Help us to seek and serve you

Whenever I think of serving Christ in some way,
I think of those wonderful words about serving others from St Matthew’s Gospel. That could well be influenced because I frequently see a stained glass window in Godmanchester church depicting this passage — pictured right. It is above the St Anne Altar in the church, and is my favourite window there. It’s a fine example of stained glass by Burlinson & Grylls, a firm set up in 1868 by G F Bodley, perhaps the most scholarly of all Victorian Revival architects.

for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

Matthew 25:35-40 (NRSV)

This passage, along with these words from the Collect for Ascension Day, “help us to seek and serve you”, remind me that we can never really know who we might actually be serving when we care for others. And that we should be serving them as if we were serving Christ himself — we might be!

When we truly seek to serve Christ in everyone we meet, when we truly love others as if they were Christ himself, our human nature just might be raised to the throne of heaven. To my mind that is the true vocation, the true ministry, of each and every one of us; and everything else flows from that.

Risen Christ,
you have raised our human nature to the throne of heaven:
help us to seek and serve you
that we may join you at the Father’s side,
where you reign with the Spirit in glory,
now and for ever. Amen.

Additional Collect for Ascension Day
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council

By the lakeside you renewed your call to your disciples

When I used to be somewhat fitter, a while ago now, I enjoyed walking. One of the places really liked going to was some flooded gravel pits near where I lived. I would find somewhere to sit and soak up the sunshine. And I would watch the water-birds going about their day. I couldn’t tell you what kind of birds they were, just that they were feathered creatures that lived in, or near, water.

I enjoy sitting by water of any kind, rivers, lakes, gravel pits, or the sea. For me, it’s a great way to become aware of the presence of God, through the beauty of his created world. I nearly took up fishing, just so I would have an excuse to sit by the water for hours at a time, absorbing the peace of God which passes all understanding.

But that isn’t how it would’ve been for the disciples when they met with Jesus by the lakeside after that first Easter (John 21:1-19). Jesus, their dear friend and leader, the person they had invested all their hopes in, was dead. They would’ve been devastated, and probably went fishing because they didn’t know what else to do.

They were heading back to shore after a fruitless night’s work, when they saw a man standing watching them. As in so many of the resurrection stories, they didn’t recognize him straight away. He encouraged them to do something a little differently, shift their position so to speak. Perhaps they thought he could see something from his vantage point that they couldn’t. But, whatever, they followed his advice, and caught a huge net-full of fish. It was then that they realized who it was on the beach.

And when they finally hauled their catch to shore, Jesus welcomed them with a warm fire and breakfast cooking. That must’ve been quite a welcome for those disciples, cold and wet as they were.

One of the things that I find amazing about this story is that Jesus didn’t really mention the huge catch of fish. Apart from a few fish to add to what was cooking on the fire for them all to eat, nothing is said about them. They were a gift, for the disciples to do with as they would — no pre-conditions, no strings, nothing.

After breakfast, after they’d been given the gift of a huge catch of fish, and after they’d eaten together, Jesus asked Peter, three times, if he loved him. And renewed Peter’s calling, and through him the rest of the disciples’, and our calling too. Theirs, and our, calling to love and care for our fellow human beings.

Maybe when we truly recognize, and act on, that calling, we might be able to bring others to warm themselves in the fire of Jesus’ love.

Risen Christ,
by the lakeside you renewed your call to your disciples:
help your Church to obey your command
and draw the nations to the fire of your love,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Additional Collect for The Sixth Sunday of Easter
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council