READINGS AND REFLECTIONS
SUNDAY 9 DECEMBER Junior Church Advent Service
Notes on the readings:
All our readings this morning are taken from Luke and Matthew. These two gospels provide us with the Christmas story with which we are very familiar. It is just that we tend to run the two stories together, so that both shepherds and magi happen to end up in the stable together. While this was certainly not what either Luke or Matthew intended, it is also the case that they might have been very happy with the outcome. Both rich and poor, high and lowly can find a place in the presence of God in Christ and in God’s kingdom.
All our readings this morning are taken from Luke and Matthew. These two gospels provide us with the Christmas story with which we are very familiar. It is just that we tend to run the two stories together, so that both shepherds and magi happen to end up in the stable together. While this was certainly not what either Luke or Matthew intended, it is also the case that they might have been very happy with the outcome. Both rich and poor, high and lowly can find a place in the presence of God in Christ and in God’s kingdom.
SUNDAY 2 DECEMBER First Sunday in Advent
Jeremiah 33.14-16
Jerusalem is besieged by the Babylonians. As the situation becomes increasingly desperate, Jeremiah is held prisoner in the court of the guard. For months he has been speaking out about God’s judgement on the nation, and predicting just this desperate outcome. In time of war, however, to speak of defeat at the hands of a foreign enemy is seen as treason. Even though events are proving Jeremiah right, he is being held as an enemy of the state. However, just when most people are losing hope and property prices are dropping through the floor, Jeremiah goes ahead and buys a field! He is always out of step: when people were full of self-confidence, he warned that destruction was approaching. Now that destruction is near, he begins to talk about restoration. This short reading is part of this new prophecy of hope. Just when every tree (and even many houses) is being torn down to build defences against the invaders, Jeremiah has a vision of a new righteous ‘Branch’ that grows and reconnects the people with the great promises given during the reign of King David. Is this ‘Branch’ a person? A leader after the exile? The expected Messiah?
Luke 21.25-36
These words are spoken by Jesus in response to his disciples, when they exclaim with wonder at the impressive beauty of the Temple building in Jerusalem. Jesus begins his response by saying that the day is coming when not one of these stones will be left upon another (21.6). The disciples are keen to know when this will happen – perhaps hoping to replace the security of the building with the security of being the ones with inside knowledge. Jesus refuses to give them this secret knowledge, instead telling them the parable about being alert to easily readable signs (21.29-31). While the prospect of all the communities on earth experiencing disruption is frightening, Luke encourages us to be assured that our redemption is drawing near.
For Reflection:
Look out for, rejoice in, and actively support a sign of God’s coming kingdom as revealed through ordinary actions done to extraordinary effect in your community.
Jerusalem is besieged by the Babylonians. As the situation becomes increasingly desperate, Jeremiah is held prisoner in the court of the guard. For months he has been speaking out about God’s judgement on the nation, and predicting just this desperate outcome. In time of war, however, to speak of defeat at the hands of a foreign enemy is seen as treason. Even though events are proving Jeremiah right, he is being held as an enemy of the state. However, just when most people are losing hope and property prices are dropping through the floor, Jeremiah goes ahead and buys a field! He is always out of step: when people were full of self-confidence, he warned that destruction was approaching. Now that destruction is near, he begins to talk about restoration. This short reading is part of this new prophecy of hope. Just when every tree (and even many houses) is being torn down to build defences against the invaders, Jeremiah has a vision of a new righteous ‘Branch’ that grows and reconnects the people with the great promises given during the reign of King David. Is this ‘Branch’ a person? A leader after the exile? The expected Messiah?
Luke 21.25-36
These words are spoken by Jesus in response to his disciples, when they exclaim with wonder at the impressive beauty of the Temple building in Jerusalem. Jesus begins his response by saying that the day is coming when not one of these stones will be left upon another (21.6). The disciples are keen to know when this will happen – perhaps hoping to replace the security of the building with the security of being the ones with inside knowledge. Jesus refuses to give them this secret knowledge, instead telling them the parable about being alert to easily readable signs (21.29-31). While the prospect of all the communities on earth experiencing disruption is frightening, Luke encourages us to be assured that our redemption is drawing near.
For Reflection:
Look out for, rejoice in, and actively support a sign of God’s coming kingdom as revealed through ordinary actions done to extraordinary effect in your community.
SUNDAY 25 NOVEMBER
Daniel 7.9-10,13-14
In his foundational vision, Daniel ‘sees’ the heavenly throne room, the invisible centre of divine rule over the cosmos. Heaven and earth are not two realms separated by death, but two sides of a single reality. In Daniel’s vision, the heavenly court is in session, judging oppressive earthly rulers. A human figure is carried into God’s presence on the clouds, and given God’s authority over all earthly powers. Who is he? Later (7.25-27), we see that he represents ‘the holy ones of the Most High’, those who are faithful to God in the face of oppression. His presence in heaven guarantees their vindication. Despite their weakness before earthly powers, their loyalty will bring God’s reward. Daniel’s vision is designed to console and encourage his audience. But its meaning is not exhausted by its original message. Jesus used this vision of the human figure in heaven to express his own faith that this ‘Son of Man’ (i.e. Jesus himself) will be vindicated for his faithfulness, and so liberate those who stay loyal to him (Mark 10.42-45). This is a kingship that human rulers may at best aspire to, but cannot achieve.
Revelation 1.4b-8
‘John’ is a church leader in Asia Minor in the last quarter of the first century. His letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2.1–3.22) suggest that their loyalty to Jesus is buckling under the combined weight of imperial rule and a culture of intimidation, assimilation and compromise that makes for easier governance. Like Daniel, John is a visionary. His account of his vision of the risen Christ in 1.13-15 draws on Daniel 7, to repeat the point that despite appearances to the contrary, Israel’s God, and not an ephemeral imperial ruler, is truly Lord. ‘Grace’ and ‘peace’ are familiar Christian greetings in the New Testament epistles. But here they carry political weight. The emperor believed that the imperial peace was his gift, the fruit of military supremacy. According to John, the most trustworthy expression of peace on earth flows from its most unlikely source. Jesus Christ, crucified on the authority of Caesar’s representative, is God’s faithful witness.
John 18.33-37
On the verge of execution, Jesus appears before the representative of the imperial power colonising the ancestral lands of his people. Jesus’ conversation with Pilate raises the question of the ultimate source of authority. Does it lie on earth – Rome or Jerusalem – or in heaven? They may use the same words, but their meanings are worlds apart. Jesus is presented to Pilate as ‘the king of the Jews’, pretender to David’s throne. But he presents himself as one who exercises a radically different rule, because his authority is rooted elsewhere – in the heavenly realm of truth. In John’s Gospel, Jesus keeps his distance from earthly notions of power (John 6.15). His talk of himself as the ‘good shepherd’ resonates with the prophets’ longing for a new shepherd ruler to liberate God’s people (see Ezekiel 34). But Jesus’ ‘good shepherd’ is no warrior king. He lays down his own life for his sheep (10.15). His ‘good shepherd’ leadership models the other-centred divine love that sacrifices itself even as it liberates others (13.1-20; 15.12-17). This is true kingship, and Pilate is not the only one who fails to get it.
For Reflection:
What qualities are important in a ruler today?
What is the nature of Jesus’ kingship
How might you help God’s kingdom come?
In his foundational vision, Daniel ‘sees’ the heavenly throne room, the invisible centre of divine rule over the cosmos. Heaven and earth are not two realms separated by death, but two sides of a single reality. In Daniel’s vision, the heavenly court is in session, judging oppressive earthly rulers. A human figure is carried into God’s presence on the clouds, and given God’s authority over all earthly powers. Who is he? Later (7.25-27), we see that he represents ‘the holy ones of the Most High’, those who are faithful to God in the face of oppression. His presence in heaven guarantees their vindication. Despite their weakness before earthly powers, their loyalty will bring God’s reward. Daniel’s vision is designed to console and encourage his audience. But its meaning is not exhausted by its original message. Jesus used this vision of the human figure in heaven to express his own faith that this ‘Son of Man’ (i.e. Jesus himself) will be vindicated for his faithfulness, and so liberate those who stay loyal to him (Mark 10.42-45). This is a kingship that human rulers may at best aspire to, but cannot achieve.
Revelation 1.4b-8
‘John’ is a church leader in Asia Minor in the last quarter of the first century. His letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2.1–3.22) suggest that their loyalty to Jesus is buckling under the combined weight of imperial rule and a culture of intimidation, assimilation and compromise that makes for easier governance. Like Daniel, John is a visionary. His account of his vision of the risen Christ in 1.13-15 draws on Daniel 7, to repeat the point that despite appearances to the contrary, Israel’s God, and not an ephemeral imperial ruler, is truly Lord. ‘Grace’ and ‘peace’ are familiar Christian greetings in the New Testament epistles. But here they carry political weight. The emperor believed that the imperial peace was his gift, the fruit of military supremacy. According to John, the most trustworthy expression of peace on earth flows from its most unlikely source. Jesus Christ, crucified on the authority of Caesar’s representative, is God’s faithful witness.
