Sermons
The Sixth Sunday of Easter - 25th May 2025
John 14: 23 – 29
“Peace, I leave with you”
Our gospel reading today is part of Jesus’ conversation with the disciples on the evening of the last Supper.
The chapter begins with Him saying to them “Do not let your hearts be troubled” and leads into this reading that I have often used at funerals.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.
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?
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going.
How can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus makes a promise that he is going to prepare a place for these, his closest friends, and also for us.
Over the years, since I became a Reader, I have also added in a verse from our gospel today. And it is this verse: “Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you”. And he repeats those words “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid.”This is a promise to hold onto not just when we are bereaved but also to remember at every stage of our lives.
That word “Peace” is a poor translation of the Hebrew word “Shalom”. Shalom signifies more than just the absence of conflict or war; rather, it is a profound and holistic sense of well-being. It is the kind of peace which the world cannot give, but can only come from God.
When Jesus meets the frightened disciples in the upper room after his resurrection that is also with a greeting of peace
When the new Pope was recently led out nervously to see the thousands in the waiting crowds in St Peter’s square, his opening words were, “Peace to you all”.
The reporters and watching news commentators latched on to this as a call to end all current conflicts but I think this was rather missing the point.
Pope Leo was praying for that peace beyond all understanding which only those who know Christ can receive. I felt that it was a Christ-like moment.
This week, as we remember Jesus’ Ascension, we realise that it is only through His leaving the world, that the gift of the Holy Spirit can be given.
Jesus tries to reassure the disciples that he is not simply leaving them alone, but that there is a purpose in his parting; he is going to be with the Father. It is then through the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, that Jesus will continue to be present with them.
That word “advocate” has a number of meanings including “counsellor” and “comforter”. Jesus explains that the Father will send this Holy Spirit to teach them and remind them of all that He has said while He has been with them.
Peace is a fruit of that same Spirit and comes together with Love and Joy in the maturing of our relationship with God. Without this divine assistance, we would be unable to live and work effectively for God in the world.
In those opening verses of the chapter, Jesus had spoken to his disciples of the “many dwellings” in his Father’s house and this is where he was going to prepare a place for them.
But there is also a sort of “double meaning” as Jesus also says that he and the Father will come and make their dwelling in those who love Him and keep His word.
John speaks of “eternal life” beginning here and now; it is life in all its fullness in relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Often we are like the disciples on that Passover night and we do not grasp what God is doing. We do not understand how certain events could have any meaning or can result in anything good.
It is only with time and prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit that we begin to see how God is working for good even in the midst of terrible and confusing events.
The birth; the ministry; the death and resurrection of Jesus; the sending of the Spirit; all these events together reveal the depth of God’s love for the world.
It is this profound love of God that Jesus has shown to his disciples and that the Holy Spirit continues to make known to us.
The Spirit assures us that we are never abandoned, even in the midst of the loss, pain and sorrow that are part of life.
The Word who became flesh and lived among us, continues to make his home with us, even as He prepares our eternal dwelling with God.
Let us then hold onto that promise of Jesus, “Peace, I leave with you;
my peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” Amen
Ruth Cook, Reader
The Fourth Sunday of Easter - 11th May 2025
Of all the TV talent competition shows, the only one I have really enjoyed is, “The Voice,” shown by the BBC and then ITV.
It’s the one where the four judges hear contestants sing from revolving chairs set with their backs to them. If the judges like what they hear they hit a plunger set into the chair which turns it around to face the singer. After the song, the judges, who include stars from Will-I-Am to Sir Tom Jones, and Olly Murs – himself a winner of the similar show X-Factor - discuss the performance with contestant and make an offer to coach them as part of their team as the competition progresses. Anyone of any age can audition for the programme, which gives it part of its charm as ordinary people get to meet and impress the stars.
The key thing about the show is that the judges first impression of the contestants is not based on appearance, stage presence or dance routine, only the quality of the voice.
It is a reminder of the power and meaning of the human voice.
