Rector's View - May 2014

Dear friends,

What's your favourite search engine Bing or Google? Leastwise that is the question for those with heads in the World Wide Web, or if you'd seen Bing's home page of 18th March, heads in the clouds, and to answer the question I use Bing.

A Christian Aid spokesman addressed our Church's Deanery Synod recently on the question of paying taxes (you may be alert to a similar question put to our Nazarene in the events of Holy Week). It seems World Wide Brands are not ashamed of withholding tax contributions to the poorest of nations, those whose health and education programmes we support in aid and development programmes. Yet if those companies exploiting their mineral farming and labour were to pay taxes, they could fund health and education independently. So for the report of tax avoidance I'm in for Bing.

And back to 18th March and the home page from the Inca Machu Picchu showing a beautiful looped film of clouds rolling over the deserted ridged city with the question 'Why would anyone build a city above the clouds?' You may remember Michael Palin's travel series visiting the site, at the bend of a sacred city, complete with steps to cultivate the sacred Inca drink, and an observatory to view the sacred skies. A people clearly intent on ascending the heavens. We too at the end of May celebrate the story of Jesus risen ascended, the feast of Ascension Day assures us, who still daily pray as our Christ taught, that we may see God's Kingdom 'on earth as in heaven'. Jesus' Ascension assures us, we who to this day walk His Way, we may build heaven on earth. This we do by the power from on high Luke 24.49 His Ascension won us, the enlivening Spirit, Holy, sacred, in whom we see God's vision for us, the Way of life Acts 2.28 and find power to witness Acts 1.8 as the Acts of the Apostles had witnessed to new life in the Way of Christ.

So with the help of the Holy Spirit we live with our heads in the clouds, but our feet firmly planted in the here and now that we may set aright this world's ills, and build that kingdom of justice and peace our sight of the heavens affords.

Grace to you and Ascension's Vision in the Way of Christ.

Revd Brin Singleton
Rector

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