Reading
John 17 v25 – ‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made your word known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. ‘ After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.
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Reflection
Over these past 54 years I have had three gardens to cultivate all different sizes and shapes. The first one involved breaking up a concrete path, the second installing a pond and the third removing a conifer hedge
which stretched across the garden in an inconvenient place, together with other changes. All quite different and challenging.
In Jesus’ case he met various challenges associated with gardens. There was the ‘Garden of temptations’ where he was to face the Devil. This was followed by the Garden of Gethsemane where he was betrayed. There was the ‘Garden of Resurrection’ where he was to meet Mary Magdalene.
As we celebrate Easter Day can we reflect on what this means to us and how it was that we came to believe in Jesus, Who or what it was that that brought us to Jesus and has sustained us in the Christian faith today and what challenges we have had to face over past years.
Spiritual Exercise
Your to-do for today: Perhaps you have a friend who has not accepted the Christian Faith. Is there an opportunity coming up soon when you might be able to offer some form of encouragement to them to ‘come and see’. Perhaps when we are able to, can we invite them to Lunch Club or the afternoon Film Club?
Music
Have a listen to these great songs as you think about today’s reflection:
Digging Deeper
Want to spend a little time digging into this series?
Church of England Daily Prayer.
Church of England Lent: LiveLent: God’s Story, Our Story
Link to St Andrews online Services.