John 18.33-37
On the verge of execution, Jesus appears before the representative of the imperial power colonising the ancestral lands of his people. Jesus’ conversation with Pilate raises the question of the ultimate source of authority. Does it lie on earth – Rome or Jerusalem – or in heaven? They may use the same words, but their meanings are worlds apart. Jesus is presented to Pilate as ‘the king of the Jews’, pretender to David’s throne. But he presents himself as one who exercises a radically different rule, because his authority is rooted elsewhere – in the heavenly realm of truth. In John’s Gospel, Jesus keeps his distance from earthly notions of power (John 6.15). His talk of himself as the ‘good shepherd’ resonates with the prophets’ longing for a new shepherd ruler to liberate God’s people (see Ezekiel 34). But Jesus’ ‘good shepherd’ is no warrior king. He lays down his own life for his sheep (10.15). His ‘good shepherd’ leadership models the other-centred divine love that sacrifices itself even as it liberates others (13.1-20; 15.12-17). This is true kingship, and Pilate is not the only one who fails to get it.
For Reflection:
What qualities are important in a ruler today?
What is the nature of Jesus’ kingship
How might you help God’s kingdom come?
SUNDAY 18 NOVEMBER (Revd Peter Brain)
Ephesians 3: 14-21
1 Samuel 2: 1-10
Mark 13: 1-10
1 Samuel 2: 1-10
Mark 13: 1-10
SUNDAY 11 NOVEMBER (Remembrance Sunday)
Isaiah 40:28- 31
This reading belongs that section of the Book of Isaiah that begins at chapter 40 and runs through to chapter 55. It is ascribed to the anonymous prophet otherwise known to scholars as “Second Isaiah.” This prophet writes some time after the Isaiah who writes chapters 1-39. The writings that begin at Chapter 40 belong to the time when the exile in Babylon was finally coming to an end. New hope and renewal after a time of deep trauma and loss for the nation of Israel was about to come about. Our verses for this morning are some of the best known for celebrating this sense of new life.
Matthew 5:38-48
This is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and continues with the surprising reversals of expectation seen in the beatitudes. The principle of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” arises from the Old Testament (Exodus 21:24) and seeks to limit the negative spiral of violence . The punishment should fit the crime. Jesus, however, tells his followers not to resist one who is evil (5:39). In fact, when wronged, it is better to suffer more wrong than to retaliate unjustly. These would-be kingdom bearers are not called to suffer passively, though. They are called to do the unthinkable. They are called to love those who persecute them and pray for them (5:43-44). In Matthew’s Gospel love is not for the faint of heart (19:19; 22:37-39); Jesus’ very mission is a demonstration of God’s love
For Reflection
This Sunday in church we remember those who have fallen in both World Wars and also other conflicts. But within the Church we also look to celebrate the deeper insights of God’s peace and love. This is perhaps best expressed in the Jewish notion of shalom. Shalom is very much about peace, but it is more than simply the absence of war. It goes very deep and is all-embracing.
Where and when do negative emotions get in the way of God’s shalom? What do those negative emotions comes from? Are those negative emotions expressed by Donald Trump’s rhetoric towards the refugees currently moving towards the U.S. border? What would shalom mean in that circumstance?
This reading belongs that section of the Book of Isaiah that begins at chapter 40 and runs through to chapter 55. It is ascribed to the anonymous prophet otherwise known to scholars as “Second Isaiah.” This prophet writes some time after the Isaiah who writes chapters 1-39. The writings that begin at Chapter 40 belong to the time when the exile in Babylon was finally coming to an end. New hope and renewal after a time of deep trauma and loss for the nation of Israel was about to come about. Our verses for this morning are some of the best known for celebrating this sense of new life.
Matthew 5:38-48
This is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and continues with the surprising reversals of expectation seen in the beatitudes. The principle of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” arises from the Old Testament (Exodus 21:24) and seeks to limit the negative spiral of violence . The punishment should fit the crime. Jesus, however, tells his followers not to resist one who is evil (5:39). In fact, when wronged, it is better to suffer more wrong than to retaliate unjustly. These would-be kingdom bearers are not called to suffer passively, though. They are called to do the unthinkable. They are called to love those who persecute them and pray for them (5:43-44). In Matthew’s Gospel love is not for the faint of heart (19:19; 22:37-39); Jesus’ very mission is a demonstration of God’s love
For Reflection
This Sunday in church we remember those who have fallen in both World Wars and also other conflicts. But within the Church we also look to celebrate the deeper insights of God’s peace and love. This is perhaps best expressed in the Jewish notion of shalom. Shalom is very much about peace, but it is more than simply the absence of war. It goes very deep and is all-embracing.
Where and when do negative emotions get in the way of God’s shalom? What do those negative emotions comes from? Are those negative emotions expressed by Donald Trump’s rhetoric towards the refugees currently moving towards the U.S. border? What would shalom mean in that circumstance?
SUNDAY 4 NOVEMBER
Deuteronomy 6.1-9
Moses and the people are on the threshold of the promised land. What Moses says will form the basis of their life there (4.1ff.). So the people must not forget what they have experienced of God’s blessing. Remembering the exclusive loyalty that God demands of Israel is less a set of mental exercises and more an all-encompassing spirituality of characterful response to God’s gracious, liberating love (see 7.7ff.). Israel internalises God’s law through a process of teaching and learning rooted in the home. The emphasis is on hearing (shema in Hebrew), valuing, meditating, reciting and discussing ‘these words.’ What is remembered and rehearsed intellectually in the ‘heart’, and emotionally and spiritually in the ‘soul’, finds material expression in the ‘might’ of mundane life.
Mark 12.28-34
Jesus is now in Jerusalem, preparing for Passover. He continues to attract the attention of the Jewish authorities, represented here by a scribe, one of Moses’ official interpreters. The scribe has overheard Jesus’ arguments with Pharisees and Sadducees (Mark 12.13-27). Jesus unites members of these very different Jewish factions in their opposition to him! This scribe, however, is more sympathetic. He wants to know which of the more than 600 laws of Moses is the key that unlocks the meaning of the whole.Jesus brings together Deuteronomy 6.5 and Leviticus 19.18. Holiness shows itself in love, not separation. Wholehearted love for God translates into love for neighbour, and creates community in the face of all that promotes sectarian mentalities and separatist practices, within God’s people and between Israel and the wider world. In Leviticus 19.17, the neighbour is ‘anyone of your kin,’ but also includes ‘the poor and the alien,’ (ie foreigner), who are to benefit from the harvest (Leviticus 19.9-10). Notice the scribe’s affinity towards Jesus’ teaching, and Jesus’ reciprocation warmly endorsing the scribe’s wisdom. The scribe is ‘not far from the kingdom of God’ because he understands what God desires most. Like the prophets, he recognises the delusions of misplaced religious devotion (see Jeremiah 7; Amos 5.21-24).
For Reflection:
How hard is it to love our “neighbour”? What examples of that can we see around us?
Moses and the people are on the threshold of the promised land. What Moses says will form the basis of their life there (4.1ff.). So the people must not forget what they have experienced of God’s blessing. Remembering the exclusive loyalty that God demands of Israel is less a set of mental exercises and more an all-encompassing spirituality of characterful response to God’s gracious, liberating love (see 7.7ff.). Israel internalises God’s law through a process of teaching and learning rooted in the home. The emphasis is on hearing (shema in Hebrew), valuing, meditating, reciting and discussing ‘these words.’ What is remembered and rehearsed intellectually in the ‘heart’, and emotionally and spiritually in the ‘soul’, finds material expression in the ‘might’ of mundane life.
Mark 12.28-34
Jesus is now in Jerusalem, preparing for Passover. He continues to attract the attention of the Jewish authorities, represented here by a scribe, one of Moses’ official interpreters. The scribe has overheard Jesus’ arguments with Pharisees and Sadducees (Mark 12.13-27). Jesus unites members of these very different Jewish factions in their opposition to him! This scribe, however, is more sympathetic. He wants to know which of the more than 600 laws of Moses is the key that unlocks the meaning of the whole.Jesus brings together Deuteronomy 6.5 and Leviticus 19.18. Holiness shows itself in love, not separation. Wholehearted love for God translates into love for neighbour, and creates community in the face of all that promotes sectarian mentalities and separatist practices, within God’s people and between Israel and the wider world. In Leviticus 19.17, the neighbour is ‘anyone of your kin,’ but also includes ‘the poor and the alien,’ (ie foreigner), who are to benefit from the harvest (Leviticus 19.9-10). Notice the scribe’s affinity towards Jesus’ teaching, and Jesus’ reciprocation warmly endorsing the scribe’s wisdom. The scribe is ‘not far from the kingdom of God’ because he understands what God desires most. Like the prophets, he recognises the delusions of misplaced religious devotion (see Jeremiah 7; Amos 5.21-24).
For Reflection:
How hard is it to love our “neighbour”? What examples of that can we see around us?
SUNDAY 28 OCTOBER
Jeremiah 31.7-9
These promises of restoration, drawn from a larger block of similar material in Jeremiah 30 and 31, presuppose the scattering of God’s people far and wide (v.8). Now God is about to recover his truest relationship with his people, as he gathers them together and ‘will keep him as a shepherd keeps a flock’ (Jeremiah 31.10). They will be returned to the world of God’s blessing (31.12-14), with an end to mourning and tears (31.15-17). Among the returning remnant are the disabled, expectant and already mothers, and presumably their children. God’s promises of sustenance and safety extend to the weakest and most vulnerable members of a disconsolate people. They are to see themselves as God’s firstborn (v.9).
