Reflection – Day 26 of National Lockdown Tuesday 21st April 2020

The Archbishop has requested that we ring the bell every day at noon and say this Angelus prayer together

 

Angelus

God Bless the world
Give it wisdom at this time
Grant us relief and release
Be with those who are ill
And bless the carers fighting this pandemic

For Jesus Christ sake.
Amen

Eucharist readings for the week:

 

Monday 20th April
Acts 4:23-31 John 3:1-8
Psalm 22

Tuesday 21st April
Acts 4:32-37 John 3:7-15
Psalm 93

Wednesday 22nd April
Acts 5:17-26 John 3:16-21
Psalm 34:1-8

Thursday 23rd April
Acts 5:27-33 John 3:31-36
Psalm 34:15-22

Friday 24th April
Acts 5:34-42 John 6:1-15
Psalm 27:1-7,16-17

Saturday 25th April
Ecclesiasticus 51:13,23-30 Ephesians 4:7-16
Psalm 119:9-16 Mark 1:1-15

Oordenking Dag Ses-en-Twintig  Lockdown Dinsdag 21 April 2020

Handelinge  4:32-37       Psalm 93        Johannes 3:7-15

 

Goeie dag liewe vriende, 

Wat volg is een van die eenvoudigste beskrywings van ‘n ware gevoel van gemeenskap en tog is dit omstrede onder baie gelowiges. Gelowiges distansieër hulself hiervan want dit is te veel sosialisties. Die groep besit egter niks gemeenskaplik nie, maar individueel en verkoop wat hulle besit om met ander te deel. Lukas wys hier dat die basiese karaktereienskap van die vroeë kerk was dat hulle mekaar soos een groot familie behandel het, in liefde. Justin Martyr is die naaste aan ‘n ooggetuie van die praktyk van die vroeë kerk op skrif en hier volg ‘n aanhaling uit sy skrywe. 

 “En ons herinner mekaar aan hierdie dinge. En die rykes onder ons help die armes, en ons bly bymekaar; en vir alles wat aan ons voosien word, seën ons die Maker deur Sy Seun en die Heilige Gees. En op Sondag kom almal byeen in een plek en die rekord van die apostels of skrifte van die profete word gelees en wanneer die lesing klaar is gee die bedienaar  instruksie dat hierdie goeie dade nagevolg moet word. Dan bid ons en brood en wyn word gebring en die bedienaar offer gebedes en danksegging en die mense stem saam en sê amen. Daar is dan ‘n verdeling van wat geseën  en oor gedank was en wie afwesig is word bedien deur diakens. En hulle wie welaf  en gewillig is en gee wat hulle goed ag en dit wat  bymekaar gemaak is word aan die bedienaar  gegee wie die weses, weduwees en die wie weens siekte of ander saak behoeftig is ondersteun..” (Justin Martyr, First Apology, Afdeling )

Hierdie  is ‘n pragtige prentjie van die kerk en wys hoe baie liefde en ondersteuning hulle vir mekaar gehad het. Dit is wat die kerk vandag moet wees. Die vroeë kerk is ‘n voorbeeld van wat dit beteken om totaal en volwaardig verenig te wees onder die naam van Jesus Christus. As ‘n liggaam van gelowiges moet dit die hoofdoel van ons byeenkoms wees, met begeerte om God te aanbid en mekaar te dien. Indien ons rykdomme het, moet dit nie aan een gewy word nie, maar gestort word op die welstand van baie in die gemeenskap. 

Hierdie kort psalm beskryf die eer van God onder mense, Sy heerlikheid, die lyding van Sy vyande  en die gemak van sy liefdevolle onderdane. Dit word verbind met Sy koningkryk van voorsiening en die koningkryk van Sy genade, waardeer Hy die kerk vestig, heilig en behoue laat bly. Na die wese van God is daar niks meer belangriks om te glo, as dat God regeer nie. Dit is die lied van die evangelie kerk, die verheerlikte kerk dat God oneindiglik  regeer. Hier word ons ‘n verslag van Sy regering en hoe dit plaasvind gegee.

