FACE TO FACE AT LAST!

JOHN 20:16  JOHN 20:28 JOHN21:7

It was just outside the London Palladium that I met him.

The streets were crowded with people going to the theatre to see “The King and I”.

Suddenly there he was right in front of me. Face to face.

It felt as if there was only he and I in that busy London Street,

That everything else had gone quiet. Waiting to see what happened.

He smiled as if he knew me.

“Thank you for everything” I blurted out and touched the sleeve of his garment. What a silly thing to have said.

“Thank you” he said. He smiled and was gone. Lost amidst the crowd of theatre goers. 

The Easter stories are all about people coming face to face with God.

Hearing his voice. Seeing his body. Touching his flesh.

Here we have Mary Magdalene in the depths of her loss.

Fearing that something terrible had been done with the body of Jesus.

She hasn’t a clue what’s going on until she hears God speaking her name.

“Mary” and she blurts out “Master”

The mysterious disciple whom Jesus loved is part of a dispirited fishing party. Where is their leader? What is their hope without him?

Then they see a man preparing breakfast on the beach.

“It is the Lord” cries the disciple and Peter somersaults into the water to be the first one to get to Him.

Thomas was absent when Jesus came to them next and he was unable to grasp what they told him.

“Unless I touch his body, I cannot believe he was here amongst you”

“Touch me then Thomas” invites Jesus eight days later.

“My Lord and my God” he exclaims as he touches the marks the nails made.

Mary Magdalene heard the voice of God.

The beloved disciple saw the body of God.

Thomas touched the flesh of God.

At 10am we have the Baptism of Katie Louise and I’m not sure she’ll realise what holy ground she and her family will be standing on.

I’m not sure that she realises how those three Easter stories will this very morning find their home in her.

Rev Rosemary will say her name before she baptises her.

Katie will be on her lips as if it is on the very lips of God.

As with Mary Magdalene – so with this tiny child.

She pour water over the child’s head and we will hold our breath to see if Katie cries. It will be like the touch of God upon her, sharp, startling, cleansing, renewing.

Thomas touched God – so through the water of Baptism – God will touch Katie.

A lighted candle will be presented to the child and just for a moment she will catch in her eyes the glory of a living flame.

It will be like seeing God  like the beloved disciple did.

In baptism we are saying that we shall live with the expectation that one day Katie will realise this truth for what it is and in the company of the disciples who have gone before her – she will with her own mouth – cry out:

Master! Lord! And God!

Have there been moments like these for you?

Do not forget them? Draw upon them for the eternal stream of grace they are.

Does today find you in need of such an inbreaking?

All you need to do is open your eyes to the possibility of the moment.

“You’ll never guess who I’ve seen” I said excitedly to Alison as we took our seats in the theatre.

“Sven Joren Errickson” Seen him! Spoke to him! Touched him even! – now what do you think about that”

R  22.7.07