Hebrews 7.23-28
The argument of Hebrews explores the difference between the world centred on Jesus and that of the Jerusalem Temple. Contrasting forms of priesthood are brought into focus. Aaron’s priests are many, because they are subject to death (v.23), and their own sinfulness requires repeated sacrifice to make atonement. But the unconventional priesthood of the Son is permanent and eternally effective, its uniqueness rooted in his character (vv.26-27). Jesus may have no need to atone for his own sins, but his perfection is far from static. His obedience has been hard won, through the suffering that has tested his faithfulness to the limit (Hebrews 2.10; 5.7-10).
Mark 10.46-52
Jesus and his disciples are now travelling west towards Jerusalem as Passover pilgrims. In Jericho – the last stop on the pilgrimage route to the city of David – they become part of a larger crowd, but their journey is unexpectedly delayed by a blind beggar. Bartimaeus is one of the few people healed by Jesus to be named. He is poor as well as disabled. ‘Sitting by the roadside’ gives Bartimaeus some visibility, but he is marginal even to the concerns of the passing pilgrims. What he can do, though, is shout, to remind the crowd – and especially Jesus – of his presence and need.
For Reflection:
How might Mark’s story be played out in today’s current geopolitical situations?
These promises of restoration, drawn from a larger block of similar material in Jeremiah 30 and 31, presuppose the scattering of God’s people far and wide (v.8). Now God is about to recover his truest relationship with his people, as he gathers them together and ‘will keep him as a shepherd keeps a flock’ (Jeremiah 31.10). They will be returned to the world of God’s blessing (31.12-14), with an end to mourning and tears (31.15-17). Among the returning remnant are the disabled, expectant and already mothers, and presumably their children. God’s promises of sustenance and safety extend to the weakest and most vulnerable members of a disconsolate people. They are to see themselves as God’s firstborn (v.9).
Hebrews 7.23-28
The argument of Hebrews explores the difference between the world centred on Jesus and that of the Jerusalem Temple. Contrasting forms of priesthood are brought into focus. Aaron’s priests are many, because they are subject to death (v.23), and their own sinfulness requires repeated sacrifice to make atonement. But the unconventional priesthood of the Son is permanent and eternally effective, its uniqueness rooted in his character (vv.26-27). Jesus may have no need to atone for his own sins, but his perfection is far from static. His obedience has been hard won, through the suffering that has tested his faithfulness to the limit (Hebrews 2.10; 5.7-10).
Mark 10.46-52
Jesus and his disciples are now travelling west towards Jerusalem as Passover pilgrims. In Jericho – the last stop on the pilgrimage route to the city of David – they become part of a larger crowd, but their journey is unexpectedly delayed by a blind beggar. Bartimaeus is one of the few people healed by Jesus to be named. He is poor as well as disabled. ‘Sitting by the roadside’ gives Bartimaeus some visibility, but he is marginal even to the concerns of the passing pilgrims. What he can do, though, is shout, to remind the crowd – and especially Jesus – of his presence and need.
For Reflection:
How might Mark’s story be played out in today’s current geopolitical situations?
SUNDAY 21 OCTOBER
Old Testament Isaiah 53.4-12
We encountered one of the ‘servant songs’ of Isaiah five weeks ago, and now we come to perhaps the best known of them all. More than any of the others, very early in the history of the Church it became a key Old Testament passage through which to understand the death of Jesus, whose life seemed to embody all that was spoken of by Isaiah centuries before. The parallels were so obvious that this passage was often regarded as a prophecy looking forward to the coming of a suffering messiah, even if his precise identity was still hidden. In reality, it seems highly likely that no connection was ever drawn between this figure and the messiah until the time of Jesus, when in the light of what had actually taken place, his followers were able to make obvious connections between his redemptive suffering and the experience of the Servant.
Hebrews 5.1-10
The Letter to the Hebrews sets the authority of Jesus over and against the world of the Temple. The intention is to counter the pull of the local synagogue from which its readers have been ostracised because of their faith in Jesus. This section sees Jesus’ true greatness in his vocation as ‘Son of God’ and superior high priest. But this is less a matter of titles and roles, and more to do with his capacity to identify with human weakness (Hebrews 4.15-16). The hallmarks of Jesus’ greatness are those very features of his life that could be seen as disqualifiers – notably his vulnerability and suffering – through which he learnt what it meant to be God’s servant Son (vv.5 and 8).
Mark 10.35-45
The request of James and John here reflects something that has plagued the Church for centuries: the quest for power and influence. It is not hard to see the logic behind it, for if being a disciple is indeed about being partners with the coming world ruler who is the Messiah, surely faithful service must be rewarded with positions of significance in the ensuing kingdom. We can trace signs of this outlook throughout the history of Christendom, as Church and state became ever more closely intertwined following the time of Constantine, until they were more or less synonymous with one another. It is easy to look back and see the flaws in that mentality, but underlying it is still an important question: where is the place for authentic Christian faith in civic life? And (though the term is not used in this passage) what does servanthood mean in that context? Once again, Jesus’ answer is somewhat cryptic – which, of course, is the point, as that puts the issue back to the questioners and invites them to think a bit more deeply (or, if we are right about the essentially performative nature of Mark, provides an invitation to engage with others in such a conversation).
For Reflection:
If you were to apply today’s Mark reading to the current world, who would in particular Jesus be challenging with what he has to say?
We encountered one of the ‘servant songs’ of Isaiah five weeks ago, and now we come to perhaps the best known of them all. More than any of the others, very early in the history of the Church it became a key Old Testament passage through which to understand the death of Jesus, whose life seemed to embody all that was spoken of by Isaiah centuries before. The parallels were so obvious that this passage was often regarded as a prophecy looking forward to the coming of a suffering messiah, even if his precise identity was still hidden. In reality, it seems highly likely that no connection was ever drawn between this figure and the messiah until the time of Jesus, when in the light of what had actually taken place, his followers were able to make obvious connections between his redemptive suffering and the experience of the Servant.
Hebrews 5.1-10
The Letter to the Hebrews sets the authority of Jesus over and against the world of the Temple. The intention is to counter the pull of the local synagogue from which its readers have been ostracised because of their faith in Jesus. This section sees Jesus’ true greatness in his vocation as ‘Son of God’ and superior high priest. But this is less a matter of titles and roles, and more to do with his capacity to identify with human weakness (Hebrews 4.15-16). The hallmarks of Jesus’ greatness are those very features of his life that could be seen as disqualifiers – notably his vulnerability and suffering – through which he learnt what it meant to be God’s servant Son (vv.5 and 8).
Mark 10.35-45
The request of James and John here reflects something that has plagued the Church for centuries: the quest for power and influence. It is not hard to see the logic behind it, for if being a disciple is indeed about being partners with the coming world ruler who is the Messiah, surely faithful service must be rewarded with positions of significance in the ensuing kingdom. We can trace signs of this outlook throughout the history of Christendom, as Church and state became ever more closely intertwined following the time of Constantine, until they were more or less synonymous with one another. It is easy to look back and see the flaws in that mentality, but underlying it is still an important question: where is the place for authentic Christian faith in civic life? And (though the term is not used in this passage) what does servanthood mean in that context? Once again, Jesus’ answer is somewhat cryptic – which, of course, is the point, as that puts the issue back to the questioners and invites them to think a bit more deeply (or, if we are right about the essentially performative nature of Mark, provides an invitation to engage with others in such a conversation).
For Reflection:
If you were to apply today’s Mark reading to the current world, who would in particular Jesus be challenging with what he has to say?
SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER
Each of our readings today links in with various understandings of what it means to be a disciple from the stories and psalms within the Bible. This links in with the URC’s Walking the Way initiative which will help shape of our church life over the next couple of years. This is to help us all discover what it means to be a disciple of Jesus today. Themes of journeying, learning and concern for the world around us are nothing new. These are themes and insights which are thousands of years old. One significant aspect of discipleship for today is what has come to be known as “Green discipleship.” Psalm 104 makes clear that the awareness of that connection between God, the physical environment and our lives as faithful believers is very much there in the Old Testament.
Mark 1:14-20
It is at once striking and quite probably revealing that Mark’s version of the gospel story gets off to such a humble, modest start. Matthew has his mysterious star in the east and the Magi who follow it. Luke gives us layer upon layer of drama surrounding the birth and later appearance of Jesus. John brings us to the rim of the galaxies and the beginning of all things with that all-creating Word of God who was with God in the beginning. But not Mark. Mark allows Jesus merely to appear from out of nowhere, emerging humbly from the heat vapours emanating from the desert floor to be baptized by John. And then at the very moment when we do expect the curtain to rise on the drama to come, we end up in Galilee even as Jesus starts to cobble together a set of followers that can be described only (and perhaps at best) as rag-tag. As such the notion of the importance of discipleship in the great scheme of things is all the greater.
