Today we follow Jesus as he appears to the disciples for possibly the last time.
Open our ears to hear your words when you speak to us and try to reassure us that all will be well.  Fill our hearts with your Holy Spirit, teaching and comforting us.

In our Reading today from John chapter 14 verses 23-29, this is just a small part of Jesus’ goodbye message to his disciples.  How did Jesus say goodbye, and what instructions did he give to his disciples then and now?  Watch the video to find out more.

Thank you to Colin Anderson for our scripture readings, Bob Wilson for our  Intercessions and leading the choir, and José Cueto for recording the service.  But most of all to Pastora Jeanie for bringing us God´s message.
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We again welcome our special guest Preacher today, Pastora Jill Alventosa-Brown, as she opens the scriptures to us and explains how to live on earth as it is in Heaven.

God is determined to cure our human addiction to division. 
Today we find ourselves well into Eastertide, and together with the disciples, figuring out what it means to live as people of the resurrection.  What do you get when you blend together God’s creative, restorative power with the sacrificial love of Christ, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and a group of bumbling, mortal, very human disciples?

Watch the video to find out more.

Thank you to Rick Boyle for leading the service, Alan James for our scripture readings, Helen Tudor for our  Intercessions, and José Cueto for recording the service.  But most of all our thanks to Pastora Jill for travelling all the way from the US to brings us God´s message for the last two weeks.

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In our Gospel reading today, Jesus does not try to satisfy those gathered around him in the Temple. He knows that what they understand “Messiah” to be is probably very different from what he understands “Messiah” to be. And if he jumps in to satisfy their needs, they would probably not be able to hear what God is really trying to say through him. To be fair to those asking the question, “who are you, tell us plainly?”, Jesus is confusing! Jesus in John’s Gospel often speaks in metaphor, symbol and mystery. I am the vine, I am bread, I am life, I am the gate, I am the Good Shepherd. We can understand a bit why they are scratching their heads in frustration. And Jesus is exasperated with them! He has been teaching, and telling them, demonstrating who he is, but they have not seen or heard. And then he goes back to metaphor again by saying, ‘my sheep hear my voice, and they follow me,’ and they are confused once more. A key to understanding who Jesus is and who God is, is tied so closely together in our two texts for today. Who is this God whom Jesus came to show us? A God who is the ultimate provider of everything we need - not everything we want, but everything we need.

Thanks to Gordon Newlands for leading our service, to Myrna Coleman for reading the Scriptures, to Pastora Jeanie for the Intercessions and playing the organ, and to José Cueto for recording the service.

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Our Gospel Reading this morning takes place in Galilee, quite near the place where Jesus fed the five thousand. Seven of the disciples were together. Jesus had been crucified, He had been Resurrected and He had already appeared to these men, but there was still some unfinished business. If we set the scene, the disciples had been fishing all night and not caught anything. As they are giving up, they head toward the shore and see a man on the beach with a fire going. Who is he and what is he doing on the beach at dawn? As they get closer the man asks if they caught anything, they reply, No! So, the man tells them to throw their net on the other side of the boat. They probably thought he was crazy, BUT, ““When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.” And when they caught this incredible number of fish, then they knew that the Lord was with them. They knew that it was the Lord who had advised them where to cast their net. Because after having obeyed the Lord, they reaped a great harvest. They had caught nothing on their own, and it was in this that they were to learn a much-needed lesson: self-sufficiency is inadequate.  They must learn to depend on the Lord…IF they are going to fulfil their purpose, their calling in this life. And the same goes for us.

Thanks to Gordon Newlands for reading the Scriptures, Sharon Rippon for the Intercessions, Rick Boyle for leading the service and his very informative sermon, and to José Cueto for recording the service.

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