Open our minds

Luke 24:45-49

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Lord open our minds...

Open our minds to understanding

Open our minds to compassion

Open our minds to love and acceptance

Open our minds...

To see with your eyes of love

To care with your loving kindness

To know you at work in all of life

Lord open our minds

To understand Scripture

as it speaks into everyday life

To know your will

as we travel through each day

your will for us

and for those whom you send

to be our companions along the way

Show us how to serve

How to be served

And how to discern your Spirit

in all things.

Lord, open our minds...

He is not here...he has been raised

Matthew 28:5-6

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.

It trickles in slowly

Just like the soft light of dawn

It's not the sudden trumpet fanfare

that we have made it

but a slow, gentle unfurling.

As Easter creeps forward

its touch slowly awakening

all in its path

the effect is gradual

measured

long lasting.

Even when the dawn of Easter

startles

provoking excitement

it is the calm that is left in its wake

that remains

the warmth and the joy

that continue to infuse

and change lives.

And it is the soft memory

of eternal promises

that persists

even when night has come again.

Easter - not an all at once

life changing moment

But a slowly dawning

gift for eternity

a treasure

with layers

upon layers 

of wrapping

to be gently unveiled

and savoured

in the fullness of time.

 

The waiting...

Matthew 27:57-61

The Burial of Jesus

 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

Waiting

So often the hardest part

We who are doers

are not so good at waiting

And even now,

though we know the outcome

and know that it is good

we still want it to be over.

We want the tomb

to be burst open

so that we can celebrate

and then get on

with the rest of living.

We are impatient to tidy away

the vestiges of the wilderness

the Palm branches

the temple clutter

the oil of pure nard

the foot washing paraphernalia 

and the black draped cross.

We want to release the Alleluias

from their exile,

reclaim the space taken up

by the Labyrinth or the prayer garden

and restore our sanctuaries

to their usual order.

But, thankfully,

THANKFULLY

Easter will not allow that.

For Easter changes everything.

Two thousand years ago and now.

Easter seeps in with the slow light of dawn

and changes everything it touches

until we give up trying

to restore order.

The much anticipated Easter dawn 

promises yet more havoc.

But, for now, we wait...

Black - the colour of death

Black (Friday)

Black speaks of death and dereliction,
of abandonment
and betrayal.

Black covered the earth as Christ died,
having endured
the agony of the cross.

Black steals every colour: the green and the red, the purple and the white, all sucked up

absorbed into black.

So, in Jesus’ death
are captured
all the colours of the Passion:
the green of field and palms,
the red of resilience and hope,
the purple of priesthood,
the white of table fellowship
all melding into
the black of death and dereliction.

With such a mix
perhaps it is inevitable
that some of the colours should leech that some should seep through.

But, for now,
black is the colour of death 

The Son of God

Mark 15:37-39

Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” 

"Truly this man was God's Son"

Proclaimed by a centurion 

the agent of the oppressive occupying regime

who oversaw his crucifixion.

Believed by the women

who gathered around the cross

unable to leave Jesus

even though witnessing his agony

was searing their soul.

The Son of God

who had spoken of his impending suffering and death

breathed his last

and died.

And the truth was revealed:

Truly this was the Son of God.

You also should serve...

John 13:12-15

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

Doing for others 

as our Lord did for us.

Fulfilling our calling

to serve one another.

Lord, you know how hard that is 

You know how exhausting

and draining

and soul sucking it is

to give and give

and give again.

You also know

that we are far from perfect

as you were.

So what's the deal?

When does enough

become too much?

When can we give in

to our weariness

and come and sit by you?

We are not you

Nor do you expect us to be

But it is so hard to discern

where to draw the line

and when we can say:

"Enough already"

And in this Holiest of weeks

when we see you overwhelmed

and when we ourselves are overcome

by the depth of your love

and your sacrifice

we pray for strength

and wisdom

and incredible love

to fill us

uphold us

and nurture us

so that we 

can feed your sheep.

For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

Maundy Thursday

Matthew 26:26-30

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Maundy Thursday

White - 
The cloth
thrown over the table
settles and comes to rest 
covering and beautifying. 
Covering up the scratches
of wear and tear
and family use,
transforming the kitchen table                                                                                                                                                 making it a welcoming space 
not just for family but for visitors too.
A place to greet old friends and make new.
A place to catch up with life and each other.
A place to encourage, persuade and cajole.
A place to listen and console.
A place to celebrate and commiserate.
A place to share food
that nurtures and sustains.
The bread of life, 
broken and shared around a table.
Gathered up
as each gives and takes what they need
and returns to give
and to take some more.
White, the colour of fellowship, a colour of the Passion. 

