. When I turn my head from the hungry and the homeless, I deny that you are a God of mercy who has put me here to be your hands and your feet, When I steal something from another person to enrich or enhance my life- whether that be something material or some credit that is rightly due another, which I have claimed for myself- I deny you are the source of all blessings. Forgive me, Jesus, for all those quiet ways, known only to you, in which I have denied you. Help me to pray for and encourage others the way you did for Peter.  Even during those times when they may in some way deny their friendship.  Especially during those times. Thank you for all the times you have prayed for me that my faith might not fail.  There is no telling how many times I have been rescued from Satan’s hand because you stood beside me.  And thank you, most faithful of friends, that no matter how terribly I have failed you, I can always look into your eyes, and there find forgiveness. Amen (Ken Gire, Instructive Moments With the Saviour) Prayer Lord Jesus, although you were betrayed, another denied knowing you, and everyone abandoned you, help me to stay with you. You remained faithful to death, even death on a cross. Strengthen me, help me not turn aside when the going gets tough, but help me follow you through sunshine and shadow alike, For the final victory belongs to you, Amen. Blessings to you all, Barbara   Virus-free. www.avg.com

Sunday April 5th: Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday  Lectionary Readings: Palm Sunday: Isaiah 50: 4-9                         Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29                         Philippians 2: 5-11                         Matthew 21: 1-11 Passion Sunday: Isaiah 50: 4-9                             Psalm 31: 9-16                             Philippians 2: 5-11                             Matthew 26: 14-27:66 or Matthew 27: 11-54 Lots of hymns to choose from.  Some are: Tis 333: All glory, praise and honour        348: Ride on, ride on in majesty        724: Hosanna, hosanna      231: At the name of Jesus (picks up the words from one of the Bible readings    set for today: Philippians 2: 5-11) As we prepare to enter Holy Week, we may wish to reflect on: 640: Kneels at the feet of his friends, silently washes their feet Prayers: God of all faithfulness, we come before you this Palm Sunday to remember your way of love in the midst of triumph and in the midst of pain. We recall the passion of your son Jesus Christ and of how he was faithful to your way even when it meant death on a cross. Be with us as we read the story again and help us to respond faithfully to its challenges. Amen. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Oh Lord, our feet are like lead, we feel unable to dance at your entrance into Jerusalem.  We feel weighed down at the beginnings of the most holy time in our Christian calendar, Holy Week. We do not feel cheerful, joyous, due to the troubles in the world, troubles on our front door step. Oh Lord, as we struggle to welcome you into Jerusalem, we ask that you ride into our hearts. Help us tame our fear, our anxiety. Help us to continue to love one another.  This can be difficult to do, as we may look at others as harbourers of the virus.  Help us to remember that you are with us, we are not alone. Amen Sermon Crowds  Welcoming parades- Moomba, Grand Final parades, or disruptive crowds, protests.  Last year, around this time, there were a number of large protests in the city-do you remember?  I seemed to be in the city on several of those occasions, stuck in a tram, or having to negotiate a different route through the city, on foot. There were a number of union protests, climate change ones, and a large protest organised by vegans. But not this year. The city is, I understand, pretty empty. This year, there is an absence of crowds. An absence of gatherings, of groups.  Forbidden as well. More like a Good Friday than a Palm Sunday mood.   If Palm Sunday was actually taking place THIS Sunday, the crowd would not have been able to gather to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, due to the covid-19 virus. What would they have done? What will we do? How will we welcome Jesus? Let’s get back to the Gospel: What sort of parade was it on Palm Sunday?  Did the crowds inconvenience anyone?  Stop market traffic?   On Palm Sunday, we are reminded that the Jesus whom adoring crowds welcomed into Jerusalem, is the Jesus whom the crowds turned against before the end of the week. Palm Sunday quickly merges into the Sunday of the Passion. -violence, bloodshed, and terror lurk behind the words of the story of Jesus’ last week. During this Holy Week- we see a terrifying picture of our true selves and what God intends to do with us  (repeat) Today’s lectionary reading has two choices: Palm Sunday, about the parade into Jerusalem, or the other readings, for Passion Sunday, which is the account of the betrayal, arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus-about the longest text of the church year-it contains the Last Supper, continues with Jesus’ prediction of his death and his disciple’s betrayal of him, and closes with his burial.  It is a story of betrayal, injustice, cruelty and death. It is a reminder that we continue to betray Jesus with our sin, our violence, our unfaithfulness. This sermon will attempt to merge Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday, as we ready ourselves for Holy Week. Two different moods-joyful, and sombre. And yet-is this so? Palm Sunday: on this day, crowds welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem by waving palm branches and shouting as he rode into town on a donkey. -the waving of palm branches is usually interpreted as a biblical sign of welcome, hospitality. But reports from an anthropologist note that, in some cultures, people wave branches to ward off approaching evil or terror. The branches are like an extension of their arms, protecting themselves. WHAT IF those waving palm branches were not simply an outburst of hospitality- but an unconscious attempt to ward off Jesus- to protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem from this strange intruder? If that is so-then maybe we should wave palm branches every time we open the Bible! Terror is no stranger to the Bible. The Bible can be a terrifying book. Not every time we hear the word, but as we near Good Friday-it is hard to escape the approaching terror. An innocent man is about to be murdered. Think about shocking parts of the Bible, shocking Bible stories. One of the most disturbing for me, is the story of Abraham preparing to kill his son Isaac. And now, in the New Testament, God is preparing another son, for a cross. Let’s go back to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday- as a parable for how