Trinity 14 Readings: Ezek. 33. 7-11; Rom. 13. 8-end; Matt. 18. 15-20 Theme: Warning One of the formative experiences of having grown up playing sport is that you get used to the notion of being warned about things. In the case of football, a sport dear to my own heart, this is exemplified by...
Trinity 13 Readings: Jeremiah 15. 15-21; Romans 12. 9-end; Matthew 16. 21-end Theme: Tips for Life In bookshops it is common to see a series of books entitled, ‘Tips for Life’. There is clearly a hunger in society for an orientation to life and how we can live it well. Of course, the answer...
Trinity 12 Readings: Isaiah 51. 1-6; Romans 12. 1-8; Matthew 16. 13-20 Theme: The Gift of Faith The understanding of the theological virtue of faith is multifaceted in the Bible. It is not one thing. The notion that faith is simply equivalent to belief in God is a notion which developed in the modern era...
Lord as we come to your word open our hearts and make yourself known that we may receive from you and declare your glory. Amen Today we have the story of Jesus walking on the water, but I want to start by looking at Elijah in our OT reading. We have just sung rock...
Trinity 8 Readings: 1 Kings 3. 5-12; Romans 8. 26-end; Matthew 13. 31-33, 44-52 Theme: What’s it all about? What’s the point of it? The question of the meaning of life has become a central one in modern times. In previous ages, life was viewed less as a project and more as a given,...
Trinity 7 Isaiah 44. 6-8; Romans 8. 12-25; Matthew 13. 24-30, 36-43 Theme: The Creation Waits with Eager Longing One of our fundamental beliefs about God as Christians is that God is the creator. ‘All things visible and invisible, or seen and unseen’, are created by God, as is stated in the creed. This...
Trinity 6 Readings: Isaiah 55. 10-13; Romans 8. 1-11; Matthew 13. 1-9, 18-23 Theme: The Word of God When we say, “the Word of God”, what do we mean? Our readings for today invite us to reflect on the answer to this question and to consider how this Word of God is transforming us....
Trinity 5 Readings: Zechariah 9. 9-12; Rms. 7. 15-25a; Mt. 11. 16-19, 25-end Theme The Good, the Bad and the true Self St Paul’s Letter to the Romans, written around 57-58 AD, probably in Corinth, Greece, is one of the earliest statements of just how it is that Christ saves us. It is, in...
4th Sunday after Trinity Readings: Jer. 28. 5-9; Rms. 6. 12-end; Matt. 10. 40-end. Theme Giving What and why should I give? This is a question which can be difficult to raise in a church context for several reasons. Firstly, what we give in the collection or through direct debit is a private matter. Each...
Trinity 3 Readings: Jer. 20. 7-13; Rms. 6. 1b-11; Mt. 10. 24-39 Theme: Conflict Our readings for today speak about what happens when we follow the Lord. In a word, ‘conflict’ happens. ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a...