Witnesses

Matthew 27:45-56

The Death of Jesus

 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

 Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Many women were there

Women who had followed Jesus

ministering to him.

Some whose sons were travelling with Jesus

Some who had known the power of Jesus' healing

Some who were touched by his teaching

Some whose lives had been transformed 

by their encounter with the Son of God.

Looking on, from a distance,

they supported each other.

They did not require

an earthquake

to be convinced

that this was the Son of God.

Not even resurrection.

But they were rewarded

by being the first to encounter

the Risen Christ.

Many women were there...

A woman's dream

Matthew 27:15-23

Barabbas or Jesus?

 Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” For he realised that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

A disturbing dream

A persistent wife

An indecisive man

A government that wanted to show strength

A fickle crowd that wanted blood

All conspired to a fate sealed

Crucify him!

And so Jesus, called the Messiah

who had haunted the dreams

of Pilate's wife

bought the release of the notorious Barabbas

and signed his own death warrant.

How often are we besieged

by insidious voices

that come to us unbidden

and sway us into decisions

we might not ordinarily have made

if we had been given time

to consider the facts

and not been pressured

by the clamour and the noise

into irreversible action?

"Have nothing to do with that innocent man"

And so Pilate washed his hands

and let the crowd decide.

And a woman's dream 

helped to seal the fate

of our Lord.

The bystanders

Matthew 26:69-75

Peter’s Denial of Jesus

 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant- girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” When he went out to the porch, another servant- girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” Again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said:“Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

There are always the observers

and the bystanders

Those who see all

who take it in

who watch

and wait

and weigh

and measure.

There are those who

stay on the fringes,

who hang back,

don't get involved.

And then there are those

who pitch in.

Those who, from the shadows

want to be in on the action.

Those who perceive wrongdoing

and want to make things right.

"He was there"

"That's one of his friends"

Both offered as indictments

not encouragement.

To be identified

as one of Jesus of Nazareth's cohorts

was not a compliment

but a judgment

a risky calling.

The women who served

had noticed.

Call it a woman's intuition

Call it curiosity...

It was the women

who called Peter out

on his friendship

and his loyalty.

The women

who confronted Peter

with his denial.

And Peter wept bitterly...

The mind of Christ

Philippians 2:5-11

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

 who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

 but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

 he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death—

even death on a cross.

 Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

 so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

 and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

What does it mean

to empty oneself?

How can we shed

our sense of self,

our sense of importance,

our sense of identity?

How can we become like Christ?

Empty enough

to don humility

and to take on

the character of God.

What would it mean

to be obedient

to the point of death,

the death of self.

The death

of human desire

to be loved

and recognised.

Death that allows

for service.

Dead to self

and open fully to God.

Journeying with Christ

in hope 

that the nature of Jesus

will rub off

and be born in us.

Bringing the light of love

into every situation - 

Even the cross we bear

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

Out of the wilderness

John 11:54-57

Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples.

 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

Forced into hiding

Lord, why didn't you stay there?

You could have continued your ministry underground

People who needed to would find you

You could simply have slipped off the radar

of those who sought to harm you.

The wilderness is a pretty big place

avoided by many.

Those who venture there

are pretty firm of purpose

Some might say desperate.

You could have remained elusive

for the authorities

who wanted to kill you

while still available

to those who needed you.

But, as ever, your plan

was much bigger 

than we could ever imagine.

And it involved you emerging

from the wilderness,

facing up to the wrath

of religious bigots

whose teachings you thwarted.

It involved you emerging 

from the wilderness

to bring the dazzling light of love

into the open.

No

Yours wasn't a plan

to be fulfilled quietly.

It needed the cold light of day

A high profile 

A public space

Bringing God's love

out of the wilderness 

and into glorious light.

Even in the darkness

John 10:31-42

The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled— can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.

 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there.

Taking up stones to harm

An answer to a threat perceived

and misunderstood.

Taking up stones to harm

A way out of confronting the truth

that was staring them in the face.

Taking up stones to harm

A reaction that covers the predicament

of feeling way out of our depth.

