Talk: Waking up - Chris Simmonds

What does it mean to become spiritually awake? Chris Simmonds shares his experiences of moving between times of feeling that life is comfortable within his own plans and times where reality delivers a wake up call. Sometimes this is challenging, but awakening to who God is and what he does can often be described as simply good, wonderful or awesome. How can we experience this kind of awakening ourselves, and what difference does it make to how we see ourselves, others and the world?

What brings people together better than food and drink? Owen Lynch looks at the role these play in his family and community life, and how Jesus brought people together like this too. What does it mean to share in the bread and wine that Jesus gave to his first followers?

How is life different when we follow Jesus into God’s kingdom? Kyle Henderson-Begg looks at how Jesus encouraged and congratulated people in difficult, undervalued and suffering circumstances. They would be the first to welcome the news that Jesus turned life upside down, compared with how most judged success. His way of life was, and still is, open to everyone. So what differences should it make for us?

Can we get to know God’s Holy Spirit and the role he wants to play in our lives? Claire Lynch shares experience of this, along with what the Bible and contemporary authors have written, including Carl McColman and Richard Rohr. The Holy Spirit brings nourishing fruit, remarkable gifts and the recognisable character of Jesus to life today, through people around us and, if we are open to this, through us too. How can we do this in practice? This talk contains lots of examples and ends with a contemplative exercise to help us focus on the Holy Spirit.

From the series ‘A community of hope’ on the book Acts of the Apostles.How do we know from Acts that the revolution brought by the Holy Spirit is surprisingly inclusive? Owen Lynch concludes this series with reflection on views he grew up with on what it meant to be Christian, and what he thinks and feels about this now. The story of Acts shows the spread of God’s kingdom beyond the boundaries set by religious and cultural expectations. Towards the end, Paul’s party encountered people who had no stake in Judaism or the dominant cultures of Greece and Rome. Was Paul bringing the Holy Spirit to them, or finding that the Spirit was already there? What does this mean for our part in this revolution of love, and what kind of inclusion we can expect?

From the series ‘A community of hope’ on the book Acts of the Apostles.When ideas and faith spread, how much of a culture clash do we expect, and how do we deal with it? Owen Lynch looks at how the early church came into conflict with cultures that required assimilation in a forceful way. Some Jews wanted to force Christians to obey all Jewish laws. At the same time, Judaism was under threat from the Roman Empire, who tolerated differences up to a point, but would cancel and destroy cultures which they thought to be a threat. How different was Jesus’ approach, and that of his Spirit-filled followers? Had Jesus given people another way to unite through self-sacrificial love?

How can we hear from God and share this to help others? Claire Lynch looks at our belief that prophesy is about connecting with God’s heart of love for someone, and is accessible to all. This is described as a promise in the Old Testament and as practice in the New Testament, thanks to the work of Jesus and the inspiration of his Holy Spirit. But how do we actually do it faithfully, or weigh up whether someone else’s words to us are from God? The guidance here can help us to practise.Find the script for this talk and an image Claire mentions for you to pray about and use at https://www.severnvineyard.org/sunday-talks-bloglist/2025/5/30/prophecy-by-claire-lynch-1-june-2025

From the series ‘A community of hope’ on the book Acts of the Apostles.Why can disputes about things we believe in passionately turn so bitter and desperate? Owen Lynch looks at what happened when a leader of Jesus’ first followers shared his story with people, from his religion, who did not follow Jesus. Emotions ran high and discussion turned to violence and death plots. What happened to the hope they had shared? Can any similar fury and defensiveness rise up in us when we believe we have truth, so people who disagree with us must not? What might Jesus change about our approach to this?

What is the good news about Jesus, and why is it important to us? Dan Morrice looks at how Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are part of a bigger story which involves us and echoes through history. If Jesus came to save people, from what? Sin is a thing, but sickness and systems of evil were also big parts of what Jesus talked about, worked against and defeated. If we can see progress that still needs to be made, how is God calling us to join in?

From the series ‘A community of hope’ on the book Acts of the Apostles.Are people ultimately divided into groups, say by nationality, family or faith? Owen Lynch looks at what happened in the early church when there were arguments about newcomers and what they might have to do to fit in. People were quick to see reasons to divide and either exclude people or force them to conform. Having some agreed, shared boundaries seemed to be helpful. But what if God’s Spirit kept being more inclusive than people expected?