Reflection from our Reverend

Dear Friends
 
If you wanted to tell someone about a mystery novel you had read, would you only focus on one chapter, or would you try to sum up the whole thing? Well, sometimes it seems as if some Christians speak about the good news of Jesus as if there was only one thing that mattered - his death on the cross. However, the crucifixion is only one "chapter", if you like, in the whole story of Christ. And of course that story is only part of a much longer tale that began with the Big Bang and God's continual work of creating and sustaining our world. This is really where the gospel begins, though the drama and mysteryincreases as we come to the incarnation, with God sharing our life as fully and deeply as possible. It continues through all that Jesus was, said and did through his life and ministry. And it is only really in the light of all of this that we can begin to understand the cross. But of course we know that the cross wasn't the end of Jesus, nor was it the end of the gospel. Without the resurrection it would have been merely one more brave but brutal death in the whole litany of the world's suffering. 
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However, the resurrection is still only one more chapter in the story, and certainly not the final one. ​

In May we come to three more staging posts along the way. We celebrate the Ascension (May 14th) - and yes I know that it always falls on a Thursday rather than a Sunday, but it really is a major feast that deserves to be marked with joy and thanksgiving. Christ ascends, and in some mysterious way unites our humanity with the godhead forever. Just as there was a "downward" movement in the incarnation to unite God and humanity, so now there is an "upward" movement - completing the circle (all these terms are of course merely metaphors). Christ's presence is now universalised, paving the way for the feast of Pentecost (May 24th) - in which his followers in every place and age are able to share in the divine presence and love of God within and between themselves. We celebrate this feast as the birthday of the Church but that birth continues every day, through the presence of the Spirit of life and love among us. And that continuing reality is picked up in the last of this month's feasts - that of Trinity Sunday (May 31st). The divine community of love, which we have learned to worship because of this whole wonderful story, is reflected in the community of love that we call the church. Yes, that places responsibilities upon us and we are often aware ofour won and "the church's" failings in this regard. However, before all that, the church is a gift - God's gift of a community of people who share in, celebrate and share the whole story of God as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.
So our feasts this month offer us so much, and when we add in the continuing beauty of Spring, there is so much to celebrate!
 
With love and prayers
 
David