Genesis 12.1-9
This tiny section of the book of Genesis has an outsized significance for the ongoing story of God. It can be described as the "lynchpin of the Bible," not just the Old Testament, but the New Testament as well. Abram is given a very hard task. "Go from your country, your kin, and the house of your father to the land that I will show you" (Gen. 12:1). Anyone who has experienced the movement from one's native land to another land not her own knows well the wrenching feeling of leaving the loved and familiar for the unknown place with its different languages and cultures and money and customs. And if that were not difficult enough, leaving one's land also means leaving one's kin, the relatives left behind who are anxious for the one they love, along with the pain of the one leaving those they love. But there is, most crucially, the promises of God about a new future. What those promises actually consist of will be worked out on the way.
Psalm 104
Psalm 104 presents a glorious picture of God as creator and a sweeping view of the world God made. The main subject of the psalm is the order of the world and the sovereignty of the God who created and maintains it. This subject in turn instils confidence that God can and will order the lives of those who seek God by keeping them in God’s purpose and away from evil. Psalm 104 draws from theological ideas similar to those in the creation story in Genesis 1:1-2:4a and the flood story in Genesis 6-9. In Genesis 1:1-2:4a God creates the world by pushing back the waters that covered the earth so there is a place for plants to grow and animals, including humans, to flourish.
For Reflection:
As we seek to Walk the Way, and live the life of Jesus today, having thought about learning and journeying, and also issues of care for the environment, what practical measures might you take today?
Mark 1:14-20
It is at once striking and quite probably revealing that Mark’s version of the gospel story gets off to such a humble, modest start. Matthew has his mysterious star in the east and the Magi who follow it. Luke gives us layer upon layer of drama surrounding the birth and later appearance of Jesus. John brings us to the rim of the galaxies and the beginning of all things with that all-creating Word of God who was with God in the beginning. But not Mark. Mark allows Jesus merely to appear from out of nowhere, emerging humbly from the heat vapours emanating from the desert floor to be baptized by John. And then at the very moment when we do expect the curtain to rise on the drama to come, we end up in Galilee even as Jesus starts to cobble together a set of followers that can be described only (and perhaps at best) as rag-tag. As such the notion of the importance of discipleship in the great scheme of things is all the greater.
Genesis 12.1-9
This tiny section of the book of Genesis has an outsized significance for the ongoing story of God. It can be described as the "lynchpin of the Bible," not just the Old Testament, but the New Testament as well. Abram is given a very hard task. "Go from your country, your kin, and the house of your father to the land that I will show you" (Gen. 12:1). Anyone who has experienced the movement from one's native land to another land not her own knows well the wrenching feeling of leaving the loved and familiar for the unknown place with its different languages and cultures and money and customs. And if that were not difficult enough, leaving one's land also means leaving one's kin, the relatives left behind who are anxious for the one they love, along with the pain of the one leaving those they love. But there is, most crucially, the promises of God about a new future. What those promises actually consist of will be worked out on the way.
Psalm 104
Psalm 104 presents a glorious picture of God as creator and a sweeping view of the world God made. The main subject of the psalm is the order of the world and the sovereignty of the God who created and maintains it. This subject in turn instils confidence that God can and will order the lives of those who seek God by keeping them in God’s purpose and away from evil. Psalm 104 draws from theological ideas similar to those in the creation story in Genesis 1:1-2:4a and the flood story in Genesis 6-9. In Genesis 1:1-2:4a God creates the world by pushing back the waters that covered the earth so there is a place for plants to grow and animals, including humans, to flourish.
For Reflection:
As we seek to Walk the Way, and live the life of Jesus today, having thought about learning and journeying, and also issues of care for the environment, what practical measures might you take today?
SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER
Hebrews 1.1-4; 2.5-12
The Letter to the Hebrews presents Jesus Christ as the supreme revelation of God, and affirms his superiority to the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant is affirmed as authoritative prior to the coming of Christ, but Jesus is superior to the prophets because he is ‘a son’ (the Greek has ‘a son’, not ‘the son’ or ‘his son’), and his son-ship is reflected in his appointment as ‘heir of all things.’ The words ‘through [him] he also created the worlds’ indicate that Christ is not only the fulfilment of creation, but its origin also. Christ’s unity with God is re-emphasised in verse 3, which describes Christ’s ‘purification for sins’. This is a major theme of chapters 5–10. Sitting ‘at the right hand of the Majesty on high’ (cf. Psalm 110.1) expresses his superiority to the angels as well as the prophets. The writer uses Psalm 8.4-6 to explain how this is possible for a human being, and how all human beings are exalted in Jesus, through his solidarity with us in suffering and death, by which he is able to call us his brothers and sisters. God’s saving love, shown in Christ’s suffering, enables us to share Christ’s son-ship.
Mark 10.2-16
Here there are two pericopes: the first is about divorce and adultery, but under the surface it is about the status of women; and the second is about the status of children. Both are circumscribed by the circumstances of Jesus’ time. Verses 2-9 are a rabbinical debate on how to interpret Jewish divorce law found in Deuteronomy 24.1-4. However, the question in verse 2 is not about the grounds on which a man might divorce his wife, but whether he may do so. Jesus appeals to an older text (Genesis 1.27 and 2.24) for his ruling that a man may not divorce his wife. This is to protect women, who had little legal protection and were economically vulnerable. Verses 10-12 push the issue into a Roman context where a woman could initiate divorce but this turns it into a matter of adultery and reflects a post-Jesus tradition of Christianity in a wider world. Verses 13-16 are about children, who represent those who belong to the kingdom of God. Jeremias suggests that this is not about the psychology of childlike innocence and trust, but is about social status and politics. Like women, children had no legal rights in ancient Judaism. They were of low status, vulnerable and dependent, like servants and slaves. This is the mark of those who belong to God – ‘nobodies’ in this world. In Mark 10.24 the disciples are called ‘children’. All in all a difficult reading to understand but one that expresses the inherent value in any person.
The Letter to the Hebrews presents Jesus Christ as the supreme revelation of God, and affirms his superiority to the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant is affirmed as authoritative prior to the coming of Christ, but Jesus is superior to the prophets because he is ‘a son’ (the Greek has ‘a son’, not ‘the son’ or ‘his son’), and his son-ship is reflected in his appointment as ‘heir of all things.’ The words ‘through [him] he also created the worlds’ indicate that Christ is not only the fulfilment of creation, but its origin also. Christ’s unity with God is re-emphasised in verse 3, which describes Christ’s ‘purification for sins’. This is a major theme of chapters 5–10. Sitting ‘at the right hand of the Majesty on high’ (cf. Psalm 110.1) expresses his superiority to the angels as well as the prophets. The writer uses Psalm 8.4-6 to explain how this is possible for a human being, and how all human beings are exalted in Jesus, through his solidarity with us in suffering and death, by which he is able to call us his brothers and sisters. God’s saving love, shown in Christ’s suffering, enables us to share Christ’s son-ship.
Mark 10.2-16
Here there are two pericopes: the first is about divorce and adultery, but under the surface it is about the status of women; and the second is about the status of children. Both are circumscribed by the circumstances of Jesus’ time. Verses 2-9 are a rabbinical debate on how to interpret Jewish divorce law found in Deuteronomy 24.1-4. However, the question in verse 2 is not about the grounds on which a man might divorce his wife, but whether he may do so. Jesus appeals to an older text (Genesis 1.27 and 2.24) for his ruling that a man may not divorce his wife. This is to protect women, who had little legal protection and were economically vulnerable. Verses 10-12 push the issue into a Roman context where a woman could initiate divorce but this turns it into a matter of adultery and reflects a post-Jesus tradition of Christianity in a wider world. Verses 13-16 are about children, who represent those who belong to the kingdom of God. Jeremias suggests that this is not about the psychology of childlike innocence and trust, but is about social status and politics. Like women, children had no legal rights in ancient Judaism. They were of low status, vulnerable and dependent, like servants and slaves. This is the mark of those who belong to God – ‘nobodies’ in this world. In Mark 10.24 the disciples are called ‘children’. All in all a difficult reading to understand but one that expresses the inherent value in any person.
SUNDAY 30 SEPTEM BER
Genesis 1.1-27.
Our reading starts with the image of the Spirit hovering over the face of the deep (Genesis 1.1). This is the very moment of creation when God’s presence commences what it is to be. From this point the vastness of the diversity of creations pans out, and we find ourselves located within this remarkable richness. The presence of the Spirit is a blessing. A constant refrain throughout the narrative sequence is, “And God saw that it was good.” This reinforces the idea that God’s blessing comes through creation.
Deuteronomy 26.1-11
The passage is about bringing some of the harvest fruits and offering them to God. It is about intentionally remembering God's mighty acts on behalf of us, raising up the people of Israel from meagre beginnings. In the theology of Deuteronomy, full life and full joy come from keeping covenant, from keeping God in the centre of all things. With God as covenant lord, we are freed from selfishness and egocentricity. With our fellow human beings as true co-partners we are freed to enjoy full human mutuality with our friends and neighbours. Our willingness to share arises out of our experience of God providing for us.
For Reflection:
With our Harvest Service today we start into the Holy Habit of “Eating Together.” It is one of the features of the early church (Acts 2.42-47). Eating together is more than just getting some much needed nutrition! It is a profound act of sharing. How can we build more of this into our church life together? Please use the slips provided and pin them to the Walking the Way board to help provide feedback as to how we can develop this Holy Habit into more of a regular in what we do as Redland Park Church and the Bristol Korean Church.
