FROM REVD DR ANDY LYONS TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE LAMBETH CIRCUIT

Dear Lambeth Circuit Members

I write to you all, with the agreement of the circuit staff, to ask for your support for two projects at this time.

1:  Christian Aid Week 2020; Beating the lockdown to help poorest communities hit hardest by coronavirus
The North Lambeth Christian Aid Group (NLCAG) includes Churches serving all of Lambeth from Oval and Vauxhall right up to Waterloo.  Every year, Christian Aid Week happens around the second week of May and the NLCAG organises events and fund-raising activities.  This year, because of the Coronavirus emergency, we are having to do things differently!  I am a member of this group.

There was going to be a major sponsored walk event to be held on May 17^th   to raise money for Christian Aid.  As this has had to be cancelled, I am going to walk 170,000 steps in May and would like you to sponsor me and support Christian Aid, if you have not already done so.

Christian Aid can receive donations in several different ways.  The easiest is for you to use the NLCAG Just Giving page on the Christian Aid website, justgiving.com/fundraising/northlambethcaw-group or you can send me a cheque made payable to Christian Aid at 16 Wincott Street, SE11 4NT.

I promise you all I will do the full number of steps!!!

2:  Do I really need this’ project?
Whilst you are spending more time at home could you please look through your wardrobe and drawers to see if you have clothes that you do not need or use that are in good condition. Please bag these up and let me know if you have a bag for collection. We will then organise collection points or come and pick up if need be. We will donate these clothes to homeless charities and/or charity shops. Please email me andylyons58@gmail.com when you have a bag ready. 

3:  A short devotion for home use on Ascension Day – Thursday 21^st May

PRAYER:  
Sanctifying God, your gift to us is the One who overcame the all the hurt, harm and hatred of human life, who rose from the dead and now ascends into your bosom: grant that we, who follow his word and way, may be assured that Jesus is Lord of Life and Love, so that we might live our life on earth as if we lived in heaven.  Amen.

HYMN
1.  We sing the praise of Jesus,             
of our ascending Lord;             
the triumph of our Saviour,             
of Christ the Son of God.             
The forty days are over,             
earth sees his face no more;             
but Christ the King of glory             
we worship and adore.

2.  Rejoicing in Christ’s promise             
we wait in prayer and praise,           
the Spirit sent from heaven             
to set the earth ablaze;             
we pray with expectation,             
we praise with one accord,             
we wait for living fire,             
the power of the Lord.

3.  Therefore with saints and angels             
and all the hosts above             
we lift our hearts and voices             
to bless the God of love;             
to sing of our Redeemer           
who intercedes and prays,             
that God the Holy Spirit             
may guide us all our days.

4.  With songs of alleluia           
let earth and heaven ring;           
and praises to the Father           
let all creation sing.           
All honour be to Jesus,           
God’s own eternal Son;           
and to the Holy Spirit           
let endless praise be done!

READING:  Acts 1
1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning ²until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. ⁴While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; ⁵for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’

 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ ⁷He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ ⁹When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.¹⁰While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

REFLECTION
‘Then he (Jesus) led them out as far as Bethany and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried into heaven’. (Luke 24: 50-51)

With just this short verse, and another short telling of the story in Acts Chapter 1 verse 9, we get the story of the Ascension, and we will celebrate that festival on Thursday, the 21^st May. The ascension of our Lord does not get a Sunday festival. Pentecost, when we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit, does and we will celebrate that on Sunday 31^st May. Many churches, even in normal times, do not hold a service on Ascension day – and as we only have a couple of verses of biblical text we might even think it is not worth celebrating this day with its unusual text that seems to suggest that Jesus somehow flew up into the clouds. But that would be to miss the whole point of the theology that the story of the ascension suggests.

 The early followers of Jesus were all Jews. They, unlike other nations of the times, firmly and steadfastly believed in One God. After the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples began to reflect more and more on who Jesus was. When you read the New Testament, you see he was given many names, many titles – Son of Man, Son of God, Messiah (Christ), Son of David, Rabbi, Lord. Yet all these titles kept Jesus as a separate entity from God. Just as the Romans claimed their Emperor to be the Son of God, so could the early church claim Jesus as the Son of God. And yet this could not satisfy them. Their charismatic experiences post the death and resurrection of Jesus kept them faithful to a crucified man. Paul, who was so opposed to the early followers of Jesus, has an experience of Jesus on the Damascus Road, that transforms him. Peter, who denied Jesus, takes on leadership and preaches and heals as Jesus did. The disciples were transformed and empowered, in and through faith in Jesus.

