27 April 2008

Welcome to St Alban’s Anglican Church 

Today's Scripture (HC) : Acts 17: 22-31    1 Peter 3: 13-end    S. John 14: 15-21

Today's Liturgy: 8.35 a.m. BCP Matins;   9.00a.m. Scripture Study Prep;   9.30a.m. Holy Eucharist ;   EP 6.00 p.m. Following the Holy Eucharist will be the Annual Church Meeting on the church premises.

Tues & Wed 12.30 p.m. Prayer.   Thurs (ASCENSION DAY) and Fri (SS. Philip & James’ Day) HC 12.30 p.m.

Fifth Sunday After Easter

O Lord, from whom all good things do come: Grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ.

FAITH IN FOCUS: NOT ALONE

Someone once said that the Holy Spirit is the forgotten Person of the Trinity. We pray to the Father and we are aware of wanting to imitate Jesus in his life of holiness, but we tend to relegate the Holy Spirit to third place. Of course, all three Persons are equal.

The very word "spirit" gives us a clue as to what the Holy Spirit does. It is connected with breath. Think of respiration, inspiration. The spirit is the breath of God that courses through us when we allow it to inspire and direct our actions. Living life in the Spirit means that we are not alone. If it were left up to us to make ourselves holy then we would be in fine state. It would be more perspiration than inspiration!

Today’s gospel reminds us of Jesus’ promise to send an Advocate. This too is the Holy Spirit. We use advocate to describe people who take up a cause and fight to see that justice is done. An advocate is also another word for a lawyer, someone who undertakes the legal work to defend us in court. We don’t stand alone before the prosecution and the judge.

A more precise English word for the Holy Spirit is Paraclete. Like an advocate Paraclete means someone you call to stand by your side, to accompany you through your ups and downs. The traditional hymn "Come Holy Ghost Creator, come" expresses this aspect of the Holy Spirit. There is someone with us.

In a world where everyone is told that they have to stand on their own two feet perhaps we have lost sight of the fact that we are not alone when it comes to living out our Christianity. To live in the Spirit means that we have a constant companion to whom we can pray, ask direction, and from whom we can seek help and inspiration. Jesus has not left us orphans. He has promised us the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Paraclete. It would be a pity not to call upon him.

WORD OF GOD

I will not leave you orphans; I will come back to you.

(John 14:18)

WORD FOR TODAY

Left to ourselves we would make a hash of being Christians. Our muscular Christianity would eventually let us down, leaving us frustrated. But Jesus promises that he will send us an advocate, someone to take up our cause. It is the coming of this Holy Spirit that our liturgy prepares us for today.

 

WE ARE ALL STRINGS in the concert of his joy; the Spirit from his mouth strikes the note and the tune of our strings. (Jakob Boehme)

THE INWARD STIRRING and touching of God makes us hungry and yearning; for the Spirit of God hurts our spirit; and the more he touches it, the greater our hunger and craving. (Jan van Ruysbroeck)

 

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS:

Mon: Numbers 16: 1-35, Luke 6: 27-38, 1 Pet 4: 1-11

Tues: Num 16: 36-end, Luke 6:39-end, 1 Pet 4: 12-end

Wed: Numbers 17: 1-11, Luke 7: 1-10, Col 2:20 - 3:4

ASCENSION DAY: Daniel 7:9-14, Acts 1:1-11, Luke 24:44-end

Fri(Ss. Philip & James, App) : Isa 30:15-21, Ephes 1:3-10, John 14:1-14

Sat : Numbers 21:4-9, Luke 7: 18-35, 1 John 2:7-17

NEXT SUNDAY (SUN AFTER ASCENSION DAY): Acts 1:6-14, 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11, S. John 17: 1-11