Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! Alleluia!!
Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter. The theme this week is Generosity.
Read the story of Jesus inviting his disciples to breakfast on the beach in John 21:1-14 Listen to a reflection on the on the reading here.
Don’t forget to continue with your daily gratitude practice.
Our generosity is rooted in God’s generosity. In Jesus’ day, to eat with another person was to declare radical solidarity with that person. Which explains why Jesus was so criticised for the company he chose over dinner.
How might you express God’s generosity through food today?
Is there someone you could make a meal for and deliver it to their door? Do you have an abundance of fruit or veges from your garden that you could share with a neighbour? Or perhaps you could donate to a foodbank or KidsCan.
Steven Charleston writes, “Kindness is not just an act, but a blessing. When someone treats you with kindness the impact of that blessing stays with you. It seeps into your spirit. It changes your self-perception and alters your outlook toward the world around you. This blessing is so enduring we can remember a single act of kindness for a lifetime. We can look back and count the people whose kindness shaped our lives. Kindness is one of the most powerful spiritual tools we possess. We should use it with intention and we should use it often. How do we change the world? One kindness at a time.”
What kindness can you do for someone today?
It’s easy to be generous with something we have lots of. It’s much more difficult to be generous with something in scarce supply. One of the characteristics of this generation is the dis-ease of busyness. Most of us are ‘time poor’.
Today the invitation is to be generous with your time.
Who might you spend time with, today? A family member or friend with whom you have had little or hurried communication? Sit with them or give them a call and concentrate on really listening to them. Make sure you are really ‘present’ for them – not distracted by other demands.
Today is Ascension Day. Click here for the text of Acts 1:6-11. Read it out loud.
Paula Gooder writes of the Ascension, “After the resurrection, once they had grasped what had happened to Jesus, the disciples were in danger of slipping back into their previous form of existence. What they most needed was a vacuum, and this is what the ascension provided, a space that could only be filled if they picked up the challenge and took it on.”
What vacuums have come into your life, to challenge you to step more fully into ministry?
Click here to be led through The Examen.
Concluding Prayer:
God of opportunity and change,
praise to you for giving us life at this critical time.
As our horizons extend, keep us loyal to our past;
as our dangers increase, help us to prepare the future;
keep us trusting and hopeful,
ready to recognise your kingdom as it comes.
Amen.