  1. Die Here regeer in heerlikheid. Hy is beklee met heerlikheid.
  2. Hy regeer met mag. Beklee met heerlikheid, eer en krag regeer Hy. Hy kan alles doen en by Hom is niks ontmoontlik nie.
  3. Hy regeer vir ewig. Sy regering is van die begin van tyd, voor enige regering, gesag en mag en sal enige regering, gesag en mag oorleef.
  4. Hy regeer oorwinnend. Ons het hier ‘n onbeweeglike anker in die midde van die storm. Die eindelose krag en mag van God dien as aanmoediging vir die volk van God teenoor al die geraas en gehaas van die wêreld.
  5. Hy regeer in waarheid en heiligheid. Al Sy belofte is foutloos getrou en Sy getuienis waaragtig. Al Sy mense moet toegewyd heilig en rein wees.

God se kerk is Sy huis, dit is heilig, gereinig, gewyd en word tot Sy diens gebruik. Dit is die heiligheid van God se huis wat dit verseker en waar daar reinheid is, is vrede. 

Ons sit vandag die nagtelike gesprek tussen Jesus en Nikodemus voort. Terwyl Nikodemus aanvaar wat Jesus gesê het oor wedergeboorte, wil hy, Nikodemus nou weet hoe om dit te bekom. Jesus beskuldig  Nikodemus en sy mede-leiers van ‘n gebrek aan geestelike insig en weiering om Sy getuienis dat Hy van die Vader kom te aanvaar. “ As julle my nie glo in wat ek julle vertel van aardse dinge nie, hoe sal julle glo as ek julle vertel van die dinge van die hemel”

Jesus spreek nie op eie innisiatief nie, maar uit wat Hy, Jesus deel met die Vader. Dit is die Vader se woorde en leringe wat Hy aan ons oordra, Hy is die Woord van God. Hy is nie net ‘n prattende woord nie; maar die een wie alles tot bestaan gebring het vanuit niks; wie die dooies tot lewe roep, wie die Heilige Gees aanstuur ;die bron van eindelose lewe; en die een wie ons kinders van God maak. Om dit alles te ervaar moet ons geloof in Jesus hê, as die ware woord van God en ons lewens in liefde leef. Die woord is nie altyd maklik om te verstaan  nie en verg ge-opende verstande en harte, sodat dit ontvang kan word. Dit is oor hierdie openhartigheid en aanvaarbaarheid dat Jesus Nikodemus en ander uitdaag.

Mense reageer verskillend op die woord, sommige glo ten volle, ander stap ontevrede weg ten spyte van al die tekens en wonders. Die enigste oplossing is om al ons aandag op Jesus te sit. Jesus in ‘n groter mate sal ook verhef word, beide op die kruis en die heerlikheid van Sy Vader deur die Opstanding en die Hemelvaart. En Hy sal die bron van krag wees vir almal wie hulself aan Hom toewy

Tot watter mate kyk ons na Jesus? Is dit ‘n blote skynskyk of is Hy die kern van ons aandag in alles wat ons doen en sê? Leef ons op so ‘n manier dat ons lewens Jesus as die ontvanger van ons liefde en bron van lewe reflekteer? 

Laat ons bid:

Liefdevolle Vader, U het aan elkeen van ons ‘n gelyke mate van u liefde gegee.

Leer ons, om ons naaste dieper lief te hê,

Sodat ons vredevolle en gelyke gemeenskappe kan skep.

Inspireer ons om ons skeppende energie te gebruik om die strukture wat ons benodig te skep.

Sodat ons struikelblokke van onverdraagsaamheid en onverskilligheid sal oorkom.

Gee dat al ons gedagtes, ons bedoelinge , aksies en reaksies gelei sal word tot liefde vir U en diens aan ander.    Amen.

(Aangepas vir ons vanuit  Being Neighbour: The Catechism and Social Justice)

 

Reflection Day Twenty Six National Lockdown Tuesday 21 April 2020

Acts 4:32-37                  Psalm 93              John 3:7-15

 

Good day dear friends, 

What follows is one of the simplest forms of describing a true sense of community and yet is one of the most controversial amongst believers. Many believers have tried to distance themselves from this aspect of the early church because it looks too much like socialism. It  however  does not appear as if the group owned any collective means of production, but rather, they privately owned  individual means. They used the proceeds to benefit the community, not just the individual. Luke intends to point out that the most basic characteristic of the early church was that they all treated each other as family and that they had no desire for worldly pleasures and treasures. Justin Martyr is the closest eye witness to the practices of the early church that we have in writing and he aptly describes it in his First Apology, in the following quote, a basic paraphrasing of Acts 4:34-35.

