Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on Pentecost Sunday. This morning we have a Parish Eucharist at 9.15 am at St Thomas' Church, followed by our Proceesion of Witness around Lees at 11 am, and a Churches Together in Lees and District joint service at 12 noon at St Thomas'.
We do hope that you can join us, but if that's not possible you can find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Our Blest Redeemer, Ere He Breathed"
Today's Gospel
John 14:8-17 (25-27)
Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.
Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you."
"I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."
Reflection
We believe in one God, the Father, the almighty.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Do you recognise these words? They are of course extracts from the Nicene Creed. The statement at the heart of our Christian faith. This year we celebrate the 1700th anniversary since it was agreed by very many learned theologians. In fact it took several hundred years for various Christian Councils to finally agree on the wording. Since then there have been many scholarly debates about the nature of Christ – fully human and also fully divine – but the Creed has stood the test of time.
John’s gospel this week goes to heart of the question about who is Jesus? The subject is referred to as Christology.
Philip blatantly says to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied”. We might be surprised that he asks this, given he has been around Jesus so long and has been listening to his preaching and ministry.
But let’s not judge Philip too harshly. Philip’s plea is innocent and honest. It expresses the same longing that we would hope all people have deep in their soul: to see God, to know God, to understand the mystery and presence of the divine with clarity.
Philip is arguably just saying what many people might think at time. We all hunger to know God better.
Let’s look at Jesus’ reaction for a moment. The text doesn’t offer any description of how Jesus reacted. It doesn’t say was angry, or surprised or disappointed or give any other indication as to how he might have felt. Jesus could easily have performed another miracle to prove His divinity – but He doesn’t.
Instead Jesus gently prompts Philip to recall the previous miracles he has witnessed - Jesus says, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.”
He is as good as saying, what more proof do you want? You are stood in the very presence of God the Father who has been made incarnate.
But then Jesus reveals a far greater message, that is the promise of what we read about in Acts 2:1-20 – The coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promises that He will ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to be with us forever – The spirit of truth. That’s the marvellous story of Pentecost that we celebrate today where the Holy Spirit descends on the masses. The fulfilment of Jesus’ promise. If you don’t get the chance to attend a celebration today please look this wonderful story up in your bible or online.
So what does this mean for us? Unlike Philip and the other disciples, we have never seen the physical manifestation of Jesus incarnate or heard Him speak in person. But by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are all invited to experience the power of God in the world and in our lives, and to suspend thoughts of disbelief and uncertainty about what seems to be impossible. Because as the Angel Gabriel says, with God, nothing is impossible [Luke 1:37]
By the power of the Holy Spirit we are invited to feel the presence of God deep within us, guiding and forming us. We are invited to know God – not by seeing Him in the flesh or by witnessing awesome miracles performed before our own eyes; rather the Holy Spirit offers us the opportunity get to know God more intimately, to hear God speak to us in our own language and to understand Him as He understands each and every one of us.
Isn’t that all that Philip was asking?
Paul
Our Prayers
Loving Father God,
We thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to us;
to reveal you to us, through the power of the Gospels.
To guide and us and fill our hearts and minds
with the knowledge of your unending grace and love.
To give us the ability to set aside human reason
and see your magnificence revealed
through your work in our lives.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "This Is The Day"
Notices
From Saturday 7th to Sunday 15th June is “Churches Count on Nature Week”, and we will be taking part at St Thomas’ as part of our work to become an ‘Eco Church’. If you would like to be part of a team identifying and counting wildlife in our churchyard, please contact Liz.
Harvest Queen Amelia invites you to her ‘At Home’ on Saturday 14th June at 3 pm at St Thomas’. There will be refreshments, stalls and a raffle in the school hall afterwards, and donations of raffle/tombola prizes will be gratefully received. Please ask Karen or Vikki for more details.
.jpg)
