{"id":2773,"date":"2020-05-10T00:00:14","date_gmt":"2020-05-09T23:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.markinchchurch.org.uk\/?p=2773"},"modified":"2020-05-08T12:29:13","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T11:29:13","slug":"a-reflection-for-the-fifth-sunday-of-easter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.markinchchurch.org.uk\/?p=2773","title":{"rendered":"A Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Easter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rev Alistair McLeod\u2019s message for the Fifth\nSunday of Easter.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easter 5:  Scripture readings for today are: Peter 2. 2\nto 10 and John  14. 1 to 14.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does it all feels a\nbit crazy right now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are in a time of\nuncertainty.   People all over the world\nare feeling uncertain and have unanswered questions.  When have so many people, everywhere, felt so\nuncertain, had so many unanswered and unanswerable questions all at the same\ntime? When have so many plans been upended and suspended? There are so many\nguidelines, provisional, temporary, always subject to almost daily revision,\nand we ask, how long will this last? When will we be able to go out again?  Meet family and friends; work normally; feel\nsafe again?  This unseen enemy with its ability\nto reach into our homes, churches, schools, hospitals, economy all leave us\nfeeling more than a bit adrift like on a restless sea. We may feel that we are\nunable to get a foothold on something dependable and unshakeable. We can feel\n\u2018de-realised\u2019, but hold fast \u2013 keep safe \u2013 keep the faith. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is the message\nof our lessons for today. Yes, the feeling of uncertainty is real. Yes, the\nfeeling of being off course without our regular patterns and signposts is real.\nYes, the longing for something unmovable yet lifegiving, solid and sustaining,\nconcrete yet creative is real. And yes, God gives us a way that is steadfast even\nwhen we feel like we\u2019re in sinking sand; a truth that is certain when everything\nfeels out of kilter, a life that is assured when everything is shifting. God\ngives us precisely what we need for this moment and for all time because God\ngives us a person and makes us into a people. \nOur Scripture lessons today bear witness to this assurance, this place\nto get a foothold, this pledge of security no matter what.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus said, \u201cI am\nthe way, and the truth, and the life,\u201d. With Jesus, we have sure footing. With\nHim, of course, there is a way forward. We may not see the next step, but He\ndoes, and if we stay close, follow Him, and depend on Him, we can move forward strengthened\nby the unmovable, unshakeable, unshifting ground that supports us, the guide\nthat won\u2019t leave us, the God who will never lose us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus assures us\nthat if we know him, we know the one he calls Father, also. God is not aloof,\nbeyond the troubles of this world. God is knowable because Jesus is knowable.\nWhat does this tell us about God? The God we know in Jesus Christ became flesh\nand dwelt among us, made a home among the poor, cared for the sick, lived\nhumbly, fed the hungry, blessed children, washed the feet of his disciples,\nwept at the death of his friend, promised that death will not be victorious,\nmet his disciples even when they had fearfully self-isolated in an attic room,\nwent ahead to prepare a place for us, and will come and take us to himself, that\nwhere he is, we may be also. God is with us, even in our vulnerability, our\nuncertainty and our fear. Reach out, here is God. Take a step forward on the\nway. Our footing is sure. The path holds. His way leads to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although everything\nmight feel a bit up in the air at this time. What is not up in the air \u2013 is not\nin doubt \u2013 is God\u2019s love for you and Jesus \u2019being there to love us through all\nthe uncertainties of this present time. The reliability of Jesus\u2019 love for us\nvery real and it doesn\u2019t need daily revision \u2013 it is eternal.  Jesus is the Way, the truth and the Life and\nin Him we find a solid and stable foundation. \nHold fast to His presence and we will get through this virus. Amen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 A prayer:<\/strong> 
\nLoving Father, we thank you that you are a God who daily reaches us more about\nyourself, who has always more to reveal of your love. Speak to us now and give\nus ears to hear.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank you for the many ways we hear your voice \u2013\nthrough the scriptures, the world around us and the people we meet, through prayer\nand reflection; through the experiences of daily life, and though our daily\nwalk with you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loving Father, thank you that day by day you speak\nto us. Help us to be open to all you have to say, ready to hear your\ninstruction and accept your guidance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save us from closing our ears to that which we do\nnot want to hear; from becoming so fixed in our ways and opinions that we\nbecome spiritually deaf; from limiting your word or denying your call through\nour unwillingness to listen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speak to us now and give us ears to hear, through Jesus Christ our Lord.\u00a0 Amen<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rev Alistair McLeod\u2019s message for the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Easter 5:  Scripture readings for today are: Peter 2. 2 to 10 and John  14. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.markinchchurch.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.markinchchurch.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.markinchchurch.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.markinchchurch.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.markinchchurch.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2773"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.markinchchurch.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2776,"href":"http:\/\/www.markinchchurch.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2773\/revisions\/2776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.markinchchurch.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.markinchchurch.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.markinchchurch.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}