Important coronavirus update - the Isles of Scilly
are currently in partial lockdown and we will hold limited
services in our churches. Click on the links for the
churches news to find the plans for each church.
This page will be updated as things improve.
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The Revd Michael Pullan gives us this August 8th
message:
Readings
Matthew 28 v16-20, Mark 16 v8,14-20,
Luke 24 v50-53 and John 20 v31 and 21 v24-5.
Hold
the back page!
Do
you remember Deadline Midnight on TV. a series about
a newspaper? Do you recall the phrase," Hold the
front page" in journalism? Do you turn to the end
pages of a book to find out the ending before you read
the main body of the book?
I
have no way of knowing the answers you have to the questions,
but thought on my last weekly message I would write
a little on holding the back page - the ending of the
four gospels.
A
normal back page of many papers gives sports news, results,
analysis etc., and may look forward to future events,
the gospels have some similarities.
In
Matthew, Jesus physically leaves the earth and gives
the disciples the great commission to go into all the
world making disciples, marking disciples and maturing
disciples (read v18 and 19a) a task not limited to that
time but for Christians for all time.
In
Mark 16 v8 (often called the shorter ending) Jesus sends
out the disciples worldwide.
Mark
16 v14-20 (the longer ending) He challenged them about
faith in His resurrection and sent them out similarly,
indicating some of the things they would accomplish
(v14-18). Then he ascended and they set off on accomplishing
the task.
In
Luke 24 v50 Jesus blessed the disciples, ascended and
they returned to Jerusalem to share worship and fellowship
whilst waiting (as told to) for God to empower them
(Pentecost), after which they would begin their task.
In
John 20 the writer describes the purpose of the scriptures,
to inspire belief and find real meaningful life.
In
John 21, John gives his own testimony of faith and a
picture of the volume of Jesus' works.
The
challenges are for us all; to share the good news locally
and worldwide, to have fellowship and worship, to teach
the faith, to recognise the help needed to do any of
this and rely on God's power and to enjoy real life
in all this and everything else we do. May that be and
continue to be our experience.
