Sunday 17th May 2020
Easter 6
Morning Has Broken
The Collects for the day
God our redeemer,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life,
so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Risen Christ,
by the lakeside you renewed your call to your disciples:
help your Church to obey your command
and draw the nations to the fire of your love,
to the glory of God the Father.
God our redeemer,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life,
so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Risen Christ,
by the lakeside you renewed your call to your disciples:
help your Church to obey your command
and draw the nations to the fire of your love,
to the glory of God the Father.
Come Down, O Love Divine
Acts 17: 22-31
Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said,
“For we too are his offspring.”
Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.’
Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said,
“For we too are his offspring.”
Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.’
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
John 14: 15-21
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’
If Ye Love Me - Philip Wilby
From the Vicar:
The Gospel today from John 14
Today for the first time in 2 months I played golf. It all felt a little strange yet also familiar. I had been so looking forward to playing and yet a little apprehensive - would I be able to still remember how to play? Yes, I was a wee bit rusty and not totally on my game, but boy was it good to be back! The rules tho slightly different were much the same because Golf is Golf.
The Gospel today reminds us that Gods great love for us is the same today, tomorrow forever. Yes, things have changed in lockdown yet God's love borne out for us through Christ remains the same. That has not changed. So, Christ reminds us if you love me keep my commandments, they have stayed the same - Love God and Love your neighbour, as constant as ever. Lockdown has changed many things but our love for God and our neighbour should always be as strong as it ever was.
I hope and pray the doors of the church will be open wide once again sooner rather than later, and we as homing pigeons can fly back to our Father's house. I have to confess I was in there on Friday Hoover in hand as always and the only thing missing was the sound of you my dear friends. Stay safe and strong in the Love of God.
p.s.
I know the question on your lips right now is how did you play? To be honest I played great - felt right at home like I had never been away, same as using the hoover in church!
As always, your friend and priest,
Padre Fran
The Gospel today from John 14
Today for the first time in 2 months I played golf. It all felt a little strange yet also familiar. I had been so looking forward to playing and yet a little apprehensive - would I be able to still remember how to play? Yes, I was a wee bit rusty and not totally on my game, but boy was it good to be back! The rules tho slightly different were much the same because Golf is Golf.
The Gospel today reminds us that Gods great love for us is the same today, tomorrow forever. Yes, things have changed in lockdown yet God's love borne out for us through Christ remains the same. That has not changed. So, Christ reminds us if you love me keep my commandments, they have stayed the same - Love God and Love your neighbour, as constant as ever. Lockdown has changed many things but our love for God and our neighbour should always be as strong as it ever was.
I hope and pray the doors of the church will be open wide once again sooner rather than later, and we as homing pigeons can fly back to our Father's house. I have to confess I was in there on Friday Hoover in hand as always and the only thing missing was the sound of you my dear friends. Stay safe and strong in the Love of God.
p.s.
I know the question on your lips right now is how did you play? To be honest I played great - felt right at home like I had never been away, same as using the hoover in church!
As always, your friend and priest,
Padre Fran
Closing Prayer
God our Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ gives the water of eternal life:
may we thirst for you,
the spring of life and source of goodness,
through him who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
God our Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ gives the water of eternal life:
may we thirst for you,
the spring of life and source of goodness,
through him who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.