Even in the darkness

Light may be found

Even in the darkness

Good overcomes evil

Even in the darkness

Hope prevails

And so we continue

to look for signs

of love at work

in the darkness

And seek ways to avoid the instinct

to take up stones.

Watching and waiting

John 8:48-59

The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the judge. Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death. ’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

The forces gather

Authorities conspire

Time is running out for Jesus

Accused of being possessed

Almost stoned for speaking truth

that folks could not comprehend.

Forced out of the temple

and out of the city

while plots are hatched

to bring about his death.

On a crash course

with saving the world

And nothing will save him now

from the cruel death that awaits him

For the kingdom of which he spoke

was too far outside the realms

of human imagination.

Only realised

by his sacrifice of love.

Even the brief respite

of being hailed as a king

as he enters the city

to celebrate Passover

will not turn the tide

that is set against him.

And so we wait 

and watch

as the story unfolds.

And still we condone

persecution of those who are different

and oppression of those

who speak truth

that we don't want to hear today.

And we wait

and we watch.

 

The request

Matthew 20:20-28

The Request of the Mother of James and John

 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

 When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Who would blame a mother

for wanting the best

for her boys?

The mother of James and John

Just trying

to give her sons

a punt up.

But running alongside Jesus

demands more 

than she could ever have imagined.

To enter into the passion of Christ

To suffer as he suffered

To give as he gave.

What mother would wish that

for her son?

What mother could stand

to witness that

for her boy - 

except Mary, the mother of God

who endured the agony

of seeing her son

put to death

on trumped up charges

by authorities

establishing control

afraid of anything

that was different

or unpredictable.

Authorities who,

in the face of selfless love

chose violence

to rid themselves

of one

who threatened order

and stability

by heralding a kingdom

not of this world.

Who would blame a mother

for pushing her sons forward

even though 

she had no idea

what she was asking.

And, when the other disciples

began to jostle

for their positions too,

Jesus gently reminded them:

The kingdom of God is different,

Upside down.

To be great

means serving others.

To be first

means being last of all.

The kingdom of God- 

A kingdom full of surprises.

Painting the legacy

Psalms 102:1-3;16-21

Prayer to the Eternal King for Help

A prayer of one afflicted, when faint and pleading before the Lord.

 Hear my prayer, O Lord;

let my cry come to you.

 Do not hide your face from me

in the day of my distress.

Incline your ear to me;

answer me speedily in the day when I call.

 For my days pass away like smoke,

and my bones burn like a furnace.

For the Lord will build up Zion;

he will appear in his glory.

 He will regard the prayer of the destitute,

and will not despise their prayer.

 Let this be recorded for a generation to come,

so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:

 that he looked down from his holy height,

from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,

 to hear the groans of the prisoners,

to set free those who were doomed to die;

 so that the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion,

and his praise in Jerusalem.

Recording the works of the Lord

For a generation yet unborn

What a responsibility

Painting God

As the God who listens

The God who hears the groans of creation

And brings release

from all that holds folk captive

Loosing bonds

Defeating death

Dropping clues all around

and building up a picture

so that those still to come

gain a sense

of what has gone before

and know

in whom to trust:

The Eternal King

No condemnation

John 8:1-11

Early in the morning Jesus came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

Writing on the ground

Doodling in the dust

Buying himself some time to think?

Or doing his best to ignore the folk

who were trying to catch him out?

I like to think that Jesus

was just trying to get it right

Working out the best way

to ensure the woman's freedom 

and to make her accusers think.

As he forced them to face

their own failings

they trickled off

into the shadows.

And Jesus was left

alone with the woman 

who expected

that Jesus, too,

would bring condemnation.

Just imagine her surprise,

her bemusement

perhaps her disbelief

as Jesus

sets her free

encouraging her

to "sin no more"

A story

doodled in the dust

then smoothed over 

the traces no longer visible

The charges

no longer standing.

A woman changed forever

by forgiveness.

And where, today

can we kick over the traces

of the past

changing the future

powerfully

by refusing to condemn

and by practising forgiveness.

Lazarus - Part 3 - The Community

John 11:41-45

So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Lazarus released from the tomb

But still bound

by the clutches of death

It was the task of his community

to "Unbind him and let him go"

Without that release

he could not have drawn breath

Without that release

he could not have lived again.

