The feast day of St Matthias, whom we hear about in the first reading today, falls on 14th May.  This year it was displaced a day (transferred in liturgical parlance) because that day was Ascension Day (a gold star for those that noticed the mis-spelling on the posters last week!) – Thursday last week.

Ascension Day is one of the nine “principal feasts” in the Church’s calendar and is the only one that can’t be moved to a Sunday which means that, given the pressures of work etc, it is often not observed as fully as the others (although the Roman Catholic Church has transferred it to a Sunday for just that reason).  We celebrated the feast in a service of Eucharist with hymns at St Nicholas.  The Day marks a crucial element in our Christian story as it celebrates Jesus being with his Father, at his right hand, making intercession for us.  In Christopher Wordsworth’s phrase, “man with God is on the throne”.

It falls 40 days after Easter and there used to be a practice in some places of extinguishing the Paschal (Easter) candle in the service on that day.  Common Worship, however, makes it clear that it is Pentecost (next Sunday) that marks the end of the great 50 days of Eastertide.  It is after Pentecost that we turn to ‘ordinary time’ (and take green as the liturgical colour).  The nine days between Ascension and Pentecost have a particular character of prayer and preparation to celebrate the outpouring of the Spirit – preparing us in our own day (and way and place) to be open to the power of that same Spirit.  This week please pray especially for the launch of the Diocesan Strategy next Sunday, in which we shall all share.

Anthony

Alleluia! Christ is Risen.

This Sunday is one bursting with activity – like the vine branches in our gospel reading bearing much fruit. It is a joy to be welcoming Bishop Geoffrey back to the 9.45 service at St Nicholas and for Canon Christine as his deacon for that service. Her recent installation as a Canon of Chichester recognises the contribution she has made to ecumenism and theological education.

Their visit reminds us of the way in which we, both as individuals and as a Christian community in this place and time, are branches connected with others and abiding in the one true vine. We are each called to bear fruit but also to rejoice in the fruit borne by other branches. As the Nic’s congregation gathers for the monthly all-age worship service at St Nicholas this morning we give thanks for the life that congregation draws from the Messy Church initiative at St Barnabas – and rejoice at the plans developing to have Nic’s on another Sunday in the month too and start a new Messy Church service in Maidenbower.

They’re the kind of examples of our common life that featured in the encouraging visit Archdeacon Fiona made to the parish last week as part of the review of ministry in Crawley and Horsham. The gospel reading also reminds us that fruit-bearing branches need to be pruned in order to stay healthy – something that applies in each of our spiritual lives as well as our common life. No one said it was easy! But, again, we can see the fruit in occasions like this afternoon’s baptisms & confirmations at Worth Abbey (by Bishop Mark) do, please, pray for the 16 candidates and   especially the 12 candidates prepared by Steve and myself.

Anthony