Readings:
Acts 15:7-21;
Psalm 96: 1-3,7-10;
John 15: 9-11

Collect:
Risen Christ,
your wounds declare your love for the world
and the wonder of your risen life:
give us compassion and courage
to risk ourselves for those we serve,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Reflection

One of the things I enjoy about the cycle and rhythm of the church year is being attentive to the saints whose feast day we celebrate. This week has been a particularly rich one in terms of saints of the early(ish) church. We commemorate the feast days of the saints not in order to celebrate them for their own sake, but to celebrate the ways in which their lives point beyond themselves to reveal something of God. So who has the church been celebrating this week and what can they show us about God

On Thursday (19th) we remember Dunstan, a tenth century Archbishop of Canterbury who is celebrated as a restorer of monastic life. His commitment to monastic reform led him to think deeply about what it means to live in Christian community, and how the life of Christ finds expression in the life of the church. Perhaps he might inspire us to think about how we – in Watling Valley and beyond – live well together in community in ways which reflect to the world something of who Jesus is. 

On Friday (20th) we remember Alcuin, a deacon and a scholar, who studied and taught the faith in both England and France in the seventh century. His writings covered a huge range of subjects, from mathematics, to poetry, to theology, and he was passionate about making education, and particularly teaching about the Bible, more accessible to more people. Perhaps he might inspire us to consider how we are deepening and nourishing our own faith, and how we can share what we have learned and received with othe

On Saturday (21st) we remember Helena, who has the rather wonderful title ‘protector of the holy places’. Helena was a devout Christian, and a strong influence on her son, the fourth century Roman Emperor Constantine, under whose rule Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire. Perhaps she might inspire us to think about how we nurture the faith of others, and also to be encouraged that faithful nurture can have a significant and lasting effect. 

Taking together, this week’s saints give us a snapshot of some of the ways people of every generation, in every time and place have sought to follow Jesus: in building faithful community, in study of scripture and the faith, in nurturing the faith of others. So too we, the church in this time and place, are called to follow the example of those who have gone before us. 

On this coming Wednesday (25th) the church will remember the Venerable Bede, who chronicled the lives of so many saints of his writings, preserving their witness to inspire generations to come. I wonder how we might find inspiration in those who have gone before us – whether recognised as saints by the church or not – to help us grow in faith.   

Ruth Harley