We are called to make our lives a translation, in our own time, of Christ. The process of making our lives a translation of Christ precisely is the presence of the Spirit of Christ within us. Not beside us – but as close to us as our own breath.

Today we are in the in between time, with Christ gone, and the Holy Spirit not yet arrived. This is reflected in the phrases from our Collect: we beseech you, leave us not comfortless, but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us.

I wonder whether you ever have a sense of being torn between two places. Perhaps somewhere where you have been happy, where you have intense memories.

Love is the gateway to betrayal, grief, disappointment, just as much as it is the gateway to completion, personhood, eternity. It should not be a surprise that all these things are part of the experience of those who love, of those who are friends of Christ.

In today’s parable Jesus connects the image of the vine with the idea of abiding. (Meno – the same root word as remain). This is important. In John, over and over again Jesus talks about the abiding and mutual indwelling of the Father and the Son.

We have dozens of mental images of Christ. Passiontide is about the Cross. It is and it should be hard for us, because we love Christ. Jesus has entered our imagination

Each year is a time of salvation, a step on our journey towards the light.

We are being justified step by step, as we follow Christ. We can ask Christ’s help for each step, and that is what the Christian life is about.

The good news, for us, is this – that God has intervened decisively in Christ to free us from fear and sin and death.

We are on the brink of Lent. 40 days of preparation for most powerful and central days of the Christian year .

“Why do we turn up week after week to do what we do in this place.”