This week’s Readings and Sermon for the Seventh Sunday of Easter
The Collect for This Week
Risen, ascended Lord, as we rejoice at your triumph, fill your Church on earth with power and compassion, that all who are estranged by sin may find forgiveness and know your peace, to the glory of God the Father. Amen
The Post Communion Prayer for this week
Eternal God, giver of love and power, your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into all the world to preach the gospel of his kingdom: confirm us in this mission, and help us to live the good news we proclaim; through Jesus Christ our Lord.. Amen
The Psalm for this Sunday is Psalm 68, verses 1 to 10 and 32 to 36
1 Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered; let those that hate him flee before him. 2 As the smoke vanishes, so may they vanish away; as wax melts at the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. 3 But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; let them make merry with gladness. 4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; exalt him who rides on the clouds. The Lord is his name; rejoice before him. 5 Father of the fatherless, defender of widows, God in his holy habitation! 6 God gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners to songs of welcome, but the rebellious inhabit a burning desert. 7 O God, when you went forth before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, 8 The earth shook and the heavens dropped down rain, at the presence of God, the Lord of Sinai, at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 9 You sent down a gracious rain, O God; you refreshed your inheritance when it was weary. 10 Your people came to dwell there; n your goodness, O God, you provide for the poor.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; make music in praise of the Lord; 33 He rides on the ancient heaven of heavens and sends forth his voice, a mighty voice. 34 Ascribe power to God, whose splendour is over Israel, whose power is above the clouds. 35 How terrible is God in his holy sanctuary, the God of Israel, who gives power and strength to his people! Blessed be God.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever. Amen
The First Reading for this Sunday is taken from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 1, verses 6 to 14
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ 7 He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
The New Testament reading for this Sunday is taken from the First Letter of St Peter, Chapter 4, verses 12 to 14 and Chapter 5, verses 6 to 11
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice in so far as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
The Gospel reading for this Sunday is taken from the Gospel of St John, Chapter 17, verses 1 to 11
Hear the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ, according to Luke Glory to You, o Lord
1 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. 6 ‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, o Christ
Note :All readings are shared from the Church of England Lectionary App and are subject to copyright . © The Archbishop’s Council
This week’s sermon is delivered by Lorraine Ashworth
How powerful is God? I'd encourage you to read the verses of Psalm 68 set for today – we don't read the Psalm in a Holy Communion Service, but this Psalm speaks of 'lifting up a song to Him who rides upon the clouds'. You've got to be powerful to ride on clouds without a jet pack or a hang glider. It speaks of God causing earthquakes, just by walking in front of His people. Even King Kong and Godzilla can't do that. It says God 'sends out His voice, His mighty voice' – surely the crowds at Turf Moor or Anfield or Old Trafford don't shout as loudly.
Yes powerful.
But, But... the psalm also says 'Awesome is God in His sanctuary, He gives power and strength to his people'.
How much power and strength do we, the people of God in this place, need? How much did the people of the New Testament need God's power and strength?
On Thursday we celebrated Ascension Day. Our readings today also reflect that event.
Since Easter Sunday, the disciples had seen the power of Jesus as He appeared to them, in a locked room in Jerusalem, on a beach in Galilee, but even though Jesus had breathed on them and given them His spirit, they were still powerless. They were still afraid of any repercussions from being associated with Jesus. They stayed together, prayed together, worried together.
So how must they have felt when they went out of the city to the mount (possibly looking round for enemies) and when they were alone with Jesus how would they feel when they heard Him say “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. Hearing those words today, how do we feel? We may not go to the ends of the earth, but when we go on holiday or travel abroad for work are we witnesses?
And how must those disciples have felt when He disappeared, riding on clouds, disappearing before their eyes? I know I would not have felt powerful, I would have felt scared stiff because although Jesus had been killed, when He rose again He still met with them and now He was leaving them to fend for themselves. The spirit had not yet come upon them giving them power. We will hear about that next week.
So let's look at the letter from Peter, written several years after the Ascension, after Pentecost, at a time when the early church was growing in numbers and facing opposition from the authorities.
It starts by asking the recipients of the letter to rejoice in their suffering, it's telling them that they are being tested, that they are going through a fiery ordeal. Now that doesn't sound much like the new Christian disciples were powerful people.
But the power of the Holy Spirit isn't a dominating power. It is a power that allows them to endure pain, to endure scorn and ridicule, a power that keeps them proclaiming Jesus as Lord, the Messiah, the Saviour, regardless of what they are being threatened with.
The power of the Spirit helps them to resist the Devil who is described as a roaring lion. They are to be steadfast in faith, to continue proclaiming the good news even though it might (and did) cost them their lives. The love of God, the saving power of Jesus was so great that His people refused to deny the events of Easter even though it cost them their lives. It was true, they couldn't deny it and the Holy Spirit gave them the power to keep spreading the good news.
So what about us?
Have we received the power of the Holy Spirit? Do we hold this power so loosely that we almost let it go? Or do we hold on so tightly that we can't share it with others? We need to find a balance. To proclaim our faith but, as I said in my last sermon, not to shove it in people's faces so hard that it pushes them away.
Our community events, like cafe and lunches, our openness to the people of this area, our gentle witness as we meet toddler parents, the children and adults at messy church, quiz nights etc. These allow us to share God's love in practical ways, by providing warm spaces, a listening ear and a readiness to be there for all who we meet. We need to be prepared to answer questions about our faith if they arise. And that's not always easy. Okay, I'm standing here proclaiming the word, but when I am asked directly why I come to church, I might say, because it's a welcoming church, because the people are lovely and supportive. Instead of saying I come to THIS church because of those things, but I come to Church because I want to worship the one true living God, to learn how to follow His ways and live for Him.
When we look at the Gospel, it is the end of a very long prayer by Jesus after the last supper. Jesus stressed His unity with God declaring that what he is to do will glorify God. And Jesus prayed for us. The Gospel reading does not say He prayed for the whole world, but for those the Father had given Him. We belong to Jesus. And as such, we belong to the Father. We need our lives to glorify God.
Like the disciples, we have received God's word. We know the truth. We have been given the power of the Holy Spirit. So let's use it to proclaim that we in this place worship Him here. Let us continue to proclaim God's word in the whole of this building on Sundays and the rest of the week. Our perils may be building repairs, our adversaries may be faculties and grant funding, but we must trust because “the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish us".
And that is not just a call for the building to be repaired and restored, but for a restoration of our lives and the lives of all who we know. And in this time of 'Thy Kingdom Come' we need to pray for those we love to come to know Jesus for themselves. By our words, our actions and our prayers we need to demonstrate to the world, our community, our friends and relatives that we follow Him.
We have a powerful God, who gives power and strength to his people. Let us take hold of the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us and help us be of one body, one faith, one church, living for one Lord. Amen.