Sun 10 May Christian Aid Week 'Good news'

It's Christian Aid Week and this was reflected in our time of worship. 

Our readings were:

Isaiah 61:1-8; Acts 17:16-31; and John 14:15-21 and we were thinking about the words 'good news'.

The Isaiah reading is a bit of a nod to our service last week, in which we went back to the beginnings of Jesus' ministry when he travelled to his home town of Nazareth. It's the first record of Jesus preaching and the text he chose to speak on was today's passage from the Book of Isaiah. The text itself is a manifesto of good news to the oppressed, the captives, the broken-hearted, prisoners, those who mourn - essentially, all who are struggling, whether because of systemic injustice or personal circumstance.
And the good news is that God is with them, God hears their cry; their struggles will end. Out of ruins will come restoration; peace will come; injustices will be righted.
Good news.
God will send one who is anointed, chosen, to not only bring the good news in word, but also through action.
In him, unjust structures will be overcome, as seen in v.8 ‘I the Lord, love justice and hate robbery and wrongdoing.’

To the devastated people of Israel, many of whom were living in captivity in Babylon, and having experienced the loss of home and most of what they had, Isaiah’s message is one of hope.

Of good news.

Jesus chooses this text to read out to those in the synagogue - it is his manifesto:

Isaiah is describing what Jesus is here to do.
But it goes beyond doing:

Jesus is the living embodiment of God's justice, love, and mercy.

He is the good news.

Which leads us to today's gospel passage, in which Jesus instructs them to love:

‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments.'

This is a love that endures - for God is faithful.

Those who put their trust in God, those who follow Jesus' instruction to love, will never be orphaned.

As God loves, so too, God's people - the love is to be shared.

Which is something that Paul takes on in such a way, that he ends up travelling the best part of the then known world to share good news -

the good news of God’s love, found in the person of Jesus…

encouraging those who take in this message of love to heart to go and do likewise -

sharing love in both word and in action, and through doing this, transform the world around us.

Good news.

Sharing good news, sharing God’s love, is very much at the heart of what drives the work of Christian Aid. Imagination, sanctified by God's love, saw a very real problem in urban, overcrowded Nairobi and found a creative, life-giving way to share that love through the Beacon of Hope project. One person who has been helped is Fridah. Her story is here in the clip below:

Through this project, Fridah has learnt new skills that not only provides food for her family, but also a steady stream of income from selling what she grows - which helps to pay for schooling and other necessary living costs.

Good news.

What might we do in our own small corner of the world, as we put love into action?

After all, love can change the world, and in a world that's crying out for good news, so it is ours to share God's love - for God's love is the good news for the world.

Let's pray:

Gracious God, 

when we stand on the plains of uncertainty, 

with no path before us, we look to you. 

We remember what you have done before 

and our anxious hearts are comforted.  

Showing mercy, you delivered us then; 

in your love and faithfulness, you will do it again. 

Give us the strength to step forward in hope.  

Give us faith that changes us, 

hope that feeds us,  

love that moves us.  

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you would like to donate to the work of Christian Aid, you can find their site HERE