Lectionary Reading Easter 4 3 May
Collect for the day. O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people; Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads, who, with you and the holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Read. Acts 2:42-47. In the book of Acts, Luke makes a record of the early church so that we as readers may understand some of the history of the faith. There is some discussion about the date of writing but it is possible that the book was written within 30 years of the crucifixion. Here we have a recent record of the activities which surrounded the Apostles as the message of Jesus was proclaimed. In our reading for today there is the sense that the life of the church has begun to take shape and a new fellowship of believers has developed. We are reminded of the mutual sharing that was the mark of the church from the beginning. Many of the early believers were extremely poor and had a precarious existence, so to share what little you had was a true mark of love for one another.( One Roman historian remarked that followers of Jesus were either the poor or slaves. In other words they were the lowest strata of Roman society.) Luke however is not only recording their loving sharing but is also recalling that there was a new and powerful dynamic among the followers. He does not tell us what the “signs and wonders” were but what it does tell us is that the power of God was being experienced in the church: there is something more going on than simple acts of sharing and excitement is in the air. Already in their collective life together the apostle’s doctrine, fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers were seen as core activities. Worshipping together was an essential part of belonging. Perhaps now like never before we are recognising the joy believers have in worshipping together. Living in isolation reminds us quite forcefully how much we gain from meeting together. It should also remind us that it is more than simply meeting, that we need to pay attention to the core values that have been a part of the church from the beginning.
Prayer. Serve the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100). We thank you Lord that as we bow before you in prayer, your love surrounds us wherever we are and though we are separated by distance we are still bonded together by your Holy Spirit. So today we give you thanks and praise for all the blessings that are ours. We remember our companions and loved ones who maybe are far away; we pray for the lonely and those for whom isolation is a difficult trial. Touch each of us afresh with your love and renew our joy we pray. Help us to be mindful of those around us who are also living in isolation, for those who have to grieve alone, for those missing the touch of children or grandchildren. Embrace us all with your love that we may sense our togetherness even while apart. And we look forward to an exciting future when we will all be able to share together again. This we ask in the precious name of Jesus our Lord and saviour. Amen
Read. Psalm 23. Psalm 23 is one of the best loved and most remembered of the psalms; it covers a wide range of life events. The Lord God was recognised as the Great Shepherd of Israel. It was not simply that God cared for them it was God who gave Israel the law as a clear direction of how to live in harmony with God and with each other. With God as their shepherd there was nothing missing in their providential care. All that was needed was the ability to trust enough to be obedient. Having the Lord as shepherd meant letting him have authority over your life, after all obedience means letting another have authority. The problem with that is we just like the Israelites have a real ambivalence towards letting anyone have authority over us. On the one hand we often need guidance but on the other we are equally reluctant to follow that guidance. Someone writing in the paper yesterday marked with irony that we trust a host of on-line apps and functions, with little idea of who are behind them, with detailed information of our personal particulars and our whereabouts but will not trust our own government with a very small amount of personal detail. We have become so familiar with authority figures misusing their power it is hard for us to give them trust. Sadly that mistrust has spilled over in to so many aspects of life. Many today live with little hope for a better future and one of the reasons is that they find it hard to trust authority figures, even God. So our psalm today has a great message, if we trust God and let him be our shepherd, that shepherding will sustain us in every event that life can bring.
Prayer. For your goodness and grace we give you thanks O lord our God; for strengthening us in times of trial we praise your name. For you alone are faithful and true. And in you alone can we have complete confidence, for you are always at work sustaining us. As your word says, ”All things work together for good for those who love God”. (Romans 8:28) Grant that we may live, trusting in you alone and go on from strength to strength walking in obedience. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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