The Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 2. 42-47 Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2. 19-25 and John 10. 1-10

The second volume of Luke’s work: The Acts of the Apostles starts immediately after Easter with the risen Jesus in a small Christian community in Jerusalem and finishes with communities of believers in most of the principal towns and cities of the Roman Empire. Those communities were for the most part meeting in private: praying, reading the Scriptures and breaking bread in homes where people gathered. Christian communities have over past generations met is sacred places and ordinary spaces. Wherever we have met the fact that worship has been offered has made them to a certain extent holy. Some Christians have talked about Christians being in exile during this time of global pandemic. I am not convinced. We are not meeting in public because it is not safe to do so at present. This is not because, at least in Europe, we are fearful of persecution, but by doing so, the virus might be transmitted to the most vulnerable amongst us. No one wants that.

Mae ail gyfrol gwaith Luc: Actau’r Apostolion yn cychwyn yn syth ar ôl y Pasg gyda’r Iesu atgyfodedig mewn cymuned Gristnogol fach yn Jerwsalem ac yn gorffen gyda chymunedau o gredinwyr yn y rhan fwyaf o brif drefi a dinasoedd yr Ymerodraeth Rufeinig. Roedd y cymunedau hynny ar y cyfan yn cyfarfod yn breifat: gweddïo, darllen yr Ysgrythurau a thorri bara mewn cartrefi lle roedd pobl yn ymgynnull. Mae cymunedau Cristnogol wedi cyfarfod dros genedlaethau’r gorffennol yw lleoedd cysegredig a lleoedd cyffredin. Lle bynnag yr ydym wedi cwrdd â’r ffaith bod addoliad wedi’i gynnig wedi eu gwneud i raddau yn sanctaidd. Mae rhai Cristnogion wedi siarad am Gristnogion yn alltud yn ystod yr amser hwn o bandemig byd-eang. Nid wyf wedi fy argyhoeddi. Nid ydym yn cyfarfod yn gyhoeddus oherwydd nid yw’n ddiogel gwneud hynny ar hyn o bryd. Nid yw hyn oherwydd ein bod, yn Ewrop o leiaf, yn ofni erledigaeth, ond trwy wneud hynny, gallai’r firws gael ei drosglwyddo i’r rhai mwyaf agored i niwed yn ein plith. Nid oes unrhyw un eisiau hynny.

Luke gives an insight into what life was like. One of the hallmarks of the earliest Christian community was of learning. They were committed to the Apostles’ teaching. I imagine they wanted to learn more about Jesus. They learned too about prayer and breaking bread. I imagine for these new Christians they needed to learn a new rhythm or pattern for life.

Mae Luc yn rhoi cipolwg ar sut beth oedd bywyd. Un o nodweddion y gymuned Gristnogol gynharaf oedd dysgu. Roeddent wedi ymrwymo i ddysgeidiaeth yr Apostolion. Rwy’n dychmygu eu bod nhw eisiau dysgu mwy am Iesu. Fe wnaethant ddysgu hefyd am weddi a thorri bara. Rwy’n dychmygu i’r Cristnogion newydd hyn fod angen iddynt ddysgu rhythm neu batrwm newydd ar gyfer bywyd.

Generosity with time and resources was another hallmark of Christian communities. We have evidence from those writing about the time of how these communities went the extra mile to help those in need. These accounts were not written by people who were known to be friendly to Christians. How we live is sometimes the only clear gospel message that people here.

Roedd haelioni gydag amser ac adnoddau yn nodwedd arall o gymunedau Cristnogol. Mae gennym dystiolaeth gan y rhai a ysgrifennodd am yr amser y aeth y cymunedau hyn yr ail filltir i helpu’r rhai mewn angen. Ni ysgrifennwyd y cyfrifon hyn gan bobl y gwyddys eu bod yn gyfeillgar â Christnogion. Weithiau, sut rydyn ni’n byw yw’r unig neges efengyl glir sydd gan bobl yma.

Psalm 23 is a song of confidence and hope. In it, God is depicted as shepherd and host. You will have heard many times before that in ancient Palestine, the shepherd led the sheep from the front. The staff of the shepherd was a sign of authority. The kings of Israel and Judah were sometimes known as shepherds, whether they were good or not so good.  The twenty-third Psalm portrays God as hospitable. In the presence of the shepherd or king, there is (in this Psalm) a place of safety. During this time, perhaps that is what we need God to be: our shepherd and our refuge. I wonder what if our lives were mirror like: what people would see? Would they see Jesus? I hope so. May God bless you richly this week.

Mae Salm 23 yn gân o hyder a gobaith. Ynddo, mae Duw yn cael ei ddarlunio fel bugail a gwesteiwr. Byddwch wedi clywed lawer gwaith cyn hynny ym Mhalestina hynafol, arweiniodd y bugail y defaid o’r tu blaen. Roedd staff y bugail yn arwydd o awdurdod. Weithiau gelwid brenhinoedd Israel a Jwda yn fugeiliaid, p’un a oeddent yn dda ai peidio cystal. Mae’r trydydd Salm ar hugain yn portreadu Duw fel un croesawgar. Ym mhresenoldeb y bugail neu’r brenin, mae (yn y Salm hon) le diogel. Yn ystod yr amser hwn, efallai mai dyna’r hyn y mae angen i Dduw fod: ein bugail a’n lloches. Tybed beth petai ein bywydau yn ddrych: beth fyddai pobl yn ei weld? A fydden nhw’n gweld Iesu? Dwi’n gobeithio. Boed i Dduw eich bendithio’n gyfoethog yr wythnos hon.

Questions

1. What are the most important parts of Church life?

• When public worship eventually resumes, what should it be like?

Activity

1. Think of an act of generosity that you can do for someone this week – and do it.