Our reading starts with the image of the Spirit hovering over the face of the deep (Genesis 1.1). This is the very moment of creation when God’s presence commences what it is to be. From this point the vastness of the diversity of creations pans out, and we find ourselves located within this remarkable richness. The presence of the Spirit is a blessing. A constant refrain throughout the narrative sequence is, “And God saw that it was good.” This reinforces the idea that God’s blessing comes through creation.
Deuteronomy 26.1-11
The passage is about bringing some of the harvest fruits and offering them to God. It is about intentionally remembering God's mighty acts on behalf of us, raising up the people of Israel from meagre beginnings. In the theology of Deuteronomy, full life and full joy come from keeping covenant, from keeping God in the centre of all things. With God as covenant lord, we are freed from selfishness and egocentricity. With our fellow human beings as true co-partners we are freed to enjoy full human mutuality with our friends and neighbours. Our willingness to share arises out of our experience of God providing for us.
For Reflection:
With our Harvest Service today we start into the Holy Habit of “Eating Together.” It is one of the features of the early church (Acts 2.42-47). Eating together is more than just getting some much needed nutrition! It is a profound act of sharing. How can we build more of this into our church life together? Please use the slips provided and pin them to the Walking the Way board to help provide feedback as to how we can develop this Holy Habit into more of a regular in what we do as Redland Park Church and the Bristol Korean Church.
SUNDAY 23 SEPTEMBER
Gospel Mark 9.30-37
This passage continues a theme of suffering that we encountered before, except this time the disciples choose not to argue about it with Jesus but just to maintain an embarrassed silence. That didn’t stop them from having their own conversation, though, as they argued with one another about who would have which positions of authority when (as they expected) Jesus came to his senses and realised that messiahship was about power and control. It must have been quite a heated discussion, and clearly overheard by Jesus as he knows what it is all about without being told. Is this device another example of Mark’s sense of theatre? Either way, Jesus surprises them with his identification of a child as the most appropriate model for discipleship. The notion of childhood as we understand it didn’t exist in the Roman world, so there is no sentimental intention here. On the one hand there is an element of vulnerability as children were generally regarded as of little value until they grew up – and were therefore disposable. But there is also a challenge to realise that God isn’t limited by our own expectations: children are always curious, and would not be at all hesitant to ask the questions that the disciples had avoided. Instead of competing for intellectual superiority, the disciples need to be aware of what they don’t know – and in the process learn the true meaning of the journey that Jesus was taking them on.
This passage continues a theme of suffering that we encountered before, except this time the disciples choose not to argue about it with Jesus but just to maintain an embarrassed silence. That didn’t stop them from having their own conversation, though, as they argued with one another about who would have which positions of authority when (as they expected) Jesus came to his senses and realised that messiahship was about power and control. It must have been quite a heated discussion, and clearly overheard by Jesus as he knows what it is all about without being told. Is this device another example of Mark’s sense of theatre? Either way, Jesus surprises them with his identification of a child as the most appropriate model for discipleship. The notion of childhood as we understand it didn’t exist in the Roman world, so there is no sentimental intention here. On the one hand there is an element of vulnerability as children were generally regarded as of little value until they grew up – and were therefore disposable. But there is also a challenge to realise that God isn’t limited by our own expectations: children are always curious, and would not be at all hesitant to ask the questions that the disciples had avoided. Instead of competing for intellectual superiority, the disciples need to be aware of what they don’t know – and in the process learn the true meaning of the journey that Jesus was taking them on.
SUNDAY 16 SEPTEMBER
Acts 2:42-47
The story of Pentecost runs from the beginning of chapter 2 and through to verse 46. Luke intentionally places this description of the earliest church at the conclusion of the opening episode. Commentators argue as to whether this vision of the church was really sustainable in the long run. Whether it was or not, what Luke tries to do here is to identify and present what he considered to be the essential features of the church life that he could see around him. By the time that Luke was writing, the early church had emerged as a distinct community and he was seeking to explore and explain what made it distinctive.
Ephesians 1:3-14
'You, too!' The acclamation with which the letter begins after its formal greeting is a rolling wordy sentence that tumbles from one set of wonderful themes to another, finally coming to rest in the affirmation to the readers that they belong, too! 'You, too!' They have been included. Ephesians is celebrating the inclusion of both Gentiles and Jews in this new initiative of God to bring together all people, indeed, all things into unity under Christ. This is Paul writing to the early church in Ephesus and, as with Luke, looks to celebrate the distinctive nature of the church with its rootedness in Christ. As the rest of Paul’s letters make clear there were plenty of problems as well. But when attention is paid to this core vision of Christ, a new community emerges which is capable of including people who were previously divided.
The story of Pentecost runs from the beginning of chapter 2 and through to verse 46. Luke intentionally places this description of the earliest church at the conclusion of the opening episode. Commentators argue as to whether this vision of the church was really sustainable in the long run. Whether it was or not, what Luke tries to do here is to identify and present what he considered to be the essential features of the church life that he could see around him. By the time that Luke was writing, the early church had emerged as a distinct community and he was seeking to explore and explain what made it distinctive.
Ephesians 1:3-14
'You, too!' The acclamation with which the letter begins after its formal greeting is a rolling wordy sentence that tumbles from one set of wonderful themes to another, finally coming to rest in the affirmation to the readers that they belong, too! 'You, too!' They have been included. Ephesians is celebrating the inclusion of both Gentiles and Jews in this new initiative of God to bring together all people, indeed, all things into unity under Christ. This is Paul writing to the early church in Ephesus and, as with Luke, looks to celebrate the distinctive nature of the church with its rootedness in Christ. As the rest of Paul’s letters make clear there were plenty of problems as well. But when attention is paid to this core vision of Christ, a new community emerges which is capable of including people who were previously divided.
SUNDAY 9 SEPTEMBER
SERVICE LED BY REVD RAY ADAMS (former Moderator of the South West Province)
Responsive Reading: Venite (R&S 736)
Readings: James 2.1-10, 14-17
Mark 7.24-37
Responsive Reading: Venite (R&S 736)
Readings: James 2.1-10, 14-17
Mark 7.24-37
SUNDAY 3 SEPTEMBER
Living faithfully is about much more than simply ticking off a list of dos and don'ts – but it is very easy to slip into that way of thinking.
James 1.17-27
The passage opens with a focus on the creativity of God. We are the result of God's decision and all that is good also comes from God (vv. 17-18). People's responsibility for both hearing God's word and acting on it is not a new thought but the consequence of what James has just said about God.
Mark 7.1-8, 14-15, 21-23
We can understand the whole passage in the light of the struggle of the Early Church with the observance of the Jewish law. Matthew pictured Jesus as the authoritative interpreter of the law. Paul can be seen as denying the law as the basis of salvation and behaviour. Mark, as in this passage, presented Jesus as upholding the basic principles of the law but challenging the traditions that had grown up around it. What always matters is conveying the reality of God in our everyday lives, though that is never straightforward. The two key words in the opening verses are defilement and tradition (vv. 1-3). It wasn't that Jesus was against hand washing or the things on the list of forms of evil behaviour (vv. 21-22). People had confused the external with the internal. Defilement was from within (vv. 21 and 23) and could not be dealt with by external rituals. Jesus' quotation from Isaiah 29.13 (v. 6) puts a finger on the issue. Defilement was a lack of active relationship with God. This allowed the 'evil intentions' (v. 21) to come from the heart.
James 1.17-27
The passage opens with a focus on the creativity of God. We are the result of God's decision and all that is good also comes from God (vv. 17-18). People's responsibility for both hearing God's word and acting on it is not a new thought but the consequence of what James has just said about God.
Mark 7.1-8, 14-15, 21-23
We can understand the whole passage in the light of the struggle of the Early Church with the observance of the Jewish law. Matthew pictured Jesus as the authoritative interpreter of the law. Paul can be seen as denying the law as the basis of salvation and behaviour. Mark, as in this passage, presented Jesus as upholding the basic principles of the law but challenging the traditions that had grown up around it. What always matters is conveying the reality of God in our everyday lives, though that is never straightforward. The two key words in the opening verses are defilement and tradition (vv. 1-3). It wasn't that Jesus was against hand washing or the things on the list of forms of evil behaviour (vv. 21-22). People had confused the external with the internal. Defilement was from within (vv. 21 and 23) and could not be dealt with by external rituals. Jesus' quotation from Isaiah 29.13 (v. 6) puts a finger on the issue. Defilement was a lack of active relationship with God. This allowed the 'evil intentions' (v. 21) to come from the heart.
SUNDAY 26 AUGUST
CAFE-STYLE WORSHIP LED BY LES FRY
Readings I Kings 8 vv 22-30.
Psalm 84, vv 1-12.
John 6 vv 53-59.
Readings I Kings 8 vv 22-30.
Psalm 84, vv 1-12.
John 6 vv 53-59.