Just as we might recognise the voice of our favourite singer, so – even more so – we recognise the voices of our spouses and our children, indeed, all we love and are closest to us. In the same way, a mother knows the cry of her child even among other children. And so on…
So what does it mean when Jesus says, “My sheep know my voice?” We have no idea what Jesus sounded like, any more than we really know what he looked like, although some have tried to make an intelligent guess. Was Jesus’ voice soft or gruff; what was its pitch; if he had belonged to a choir, what part would he sing … would it be tenor, bass, baritone? So how can we hear Jesus’ voice?
To answer that question, we need another image, another way of understanding how Jesus relates to us today.
That image is the shepherd. It is Jesus’ own sheep that hear and know his voice. His audience would have been familiar with the Palestinian shepherd, who spent much of his time with his sheep, caring for them, rescuing them from predators, and literally being the door to the sheepfold at night for fear of the wolf. The sheep knew their shepherd because theirs was an intimate relationship. The shepherd would be trusted. He was the source of good for them so they would be quick to respond.
Jesus refers to himself in John’s Gospel as the Good Shepherd. He is intimately concerned with the welfare of his sheep, his people. He saves and protects us from evil. Spiritually he feeds us. Ultimately, he gives up his life that his sheep may live.
So having come to know in our hearts that the voice of Jesus is not only to be trusted, it is the source of our salvation, how then do we go on to recognise that voice when he is speaking to us?
Some people do actually hear a voice that they recognise as Jesus speaking to them, as we might speak with each other. I sense that is quite rare, though, and must be tested. It is too easy to decide for ourselves what God is saying, so that we simply justify our own will, or to mask an issue around mental health.
Occasionally, we hear the voice of Jesus in those around us, whether it be words of encouragement or warning – remembering that God sends prophets as well as priests – so that we hear of God’s love and acceptance, or his guidance. These are words which resonate with what we know in our hearts is true about God and his ways, so that, again, the voice is tested.
Sometimes Jesus speaks through the circumstances of our lives. You may have experienced that life events, especially when they are soaked in prayer, lead us in a particular direction when doors of opportunity open for us, sometimes unexpectedly and sometimes against the odds, while other doors remain inexplicably or equally unexpectedly closed.
Perhaps, most of all we hear the words of Jesus speaking to us through the Scriptures, which is why we end our readings in worship with the responsory, “This is the word of the Lord.” We stand for the Gospel because Jesus is in our midst in a particular way speaking to us through those words.
And there is vocation. Not simply, God’s guidance but a distinct call into a particular work or way of life.
For some that will be a call into a particular form of recognised ministry such as being a Reader or a priest. Of course, we all have a call to minister in God’s name. This kind of call is tested by the Church for realism and practicability. But whenever we take part in the life of the church, contributing our gifts as a volunteer, we are responding to God’s call, for all of us have a ministry of some kind.
For others it will be a call to respond to a particular situation in our lives, maybe as one who brings forgiveness or reconciliation, or some other task that might be difficult or dangerous.
But, of course, some are called to simply live the Gospel, being a faithful witness to Jesus in the ordinariness of everyday life.
However we hear Jesus’ voice, we hear most accurately when our hearts and minds and wills are a-tuned to him and when we live with worship, the sacraments and prayer is at the centre of our lives.
We recognise that voice because it resonates with something deep within our hearts when they are orientated towards God – much the same as Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, sensed the chid within her womb – John the Baptist to be – recognised the voice of the one who would be the bearer of the Christ child.
To follow the voice of Jesus is an adventure. We do not always know where it will lead, but however the call comes, and wherever it leads us, Jesus promises to be there for all who heed his voice and follow him, and that, secure in him no one, no thing, no situation can snatch us from the Father’s hand.
Amen.
Rev'd Preb. Robin Lodge
The Second Sunday of Easter - 27th April 2025
John 20: v19 - end
As a child I remember being told “Shut the door!” or shouting the same words myself to some other member of the family. These were the days before central heating, keeping the warmth inside a room during the winter was very important.
