Colourful Dreamer

Pentecost Sunday marks the end of the great season of Easter. Bosco Peters reminds us that…“Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost do not form three seasons. The Easter Season celebrates the three dimensions of the resurrection, ascension, and the sending of the Spirit. These fifty days, a seventh of the year, form our great "Sunday" of the year. Just as Sunday is the first and the eighth day, so the "great Sunday" of the fifty days of Easter begins with the day of the resurrection and continues through eight Sundays, an octave of Sundays, a "week of weeks." [1] This week of weeks had been celebrated from our homes. A most memorable Easter indeed. Pentecost is a turning point in our church year. It is where we leave Easter and enter Ordinary Time. We are invited to stop and pay attention to the work of the Spirit of God in our lives. And this year we need that more than ever. Normally at Pentecost we focus on the account in Acts. Which is not surprising given

This sermon can be listened to here Gate Pa - Ascension Sunday and Easter 7 Year A, 2020 Readings - Psalm -             Psalm: 68:1-10, 32-35 First Reading - Acts 1:1-14 Second Reading - Eph 1: 15-23 Gospel -            John 17:1-11 What I want to say: As we reflect on the Ascension and Jesus final prayer while we continue to not meet in church and live our lives under level 2 restrictions, where do we see God at work? What I want to happen: How does our abiding in the Godhead affects how we see the world and how we live our lives. The Sermon 1. Introduction: This week we returned to the parish office. It was strange going back into the church, still with the Lenten purple and flowerless. It remains locked and apart from the cleaners, I am the only person going in there at the moment for prayers at 9.30 Tuesday to Friday. I wonder when we will safely be able to offer services again.

On Thursday we remembered the Ascension of Jesus. I posted some remarks on Facebook and the parish YouTube channel about what that might offer us this year. We sometimes describe the Ascension as the risen Jesus leaving earth to be with God, leaving us to carry on the work of God in the Spirit. Because Christ is no longer with us, we become his hands and feet. I am not sure that is what is meant here. In the incarnation, the Word of God came among us in a particular place and time in Jesus. The crucified and risen Jesus was still present to his disciples in that particular time and place. The Ascended Christ returns into God who is beyond time and is present in all places and in all time. Though the Ascension Christ is known in all times and in all places and continues the work of bringing about the reign of God on earth as in heaven. Which means that Christ is with us in all times and places including: in lockdown levels 4 and 3; in the restrictions of level 2; whether we

This sermon can be listened to here   Gate Pa – Year A  6 th Sunday of Easter - 2020 Readings: Psalm                          Psalm:  66:8-19                                           First Reading :              Acts 17:22-31                      Second Reading :        1 Peter 3:13-22              Gospel :                        John 14:15-21                             What I want to say: The gift of the Spirit is that the love of God resides in each one of us, that all may be drawn into the way of God – the way of compassion, generosity, justice and love. What I want to happen: People to reflect on this awesome gift, and awesome responsibility in this time of pandemic. The Sermon Introduction I wonder how you are feeling after the announcements of Monday. It was a surprise that we would be limited to groups of 10. And that meant we would not be starting for a few weeks. While I know that some of my colleagues are outraged, for many of us vicar