SUNDAY 19 AUGUST
SERVICE LED BY DR ALLAN LAFFERTY
Reading: John 6: 51-60
Readings: Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18 and Ephesians 5: 15-20
Reading: John 6: 51-60
Readings: Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18 and Ephesians 5: 15-20
SUNDAY 12 AUGUST
SERVICE LED BY THE ELDERS
Reading: John 6:35, 41-51
Reading: Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2
Reading: John 6:35, 41-51
Reading: Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2
SUNDAY 5 AUGUST
SERVICE LED BY REVD HYUNTE SHIN
Reading: Genesis 1:1-8
Readings: Revelation 21:1-9; 22:1-5
Reading: Genesis 1:1-8
Readings: Revelation 21:1-9; 22:1-5
SUNDAY 29 JULY
SERVICE LED BY REVD PETER CHAVE
Reading: Matthew 5:1-13
Readings: 1 Peter 1:3-9;13-16
Reading: Matthew 5:1-13
Readings: 1 Peter 1:3-9;13-16
SUNDAY 22 JULY
Jeremiah 23.1-6
Jeremiah prophesied the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and paid a price for his outspokenness. Using a popular dirge style, he speaks against the king and the royal court – the 'shepherds.’ For another powerful and contemporary attack on them see Ezekiel 34. These leaders failed in their duty of protecting the sheep. The flock has been scattered, a reference to the exile in Babylon which began for some after the first siege of Jerusalem in 596 BCE and for the rest after the second siege of 587. Verse 3 is a promise that God himself will bring the sheep back and provide them with a new leadership. Verses 5 and 6 speak of a new king in David's line with the same name as the last dreadful failure whose ill-judged revolt brought about the final collapse of Jerusalem (2 Kings 24.17-25.7). The new Zedekiah (The Lord is my righteousness – the one who puts things right for us is what righteousness means in the Old Testament) will not be like the last! This kind of saying gave birth to the hope that took many forms in the centuries after the exile: sooner or later God would make his nation as he wanted it to be.
Ephesians 2.11-22
Note the old/new and before/after theme. Paul reminds the Ephesian Christians, who seem to have all been Gentile, of their situation before and after Christ. Before they were the ‘uncircumcised’, outside God’s covenant community. Now they are no longer ‘strangers’ but have hope and know God because they are ‘in Christ.’ This total change has been brought about by Christ, specifically by his death. The great example of this is how he has brought Jew and Gentile together by breaking down the ‘dividing wall’ between them. It is not clear what Paul is referring to here, for there is little in the gospels about Jesus having any significant ministry among Gentiles in his human life. For Paul, reconciliation is now a reality between old and new, insider and outsider, between Jew and Greek. In place of those two fundamental distinctions in that ancient culture is now a new and reconciled humanity. A harmony has been created.
Mark 6.30-34,53-56
Mark presents Jesus as the long-awaited shepherd who would come to lead God’s people to security and peace. Jesus sees those who come to him as ‘sheep without a shepherd’, and he comes upon them everywhere he goes. His response is to teach them and to heal them. Even when he tries to get away, so that he and his disciples can spend some time together, people flock to him and he does not turn them away because he is filled with compassion for them.
The links between the readings
Paul pictures the effects of the cross: the bringing together of a single people under the headship of Christ. It is what Jeremiah predicted would happen when God sent his messiah. And it is what we see in the Gospel reading as Jesus reaches out to sheep without a shepherd to gather them in to his community. How can these insights relate to contemporary global challenges today?
Jeremiah prophesied the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and paid a price for his outspokenness. Using a popular dirge style, he speaks against the king and the royal court – the 'shepherds.’ For another powerful and contemporary attack on them see Ezekiel 34. These leaders failed in their duty of protecting the sheep. The flock has been scattered, a reference to the exile in Babylon which began for some after the first siege of Jerusalem in 596 BCE and for the rest after the second siege of 587. Verse 3 is a promise that God himself will bring the sheep back and provide them with a new leadership. Verses 5 and 6 speak of a new king in David's line with the same name as the last dreadful failure whose ill-judged revolt brought about the final collapse of Jerusalem (2 Kings 24.17-25.7). The new Zedekiah (The Lord is my righteousness – the one who puts things right for us is what righteousness means in the Old Testament) will not be like the last! This kind of saying gave birth to the hope that took many forms in the centuries after the exile: sooner or later God would make his nation as he wanted it to be.
Ephesians 2.11-22
Note the old/new and before/after theme. Paul reminds the Ephesian Christians, who seem to have all been Gentile, of their situation before and after Christ. Before they were the ‘uncircumcised’, outside God’s covenant community. Now they are no longer ‘strangers’ but have hope and know God because they are ‘in Christ.’ This total change has been brought about by Christ, specifically by his death. The great example of this is how he has brought Jew and Gentile together by breaking down the ‘dividing wall’ between them. It is not clear what Paul is referring to here, for there is little in the gospels about Jesus having any significant ministry among Gentiles in his human life. For Paul, reconciliation is now a reality between old and new, insider and outsider, between Jew and Greek. In place of those two fundamental distinctions in that ancient culture is now a new and reconciled humanity. A harmony has been created.
Mark 6.30-34,53-56
Mark presents Jesus as the long-awaited shepherd who would come to lead God’s people to security and peace. Jesus sees those who come to him as ‘sheep without a shepherd’, and he comes upon them everywhere he goes. His response is to teach them and to heal them. Even when he tries to get away, so that he and his disciples can spend some time together, people flock to him and he does not turn them away because he is filled with compassion for them.
The links between the readings
Paul pictures the effects of the cross: the bringing together of a single people under the headship of Christ. It is what Jeremiah predicted would happen when God sent his messiah. And it is what we see in the Gospel reading as Jesus reaches out to sheep without a shepherd to gather them in to his community. How can these insights relate to contemporary global challenges today?
SUNDAY 15 JULY
Amos 7.7-15: Amos tells a parable about a builder’s tool: a plumb line. It is a warning of God’s judgement of Israel. Amos’ audience objects to his message. They try to get him arrested and they urge him to flee away and stop troubling the northern kingdom. But Amos knows he is part of God’s plans for Israel. He’s just a herdsman and gardener, not a religious professional. He is not someone whose family has always been in the business of speaking on behalf of God. He is there because God has sent him with a message: shape up or face the consequences. God is working his purposes out, and the rulers of Israel – political and religious – are standing in his way. As always, salvation is found in obedience, however hard that may be.
Ephesians 1.3-14: Today’s reading tells of the great gift of being chosen by God. So we consider how we make choices, and how we are all chosen by God. The passage is about the amazing grace of God, and it is, at heart, a thanksgiving to God for the great blessing in which we have been caught up — God’s eternal purpose, centred in Christ. This is described in various ways, including being ‘chosen’ (v. 4) and adopted as God’s children (v. 5), set free from slavery or entering the ‘new covenant’ (which is what ‘redemption through his blood’ probably means in v. 7), being forgiven (v. 7), made rich (v. 7), being given the secret of God’s wisdom (vv. 8-9), obtaining an inheritance (v. 11), being given new hope (v. 12), knowing the truth (v. 13) and being saved (v. 13). Being marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit (like a seal on a document) our full and final inheritance is guaranteed (v. 14). How does that square with God’s free grace for all or with the need for faith, commitment and response? What about those who were never chosen? The extravagant language is a way of expressing amazement that all this is of God and not of us. Note the place of Christ in this passage — at the centre of God’s purposes, at the centre of the Christian life, and at the centre of the Church.
Mark 6.14-29: Those who are faithful in living and speaking for God risk a sticky end. John has been fearless in speaking for God’s justice in the land of Herod, a king with little interest in any justice but his own. Herod was outraged by John’s activities and so had him arrested. But his wife was even more personally aggrieved. So, heady with wine and infatuation, Herod promises the moon to his daughter. But she wants only John’s head. Upset though Herod was, because he did not want to lose face in front of his guests, he granted her wish.
The links between the readings
Though God’s plans are bigger than his people, his people have a crucial role in furthering them. And the cost of doing that is, in some cases, high indeed. But with the call comes the resources to carry it out.
For Reflection:
Develop the habit of noticing when Christ has passed by: each evening identify one person, or one aspect of creation, or one relationship where you have glimpsed Christ.
Mighty God, we thank you for all we have heard about your great love for us:
how we have been included in your plan; how you chose us before creation.
We choose now to go out to serve you in everything we do.
Amen.
Ephesians 1.3-14: Today’s reading tells of the great gift of being chosen by God. So we consider how we make choices, and how we are all chosen by God. The passage is about the amazing grace of God, and it is, at heart, a thanksgiving to God for the great blessing in which we have been caught up — God’s eternal purpose, centred in Christ. This is described in various ways, including being ‘chosen’ (v. 4) and adopted as God’s children (v. 5), set free from slavery or entering the ‘new covenant’ (which is what ‘redemption through his blood’ probably means in v. 7), being forgiven (v. 7), made rich (v. 7), being given the secret of God’s wisdom (vv. 8-9), obtaining an inheritance (v. 11), being given new hope (v. 12), knowing the truth (v. 13) and being saved (v. 13). Being marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit (like a seal on a document) our full and final inheritance is guaranteed (v. 14). How does that square with God’s free grace for all or with the need for faith, commitment and response? What about those who were never chosen? The extravagant language is a way of expressing amazement that all this is of God and not of us. Note the place of Christ in this passage — at the centre of God’s purposes, at the centre of the Christian life, and at the centre of the Church.
