The good news about Jesus is delivered to us in the basket of the culture in which we live. The leaders of the early church, like Peter, have been raised in the teachings, language and customs of the Jewish faith. The challenge was to work out what aspects of their Jewish religion had to be carried forward by the followers of Jesus. The readings from Acts chapter 10 and 11 describe the painful adjustments made by the first believers and the discovery that sometimes God’s actions do not conform to the expectations of God’s people. The Gentiles, outsiders to the Jewish faith, decided to follow Jesus and received the gift of the Holy Spirit even before Peter finished preaching. For the early church this was a sign that the Good News could be received and shared amongst new peoples – from Jerusalem, to Judea and to the ends of the earth.

Blind man, Bartimaeus, was sitting beside the road when Jesus passed by. Calling out he attracted the attention of others in the crowd as well as Jesus. Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He responded, “O teacher, I want to see.” The man was spiritually blind but had great vision. As Jesus came near he saw the opportunity to have his needs met. He was clear about his needs and he was confident that Jesus could and would help him.
How about you? What would you ask Jesus to do for you? Perhaps we could have a conversation about that one day.

Grace and peace, Kaye

No matter what field of activity you think of, success depends upon discipline. Whether it be sport or weight loss, gardening or performing, graduating or driving, running a business or being an employee, nothing worthwhile is accomplished without discipline. Yet discipline is irksome. We dodge it if we can. We have to have sufficient motivation to be prepared to accept it. Only self-discipline is effective. Discipline imposed by another can only be effective when it becomes internalised.

As with everything else then, success in living the way God wants us to live requires discipline. Mark 9: 42-48 spells this out in a vivid and dramatic way. People don’t just drift into the kingdom of God. There is a constant bias toward selfishness and sin that has to be overcome. We have to take deliberate action to curb the impulses working against God’s ways of generous love. Of course this does not contradict the gospel of God’s grace. We are accepted, we are reconciled by grace, but we are called to live life within that acceptance and reconciliation.

This is where discipline comes in – the discipline to cut out that which gets in the road of living Christ’s way, the self- discipline that voluntarily places restrictions on our wants and desires. But that runs counter to the mood of the day. Voices around us are urging us to get rid of inhibitions. However if the motivation is strong enough people will accept discipline. To gain their objective they are prepared to place themselves under a coach or tutor and undergo a strict training regime. Love is the motivator for Christian self-discipline – love for God and love for other people. The Holy Spirit is the instigator of Christ-like love.

Grace and Peace.
(This message was quoted from ‘The Upper Room’)

I agree with the statements in the book of James about the tongue. “We can use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse our fellow humans who are created in the likeness of God.” James reminds the readers that although the tongue is a small organ in the body has great power like the rudder that steers a ship and a bit in the mouth of a horse.

That is why we need to be careful and disciplined in the way we speak, for our tongues can be used for blessing and curse. A gentle word turns away wrath, but gossip and slander can destroy the life of our neighbour.

Grace and peace, Kaye

Long term residents of the Granite Belt will understand the imagery of the vine and the vine dresser. At the moment the vines are changing colour and soon they will drop their leaves ready for the pruning that will ensure fruitfulness next season.

In John 15 Jesus refers to himself as the True Vine and God the Father as the vine dresser. The image helps us to recognise that the whole of God’s people make up the vine and are incorporated into Christ. We cannot be the Church without that connectedness. Furthermore, there may be times when we feel we are being pruned back and that can be painful. As congregations, and as individuals seasons of fruitfulness are often followed by a season of cutting back. Thinking about tough times as pruning can help us find the hope in tough times.

Grace and peace, Kaye

There are many popular and moving songs and hymns that we associate with Easter. I hope that we sing some of your favourites this year.

One contemporary piece written by Australian song writer, Geoff Bullock, is particularly fitting for Easter. It is called “I am carried,” and in the chorus we sing:

Held in grace scarred hands,
I am carried in the arms of grace and love divine.

The imagery of that line captures for me the grace of God extended to all people and to each one of us. The invitation comes each Easter season to reflect on the Risen Crucified Christ and what that means for us.

God be with you.
Kaye

Nicodemus went to visit Jesus under the cover of darkness. He was a Jewish leader, a teacher of the law and a member of the Jewish ruling council. In John’s Gospel we meet Nicodemus three times. In chapter three he visits Jesus under the cover of darkness to question Jesus about his teachings. In John 7 Nicodemus reminds his colleagues that a person must be heard before they are judged. Finally, Nicodemus is mentioned in John 19. He helped Joseph of Arimathea to prepare the body of Jesus for burial.

Have you ever met anyone like Nicodemus? He was a deep thinker who explored his faith with his intellect fully engaged. At first when he heard Jesus talk about being born again, he thought that it was nonsense. “A grown man cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born again!” Jesus explained, “A person is born physically of human parents, but spiritually of the Holy Spirit.” Later in the conversation Jesus talks about God’s love for the world expressed in sending his Son to bring hope and help and healing to all people. We are invited to a faith that engages our heart and soul and mind and strength.

God be with you.
Kaye

A large city church has a Visitors Book in the entry hall. From time to time the Church secretary read the comments. Mostly they were predictable, “beautiful church”, “inspiring”, “loved the stained glass windows.” One day she chuckled as she read, “We only came in to get out of the rain!” I am sure the members didn’t mind offering hospitality even though it was not the main purpose for which the church was built.

However, in today’s gospel reading from John 2 we heard about the reaction of Jesus to the traders in the temple courtyard who took advantage of the people who had come to worship and offer the sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. He turned over the tables which foreshadowed that he would turn the religious practices upside down. His death would be the last sacrifice. His resurrection would breathe new life into the old ways as people, by grace, could experience God’s forgiveness.

God be with you.

Kaye