Poems written by Rodney Ward, minister at Berwick, based on the readings in Year B - from Easter Day 2006
First series - February to Holy Week
John 20.1-18
When Jesus called in that day
I was sick with a fever,
the flat roof bearing down,
heat swirling in at the window,
my bed too narrow and hard
to contain my tossing and turning.
Simon and Andrew, James and John
peering into my room
added their breath to the heat
the smell of fish clinging to their clothes.
My eyes saw things that weren’t there
and my mouth formed words with no meaning.
Time passed.
Coming in at the door
I was aware of the coolness of his presence.
I felt strength return as he held my hand
lifting me from my bed.
It was great to feel normal again
as I set about serving Sabbath lunch.
He smiled
and I realised later
service was the example he set.
My days are less fevered
in the calmness of his presence.
John 20.19-31
“We have seen the Lord”
they said.
But could I believe?
Dare I believe?
I too wanted to see.
“I will not believe
unless I see
and touch his wounds.”
In the event
seeing was enough.
“My Lord and my God!”
But you
must believe without seeing
on the pilgrimage of faith.
Luke 24.36-48
We were young and strong
not liking to admit to fears
of the dark
of things that go bump in the night
of the unexplained.
But that night our fear showed
when he came
like a ghost among us.
Seeing our fear and doubts
he showed us his hands and feet.
“Ghost don’t have bones.”
Half convinced
joy wrestled with unbelief in our hearts.
“Ghost don’t eat” he said
chewing the fish we gave him
in our presence.
We are witnesses
of these things
which is why I’m telling you now
of the Christ who suffered and rose from the dead
so that our joy might be yours.
Acts 4.5-12
It was quite a crowd
John and I faced that day
as we stood among them
in Jerusalem -
rulers, elders, scribes,
the high priest Caiaphas,
and other members of the high-priestly family,
Annas, John and Alexander.
I’d been afraid before
but not that day.
We had healed a lame man -
a good enough deed -
but they were jealous of their power.
“In whose name did you do this?”
They knew
but they wanted to hear us say it -
“Jesus of Nazareth“.
So I told them
rock-like in my conviction.
“There is no other name
by which we can be saved“.
Acts 8.26-40
I was sure God was speaking to me
telling me to go South
on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza.
What transpired
was a strange meeting -
an Ethiopian
high in court circles
was reading Isaiah
in his chariot.
I pointed him to the good news of Jesus
the lamb slain.
Convinced by what I said
there was nothing
to prevent him from being baptised.
But I didn’t linger
God’s spirit
pushing me on to Azotus
where I continued to preach the good news.
Acts 10.44-48
I was one of the Gentiles
on that occasion,
in Caesarea,
Peter having come
with some Jewish Christians,
who were astounded
to find
we had received the Holy Spirit.
Peter said it was
the same Spirit
the same Jesus
the same baptism
the same fellowship.
It was a revolution.
I wonder where it will lead?
I John 5.9-13
Do you know
what it’s like to believe
other people?
Putting doubt aside
taking them at face value
acting on what they say.
Have you thought about
believing
what God says
when he offers us
eternal life in Jesus Christ?
Wouldn’t it be
like calling God a liar
not to?