Keeping the door shut (indeed making sure it was locked) was all important to the disciples. On that first Easter Day, the day of the Resurrection, they were hiding. They were afraid that as the temple police had arrested Jesus, so the police would be looking for them and they would be in danger of being arrested as well.
A week later they were still hiding behind a locked door. They had met the Risen Lord and yet could not find the courage to face the ordinary people of Jerusalem. They felt safe hiding behind a locked door.
When we shut the doors in our own homes, we too can feel safe, shutting out the world and its problems if only for a while.
Here is a painting by a favourite English artist Holman Hunt known as The Light of the World. It shows Christ standing outside a closed door knocking to be let in, as the door has no handle, the person inside must open the door.
This painting was very popular early in the twentieth century. It is a painting that is not just about Jesus as the Light of the World but is one that invites us to open the door and let Christ into our hearts.
He does not force open that door, he waits for us to open it.
We do expect to be with Jesus when we gather for Sunday worship, when we receive him in Holy Communion. We are also with him from Monday to Saturday, we live with him, wherever we are, whatever we are doing. We are with Jesus at home or here in this building. but do we have the sense that we are being sent out into the world as those first disciples were?
The disciples met Jesus in that room where they were hiding, but they are told by Jesus to leave that place. Jesus said, “As the Father sent me so I send you”. They are to leave the safety of that room. They are being sent out into a world that is not safe, to tell the world that Jesus the Messiah is alive. In the world they will face hostility, misunderstandings, persecution, imprisonment and death.
Yet it is outside that room where Jesus will meet them and will go with them. It is as they tell people the Good News that Jesus is alive, that they will discover where God is at work in the world. In the safety of that room, they can do little, for Jesus is “out there”, they cannot tell other people that Jesus is alive if they remain in hiding, so they need courage to face the world, and Jesus gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit so they receive courage and strength to be his disciples and spread the Good News.
We too must expect to find Christ out in the world, to see what the Holy Spirit is inspiring people to do. We can discover what God is already doing if we open our hearts and notice, notice where there is love, kindness and compassion, forgiveness and reconciliation and see all this as the work of the Holy Spirit.
During June this year, on Wednesday evenings at 7.30.p.m. here in the church, we will be thinking about our neighbourhood, our local community. We will be learning about the good things that are already happening and thinking about the needs that are here, and how we might discover what part we can play in helping the people who live here. Please put the dates on your phone or in your diary!
The challenge for all of us is this. Are we content to live in a room, at home, or here in this church, to sit quietly with Christ and feel good and safe, but lack the courage to go out and share the Good News that Jesus is alive; and with the help of the Holy Spirit create situations where God can work with us to bring in Christ’s kingdom. As disciples in some places we may face criticism, we may be misunderstood, we may be laughed at, sometimes we may feel it’s too hard, sometimes we may feel we are doing nothing useful, but if we are doing good, God will be with us.
Some of us are less active than we used to be, but we can work with God in the world in many ways as well. We have friends, neighbours and families we can share the Good News with. This can be very difficult, some people may show no interest or even be hostile, but we must look for the right moment, not be afraid to speak out at an appropriate time and in a helpful way.
We can all pray, and we can use our money to help others spread the Good News in this country and across the world. We all have a part to play as disciples of Jesus Christ, we are all called to share the Good News that Jesus Christ is risen. We can’t do that hiding at home or hiding in the church. We never retire as disciples of Jesus Christ!
We all need a safe home and a church where Christ is present and then we can recharge our batteries, but God is busy outside our homes and outside our church buildings and invites us to join in the work of spreading the Good News.
Our Collect today that we prayed at the beginning of this Eucharist said “Risen Christ, for whom no door is locked, no entrance barred, open the doors of our hearts, that we may seek the good of others and walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace, to the praise of God the Father”. This prayer is printed on the front of your newsletter, please take it home with you and use it every day this week.
Our final hymn is a well -known one “Colours of Day”. The chorus invites us to “open the door” and we will sing “go through the park and on into the town” because “Jesus is living and His Spirit is near.” Enjoy singing it!
Janet Fulljames
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