Mark 6.14-29: Those who are faithful in living and speaking for God risk a sticky end. John has been fearless in speaking for God’s justice in the land of Herod, a king with little interest in any justice but his own. Herod was outraged by John’s activities and so had him arrested. But his wife was even more personally aggrieved. So, heady with wine and infatuation, Herod promises the moon to his daughter. But she wants only John’s head. Upset though Herod was, because he did not want to lose face in front of his guests, he granted her wish.
The links between the readings
Though God’s plans are bigger than his people, his people have a crucial role in furthering them. And the cost of doing that is, in some cases, high indeed. But with the call comes the resources to carry it out.
For Reflection:
Develop the habit of noticing when Christ has passed by: each evening identify one person, or one aspect of creation, or one relationship where you have glimpsed Christ.
Mighty God, we thank you for all we have heard about your great love for us:
how we have been included in your plan; how you chose us before creation.
We choose now to go out to serve you in everything we do.
Amen.
SUNDAY 8 JULY
Ezekiel 2.1-5
Ezekiel was called as a prophet by his exilic visions in Babylon. He went there in 597 BC with King Jehoiachin, who had surrendered when King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem (1.1-3; 2 Kings 24.8-17). Ezekiel prophesied from 593 to 571, spanning 587 when the Temple he had served as a priest was destroyed. In this deadly maelstrom, Ezekiel recognises that he is a mere mortal, falling on his face in response to ‘the appearance of the likeness of the glory of God’ (1.28). He stands only by the divine power of the word he must speak to ‘a rebellious house’.
2 Corinthians 12.2-10
Paul is struggling to establish his credentials with critics in the Corinthian Church, who boast of their spiritual experiences. Paul refers to the ecstatic visions that he received at his conversion, but modestly couches them as if to a third person. To underline this humility and to make this point to the Corinthians that he is a servant of Christ, and not elevating himself, he emphasises his weakness (v.5). He describes how a thorn in the flesh, which is not specified – it may be a physical ailment, or other handicap – continually reminds him of his utter dependence on God; and prevents him becoming conceited. He has prayed three times for this to be removed, but through prayer has come to accept God’s word to him: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness’ (v.9).
Mark 6.1-13
For the early Christians, the story of the offence Jesus caused his own family (3.21,31-35) and others of his home town, foreshadowed his rejection by most of his own people (15.6-15) and the mission to the Gentiles. The latter is perhaps anticipated here by Mark and Luke (9.1-6), who do not include the injunction in Matthew 10.5-15 to ‘go nowhere among the Gentiles’. The objection to Jesus seems to be to his ordinariness. And, although it was more usual to refer to a Jewish man as son of his father, it is not clear that any extraordinary significance attaches to ‘son of Mary’. Prejudgement prevents a response of faith without which, Mark is not afraid to say, ‘he could do no deed of power’. But the mission of the obedient twelve is an extension of his ministry, as they too meet both rejection and repentance.
Ezekiel was called as a prophet by his exilic visions in Babylon. He went there in 597 BC with King Jehoiachin, who had surrendered when King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem (1.1-3; 2 Kings 24.8-17). Ezekiel prophesied from 593 to 571, spanning 587 when the Temple he had served as a priest was destroyed. In this deadly maelstrom, Ezekiel recognises that he is a mere mortal, falling on his face in response to ‘the appearance of the likeness of the glory of God’ (1.28). He stands only by the divine power of the word he must speak to ‘a rebellious house’.
2 Corinthians 12.2-10
Paul is struggling to establish his credentials with critics in the Corinthian Church, who boast of their spiritual experiences. Paul refers to the ecstatic visions that he received at his conversion, but modestly couches them as if to a third person. To underline this humility and to make this point to the Corinthians that he is a servant of Christ, and not elevating himself, he emphasises his weakness (v.5). He describes how a thorn in the flesh, which is not specified – it may be a physical ailment, or other handicap – continually reminds him of his utter dependence on God; and prevents him becoming conceited. He has prayed three times for this to be removed, but through prayer has come to accept God’s word to him: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness’ (v.9).
Mark 6.1-13
For the early Christians, the story of the offence Jesus caused his own family (3.21,31-35) and others of his home town, foreshadowed his rejection by most of his own people (15.6-15) and the mission to the Gentiles. The latter is perhaps anticipated here by Mark and Luke (9.1-6), who do not include the injunction in Matthew 10.5-15 to ‘go nowhere among the Gentiles’. The objection to Jesus seems to be to his ordinariness. And, although it was more usual to refer to a Jewish man as son of his father, it is not clear that any extraordinary significance attaches to ‘son of Mary’. Prejudgement prevents a response of faith without which, Mark is not afraid to say, ‘he could do no deed of power’. But the mission of the obedient twelve is an extension of his ministry, as they too meet both rejection and repentance.
SUNDAY 1 JULY
2 Corinthians 8.7-15
When Paul was writing (AD 49-65), Jerusalem was the centre of the Christian church. There was great poverty there and Paul had spent the last ten years, as he travelled around, organising a collection of money for poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. This is the ‘generous undertaking’ (v.7) he is referring to. Collecting money for people they will never meet was an important way for Gentile Christians to express their gratitude to Jewish Christians for passing on their faith.
-Paul encourages his listeners not just to be generous now, but to continue giving to the poor. He also gives practical advice: gifts should be collected ahead of his visit so they are ready for him to take to those in need. But he is careful to ask people only to give what they can afford (vv.11-12).
- Collecting and distributing gifts to others is a way of responding to Christ’s great generosity and creates ‘a fair balance’ (v.13) between those in Jerusalem who are currently in great need, and the Corinthians who have plenty to share. Paul makes the timeless point that one day they may be in need and they will benefit from the generosity of others.
- Paul’s quote at the end is from the Old Testament account of the Israelites travelling through the wilderness with Moses (cf. Exodus 16.18). When they needed food, God provided manna, and the people had to learn to trust that there would be enough, each day, for everyone.
Mark 5.21-43
As in 3.21-35 and 11.12-25, the second narrative set within the first allows time for events to unfold and enables the stories to illuminate each other. There are contrasts: one protagonist is a male insider, one a female outsider; one speaks first, the other first acts. And there are similarities: both have courage to take a risk, one associating with someone condemned at his synagogue (see 3.6), the other touching someone regardless of her ritual impurity (Leviticus 15.25-30); both have faith; both the younger and older woman were, as hoped for, ‘made well’ and addressed as ‘daughter’. Both are restored to their capacity to give life. The younger has not died at 12 before becoming an adult, and the older will not die from 12 years of bleeding that has made her infertile. Jesus’ compassion makes them active agents of life.
For Reflection (From the URC’s Walking the Way)
Note down what you have been most glad about today. Write this into a journal. Or put it onto a list on the fridge door. Get other family members to join in with it. Try to do some random act of kindness for someone else every day or once a week.
When Paul was writing (AD 49-65), Jerusalem was the centre of the Christian church. There was great poverty there and Paul had spent the last ten years, as he travelled around, organising a collection of money for poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. This is the ‘generous undertaking’ (v.7) he is referring to. Collecting money for people they will never meet was an important way for Gentile Christians to express their gratitude to Jewish Christians for passing on their faith.
-Paul encourages his listeners not just to be generous now, but to continue giving to the poor. He also gives practical advice: gifts should be collected ahead of his visit so they are ready for him to take to those in need. But he is careful to ask people only to give what they can afford (vv.11-12).
- Collecting and distributing gifts to others is a way of responding to Christ’s great generosity and creates ‘a fair balance’ (v.13) between those in Jerusalem who are currently in great need, and the Corinthians who have plenty to share. Paul makes the timeless point that one day they may be in need and they will benefit from the generosity of others.
- Paul’s quote at the end is from the Old Testament account of the Israelites travelling through the wilderness with Moses (cf. Exodus 16.18). When they needed food, God provided manna, and the people had to learn to trust that there would be enough, each day, for everyone.
Mark 5.21-43
As in 3.21-35 and 11.12-25, the second narrative set within the first allows time for events to unfold and enables the stories to illuminate each other. There are contrasts: one protagonist is a male insider, one a female outsider; one speaks first, the other first acts. And there are similarities: both have courage to take a risk, one associating with someone condemned at his synagogue (see 3.6), the other touching someone regardless of her ritual impurity (Leviticus 15.25-30); both have faith; both the younger and older woman were, as hoped for, ‘made well’ and addressed as ‘daughter’. Both are restored to their capacity to give life. The younger has not died at 12 before becoming an adult, and the older will not die from 12 years of bleeding that has made her infertile. Jesus’ compassion makes them active agents of life.
For Reflection (From the URC’s Walking the Way)
Note down what you have been most glad about today. Write this into a journal. Or put it onto a list on the fridge door. Get other family members to join in with it. Try to do some random act of kindness for someone else every day or once a week.