But this posed a problem. What they experienced could only occur, they knew, through the gifting of God. How then could they be transformed through Jesus. And so, they began to reflect on Jesus being God’s own self, made known in the flesh. The story of Thomas, as told in the Gospel of John, reveals this shift in belief. In that story, after Thomas meets Jesus he cries out ‘My Lord and my God’. (Chapter 20 verse 28). And, the writer of John’s gospel, of course, develops his famous prologue – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’. (chapter 1 verse 1).

This is then, what we recognise and celebrate through the story of, and the festival of Ascension. God is one being, but God is not remote in heaven. To use the words of Charles Wesley – ‘God comes down, he bows the sky, and shows himself out friend’. (Singing the Faith 199). The life of Jesus was incredible – he was an amazing teacher, healer, prophet. The resurrection of Jesus was astounding – God vindicates the very life of Jesus though raising him from the dead – but the ascension story is meant to teach us that Jesus returns to heaven, to God, because he came from heaven and is part of the Godhead. Then, when we celebrate Pentecost, we know too that God is still present, in the being of the Holy Spirit, even if Jesus is not seen.

It took the church many centuries to fully develop the theology of the Holy Trinity – and every preacher will tell you that they find it hard to preach on Trinity Sunday because trying to explain the Trinity is trying to explain the mystery of God that cannot be explained. But simple stories like Jesus rising up into heaven, tell us through storytelling, rather than full blown theology, that, in the words of John’s Gospel – ‘Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me’. (Chapter 14 verse 11).

So, my sisters and brothers, this Thursday remember again, that it is God’s own self that was revealed in Jesus – that ‘the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us…full of grace and truth’. (John Chapter 1 verse 14). Have faith then, that we who follow Jesus, know the one and true and living God. 

PRAYERS
Gracious and loving Creator, in the manifestation of Christ you have revealed to all the earth the mystery of your love, spreading your illumination and your abundant promises unto all humanity:   Hear us now and visit us with that light, as we pray for the needs of all creation, saying: 
Arise, shine, for the light has come, and the glory of God has risen upon us.

Through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety may now be made known:   Help us, O Holy One, to manifest the boundless riches of Christ, becoming servants according to the gift of God's grace that was given us by the working of God's power.  Arise, shine; for the light has come, and the glory of God has risen upon us.

Let nations come to your light and rulers to the brightness of your day, O God, that they may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice, to defend the needy among the people, that there may be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.  Arise, shine; for the light has come, and the glory of God has risen upon us.

Thwart the schemes of the powerful against the weak throughout the world, that wisdom may serve justice and the wise may follow the child. Arise, shine; for the light has come, and the glory of God has risen upon us.

Manifest your Son to the peoples of our community and lead us to your presence, so all may see your glory face to face. Arise, shine; for the light has come,
and the glory of God has risen upon us.

Deliver the poor who cries out in distress and the oppressed who has no helper, as we pray especially for ___. We give grateful praise for Christ, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.  Hear our prayers of thanksgiving, especially for ___. We remember those who have entered into the mystery of your eternal life, especially ___. Arise, shine; for the light has come,
and the glory of God has risen upon us.

Gracious and loving God, we come before you with no gifts but ourselves:  Accept and receive our lives that we may be manifestations of your presence; let the light of your Spirit shine within and among us, so we may share in the mystery of your purpose of blessing for all creation, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

HYMN
O Christ, when you ascended, you took your rightful throne;
Your time on earth had ended — yet we weren't left alone.
You reign o'er earth and heaven; your Spirit guides our way.
Your prayers uphold your people; you lead your church each day.

We look at earthly rulers and see what they command:
We note their years of power, the borders of their land.
Yet, Lord, you are not bounded by things like time and space;
Your reign is never-ending, you rule in every place.

We're tempted. Lord, to leave you in stories nicely told;
Sometimes we don't believe you and say your ways are old.
Sometimes we feel so lonely and live in doubt and fear —
But your ascension means, Lord, you're present with us here.

It's often quite a challenge to follow in your Way;
We're easily distracted! It's hard, Lord, to obey.
Sometimes we give you Sundays — an hour, maybe two —
But your ascension means, Lord, all life belongs to you.

One day, O Lord, we'll know you, as we are fully known;
One day this world of sinners will bow before your throne.
One day, God's whole creation will sing and praise your name;
On earth as now in heaven, we'll celebrate your reign.

DISMISSAL
Go out into the world. and in your words and in your lives bear witness to the Christ who has ascended to be everywhere present. And as you come to know him, may God give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, may Christ Jesus lift up his hands and bless you, and may the Spirit open to you all the riches of Christ’s inheritance. We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,   In the name of Christ.   Amen.