Trinity 17 Ez. 18. 1-4; 25-32; Phil. 2. 1-13; Mt. 21. 23-32 Theme: The Authority of Jesus ‘By what authority are you doing these things?’, ask the chief priest and the elders in the Jerusalem temple. ‘By what authority is Jesus doing these things?’ This is a question which accompanies the earthly life...
Harvest Festival Readings: Dt. 26. 1-11; 2 Cor. 9. 6-15; Jn. 1. 29-36 Theme: Liturgy as Harvest Festival In countries in the Northern hemisphere, September is often a beautiful time. It is a time when some crops that have been grown during the year are harvested. I particularly love in England, at least, that feeling...
Trinity 15 Readings: Genesis 50. 15-21; Romans 14. 1-12; Matthew 18. 21-35 Theme: Forgiveness and Salvation Our readings today make clear the intrinsic connection between forgiveness and salvation. The story of Joseph and his brothers recounts the tale of the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers for the special affection that their father, Jacob, has for...
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....
