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Showing posts from March, 2016

Before the Cock Crows

The second of our two Easter Eye-Witnesses, bringing to a close a series of 7 monologues delivered by various friends as part of our Holy Week Services at the Agape Centre. It was half a world away from here and half a lifetime ago, but I remember it as if it was yesterday. The day that changed my life forever, even though I didn’t realise it at the time… the day that changed the world, even though the world hasn’t yet woken up to the fact… I had barely woken up… The cock had just crowed, bringing the memories of two mornings before flooding back… The shame at being proved a coward… Realising how hollow all my brave words at the dinner table had been… That he knew… he knew everything… He had been warning us for ages that it would happen, but none of us believed him. “If anyone would follow me he must take up his cross and follow me...” I didn’t think he meant it literally… “I’ll follow in your footsteps wherever you go… even to death itself!” I said… And all the others said

Have You Seen Him?

The first of our two Easter Eye-Witnesses... Delivered in the beautiful surroundings of walled garden of Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park this morning as part of our communion service... bathed in early monring sunlight and accompanied by birdsong. I saw him… with my own eyes… although I didn’t recognize him at first… it must have been the tears… I thought he must have been the gardener, and I gave him a hard time about where they had put the body… I can’t imagine what he thought… I gabbled on until he said “Miriam”… My name… though you know me as Mary… Whatever way he said my name cut through my distress and confusion and I saw him as clearly as I see you now… my dear teacher… “Rabboni” I said as I rushed to embrace him… But he wouldn’t let me… Something about not holding him back from returning to his father… So I didn’t… But he asked me to go and tell his friends and family that he had risen and was returning to his Father God… So I did… to a mixed reception… but

I was There…

The fifth of our Holy Week eye witnesses at the Agape Centre, an appropriate one given that this day in the Christian calendar is usually the Feast of the Annunciation, 9 months before Christmas, but because it falls on Good Friday, that feast is deferred until the 4th April. 25  Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26  When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing near by, he said to her, ‘Woman, [ b ]   here is your son,’   27  and to the disciple,   ‘Here is your mother.’   From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. 28  Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’   29  A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.   30  When he had received the drink, Jesus said,   ‘It is finished.’   With that,

It Had Nothing to Do With the Money...

The Eye Witness at our Maundy Thursday Communion Service in the Agape Service offered us a different perspective on the events around the Last Supper and all that led up to it...  he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." 20  In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21  But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. Luke 22:19-21 (ANIV) I was there at the table with him… as I had been many times before… and I suppose it was me he was talking about… But  before we go any further, let’s get this clear, it had nothing to do with the money... I just had to do something. The others think the same as me, but they'd never do anything... All talk and no trousers. It’s always the same... It’s left to people like me to get blood on our hands... It was t

I Had Been Keeping That Perfume For My Wedding Day…

Our third Eye Witness at our Agape Centre Holy Week Services. Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.   2  ‘But not during the festival,’ they said, ‘or the people may riot.’ 3  While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4  Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, ‘Why this waste of perfume?   5  It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages   and the money given to the poor.’ And they rebuked her harshly. 6  ‘Leave her alone,’   said Jesus.   ‘Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.   7  The poor you will always have with you,   and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always hav

The Man Must Die

The second of our Eye Witnesses to the events of Holy Week at the Agape Centre this week: Caiaphas the High Priest, responding to all that Jesus said and did, not least in driving the moneychangers out of the temple. the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. ‘What are we accomplishing?’ they asked. ‘Here is this man performing many signs.   48  If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.’ 49  Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, ‘You know nothing at all!   50  You do not realise that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.’ 51  He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation,   52  and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.   53  So f

Call that a King

The first of a series of Eye Witnesses on our journey with Jesus through Holy Week at the Agape Centre this week, where Belfast South Methodist, St. Nicholas Church of Ireland and Windsor Presbyterian are sharing in a series of services. Tonight we looked at the events of Palm Sunday through the eyes of a Roman Centurion.  When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38  ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!’ [ a ] ‘Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ 39  Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ 40  ‘I tell you,’   he replied,   ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’ 41  As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it   42  and said,   ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your ey