SUNDAY 24 JUNE
Genesis 1: 1-2, 8: 15-22; Romans 8: 18-25; Revelation 21: 1-4
All our readings today follow the theological idea of creation, with a particular emphasis on the sea. The Bible starts with the Book of Genesis and the idea of the sea as being at the very beginning of the created order, and the Spirit “hovering over the face of the deep.” Of course water can be both creative and destructive, and that is reflected in the story of Noah. Noah represents the faithful person of God who also plays a role in caring for creation and the redemption of human society. Human society and creation are closely linked as we hear this story read. This morning we read the very end of the story as a new chapter begins. As Paul writes to the Romans he also links in creation and redemption, and also the action of the Holy Spirit. John in Revelation looks to the time when all things will be brought to completion in Christ. That there “was no longer any sea” refers to the lack of disorder that will be at that time. In a sense that brings us all the way back to those first verses of Genesis when the action of the Spirit “hovering over the face of the deep” starts to bring order from disorder.
For Reflection:
As we look towards the joy of the summer holidays, how can this be a time of new creation for all of us? As we holiday, what can we do to be more in tune with creation?
All our readings today follow the theological idea of creation, with a particular emphasis on the sea. The Bible starts with the Book of Genesis and the idea of the sea as being at the very beginning of the created order, and the Spirit “hovering over the face of the deep.” Of course water can be both creative and destructive, and that is reflected in the story of Noah. Noah represents the faithful person of God who also plays a role in caring for creation and the redemption of human society. Human society and creation are closely linked as we hear this story read. This morning we read the very end of the story as a new chapter begins. As Paul writes to the Romans he also links in creation and redemption, and also the action of the Holy Spirit. John in Revelation looks to the time when all things will be brought to completion in Christ. That there “was no longer any sea” refers to the lack of disorder that will be at that time. In a sense that brings us all the way back to those first verses of Genesis when the action of the Spirit “hovering over the face of the deep” starts to bring order from disorder.
For Reflection:
As we look towards the joy of the summer holidays, how can this be a time of new creation for all of us? As we holiday, what can we do to be more in tune with creation?
SUNDAY 17 JUNE
Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 17: 22-24
New Testament Reading: Mark 4: 26-34
New Testament Reading: Mark 4: 26-34
SUNDAY 10 JUNE
Notes on the readings:
Genesis 3.8-15
This forms part of the creation story. God saw that everything was very good (1.31), but the couple looked first with eyes greedy to grasp everything for themselves (3.6), and then with eyes open to shameful self-loathing (3.7). God took a man’s rib and made him a companion (2.21-22), but they took what was not theirs, making fig leaves a ridiculous pretence of self-contained respectability. This inaugurates a hierarchy of looking down for others to blame. The serpent is a fellow creature exalting itself as an attractive alternative to the creator’s commands.
2 Corinthians 4:13 – 5:1
Paul is under pressure to defend his ministry. At Corinth other missionaries have turned up with more impressive credentials. There has been a groundswell of criticism against Paul and, as usually happens, people seem to have accumulated as much dirt as possible, including allegations that Paul collected money only to benefit himself and that when he changed his travel plans he showed himself a scatterbrain rather than a spiritual person guided by God. Worse still, he did not have an impressive presence and was no match for his rivals as far as miracles, powerful speech, and high connections were concerned. Some saw him as a rather weak pathetic figure. Paul refuses to play the game the way he sees his rivals playing a game. He is clearly annoyed by the distraction which the manoeuvrings of the rival ministers have created. Paul's way around it is not to play the game, but to assert the heart and focus of his faith. His hope rests not on outward rewards but something invisible. Ultimately by this he means: God.
Mark 3.20-35
Jesus, popular with the crowds but opposed by the authorities, has moved from attending the synagogue on the sabbath to daily teaching on the highways. On a mountain of divine disclosure (Exodus 19.9-25), he appoints twelve apostles (3.13-19), renewing the call of Israel’s twelve tribes (Numbers 1.4-16). Now he is home in Capernaum, in the sort of house where Mark’s readers themselves worshipped, with his new community called by God’s will, whom he calls ‘my brother and sister and mother’ (vv.31-35). The scribes from Jerusalem dismiss this movement as demonically irreligious. But the members of Jesus’ household are not seeking to divide, but to reach out to all who press at the door.
Genesis 3.8-15
This forms part of the creation story. God saw that everything was very good (1.31), but the couple looked first with eyes greedy to grasp everything for themselves (3.6), and then with eyes open to shameful self-loathing (3.7). God took a man’s rib and made him a companion (2.21-22), but they took what was not theirs, making fig leaves a ridiculous pretence of self-contained respectability. This inaugurates a hierarchy of looking down for others to blame. The serpent is a fellow creature exalting itself as an attractive alternative to the creator’s commands.
2 Corinthians 4:13 – 5:1
Paul is under pressure to defend his ministry. At Corinth other missionaries have turned up with more impressive credentials. There has been a groundswell of criticism against Paul and, as usually happens, people seem to have accumulated as much dirt as possible, including allegations that Paul collected money only to benefit himself and that when he changed his travel plans he showed himself a scatterbrain rather than a spiritual person guided by God. Worse still, he did not have an impressive presence and was no match for his rivals as far as miracles, powerful speech, and high connections were concerned. Some saw him as a rather weak pathetic figure. Paul refuses to play the game the way he sees his rivals playing a game. He is clearly annoyed by the distraction which the manoeuvrings of the rival ministers have created. Paul's way around it is not to play the game, but to assert the heart and focus of his faith. His hope rests not on outward rewards but something invisible. Ultimately by this he means: God.
Mark 3.20-35
Jesus, popular with the crowds but opposed by the authorities, has moved from attending the synagogue on the sabbath to daily teaching on the highways. On a mountain of divine disclosure (Exodus 19.9-25), he appoints twelve apostles (3.13-19), renewing the call of Israel’s twelve tribes (Numbers 1.4-16). Now he is home in Capernaum, in the sort of house where Mark’s readers themselves worshipped, with his new community called by God’s will, whom he calls ‘my brother and sister and mother’ (vv.31-35). The scribes from Jerusalem dismiss this movement as demonically irreligious. But the members of Jesus’ household are not seeking to divide, but to reach out to all who press at the door.
SUNDAY 3 JUNE
Psalm 81.1-10
Psalm 81 is a festival psalm, used at the autumn harvest (also known as the festival of Tents, or Booths). It encourages celebration, music and singing, on the feast day – together with a reminder that the call to do this is ancient, coming from the time of the Exodus from Egypt. This section of the psalm ends by reminding the people to be faithful to the God who redeemed them. The Psalm conveys the sense of life that God brings.
2nd Corinthians 4.5-12
Paul faced some challenges with the church at Corinth. He saw the way through as realising that we are to be truly Christ-centred. So it is that Paul is modest about his achievements and settles happily for being a “clay jar” which contains treasure. In antiquity it was sometimes the practice to contain treasure in such vessels. He was satisfied with being identified alongside what was fragile and disposable in order that God might be glorified.
Mark 2.23–3.6
The religious experts have criticised Jesus’ healing of a paralysed man (2.1-12), his calling of ‘tax collectors and sinners’ (2.13-17), and his disciples’ refusal to fast in his presence (2.18-22). Now in these two stories the experts are again keen to find fault by interpreting the prohibition of work on the sabbath almost impossibly strictly. Jesus responds with the story of David, who gave his followers five loaves of the bread of the Presence (1 Samuel 21.1-6), baked every sabbath and kept in the sanctuary for the priests, and only the priests, to eat (Leviticus 24.5-9). So Jesus, who is ‘Son of David’ (10.47) as well as ‘the Son of Man’, is ‘Lord even of the sabbath’ (v.28). This is a call to move beyond any legalistic pre-occupations that we may have and to embrace God’s compassion and grace.
For Reflection:
- Why do you think that Paul describes us as clay jars?
- What does it feel like to have the treasure of knowing Jesus inside you?
- Who do you think is extraordinary? What makes them so?
Psalm 81 is a festival psalm, used at the autumn harvest (also known as the festival of Tents, or Booths). It encourages celebration, music and singing, on the feast day – together with a reminder that the call to do this is ancient, coming from the time of the Exodus from Egypt. This section of the psalm ends by reminding the people to be faithful to the God who redeemed them. The Psalm conveys the sense of life that God brings.
2nd Corinthians 4.5-12
Paul faced some challenges with the church at Corinth. He saw the way through as realising that we are to be truly Christ-centred. So it is that Paul is modest about his achievements and settles happily for being a “clay jar” which contains treasure. In antiquity it was sometimes the practice to contain treasure in such vessels. He was satisfied with being identified alongside what was fragile and disposable in order that God might be glorified.
Mark 2.23–3.6
The religious experts have criticised Jesus’ healing of a paralysed man (2.1-12), his calling of ‘tax collectors and sinners’ (2.13-17), and his disciples’ refusal to fast in his presence (2.18-22). Now in these two stories the experts are again keen to find fault by interpreting the prohibition of work on the sabbath almost impossibly strictly. Jesus responds with the story of David, who gave his followers five loaves of the bread of the Presence (1 Samuel 21.1-6), baked every sabbath and kept in the sanctuary for the priests, and only the priests, to eat (Leviticus 24.5-9). So Jesus, who is ‘Son of David’ (10.47) as well as ‘the Son of Man’, is ‘Lord even of the sabbath’ (v.28). This is a call to move beyond any legalistic pre-occupations that we may have and to embrace God’s compassion and grace.
For Reflection:
- Why do you think that Paul describes us as clay jars?
- What does it feel like to have the treasure of knowing Jesus inside you?
- Who do you think is extraordinary? What makes them so?