Excuse me, but I am going to use a personal reflection again today. Sorry! When I was a child, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, indeed I lived with them for a time. One of the great joys was to go into the cupboard of the sideboard. In there were all kinds of treasures for a six- or seven-year-old. There were games – dominoes, cards, board games. But best of all there were books. Not the usual kind of books but illustrated books. One of my favourites was the ‘Unive

Acts 2. 1-21. Wow! That reading is pretty dramatic isn’t it! The Holy Spirit comes down upon the Apostles in the most dramatic of ways – mighty rushing wind, flames of fire, the gift of languages! Speaking for myself, I have never experienced anything like that, maybe you have, but I have not. And that can be a little daunting. We can feel that we are somehow lesser Christians when we have not shared any such dramatic experience. In fact, many times in the history of the Chur

Acts 1. 1-11 (Ascension Day) & John 17. 6-19 (Sunday after Ascension, Easter 7) Acts 1. v9 – “(Jesus) was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight.” John 17 v11 – “I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world.” v17b “I have sent them into the world.” It seems to me that there are parallels to be drawn between the experience of the early church, the disciples, and our experience over the last twelve months or so. The disciples, even though distraught and

Gospel John 15. 9-17 9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. 12 ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14

Gospel reading John 15 1-8 Jesus said to his disciples: 1‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. 2He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine, you are the