This Sunday’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 4.32–35) paints a beautiful picture of the early church. All the believers worked together for the common good and supported the apostles in their preaching of the gospel. This was not an easy time for the church. In the passage before this one, Peter and John had been arrested for teaching about Jesus. Yet the apostles refused to be silenced. They remembered the words of Psalm 2, where God defended his anointed against the rulers of the earth. This encouraged the early church to continue to live as a loving and supportive community and to tell everyone about Jesus.
Although we know that it was not long before disagreements spoilt the harmony in the church, this picture of a community remains one that we can aspire to. Being grounded in scripture, caring for and supporting one another and telling those we meet about Jesus are at the heart of what it means to be the Church. As church communities, we need to look for ways we can get closer to this pattern, which Luke presents in Acts.
This Sunday, we have our usual services for the first Sunday of the month. There is creative church in the morning at St Mary’s and Holy Communion at All Saints. There is also Evensong in the evening at St Mary’s.
10.00 am – St Mary’s – Creative Church
10.30 am – All Saints – Holy Communion with Junior Church
6.30 pm – St Mary’s – Evensong
We have our usual weekday services with Celtic Morning Prayer on Wednesday at All Saints and Holy Communion on Thursday at St Mary’s. Next Sunday follows our usual pattern for the second Sunday of the month. There is Holy Communion at 8.00 am at All Saints and 10.00 am at St Mary’s. The 10.30 am service at All Saints will be Messy/Muddy Church.
Wednesday 10th – 9.00 am – All Saints – Celtic Morning Prayer
Thursday 11th – 10.00 am – St Mary’s – Holy Communion
Sunday 14th
8.00 am – All Saints – Holy Communion (said)
10.00 am – St Mary’s – Holy Communion
10.30 am – All Saints – Messy/Muddy Church
As we continue to celebrate the resurrection over the weeks of the Easter season, let us pray for Christ to open our hearts to follow him using the words of the collect for Sunday.
Risen Christ,
for whom no door is locked, no entrance barred:
open the doors of our hearts,
that we may seek the good of others
and walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace,
to the praise of God the Father.
Yours in Christ
Mark
St Mary's, Fishponds 