“And we remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker through His Son and through the Holy Ghost. And on Sunday, all who live gather together to one place, and the records of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, when the reader has ceased, the president instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we rise together and pray, and, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president offers prayers and thanksgivings, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, of what was blessed and to those absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they, who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who supports the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want.” (Justin Martyr, First Apology, Section 67)

This is a beautiful picture of the Church showing just how much love and support they have for one another. This is what the Church ought to be like today. This early church is an example of what it means to be totally and completely unified under the name of Jesus Christ. As a body of believers that is the main thing that should constantly bring us together and instil a desire to worship God and serve one another. If we have a supply of wealth and resources, let it not be devoted to a single person, but bestowed on the welfare of many. 

This short psalm sets forth the honour of the kingdom of God among men, to his glory, the terror of his enemies, and the comfort of all his loving subjects. It relates both to the kingdom of his providence and to the kingdom of his grace, by which he secures the church, sanctifies and preserves it. Next to the being of God there is nothing that we are more concerned to believe and consider than God’s dominion and that this God reigns. It is the song of the gospel church, of the glorified church the Lord God omnipotent reigns.  Here we are given an account of this reign and how it happens:

  1. The Lord reigns gloriously: He is clothed with majesty.
  2. He reigns powerfully. Clothed with majesty, honour and with strength. He can do everything, and with him nothing is impossible.
  3. He reigns eternally: Thy throne is established of old. God’s reign is ancient: it is established of old, from the beginning of time, before any other rule, principality, or power was established, as it will continue when all other rule, principality, and power shall be no more.
  4. He reigns triumphantly. We have here, an immovable anchor in the midst of a storm. The infinite sovereignty and appealing power of the great God serves as encouragement to the people of God as opposed to all the clatters and rushes they meet with in this world.
  5. He reigns in truth and holiness. All his promises are unmistakeably faithful and his testimonies truthful. All his people ought to be diligently pure:

God’s church is his house; it is holy, cleansed, consecrated and employed in his service. It is the holiness of God’s house that secures it and where there is purity there shall be peace. 

We continue today Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus, who whilst accepting what Jesus has said about being born again in the Spirit, wants to know how it can be brought about. Jesus accuses Nicodemus and his fellow-leaders of a lack of spiritual insight and a refusal to accept his testimony as coming directly from God.  “If you do not believe when I tell you about earthly things, how are you to believe when I tell you about those of heaven?”

Jesus does not speak on his own initiative, but of what he shares with the Father.  It is the Father’s words and teaching that he passes on to us – he is the Word of God.  His is not just a speaking Word; who brought all things from nothing, calls the dead to life, hands on the Spirit, the source of unending life, and makes us all children of God.  To experience all this we need to have faith in Jesus as truly the Word of God and to live our lives in love.

But the Word is not always easy to understand and it requires an openness to be received.  It is this openness that Jesus is challenging Nicodemus to have.  People respond to the Word in many different ways.  Some believe fully, others go away disappointed in spite of the many signs.  The only solution is to put all our focus on Jesus.  Jesus, in a much greater way, will also be “lifted up” both on the cross and into the glory of his Father through the Resurrection and Ascension.  And he will be a source of life to all who commit themselves totally to him.  To what extent are we “looking at” Jesus?  Is it merely a sideways glance or is he the centre of our attention in all that we do and say?  Do we live in such a way that our lives reflect Jesus to be object of our love and commitment as the source of life? 

Let us pray:

Embracing Father, You grace each of us with equal measure in your love.

Let us learn to love our neighbours more deeply,

so that we can create peaceful and just communities.

Inspire us to use our creative energies to build the structures we need

To overcome the obstacles of intolerance and indifference.

Grant that all our thoughts, intentions, actions and responses may be directed solely to your love and service this and every day.                  Amen.

(Adapted for our use from Being Neighbour: The Catechism and Social Justice)