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The two disciples experienced something when blethering with the stranger they met on the road to Emmaus. Not recognising the stranger as Jesus, they were surprised when he seemed to know nothing of the recent events in Jerusalem. Of how their beloved leader Jesus had been executed for preaching the Good News of God's love for his people, or how their hope for a different future had died with him on the cross. And, how angry and frustrated they were at the disappearance of his body from the tomb, three days after his death. 

The disciples' grief is plain for all to see and it is so great that it gets in the way of their recognising who the stranger really is. Yet, as many of us do, the disciples find it easy to pour out their grief and frustrations to the stranger. 

You may be able to think of times when this may have happened to you - when it was easier to talk to a casual acquaintance rather than someone close, about your inner feelings. This is probably why therapy works well for so often it is the detached, objective view that we seek to help u s make sense o f the muddles our lives sometimes lead us into. It is not so much that we are seeking answers to our questions or solutions to our problems from the other person but more that we need someone to listen to us, and to allow us to begin to unravel the muddle in our heads and find the answers from within ourselves.

This reflects what I think was happening for those two disciples walking with Jesus. What I think the disciples were doing - in talking to the stranger as they walked together they were trying to fathom out in their minds what had been going on in Jerusalem. What the stranger, whom we know to be Jesus does, is to listen and then to encourage them to think objectively about the situation.

Be open to the possibility of Jesus speaking to you in the most unlikely of people or situations for there is always something to learn from each others when we have the opportunity to engage in conversation without barriers. 

One of the things I love about Eastertide; is not only the joy of basking in the resurrection light and joy of the risen Jesus but also the fact that for the next eight weeks we get to follow closely the Book of Acts. After the Gospels, Acts is amongst my favourite reading of Scripture. Not only because it was one of the first bits of the Bible I ever read properly but the fact that it is so very exciting.

Acts reads like an adventure story. It is fast moving and catalogues the events following Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension; and shows us how his early followers interpreted what had happened to them after the resurrection and how it changed their lives. How it enabled them to be so inspired that they took the Gospel to so many different parts of the then known world and how the ripples of their excitement can still influence us today in all we do for Jesus’ sake.  

Acts is the continuation of Luke’s Gospel account. It does not speak directly of what Jesus said and did but it does show us how those who followed him put in to practice what they had learned, seen and experienced first hand. It also talks about how others who did not personally experience Jesus’ ministry were converted to his ways. Not least among them St.Paul. It also speaks of the bravery of the Early Christians in building the church, often against all the odds and persecution. Which even led to martyrdom, think of the deacon St.Stephen. It also enables us to see how ‘ordained’ ministry developed from the events of Pentecost and how a wide variety of different women and men were called to be ministers of the Gospel. 

When I first read the Book of Acts, I found it fanned the flames of my niggling call to ministry. I never felt that I could live up to the example of those brave and fearless Early Christians but I was inspired enough to try and do so. I still have a long way to go but Acts is still one the my greatest encouragements. This has been reinforced over Lent as I have journeyed with others through Acts in the Lent Study group.

In this morning's reading from Acts these words speak most strongly to me:

“I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; ²⁶ therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my flesh will live in hope. ^{…  28} You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”                        Acts 2:26 & 28

To me they speak of Jesus’ commitment to us. Jesus, they say, is always with us and will never leave us even if we think he might. Jesus also shows us the path we need to follow through life and how by following that path we will be made glad and given the confidence to act as his body on Earth. 

Paul picks up on this, this morning by reminding us that by Jesus’ resurrection we are re-born into new life. A new life that ensures our salvation and encourages us to share that hope and joy with others. John’s writing shows us that even if we doubt it does not affect our salvation nor does it bar us from walking the path set ny Jesus Christ because we will be encouraged and inspired by the Holy Spirit if we are prepared to let the Spirit into our souls. 

Today’s readings are no less affirming or exciting than those of last week which showed us the resurrection of Christ in all his glory. Today the readings, however, move us on and remind us that we cannot stay still in the  building of the Kingdom of God, but that we have to get out ‘there’ into the world and build it little by little every day.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

He is risen, in deed. Alleluia! 

Matthew 28:1-10

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ²And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ ⁸So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

Like Mary Magdalene and the other women we have to learn not to cling to what we first see. We have to go deeper, to ponder and think; to grow with what one discerns and learn from it. It is through discernment and interpretation of scripture that Jesus is made real to us today this he  meets his people in every age and every time. Do not cling to one moment in time, as the woman might have been tempted to do but let that moment go and allow its truths to develop in you - it is that which makes Christ real today. This is the power of the resurrection. Don’t cling to the known step out into the unknown and let Jesus’ words grow in you. Let the resurrection live afresh in you. Share him with all you meet. Keep those ripples of resurrection expanding and help the power of the resurrection change the world we live in today. Don’t cling to what appears to be safe and known. Let it go, let it grow and let it change the world.

There is no sermon on Palm Sunday as the Passion Gospel Matthew 26:14-27:66 speaks for itself. Please take time to read through the words from St.Matthew's Gospel account and ponder on the events of that first Holy Week some 2000+ years ago.

I can never hear the first reading from Ezekiel with out the words of the Spiritual going through my head:

"Dem bones, dem bones dem dry bones, hear the word of the Lord."

Don’t you just love that first reading with those Oh! so vibrant images of the valley of dried bones coming back to life. It reads like a cinematic script despite being rather fanciful and I can see why it has been beloved by many film makers over the years. I don’t, however,  think that we are expected to take the story literally but to read it as a metaphor and when placed alongside the Gospel reading the metaphor seems to explain itself.

What it is telling us is that we human beings do not exist as mere flesh and blood alone. We are more than the sum of our parts because we contain the Spirit of God. Genesis tells us that we are made in the image of God:

“26 Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;  … 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”   Genesis 1:26a & 27

and today’s readings can help us comprehend what that means. Our vital essence, our very being is of God. We are not God but we contain within us something of God that sets us apart from the rest of creation. We are God’s beloved because we contain something of God himself and God cannot reject us for to do so would be to reject something of himself as well. We, however, have to recognise that we contain that something of God’s very self deep within our being. We have to acknowledge that it is God who gives us life and puts before us ways of living that are creative and positive. 

New life is always possible as Lazarus discovered but we can discover it too if we can recognise that God is at work within our very selves. God is always giving us the opportunity to make things anew, to grow and change and develop by growing into God’s self by letting his Spirit shape and mould us. All we have to do is say; ‘Yes!’ to God and to allow that Spirit to permeate our souls. Which in turn brings us to new life time and time again.