Communities today

still bear responsibility

for giving life

For loosing

For unbinding

For giving permission

For being witnesses

to resurrection

For moving beyond the stench

to reach out

and bring life

And communities

bear the responsibility

of nurturing

and sustaining

the stirrings

of new life

wherever it is found.

Lazarus Part 2 - Martha

John 11:21-27, 38-40

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

Martha - one of the first proclaimers of faith.

Martha - proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah

before she witnessed

the marvellous resurrection

of her brother

Martha - often overlooked

for her great faith

because of her busyness.

Because, as well as a proclaimer of faith

she was a doer of good works.

Martha,trying to be practical

Trying to be faithful

Trying, trying, trying...

to be all things to all people

Mourning her brother

Caring for her sister

Feeding the mourners who came

to be with them

Going to meet Jesus

excusing him for not being there

and for not having returned sooner 

Trying desperately

to make everyone feel better

The reconciler

The excuser

The peace maker

Even,at the last,

giving Jesus a way out:

"Lord, there is a stench"

And learning

so powerfully

that resurrection

involves pain

involves stink

is hard work.

Resurrection- not for the faint hearted!

Lazarus Part 1 - Mary

John 11:17-21,28,29

Jesus the Resurrection and the Life

 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died...

 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him.

Mary stayed at home

the better to nurse her wrath

Knowing that as soon as she saw him,

Jesus, the beloved,

she would cave as she always did

She needed solitude

to stoke the fires

of her anger and self pity

She needed to be alone

to add fuel to her resentment.

But she couldn't hold out

once Jesus got there

She couldn't resist the pull

of his charisma

She had to shake off her fury

and go to him - 

To confront him?

To accuse him?

Who knows?

But once he was near

She could not stay away.

The overlooked

John 7:40-43

Division among the People

 When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some asked, “Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” So there was a division in the crowd because of him.

How often have we overlooked

Christ in our midst

because he was in the wrong place

at the wrong time?

Or did not appear

from the direction we expected

or in the guise for which we were looking?

How often has Christ surprised us

by being unrecognisable

and too close for comfort?

And while we argue

about where The Messiah

can be found

Christ hangs out

with the lonely

and the hurting

the outcast

and the stranger

and gets on with the 

work of God.

When the time is right

John 7:1-9

The Unbelief of Jesus’ Brothers

 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. Now the Jewish festival of Booths was near. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing; for no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” (For not even his brothers believed in him.) Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil. Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my time has not yet fully come.” After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

Not yet time

is not simply

putting off the inevitable.

Not yet time

is not

procrastination.

Not yet time

is not

avoidance

of the evil that lies in wait.

Not yet time

is faithful obedience

to the perfect

timing of God.

Waiting

until the time

is right.

Faith enough

Exodus 32:11-14

But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever. ’” And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

There are times

when our faith

small as it is

Has to be enough

for others too

Enough for those

who cannot see

beyond the confusion

or the hurt

or the evil

that affects their lives.

The God of compassion

listens to prayer

and honours faith, 

however wavering

gathering those 

who are beloved

of God

upheld by the prayers

of the faithful.

Grieving time

Matthew 14:6-14

But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. His disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus.

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.

So sought after,

So in demand

That, even when he needed time

to grieve the loss of a friend

the space was denied him.

Even in retreat.

folk sought him out.

found him

and claimed what they needed.

And, far from resentment,

He had compassion.

Even in his grief,

He reached out 

and touched them

with healing

and with love

putting his own needs aside

to minister to others.

And while I recognise 

this selfless care for others

and admire his stamina

it is, I have to say

not a trait

I wish to emulate

however tempting it may seem

in the pressures

of contemporary ministry.

Being whole

John 5:1-10

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

 After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

 Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth- zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty- eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.

Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”

"Do you want to be made well?"

A question to ponder.

How much dis-ease

do we find it convenient

to hold on to?

Perhaps our weakness

brings status

that we are not yet ready

to let go.

Because we believe

that wholeness

might somehow

diminish us.

We have found refuge

in our vulnerability

and cannot imagine

ourselves apart

from what afflicts us.

And so we continue

to pick over the scabs

that witness to healing,

opening up wounds,

exposing ourselves to hurt

wrapping our sorrow

around us

like a comfort blanket.

Until, along comes Jesus

and asks:

"Do you want to be made well?"