Mike and Barney's

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

(Readings: Acts 4.5-12; Psalm 23; 1 John 3.16-24; John 10.11-18)

This Sunday we will read together one of the most well known and widely loved psalms: Psalm 23. For many this is one of the first scriptures that they learn by heart: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…’ 

This word-picture of God as our shepherd is taken up by Jesus in our gospel reading: ‘I am the Good Shepherd’. It is one of a number of ‘I am’ statements in the Gospel of John that echo the self revelation of God to Moses at the burning bush. Of course, there are also echoes from our Psalm. There the LORD (YHWH) is the shepherd who leads. In our gospel reading, Jesus is the shepherd who ‘lays down his life for the sheep’. It is a reference to the cross and a reference to Jesus’ radical commitment to us, his sheep. Jesus is no hired hand drawn to self-preservation. His is a costly commitment to our good. 

Later John wrote in his first letter that this revelation is the very source of our understanding of ‘love’. This does not only reveal God’s love toward us. It also reveals the source of our love toward others. As the apostle says: ‘By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.’ (1 John 3:16). 

May we be known by this very love. 

Our services today will be held at St Barnabas, Charnwood from 9:00am and at St Michael’s, Hall from 11:00am. All are welcome to join us. 

The Third Sunday of Easter

Readings: Acts 3:12-20; Psalm 4; 1 John 2:15-17, 3:1-16; Luke 24:36b-48

This Sunday we will hear the prophecy of the resurrected Jesus regarding himself and his gospel: ‘…it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning in Jerusalem.’

Our Acts reading initiates the fulfilment of this prediction. There Peter offers forgiveness to those who took part in the execution of Jesus. It is a beginning, not and end. From here this offer of God will be generously made to all people and nations. Repentance is the exemplary response. In Jesus we are invited to turn from sin and death to Christ and life.

It is our simple prayer that you may know today the peace of God’s forgiveness.

All are welcome to attend our service at St Barnabas, Charnwood from 9:00am or our St Michael’s service from 10:00am.

The Second Sunday of Easter

Readings: Acts 4:32-37; Psalm 133; 1 John 1:1-2:2; John 20:19-31

This Sunday our readings link three vital elements of the gospel: the resurrection of Jesus; the forgiveness of sin, and; the church’s fellowship.

We see this movement in the account of Thomas’ discovery of the resurrected Jesus, Jesus’ gift of forgiveness to his disciples, and the community Thomas (along with the reader) is invited into as he believes and discovers ‘life’. The same movement is in our Acts reading. There the Apostles proclaim the resurrection with ‘great power’ and ‘grace’ (forgiveness) and a radically generous community is formed. Our 1 John reading also links the light of God with our ‘walk in the light’ and then describes the result as ‘fellowship with one another’. Key to this reality is the forgiveness of sin.

Our God-won ‘unity’ is a result of the forgiveness of the crucified and resurrected Jesus. It is a precious and costly gift. The church is what results. May we never take it for granted. 

You are welcome to gather with us – a Jesus-forgiven community – this Sunday. We will celebrate Holy Communion at St Barnabas from 9:00am and at St Michael’s from 11:00am You are welcome to join us!